HSCF Fund with 6.3% investment return

Helvetica Swiss Commercial Fund (HSC Fund) acquired nine properties in the 2019 financial year, expanding its property portfolio by 47% to a value of CHF 628.9 million. Total fund assets also increased by 47% to 654.7 million.

According to the fund management company, rental income rose byTP2T 581 toTP2T 29.3 million in the period under review (previous year:TP18.5 million). The occupancy rate as of December 31, 2019 remained stable at 94.1% compared to the previous year (94.2%). Net income increased from 14.3 to 23.0 million. An additional one-off gain of 2.3 million was realized on the sale of a property in Vevey. The valuation of the portfolio by Wüest Partner had resulted in an unrealized gain of 4.9 million (PY: 3.3 million). Total income in the reporting period increased by 77% from 16.5 to 29.1 million.

For the 2019 financial year, the HSCF Fund intends to distribute a total of 21.7 million, which corresponds to CHF 5.00 per unit and a distribution yield on the stock market price of 4.06%. The distribution includes a special effect from the sale of the property in Vevey of CHF 0.54 per unit, the fund management informs. Thus, the total distribution is CHF 1.00 or 25% higher than in the previous year.

In the 2020 financial year, the portfolio is to be further expanded, with the focus remaining on properties with appreciation potential in Switzerland's key economic regions. Capital increases for the purchase of additional properties are also planned. (ah)