Australia's LendLease inches higher; Citi cautious on earnings outlook

Lendlease

01/04/2025 04:02

** Shares of LendLease Group LLC.AX up 1.2% at A$5.97 on the day

** Real estate firm says Japanese investment firms Sotetsu Urban Creates, a unit of Sotetsu Holdings 9003.T, and Yasuda Real Estate acquired 20% interest from co in 21 Moorfields office asset in London for 64 million pounds ($82.74 million)

** LendLease also completed the sale of its UK construction business

** Citi positive on LendLease's "decent" progress on strategy but near-term earnings uncertainty remains on the expectation of lower development earnings in FY26

** Citi also flags co's A$500 million buyback is reliant on further asset sales which have taken longer than previously anticipated

** Brokerage retains "Neutral" rating and price target of A$7.5

** Stock down 4.5% YTD, including current session's moves

($1 = 0.7735 pounds)

(Reporting by Nikita Maria Jino in Bengaluru)

((Nikita.Jino@thomsonreuters.com;))