Columbia Threadneedle Suspends Dealing On Property Fund Over Liquidity Issues

In a statement, Colombia Threadneedle said this decision was taken "due the amount of cash in the Fund reducing to a level where future redemption requests would not be able to be met until an orderly sale of assets has completed".

The suspension came into effect from noon on 10 October and means investors will be unable to buy or sell shares in the CT UK PAIF or its feeder fund until it is lifted.

Columbia Threadneedle's other retail property funds remain open and are unaffected at present.

UK property funds impose liquidity limits - reports

This comes the same week that Schroders and BlackRock, along with Threadneedle, also imposed imposed redemption limits on some property funds as liquidity amongst property funds became scarce once again.

Property funds have come under scrutiny in recent years after several high profile incidents of them failing to return client's capital when requested. Regulators have requested the suitability of the product given the mismatch between the length of time needed to sell property assets and having a structure which allows frequent withdrawals. 

This round of suspensions and restrictions is the third wave in five years of property funds struggling to return cash to investors.

UK economy contracts by 0.3% in August

In 2016, after the Brexit vote and 2020, in the midst of the Covid-19 selloff, there were widespread suspensions across the open-ended property market and while most funds remain open for now, Fitch Ratings warned for a snowballing effect.

In a note put out on 11 October, it said: "Contagion risk has been contained so far, but increasing redemption requests may cause some funds to make forced sales, pushing down asset values."

It added that "this could lead to knock-on effects for other funds, through weaker returns, potentially triggering more widespread withdrawals," something the International Monetary Fund had noted earlier in the month.

 

RECENT NEWS

The Penny Drops: Understanding The Complex World Of Small Stock Machinations

Micro-cap stocks, often overlooked by mainstream investors, have recently garnered significant attention due to rising c... Read more

Current Economic Indicators And Consumer Behavior

Consumer spending is a crucial driver of economic growth, accounting for a significant portion of the US GDP. Recently, ... Read more

Skepticism Surrounds Trump's Dollar Devaluation Proposal

Investors and analysts remain skeptical of former President Trump's dollar devaluation plan, citing tax cuts and tariffs... Read more

Financial Markets In Flux After Biden's Exit From Presidential Race

Re-evaluation of ‘Trump trades’ leads to market volatility and strategic shifts.The unexpected withdrawal of Joe Bid... Read more

British Pound Poised For Continued Gains As Wall Street Banks Increase Bets

The British pound is poised for continued gains, with Wall Street banks increasing their bets on sterling's strength. Th... Read more

China's PBoC Cuts Short-Term Rates To Stimulate Economy

In a move to support economic growth, the People's Bank of China (PBoC) has cut its main short-term policy rate for the ... Read more