Office market has upside potentialPrime rents set to keep risingHelical and Shaftesbury rated BuyThe London REIT (real estate investment trust) sector may be ?under attack?, according to analysts at Berenberg, but there are reasons to be cheerful.While the companies ?may have issues?, London property still has a place in the market, but in a different format, meaning firms will need to innovate if

We suggested at the start of 2023 that commercial property stocks could prove to be a good bet this year, with valuations offering significant upward reversion potential from their depressed levels and dividend yields at the top end of their historic range.While valuations have improved slightly, if anything sentiment is even more negative than it was in January, especially after April's stubbornl

Recent M&A activity shows the discounts to net asset value (NAV) endured by many property stocks are attracting interest from within the industry, showing UK assets still have appeal despite Brexit.However, the £415m bid from LondonMetric Property (LMP) for A&J Mucklow (MKLW) at the end of May may have been the exception in that it was successful and pitched at a premium to NAV. Other recent bids

London's FTSE 100 firms 43 points to 7,375 early on Monday as strong export data out of China and the reaching of a deal between the US and Mexico providing relief to markets rattled by President Donald Trump's aggressive trade bargaining.Hard-pressed holidays company Thomas Cook (TCG) sparks up 23% to 19.8p as it confirms talks are underway with its largest shareholder, the Chinese group Fosun, r

The FTSE 100 slips 0.2% to 6,805 in early trading on Thursday 24 November, dragged down by weakness in defensive stocks like utilities and consumer staples businesses.The property sector is in focus yet again as estate agents respond to the Government's decision to clampdown on lettings fees and a few companies update on trading.A mild profit warning sends estate agent Countrywide (CWD) down 14.1%

Smaller companies can be an investor's best friend. Pick the right stock and you could easily see 20%, 30% or even 50% gains in a year. Sadly, pick the wrong stock and there is an equal chance of seeing your portfolio experience dramatic falls in value. Unless you have a good eye and proven track record for spotting the best companies, it can be worth using the services of a fund manager via inves

UK blue chips lead falls across Europe on Monday after a profit warning from troubled food retailer Tesco (TSCO). The FTSE 100 index is 52 points off at 6,786 in early trade.The distressed grocery titan tumbles 8% to 211.25p after warning first-half profits were overstated by an estimated £250 million in its earnings alert last month. New CEO Dave Lewis says 'we have uncovered a serious issue and

Sweeteners giant and rumoured bid target Tate & Lyle (TATE) ticks 4.3% higher to 703.5p on relief full-year figures to March meet downgraded forecasts, with taxable profits souring 2% to £322 million. In February, Tate & Lyle warned of a sharp decline in prices for its higher-margin 'SPLENDA Sucralose' sweeteners brand sold to global food and beverages makers amid a growing Chinese generic threat

Carpets manufacturer Victoria (VCP:AIM) vaults 10.7% higher to 346p on news profits for the year to 29 March will be better-than-expected, boosted by successful turnaround initiatives and last year's acquisition of Westex Carpets.Global beer brewing behemoth SABMiller (SAB) sags 2.2% to £30.55 on a soggy full-year and fourth quarter trading update. The Grolsch-to-Peroni Nastro Azzurroi maker deli

The total return offered by secondary properties, located in the country's regional towns and small cities, is set to outperform those generated by prime assets in the UK's major metropolitan areas, according to property services specialist DTZ. To play this trend we flag Palace Capital (PCA:AIM) although we don't rule out prime plays entirely and believe British Land (BLND) should be considered f

A strong economic recovery, improving valuations and rising rents signal that the property market is climbing the cyclical curve and Helical Bar (HLCL) is along for the ride. The property investor's development programme is in full swing, aiming to meet London's supply and demand imbalance and still has £100 million of fire power to improve the quality of its portfolio despite spending £160 mill

Investors looking to benefit from improving sentiment in the property market could follow Richard Gillingwater's lead and gain some exposure to Helical Bar (HLCL). The company's non-executive director now owns 11,500 shares in the real estate investor and developer after buying at 346p, setting him back almost £40,000.The UK and Poland office, retail and industrial investor and developer has impr