Chinese outbound real estate investment to hit $20 bln
China Daily, October 28, 2015
China's outbound real estate investment has climbed 50 percent to $15.6 billion a year to date, fueled by insurers' growing interest in boosting their real estate assets allocation, a report from real estate consultancy firm JLL showed on Wednesday.
"We are seeing a structural shift with Chinese insurance companies globalizing their investment portfolios, including real estate," said David Green-Morgan, Global Research Director at JLL.
Continued loosening of outbound investment regulations since 2012 is driving China's insurance groups to actively seek real estate assets in gateway cities around the world, says Green-Morgan.
These funds are keen to take advantage of the asset class's income-producing characteristics, its relatively low risk, and the benefits of a diversified portfolio. Chinese insurance groups could allocate up to $240 billion to direct real estate outside of China, based on current metrics, over a long-term period, according to forecasts from JLL.
"Currently, Chinese insurance companies' portfolios do not have a significant allocation to real estate, with many funds probably holding just 1 percent of their invested capital in the sector," says Darren Xia, Head of JLL's International Capital Group (ICG) in China.
"This compares with US or European funds, which tend to have a real estate allocation target of between 5 percent and 15 percent. This leaves big potential for inflows to the asset class as China's insurance industry develops."
JLL is expecting outbound investment into direct real estate to rise to approximately $20 billion by the end of this year, up from $16.5 billion in 2014.
As Chinese insurance companies become more active buyers of overseas real estate, their acquisition strategies have also evolved. The approaches have shifted from buying direct real estate to investing in funds and forming joint ventures, according to Green-Morgan. Joint Venture partnerships allow the companies to gain access to expertise and knowledge in local markets, he says.
China Life and PingAn Insurance recently joined forces with Tishman Speyer to undertake a $500 million Boston development project known as ‘Pier 4'. China Life has also co-invested with Qatar Investment Authority and Songbird to acquire '10 Upper Bank Street' at Canary Wharf in the UK.
Consistent with 2014 trends, the US, UK and Australia continue to dominate as destinations for Chinese capital in the first three quarters of this year. These three countries account for 70 percent of all outbound capital in the last two years, with New York, London and Sydney taking the lion's share.
Office and land deals continue to account for the largest proportion of outbound investment, at $5.7 billion and $5 billion respectively, based on JLL research.
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Ping An, Blumberg line up $600m US realty fund
China Daily, October 28, 2015
Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China Ltd, the country's second-largest insurer, has formed a $600 million fund with Blumberg Investment Partners to make real estate investments in the United States.
Pedestrians walk near the Lloyd's of London building in the UK capital. Ping An Life Insurance (Group) Co of China Ltd bought the building in 2013. [Photo/China Daily]
The two companies plan to invest in long-term, high-quality US leasing assets. Most of these investments will be in New York City, the metropolitan New York area, central area of the Atlantic coast, northwest of the Pacific coast, Florida, Atlanta, and Colorado.
Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Blumberg, a property fund, has investments in real estate, energy and resources and other sectors.
The investment also highlights Ping An's growing interest in US logistics assets.
The current deal is being executed by China Ping An Trust and Investment Co Ltd, a group subsidiary.
"Ping An Trust and Investment has been a pioneer in overseas investments and has abundant experience. We will continue to expand our business operations abroad," said Zhang Jinshun, chairman of Ping An Trust and Investment.
The two sides plan to continue to acquire premium properties with a future investment of $400 million. They have indentified some property projects with strategic locations, Ping An said in a statement.
Li Qingxian, general manager of overseas investment division at Ping An Trust and Investment, said: "There are huge business opportunities in US real estate and the partnership with Blumberg indicates our commitment to work closely with leading industry partners."
"Ping An will continue to seek more investment opportunities in overseas property, and approach suitable institutions and high net worth investors," he said.
The move is part of the ongoing trend by Chinese companies to acquire overseas properties.
Last year, China's Anbang Insurance Group Co bought Waldorf Astoria hotel in Manhattan in New York from Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. And Ping An Insurance (Group) Co acquired the Lloyd's of London building from a Commerz Real AG-managed fund in 2014.
The US has become the top destination for investment from the Chinese mainland, followed by Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia and Malaysia, according to a report by Cushman & Wakefield, a global private commercial real estate services firm.
Lu Ming, research manager of Cushman & Wakefield, said part of the reason for Chinese enterprises' preference for US commercial property targets is that they are optimistic about the US economy.
"We are just seeing the very early stage of Chinese companies buying out overseas properties. In the future, we will see more diversified buyers, including smaller companies," he said.