All articles by Shayla Walmesley

  • News

    ABP discloses budget hotels move after prime acquisition

    2007-07-30T10:30:00Z

    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

    2007-07-30T00:00:00Z

    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 €...

  • News

    Europe sees ‘flight to quality’

    2007-07-23T00:00:00Z

    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), ...

  • News

    UK pooled property funds outperform equities

    2007-07-23T00:00:00Z

    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...

  • News

    SLI sells off property after cutting funds’ value

    2007-07-23T00:00:00Z

    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...

  • News

    Private equity wins student halls contract

    2007-07-16T00:00:00Z

    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...

  • News

    Morgan Stanley buys Daewoo Korea HQ

    2007-07-16T00:00:00Z

    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...

  • News

    No euro greenbacks for green building

    2007-07-16T00:00:00Z

    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...

  • News

    Investors eye Asia over Europe

    2007-07-16T00:00:00Z

    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...

  • News

    Hilton delisting likely after Blackstone acquisition

    2007-07-09T17:23:00Z

    GLOBAL - Hilton Hotels could de-list early next year after Blackstone last week agreed to acquire the hospitality group for $26bn (€19bn).

  • News

    UK investors sell in dwindling market

    2007-07-09T00:00:00Z

    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...

  • News

    Asian property ‘world’s strongest performer’

    2007-07-09T00:00:00Z

    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...

  • News

    Enpam offloads real estate

    2007-07-02T00:00:00Z

    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...

  • News

    Germany ‘still offers best opportunities’

    2007-07-02T00:00:00Z

    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 ...

  • News

    RREEF takes to the road for €1.3bn

    2007-07-02T00:00:00Z

    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 ...

  • News

    Pension funds reject Dutch road plan

    2007-06-25T00:00:00Z

    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...

  • News

    Polish bourse challenges AIM for property firms

    2007-06-25T00:00:00Z

    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...

  • News

    Wall of money to stay firm for 2007 - DTZ

    2007-06-25T00:00:00Z

    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...

  • News

    Ambitious Italian fund targets 20% returns

    2007-06-25T00:00:00Z

    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...

  • News

    Moody’s: investors are diversifying into timber

    2007-06-18T00:00:00Z

    GLOBAL - Long-term cashflow, a need for diversification and growth prospects in a fragmented industry are pushing investors towards timber REITs, according to a report published by credit ratings agency Moody’s. The report claims this ?...