Macquarie Asset Management head Ben Way (Image: Macquarie)
Australia’s Macquarie Asset Management leads today’s real estate headlines with a consortium buyout of ports operator Qube Holdings worth $8.3 billion. Also in the news are Thailand’s Minor International delaying a $1 billion hotel REIT and Singapore’s ST Telemedia Global Data Centres securing a $1.4 billion green loan for its Malaysia campus.
Macquarie-Led Consortium Completes $8B Buyout of Ports Operator Qube
Australia’s Macquarie Asset Management has completed a consortium investment in Qube Holdings via a scheme of arrangement, valuing the ports and logistics group at A$11.7 billion ($8.3 billion), the firm said.
The consortium includes Australian pension fund UniSuper and Spanish family office Pontegadea alongside Macquarie-managed funds, marking Qube’s exit from public markets; individual stake sizes were not disclosed. Ben Way, head of Macquarie Asset Management, said the deal reflects the firm’s ability to execute complex transactions and source compelling opportunities for its clients. Read more>>
Minor International Delays $1B Thai Hotel REIT Plan
Thailand’s Minor International has postponed plans for its first REIT, valued at $1 billion, as market conditions soured, Bloomberg reported.
The hotel and restaurant operator is concerned investors may demand a higher-than-expected yield on the REIT amid the Middle East conflict, Namida Artispong, head of investor relations at Minor, said at an online investor meeting on Thursday, according to Bloomberg. Read more>>
STT GDC Secures $1B Green Loan for Johor Campus
Singapore’s ST Telemedia Global Data Centres has secured a green financing facility of up to $1.4 billion to fund its flagship STT Johor data centre campus in Malaysia, the company said.
United Overseas Bank Malaysia is sole coordinator and mandated lead arranger, with OCBC Bank Malaysia, Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia and CIMB Bank as mandated lead arrangers on the green loan facility, which covers Phase 1 of the campus at Nusa Cemerlang Industrial Park. STT Johor has planned capacity of up to 166 megawatts of IT load. Read more>>
Microsoft Shuts 15 China Branch Offices Amid Retreat
US tech giant Microsoft has closed at least 15 branch offices and joint ventures in China over the past five years, corporate filings show, as the company pursues a strategy of retreat amid deteriorating Sino-American ties, Reuters reported.
China accounted for just 1.5 percent of Microsoft’s global revenue, the company said in 2024, with executives at one point considering a full exit in 2023 before deciding to stay on, citing a profitable business servicing Chinese firms such as ByteDance and access to engineering talent, according to Reuters. Read more>>
Coles Buys Woolworths-Anchored NSW Shopping Centre for $40M
Australia’s Coles has bought a shopping complex occupied by rival Woolworths in Albion Park in the Illawarra region of New South Wales for A$57 million ($40.2 million), The Australian reported.
Woolworths has about 12 years left on its lease, with Coles buying the asset as a long-term play to install its own store once the lease expires, according to The Australian. The deal marks a windfall for the private seller, who paid A$32 million for the property six years ago. Read more>>
Samsung FN REIT Borrows $57M for Dangsan Tower Buy
South Korea’s Samsung FN REIT has decided to borrow KRW 80 billion ($56.6 million) to fund the acquisition of A-One Tower Dangsan, according to a disclosure filing by the company.
The REIT will raise the funds through electronic short-term bonds carrying an annual interest rate of 4.3 percent, with the borrowing running from 13 August to 12 November, the filing showed. Underwriters on the issuance include NH Investment & Securities, KB Securities, Hana Securities, Korea Investment & Securities and Hanyang Securities. Read more>>
Buyer Terminates Deal for Acrophyte’s Atlanta Hyatt Place
Singapore-listed Acrophyte Hospitality Trust’s buyer has terminated a purchase agreement for Hyatt Place Atlanta Norcross Peachtree Corners, exercising a due diligence walk-away clause on 10 August, according to a filing to the Singapore Exchange.
The buyer’s $100,000 earnest money deposit has been refunded, and the Acrophyte manager said it will continue exploring strategic options for the hotel. A separate agreement to sell Hyatt Place Atlanta Alpharetta Windward Parkway remains in place, the filing showed. Read more>>
SF REIT’s H1 Distributable Income Falls 7% to $14M
Hong Kong-listed SF REIT’s distributable income fell 7.3 percent year-on-year to HK$110.7 million ($14.1 million) in the first half of 2026, according to an exchange filing.
The logistics-focused trust, controlled by Chinese logistics giant SF Holding, reported total revenue of HK$219.3 million, down 4.6 percent, with net property income dipping 7.1 percent to HK$178.4 million. Portfolio occupancy across its Hong Kong and mainland China assets held steady at 96.8 percent, and SF Holding accounted for 77.1 percent of total revenue. Read more>>
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