July, 2010

Property company Derwent London has returned to the UK's commercial property market for the first time in three years with the £147 million purchase of Central Cross on London's Tottenham Court Road.

The Queen's private estate rose in value by £25 million during the 2009-10 financial year, with newly released Duchy of Lancaster accounts showing a boost from commercial property assets.

Lord Alan Sugar has put a prestigious commercial property portfolio in London up for sale for £120 million.

UK commercial property developer and investor Development Securities has confirmed plans to raise £94 million in a fully underwritten placing and rights issue.

Two-thirds of the leading players in Europe's industrial and logistics commercial property sector regard Western Europe as the most attractive region for investment over the next three years, a new survey by CB Richard Ellis (CBRE) has found.

Forensic testing company LGC Standards has confirmed plans to move its global headquarters to a new commercial property development in Greater Manchester.

Specialist commercial property funds delivered an annual total return of 28.8 per cent over the 12 months to June 2010, outperforming the direct market by almost 500 basis points, new research shows.

Travelodge has confirmed that it has concluded a major multi-million pound property deal with Mitchells & Butlers.

Network Rail has relaunched its commercial property business through a new-look lettings portfolio, it has been revealed.

UK commercial property values rose 0.5 per cent in June, Investment Property Databank's (IPD) monthly index has revealed.

The Invista Foundation Property Trust, a Guernsey-domiciled commercial property investor, has announced plans to raise up to £13 million through a share placing.

Office rents in the City of London rose by almost 12 per cent in the second quarter of 2010, suggesting the UK capital's commercial property sector is continuing to experience a strong recovery.

Invesco Real Estate has predicted that more than $200 billion (£134 billion) could be invested in mature commercial property markets worldwide over the next five years.

Private equity firm the Carlyle Group has acquired six "landmark" London offices for £671 million.

Capital growth in the UK's commercial property sector reached 0.6 per cent last month, taking the year-to-date increase in property values to 6.8 per cent, new research shows.

Utilities company Severn Trent Water has confirmed it will dispose of the 23,000-acre Vyrnwy estate in the Cambrian Mountains in what will be one of the largest land sales in England and Wales in recent years.

Rudolf Wolff, a Luxembourg-domiciled fund management firm, has launched a Central London Commercial Property fund with a view to taking advantage of the UK capital's strong capital and rental growth.

The UK's office take-up rate in the first quarter (Q1) of 2010 points towards a recovery in the UK's commercial property sector, a new study shows.

Commercial property managers and developers must reach a new consensus over in-town retail sites, it has been claimed.

UK property-tracking exchange-traded funds (ETF) are becoming an increasingly popular option among investors seeking secure returns from the commercial property sector, it has been observed.