亞洲不動產 疫情後曙光乍現

新冠病毒對全球經濟造成全面性的影響,包括大封鎖使得全球供應鏈面臨「碎鏈」的危機,重塑了全球各國布局與產業板塊。 疫情對全球房地產市場也造成價格錯位,從投資的角度來看,我們將視野優先放在商用辦公室、工業與零售用地。其中,商辦最具彈性,位於核心市場的空房供給仍然非常吃緊;工業用地則持續受惠於網購崛起、供應鏈物流和倉儲;而零售用地受疫情影響最大,在市場恐慌時期,許多良好物件的價格被低估,反而提供很好的進場機會。對於投資人來說,最終的關鍵在於:如何篩選房地產投資的標的。

疫情對於全球經濟的影響極大,各國政府已透過貨幣政策和財政政策做出快速因應,最終應有助於穩定市場,並提供風險性資產購買的機會。與此同時,配置橫跨各種資產類別的多元資產策略,有助於讓投資人免受新冠肺炎疫情的全面影響和市場拋售。舉例來說,瀚亞投資房地產相關基金的投資策略,正是受惠於股票、債券、REITs和基礎設施證券的多重資產分散配置,有效因應市場波動。

分散投資有助於降低波動

以近期經驗為例,相較於許多股票,投資組合中的債券有較低的波動性,能有效在疫情風暴中維持穩定;股票部位則是為了在市場復甦時抓住上漲機會,這樣的配置可以為亞洲房地產投資者創造更為平穩的收益,這比單一投資於區域REITs的波動來得更小。

跨市場與跨資產類別,同樣也有助於分散風險。例如澳洲在2003年的SARS期間防疫表現良好,房市影響不大,若基金投資組合納入該市場,將有助於緩和整體的衝擊。以今年新冠肺炎疫情來看,若同時納入商用、工業用、購物中心、物流、住宅開發商和基礎設施等用途的房地產,也有助於緩和市場衝擊。舉例來說,住宅用房地產容易受當地市場所影響,可能因買家受疫情影響收入而延緩購置住宅;反觀電商與零售商則是受惠於因應疫情封鎖,民眾使用網購來滿足生活所需,進而驅動物流和倉儲的房產需求。 

疫情影響在所難免 總會看見曙光

中國住宅房地產開發商報告指出,一月和二月的合同銷售量顯著下降,但三月銷售狀況開始恢復。即使疫情已然收斂,中國仍持續透過全國及地方各級採取更大的財政刺激措施,包括針對性的房地產政策:延遲土地費用支付、放寬預售審批要求及購置新房補貼等。由於中國公民居住需求仍然存在,這些措施將有助於吸引買家重新回到市場。

隨著疫情趨緩,許多廠辦重啟營運,房屋銷售狀況正在好轉。目前排名前100位的城市,其土地銷售現已恢復至2019年1同期的八成。在這種環境下,小型和資產負債表狀況不佳的開發商正在努力籌集資金,而我們仍將觀察重點放在規模更大、品質更好的開發商。

隨著小型企業的經營狀況變得越來越困難,中國房產業可能2020年加速整合。雖然我們在中國的部位大多是通過離岸美元債券市場進行的,但挑選的公司擁有良好體質,即使新冠肺炎疫情持續時間比預期長,這些公司仍然能夠償還債務並籌集新的資金。雖然那些缺乏短期現金的開發商可能會藉助股權資本籌集或資產出售來度過難關,違約風險的確增加了,這也更說明具有專業、能主動選擇標的主動式基金投資變得更為重要。

SARS經驗能作為借鏡嗎?

為預測新冠病毒各個層面的影響,最能拿來參考的就是2003年爆發的SARS。2003年春季,8,000多人感染SARS,最終造成774人死亡。然而今昔全球化程度和市場相互依存關係皆不同,根據SARS爆發的進程去推論新冠病毒的影響太過簡單。儘管如此,它對市場的影響仍具有參考價值。

參考圖一,2003上半年SARS期間,因投資人拒絕在市場低點進行交易,香港、中國內地和新加坡的交易量急劇下滑,但市場供需在下半年便恢復正常。同樣的,我們預期2020上半年交易量將會跌落低點,但在中國政府寬鬆政策下,交易量應會反彈。其他亞太國家可能需要更長的時間才能從疫情衝擊中緩和下來,但預期各國的財政刺激政策將在2020年第二季至第三季度開始影響各地經濟。借鏡SARS疫情在新增病例達到頂峰時市場開始復甦,一如中國新冠病毒新增病例在三月達到高點,預期其他區域的經濟將逐步回復。

圖一:SARS期間MSCI亞太(不含日本)指數表現2

virus-impact-chart-01

疫情終將過去

我們相信,新冠病毒疫情的影響終將緩和,中國、香港、新加坡的政府會持續為房產業、房客和市民提供貨幣與財政上支持,如香港政府『直升機撒錢式』向永久居民提供10,000港元(約1,200美金)的紓困補貼。

當前需要關注的問題是,中國內地開發商是否有足夠的現金流來支付未來幾年的貸款利息。如上所述,許多開發商已在去年12月至今年1月間發行債券,加上政府擁有許多政策工具可以減輕開發商的融資條件,這個問題並不嚴重。

中國政府政策刺激不遺餘力:在房地產部分,中國銀保監會於一月宣布房貸還款寬限期,以協助因疫情影響失去收入的貸款人減緩壓力、部分省市放寬商品屋預售標準。中國人民銀行於二月開啟中期借貸便利、增加貸款貼現支持、進行央行票據互換(CBS)操作為市場注入流動性;三月,則實施定向降準、給予存款準備金率的優惠 。在財政政策方面,調降地區增值稅、階段性減免企業社會保險費、鼓勵房東減免租金與補貼租金等。

市場價格大概已反映疫情的風險溢價和短期的經濟衰退,預期財政與貨幣刺激政策將在未來幾個月開始發揮影響力。此外,隨著中國全面復工,被壓抑的需求應會支撐房地產市場,約在第二季至第三季度反轉向上。

因為疫情造成的市場恐慌與拋售,使得亞洲的房地產市場在中長期投資人眼中極具吸引力。在市場恐慌時,資產價值被低估的投資機會湧現,瀚亞投資透過專業層層把關、嚴選最合適的資產標的,替投資人帶來價值。

 

Sources:

1. Property sector based on MSCI China Real Estate Index (USD)
2. Bloomberg, Datastream, data from 31 Dec 2002 to 31 Dec 2003. APXJ = Asia Pacific ex Japan. *Recovery marked by performance from trough to year-end.

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