Tag: negotiations

CVC to Purchase the Universidad Alfonso X for c. €1.1bn

26 March 2019 – El Confidencial

Following Permira’s acquisition of Universidad Europea de Madrid in December for €770 million, CVC Capital Partners is following suit. The private equity firm is on the verge of completing negotiations to buy Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio (UAX), also in Madrid.

The consideration for the operation could amount to €1.1 billion, equivalent to 14 x EBITDA, an investment record that reflects the huge interest in the sector from private equity firms.

The main shareholders of UAX are Jesús Núñez, who owns a 72% stake and Manuel Piñera Gil Delgado, who owns 15.67%, together with his ex-wife María Teresa Gallego García, heir of the alcoholic beverage company DYC. Another 7% is owned by their nephew José Jaime Núñez.

Currently, the most significant investments owned by CVC Capital Partners in Spain are its 20% stake in Naturgy, worth €3.8 billion, which it shares with Corporación Financiera Alba; its 25% share of CLH worth €1 billion; Deoleo, the olive oil company that is facing serious financial problems; and Lecta, formerly Torraspapel.

Jesús Núñez created UAX in 1993 after reaching an agreement with the Town Hall of Villanueva de la Cañada, which granted him the right to use 1 million m2 of land for 75 years on which to build the campus. The university now educates 15,000 students per year, generates a turnover of €104 million and makes a net profit of €45 million.

Original story: El Confidencial (by Agustín Marco)

Translation/Summary: Carmel Drake

Air City Finalises its Purchase of the Casarrubios Aerodrome, which will Compete with Barajas

10 March 2019 – Voz Pópuli

Air City Madrid, the company constituted by several Spanish businessmen linked to the aviation sector, is finalising the purchase of the Casarrubios-Álamo aerodrome in Madrid. This represents the first step in a project whose aim is to create the largest private airport in the Spanish capital, which would compete directly with Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas.

According to sources, the Elduayen family, which currently owns the aerodrome is expected to sell the asset to Air City Madrid within the next few weeks. Air City Madrid is owned by European Flyer, a company dedicated to training pilots; the consultancy firm Gamt; and the consultancy firm Pasiphae.

The Casarrubios-Álamo aerodrome is located 30 km from the centre of Madrid, on the border of the Community of Madrid and Castilla-La Mancha. The company responsible for planning the new airport expects that a potential investment of around €2 billion will be required over 25 years to acquire the land, urbanise the site, build the access routes and construct a passenger terminal.

The businessmen behind the project are convinced that Madrid needs a new airport in light of the congestion that Barajas is expected to experience over the next decade. In the wider context, they point out that the airports in Cataluña serve 300 destinations, whilst those in Paris and London serve 600 and 800 destinations, respectively. By contrast, the current offer in Madrid stands at just 200.

Original story: Voz Pópuli (by Alberto Ortín & Marina Alías)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Blackstone May Cease Investing in Spain if the Rental Legislation Changes

27 February 2019 – Idealista

The senior director of Blackstone’s real estate division, James Seppala, has indicated at a meeting that his firm will continue investing in the Spanish real estate sector, but only provided that the regulatory framework for the rental sector remains stable. The declarations come at a time when the Spanish government is negotiating approval, with support from Podemos in extremis, for a royal decree that seeks to modify the Urban Rental Act (LAU) and to limit rental prices.

At a meeting organised by Bloomberg (…), Seppala added that his firm will continue to back the real estate sector, especially in Madrid, Barcelona and their metropolitan areas, which offer returns of between 6% and 7%. He is convinced that there is no risk of prices overheating in those areas (…).

Original story: Idealista

Translation: Carmel Drake

Aedas Negotiates the Construction of 500 Rental Homes in Madrid

1 March 2019 – Expansión

Aedas wants to benefit from the investor appetite for residential rental assets as an alternative source of income and cash generation. The property developer is negotiating the construction and delivery of four turnkey developments comprising 500 homes for an institutional investor.

The homes, which are going to be constructed in Madrid and two adjoining municipalities will be dedicated to rental housing. “We are assessing the possibility of doing the same in Barcelona, Sevilla and Alicante”, explained David Martínez, CEO of Aedas Homes (pictured above), speaking to Expansión (…).

In 2018, the company invested €112 million in land on which to build 2,600 homes; and it also has options to purchase more land for an additional 400 units.

“The plan for this year involves buying land for at least 1,000 homes (an investment of around €50 million), but we do not rule out increasing that target if opportunities present themselves”, he said (…).

Original story: Expansión (by Rebeca Arroyo)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Bankinter’s Socimi Negotiates the Purchase of Hotel Meliá Valencia

18 February 2019 – Expansión

Atom wants to strengthen its portfolio with the acquisition of one of the main hotels in Valencia for €50 million.

Bankinter’s hotel Socimi, Atom, wants to strengthen its portfolio and add the Meliá Valencia (formerly the Hilton Valencia) to its list of assets. The property is one of the main hotels in the city, located on Avenida de las Cortes Valencianas, close to the Palacio de Congresos.

Atom, which made its debut on the Alternative Investment Market (MAB) in November, is holding negotiations with the fund Colony to purchase the 4-star hotel for around €50 million, according to explanations provided by market sources speaking to Expansión. Those same sources state that, although the negotiations are in an advanced stage, no agreement has yet been reached between the parties.

History

The hotel, located in a tower standing more than 110m tall, was officially inaugurated in February 2008 and has had several owners since then. The establishment, which has around 300 rooms and 21 meeting rooms, with the capacity to host up to 875 people, is managed by Meliá.

Colony purchased this asset along with some other Spanish hotels just a year ago from the investor group Continental Property Investment, controlled by the Lebanese businessman Boutros El-Khouri (…).

With this operation, Atom would increase its portfolio, which currently comprises 21 hotels and 5,232 rooms, with a gross value of €485 million. 82% of the hotels in its portfolio are 4-star properties and 60% are holiday establishments (…).

Original story: Expansión (by R. Arroyo, R. Sampedro & A.C. Álvarez)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Santander Matches the Reuben Brothers’ Bid to Acquire the Ciudad Financiera

13 February 2019 – Voz Pópuli

Santander has matched the bid presented by the Reuben brothers for the Ciudad Financiera, in a new attempt to neutralise the offensive by the British investors to acquire its headquarters in Boadilla del Monte (Madrid).

On Tuesday, the bank chaired by Ana Botín presented a preferential acquisition right against the bankruptcy of Marme – the previous owner of the Ciudad Financiera –in the commercial court of Madrid, having set aside €20 million to be able to carry out the acquisition, according to sources familiar with the process. The operation is valued at around €3 billion.

Spain’s largest bank considers that it has the option of resorting to a preferential acquisition right, established in the lease contract for the Ciudad Financiera, signed on 30 December 2008 between Marme and Santander Global Facilities.

Bankruptcy process

Nevertheless, during the bankruptcy process that has resulted in the sale of the Ciudad Financiera, the administration appointed by the judge warned that the aforementioned right could not be exercised in order to “not obstruct the liquidation of the assets any further”.

Judge María Teresa Vázquez Pizarro, from Commercial Court number 9 in Madrid, said that the purpose pursued with the transfer of the Ciudad Financiera determines “that the lessee’s right of preferential acquisition cannot be accepted, given that the interest in the continuity of the business activity prevails over any rights recognised to third parties”.

The deadline for Santander to exercise its preferential acquisition right expires in the middle of this month (…).

Last November, the bankruptcy administration announced that the Reuben brothers had submitted the highest bid for the Ciudad Financiera, exceeding even the offer presented by Santander, a decision ratified this year by the court.

Santander warned that the offer from the British investors – one of the top 100 wealthiest families in the world – should not be accepted, highlighting the corporate network that they had set up for the operation, which includes several companies registered in tax havens.

Moreover, the Spanish bank has agreed the purchase with the main creditor banks of Marme – Caixabank, ING, Natwest Markets (previously The Royal Bank of Scotland), Bayerische Landesbank, and HSH Nordbank- of their debt. Through that, it has managed to obtain the support of those entities for its intentions and they have sent letters to the mercantile court defending the purchase of the Ciudad Financiera by Santander.

The breach of the preferential acquisition right by Marme carries a fine of €500 million, and the retraction of the sale to a third party, according to the terms of the contract signed by Marme and Santander, say the sources consulted.

The same sources indicate that this fine could be supplemented by another penalty amounting to €750 million if the suitability test is not fulfilled; in total, a fine amounting to €1.25 billion that Santander hopes will serve to ensure that the Reuben brothers reconsider their strategy

Original story: Voz Pópuli (by Alberto Ortín)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Qatari Fund ‘Sama Global’ Negotiates Investment in Marina d’Or

6 February 2019 – Expansión

Jesús Ger, the founder and owner of the Marina d’Or holiday city, is looking again at the Arab countries to find an investor with whom to consolidate his business project. And in that respect, all indications are that the Qatari investment fund Sama Global Investment is going to become the new financial partner of Marina d’Or.

Ger’s group, which has promoted and which manages the popular holiday city located in Oropesa del Mar (Castellón), has been actively looking to incorporate partners for years, especially since the end of the real estate bubble paralysed its investments in other countries and threatened the continuity of its property development business.

The business includes the Marina d’Or Golf project, which was the largest urban development plan undertaken by the Community of Valencia spanning a surface area of 18 million m2, which was suspended by the courts and due to a lack of funds. Initially, Ger was looking for capital willing to finance part of the colossal €6 billion investment forecast for the macro-urbanisation around the themed golf course and hotel.

In 2015, it was even understood that the Chinese group Wanda was going to acquire a majority stake in the Castellón-based group after reports were published to that effect by an official news outlet of the Chinese Communist Party. The truth was that, although Marina d’Or maintained contact with several Chinese investors, Wanda was not one of them.

Focus on the tourist business

Now, however, the interest of the Qatari fund is focused on Hoteles Marina d’Or, the company that manages the tourist activity in the Castellón resort and which includes seven establishments – two outside of the complex -, the rental of tourist apartments and the operation of the restaurant area, the spa and the attraction parks in the holiday city. In recent years, those activities have generated revenues of more than €40 million per year and, unlike the real estate business, they are still profitable.

The interest from Sama Global, which dates back to 2017, appears to focus on replicating the holiday city model in other international markets. In fact, the fund, which is headquartered in Doha, has already closed its first operation to become a partner in a property developer and operator in the Philippines, Premiere Horizon Alliance Corporation, which is listed in Manila (…).

Official sources from Marina d’Or acknowledged yesterday that conversations are being held with a Qatari fund, but they said that they are still in an initial phase and are not close to completion yet (…).

Original story: Expansión (by A.C.A.)

Translation: Carmel Drake

El Corte Inglés Negotitates the Sale of its Logistics Assets to KKR

1 February 2019 – Expansión

The US investment fund KKR, together with the British firm Round Hill, has launched a bid for the logistics portfolio of El Corte Inglés, which includes around thirty assets distributed all over Spain, with a surface area of more than 500,000 m2.

According to explanations provided by market sources speaking to Expansión, although there are other interested funds, KKR and Round Hill have now taken the lead in the bid for the assets, with an offer of between €150 million and €170 million. Other players that have expressed interest in this portfolio so far include the US giant Blackstone, and even the Socimi Merlin, which confirmed very preliminary conversations.

In terms of the most attractive assets in the batch for sale, there is a package of six warehouses in Móstoles (Madrid), with a total surface area of 88,000 m2, as well as a plot in La Bisbal del Penedès (Tarragona), with a gross surface area of almost 41,000 m2, which serves to support its large centre in Cataluña, located in Montornès del Vallès and which provides services to the rest of the Mediterranean arc.

Batch of warehouses

In addition, the portfolio includes warehouses, storerooms and distribution centres in logistics nuclei in Sevilla, Málaga, Valencia, Valladolid, Alicante, Murcia, La Coruña, Vigo, Palma de Mallorca, Murcia, Teruel, Cáceres and Zaragoza. On the other hand, the batch for sale does not include any of the group’s logistics gems, such as the logistics centre in Valdemoro or the platform in Montornès del Vallès (Barcelona), both of which are strategic for the company (…).

Original story: Expansión (by Rebeca Arroyo & Víctor M. Osorio)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Riu Closes the Sale of Edificio España’s Commercial Space to Corpfin

1 February 2019 – Preferente.com

The 15,000 m2 of commercial space in Edificio España now has an owner. The party in question is Inbest Real Estate, the investment vehicle owned by Corpfin Capital Real Estate, which has signed a purchase agreement with the hotel chain Riu Hotels & Resorts, the owner of the property.

In a statement addressed to Preferente.com, the hotel chain explained that this agreement will enable the opening of five flagship stores for retail operators, including restaurant and textile firms, which will complement the opening of the new Hotel Riu Plaza España. “In that way, we will provide an even greater boost to the area through a tourist, leisure and commercial offer”, said the chain (…).

“We believe that having Corpfin Capital Real Estate as an ally to launch the retail space in Edificio España is the best way of getting the most out of the property”, said Luis Rui (pictured above, left), CEO of Riu Hotels & Resorts. Meanwhile, Javier Basagoiti (pictured above, right) Managing Partner of Corpfin Capital Real Estate, highlighted that their idea is “to choose the operators that best reflect the philosophy of the building, in coordination with Riu, respecting the hotel activity and configuring the premises towards the creation of flagship stores for first-rate operators” (…).

Original story: Preferente.com 

Translation: Carmel Drake

Merlin Finalises its First Major Property Sale & Negotiates with Apollo, Amongst Others

22 January 2019 – Voz Pópuli

Merlin Properties has been negotiating the sale of a portfolio of assets with Apollo for several months and it looks like the operation is beginning to take shape. Project Juno comprises assets in secondary locations, which the Socimi does not classify as core, according to financial sources consulted by this newspaper.

The portfolio includes assets such as Miniparc, in La Moraleja; Európolis, in Las Rozas; a building on Calle Josefa Valcárcel and another one on Ronda de Poniente. The portfolio has a market value well below €300 million, given that it comprises assets that are not located in the financial centre of Madrid.

In parallel, the Socimi has created Project Jupiter, a better quality portfolio than Juno, but “very dry”, worth around €300 million.

In that portfolio, Merlin has included the Trianon business park, on Vía de los Poblados; another business park in Las Tablas on Calle Federico Mompou; another building located in Campo de las Naciones; the Elipse building (Manoteras) and the Ulises building, in Arturo Soria.

Merlin Properties is also looking to create a third portfolio following the sale of those two portfolios and whereby unify it with the assets that it does not manage to sell. The Socimi has decided not to award a mandate for these portfolios in order to market them with the greatest discretion possible.

Merlin’s plan

Merlin Properties wants to increase the presence that it has in the office market in Lisbon and acquire other buildings to add to the six properties that it already owns in the Portuguese capital.

The commitment of the Socimi led by Ismael Clemente to the Portuguese market forms part of the slight rethink in the structure of the assets owned by the group.

Currently, office buildings account for 46% of the company’s assets, followed by commercial properties, which represent 40%, and logistics assets, which represent 14%. But given the pull of the logistics market right now (…), Merlin expects to increase the weight of its logistics division to 20%.

At the time of its IPO, four years ago, Merlin reported that logistics assets would account for 15% of its total portfolio.

Original story: Voz Pópuli (by David Cabrera)

Translation: Carmel Drake