From 1 January 2009, the real estate assets are disclosed as a separate segment in the Group’s financial reporting. The segment Real Estate comprises all METRO Group’s real estate assets, as well as all real estate-related services.
The real estate management actively contributes to METRO Group’s value creation. The international expansion, the active asset- and portfolio management, as well as resource optimisation are to secure and systematically enhance value of the real estate in the long run.
EBITDA increased by €8 million to €224 million in Q1 2009. This amount results mainly from rental income paid by METRO Group’s divisions. EBIT reached €132 million following €123 million in Q1 2008. The earnings improvement particularly reflects the increased rental income resulting from Metro Cash & Carry’s expansion.