The company attributes the revenue decline to the deconsolidation of CapitaLand Ascott Trust in December

 

[SINGAPORE] CapitaLand Investment&rsquo s (CLI) : 9CI -7.27% shares plunged more than 8 per cent on Friday (May 2) morning, after the company posted a 24 per cent decline in year-on-year revenue in Q1 2025. Trading in the company also went ex-dividend the same day.

 

Shares of CLI fell 8 per cent or S$0.22 to S$2.53 shortly after the opening bell. Around 8.1 million shares changed hands as at 10.20 am.

 

This comes after the real estate investment manager said in a business update on Wednesday that its revenue fell to S$496 million, down 24 per cent from S$650 million in the previous corresponding period.

 

Earlier this year, the company declared its ex-dividend date to be on Friday for its once-yearly dividend payout of S$0.12 per share. The dividend record date will be May 5, with the payment date on May 13.

 

The company attributed much of the revenue decline to the deconsolidation of CapitaLand Ascott Trust (Clas). In December 2024, CLI sold a 4.9 per cent stake in Clas for S$162 million to an unrelated party.

 

However, on a like-for-like basis, revenue remained &ldquo stable&rdquo since that of Q1 2024 would have been S$496 million, after accounting for Clas&rsquo deconsolidation in both periods, the company said. 

 

CLI&rsquo s real estate investment business revenue fell by more than 40 per cent to S$242 million in Q1, from S$430 million. But this was for similar reasons &ndash on a like-for-like basis, revenue would have decreased by 6 per cent, after adjusting for Clas&rsquo deconsolidation, said CLI. 

 

The company said its strategic priorities remain focused on thematics and markets-focused products, such as in logistics and self-storage, living and wellness, private credit and data centres.

 

Following the launch of its first commercial real estate investment trust in China earlier this year, CLI also reiterated its strong foundation and long-term view of its China-based business.

 

==iFast receives MAS trust business licence, enhances wealth management capabilities

It aims to lower conventional barriers and extend trust solutions to more investors

 

[SINGAPORE] iFast Corp announced on Friday (May 2) that its global trust, a Singapore-incorporated entity within the group, has been granted a trust business licence by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

 

This development expands iFast&rsquo s wealth management capabilities by enhancing its platform to support clients across the entire wealth lifecycle, from accumulation and growth to preservation and legacy planning.

 

Trust structures historically play a crucial role in preserving generational family wealth, offering financial security for dependents such as minors and the elderly, facilitating business continuity and succession planning, and protecting assets against potential risks or mismanagement.

 

However, trust solutions are typically limited to high-net-worth (HNW) individuals, largely due to high costs, complex structures and stringent entry requirements.

 

With the establishment of iFast Global Trust, the group aims to lower conventional barriers and extend trust solutions to more investors. The new offerings will cater not only to the HNW segment through bespoke structures, but also to the broader market by removing typical constraints such as high minimum asset thresholds and cumbersome onboarding processes.

 

These trust solutions are powered by iFast&rsquo s proprietary IT infrastructure, and will be accessible via iFast Singapore&rsquo s business-to-business platform for financial advisers and other financial institutions, business-to-consumers FSMOne platform, and the adviser-assisted iFast Global Markets platform.

 

Tan Check How, general manager of iFast Global Trust, said: &ldquo iFast Global Trust recognises that today&rsquo s clients value affordability, transparency and convenience alongside service excellence. The digital platform underpinning the trust solutions allows for efficient management, integration with legacy planning goals and direct access to a broad suite of financial products through iFast&rsquo s investment platform.&rdquo

 

On Monday, the group&rsquo s share price tumbled by 12 per cent in early trade, after the investment platform operator cut its Hong Kong operations&rsquo profit before tax target for 2025 to HK$380 million (S$64.3 million) from its previous guidance of HK$500 million.

 

The pre-tax profit of its Hong Kong business fell 6.8 per cent to S$12.3 million due to higher investments in the ePension division ahead of onboarding.

 

Based on its earnings report released on Apr 25, the Singapore-based company posted a 31.2 per cent year-on-year rise in net profit to S$19 million for the first quarter ended Mar 31. This was driven by a 24.4 per cent increase in revenue to S$106.9 million.

 

The company also declared an interim dividend of S$0.016 a share, up from S$0.013 in Q1 2024.