The group’s yearly figures to the conclude of December created the biggest fall in web rental revenue and United kingdom asset values in the group’s heritage.
The retail group, which owns centres which includes the Bullring in Birmingham and Cabot Circus in Bristol, uncovered net tangible property fell to 82p per share in 2020, from £1.16 in 2019.
Annual losses extra than doubled at the agency as the benefit of its homes dropped and rental earnings plunged in the course of the health disaster. The team described an IFRS loss of £1.7bn for 2020, in contrast with a £781m loss in the former 12 months.
Net rental profits plunged 49% to £157.6m thanks to the restructuring of tenant deals and a higher provision for poor debts. The worth of Hammerson’s portfolio fell to £6.34bn from £8.3bn.
Rita-Rose Gagné, chief govt of Hammerson, said: “By any evaluate, 2020 was an unprecedented yr with each company and residence influenced by Covid-19. Our teams have labored tirelessly and revealed exceptional motivation all through the pandemic to assure that we carry on to continue to keep our colleagues, consumers and communities safe and sound.
“However, if this pandemic has highlighted nearly anything, it is how substantially we all crave human contact as inherently social beings. As a enterprise, Hammerson provides the areas and social infrastructure exactly where persons want and will need to be, and I am confident it will have a very important part in shaping neighbourhoods and communities in the long run.”
Gagné also pointed to even further disposals to “strengthen the stability sheet”.
She added: “We are at the moment working on a complete strategic and organisational review that will map out a route to long term growth to renovate the business in the context of what will keep on being a tricky economic and structural backdrop.”
The FTSE 250 group proposed a .2p final dividend, bringing the total-yr dividend to .4p, in contrast with 5.1p in 2019.
Colm Lauder, an analyst at Goodbody, reported: ”Hammerson’s 2020 results were generally heading to make difficult looking at supplied the unprecedented issues faced by Covid-19 lockdowns on best of an currently examined retail sector.
“Despite this, NAV and EPS were being marginally ahead and personal debt levels stabilised yr-on-calendar year. New management and the acknowledgment that the worst is around current a significant possibility to reshape the enterprise in 2021.”