Coface finalises the acquisition of Cedar Rose Group Paris, 2 July 2025 – 17.35 Coface announces the closing of the acquisition of Cedar Rose Group, a leader in Information Services in the Middle East. With over 25 years' experience, Cedar Rose is one of the leading providers of business information solutions in the Middle East and Africa region. In a region where information is difficult to access and with positive economic growth outlook, Cedar Rose has built up a vast business network enabling it to prod ...

Core Viewpoint - The article highlights the importance of dividend-paying stocks as a strategy for investors to enhance returns amid macroeconomic uncertainties, featuring three specific stocks recommended by top Wall Street analysts. Group 1: McDonald's (MCD) - McDonald's offers a quarterly dividend of $1.77 per share, resulting in an annualized dividend of $7.08 per share and a dividend yield of 2.4% [3] - The company has increased its annual dividend for 49 consecutive years, positioning itself to become a dividend king [3] - Jefferies analyst Andy Barish has reiterated a buy rating on McDonald's with a price target of $360, citing near-term acceleration in U.S. same-store sales and medium-term unit growth as key drivers [4][5] - Barish also noted improved international same-store sales, benefiting from McDonald's value proposition and competitive advantages in size, scale, and advertising [5][6] - The analyst expects global unit growth to accelerate to 4% to 5% and highlighted the company's strong free cash flow generation to support dividends and share repurchases [6] Group 2: EPR Properties (EPR) - EPR Properties, a REIT focused on experiential properties, recently increased its monthly dividend by 3.5% to $0.295 per share, resulting in an annualized dividend of $3.54 per share and a dividend yield of 6.2% [8] - Stifel analyst Simon Yarmak upgraded EPR to buy from hold, raising the price target to $65 from $52, citing improvements in the cost of capital and potential for external growth [9] - Yarmak noted that EPR's weighted average cost of capital has improved to about 7.85% from nearly 9.3%, enabling the company to pursue acquisitions [11] - The analyst expects continued improvement in the theatre industry fundamentals to enhance EPR's earnings over the coming years [12] Group 3: Halliburton (HAL) - Halliburton offers a quarterly dividend of 17 cents per share, leading to an annualized dividend of 68 cents per share and a dividend yield of 3.3% [14] - Goldman Sachs analyst Neil Mehta reaffirmed a buy rating on Halliburton with a price target of $24, highlighting that about 60% of HAL's revenue comes from international markets, providing resilience [15][16] - Management anticipates growth from unconventional completion opportunities and market share growth in directional drilling, which could enhance margins and support strong free cash flow [17] - Despite expected pricing softness in North America, Halliburton aims to maintain a premium due to its differentiated technology and long-term contracts [18]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported first quarter earnings of $0.34 per share, which includes $0.06 from Whole Foods related to rents and recoveries, as well as termination payments [44][46] - Same store NOI growth was reported at 4.1%, with the Street retail portion growing 6.8% for the quarter, outperforming suburban assets by over 400 basis points [52][53] - The company achieved a core operating signed not yet open pipeline increase of over 15%, with new leases signed at cash spreads exceeding 50% [41][48] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Street retail segment continued to show strong performance, with double-digit sales growth observed in key markets such as SoHo and M Street [21][24] - The company signed new core leases totaling over $5 million in ABR, with 95% of that income coming from street locations [20] - The leasing velocity and signed not yet open pipeline are both accelerating, with a robust pipeline of over $6 million in additional leases in advanced stages of negotiation [21][48] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Consumer spending has remained resilient, particularly among affluent consumers, with sales growth reported at 15% year-over-year in the Georgetown portfolio [12][24] - The company noted that the affluent consumer demographic is less affected by broader economic indicators, maintaining spending habits despite economic uncertainties [12][22] - The company is seeing increased traction in markets that have been slower to recover, such as San Francisco, with significant leasing activity reported [28][30] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to be a dominant owner-operator of street retail in key corridors, focusing on acquisitions that are accretive to earnings and enhance the portfolio [14][39] - The strategy includes opportunistically adding assets through its investment management platform, leveraging institutional capital relationships [14][39] - The company is well-positioned to navigate market volatility and capitalize on potential buying opportunities in street retail investments [16][39] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the continued internal growth driven by strong tenant demand and limited new supply in high-quality locations [5][13] - The company is monitoring inflationary pressures and economic slowdowns but believes that strong demand will mitigate long-term declines [10][12] - Management remains optimistic about achieving 5% to 6% full-year same store NOI growth, supported by a solid balance sheet and liquidity [53][54] Other Important Information - The company completed over $370 million in acquisitions year-to-date, including targeted street retail acquisitions and value-add opportunities [32][34] - The balance sheet remains strong, with a debt to EBITDA ratio of 5.7 times, allowing for continued investment in growth opportunities [54] - The company has a robust pipeline of pending deals and active negotiations, indicating strong future growth potential [49][50] Q&A Session Summary Question: Will the signed not yet open (SNO) continue to accelerate and exceed 6% of ABR by year-end 2025? - Management indicated that they expect continued growth in the SNO pipeline, with $3 million expected to roll into the second half of the year [58] Question: Can you discuss opportunistic investing during downturns and the types of sellers? - Management noted that sellers could include institutional investors seeking liquidity or different operating partners, but it is too early to predict specific outcomes [60][62] Question: How has the Street portfolio changed post-COVID in terms of tenant types? - Management highlighted a shift towards healthier retailers, including digitally native brands, replacing legacy retailers, contributing to sustained demand and growth [66] Question: How confident is the company in achieving 10% underlying growth in the Street portfolio? - Management expressed confidence, noting that the majority of the signed not yet open pipeline is from the Street segment, which is expected to drive growth [70] Question: What is the current state of the street retail transaction market? - Management observed a potential reduction in competition as some buyers may pull back, but they remain prepared to capitalize on opportunities [78] Question: How are leasing spreads trending through the balance of the year? - Management indicated that while spreads may vary, they believe their leases are well-positioned relative to the market [81]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported first quarter earnings of $0.34 per share, which includes $0.06 from Whole Foods related to rents and recoveries, as well as termination payments [41] - Same store NOI growth was reported at 4.1%, with the Street retail portion growing 6.8% for the quarter, outperforming suburban assets by over 400 basis points [49][38] - The company achieved a debt to EBITDA ratio of 5.7 times for the quarter, remaining within the targeted range of 5.5 to 6 times [50] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Street retail segment continued to show strong performance, with a signed not yet open pipeline increasing by over 15% to approximately $9 million of ABR [44] - New core leases signed totaled over $5 million in ABR, with 95% of that income coming from street locations [19] - The company closed over $370 million in acquisitions year to date, including targeted street retail acquisitions [30] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Consumer spending remained resilient, particularly among affluent consumers, with double-digit sales growth observed in key street markets [20][12] - Apparel sales in the Georgetown portfolio were up 15% year over year, while sales in the Armitage Avenue portfolio increased by 12% [23][24] - The company noted that the affluent consumer demographic has proven resilient to price increases driven by inflation or tariffs [21] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to be a dominant owner-operator of street retail in key corridors, focusing on acquisitions that are accretive to earnings and enhance the portfolio [14] - The strategy includes opportunistically adding assets through the investment management platform, leveraging institutional capital relationships [15] - The company is positioned to take advantage of market disruptions, with a focus on motivated sellers and off-market transactions [34][36] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in continued internal growth driven by strong tenant demand and limited new supply in key markets [6][13] - The company is monitoring inflationary pressures and economic slowdowns but believes that strong demand will mitigate long-term declines [10][12] - Management remains optimistic about achieving 5% to 6% full-year same store NOI growth, supported by a robust pipeline of leasing deals [49][47] Other Important Information - The company has raised approximately $800 million last year and to date, providing liquidity to weather market volatility [16] - The company is actively engaged in several investment management opportunities, with expectations of increased activity in the current market environment [35] Q&A Session Summary Question: Will the signed not yet open (SNO) continue to accelerate and exceed 6% of ABR by year-end 2025? - Management indicated that they expect continued growth in SNO, with $3 million expected to roll into the second half of the year, maintaining optimism for replenishing that growth [54] Question: Can you discuss opportunistic investing during downturns and the typical sellers? - Management noted that sellers could include institutional investors seeking liquidity or different operating partners, but it is too early to predict specific outcomes [55][56] Question: What types of tenants went away post-COVID, and how does consumer demand look? - Management highlighted that there was not significant turnover, with many new leases signed with relevant brands, indicating strong consumer demand [62] Question: How confident is the company in achieving 10% underlying growth in the Street portfolio? - Management expressed confidence in achieving growth, particularly from the signed not yet open pipeline, which is primarily from the Street segment [67] Question: Has there been any change in the frequency of touchpoints with tenants post-April 2? - Management reported no noticeable change in leasing velocity or tenant responsiveness, with continued strong sales and demand [84]