Q4 2023 Letter to Shareholders
Q4 2023
Brookfield Corporation Shareholders
Overview
2023 was another excellent year for
In addition to generating solid financial results, our strong liquidity position and differentiated access to capital enabled us to remain active on the investment front. In total, we invested over
With short-term interest rates expected to follow long rates lower, it looks like 2024 will be a very good year for our overall business. We also expect to be more active on the monetization front as capital markets regain strength in conjunction with the normalization of the economic situation and the stabilization of interest rates. Market participants' confidence in pricing in risk has increased, which has in tuimproved the liquidity in the capital markets.
Geopolitics can always lead to heightened volatility, but this seems to have become the new normal. Our view is that owning businesses and assets that form the backbone of the global economy is a safe place to be in all markets. This resilience has been proven over decades, and we do not believe this will change.
Operating Results were Strong
Each of our businesses delivered strong results and resilient cash flows amidst the above-mentioned environment. These solid returns were underpinned by the high-quality assets and businesses that we own.
Financial Results
Distributable earnings ("DE") before realizations were
AS AT AND FOR THE 12 MONTHS ENDED |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
CAGR |
|
|
|||||||
DE before realizations - Per share1 |
|
|
|
|
|
20% |
|
- Total1 |
1,895 |
2,330 |
2,993 |
3,825 |
4,223 |
22% |
|
Distributable Earnings - Per share |
1.79 |
2.74 |
3.96 |
3.25 |
3.03 |
14% |
|
- Total |
2,657 |
4,220 |
6,282 |
5,229 |
4,806 |
16% |
|
Gross annual run rate of fees plus target carry |
5,781 |
6,472 |
7,830 |
9,535 |
10,446 |
16% |
|
Total assets under management |
544,896 |
601,983 |
688,138 |
789,489 |
916,227 |
14% |
|
See endnotes on page 8. |
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Q4 2023 Letter to Shareholders |
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1 |
Asset Management - Our asset management business generated
Insurance Solutions - Our insurance solutions business generated distributable operating earnings of
Operating Businesses - Our operating businesses delivered resilient cash flows, generating distributable earnings of
Monetization Activity
Amidst a more constrained market environment in 2023, we continued to see strong demand for the high-quality,cash-generative businesses and assets we own. During the year, we monetized over
A few highlights of recently closed sales include these:
- Westinghouse at an implied enterprise value of approximately
$8 billion , returning a 6x multiple of capital and an IRR of approximately 60% to investors in our private equity fund andBrookfield Business Partners , our listed private equity entity. - An office asset in
Brazil for approximately$300 million , generating an IRR of 17% and a multiple of capital of 3.4x in local currency. - A landmark mixed-use asset in
Paris for approximately$1 billion , and a manufactured housing portfolio in theU.S. for over$300 million .
Q4 2023 Letter to Shareholders |
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These sales generated strong returns, and when combined with the sales completed earlier in the year, resulted in
Balance Sheet and Liquidity
Our business is differentiated by our conservatively capitalized balance sheet, high levels of liquidity, and continued strong access to the capital markets. These strengths enable us to successfully refinance existing operations and support our continued growth.
We have one of the largest pools of discretionary capital globally, backed by our perpetual capital base of approximately
In spite of credit conditions being tighter in 2023, we maintained open access to capital and executed on approximately
This financial strength has also allowed us to continue to allocate capital opportunistically to share repurchases. In 2023, we reinvested excess cash flow back into our businesses and returned
Our stock price was strong in 2023, increasing 29%. As evidence of the returns that can be generated for investors, stock market results are shown in the chart below on a compound retubasis over the past 30 years. For reference,
Compound Stock Market Performance of
Value of |
10-Year |
|||
Years |
Invested in BN |
BN NYSE |
S&P 500 |
Treasuries |
$ |
% |
% |
% |
|
1 |
1,300,000 |
29 |
27 |
4 |
5 |
2,100,000 |
16 |
16 |
- |
10 |
3,500,000 |
13 |
12 |
2 |
20 |
22,300,000 |
17 |
10 |
3 |
30 |
143,300,000 |
18 |
10 |
3 |
The above table is based on the stock price of
Q4 2023 Letter to Shareholders |
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day/month/year. This has always been true but is even more so today with the information overload we are all subject to. Value, on the other hand, is the net present value of future cash flows based on assumptions for growth of a business discounted back to the present at an appropriate risk-adjusted interest rate. The Price of a publicly traded security is rarely the same as the Value; sometimes it is lower and sometimes it is higher.
As investors in
However, it is worth remembering that the daily movement in the quoted Price of our business is irrelevant to our operations, and a discount to Value ironically presents an excellent opportunity to add further value, without much work, to an asset- and cash-rich company like ours. By repurchasing shares at discounts to their true Value versus the Price, we add further Value to the company. Keep at this for a long period of time and the miracle of compounding takes care of the rest.
As opposed to Price, what we do have control over is Value-and as you know, we publish our view of Value regularly. Looking back over the last 20 years, the Value of our business has grown at a compound annualized retuof 23%. A holder of one share started with a split-adjusted share valued at
Value and Distributions Per Share as at and for the year ended
Cumulative |
Cumulative |
||||||
Distributions |
Total |
Distributions |
Total |
||||
Year |
Value2 |
Received3 |
Value |
Year |
Value2 |
Received3 |
Value |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
||
2004 |
2.53 |
0.14 |
2.67 |
2014 |
21.14 |
11.93 |
33.07 |
2005 |
3.30 |
0.34 |
3.64 |
2015 |
22.81 |
11.94 |
34.75 |
2006 |
3.93 |
0.69 |
4.62 |
2016 |
27.98 |
15.17 |
43.15 |
2007 |
4.83 |
1.81 |
6.64 |
2017 |
34.41 |
20.85 |
55.26 |
2008 |
8.83 |
1.31 |
10.14 |
2018 |
39.51 |
18.49 |
58.00 |
2009 |
13.05 |
2.33 |
15.38 |
2019 |
56.73 |
27.66 |
84.39 |
2010 |
16.64 |
3.73 |
20.37 |
2020 |
65.90 |
31.67 |
97.57 |
2011 |
18.22 |
3.96 |
22.18 |
2021 |
75.65 |
50.48 |
126.13 |
2012 |
19.97 |
5.62 |
25.59 |
2022 |
69.00 |
48.07 |
117.07 |
2013 |
20.08 |
9.25 |
29.33 |
2023 |
82.29 |
62.33 |
144.62 |
See endnotes on page 8.
Two Market Perspectives That Co-Exist
Short-term interest rates have crested on a global basis, and if the bond markets are to be believed, it appears that 2024 will see the beginning of a reduction of short-term rates. In the recent period of rate increases, high- quality assets and strong sponsors have maintained access to capital when it was not that easy for some to procure. As an example of this, we financed approximately
Q4 2023 Letter to Shareholders |
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At the same time, for higher-leverage borrowers and those without a strong reputation, debt access has been- and will continue to be-constrained. The situation is most acute for borrowers who had floating rate debt, those with assets that were highly leveraged, or cases where a company was financed based on the belief that the business was going to grow into its cash flows at very high rates of return.
This environment provides exceptional opportunities for our lending businesses, both on the performing credit front and in opportunistic credit. We are seeing an increasing need for gap capital, and growing demand amongst borrowers for direct loans. In the next few years as loans come due, the demand for this capital should only grow. This opportunity exists because many loans over the past five years were written without covenants, so the loan maturity becomes the trigger point for default by the borrower. Sponsors that are over-leveraged or businesses that are not generating cash flow to cover interest costs will provide alternative lending opportunities.
The deployment potential, therefore, is significant for both our
In summary, there are two perspectives on the markets that co-exist. The dividing line for us is often with regard to quality; there are assets which we will not buy or finance almost at any price, irrespective of capital structure or advertised retuprofile. On the other hand, there are presently many good assets and businesses that do not have access to debt or equity due to excess leverage, absence of strong sponsorship, or growth plans that are not fully funded. Many of these latter investment opportunities are potentially compelling, and we plan to provide strategic capital to companies that are underpinned by extremelyhigh-qualityassets, underlying businesses and cash flow, while earning strong returns.
The Backbone of the Global Economy Is Always Evolving
Our organization is built around building and operating the backbone of the global economy. We have found that it is possible to eagood returns in this area with moderate risk. By doing that for decades, the results can compound to very meaningful wealth. When a business can do so over long periods of time, it will be a success. Despite our having stuck with the same strategy for a very long time, it is most interesting to note how the world has evolved over this time, and how we have evolved with it.
Of the more than
In infrastructure, we historically invested in roads, bridges, pipelines, and electrical transmission. Today, our largest investments are in fiber connections for homes and businesses, telecom towers that carry 5G capacity, data centers for storage of cloud data capacity and AI learning, and manufacturing plants for semiconductors that power the devices we use. None of these sectors existed 20 years ago.
In energy, 30 years ago we were building and operating power plants powered by water, natural gas and coal. During the ensuing 20 years, we sold virtually all of our natural gas and coal facilities and focused on developing a renewables business, long before it was fashionable. As wind and then solar became economic, we dedicated vast resources to become one of the largest developers of wind and solar in the world. With the transition of the global economy to net zero over the next 30 years, the scale capital required to complete this shift will be dramatic and we are investing heavily in these new areas. And with exciting new areas on the horizon, our business should continue to evolve - battery technologies are starting to follow cost curves similar to the ones wind and solar followed, and hydrogen could become a real investment asset class.
Q4 2023 Letter to Shareholders |
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In real estate, our business made its name on owning the backbone of cities around the world. But increasingly, new sectors are demanding our incremental capital. We are building life sciences properties and lab spaces for global pharma, studios for movie making, and residential and hospitality to provide accommodations for a vast, growing, wealthier population. In addition, the types of office and retail assets that are sought-after are constantly evolving. Today, companies seek office premises that foster collaboration, creativity and community among workers, while consumer buying behavior gravitates towards high-end luxury retail. Our premier properties dominate in these areas, and as a result, our space is in high demand.
In private equity, we have always acquired industrial businesses, and we still do. But increasingly, our focus is on areas where population is growing. We are now investing in the new backbone of the financial economy-for example, payment systems and online payment infrastructure. These businesses did not exist 20 years ago. We are increasingly investing around healthcare, as the requirements are so large. Entertainment and gaming are additional industries that will require vast backbone infrastructure.
The backbone of the global economy looks like it will continue to be an excellent place to invest for a very long time. We do, though, need to continuously evolve our focus as the investment required changes over long periods of time. The future looks like it will be greener, more digitally connected, increasingly diversified in sources for goods, and tilted towards the still-emerging markets. Rest assured, we will continue to remain focused on these themes and where we invest. We fully expect that 20 years from now we will still be investing in the backbone of the global economy, but it will likely look very different from what it is today.
We Are Aligned with the Largest and Fastest Growing Companies in the World
With the global surge in data demand, mega-cap technology companies have become the world's largest and fastest-growing businesses. Since 2020, the cloud computing segments of these companies have grown by over 30% annually, representing their highest growth segments and generating their highest margins. Demand for cloud computing from digitalization and the adoption of AI enabled tools is incentivizing these companies to continue investing heavily in their capabilities and capacity.
Over the last twelve months, the race to increase computing power has put a spotlight on the explosive growth in demand for computer chips. However, we believe most investors have yet to grasp that there has been an equivalent surge in the need for data centers and for securing an energy source required to power them.
We have significantly expanded our data center operations. Following the Data4 and Compass acquisitions, we now own and operate one of the largest global hyperscale data center platforms. Our operating footprint is across five continents and can give our hyperscale customers, who have global capacity requirements, a highly flexible and consistent offering in multiple geographies. Our platform includes substantial contracted growth pipelines, as well as the ability to grow through greenfield developments and additional platform acquisitions. Perhaps most uniquely, we have the ability to leverage
Major cloud computing firms predominantly operate on clean energy and are rapidly moving towards their goal of 100% clean energy usage. Their consumption has grown by about 50% annually in recent years, making them the largest and fastest growing consumers of green power worldwide. The accelerating global trend of digitalization was already driving a step change in data center and electricity needs, but the power-intensive nature of AI is amplifying energy demand, and access to these forms of digital infrastructure are emerging as a significant bottleneck in the growth of cloud computing. For instance, incorporating AI into standard search processes can require up to five times more computing power.
It is widely estimated that global electricity consumption from data centers will increase to approximately 10% of total electricity demand by 2030 (from approximately 2% today). Combined with growing demands for electricity from the electrification of vehicles and industrials, demand is straining the capacity of the electrical grid. Distributed
Q4 2023 Letter to Shareholders |
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generation from renewable power sources provide the cheapest and most reliable form of 24/7 electricity production and is the solution to this growing electricity demand.
For the better part of a decade, we have been positioning our business to capitalize on these trends. By building a leading global development platform of data center, renewable power and real estate businesses, we are well positioned to meet the exponentially growing needs for this infrastructure for many years to come.
Closing
We remain committed to investing capital for you in high-quality assets that easolid cash returns on equity, while emphasizing downside protection for the capital employed. The primary objective of the company continues to be generating increased cash flows on a per share basis and, as a result, higher intrinsic value per share over the longer term.
Thank you for your interest in
Sincerely,
Chief Executive Officer
Q4 2023 Letter to Shareholders |
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Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements and Information
All references to "$" or "Dollars" are to
Although
We caution that the foregoing list of important factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive and other factors could also adversely affect future results. Readers are urged to consider these risks, as well as other uncertainties, factors and assumptions carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which are based only on information available to us as of the date of this letter. Except as required by law,
Past performance is not indicative nor a guarantee of future results. There can be no assurance that comparable results will be achieved in the future, that future investments will be similar to historic investments discussed herein, that targeted returns, growth objectives, diversification or asset allocations will be met or that an investment strategy or investment objectives will be achieved (because of economic conditions, the availability of appropriate opportunities or otherwise).
Target returns and growth objectives set forth in this letter are for illustrative and informational purposes only and have been presented based on various assumptions made by
Certain of the information contained herein is based on or derived from information provided by independent third-party sources. While
Cautionary Statement Regarding the Use of Non-IFRS Measures
This letter to shareholders contains references to financial measures that are calculated and presented using methodologies other than in accordance with IFRS. These financial measures, which include Distributable Earnings (as defined below), its components and its per share equivalent, should not be considered as the sole measure of our performance and should not be considered in isolation from, or as a substitute for, similar financial measures calculated in accordance with IFRS. We caution readers that these non-IFRS financial measures or other financial metrics are not standardized under IFRS and may differ from the financial measures or other financial metrics disclosed by other businesses and, as a result, may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers and entities.
We make reference to Distributable Earnings, which refers to the sum of distributable earnings from our asset management business, distributable operating earnings from our insurance solutions business, distributions received from our ownership of investments, realized carried interest and disposition gains from principal investments, net of preferred share dividends and equity-based compensation costs. We also make reference to Distributable Earnings before realizations, which refers to Distributable Earnings before realized carried interest and disposition gains from principal investments, and net operating income, which refers to the revenues from our operations less direct expenses before the impact of depreciation and amortization within our real estate business. Our outlook for growth in Distributable Earnings assumes growth in fee-related earnings and realized carried interest in line with our business plans, which assume growth in our fee bearing capital consistent with our fundraising plans, capital deployment expectations, maintaining the fee rates we eaon fee bearing capital and earning margins consistent with our current margin. Actual results may vary materially and are subject to market conditions and other factors and risks set out above. For more information on non-IFRS measures and other financial metrics, see
Endnotes
- Distributable earnings before realizations, including per share amounts, for the 12 months ended
December 31, 2019 to 2022 were adjusted for the special distribution of 25% of our asset management business onDecember 9, 2022 . - This represents management's estimate of the intrinsic value of the business as at
December 31 of each year. In certain years where management did not disclose an estimate of intrinsic value, we have presented an estimate based on relevant valuation metrics disclosed at that time or where no disclosure was made, we have presented the book value of shareholder's equity from the annual audited financial statements. - This represents cash and special distributions received on a cumulative pre-tax basis, assuming dividend reinvestment in the relevant underlying security.
Q4 2023 Letter to Shareholders |
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