CapitaMalls Asia., the retail property unit of Southeast Asia’s largest developer, fell the most in nine months in Singapore trading after fourth-quarter profit dropped 10 % on lower valuation gains.
The shares declined 4.2 % to $2.08 at 4:10 p.m. in Singapore, set for its biggest decline since May. The stock gained 72 % last year, making it the best performer on the Singapore benchmark index.
Net income slid to $184.8 million, or 4.8 cents a share, in the three months ended Dec. 31, from $205.4 million, or 4.3 cents, a year earlier, the company said in a statement through the stock exchange today.
Lower fair value gains from Singapore and China, and some losses in India resulted in CapitaMalls’ profit decline in the quarter, according to the company statement.
“CapitaMalls’ core profit for the full year was below expectations due mainly to higher costs for new mall openings,” Tricia Song, an analyst at Barclays Plc, said in a note to clients today. The lower profit was mainly due to about $12 million in opening costs for its seven new malls in China, $3 million of losses in India and higher finance costs, according to the note.
Excluding revaluations and one-time gains, profit for the year ended Dec. 31 was S$167 million, lagging behind Barclays’s estimate of S$189 million, according to the report.
Barclays maintained its neutral rating on the stock with a price target of $1.83, a 16 % decline from yesterday’s closing price.
CapitaMalls has total assets of $9.26 billion, with China contributing more than half, according to a company presentation today. Singapore accounts for 33 % while Malaysia and Japan each make up 7 %, the company said. China contributed to 42 % of the company’s earnings, while Singapore’s share was at 39 %.
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