CFA Institute to Recognize ‘Putting Investors First’ Month in May

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CFA Institute, the global association of investment professionals that sets the standard for professional excellence, will recognize May as Putting Investors First Month. The global initiative aims to build awareness and unite financial professionals in a commitment to place investor interests above all others. Putting Investors First Month will feature a series of events and outreach throughout the month of May, hosted by hundreds of CFA Institute members and many of the organization’s 143 member societies worldwide.

“Putting Investors First Month is an ideal time to call attention to the needs and rights of investors and spotlight those in the investment profession who are committed to serving the interests of investors,” said John Rogers, CFA, president and CEO of CFA Institute. “The financial industry is dealing with a crisis of public trust, and despite signs of recovery in markets around the world, many investors still do not believe that their interests are the primary concern of those responsible for managing and growing their savings and investments.”

The CFA Institute 2014 Global Market Sentiment Survey of investment professionals worldwide indicated that the most needed action to boost investor trust and confidence is improved ethical culture that is established and encouraged by top management and executives. The survey also explores issues critical to investor trust, including fair treatment and the information investors need to properly evaluate products and services to make informed decisions.

“The global financial industry can be an extraordinary force for good, but there is still work to be done to shape the industry for future generations,” continued Rogers. “Through Putting Investors First Month, CFA Institute aims to inspire the industry to ensure that investors’ rights to information, fair and honest advice and accurate assessment of risk and reward is at the core of client service. A commitment to uphold the highest standards of investment practice and to serve investors and the global economy can affect positive change in finance, but change starts with all of us.”

Putting Investors First Month Slate of Global Events Kicks Off May 1

Putting Investors First Month activities will be held in more than 50 cities around the world by CFA societies representing more than 35,000 investment professionals. It kicks off on May 1 in New York with a free live-streamed event covering best practices for individuals, firms, and policymakers to improve the future of finance, and in Chicago, where the local society will hold its annual conference to help financial professionals adapt investment strategies to a changing world.

Other events include: a series of events in Florida featuring CFA Institute president and CEO John Rogers; a declaration by the Governor of Georgia of May 19 as Putting Investors First Day throughout the state; a future of finance symposium in Amsterdam; a conference in Istanbul featuring the Minister of Economics; the Philippine Retail Investment Conference in Manila; a conference for financial professionals and students in Mexico, and a presentation in Toronto to explore industry reforms.

For information on all member society events, visit this list on the CFA Institute website.

Putting Investors First Month is part of the CFA Institute Future of Finance initiative, a global effort to shape a trustworthy, forward-thinking financial industry that better serves society. The initiative sets the stage for the 67th CFA Institute Annual Conference, to be held May 4-7 in Seattle, which will bring together up to 1,800 of the world’s leading financial professionals to focus on shaping the future of finance. More than 30 scheduled sessions, including presentations from Shelia Bair, Nate Silver, and Bill Sharpe, will examine market trends and deliver practical advice to shape the future of finance for generations to come.

For more information about the Future of Finance initiative, Putting Investors First Month, and the Statement of Investor Rights, a declaration of the conduct investors are entitled to expect from financial service providers, visit this link.

Barclays Americas CEO to Step Down from His Role as the Bank Prepares for Transition

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El CEO de Barclays Américas renuncia para dejar paso a los cambios que afronta el banco
Wikimedia CommonsJoe Gold will replace Hugh (Skip) McGee. Picture courtesy of Barclays. Barclays Americas CEO to Step Down from His Role as the Bank Prepares for Transition

As a result of Section 165 of the Dodd-Frank Act, Barclays will be required to establish an Intermediate Holding Company in the US, incorporating all of its subsidiaries in the region, by 1 July 2016.

Barclays has announced changes to the leadership of its Americas operations to prepare for this significant transition, one which will require a great deal of management focus over the next two years on regulatory relations, compliance, and the very significant legal and operational ramifications associated with the creation of the new entity.

Given this focus, Hugh (Skip) McGee III, currently CEO of Barclays Americas, has decided to step down from his role, and from the Barclays Group Executive Committee, on 30 April 2014.

Joe Gold, currently Global Head of Client Capital Management, will be appointed on 1 May 2014 to a restructured role as CEO of the Americas, reporting to the Co-CEOs of the Corporate and Investment Bank, Tom King and Eric Bommensath. Mr Gold will be a member of the CIB Executive Committee. As well as leading the transition to an Intermediate Holding Company, Mr Gold will also lead the governance of all of Barclays’ American businesses, and oversee the implementation of Barclays’ Group strategy in the region.

Stephen Thieke, a Non-Executive Director of the Barclays Group, has agreed to provide strategic advice and guidance, specifically on the transition to the Intermediate Holding Company, to Mr Gold and his team. Mr Thieke has over four decades of experience in financial services, both in regulation and investment banking, including 20 years working for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Commenting on the changes, Antony Jenkins, Group Chief Executive, said: “Skip McGee has delivered outstanding service over the last 21 years, both at Barclays and previously at Lehman Brothers. He has been the longest-serving Head of Investment Banking on Wall Street, and our most senior client-facing executive, responsible for driving some of the industry’s highest profile transactions. Skip has made a significant contribution over the last year as CEO of the Americas, and he has been a valued member of my Group Executive Committee.” And he adds: “Our Americas operations are a successful and important part of the Barclays Group. Joe Gold is a proven leader and has a track record of strong execution, having led the strategic development of a number of key businesses while at Barclays. He understands the rapidly-changing regulatory landscape and will ensure that our American interests are well-positioned to deliver great solutions for our clients and customers, as well as improved returns for shareholders in an evolving market environment.”

Commenting on his decision to step down, Mr McGee said: “After 21 years with Lehman Brothers and Barclays, I have made the difficult decision to leave. Banking is a ‘team sport’, and I am incredibly proud of the team we assembled here. It has been a true honor and privilege to work with so many talented people over the last two decades. We have accomplished a great deal since the combination of Barclays and Lehman in 2008. As for me, I am looking forward to my next challenge.”

Joe Gold is currently Head of Client Capital Management at Barclays, based in New York. Joe has led the strategic development of the Client Capital Management group since March 2010, creating a centralised function responsible for the management of credit risk and capital across the loan and derivatives portfolios, as well as the optimisation of related collateral. He joined Barclays in London in 2002. A native of Chicago, Illinois, US, Joe holds a BA in Finance from Marquette University and an MBA from the University of Chicago. He is a board member of the Komen Foundation of Greater New York City. Joe is married with two children.

Robeco BP Global Premium Equities Wins Record Ninth Morningstar Award

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Robeco, nueve veces ganador de los premios Morningstar 2014 en la categoría de renta variable global
Wikimedia CommonsFoto: che. Robeco BP Global Premium Equities Wins Record Ninth Morningstar Award

Robeco is pleased to announce that Morningstar has named Robeco Boston Partners Global Premium Equities fund as the best of its class in a record nine European countries. The award – recognizing the fund’s one, three and five year performance in the Global Equity category – is a unique achievement for any equity fund. The fund’s long-time portfolio manager Christopher Hart picked up the latest award on the evening of 16 April at the Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky in Amsterdam.

Commenting on the award, Christopher Hart, portfolio manager of Robeco BP Global Premium Equities, said: “This award is warmly received. We are thrilled that we have won nine Morningstar awards across Europe in 2014. This is unprecedented recognition. We are delighted that adhering to our Three Circles approach focusing on Valuation, Fundamentals and Momentum has paid off for our clients and has been recognized in the industry”

Robeco BP Global Premium Equities currently has AuM of EUR 212m (as at 31 March 2014) and returned 20.19% annualized over the last five years. Its benchmark, the MSCI World Index (Net Return) (EUR), gained 17.24% over the same period.

The fund received Morningstar awards in France, Austria, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, Finland, Switzerland, Spain and the Netherlands in 2014.

BlackRock Launches First Locally-Listed ETF in Brazil with International Exposure

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BlackRock Launches First Locally-Listed ETF in Brazil with International Exposure
Foto: Mario Cabral de Moura. BlackRock lista en Brasil el primer ETF local con exposición internacional

BlackRock has launched the first locally-listed exchange traded fund (ETF) in Brazil with international exposure. iShares S&P 500 began trading on the BM&FBOVESPA in São Paulo with the ticker IVVB11.  iShares S&P 500 will be managed by BlackRock.

For the first time today, Brazilian investors can diversify their investments to international equities while enjoying the advantages of an ETF.  ETFs provide investors with a diversified portfolio of securities which can be traded throughout the day, on an exchange. Investors have increased their usage of ETFs in Brazil due to the convenience, cost-efficiency and transparency that ETFs provide.

iShares S&P 500 is the first locally-listed ETF in Brazil that will provide exposure to US equities. IVVB11 will be denominated in Brazilian reais, and will invest directly in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV), BlackRock’s leading US-listed product.   IVV provides exposure to large-cap US stocks. Investors of all sizes use IVV due to its cost-efficiency and liquidity.  IVV has grown to over $53bn in AUM since it launched in May 2000.

Armando Senra, Head of BlackRock’s Latin America & Iberia Business, commented: “Launching iShares S&P 500 represents another critical step in delivering local and global investment solutions to investors in Brazil. We are committed to continuing to build our presence in this important market. In addition to our longstanding commitment to Brazil, we want to create investment solutions that allow Brazilian investors to take advantage of our global reach.  We would like to thank the CVM, BM&FBOVESPA, Citibank and Credit Suisse for their partnership in bringing this product to Brazilian investors.”

Bruno Stein, Head Business Development for BlackRock in Brazil, commented: “BlackRock has deep experience in developing innovative solutions for investors in Brazil.  We launched the first local ETF in Brazil in 2008.  We recently partnered with Banco do Brasil to deliver the first local international investment solution to Brazilian pension funds through a local feeder fund into BlackRock’s Global Equity Income Fund. Our partnership with Banco do Brasil and the launch of iShares S&P 500 demonstrate BlackRock’s continued commitment to delivering our global platform through various investment strategies to clients locally in Brazil.”

Karina Saade, Head of BlackRock Product for Latin America and Iberia, commented: “iShares S&P 500 is a very important development for Brazilian investors.  It provides investors with a greater range of options as they increasingly explore a more diverse range of strategies – including investments beyond their own borders – in response to changes in local market conditions.  As Brazilian investors take hold of new opportunities, BlackRock has an active role to play in delivering solutions that minimize investor costs and the complexities of allocating abroad.”

Hartford To Sell Japan Annuity Company HLIKK To ORIX

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The Hartford Financial Services Group has announced it has entered into a definitive agreement with ORIX Life Insurance Corporation, a subsidiary of ORIX Corporation, to sell 100 percent of the outstanding shares of Hartford Life Insurance K.K. (HLIKK), Hartford’s wholly-owned Japanese annuity subsidiary.

“Today’s announcement is a significant accomplishment in our efforts to transform Hartford and create value for shareholders,” said Hartford’s Chairman, President and CEO Liam E. McGee. “This transaction materially reduces Hartford’s risk profile by permanently eliminating the company’s Japan variable annuity risk. We are pleased with the economics of the transaction, both in terms of purchase price and expected capital benefit. In addition, ORIX Life Insurance Corporation is a financially strong, well-respected, diversified Japanese financial services company that will continue to provide high-quality service to our Japanese customers.”

Concurrent with closing, all reinsurance agreements between HLIKK and The Hartford’s U.S. life insurance subsidiaries will terminate, with the exception of an agreement covering about $1.1 billion of fixed payout annuity reserves. The transaction is expected to be approved by the Japanese Financial Services Agency and, subject to other customary closing conditions, to close in July 2014.

Hartford estimates that the March 31, 2014, pro forma effect of the transaction is a U.S. GAAP loss of approximately $675 million and a U.S. life statutory surplus loss of approximately $275 million. The company estimates a March 31, 2014, pro forma capital benefit from this transaction of approximately $1.4 billion. The estimated capital benefit includes the net sales proceeds of approximately $860 million, after-tax, and an estimated reduction in capital required in the company’s U.S. life insurance subsidiaries of approximately $540 million due to the termination of certain reinsurance agreements.

“This transaction is another step in The Hartford’s transformation which increases the company’s financial flexibility, and meaningfully decreases our market risk and net income volatility,” said The Hartford’s Chief Financial Officer Christopher J. Swift. “We will continue to execute our current 2014-2015 capital management plan. After closing, we will provide an update on incremental capital management actions that we will take as a result of this transaction.”

The final purchase price and associated financial impacts and capital benefit are subject to adjustment based primarily on the effect of changes in equity, fixed income and foreign currency market indices on the fair value of liabilities until date of close, and could differ materially from the estimates. Accordingly, The Hartford will continue to hedge its Japan variable annuity risks until closing.

The expected loss on sale and the results of operations of HLIKK prior to closing of the transaction will be reported as discontinued operations beginning in the second quarter of 2014. As discontinued operations, the results of operations of HLIKK will be excluded from income from continuing operations and from core earnings, a non-GAAP financial measure, for all periods presented in the financial statements.

HLIKK wrote annuity contracts for the Japan market from 2000 through 2009, when The Hartford placed its Japan annuity business into runoff. As of Dec. 31, 2013, Japan account values were $23 billion for 375,000 contracts. On close of the deal, all 150 HLIKK employees in Japan will remain employees of HLIKK.

Deutsche Bank served as financial advisor and Sidley Austin LLP served as legal advisor to The Hartford Financial Services Group.

Integrated Wealth Management Continues Its Expansion as It Welcomes $740 Million Morgan Stanley Team

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Integrated Wealth Management, an independent wealth management firm, has announced that the financial advisors of The Cypress Group, formally with Morgan Stanley in Palm Desert, California, have joined the firm. This move establishes Integrated Wealth Management as the largest independent wealth management firm in the Coachella Valley.1

“I am excited to welcome the talented financial advisors of The Cypress Group to the team at Integrated Wealth Management,” said Jim Casey, Integrated Wealth Management’s President & CEO shortly after the announcement. “The continued growth of the firm’s advisory team has been a part of our long term strategic planning, and we look forward to continuing to serve our clients with integrity, transparency, and a high level of personalized service.”

The Cypress Group consists of Mark Thatcher, CRPC®, Shad F. Lamm, CRPC®, Chris Risenmay, CFP®, CRPC®, Ross Biesinger, David Thatcher, CFP®, Clark Penney, and Marc Koven, as well as their four client service associates. The team is focused on helping their clients understand the challenges and planning uncertainties they may face in the second stage of life. The group is committed to helping their clients by coming to a deep understanding of their financial DNA, addressing gaps that could pose long-lasting problems, implementing a blueprint to guide their individual income and legacy planning needs, and serving as a resource to continue the client’s further understanding of the financial world.

“We look forward to joining the Integrated Wealth Management team,” said Mark Thatcher, CRPC®. “This transition is the best decision for the continued service of our clients and ensures their best interests are met with the move to an independent firm.”

1Largest independent wealth management firm qualification is based on the number of financial advisors in the Coachella Valley, CA.

Schroders Appoints Head of Global Equities

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Schroders nombra a su nuevo responsable de renta variable global
New York Stock Exchange. Photo: TomasFano, Flickr, Creative Commons. Schroders Appoints Head of Global Equities

Schroders announced the appointment of Alex Tedder as Head of Global Equities.

Alex will join the company in June 2014 from American Century Investments where he was Senior Vice President and Co-head of Global and Non-US Large Cap Strategies, managing US $21 billion of assets and a team of 15, as of December 31, 2013. Schroders saw its head of global equities Virginie Maisonneuve leave the group to join Pimco at the end of last year. Mr Tedder will be based in London.

As Head of Global Equities, Alex will assume responsibility for the Global and International Equities team’s business management and strategic planning. He will also lead the team and drive the development of the team’s franchise. Simon Webber will retain his investment focus and portfolio management duties, working with the team’s Global Sector Specialists to ensure that client portfolios benefit from the team’s proven research capabilities and high-conviction idea generation.

There will be no change to the team’s investment style or the main elements of the investment process. The approach utilizing global sector specialists will remain at the core of the team’s investment process.

Peter Harrison, Global Head of Equities, comments: “I am delighted to welcome Alex to Schroders. He is a strong investor with 20 years’ experience and is an excellent cultural fit with our existing Global Equities team, consisting of eight global sector specialists and two portfolio managers.”

“Global equities is a priority growth area for Schroders. Together, Alex and Simon will drive our existing strong business forward and make it world class, enhancing our portfolio construction process and delivering performance for clients over the long term.” 

Unravelling Market Dynamics

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The first quarter was rather confusing for investors, as the management of risks and positions by investors was a key driver of markets rather than fundamentals. This quarter, it seems that market dynamics can be assessed a bit more easily. According to ING IM, there are good opportunities in equities while a short-term rebound in emerging market assets is also in the cards.

“We hold on to our longer standing overall risk-on tilt as the increasing visibility in the underlying momentum of the cyclical recovery in developed markets continues to provide solid support. We think that the perception of a broadening of the recovery will increase as the negative impact on economic data from bad weather will fade in the current quarter”.

Will equities catch up with commodities and real estate?

Confusing first quarter for investors

Investing is never easy as the first quarter once again underscored. The first three months of the year were characterized by an increasingly synchronized recovery in developed markets, a firm earnings season and multiple eye-catching headlines of turmoil in emerging markets (EM) – Thailand, Venezuela, Turkey, Ukraine, Russia and China, just to name a few.

Remarkably, this environment translated into clear outperformance for commodities, more volatility than direction in developed equity markets and only modest underperformance in EM assets. Stressing that we live in uncertain times has long lost its shine as an excuse for temporarily misunderstanding markets. Yet it is prudent to explore less “fundamental” reasons for the behaviour of investors over the last three months.

Markets influenced by investor sentiment and positioning

In the complex system of global financial markets there is no stability in either the set of driving factors of markets or even the direction of causality between the real economy and markets. Sometimes market dynamics are the consequence of investor behaviour that follows from their shifts in sentiment, management of certain accumulated portfolio concentrations (squaring strongly overweight or underweight positions) or the dominance of certain types of investors.

To view the complete story, click the on the attached document.

 

“Having Worked with a Giant Gave Us the Impetus to Establish AM Global”

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“El haber trabajado con un gigante nos dio el acicate para fundar AM Global”
Andrew Mehalko. “Having Worked with a Giant Gave Us the Impetus to Establish AM Global”

In late 2012, Steve Barimo and Andrew Mehalko established AM Global Family Investment Office, a firm which was born out of a common vision and many years’ experience in wealth management. Tired of managing a giant, they both opted for a type of company more in line with the client, hence the launch with their own capital to establish a family office.

Before taking this step, Barimo and Mehalko worked together for many years in GenSpring Family Offices where they both became part of its operating committee. They both participated in the growth of Genspring since the time when the company’s assets under management were of $ 400 million to the more than $23,000 million which Genspring had when they left the firm, which was founded in 1989 in Palm Beach (Florida).

These two former GenSpring executives have much more than just their professional careers in common. Although they didn’t see each other for the few years coinciding with their college years and the first few years of their working life, Barimo and Mehalko grew up together in a small neighborhood of Hialeah, a city south of Miami where 89% of the population speaks Spanish. They were neighbors and consider themselves as close as brothers. Mehalko, who was motherless, spent many hours in Barimo’s house after school, “especially at lunchtime” they both laughingly explained during an interview with Funds Society.

After an interval of a few years, Barimo and Mehalko met again in Genspring, where they worked together from 2001 to 2012. It was during their last years in Genspring when they began to toy with the idea of ​​going ahead with establishing their own company with a clear premise “to do things genuinely: an independent firm with superior and independent talent, which neither sells nor distributes”. And from there, AM Global Family Investment Office was born.

“At AM Global Family Investment Office, the client pays us for our help in figuring out the best way to realize their investments, and we guide them by the hand every step of the way,” says Steve, who stressed that in order to establish AM Global, they invested their own capital, so their investments are always aligned with their clients.

AM Global seeks to preserve client wealth and works to maintain a long term relationship. “We are building our own venture around enterprising people, customers who sold their businesses and find themselves with liquidity, so we want to be sure to maintain their wealth in the long term.”

Accordingly, both partners agree that the industry in which they operate is “very opaque”, something that is very difficult for many of the families with which they deal to understand. Therefore, AM Global charges an advisory fee to its customers instead of using the co-investment fees method.

“They know we’re closely aligned with them. We are a client for all of them, which makes much more sense,” says Mehalko. The fact of having worked with large firms and having had the opportunity to experience firsthand the motivations that lead to sell a client a particular product and not another, served to gain  experience in his career. “At AM Global we do the opposite without any conflict of interests,” he added.

 “ The fee we charge our clients is not for the funds or compensations, it is strictly an advisory fee, this is simply a consultancy firm where there is no self interest and is directed only towards what is best for them,” said Barimo.

AM Global Family Investment Office, is aimed at ultra- high- net –worth- individuals (UHNWI), and currently has 12 client families and $ 230 million in assets under management. They are growing at an average of two new customers per quarter, most of them from the United States, even though there are two Latin American families in their portfolio. Along with the two founders, a team of eight people, which is also aided by external service providers, works in the company’s office, located in West Palm Beach (north of Miami).

AM Global is managed jointly by Steve Barimo, as co-founder and chief operating officer, and Mehalko, as founder and chief investment officer; likewise,  they are both in charge of all strategic decisions and operational investments.

Mehalko is very clear on how to build a first-class investment management family office. He believes that many of the complex needs which high net worth and multi generational ultrahighnet worth families have are underserved by traditional investment management firms. To Mehalko, AM Global embodies a sophisticated investment culture and advisory services, as well as a better investment experience for clients.

MoraBanc Turns to Club Deals in Real Estate to Offer Added Value to Customers

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MoraBanc tira de club deals en bienes raíces para ofrecer valor añadido al cliente
Casa Vicens, Gaudí. Photo: Pere López. MoraBanc Turns to Club Deals in Real Estate to Offer Added Value to Customers

Gilles Serra, MoraBanc CEO, believes that in a market in which there is little added value in traditional management and even less with interest rates at rock bottom, the club deals in real estate are a great way to offer clients added value. Therefore, for the last few years, the Andorran institution has been looking for prime assets in Spain and other European countries, Serra explained in an interview with Funds Society.

MoraBanc has, for some time now, been investing in real estate, a type of investment which is achieving returns of around 6% and in which the family’s joint venture, referring to the Mora family, owners of MoraBanc, also offers an additional attraction for the investor client who, through this type of real estate private equity instruments, buys, manages and subsequently sells the property.

Serra, who is enthusiastically committed to this type of asset, recalled that they have been involved in several operations in the real estate sector in Spain and Europe in recent times. Casa Vicens, the Barcelona residence of the iconic Gaudí, which, until recently had been inhabited for a period of 105 years by generations of the Herrero Jover family, has been their last and most emblematic operation. Now its doors have closed, the bank plans to undertake major renovation work to convert Casa Vicens into a museum.

The executive also acknowledges that they have some other buildings in sight in Barcelona that might be of interest, as they have reached an agreement with the Hermitage for a franchise of the museum within the Catalan capital, where its own exhibitions could be combined with temporary exhibitions on concession from the Hermitage in St. Petersburg.

Accordingly, Gilles pointed out that museums are no longer confined solely to housing artworks. The museum itself has an ever increasing weight as a business through the tourism which it attracts and the profitability generated by the different events, a growing trend in big cities like Barcelona, where brands use these facilities to promote different events and celebrations.

Outside Spanish borders, MoraBanc recently purchased a building next to the European Parliament in Brussels, whose tenant is the French Alliance. In February 2013, the Andorran entity bought another building in Paris; these operations are performed through Amura Capital, the SICAV acting as head of real estate investments for the Andorran group.

Last January, Amura Capital announced the investment of 100 million Euros in Colonial, a real estate company, in which the Spanish group of companies, Grupo Villar Mir, and the Latin American, Grupo Santo Doming, are also shareholders.

As for the opportunity to invest in Spanish property, an interest which is shared by major international firms as indicated by various real estate transactions recently closed, Serra agreed that it is a good time to invest in Spain, but added “I think it will be a fairly short cycle. There is a lot of bad and not much good property. The time is still right to invest at reasonable prices.” 

Since late last year and during the first quarter of 2014 the rate of international investors looking for opportunities in Spanish territory has increased, either through direct investment or through listed vehicles as the socimi, the Spanish real estate investment trusts (REIT), the market is currently very dynamic.

Apollo and Santander, Kennedy Wilson-Värde Partner and Popular, TPG Capital and La Caixa, HIG Capital and SAREB, Intu and CPPIB, Cerberus and Bankia, are just some of the agreements recently announced by Spanish companies and international funds. Blackstone, Centerbridge, Fortress, Goldman Sachs, KKR, Lone Star, Northwood, Pimco, Soros, Starwood, and WL Ross, are other international investors who have already signed agreements or are looking to position themselves in Spanish territory.