Global Property Research, a specialist in consultancy and indices creation, will lend Kempen & Co the ability to consolidate its pan-European services
Dutch merchant bank Kempen & Co is buying Netherlands-based independent property research company Global Property Research for an undisclosed sum.
GPR specialises in consultancy and creating indices for investors, investment funds and intermediaries in the property market. It also has an alliance with international property research institute International Property Databank, to publish combined data about the links between direct and indirect property performance across European markets.
By combining their research activities with GPR, Kempen broadens its coverage of listed real estate investment funds in the Netherlands and other western European markets. The GPR indices will continue to be published fully independently from the related activities of Kempen. Meanwhile, Kempen will still produce its AKX index, which is published by Euronext Amsterdam and serves as an indicator of investor sentiment for property investment funds listed on the exchange.
Kempen has €350m of clients’ money invested in property stocks, and runs a number of funds, including the €39m Orange International Property Fund. Last November it launched a €40m mutual fund that will invest in European property stocks. The Orange European Property Fund is expected to produce a total return to shareholders of around 14% a year. OEPF will invest in about 40 companies, and will take a “bottom-up” approach to stock selection, picking companies based on individual merits rather than a strategic allocation to certain countries or sectors.
