Commercial property: on shaky foundations

Recent data suggests commercial property prices may be picking up again. So, should you jump back in? James McKeigue reports.

Commercial property prices across the sector are a third lower than their mid-2007 highs. Now there are some signs of a recovery. But should investors pile in? Some already are. Data from the Association of Investment Companies (AIC) shows that recent buying means discounts to net asset values in the UK investment-trust property sector narrowed from 32% at the end of September 2008 to 6.5% at the end of September 2011.

One of the sector's "strong pulls" is income, says Nia Williams in Mortgage Introducer, "with yields currently averaging 6.3%". Improving returns are also a factor. They're up "23% over the last three years to the end of September 2011 compared to the average investment company increase of 18%". Richard Kirby, manager of the F&C Commercial Property Trust, agrees: "the initial sharp bounce-back has been replaced by a year when performance has been largely driven by income.

Subscribe to MoneyWeek

Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Get 6 issues free
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/mw70aro6gl1676370748.jpg

Sign up to Money Morning

Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter

Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter

Sign up
James McKeigue

James graduated from Keele University with a BA (Hons) in English literature and history, and has a certificate in journalism from the NCTJ. James has worked as a freelance journalist in various Latin American countries.He also had a spell at ITV, as welll as wring for Television Business International and covering the European equity markets for the Forbes.com London bureau. James has travelled extensively in emerging markets, reporting for international energy magazines such as Oil and Gas Investor, and institutional publications such as the Commonwealth Business Environment Report. He is currently the managing editor of LatAm INVESTOR, the UK's only Latin American finance magazine.