Abacus agreed to sell its 20% interest in Storage King for AUD 285 million via two block trades: 9% to an undisclosed party at AUD 1.00 per Storage King security, and the rest to Ki Corporation at AUD 1.20 per security. On average, the sale price is AUD 1.11.
Some of Abacus’ assets are in city fringe locations that could see solid population growth. These sites have the potential to be redeveloped for higher- and better-use purposes, increasing asset values.
Bears
If asset values decline further, this could further strain Abacus' balance metrics, which are already stretched.
Abacus Group is the owner and manager of real estate assets in Australia. The property portfolio mainly comprises modern office towers in city centers and suburban locations, with two small retail assets. Rents collected from these property holdings are the major income source for Abacus. The group also has some exposure to the self-storage sector through the publicly listed Storage King. From 2023, when Storage King was spun out of Abacus and floated on the stock exchange, until June 2026, Abacus was the external manager of the self-storage REIT. Following an agreement, Storage King will internalize management from fiscal 2027. Abacus still owns 20% of the self-storage REIT and will continue to receive distributions. However, we expect it to sell down the interest over time.