Pangbourne has increased its distributions by 4,7% as a result of improved occupancies and increased rentals in the companies industrial property portfolio.

The SA property index, which represents property unit trusts and property loan stock companies on the JSE Securities Exchange, produced a negative return in January of minus 0.74 percent

Top-performing Spearhead grows earnings 43%, raises distribution 19%.

South Africa’s buoyant property investment sector has gained another unit trust. Catalyst Securities, the country’s top performing property investment manager in 2004, has launched the Catalyst SA Listed Property Fund.

You don't necessarily need to own bricks and mortar to take part in the property boom.

Listed property had another good run in 2004 achieving average total returns of 41%, outperforming the JSE Securities Exchange’s all-share index, bonds and cash. Those who invested in listed property via specialist unit trust funds (offered by among others Coronation, Marriott, Old Mutual and Stanlib) would have achieved similar returns. Figures from Standard & Poor’s (see unit trust pages) confirm that flexible property unit trust funds achieved total returns over the past 12 months of between 30% and 38%. The top performer in this sector was Old Mutual’s SA Quoted Property fund.

Stanlib has closed its multi manager property fund to new investments, saying its assets have reached R1,2bn in just more than two years, which is close to the 'optimal size of a local portfolio'

History of Calulo

Listed property made investors rich last year, but is it 2005’s best buy, ask Adele Shevel and Chris Needham

Property unit trust Stanlib Property Income Fund, which invests in the property sector of the JSE Securities Exchange SA on behalf of its clients, recorded a total return of 36,7% last year.