* Standard & Poor'sRatings Services said DalianWanda Commercial Properties Co. Ltd.'s potential delisting from theHong Kong bourse due to a privatizationplan is likely to reduce the company's transparency, since Hong Kong implementsa more stringent level of financial disclosure if compared with mainlandChinese markets.
The rating agency added that a successful delisting in Hong Kongis expected to hamper Dalian Wanda's financial flexibility due to reduced fundchannels.
Sincethe plan is in the initial stage with no certainty of proceeding, the company'srating will not be immediately affected.
* In another ratings report,Moody's echoed S&P and added that Dalian Wanda's planned privatization iscredit negative if it occurs.
* clinched thesupport of proxy adviser Ownership Matters for its takeover bid, The Australian Financial Review reported.The proxy adviser initially disapproved of the transaction, but DEXUS'improved offer led itto change its recommendation.
* is expected tosurpass its expectedoperating profit for the year ended March 31, thanks to an increase in rentalincome from its shopping centers and other commercial facilities, Nikkei Asian Review reported.The company is scheduled to release its financialresults for the recently concluded fiscal year on May 10.
Thepublication also reported that Mitsui Fudosan plans to hold meetings withconcerned parties to discuss the next steps involving its residential complex in Japan'sYokohama City.
* 'smanager appointedNicholas Allen to serve as board chairman, replacing Nicholas Sallnow-Smith.Link Asset Management Ltd. said Sallnow-Smith from the position after nineyears of service with the group.
* Real estatefirm Royal Group looks to acquire hotels in Asia-Pacific cities such asBangkok, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur and Sydney, The (Singapore) BusinessTimes reported.The company's hotel portfolio currently comprises six properties, includingfour assets in Singapore, but it plans to target gateway cities worldwide totake advantage of growth in the global hospitality market, according to RoyalGroup Managing Director Peter Wilding.
AUSTRALIA
* lost interest inpursuing a rival bid for Investa Office, as it plans to focus on growthprospects for its office portfolio, TheAustralian reported,citing unnamed company executives. The company is not expected to come up withan offer ahead of the Investa Office meeting on April 15 to vote on the DEXUSbid.
* Investa Commercial PropertyFund, or ICPF, acquired a 75% stake in the 420 George Street office propertyfor A$442.5 million from Fortius Funds Management, with the transactionreflecting a 5.3% yield, the AFR reported.
* UBS is expectedto come up with a short list of bidders for the A$2.5 billion Collins Squareproject in Melbourne,the AFR's Street Talk reported,citing unnamed sources. Developer Walker Corp. is said to have receivedinterest from over 25 parties.
* The City of Moonee Valley inMelbourne approved private property developer Caydon Property Group's plan forthe initial stage of the A$700 million Moonee Ponds apartment development, the AFR reported.The company has yet to receive approval for its proposed A$1 billion project near the YarraRiver in Victoria.
* Local and internationalinvestors are helping dispel leasing concerns in Perth as they have dabbled inmore than A$200 million of office property deals, The Australian reported.Western Australia-based Primewest is involved in the biggest transaction amongthem, with a half stake purchase in the Exchange Tower at the city's centralbusiness district. The transaction values the office property at around A$230million.
HONG KONG, CHINA AND TAIWAN
* The (Hong Kong) Standard reportedthat CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd.and Cheung Kong Property HoldingsLtd. Chairman Li Ka-shing is "apparently back in Beijing'sgood graces" after The People'sDaily praised the tycoon for his comments that emphasized the value ofChina's support to Hong Kong.
Asia's"superman" faced criticismin September 2015 for purportedly planning to withdraw investments from China.
* 's "smooth"sales on April 2 from its OceanWings project in Tseung Kwan O, Hong Kong, is seen as an indicatorof a potential uptick in the local real estate sector, the South China Morning Post reported.
* Hong Kong propertytransactions lodged with the Land Registry reached 3,125 deals in March, up21.8% compared with February, reversing an eight-month decline, the SCMP reported,citing Midland Realty data.
* An increasing number ofChinese homebuyers borrowing for down payments have led authorities toimplement tighter controls, as the government's initiatives to address anoversupply in vacant housing by promoting home lending have apparentlybackfired due to a rise in "subprime-style" loans, The Wall Street Journal reported.
* In Taiwan, existing hometransactions tightened 32.6% year over year in the country's major citiesbetween January and March with 32,148 housing deals, Taipei Times reported,citing government data.
JAPAN
* Singapore-listedSaizen Real Estate InvestmentTrust said it adjusted the purchase consideration for thedisposal of itsentire real estate portfolio in Japan, due to an increase in finance costs andtax-related adjustments.
* Luxury hotelchains are rushing to western Japan in response to a surge in the influx offoreign visitors, The Asahi Shimbun reported.Conrad Hotels & Resorts will open Conrad Osaka in Nakanoshima, Osaka in thesummer of 2017 as the latest high-end hotel brand coming to the region.
* The Ministry ofLand, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism plans to relax hotel floor arearatio rules to make it easier for developers to add new or additional capacity,The Yomiuri Shimbun reported.The maximum hotel floor area ratio is expected to exceed 1,300% for large developmentprojects in Tokyo and Osaka.
* According tostatistics from the Cabinet Office, hotel occupancy rates averaged 79.9%nationwide in 2015, Tokyo's The Nikkeireported.
SINGAPORE
* An index tracking privatehome prices fell 0.7% in the first quarter of 2016 from the prior three months,dropping for the 10th consecutive quarter amid stricter mortgage curbs in thecity-state, Bloomberg News reported,citing data from the Urban Redevelopment Authority.
SOUTHEAST ASIA
* saidits total outstanding order book amounted to 4.8 billion Malaysian ringgitafter it was awarded with the Mass Rapid Transit Corporation Sdn. Bhd. contractfor the viaduct project between Sungai Buloh and Persiaran Dagang, Malaysia.
* Despite a new supply ofoffice space in 2015, the property market in Cebu, Philippines, is stillpositive due to the region's economy and cost-efficient labor, among otherfactors, The Manila Times reported,citing a CBRE Philippines report.
Now featured
:The April 1 edition of the weekly news roundup of the Asia-Pacific real estatespace also presents the latest outbound investment news.
:Our real estate editors' picks for the best stories of the week ending April 1.
:The 10 most read real estate articles for the week ending April 1.
The Daily DoseAsia-Pacific, Real Estate edition is updated by 6:30 a.m. Hong Kong time. Someexternal links may require a subscription. Articles and links are correct as ofpublication time.
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