Shares in the $3.2 billion National Storage REIT (ASX: NSR) have been placed in a trading halt ahead of an announcement about a potential bid for the company.
The company on Wednesday morning asked that its shares be placed in a trading halt pending an announcement, "in relation to a potential control transaction for all of NSR's stapled securities''.
The trading halt will remain in place until an announcement is made or until the start of trade on 28 November, the statement to the ASX said.
Image source: Getty Images
Bid being pulled together
The Australian is reporting that investment firms Brookfield and GIC are in negotiations with NSR, but that a deal has not been finalised.
NSR listed on the ASX in late 2013, with the company's Chair, Anthony Keane, telling the company's annual general meeting last month that total returns to shareholders since that time had been more than 330%.
He went on to say:
Our compound annual growth rate for both our underlying earnings and total revenue of over 20% per annum over the last 11 years, stands as one of the best and most consistently performing (listed property trusts) over this period.
Mr Keane said the company now operated more than 280 storage centres in every state and territory across Australia and New Zealand.
As he said:
We are not a passive rent collector. Our business spans multiple retal areas including revenue management, the operation of multisite, geographically diverse businesses, SEO … marketing, AI and call centre operation to name a few focus areas.
Growth plans afoot
Mr Keane said the company had spent $664 million on growth projects in FY25 across acquisitions, completed developments, and expansion opportunities.
This is unrivalled in the Australian and New Zealand markets and underpins our exceptional and unique ability to identify, execute and capitalise upon key opportunities in the self-storage sector. Our significantly expedited development pipeline has over 50 current and future development projects comprising approximately 49,000 square metres of new lettable area that is expected to be completed and brought online over the next two to three years. This reflects NSR's increasing focus on high value accretive new development opportunities and will allow us to further build on our advantages of critical mass and economies of scale in the coming years.
NSR also owns a 4.78% stake in fellow storage provider Abacus Storage King Ltd (ASX: ASK).
NSR shares last changed hands at $2.26, in the midpoint of their trading range over the past 12 months, which is $2.05-$2.55.
