Buyer's Guide to Ayala Land

Jan 18, 2013 3:45am
by Roel Landingin
SOURCE

When Saudi Arabian investors suddenly needed to sell an 80 per cent stake the unfinished Fairmont Hotel and Raffles Suites and Residences project in the Philippines’ Makati financial district late last year, their local partner lost no time stepping up to the plate.

It probably helped that the Saudis’ local partner was the Ayala Corp, the Philippines’ oldest business house. In short order, the Filipino group bought out the Saudis for $24m and went on to complete the project’s 280 rooms, 32 suits and 237 serviced residential units in time for the peak Christmas season. The hotel opened its doors at exactly 3:33 pm on December 3.

But more important than having the requisite cash for a quick buyout, the Ayala Corp is in a bullish mood. Last year, it made the biggest outlay for capital expenditures in its 178-year history across several core businesses.

The group has history and a wide reach. Ayala built the country’s premiere business district in what used to be marginal grasslands owned by the Ayala family. The Philippines’ Wall Street, Ayala Avenue, used to be a runway for the family-owned airport at the remote edge of Manila, the capital. The Ayalas own the country’s biggest real estate developer, its second biggest phone company, its third biggest bank, and one of two private water companies serving the capital region. In the last year or so, it launched a number of infrastructure companies to bid for contracts to build and operate train systems, airports and toll roads being tendered by the government under a public-private partnership programme.

“I would say that the level of confidence in our group is quite high about the medium-term policies of the country and the current leadership,” Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, the group chairman, told the Financial Times in December. “We’re investing more this year than ever in our history – about 90bn pesos [$2.2bn] in group-wide capital expenditures.”

The group is particularly optimistic about the country’s tourism potential. On January 11, the Ayala property company announced plans to build a giant entertainment complex worth 20bn pesos on a 21-hectare former horse racing track in Makati, just a few kilometres from the business district. The project will include an international size football field, a 1,500 seat theatre, and a two-hectare ground for concerts and similar events. There will also be a 250-room hotel, a mall and residential towers.

The company plans to build between 3,000 and 4,000 hotel rooms in various parts of the country in the next two to three years. It also wants to acquire as much as 1,000 sqm of beach and island properties in the Visayas islands in the central Philippines where the country’s top tourist destinations such as Cebu and Boracay are located.

Ayala is making a big bet on the success of the government’s ambitious plans to attract 10m tourists by 2016, more than double the 2011 figure of almost 4m. Two international travel magazines – Conde Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure Magazine – recently featured the Philippines as a top travel destination this year.

“We’re bullish because of the economy, and the government is very helpful right now in promoting tourism,” said Jose Jalandoni, president of AyalaLand Hotel and Resorts Corp. He said lack of access to properties and infrastructure remained the biggest challenge to tourism but added that the government was beginning to address the problem by building more airports and roads.

Elfren Cruz, a business professor and expert on family corporations, says Ayala Corp, which began as a partnership in Manila between a rich Spanish landowner Domingo Roxas and his adventurous Basque industrial partner Antonio de Ayala in 1834, is probably the longest-lasting family-owned enterprise in the Philippines. The heirs of the Roxas, Ayala and Zobel families managed to remain at the helm of the business empire for seven successive generations. The partnership became a corporation in 1968, adopting the name Ayala Corp, and listed on the stock exchange eight years later.

Unlike other family-owned businesses which often fall apart after the third or fourth generation, Cruz says the Ayalas have got two things right. “They separated ownership from management, allowing them to hire the best professionals to run their companies,” he says. “The family also made timely shifts in business focus in response to underlying changes in the economy.” The development of Makati in the late 1940s in line with 25-year master plan and a strategic diversification to telecommunications and water in the 1990s, proved important, he says.

Astro del Castillo, managing director at investment advisory firm First Grade Holdings, says Ayala Corp’s huge investments in tourism and infrastructure is in line with widespread expectations that the Philippine economy is poised for faster growth in the next several years. “They are bullish like everyone else but they are better-placed than others to exploit the opportunities because of their strong balance sheet built from years of sound and conservative financial management,” he said.

Ayala’s shares have risen over 50 per cent in the last year. But despite Ayala getting more expensive, three of seven analysts surveyed by Reuters still have a buy recommendation on the stock while three recommend hold with one saying outperform. The company’s last annual statement in December 2011 showed net income rose to 9.3bn ($220m) pesos, on revenues of 106bn ($2.6bn) pesos. The estimate for 2012 full year is for net income to rise to 11bn pesos, on revenues of 100bn pesos, according to data from Capital IQ.

The Ayala group’s enormous capital spending plans entail taking on more risks. The consolidated debt of Ayala Corp and its subsidiaries soared 25 per cent in just nine months to 133.4bn pesos as of end-September 2012 from the beginning of the year. The net debt to equity ratio has rapidly risen to 0.37 from just 0.24 in 2011 and 0.12 in 2010, though the latest debt ratio is just a third of the internal debt to equity ratio target.

But, surely, Ayala Corp did not get to last all these 178 years without taking risks from time to time.

For those interested to know more about Ayala Land Premier villages and condo, feel free to contact me anytime.

Thank You!

Your Ayala Land Guide,

COCO MIDEL
M: +63.917.502.9252
T: (02)577.27.12
E: midel.jerico@ayalaland.com.ph

Posted on January 13, 2013 09:56:10 PM
BusinessWorld

A UNIT of Ayala Land, Inc. plans develop more resorts as part of a target to offer as many as 4,000 rooms in two years, a top company official said late last week.

“We have other resort developments being planned and, at some point within this year, we will disclose more details on these,” Jose Emmanuel H. Jalandoni, president of AyalaLand Hotels and Resorts Corp., said in an interview last Friday on the sidelines of a briefing at Raffles Makati when asked about the unit’s expansion plans this year.

When asked for the locations of the planned new resorts, Mr. Jalandoni replied: “They will be all over: Mindanao, Luzon, Visayas.”

“We continue to grow this business because we believe in the tourism potential of the country,” Mr. Jalandoni said.

“The government is pushing tourism, but at the same time we find there is a need for more products to be out in the market.”

Ayala Land is a property company that is involved largely in residential and commercial developments. But it has also ventured into hotels and leisure-type projects via AyalaLand Hotels and Resorts.

So far, the Ayala Land unit has developed El Nido Resorts, an island resort complex in El Nido, Palawan, consisting of the Lagen, Milinoc, Apulit and Pangulasian Island Resorts.

“We have just opened Pangulasian. We soft-opened in last quarter of 2012,” Mr. Jalandoni said.

“It’s doing quite well, and we’re very happy with the development and the guests are very happy too.”

In November last year, Ayala Land President Antonino T. Aquino told reporters that Ayala Land is keen on acquiring as much as 1,000 square meters of beach and island properties in the Visayas in the next few years in order to expand the company’s growing tourism and leisure development portfolio, but he did not cite details.

Ayala Land also plans to open more hotels this year. “After CdO (Cagayan de Oro City), we’ll open Seda Davao in February, and then after that, Holiday Inn will open this March,” Mr. Jalandoni said.

Seda, formerly Kukun, is Ayala Land’s wholly owned boutique hotel brand. After launching Seda Bonifacio Global City last month, AyalaLand Hotels and Resorts said it planned to open Seda hotels in CdO, Davao, and Laguna from the end of 2012 to next year.

The 349-room Holiday Inn and Suites Makati in Ayala Center, meanwhile, is part of Ayala Land’s ongoing five-year redevelopment of Ayala Center in a bid to transform the five-hectare district into an integrated, mixed-use complex.

Ayala Land now targets to end 2015 with as many as 4,000 rooms in order to cash in on the country’s tourism potentials.

“We’re aiming for 3,000 to 4,000 units (rooms) in the next two years.

This is for both hotels and resorts. Some of this we’re still planning, and we haven’t announced all,” Mr. Jalandoni told reporters separately last Friday.

“Our biggest challenge is access to properties and infrastructure, but it’s good that the government is very supportive in these areas,” Mr. Jalandoni added. “We’re bullish because of the economy, and the government is very helpful right now in promoting tourism…”

Ayala Land shares lost 75 centavos to P25.85 apiece on Friday last week. — F. J. G. de la Fuente

by Cathy Rose A. Garcia, ABS-CBNnews.com
Posted at 01/11/2013 5:42 PM | Updated as of 01/12/2013 7:48 AM

MANILA, Philippines – Leading property developer Ayala Land Inc. (ALI) is transforming the former Sta. Ana racetrack into an urban entertainment hub called Circuit Makati.

The company is investing P20 billion in the next five years to develop the 21-hectare property into a major destination for lifestyle and entertainment in the metropolis.

The project will include a performing arts venue, high-rise residential projects, malls, offices, a hotel, a football field, skating park and event grounds.

A view of Circuit Makati in this photo illustration from Ayala Land Inc.

Circuit Makati’s name pays tribute to the Sta. Ana race track, known as a “racing circuit.”

In a press conference on Friday, Ayala Land president Antonino Aquino said the area has always been the center of entertainment, but the project will focus more on “family entertainment.”

Aquino said the Circuit project will help “complete” the offerings of Makati City, the financial capital of the country.

“This is intended to complete the Makati offerings because in Makati, you have a full set already on the business district side. You also have the cosmopolitan part, where the retail – Ayala Center – is located and we also have other developments catering to offices, BPOs… (Circuit) is really going to be an integral part to complete Makati,” he said.

Ayala Land took inspiration from various places around the world when it was conceptualizing Circuit.

Meean Dy, head of ALI’s strategic landbank management group, said they were inspired by the lights of Ginza in Japan, fashion week and Broadway shows in New York and Millennium Park in Chicago.

Circuit is hoping to give Filipinos world-class entertainment venues, namely the Circuit Theater, a 1,500 seater performing arts venue; Circuit Lane, an interactive walk; and the Events Grounds, a 2-hectare open air area with a 20,000 capacity.

The Circuit Lane is described as similar to Bonifacio High Street with retail and dining establishments but with a heavier focus on entertainment. It will include a “black box,” a venue for small art exhibitions, workshops and comedy shows.

There are also areas for outdoor sports and activities, such as urban karting, skating and football.

But Aquino said its new urban entertainment hub will not compete with Pagcor’s Entertainment City project.

“That’s a Pagcor project so there will be more of the casinos. Our focus is on family entertainment,” Aquino said. He added Ayala is not likely to venture into gaming due to “various risks” involved.

The Circuit Makati’s Events Grounds

Malls, residences

Circuit’s first residential project will be launched next month by ALI unit Alveo Land.

Alveo president Robert Lao said the first tower will have 40-storeys with around 400 to 450 units. The company is targeting to launch one tower almost every year.

“So in the 10-year pipeline we’re looking at having 8 to 10 towers, (at a cost of) P2.5 billion for each tower,” Lao said during the briefing.

Ayala Land is also planning to open a Seda Hotel in Circuit Makati by 2016. Seda is an Ayala-brand hotel, which was recently opened in Bonifacio Global City and Cagayan de Oro.

Circuit will also have malls and office spaces. The mall will have 45,000 sqm of gross leasable area, while there will be office space with around 30,000 sqm of gross leasable area, mostly catering to business process outsourcing companies.

Retailers at Circuit will be encouraged to add an interactive element to their shops. Aside from the usual local and global brands, the mall will also be bringing in fresh concepts in fashion and dining.

Ayala is also putting up a “warehouse” retail area, which will feature popup stores, food trucks and shops of start-up entrepreneurs.

Ayala Land senior vice president Bobby Dy said most of the projects will be started within the next two years, and will be completed by 2016.

Circuit Makati, which will be formally launched next week, is located just about a kilometer from the end of Ayala Avenue.

Aquino said there are plans to integrate Circuit Makati into its bus rapid transit system in Makati.

The company is also working with the local government in improving road access and traffic management in the area.

The Circuit Makati project is a joint venture between ALI and the Philippine Racing Club, which moved the Sta. Ana racetrack to Cavite.

by Cathy Rose A. Garcia, ABS-CBNnews.com
Posted at 01/12/2013 7:46 AM | Updated as of 01/13/2013 4:28 PM

MANILA, Philippines – Ayala Land Inc. (ALI) is not keen on entering the gaming business, even as its rival property companies are pursuing high-profile projects at Pagcor’s Entertainment City in Parañaque.

ALI president Antonino Aquino said the company is more interested in developing integrated mixed-use developments centered on “family entertainment” rather than casinos projects.

ALI’s latest project Circuit Makati is touted as an urban entertainment hub, with performing arts venues, events grounds, malls, condominiums and even a skating park.

Aquino said Circuit’s focus is entertainment, unlike Entertainment City’s focus on gaming.

“Pagcor city will have a gaming focus. We are more focused on family entertainment,” he said.

“There are no plans for gaming in so far as Circuit is concerned,” he said, adding the company will focus on integrated mixed use developments that it has become known for.

Aquino admitted there are other risks involved in the gaming industry.

“There are other risks involved as far as the industry is concerned. On our side, we have high growth trajectory in this type of business. We have enough on our plate to sustain aggressive growth in the future,” he said.

While the company is not interested in the casino business, Aquino admitted they might consider opportunities in the retail aspect of these projects.

“I guess not gaming per se, but there are possibilities in retail not gaming,” he said.

Top Philippine property companies are pursuing projects in the government’s upcoming gaming hub Entertainment City.

Property magnate Andrew Tan already has a partnership with Malaysia’s Genting through Travellers Hotel International for the operations of Resorts World Manila, the first privately owned casino in the country.

Gokongwei-led Robinsons Land Corp. has partnered with Japanese tycoon Kazuo Okada’s Universal Entertainment to develop commercial facilities, a budget hotel and residential projects at the Entertainment City.

Tycoon Henry Sy’s Belle Corp. also teamed up with Macau casino giant Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd. for an integrated casino resort complex also at Entertainment City.

Pagcor has handed out four licenses to build a casino worth at least $1 billion each at the Entertainment City.