WINNER

"Clear investment strategy and an impressive strategic repositioning by completing around 300 transactions and adding CAD5.5bn in value compared with the benchmark index,” judge’s comment

Country

Canada

Overall AUM

€52,900m

Annual performance

-6.2%

Since 2020, Ivanhoé Cambridge (Ivanhoé) has strategically focused on repositioning its portfolio by de-emphasising its investments in traditional retail and office sectors in favour of residential, logistics and life sciences, as well as alternative assets within these sectors. The logistics sector is now its largest portfolio, accounting for almost 23% of its assets, having been built up from a starting point of zero since 2016.

The repositioning includes completing around 300 transactions worth over CAD50bn (€33.7bn) while CAD5.5bn in added value has been generated compared with the benchmark index. In 2023, despite challenging market conditions, Ivanhoé again outperformed its benchmark. It completed CAD4bn in acquisitions, CAD3bn in developments and CAD3.4bn in dispositions.

Ivanhoé’s results show that its positioned in the right growth sectors with the ability to withstand market headwinds. Moreover, it also benefitted from a new organisational structure centred around geographic hubs, allowing for greater flexibility and compounded synergy in its investment strategies and portfolio construction.

Since 2017, Ivanhoé Cambridge has taken steps to decrease its carbon intensity and prioritised the greening of its corporate loans and lines of credit. Its goal is to be net-zero carbon by 2040, including a 35% reduction in carbon intensity by 2025. As of December 31, 2023, the operational carbon intensity of its directly owned portfolio had been reduced by more than 30% compared with 2017, with nearly CAD30bn of its investments having at least one sustainable building certification.

Ivanhoé is also looking to have a meaningful and sustainable impact on communities by fostering diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and increasing its impact in affordable housing. Last year, it actively encouraged its peers to step up their DEI and sustainable investment commitments, including the organisation of the first “Choices for the Future” summit in Montreal, which brought together more than 100 CEOs from around the world to discuss ESG issues.

STRATEGIC TAKEAWAYS

➤ Repositioning of portfolio with completion of 300 transactions worth €33.7bn

➤ Structural changes focused on geographic hubs for greater flexibility

➤ Net zero goal by 2040 and integration and expansion of DEI policy

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Country

Canada

Overall AUM

€93,294m

Annual performance

-6.90%

In the last 12-18 months Oxford Properties has completed one of the largest private industrial real estate transactions in North America, broken ground on the largest logistics development in the UK and Canada and capitalised on the strong demand among investors for well-leased and located logistics assets with long term income by strategically selling down older-vintage stabilised North American assets for over CAD1bn. Elsewhere it completed the first new zero carbon office tower in North America , further committed to its diversity, equity and inclusion policy as part of its Navy Yard project in Philadelphia, and launched a green financing framework.

Judged by

Heather Border
Stephanie Gutleber
Sue Forster

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