UK commercial property close to flat lining

UK commercial property capital growth rose fractionally in the first month of the New Year, at 0.1%, according to the IPD UK Monthly Index, as yields and rents continued to virtually stagnate.

A 14th-consecutive income return of 0.6% helped to deliver a 0.7% total return in January, while the 12-month change in capital values has dropped to 6.0%, down from 6.9% the previous month. Over the month, rental growth edged just below zero, while equivalent yields were stable for the fifth consecutive month, at 7.4%. The influence of yields on capital values, as measured by yield impact, also slipped back to 0.2%.

Phil Tily, Managing Director for UK & Ireland, said: "It's a case of 'New Year, Old Story' for the first IPD UK monthly performance figures for 2011. At the headline level, the UK commercial property market could continue to remain lackluster over the months to come, masking a polarization of market performance by geography and asset yield profile."

At the main sector level, there is little differential across the headline indicators as illustrated in the chart.

Now the UK market results are released, the annual IPD UK 2010 Benchmark Launch on Monday March 7, 2011, will review the full Annual Universe of funds participating in the IPD service and initiate the debate on the ranges of fund returns and drivers of portfolio performance in 2010.

IPD's UK & Ireland Managing Director Phil Tily and Head of UK Client Services Malcolm Hunt will present UK standard benchmark results and property winners and losers. Schroders' Ian Mason will chair the event. The event will be the first opportunity for investors to see and discuss the main IPD benchmark results and to analyze the drivers of portfolio performance in 2010.