Hansteen Holdings plc is a European industrial REIT that invests in properties with high yields, low financing costs and opportunity for value improvement across the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, France and the UK. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange

London Stock Exchange

The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...

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History

The Company was founded by Morgan Jones and Ian Watson in 2005 to exploit the industrial property investment market in Continental Europe. It was admitted to the Alternative Investment Market

Alternative Investment Market

AIM is a sub-market of the London Stock Exchange, allowing smaller companies to float shares with a more flexible regulatory system than is applicable to the main market....

 in November 2005, raising £125 million. In October 2009 it raised a further £200.8 million by way of a Placing and Open Offer and moved to the Official List, converting to a REIT

Real estate investment trust

A real estate investment trust or REIT is a tax designation for a corporate entity investing in real estate. The purpose of this designation is to reduce or eliminate corporate tax. In return, REITs are required to distribute 90% of their taxable income into the hands of investors...

shortly thereafter.

Operations

In August 2009 Hansteen launched Hansteen UK Industrial Property Unit Trust (HPUT), a vehicle with up to £180 million to invest in UK industrial property with a value of £15 million or less, or portfolios under £30 million. In 2010 Hansteen increased its portfolio to 189 assets with a value of around £721.9 million through the acquisition of a German industrial property portfolio from HBI for approx. €330 million and the acquisition of the 1200000 sq ft (111,483.6 m²) multi-sector Kilmartin portfolio of UK properties for £80.37 million. The Company's investment portolio was valued at £0.7 billion as at 31 December 2010.