Abrdn has expanded its real estate investment business in Japan with a new investment mandate managed by Dutch pension investor PGGM.

The expansion has been made through Abrdn’s subsidiary, Abrdn Japan. PGGM will manage a new mandate, part of which includes the operation of 3,300 rental homes, most of which are in greater Tokyo. In alignment with this expansion, Abrdn Japan has appointed Harumi Kadono as head of Japan real estate. “We are very happy to further expand the global relationship that we already have had for years with Abrdn,” said PGGM private real estate senior director, Ronald Bausch. “This allows us to act upon opportunities throughout the region more efficiently. This will help us to generate good financial returns while improving on our sustainability targets which are set by our client PFZW, the Dutch pension scheme for the healthcare sector."

Very few elderly people are making use of their net worth of pensioners, according to Insurance and Pension Denmark.

The association noted that while many pensioners have equity in their owner-occupied home, very few take on debt in their home as pensioners. Its calculations showed that, among 30-year-old homeowners, their mortgage was on average 80 per cent. The loan-to-value ratio then falls over life to approximately 30 per cent at retirement age and around 10 per cent on average among 90-year-olds. “Very few pensioners have debt in their owner-occupied home,” said Insurance and Pension Denmark pension director, Jan V. Hansen. “It's surprising that there aren't more who seem to be living off their bricks. But this is because the simplest way to release the free value is to sell your owner-occupied home and buy one that is cheaper. Many may wish to stay as long as possible in the house they have owned for many years and at the same time they may wish to leave a legacy.”

Swedish funds' net inflows totalled SEK 5.3bn in September, the Swedish Investment Fund Association has revealed.

The largest net deposits were made in long-term interest funds and equity funds, while mixed funds showed net withdrawals during the month. The total fund assets in Sweden increased during September by SEK 68bn and amounted to SEK 8,084bn at the end of the month. Long-term interest funds had net deposits of SEK 4.5bn and SEK 3.5bn were newly saved in equity funds. In contrast, net withdrawals from mixed funds totalled SEK 3.3bn. So far in 2024, the total net savings in funds amounts to almost SEK 138bn. For equity funds, the net deposits amount to nearly NOK 112bn.

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