Good morning, and thank you, everyone, for making the time to join today's earnings call. I'm Sid Sharma, Group Chief Operating Officer of HMC Capital. As part of a broader organizational restructure of HMC Capital Group to be announced at its results next week, I'm assuming oversight of the group's real estate activities. This includes the HealthCo REIT and the HomeCo Daily Needs REIT. From day one, we have maintained a close focus on operations and intensity of our real estate strategies. The evolution of HMC's management structure is designed to ensure continuity of that focus and that drive as HMC continues to grow and evolve. Christian Soberg now assumes the role of Senior Portfolio Manager of HealthCo. He has been CFO of HealthCo since inception and has an intimate knowledge of the healthcare sector and HealthCo's growing portfolio.
We thank former Portfolio Manager Samuel Morris for his contribution to the team and wish him well in his future endeavors. Before we commence today's presentation, we want to acknowledge the traditional custodians of Country throughout Australia. We celebrate their diverse culture and connections to land, sea, and community. We pay our respect to elders past and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Let us begin on slide four. As many of you that have been on the journey with us since day 1 know, healthcare is undoubtedly emerging as a standout in the commercial real estate landscape. It has compelling long-term structural demand drivers: inflation-protected income streams and minimal operating CapEx. As such, investor demand for high-quality healthcare real estate continues to only strengthen.
The significant progress HealthCo has made since IPO, as we've highlighted on this page, reflects the underlying fundamentals of this asset class. Our FFO per unit as an entity has increased 54%. We have now 75% of leases linked to inflation from the 35% at IPO. HealthCo's weighted average rent reviews are now 4.2% per annum. We've extended the WALE to 12.3 years. Notably, 75% of the portfolio now has triple net leases that have no outgoings leakage. HealthCo's development pipeline has now doubled to over AUD 1 billion and has some great embedded opportunities. The growth in scale saw HealthCo's inclusion in the S&P/ASX 300 and FTSE EPRA Nareit indices late last year.
This has opened HealthCo up to a far broader and more geographically diverse range of equity investors. Lastly, and importantly, HMC Capital has completed the close of its AUD 1.3 billion Unlisted Healthcare Fund in December 2023.
This fund was oversubscribed and is now fully capitalized with four global institutional investors investing alongside HealthCo. These achievements in just over two years since listing are a great endorsement of the sector and the management team we have in HealthCo. Importantly, the activity of the group in the half means that, number one, HealthCo now owns the preeminent healthcare real estate portfolio in the country. We acquired critical hospitals on long-term triple net leases in the best metropolitan locations of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth. This was a once-in-a-decade opportunity. This acquisition has contributed to HealthCo's positive FFO per unit growth and positive asset valuations, contrary to much of the A-REIT sector during this reporting season. Notwithstanding all of the achievements during the half, we do acknowledge the recent share price performance is disappointing, having been impacted alongside the broader REIT sector.
We are, however, confident in the operating fundamentals of the portfolio. We remain committed to driving strong FFO and NTA per unit growth as we unlock the inherent value of these assets. If you turn to slide five, you can see the outline and building blocks for HealthCo to deliver the strong medium-term NTA growth and earnings growth I just pointed to. The upside ahead of us is underpinned by income growth with annual escalations that are predominantly linked to inflation. They are also underpinned by a very accretive brownfield development pipeline. And ultimately, these two drivers should drive long-term capital growth. As a group, we're absolutely focused on continuing to unlock each of these elements in a disciplined manner as we have always done with all of our real estate. Turning to slide six, I'd like to touch on the embedded value we've already unlocked.
In less than six months since the HealthCo Acquisition, total net valuation gains stand at 15%. This upside does not include the development pipeline, which provides further runway for additional upside. Brownfield projects are currently being funded at very attractive rates of up to 7.5% yield on costs. That represents a material spread to HealthCo's current portfolio cap rate of 5.16%. With that overview and positive context, I'll now pass over to Christian. He will provide further detail on the operating highlights for the half and an update on our financial results.
Thanks, Sid. Let's turn to page seven, which shows that HealthCo recorded another strong financial and operating result for the first half. FFO of 0.04 per unit represents 29% growth. This strong growth reflects the accretive nature of the HealthCo transaction, rental escalations, and development completions at Camden and Springfield. The AUD 38 million net valuation gain was underpinned by strong income growth across the portfolio. It reflects the high-quality and resilient characteristics of healthcare real estate. As Sid mentioned, we successfully closed the AUD 1.3 billion Unlisted Healthcare Fund. It was oversubscribed, with HMC introducing a further institutional investor in December. The Unlisted Healthcare Fund will be a key partner for HealthCo, helping to unlock a AUD 1 billion accretive development pipeline. We also made significant progress with the Asset Recycling Program.
We have already sold AUD 115 million of assets at attractive pricing and expect to reach our AUD 200 million target by the end of FY2024. And finally, the result is underpinned by continuing strong operating performance and high income quality. We once again achieved 100% cash rent collection and 99% occupancy. In terms of income quality, over 75% of our leases are CPI-l inked. Importantly, over 85% of income is derived from national corporate or government tenants. Let's now turn to page 10 for more detail on our asset portfolio. HealthCo has a high-quality property portfolio, which underpins our strong earnings growth. Our tenants are performing well, and we manage our assets well. Let me highlight two points on this page. First, the significant scale of our portfolio, which stands at AUD 1.6 billion. And second, we maintain strong operating performance with 100% cash rent collection.
On page 11, I'll give you an update on our tenant partners. As I mentioned earlier, over 85% of our tenants are national corporates or government tenants. They continue to perform strongly, providing high-quality healthcare services to Australians across the country. It's also worth noting that we understand GenesisCare, Australia's largest cancer care operator, is well advanced with a plan to exit Chapter 11 in the U.S. in the near future. Moving on to developments starting on page 14. As Sid highlighted earlier, this is an important part of HealthCo's growth strategy. To that end, we have a strong development track record and have delivered some great greenfield and brownfield projects for our tenant partners. Let's look at four key projects on this page. The George is a greenfield private hospital in Western Sydney. It generated an AUD 11 million development profit.
Also on this page, two significant brownfield projects at the Knox and Nepean hospitals, which were completed at attractive funding rates of up to 7.5%. To the bottom right of the slide is the Springfield Health Hub in Queensland, which delivered an AUD 11 million development profit. Now turning to page 15, I'll provide a more detailed overview of the development pipeline. The AUD 1 billion accretive development pipeline will drive FFO and NTA growth per unit in the medium to long term. The current projects at Proxima, Knox, and Northpark are generating cash yield on cost of up to 6.5% and are expected to complete by the end of FY2024. The medium-term pipeline includes AUD 200 million of HealthCo brownfield projects at attractive funding rates of up to 7.5%. It's important to remember that HealthCo takes on no construction risk in relation to these developments.
We're also continuing to progress planning for larger-scale developments at Camden and Rouse Hill, which will target cash yield on cost of up to 7%. Importantly, the unlisted healthcare fund is ready to act as a funding partner. This will help us to unlock and to fund these larger-scale development opportunities with attractive total returns. So as you can see, the HealthCo portfolio and operations are performing well. And most importantly, HealthCo is very well placed to continue both its strong operating performance and strong earnings growth trajectory. I now want to make a few comments on our sustainability progress on page 16 before turning to the financial result itself. We have continued to build on the foundation work of HMC Capital's wider sustainability framework in support of our objective to create healthy communities.
Over the half and in line with our HMC net-zero energy roadmap, we are on track to achieve a 30% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions in FY 2024. This is largely associated with our smart energy management system rollout and our ongoing investment in solar infrastructure. One example to note of HealthCo's social impact capabilities in the community is Springfield. Here, in order to address chronic nursing shortages in the local catchment area, Mater opened a new nursing college in October. We are well placed to continue the progress of our sustainability strategy at HealthCo and the wider HMC group. I'll conclude my part of the presentation today with a summary of HealthCo's strong financial results for the period, beginning on page 18. FFO for the half year was 0.04 per unit. That's consistent with guidance and represents a strong financial result for our unit holders.
It represents 29% growth compared to FY23. This was driven by the accretive impacts of the HealthCo transaction and the opening of developments at Camden and Springfield. The half-year distribution of AUD 0.04 per unit was 100% FFO covered and is also consistent with guidance. HealthCo's balance sheet remains strong, as you can now see on page 19. We recorded a AUD 38 million net valuation gain across our investments in the first half. This was driven by a AUD 28 million net gain at Nepean and a AUD 10 million net gain on the HealthCo hospitals, which are 100% owned by HealthCo. NTA was AUD 1.65 per unit as of December. The movements in the period were impacted by the deconsolidation of the Unlisted Fund. Now I want to page 20. As you can see, HealthCo maintained a solid capital structure.
You can also see that the current Asset Recycling Program will continue to strengthen our balance sheet. There are two points to note on this page. Gearing as of December was 34%. We expect gearing to move further towards the lower end of our target gearing range as we make further progress with our Asset Recycling Program. And the other key point I want you to note is that HealthCo is 76% hedged. I will now hand you back to Sid, who will provide guidance and concluding remarks.
Thanks, Christian. As you can see, a very solid set of results this half with continued portfolio enhancement not only through the acquisitions we made during the period but proactive leasing and development of our existing assets. We confirm our FFO per unit guidance of AUD 0.08 per unit for the year, representing a 16% increase year-on-year. We also confirm DPU of AUD 0.08 for the year, which is now FFO covered. Our balance sheet and hedging are well placed for this point in the cycle, and the platform we established this half sets HealthCo up for the future. In closing, we would like to thank HealthCo's unit holders, tenant partners, and our elite team for their outstanding contribution during the half. I will now hand back to the operator for questions.
Thank you. If you wish to ask a question, please press star one on your telephone and wait for your name to be announced. If you wish to cancel your request, please press star two. If you're on a speakerphone, please pick up the handset to ask your question. First question comes from Sholto Maconochie from Jefferies. Please go ahead.
Oh, hi, everyone. Thanks for your time. Just on the asset sales, looks like you've made good progress there. When I look at the numbers, it looks like they're all healthcare related, but they're coming in average price about AUD 10 million. What was the implied cap rate on all the asset sales during the period?
Hi, Sholto. Yeah, we're really pleased with the progress we've made. We announced at full- year results what our target was. We're through AUD 115 million of sales, and the average cap rate is 5.19%. So that's a really good read-through as to our prevailing book values for the entire portfolio.
Then I noticed the held-for-sale you had, 5.00% was AUD 9.6 million in the balance sheet, the latest one, but it was AUD 12.1 million at June. What's the difference between is that AUD 9.6 million contracted for sale, that price? So it's below the June number, or what's the delta, sort of 20%, relating to?
Yeah, the movements there, Sholto, were driven by a surrender of lease we negotiated with the incumbent tenant and then the subsequent sale, which was with vacant possession.
Oh, okay. Okay. So it wasn't. Okay. And then just on the guidance, BBSW's come down a bit. It's de minimis given the hedging, but I think you're assuming 4.55% now, 4.4%. It's about a AUD 200,000 headwind. What are the swing factors this year in guidance? Is this the timing of asset sales? Is that the main swing factor for guidance given the lower BBSW?
I don't see any swing factors impacting us. I think we're well positioned to hit the number now.
All right. And then just finally, the Unlisted Fund obviously, the gearing is lower. Balance sheet's at 42%. We'll look through. What's the gearing? Is it about 46% in the Unlisted Fund at the moment?
The gearing in the Unlisted Fund , we don't disclose, but it's around 40%. Look, as we always said, we're happy with a higher level of gearing in the Unlisted Fund .
All right. Thanks very much for your time. Cheers. Thank you.
Thanks, Sholto.
Thank you. Your next question comes from Andy MacFarlane from Bell Potter. Please go ahead.
Oh, hi, guys. Thanks for your time. Just a couple of quick ones from me. Just in terms of the development pipeline, just wondering if there has been anything you've commented this period and what I guess you're looking to comment over the next 12 months and what those yields on cost kind of look like, conscious, obviously, of the structure in UHF?
Yeah. So hi, Andy. It's Christian here. So we're obviously looking to complete the current development projects by the end of FY 2024. That's Brownfield expansions at Knox, Northpark, and the Proxima Health Hub over the next year or so. What we've set up in this presentation, there's up to AUD 200 million of development projects associated with the broader HealthCo portfolio. Some of that will commence in the current financial year. That's including an expansion project at the Mount Hospital in Perth.
The yield on cost, Andy, and the strike rate is between 6.75% and 7.5%.
Thanks, guys. Just in the same breath, I guess, just in terms of CapEx trends, one, just wondering if you're seeing anything out there on the acquisition side, conscious, obviously, of your balance sheet and that you're a net seller at the moment, but what you're seeing out there. And then, just as a dual question, I'm just interested in how you're thinking about the portfolio in terms of those kinds of opportunities, capital recycling, and that versus the marginal dollar into the development pipeline.
We've got our best use of capital moving forward in our development pipeline. The returns are really attractive. We're not seeing anything in the investment landscape of the size, quality, and scale of the HealthCo portfolio that we've just acquired. Everything else that's available is subscale, medical offices, etc., and none of the type of assets that we'd be looking at. So this management team's focus is entirely around delivering embedded growth that's in the assets that we've acquired.
Excellent. Thanks, guys.
Thank you. Your next question comes from David Pobucky from Macquarie Group. Please go ahead.
Morning, Sid, Christian, and Andrew. Congrats on the new roles and on the results as well. You outlined that you expect NTA accretion through developments. So just want to get a bit more color around how you're thinking about gearing going forward into the medium term and funding your future development pipeline, please?
So as we said, the balance sheet gearing is now at 34%. Look-through gearing is at 42%. Bearing in mind, unlike other groups, our look-through gearing number is predicated on a fund that's only just been established in the last three months. That's been capitalized and financed with a higher gearing level and is sitting on significant revaluation upside. So through active asset recycling, we see enough opportunity within the balance sheet constraints to be able to fund our development ambitions. And we have some great capital partners that are now alongside us in the Unlisted Fund for anything that our group's uncomfortable taking on. So plenty of levers and plenty of solutions.
Thank you. Just on the second one, you probably want to wait until HMC's resolved, but is there any further color that you can provide on the organizational structure at this point and how it came about, including the change in portfolio manager and any change in strategy?
Look, it's all about ensuring and strengthening the real estate focus across all of our real estate vehicles. I'm not going to steal HMC's thunder for the rest of the organizational announcement. So I'll leave it at that.
Okay. Thanks. And maybe just one last one, if I could, please. Looks like occupancy at Macquarie Park and Vitality Village fell a bit in the period. Is there anything to call out there?
We're just churning through some tenants, so it's just timing issues.
Okay. Thanks, guys. Appreciate it.
Thank you.
Thank you. Once again, if you wish to ask a question, please press star one on your telephone and wait for your name to be announced. Your next question comes from Lauren Berry from Morgan Stanley. Please go ahead.
Oh, hi, morning, guys. Just to clarify, is there a CFO position at the moment, or will you be looking to put one in, please?
No, Christian will assume the role of fund portfolio manager. And again, we'll announce more detail around the organizational restructure at the HMC results, but there's plenty of resourcing that sits behind this vehicle that will provide great support and growth into the future.
Great. Thank you. And Camden Stages 2 and Stage 3, your last presentation, you had targeted activation CY 2024. It looks like it's probably slipped out a little into FY 2026+ bucket. Could you just give a bit more color on to what's going on there, please?
Yeah, Lauren, as you know, I think you've been to Camden a few times. The ramp-up of the George has been absolutely fantastic. So it's already ahead of schedule in terms of its ramp-up. We're just timing the development in terms of kind of other prevailing opportunities at the moment. So stay tuned. It's not that far away, but I'm not prepared to say any more than that just yet. The tenant demand is fantastic, though, and we're looking forward to making a really good announcement in the not-too-distant future about it.
Okay. And just the Unlisted Fund , you talked about it being capitalized now with your four partners inside the fund and committed. Could I just ask around what's the intention to fund developments within the Unlisted Fund going forward, given that you've already got a fairly high gearing level and you've booked some of the rebills on the HealthCo assets already?
The way to look at it is that the Unlisted Fund has been supported by four global institutional investors that have increasing demand to invest more equity into healthcare strategies. So the gearing and the equity levels today are not static, and there is more opportunity for more equity investment by those funds who have an increasing appetite to work with us and partner with us to unlock development opportunities in that fund. Importantly, from a HealthCo perspective, we get to share in the upside in that fund, but we've got plenty of levers ourselves with our residual asset sales to fund our own development ambitions.
Could you potentially down-weight your relative exposure to the Unlisted Fund over time, go down from 50% to a smaller level?
There's no intention to do so at the moment. We're pretty comfortable given we've just set it up, Lauren. We're not going to go changing the investment just yet. I mean, it's sitting on a really good gain, as you can see, through the equity investment accounting. And then our focus is to unlock the embedded value that's going to come in these assets. So there's no reason for us to change that just yet. So it is a lever.
Okay. Thanks.
Thank you. We have a follow-up question from Sholto Maconochie from Jefferies. Please go ahead.
Oh, yeah. I think Lauren just answered, but just the 50%. You just said at the end it's a lever. So in the near term, medium term, you're happy with that 50% co-investment in UHF?
Yes, we are. No intention to change it in the near term.
Oh, thanks. Cheers.
Thank you. There are no further questions at this time. I'll now hand back to Mr. Sharma for closing remarks.
We just want to say a big thank you to all of our investors that have supported us during what has been a transformative period. We're just looking forward to delivering the results and the value that these assets have. A big thank you again to our team and board for these set of results. Look forward to catching up with all of you in our one-on-one calls over the next few days. Thank you.