Shayla Walmesley
- News
ABP discloses budget hotels move after prime acquisition
NETHERLANDS - Dutch pension fund ABP has expanded its base in European hospitality sector with the acquisition of three high-end Belgian hotels.
- News
ABP discloses budget hotels move after prime acquisition
NETHERLANDS - Dutch pension fund ABP has expanded its base in European hospitality sector with the acquisition of three high-end Belgian hotels. The €211bn civil service scheme has not disclosed the value of the deal, which carries a €...
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Europe sees ‘flight to quality’
GLOBAL - A slowdown in investment in some markets has done little to dent global investment in real estate, according to figures published by Jones Lang Lasalle (JLL). Direct investment in the first half of 2007 totalled US$382bn (€276bn), ...
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SLI sells off property after cutting funds’ value
UK - Standard Life Investments (SLI) last week sold off a six-property portfolio from its Property Income Trust for £41.5m (€61.8m) – just days after it announced would cut the value of five of its property funds by 6.7%. In an a...
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UK pooled property funds outperform equities
UK - Pooled property funds outperformed both real estate equities and real estate investment trusts (REITs) in the past year, despite evidence of cooling in the UK real estate market. According to data published last week by IPD, pooled real esta...
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Investors eye Asia over Europe
GLOBAL - Pension fund cash will continue to pour into European real estate at least to the end of the year but there is fresh interest in the Asian market, according to preliminary figures published by Jones Lang Lasalle (JLL). Direct property tra...
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No euro greenbacks for green building
EUROPE - Pension funds are increasingly concerned with sustainability issues in real estate investments but doing nothing about it, according to a report commissioned by the European Social Investment Forum (Eurosif). Eurosif executive director Ma...
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Private equity wins student halls contract
UK - Private equity firm UPP last week won a contract to build undergraduate accommodation for the UK’s Loughborough University – an indication of increasing competition in a market gained momentum as a niche within a saturated real estat...
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Morgan Stanley buys Daewoo Korea HQ
KOREA - Morgan Stanley is to boost its property investments in the Korean market with the acquisition of Daewoo Engineering Headquarters in the capital, Seoul, for 960bn won (€0.76bn). AHI Holdings, a real estate fund managed by the bank, w...
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Hilton delisting likely after Blackstone acquisition
GLOBAL - Hilton Hotels could de-list early next year after Blackstone last week agreed to acquire the hospitality group for $26bn (€19bn).
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UK investors sell in dwindling market
UK - Rising interest rates will significantly slow leveraged investment in UK real estate at least until 2008, according to a report published by Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL). Despite investment in the first half of 2007 above €27bn – matc...
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Asian property ‘world’s strongest performer’
ASIA - A softer-than-expected landing and supply limitations will continue to boost real estate rental growth across Asia, according to a report published by RREEF. Deutsche Bank’s real estate subsidiary said expansion of the financial serv...
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Enpam offloads real estate
ITALY - Enpam, the Italian pension fund for doctors and dentists, has sold a 29-property portfolio for €305m. Pirelli Real Estate acquired the portfolio with holder Global Opportunities Fund II, a fund managed by Deutsche Bank subsidiary RRE...
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Germany ‘still offers best opportunities’
GERMANY - International Real Estate (IRE) has ruled out expansion outside German property despite recent investor jitters over market underperformance. This vote of confidence came as the AIM-listed investment firm posted year-end pre-tax profits ...
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RREEF takes to the road for €1.3bn
EUROPE - RREEF Infrastructure has acquired 50% of German motorway service operator Tank & Rast for a reported €1.3bn. The acquisition, from private equity firm Terra Firma, includes 390 motorway service stations across Germany. John ...
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Pension funds reject Dutch road plan
NETHERLANDS - Dutch pension funds have dismissed proposals designed to encourage them to finance infrastructure projects. Three political parties – liberals, Christian Democrats and Liberal Democrats – last week jointly proposed the l...
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Wall of money to stay firm for 2007 - DTZ
EUROPE - A report published by DTZ offers a largely optimistic prognosis for growth in European real estate markets – at least in 2007. The report, entitled Money into property, said a 25% increase in global investment transactions worth $6...
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Ambitious Italian fund targets 20% returns
ITALY - Managers of two funds launched last week claim they can harness scarce Italian real estate assets to generate well-above-average returns for pension fund investors. Cordea Savills’ Italian Opportunities Fund II will target returns o...
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Polish bourse challenges AIM for property firms
POLAND - Warsaw Stock Exchange intends to challenge London’s Alternative Investment Market (AIM) as the destination for property firm flotations. Its claim follows the announcement last week from XXI Investments, a Ukrainian property devel...
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PenSam’s Weischer quits to give advice
DENMARK - Investment manager Michael Weischer has quit PenSam, the Danish public-sector pension scheme, to advise other pension funds on real estate indirect investment. The €6.3bn fund has yet to select a successor when Weischer leaves at t...
