Sirius Real Estate Reports Strong Organic Growth and Strategic Defense Acquisitions in FY2026 Update

FY2026 trading update: rent roll jumps, defence tilt strengthens

Sirius Real Estate’s FY2026 trading update is a meaty one. The Group reports an 18.4% year-on-year increase in rent roll, fuelled by active acquisitions and solid demand across its German and UK business parks. On a like-for-like basis (excluding acquisitions, disposals and material refurbishments), rent roll climbed 6.4% for the year to 31 March 2026 – the twelfth consecutive year of more than 5% like-for-like growth. Management expects full year results to land in line with market expectations.

There is also a clear strategic nudge toward defence-related industrial space, backed by notable capital deployment and a tidy balance sheet. Let’s unpack what’s driving it – and why it matters.

Strong operational momentum in Germany and a UK rebound

Germany: pricing power and stable yields set up valuation gains

Germany finished the year strongly. Earlier move-outs were more than offset by pricing gains on renewals and higher occupier activity in the final quarter. Sirius says its in-house asset management captured both rate growth and occupancy improvements. With property yields reported as stable, management expects the income growth to translate into valuation increases in the German portfolio at the year end.

United Kingdom: slow patch, then a brisk start to 2026

The UK saw a slower occupational market late in 2025, pinned on political uncertainty around the delayed Autumn Statement. That knocked confidence and led to smaller lettings as occupiers reined in growth ambitions for a spell. After the Statement landed, 2026 started very strongly, with sales metrics suggesting some catch-up. Overall, like-for-like rent roll growth in the UK was described as reasonable, and Sirius expects to maintain UK property valuations. At Group level, they expect a positive valuation movement at period end.

Acquisitions, defence exposure and disciplined recycling

€464 million invested across 13 assets in FY2026

Sirius completed 13 acquisitions with a total investment value of €464 million. Three of these – Bedford, Feldkirchen and Kiel – totalling approximately €155 million, have a significant defence component to the tenant base. This is deliberate: management is building a portfolio of defence-related properties in Germany and the UK, alongside its traditional business parks.

Why defence? Both countries have flagged material increases in defence spending, with Germany in particular “seeking to grow spend to 5% of GDP” via committed fiscal stimulus of around €400 billion. That is a major policy tailwind for demand in industrial space, and Sirius argues that the urgency of delivery makes existing stock the only feasible option at scale.

Equity raise deployed quickly, with yield upside on replacements

In February 2026, Sirius raised £77 million in an oversubscribed equity placing at a price in line with its 30 September 2025 adjusted NAV. The target was to acquire the Kiel asset and one more defence-related property for approximately €130 million.

Kiel, with Rheinmetall as anchor tenant, completed at €93.4 million within six weeks of the raise and before the new financial year started. The second asset was dropped after the seller hiked price expectations, but Sirius has identified two alternative assets totalling approximately €30 million (roughly the remaining 25% of the targeted spend), one of which is defence-related. These are expected to be notarised in Q1 of the financial year and completed in Q2, and – crucially – at a better blended yield than the 7.6% EPRA net initial yield that the original Kiel-plus-one package would have delivered.

Quick jargon check: EPRA net initial yield is a standardised measure of the income return on a property, net of property costs. Higher yields imply better income returns for the same price. Funds from operations (FFO) is a measure of recurring cash earnings in property. Management says they remain on track to generate the anticipated FFO from the fundraise proceeds.

Sales at a premium to book value

Capital recycling is alive and well. Sirius agreed the sale of Pfungstadt for €30 million, at a premium to book value, with completion due in July 2026. It also sold a smaller asset in Sunderland for £1.25 million, again at a premium. This supports the stated strategy of disposing of assets once value-add levers have been largely pulled, freeing up capital for new opportunities.

Balance sheet: liquidity secured and firepower ready

The Group recently renewed and enlarged its €300 million revolving credit facility with a mix of existing and new banking partners. Alongside the oversubscribed £77 million equity raise and evident capacity to transact quickly (as shown with Kiel), Sirius looks well positioned to continue executing its strategy.

Note: the Group translated rent roll at a constant GBP:EUR rate of 1.152 as at 31 March 2026, and continues to exclude Vantage Point in the UK from like-for-like metrics due to ongoing improvement works. The trading update’s financial information has not been reviewed by external auditors.

Key numbers at a glance

Like-for-like rent roll growth (FY2026)	6.4%
Total rent roll growth year-on-year	18.4%
Acquisitions completed	13 assets, €464 million
Defence-tilted acquisitions	Bedford, Feldkirchen, Kiel – approx €155 million
Equity raise (Feb 2026)	£77 million
Kiel acquisition price	€93.4 million
Target package yield reference	7.6% EPRA NIY (Kiel plus one asset)
Revolving credit facility	€300 million (renewed and enlarged)
Agreed sale – Pfungstadt	€30 million (premium to book), completion due July 2026
Completed sale – Sunderland	£1.25 million (premium to book)
Portfolio snapshot (30 Sep 2025)	153 assets, 10,958 tenants, €2.8 billion book value, €242.5 million annualised rent roll
JV stake	35% of Titanium (German-focused JV of €350+ million)

My take: what this means and why it matters

• Quality of growth: A 6.4% like-for-like rent roll uplift – the twelfth year above 5% – is the headline. It signals ongoing pricing power and asset management execution, not just growth-by-acquisition.
• Defence exposure with a tailwind: Tilting toward defence tenants looks well timed given stated government spending plans, especially in Germany. Existing stock benefits when the need is urgent; Sirius owns exactly that.
• Valuation set-up looks constructive: Stable yields in Germany plus income growth should support valuation gains there. In the UK, the dip looks temporary and valuations are expected to hold.
• Capital discipline in practice: Backing away from a pricier deal and switching to two assets at a better blended yield is exactly what investors want to see. Premium-to-book disposals in Pfungstadt and Sunderland underline asset quality and timing discipline.
• Balance sheet support: The enlarged €300 million RCF and successful £77 million raise provide ample flexibility. The speedy close of Kiel suggests the platform can deploy capital efficiently.

Risks and watchouts

• Macro and geopolitics: While defence demand may be supportive, broader economic softness or further shocks could affect occupier behaviour, particularly in the UK where late-2025 caution was evident.
• Execution risk on the pipeline: Two replacement acquisitions (approx €30 million) need to be notarised and completed as planned to deliver the promised FFO and yield uplift.
• Valuation sensitivity: Positive valuation guidance depends on yields staying stable and income translating through. Any yield expansion would be a headwind.
• Currency effects: Headline rent roll was translated at a constant GBP:EUR of 1.152. Actual reported numbers may differ with FX moves.

What to watch next

• Full year results on Monday, 1 June 2026 – detail on FFO, valuations by geography, occupancy and like-for-like metrics.
• Notarisation in Q1 and completion in Q2 of the two identified acquisitions, and confirmation of the improved blended yield vs the 7.6% reference.
• Completion of the €30 million Pfungstadt sale in July 2026 and any further recycling activity.
• Updates on defence-related leasing momentum, particularly at Kiel with Rheinmetall as anchor tenant.

Bottom line

This is a confident update: double-digit total rent roll growth, like-for-like ahead of 6%, supportive valuation commentary and a clear, well-timed push into defence-related industrial space. The balance sheet looks ready for more, and the decision to swap an overpriced deal for higher-yielding alternatives is encouraging. Execution on the remaining pipeline and confirmation of valuation gains are the next milestones to keep an eye on.