This budget will probably be remembered for two things – obviously the bizarre early release by the OBR but also the, almost as perplexing, plans for a mansion tax. It was packed with short-term political manoeuvring that sadly took precedence over long-term growth initiatives, but there were a couple of positive spots. Reforming the ISA […]
Trying to predict what will be in next week’s budget seems futile, with the Chancellor fumbling the messaging and performing drastic U-turns. What we do know is that now a rise in income tax has been ruled out, we will be clobbered somewhere else as Rachel Reeves looks to fill the black hole in the […]
Home REIT (HOME), the former homeless accommodation provider blighted by a valuation scandal three years ago, is in talks with real estate investor Patron Capital about selling the bulk of its portfolio for £123m. The indicative price, which has not been finalised, comes as Home agreed to hold exclusive negotiations with London-based Patron. It covers […]
Sentiment towards property largely improved in October, with the big names all seeing share price gains as UK inflation data came in slightly below expectations. However, residential REIT Grainger’s shares continue to fall as the Renters’ Rights Bill was passed into law during the month. All eyes now turn to the budget at the end […]
PRS REIT (PRSR) has finalised its takeover by Waypoint Asset Management on behalf of four UK local authority pension schemes. Shares in the family rental home provider jumped 2.7%, or 3p, to 114.4p this afternoon as the real estate investment trust announced it had secured essentially the same terms outlined by the two sides seven weeks ago, adjusted for changes in […]
A drop in the number of Chinese students has hit Empiric Student Property (ESP), 10 weeks after shareholders approved its £634m takeover by Unite (UTG). In a trading update, the student accommodation provider warned that since 9 September a slowdown in reservations across the university sector meant that just 89% of its rooms were booked for the current academic year, down from 95% last October, although it had seen […]
Aberdeen Group (ABDN) is to acquire full ownership of logistics specialist Tritax Management over the next four years, lifting its current 60% stake to 80% next April and then 100% in 2029. The fund management group bought its initial majority holding in Tritax in 2020 with an option to increase the position in future. It […]
LondonMetric (LMP), the acquisitive logistics real estate investment trust, has bought a 9.5% stake in Schroder Real Estate (SREI), raising speculation that its chief executive Andrew Jones may be lining up a new bid. LMP has grown its market value to £4.5bn and nearly doubled its total portfolio to £7bn with a string of acquisitions […]
Target Healthcare (THRL), a £580m investor in care homes, is lobbying the government to reconsider its proposed ban on upward only rent reviews in leases made in July. “Whilst aimed at retail properties, this has the potential for significant unintended consequences elsewhere,” even if legislation was not retrospective the real estate investment trust said. “We […]
Blackstone, the US alternative assets group that won the bid battle for Warehouse REIT (WHR) in August, has struck a deal to take an 8.7% stake in rival bidder Tritax Big Box (BBOX). Confirming a Sky News report at the weekend, Tritax Big Box said it was buying a £1bn logistics portfolio from Blackstone in […]
Here’s an anomaly – a UK REIT trading at net asset value (NAV). Having endured a miserable three years of high interest rates and persistent inflation, there have been very few listed property companies whose shares have rated close to par in that time. Even fewer have traded at a premium and been able to […]
The average real estate share price was flat in September, a welcome respite after a couple of bruising months of losses, although persistent inflation and high gilt yields continue to cloud the outlook. There were some big winners and losers in the month. Best performing funds in price terms (%) PRS REIT 11.5 Alternative […]
Full-year results from PRS REIT (PRSR) underline the scale of the bargain pension asset manager Waypoint is getting with its £646.2m acquisition of the family home rental fund. In the year to 30 June, net asset value per share rose 7.4% to 143p from 133.2p, although the rate of growth slowed to 2.3% in the second […]
The $15bn (£11bn) US flotation of Fermi (FRMI), a data centre real estate investment trust, has given the UK market a new REIT launch after three years in which the number of listed property funds has halved. Shares in the Texan company, which was co-founded by former US energy secretary and Texas governor Rick Perry […]
Nick Greenwood’s 40-year career in the investment trust industry had a chancy start. In the early 1990s, investment trusts were having a moment. An asset-hungry sales director at Christos saw the potential for a fund of investment trusts. Greenwood, then a stockbroker for the group, was put in charge, and the rest is history. Greenwood […]
Target Healthcare (THRL), the £583m care home investor whose shares trailed on a 22% discount, has sold nine properties for £85.9m at an 11.6% premium to their 30 June valuation. Kenneth MacKenzie, chief executive of Target Fund Managers, which runs the £712m portfolio, hailed it as “landmark” deal, the largest disposal in the real estate investment […]
Another “alternative assets” investment company heads for the scrap heap after Life Science REIT (LABS) concludes its strategic review and opts for a managed wind-down. The £139m real estate investment trust, whose shares trade 48% below a depressed net asset value (NAV), said the potential value of selling its assets over the next 12 to […]
The auction of PRS Reit (PRSR) has taken an unexpected turn with the £575m rental properties fund accepting a £646.2m cash bid from pension fund manager Waypoint Asset Management. This is a surprise given last week’s statement that the board was in talks with private equity giant KKR. PRS shares jumped 6.1%, or 6.4p, to […]
Henderson European (HET) says that holders of 89.775m shares opted for cash (29.04% of its share capital) and 219.332m shares were rolled into Fidelity European (FEV). The cap on the cash option was 33.3%, so everyone who wanted cash will get it. Henderson European will delist on 26 September. Having decided to hang onto all […]
Dunedin Income Growth (DIG) says it will introduce an enhanced dividend policy, using reserves to boost its dividend yield. The total dividend for the financial year ended 31 January 2026 will be at least 19.1p per share, 34.5% up on the prior year. That pushes it onto a notional 6% yield on NAV or, at […]
Private equity giant Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co (KKR) is in discussions with PRS REIT over a potential offer for the company. The board of PRS REIT this morning confirmed media reports about the talks with KKR, stating that the US company was “participating in the company’s strategic review and formal sale process”. However, it […]
Ruffer Investment Company (RICA) reported another month of positive NAV performance in August, driven primarily by gold mining equities. The manager said strong free cash flow generation at higher gold prices continues to provide attractive opportunities, even after the sector’s strong rally this year. Gold bullion resumed its upward trajectory during the month, hitting a […]
A welcome base rate cut in August did little to prevent another mauling in the real estate sector, with an average 3.7% share price fall over the month. Gilt yields, and the five-year swap rate that is closely followed by the sector, widened on persistent inflation and rising public debt. Consequently, just a handful of […]
HarbourVest Global Private Equity commits money to the simpler seperately managed account announced in May; Value & Indexed Property offers an exit and investment opportunity; and updates from Custodian Property Income and Sirius Real Estate. Fidelity Emerging Markets (FEML) has agreed to buy back the 25.7% stake held by Strathclyde Pension Fund at a price […]
It is that time of year again when we ask for your views on which investment companies and managers are doing the best job for you. Once again, to reward you for your efforts, we are offering one lucky reader the chance of winning £5,000. As we did last year, we compiled some performance statistics […]
Octopus Renewables Infrastructure to save shareholders an estimated £700,000 a year after negotiating a change in its quarterly fund management fee; CT Private Equity’s half year results show a 4.5% fall in net asset value; and Intuitive Investments raises more money for China’s lottery operator. CT Private Equity (CTPE), the £340m private equity fund run […]
Our morning roundup includes Foresight Solar and Foresight Environmental Infrastructure selling a jointly-owned battery storage construction site in Perthshire in line with the recent valuation; Riverstone Energy releases first half results following shareholders’ vote to place it in a managed wind-down; and Primary Health Properties says its unconditional bid for Assura has received 92% acceptances […]
Tritax Big Box declares its cash and shares offer for Warehouse REIT final, which means victory for Blackstone’s improved and recommended 115p per share cash offer. Middlefield Canadian Income finalises plans for its conversion to an exchange-traded fund and suspended Home Reit renegotiates the contract with its wind-down fund manager AEW. Tritax Big Box (BBOX) […]
Takeover Panel says it will hold an auction for Warehouse REIT next week; top-performing Temple Bar publishes strong half-year results; plus updates from Blackfinch Spring VCT, Ashoka Whiteoak Emerging Markets and dividends from Aberdeen Equity Income and LondonMetric Property. The Takeover Panel says it will hold an auction for Warehouse REIT (WHR) if neither Blackstone […]
Deutsche Numis dismissed after criticising Third Point Investors’ treatment of shareholders in the Malibu Life acquisition; HICL Infrastructure sells £225m of assets to fund share buybacks, Bluefield Solar makes £38m of disposals to pension fund partners and Land Securities sells a £245m office block. International Public Partnerships has a new lead manager at Amber Infrastructure. […]
