European Investors Launches Sustainable Real Estate Securities Fund

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--European Investors Incorporated (EII), a leading real estate investment firm and one of the largest independent managers of global real estate securities portfolios worldwide, announced the launch of the EII Global Sustainable Property Fund (the “Fund”), a German domiciled mutual fund that invests globally in REITs and other publicly traded property companies meeting environmental and social sustainability criteria. The fund represents the first opportunity for investors to access EII’s global real estate securities expertise in combination with oekom Research AG (oekom), one of the world’s leading, independent and in-depth sustainable research and rating agencies.

The Fund aims to take advantage of growing investor interest in environmentally and socially sound companies. The focus will be primarily on global equities of companies involved in the ownership, management, development and financing of commercial and residential properties that strive to meet sustainability requirements.

The Fund is managed by a New York, Singapore and Amsterdam based investment team with experience in investing in real estate securities since 1987. Christian Lange, Co-founder and President of EII, believes "Sustainable Investment is one of the key themes for the twenty-first century. Companies that can combine economic, environmental and social objectives not only minimize their risks, but may also enjoy significant competitive advantages. Investors need to be able to rely on high-quality research and specialized real estate securities portfolio management skills and we are excited to deliver these necessary components through our relationship with oekom.”

Robert Hassler, CEO oekom research said "The real estate industry is one of the key industries in the fight against climate changes. Energy-efficient homes can make a significant contribution to achieve climate targets, which were recently discussed in Doha. oekom has defined strict requirements for the management of climate risks, as well as other environmental and social challenges, such as demographic changes, on which the fund’s stock selection is based."

About EII:

EII is an independent investment management firm specialized in real estate securities and U.S. direct real estate investments. Founded in 1983, EII has 57 employees in New York, Munich, Amsterdam and Singapore. The company has one of the longest track records in the management of global real estate securities. As of October 31, 2012, EII managed assets of $11 billion, of which $10 billion were invested in global real estate securities. EII’s clients are based in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Asia and include foundations, family offices, banks and pension funds. EII also has a number of strategic sub-advisory relationships with leading fund providers.

About the Fund:

The EII Global Sustainable Property Fund was launched on November 7, 2012. The fund is a German domiciled UCITS fund and was launched with an institutional share class with annual dividend distribution. The investment company of the fund is Warburg Invest Kapitalanlagegesellschaft mbH, Hamburg, and the custodian bank is State Street Bank GmbH, Frankfurt.

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