Press releases
Legal & General bags Stafford retail investment as final UK PIF II acquisition
LGIM Real Assets (“Legal & General”) announces, on behalf of its second UK Property Income Fund (“UK PIF II” or the “Fund”), that it has exchanged contracts to acquire Riverside Retail Park in Stafford from LXB Retail Properties for a total consideration of £36.8m, reflecting a net initial yield of 6.8%. This acquisition marks the final acquisition for UK PIF II.
9 Jan 2018
As part of a linked transaction, the Legal & General Leisure Fund has entered a forward commitment to purchase the adjacent leisure development known as Waterfront for £15m, which will be anchored by Odeon cinemas.
The retail and leisure scheme was developed in 2016 and provides a total of 102,060 sq ft of retail accommodation across 17 retail units. The anchor tenants are M&S and Primark, with a strong supporting tenant line-up including River Island, H&M, Outfit and JD Sports. There are currently four vacant units, two of which are under offer. The scheme benefits from a 1,025 space multi-storey car park located in the Waterfront and an additional 180 spaces underneath Riverside; both car parks are operated by the local authority. Waterfront will include six restaurants and a six screen Odeon cinema. Nandos and Frankie & Benny’s are already trading.
Following the success of UK PIF I, LGIM Real Assets launched its second fund within The UK Property Income Fund model series. The fund has a seven year life span and delivers a core/core-plus risk strategy and includes investment from Legal & General Group and the fund team with a total buying power or Gross Asset Value (GAV) of £610 million when including gearing.
Following this latest acquisition, UK PIF II has acquired a balanced portfolio of 13 properties to date, totalling approximately £525m. Located in strong growth locations across the UK, these include Priory Court and the Lewis Building in Birmingham; The Overgate Centre in Dundee; The Grafton in Cambridge and FC200, West London. The Fund continues to successfully implement its business strategy for each of the properties, adding value and driving income growth across the portfolio through clever asset management initiatives.
Charlie Walker, Director of LGIM Real Assets and Fund Manager of UK PIF II, said: "This acquisition for UK PIF II is an excellent final addition for the Fund, allowing us to secure a high-quality new shopping destination in Stafford with an attractive income profile. We are looking forward to working with the retailers and continue to further enhance Riverside’s footfall, following recent new openings."
Further information
Olivia Bayliss
Head of Communications
Capital and LGIM Real Assets
Notes to editors
LGIMRA is a division of Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM), one of Europe’s largest
institutional asset managers and a major global investor. LGIM manages £1.29 trillion1 ($1.57tn) in
assets, working with a range of global clients, including pension schemes, sovereign wealth funds, fund distributors and retail investors.
LGIM Real Assets has assets under management of £36 billion2 ($43.8bn) and is one of the largest
private markets investment managers in the UK. Investing in both debt and equity and across the
risk/return spectrum, LGIM Real Assets actively invests in and manages assets across commercial,
operational and residential property sectors, as well as infrastructure, real estate, corporate and
alternative debt.
Taking a long-term view in order to future proof our investments, LGIM Real Assets continues to lead the industry in ESG performance, considering all environmental, social and governance issues at asset level as well as portfolio level.
1LGIM internal data as at 30 June 2022. These figures include assets managed by LGIMA, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Data includes derivative positions.
2Source: LGIM Real Assets. AUM data as at 30 June 2022.
*at 13 Jan 2023
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
For professional clients only. Past performance is not a guide to the future. The value of an investment and any income taken from it is not guaranteed and can go down as well as up, you may not get back the amount you originally invested. Views expressed are of LGIM as at 12 January 2023. The Information in this document (a) is for information purposes only and we are not soliciting any action based on it, and (b) is not a recommendation to buy or sell securities or pursue a particular investment strategy; and (c) is not investment, legal, regulatory or tax advice. Legal & General Investment Management Limited. Registered in England and Wales No. 02091894. Registered Office: One Coleman Street, London, EC2R 5AA. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, No. 119272.
Established in 1836, Legal & General is one of the UK's leading financial services groups and a major global investor, with £1.2 trillion in total assets under management1 of which 40% is international. We have a unique and highly synergistic business model, which continues to drive strong returns. Legal & General provides powerful asset origination and management capabilities directly to clients, which also underpin our leading retirement and protection solutions. We are a leading international player in Pension Risk Transfer, in UK and US life insurance, and in UK workplace pensions and retirement income. Our purpose is to improve the lives of our customers and create value for our shareholders. Through inclusive capitalism, we are investing in long-term assets, such as real estate and infrastructure, that can help build a better society for the future.
1Data as at 31 December 2023.