Thursday, Aug 21, 2008
Tesco concludes property deals
yahoo: Tesco concludes property deals
can anyone expand on why Tescos would do this?
Posted by mark @ 11:09 AM (1718 views) Add Comment
19 Comments
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1. handle_it said...
No idea but something isn't quite right. Tax avoidance probably ?
2. Komatsu said...
I wonder if this is the the start of Tesco divesting itself of property. Their on-line service is excellent. I buy my weekly groceries from Tesco - haven't been inside a Tesco store of a couple of years.
I imagine in 10 years time they will have half the stores they have now - and a few more gigantic warehouses.
3. Cityfool said...
Its called selling the family silver. The old motto that sales and leasebacks went out of fashion when everyone realised they weren't cheap equity but expensive debt has gone out the window. At that sort of yield it is cheap debt in this market.
4. matt_the_hat said...
Because comercial property prices will fall off a cliff when the recession hits and RPI has nothing to do with the true inflation tesco knows is there when it increases its prices by a far higher amount than RPI. Good business sense, shame about the guy who bought it.
5. Confused76 said...
Tesco = every little helps, pure genius!
6. drewster said...
Like matt_the_hat says, because commercial property values in the UK still have a lot further to fall.
If there was any serious tax angle to it, Tesco would surely have done it long ago?
7. jack c said...
One of the 4 purchasers is the Universities Superannuation Scheme - most interesting - I'll say no more.
8. Dieselfreak said...
They know that they are getting a good deal.
The banks in Ireland were at this from the top of the wave in the crash there.
http://www.rte.ie/business/2005/0729/aib.html
9. Still Renting said...
Several major retailers have sold off their stores in similar sale-and-leaseback schemes in recent years. There's nothing sinister about it. It gives them a lump sum of cash which they can use to fund further expansion or to pay down debt.
10. Madtechtrading said...
Because soon this property will be worth only a fraction of its 'current' value. If Tescos still require the properties in the short-mid term the rental price can be re-negociated to a muh lower level when commercial rental prices correct. Teso's have made a very intelligent manouvre. There is probably more in the pipeline.
11. ontheotherhand said...
Many reasons. Shareholders like it. They are investing in a supermarket after all and not in a property company so they would prefer that Tesco release the cash to them in dividends so that they can choose whether they want to be exposed to commercial property or not, and if they do, they can choose a specialist.
It also makes the company less attractive as a target for foreign takeover or venture capitalists who would use the same sale and leaseback trick to fund part of the purchase.
It could also be that Tesco has looked at its operational borrowing requirements and worked out that this is the cheapest way to 'borrow'. i.e. they pay off some debts elsewhere where they will pay 7% and pay a rent instead of 5%.
Taking on more debt is great as a company when you see growth opportunities ahead greater than the rate of interest you are paying adjusted for tax and risk. Paying off debt is sensible when reverse is true and growth opportunities are too expensive.
12. Dellboy said...
Tesco was accused of using it's vast land bank to stifle competition; by preventing other stores from getting land to build on anywhere near to existing Tesco stores for instance. With retail growth off the cards for the medium term, they can use the sales - while prices are still good - to pay off debts.
13. cyril said...
I think it's just because there's more money to be made from food than property in the current market. Maybe the retired university bods will end up as shelf-stackers anyway - to support their lousy pensions.
14. plato said...
Off-loading their property portfolio before it breaks their back. No sense whatsoever in property investment giving such a low yield,well under inflation and with negative assets value assured in property.
BTW : Pensions are being bled dry. You and I will pay for all this with the pensions we have,expect, and in some cases, won't get.
15. Seen It All Before said...
Tesco will sell their property then pay rent to a new landlord thus getting a big lump of capital back.
They will not have to right down the property any further and when the market picks up they can go and reinvest.
16. Fjcruiser said...
Does not make any business sense to own property outright as it is dead money. Instead, Tesco can realise some assets and borrow money cheaply (anyway cheaper than from the banks), use it to fund and expand its business. It can also offset the rents from its profits so reduce its tax liability.
Good move Tesco.
17. george monsoon said...
Isn't this down to "land banking" being outlawed?
18. Dbc Reed said...
Sale and lease-back is one of the techniques pioneered by Charles Clore in the 50's: he also pretty much invented private equity.(See Answers.com.Sears)The idea then was to release vast amounts of capital which you could invest and pay your rent. Pretty much what House price crash stalwarts have done with their houses in some cases.
19. James said...
Decent answers at 11 & 16. Usual conspiracy hinting at 7. Same same.