While 2016 and 2020 saw widespread suspensions and closures of IA UK Direct Property funds, the recent measures imposed by institutional property funds appear not to be spreading to the retail sector.
UK property funds impose liquidity limits - reports
abrdn, BlackRock, Canada Life Asset Management, Columbia Threadneedle, Legal and General Investment Management, M&G Investments, Royal London Asset Management and St James's Place all confirmed they had no plans to impose restrictions on their retail open-ended UK property funds.
Head of UK Property at Canada Life AM Michael White detailed his view on the current market outlook: "With finance rates and the cost of debt rising rapidly the commercial investment market is having an extended summer period of inactivity. Transaction volumes have dropped off a cliff, and there was little market evidence for valuers to move valuation yields with any certainty in September.
"On the flip side, the value correction will in time give rise to a buying opportunity, and we have found that occupational markets have remained relatively robust with continued take up of space, mostly notably for prime accommodation, across most of the main commercial and alternative sectors.
"The success of the current fiscal plan to reduce inflation and boost GDP will clearly determine how far commercial capital values will fall."
Aegon Property Income wind up records first quarter with no distribution
The restrictions of the £2.3bn Threadneedle Pensions Pooled Property, £3.5bn BlackRock UK Property and £2.7bn Schroders Capital UK Real Estate funds were all linked to interest rate shifts in Q2, with the most recent market volatility unrelated to the moves.
Rising rates have had a twofold impact on the outflows from these vehicles, with an improved funding ratio reducing the need for high growth assets such as property, and a denominator effect spurred by higher rates on the reverse forcing funds to sell down their property assets as their proportion of net asset value increased.