United Hampshire US REIT (UHREIT) has reported a distributable income of US$6.9 million ($8.8 million) for the 1QFY2026 ended March 31, 10% higher y-o-y, as contributions from two recently acquired grocery-anchored properties and robust leasing activity drove a broad-based improvement across its financial metrics.
The quarter’s gross revenue climbed 8.7% y-o-y to US$19.7 million, while net property income (NPI) rose 12.7% y-o-y to US$13.2 million, with the latter's outpacing of top-line growth reflecting the beneficial impact of triple-net lease structures that insulate the REIT from rising operating costs. The improvement was driven by "the commencement of new leases, built-in rental escalations in existing leases, and the contribution from Dover Marketplace and Wallingford Fair Shopping Center," which UHREIT acquired in August 2025 and January 2026 respectively. Wallingford Fair was added to the portfolio at US$21.4 million, 8.2% below independent valuation.
Defining their performance in this first quarter as a strong one, Gerard Yuen, CEO of the REIT manager, says it was “supported by our resilient portfolio, healthy leasing activity and contributions from our two newly acquired grocery-anchored properties”.
He adds that the portfolio "continues to benefit from a strong mix of tenants providing essential services, a long weighted average lease expiry (WALE), high tenant retention and leases that are substantially triple net with built-in rental escalations."
On the operational front, UHREIT reports that its Grocery & Necessity portfolio maintained occupancy of 97.7%, flat q-o-q, while the WALE extended to 8.0 years from 7.7 years at end-2025, supported by lease extensions with anchor tenants Giant Supermarket and Stop & Shop. Tenant retention remained strong at 90%, with only 2% of leases expiring in 2026 and 5.2% in 2027.
Over 160,000 sq ft of new and renewal leases were signed across 10 transactions in the quarter, says the REIT, with notable signings including Wendy's at Penrose Plaza and Lawnside Commons, Family Dollar at Parkway Crossing, and Bath & Body Works at Upland Square. DICK'S Sporting Goods officially opened its new 53,000 sq ft store at Hudson Valley Plaza under a 10-year lease, while development of a new 5,000 sq ft Florida Blue store at St. Lucie West (pre-leased on a 10-year term) is ongoing.
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Self-storage occupancy improved 0.5 percentage points q-o-q to 89.2%, though rental rates at the REIT's two New Jersey properties, Carteret and Millburn, have moderated in recent quarters as the post-pandemic normalisation of the sector continues, says the report. UHREIT notes that "moderation in occupancy has created an opportunity to potentially capture higher rents as the popular Spring leasing season has commenced."
They believe their capital position remains sound, reporting that their net aggregate leverage stood at 40.3% as at March 31, with "no refinancing requirements until February 2028" coupled with US$114.5 million in undrawn facilities. The report includes that the weighted average interest rate fell for the fourth consecutive quarter to 4.91%, down 10 basis points, as the 175 basis points of US rate cuts since September 2024 continue to filter through to floating rate loans. Weighted average debt maturity stands at 3.2 years, while interest coverage ratio stood at 2.4 times.
The broader operating environment remains broadly supportive, if uneven. The US economy expanded at an annualised rate of 2.0% in 1Q2026, and the International Money Fund (IMF) projects full-year 2026 growth of 2.3%. March retail sales grew 1.7% for the month, with year-on-year total retail sales up 4%, partly helped by tax refunds cushioning the impact of rising energy costs. However, UHREIT notes that the US Federal Reserve voted at its April meeting to hold rates at 3.5% – 3.75%, "citing elevated inflation" from the ongoing conflict in Iran.
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According to the REIT, the structural backdrop remains favourable for its grocery-anchored strip center portfolio. Referring to information from commercial real estate (CRE) research provider Green Street, strip center foot traffic rose 3% y-o-y in 4Q2025 and now "exceeds pre-pandemic levels by 6%", outperforming every other retail format. New supply is expected to remain muted at approximately 0.3% annually through 2030, with current rents "still well below levels needed to make developments pencil broadly." Key tenants are also investing aggressively in physical expansion: Walmart plans to build or convert more than 150 stores over the next five years, Cava aims to open 1,000 locations by 2032, and DICK'S Sporting Goods is targeting 100 House of Sports locations by end-2027—trends that bode well for leasing demand across UHREIT's properties.
Research also points to a broader structural shift back towards physical retail. According to Capital One, "85% of customers who buy online and pick up in store tend to make an additional purchase within the store itself," with such shoppers "consistently showing higher order values and stronger repeat behaviour." The report shows that fresh-format grocers like Whole Foods Market and Sprouts Farmers Market saw the strongest foot traffic gains last year, while value grocers including Trader Joe's, Aldi and Lidl also recorded higher visits.
Looking ahead, Yuen says the REIT will "stay disciplined in its management of the portfolio, focusing on proactive leasing and portfolio initiatives", while continuing to "evaluate yield-accretive acquisitions, asset enhancement initiatives and opportunities to further strengthen portfolio diversification and income resilience."
Meanwhile, UHREIT has also flagged improving trading liquidity as a key priority for 2026, one of the more persistent challenges for a REIT of this size and geography listed on the SGX.
As at 2.17pm on May 13, shares in UHREIT are trading at 52 US cents flat.
