Ascott Residence Trust's profit up 4%

ART also registered revenue rise to S$78.9m due to better market performance.

According to OCBC, ART registered 2Q12 revenue of S$78.9m, up 8% YoY, and gross profit of S$42.7m, up 4% YoY. Revenue growth was chiefly due to contributions from Citadines Shinjuku Tokyo and Citadines Karasuma-Gojo Kyoto as well as better performance from the serviced residences in UK, the Philippines and China. 2Q12 DPU climbed 2% YoY to 2.38 S-cents. 

Here's more from OCBC:

1H12 DPU of 4.52 S-cents was better-than-expected, forming 53% of our initial FY12 projection. We raise our FY12 DPU projection from 8.6 S-cents to 9.1 S-cents. The value of the investment properties as of 30 Jun was S$2.9b, up 2.5% versus the last valuation on 31 Dec.

Revenue per Available Unit (RevPAU) for the portfolio climbed 6% YoY to S$156. In London, good response to the rebranded Citadines Prestige Trafalgar Square London helped ART achieve better rental yields. In the Philippines, ART saw stronger demand from business process outsourcing, O&G and aircraft engineering. The properties in China are experiencing more business from projects and relocations. These three countries helped to offset the weakness in France and Singapore. Singapore saw gross profit declined 5% QoQ to S$7.1m due to disruption from construction activities near to Somerset Grand Cairnhill and higher property tax and operational expenses. The Olympics will provide a boost for the London properties for three weeks in 3Q12, with management seeing occupancies of 85% and average room rates increase of 25%.