Catalyst acquires €200 million of assets

Catalyst Capital has completed the acquisition of €200 million of assets in Germany, France and Poland for its new Catalyst Core Plus European Property Fund (CCPEPF), a €1 billion “evergreen” real estate fund. The asset manager has made six investments in Frankfurt, Berlin, Leipzig, Paris, Wroclaw and three new autobahn service stations in Germany, with lease lengths ranging between five and 25 years.

In Frankfurt, Catalyst has acquired the Fiat Campus in Frankfurt’s Eastend, close to the new European Central Bank headquarters, from LaSalle Investment Management at a net initial yield of 6.0%. The property at Hanauer Landstrasse 174-176a, Schwedlerstrasse 8 comprises 13,000 sq m of space, of which 7,500 sq m is to be re-let after refurbishment works have been completed. Near Berlin, Catalyst has acquired a cash and carry market in Ahrensfelde from a group of investors represented by Odyssey Real Estate at a net initial yield of 6.0%. The property totals 15,500 sq m and is fully let to a self-service wholesaler, Selgros.

Near Leipzig, the company has acquired Pösna Park, an established 57,000 sq m retail park, at a net initial yield of 6.3%. Almost 60 tenants occupy the park at Sepp-Verscht-Strasse 1 in Großpösna, including well-known anchor tenants, Kaufland, Sconto, Netto, Deichmann and DM. The two main tenants, Kaufland and Sconto, have extended their leases until 2032 and 2028 respectively, providing a stable and long-term cash flow.

Near Paris, Catalyst has acquired the A City building in Rueil-Malmaison, near the submarket La Défense, from Valream at a net initial yield of 6.3%. The complex, totalling 8,500 sq m, comprises a fully-refurbished, multi-let office building and a 22-unit convenience shopping mall and is 97% let.

In Wroclaw, the investment manager has bought Nobilis Business House from Echo Investment at a net initial yield of 6.7%. The 16,900 sq m building, located on Marii Skłodowskiej-Curie street in Wroclaw, was completed in late 2016 and is 75% let to high-quality companies such as Onet Group, City Space, PPG Deco, Smith & Nephew and a Synexus medical centre. Catalyst Capital has paid an initial €36 million.

The sixth investment, the three service stations in Germany, are located in Zeven-Elsdorf, Ratingen and Pilsting and have been acquired at a net initial yield of 5.5%. Each asset is let on a 25-year lease to Tank & Rast, the leading service station operator in Germany with around 360 petrol filling stations and 410 service areas.

“All six investments provide stable, long-term income, which will generate attractive returns for our investors. We were able to acquire them within a few months of the first close of the fund because of our network of on-the-ground teams across Europe and understanding of local European markets," said Kean Hird, partner of Catalyst and the manager of the fund.

Catalyst announced the first close of CCPEPF in October 2017 with equity commitments of more than €455 million from international institutional investors. Using leverage, CCPEPF will have an initial €1 billion to invest in income-producing assets in every commercial real estate sector, including hotels and infrastructure. Geographically, CCPEPF will invest in the countries in northern Europe where Catalyst has an established presence, Germany, Poland, the UK and France.

As an “evergreen” fund, CCPEPF will have an indefinite life. Its final close is expected to be in the first quarter of 2018. CCPEPF expands the value-add strategy Catalyst has successfully executed for more than 20 years. Catalyst is currently investing for its second European real estate fund, Catalyst European Property Fund II, which closed in August 2016 with €1 billion of spending power.