Emperor International and Emperor E Hotel Jointly Announces 2018/19 Interim Results

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Thursday, 29 November 2018, 12:26 HKT/SGT

Emperor International's Rental Income Grows 10% to HK$600M;
Net Profit Surges 57% to HK$2.5B

HONG KONG, Nov 29, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - Emperor International Holdings Limited ("Emperor International") (Stock code: 163) & Emperor Entertainment Hotel Limited ("Emperor E Hotel") (Stock code: 296) jointly announced its 2018/19 interim results for the six months ended 30 September 2018 (the "Period").

Emperor International Holdings Limited

During the Period, Emperor International's total revenue was up by 4.8% to HK$1,536.5 million (2017: HK$1,466.0 million). Driven by an expanded portfolio of investment properties, rental income grew by 9.5% to HK$590.5 million (2017: HK$539.5 million), representing 38.4% (2017: 36.8%) of total revenue. Revenue from property development for sale increased to HK$208.9 million (2017: HK$186.7 million), which represented the sales proceeds of the remaining units of Upton. Although the sale of Peak Castle was launched and the presale of The Amused was completed, the relevant sales proceeds had not been recognised as revenue during the Period. Revenue from the hospitality segment was HK$737.0 million (2017: HK$739.8 million), accounting for 48.0% (2017: 50.5%) of the total revenue.

Gross profit increased to HK$1,094.8 million (2017: HK$1,061.6 million). A revaluation gain on investment properties amounted to HK$1,677.7 million (2017: HK$1,430.1 million). Net profit increased by 56.9% to HK$2,504.9 million (2017: HK$1,596.7 million). The increase was mainly due to an increase in fair value of investment properties and a realised gain on disposal of a self-used property amounted to HK$785.3 million during the Period.

Basic earnings per share were HK$0.68 (2017: HK$0.43). Emperor International declared payment of an interim dividend of HK$0.047 (2017: HK$0.047) per share.

Investment Properties for Rental Income
Emperor International's investment property portfolio primarily focuses on quality street-level retail spaces and commercial buildings in key cities in Greater China as well as London. As a result of the majority of its premises being in prime locations, the overall occupancy rate of Emperor International's investment properties was nearly 90% as at 30 September 2018.

Emperor International owns many premium investment properties in Hong Kong's retail prime streets. On the back of robust demand from global brands, these quality properties provide solid income stream to Emperor International. Russell Street, where Emperor International forged extensive presence, has been ranked as the world's most valuable retail street by rental value, according to a report from Cushman & Wakefield published in November 2018.

Located in Chang'an Avenue East, Emperor Group Centre Beijing, a 28-storey Grade-A office tower and premier shopping mall with premium cinema, has been recently awarded the honor of "6-Star Super A-level Building" by Beijing Central Business District Administration Committee, recognising its standing in China's real estate market.

During the Period, Emperor International continued to progress on the redevelopment of several sites to create long-term value in the existing properties. The redevelopment projects of Nos. 25-27 Oxford Street, London and Nos. 75-85 Lockhart Road, Hong Kong are well underway and are scheduled for completion in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Meanwhile, the revitalisation project of Ulferts Centre at No. 4 Kin Fat Lane in Tuen Mun, has been commenced. Ulferts Centre will be converted from an industrial premise into a commercial building covering diversified purposes such as food and beverage, retail spaces and offices upon completion in 2021.

Property Development for Sale
Peak Castle, featuring 14 luxurious low-rise detached houses in Siu Lam, Tuen Mun, was launched to the market during the Period and 7 houses were contracted as of 30 September 2018. With a total saleable area of 43,000 square feet, Peak Castle is well served by a superb transportation network comprising Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Corridor and Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge as well as the future Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Link.

Another site, at Nos. 8-10A Mosque Street, Mid-Levels, will be redeveloped into a luxury residential tower with a gross floor area of 34,000 square feet. Adjacent to Soho area and Lan Kwai Fong, it is in close proximity to Central-Mid-Levels Escalator, with convenient access to Central commercial district. Its presale is expected to be launched in the first half of 2019, and is targeted for completion in 2020.

The above-mentioned projects, along with the luxury sites in Tai Lam and Shouson Hill, as well as redevelopment projects at Old Bailey Street, Mid-Levels, and Davis Street, Kennedy Town, will provide steady contribution to Emperor International in the years to come.

Hotel Operations and Related Services
Emperor International currently runs two hotels and two serviced apartments in Hong Kong, as well as two hotels in Macau. They are namely The Emperor Hotel, Inn Hotel Hong Kong, MORI MORI Serviced Apartments, The Unit Serviced Apartments, Grand Emperor Hotel and Inn Hotel Macau.

During the Period, Emperor International continued to enjoy steady contributions from the hotel operations. The Emperor Hotel, a 29-storey contemporary hotel offering 300 guest rooms in Wan Chai, has been well-received by leisure visitors and MICE travellers since its commencement in late 2017. On the other hand, Inn Hotel Hong Kong, a 30-storey hotel offering 200 guest rooms in West Kowloon, is conveniently located near major entertainment, shopping and dining districts in Mong Kok and Yau Ma Tei. Within a walking distance from the West Kowloon Terminus of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong High Speed Rail, Inn Hotel Hong Kong is poised to benefit from the anticipated growth in visitation.

Mr. Donald Cheung, Executive Director of Emperor International, said, "We are aware that the purchasers' sentiment has been impacted by growing market uncertainties and the prospects of interest-rate hikes. Volatility in home prices is expected to persist in the near term. Despite the fact that the momentum in the broad residential market has softened, we believe the luxury homes market will continue to demonstrate solid growth potential in the long-term. Following the successful sales of Peak Castle in Siu Lam, several projects on luxury sites including Mosque Street, Tai Lam and Shouson Hill are in the pipeline for generating promising returns to Emperor International."

Mr. Alex Yeung, Executive Director of Emperor International, said, "With the commissioning of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong High Speed Rail and the launching of Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, accessibility between Hong Kong and major cities in mainland China will be further improved. We believe the tourism sector and retail sales as a whole will be greatly benefited, thereby creating a positive outlook for our investment properties and hospitality operations."

Emperor Entertainment Hotel Limited

During the Period, Emperor E Hotel reported a revenue of HK$665.6 million (2017: HK$702.1 million). Net profit increased by 8.7% to HK$128.9 million (2017: HK$118.6 million). Basic earnings per share increased to HK$0.10 (2017: HK$0.09). Emperor E Hotel declared an interim dividend of HK$0.028 (2017: HK$0.026) per share.

Gaming Revenue
During the Period, Emperor E Hotel's gaming revenue declined slightly to HK$546.7 million (2017: HK$586.6 million). Emperor E Hotel strived to improve customer segmentation and reinforced its position in VIP market, which it holds unique competitive advantages. While VIP segment delivered stable performance, gaming concourse segment was lackluster as a result of capacity expansion in Cotai.

The gaming revenue comprises the income from gaming concourse, VIP room and slot machines, accounting for 56.7%, 39.7% and 3.6% of gaming revenue respectively. Operational results of gaming concourse and VIP room segments are summarised as follows:

HK$ For the six months ended 30 September Changes
2018 2017
Gaming Concourse (67 tables)
Gross win 552.3M 626.5M -11.8%
Average win per table per day 45,000 51,000 -11.8%
VIP Room (10 tables)
Rolling amount 9,721.8M 10,355.3M -6.1%
Average win per table per day 209,000 210,000 -0.5%

Hotel Revenue
During the Period, the hotel revenue derived from Grand Emperor Hotel and Inn Hotel Macau was HK$118.9 million (2017: HK$115.5 million), accounting for 17.9% of the total revenue. As of 30 September 2018, Grand Emperor Hotel and Inn Hotel Macau provided 311 and 287 guest rooms, respectively. During the Period, the average room rates of Grand Emperor Hotel and Inn Hotel Macau were HK$884 (2017: HK$833) per night and HK$499 (2017: HK$441) per night, with occupancy rates of 93% (2017: 91%) and 93% (2017: 94%), respectively.

About Emperor International Holdings Limited
Emperor International is an investment holding company, which is principally engaged in property investments, property development and hospitality with property portfolio of over 5 million square feet in the Greater China and overseas. Under its tri-engine business model, Emperor International owns many investment properties in prime locations that generate stable recurrent income; runs many property development projects for earning visibility; and develops hospitality services with strong recurrent cash flow. With its management execution strengths and market insight, Emperor International aims to be a key property player in Greater China. Emperor International has become one of the constituent stocks Hang Seng Corporate Sustainability Benchmark Index since September 2018. It is also an eligible security for Southbound trading under Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect programme. For more information, please visit its website: www.EmperorInt.com.

About Emperor Entertainment Hotel Limited
Emperor E Hotel principally engages in provision of gaming and hospitality in Macau under its parent company, Emperor International. It runs two hotels in Macau, namely Grand Emperor Hotel and Inn Hotel Macau, offering entertainment and leisure services, accommodation, food and beverage as well as retail outlets. Looking forward, it continues to look for potential business opportunities worldwide in the leisure sector. For more information, please visit its website: www.emp296.com.

Investor/Press Enquiry
Ms Anna Luk
Group IR Director
Tel: +852 2835 6783
Email: annaluk@emperorgroup.com

Ms Winnie Kwong
Group IR Manager
Tel: +852 2835 6791
Email: winniekwong@emperorgroup.com

Topic: Press release summary Sectors: Daily Finance, Daily News
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