Annual Report 2024
Annual Report
2024
Table of Contents |
|
Letter to Unitholders |
1 |
Management's Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations and Financial |
|
Position |
7 |
Consolidated Combined Balance Sheets |
88 |
Consolidated Combined Statements of Net Income |
89 |
Consolidated Combined Statements of Comprehensive Income |
90 |
Consolidated Combined Statements of Unitholders' Equity |
91 |
Consolidated Combined Statements of Cash Flows |
92 |
Notes to Consolidated Combined Financial Statements |
93 |
Corporate Information |
Inside back cover |
P.O. Box 159, TD Centre
LETTER TO UNITHOLDERS
Dear Unitholders:
The listed real estate sector continued to face challenges in 2024, as market optimism for lower inflation and interest rates in the second and third quarter was replaced in the latter part of the year by fears of persistent inflation and rates staying "higher for longer". Significant volatility at the long end of the curve persisted as a result, and the 10-yr GoC and UST increased by 13bps and 63bps, respectively, over 2023. The potentially negative impact of proposed
Likely associated with the uncertainty in rates and a slowdown in economic growth, demand for logistics space continued to moderate generally across the industrial sector, as occupiers remained selective in their expansion plans. Similarly, investment volumes, while higher than in 2023, remained well below the extraordinary levels of 2021 and 2022.
With these conditions in mind, Granite established the following priorities for 2024:
- Driving Net Asset Value ("NAV"), Funds from Operations(1) ("FFO") and Adjusted Funds from Operations(1) ("AFFO") per unit growth while maintaining conservative capital ratios;
- Actively managing its income-producing portfolio and recently completed developments, focusing on new and renewal leasing;
- Executing on active development and expansion projects in
Europe and theGreater Toronto Area ("GTA"); - Selectively pursuing strategic land and income-producing property acquisition opportunities in our target markets; and
- Achieving our ESG targets for 2024 and beyond.
Overall, Granite successfully executed on the priorities summarized above. Our financial performance was evident once again, as Granite delivered strong year-over-year FFO per unit growth following two consecutive years of double-digit growth. This steady growth in FFO and AFFO per unit enabled Granite to increase its annual distribution for the fourteenth consecutive year since inception, commencing in 2025. NAV per unit increased from 2023 largely due to an unprecedented increase in the strength of the
Given the conditions in the investment market, and the continued disconnect between private and public valuations, Granite once again remained on the sidelines in terms of external growth, choosing instead to allocate our free cash flow to our NCIB program, debt reduction, and the completion of our active development and expansion projects. Our ESG performance exceeded expectations for 2024. Further detail on our accomplishments is provided in the Highlights for 2024 section below, but it is worth noting here that Granite once again received the top overall score among our peers in
Granite REIT 2024 1
With respect to our financial performance, FFO and AFFO per unit increased 9.5% and 8.0% over 2023, respectively, due primarily to solid increases in same property net operating income
- cash basis ("SPNOI - cash basis")(1) and development and expansion stabilizations. Granite recorded
$53 million in net fair value gains in 2024, primarily due to the stabilization of some of our development and expansion projects and positive leasing spreads on renewals, partially offset by the expansion of discount and terminal capitalization rates in select markets. Further increasing investment property values were unrealized foreign exchange gains of$465 million resulting in a net increase to investment properties of$589 million to$9.4 billion as atDecember 31, 2024 .
Despite a slight increase in vacancy, due primarily to a bankruptcy of a tenant at one of Granite's properties, but largely offset by progress made on the lease-up of Granite's 2023 speculative developments, 2024 was another strong year operationally for Granite, as demonstrated by year over year growth in achieved rental rates and SPNOI - cash basis. In 2024, Granite completed 10.0 million square feet of renewals and new leases with a 92% renewal rate, an average increase in rental rates of 15% and finished the year with a committed occupancy rate of 95.0%.
During 2024, Granite invested approximately
2024 was a busy year for Granite from a financing perspective, as we opportunistically exploited market conditions to drive NAV per unit growth. Granite repurchased
ESG continued to be a focus in 2024 and strong progress was made in a number of key areas of our program. Most notably, Granite once again improved its performance in the GRESB Assessment for 2024, where Granite ranked 1st out of 10 in
49.4 MW now operational on Granite properties. Lastly, in 2024, Granite obtained 14 new green building certifications (3 of which were Two Green Globes for new construction, 1 of which was BREEAM Excellent for new construction, and 10 of which were
2 Granite REIT 2024
Finally, on October 1st, 2024 Granite simplified its capital structure by uncoupling its stapled unit structure and replacing it with a conventional REIT trust unit structure.
I would like to recognize our employees for their commitment and performance in 2024.
Before moving on to our outlook and a summary of our priorities for 2025, please see below for a summary of major results and activities from 2024.
HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2024
Unitholder Retuand Increased Distribution
- -4.3%total retufor 2024 (vs -1.9% for the S&P TSX Capped REIT Index and 21.7% for the S&P/TSX Composite Index); and
- 3.03% year-over-year increase in the annual amount distributed to unitholders to
$3.40 per unit commencingDecember 2024 , marking a fourteenth consecutive annual distribution increase. Granite's AFFO payout ratio(1) remained conservative at 68% for 2024.
Strategic Allocation of Capital
$45.8 million of equity repurchased under Granite's NCIB representing 0.7 million units at an average unit cost of$68.64 ;$250 million of new unsecured debentures, issued inOctober 2024 for a 5-year term bearing a fixed interest rate of 3.494% including the cross-currency interest rate swap;$550 million of new unsecured debentures, issued inOctober 2024 for a 7-year term bearing a fixed interest rate of 4.348%;US$400 million unsecured term loan dueSeptember 2025 , with a fixed interest rate of 5.016% including the impact of an interest rate swap, was prepaid inOctober 2024 with no prepayment penalty;US$185 million unsecured term loan dueDecember 2024 , with a fixed interest rate of 0.267% including the impact of a cross currency interest rate swap, was repaid at maturity;- €10 million of a €70 million unsecured term loan due
September 2026 , with a fixed rate of 4.3325% including the impact of an interest rate swap, was prepaid inDecember 2024 with no prepayment penalty; $1.1 billion of available liquidity(1), comprised of$1.0 billion undrawn credit facility and$126.2 million in cash, at the end of the year;- Net leverage ratio(1) of 32% and net debt-to-EBITDA of 6.8x; and
- Credit rating of BBB (high) stable by Morningstar DBRS, recognizing Granite's sector- leading credit metrics.
Portfolio Enhancement and Tenant Diversification
- 3 completed development and expansion projects contributing 0.5 million of additional square feet of gross leasable area. Together with development projects completed in 2023, these properties are collectively 65% leased as of
December 31, 2024 , and expected to generate an incremental$11.9 million of annualized NOI once fully leased;
Granite REIT 2024 3
- 2 site plan approval commitments having total projected costs of
$13 million and remaining commitments of$7 million ; and - Magna concentration stable at 19% as a percentage of gross leasable area, and 26% as a percentage of annualized revenue.
Financial and Operational Performance
- FFO and AFFO per unit of
$5.44 and$4.86 , respectively, representing a year-over-year increase of 9.5% and 8.0%, respectively; - SPNOI - cash basis four quarter average year-over-year growth, on a constant currency basis(1), of 5.9%;
$53 million in net fair value gains realized primarily due to the stabilization of our development and expansion projects, and positive leasing spreads on renewals, partially offset by the expansion of discount and terminal capitalization rates in select markets. The positive impact on NAV as a result of the fair value gains was further enhanced by unrealized foreign currency translation gains of$465 million as a result of the relative weakening of the Canadian dollar against both theU.S. dollar and the Euro fromDecember 31, 2023 toDecember 31, 2024 ;- 10.0 million square feet of space renewed or re-leased with a 92% renewal rate and at an average increase in base rent of 15%; and
- Committed occupancy rate as at
December 31, 2024 of 95.0%.
Environmental, Social, Governance and Resilience (ESG+R) Performance
- Ranked 1st out of 10 in
the United States of America | Industrial GRESB peer group which evaluates the level of ESG disclosure by listed property companies and REITs. Granite also achieved a score of A in the 2024 GRESB Public Disclosure Report; - Granite's GRESB score decreased by 2 points compared to 2023 due to significant changes to the GRESB scoring methodology, but Granite was able to main its position of 1st place out of 7 in the
North American Industrial | Listed | Tenant Controlled peer group in 2024, along with maintaining a 3-star rating; - Published Granite's 4th annual comprehensive Corporate ESG+R Report; and
$1.2 billion of green bond net proceeds allocated to date towards Eligible Green Projects, as defined by Granite's Green Bond Framework, representing 100%, 100%, and 48.1% of the net proceeds of the 2027 Green Bond, the 2028 Green Bond and the 2029 Green Bond, respectively.
OUTLOOK
Despite challenging market and economic conditions, Granite finished 2024 on a strong note, with SPNOI - cash basis growth of 6.3% in the fourth quarter as compared with the fourth quarter of 2023, with further growth expected in 2025. Market rents continue to moderate broadly, but leasing spreads overall remain strongly positive on our new and renewal leasing activity. To date, Granite has executed renewals for 66% of the 5.3 million square feet of 2025 lease maturities at an average increase in rental rate of approximately 43%. The stabilization of Granite's recent development deliveries in 2023 and 2024 is also expected to support further FFO, AFFO and NAV growth in 2025 and 2026.
In 2025, Granite has continued to prudently allocate capital to its NCIB, repurchasing another
4 Granite REIT 2024
saving Granite approximately
Thus far in 2025, risks associated with stagnating economic growth, the potential for persistent inflation in the
For the remainder of 2025, Granite will focus on the following priorities:
- Driving FFO and NAV per unit growth while maintaining conservative capital ratios;
- Actively managing its income-producing portfolio and recently completed developments, focusing on new and renewal leasing;
- Assessing development, re-development and expansion opportunities in the
U.S. ,Europe and the GTA; - Selectively pursuing strategic land and income-producing property acquisition opportunities in our target markets; and
- Advancing Granite's Environmental, Social, Governance and Resilience (ESG+R) program and meeting established targets and compliance requirements.
Successfully executing on these priorities, we believe, will continue to strengthen Granite's position as one of the sector's leaders and ultimately maximize long-term value for our unitholders.
All of us at Granite thank you for your continued trust and support.
Sincerely,
President and Chief Executive Officer
Granite REIT 2024 5
- FFO, AFFO and related per unit amounts, available liquidity, SPNOI - cash basis (same property net operating income - cash basis), constant currency SPNOI - cash basis (constant currency same property net operating income
- cash basis) (each of which are non-GAAP performance measures); and AFFO payout ratio and net leverage ratio (each of which are non-GAAP ratios) are not defined by IFRS® Accounting Standards as issued by theInternational Accounting Standards Board (''IFRS Accounting Standards'' or "GAAP") and do not have standard meanings. Please refer to the "Basis of Presentation", "Non-GAAP Performance Measures" and "Non-GAAP Ratios" sections in the attached MD&A for definitions and reconciliations to GAAP measures.
6 Granite REIT 2024
MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF RESULTS OF OPERATIONS AND FINANCIAL POSITION
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Basis of Presentation |
Commitments, Contractual Obligations, |
||
Contingencies and Off-Balance Sheet |
|||
Arrangements |
67 |
||
Financial and Operating Highlights |
Related Party Transactions |
67 |
|
Non-GAAP Performance Measures and |
|||
Significant Matters |
10 |
Ratios |
67 |
Business Overview and Strategic Outlook . . |
14 |
Significant Accounting Estimates |
72 |
New Accounting Pronouncements and |
|||
Outlook |
15 |
Developments |
74 |
Environmental, Social, Governance, and |
Internal Controls over Financial Reporting . . |
||
Resilience (ESG+R) |
15 |
75 |
|
Results of Operations |
22 |
Risks and Uncertainties |
77 |
Investment Properties |
42 |
Quarterly Financial Data |
78 |
Liquidity and Capital Resources |
54 |
Forward-Looking Statements |
81 |
BASIS OF PRESENTATION
Management's Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations and Financial Position ("MD&A") of
For the periods prior to
In addition to using financial measures determined in accordance with IFRS Accounting Standards, Granite also uses certain non-GAAP performance measures and non-GAAP ratios in managing its business to measure financial and operating performance as well as for capital allocation decisions and valuation purposes. Granite believes that providing these measures on a supplemental basis to the GAAP amounts is helpful to investors in assessing the overall performance of Granite's business.
The non-GAAP performance measures include net operating income before lease termination and close-out fees, straight-line rent and tenant incentive amortization ("NOI - cash basis"), same property NOI - cash basis, constant currency same property NOI - cash basis, funds from operations ("FFO"), adjusted funds from operations ("AFFO"), adjusted earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization ("Adjusted EBITDA"), available liquidity, total debt and net debt. Refer to "NON-GAAPPERFORMANCE MEASURES" for definitions and reconciliations of non-GAAP performance measures to GAAP financial measures.
Granite REIT 2024 7
The non-GAAP ratios include FFO payout ratio, AFFO payout ratio, leverage ratio, interest coverage ratio, net leverage ratio, indebtedness ratio, unencumbered asset coverage ratio and any related per unit amounts. Refer to "NON-GAAPRATIOS" for definitions and reconciliations of non-GAAP ratios to GAAP financial measures.
Readers are cautioned that these measures do not have standardized meanings prescribed under IFRS Accounting Standards and, therefore, should not be construed as alternatives to net income, cash provided by operating activities or any other measure calculated in accordance with IFRS Accounting Standards. Additionally, because these terms do not have standardized meanings prescribed by IFRS Accounting Standards, they may not be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other reporting issuers.
FINANCIAL AND OPERATING HIGHLIGHTS
Three Months Ended |
Years Ended |
Year Ended |
||||
|
|
|
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(in millions, except as noted) |
2024 |
2023 |
2024 |
2023 |
2022 |
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Operating highlights |
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Revenue |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net operating income ("NOI") |
121.2 |
110.0 |
472.0 |
435.2 |
380.4 |
|
NOI - cash basis(1) |
118.6 |
108.0 |
459.8 |
422.9 |
373.9 |
|
Net income attributable to |
||||||
unitholders |
83.7 |
31.4 |
360.6 |
136.7 |
155.8 |
|
FFO(1) |
92.7 |
81.2 |
343.9 |
317.6 |
289.3 |
|
AFFO(1) |
78.8 |
73.2 |
307.1 |
287.4 |
264.2 |
|
Cash provided by operating |
||||||
activities |
71.2 |
76.0 |
338.6 |
313.1 |
277.5 |
|
Monthly distributions paid |
51.8 |
50.9 |
207.9 |
203.9 |
202.3 |
|
FFO payout ratio(1)(2) |
56 % |
63 % |
61 % |
64 % |
70 % |
|
AFFO payout ratio(1)(2) |
66 % |
70 % |
68 % |
71 % |
77 % |
|
Per unit amounts |
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Diluted FFO(1) |
|
|
|
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|
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Diluted AFFO(1) |
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|
|
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Monthly distributions paid |
|
|
|
|
|
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Diluted weighted average number of |
||||||
units |
63.0 |
63.8 |
63.2 |
63.9 |
65.3 |
- Granite REIT 2024
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