Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC) is betting on the European real estate market despite weakness in the Eurozone. U.S. investors who are interested in gaining exposure to the recovering European properties can utilize a real estate investment trust-related exchange traded fund.
The iShares Europe Developed Real Estate ETF (NYSEArca: IFEU), which tracks European real estate stock and real estate investment trusts, has increased 3.5% year-to-date. IFEU has a 0.48% expense ratio and a 3.19% trailing 12-month yield. [A Real Estate ETF To Capture A Recovering Europe]
The European real estate market’s recovery has been uneven ever since the 2008 financial crisis, but recent strength has been enough to attract U.S. lenders and investors, the Wall Street Journal reports.
For instance, Wells Fargo has been building its United Kingdom commercial real estate holdings and is seeking to expand into Ireland and the continental Europe as well.
IFEU’s country weights include U.K. 38.3%, France 22.3%, Germany 9.5%, Sweden 6.5%, Switzerland 5.7%, Netherlands 4.7%, Belgium 3.0%, Luxembourg 2.3%, Austria 1.8%, Guernsey 1.5%, Spain 1.5% and Finland 1.3%.
The Europe Developed Real Estate ETF’s sub-sector allocations include retail REITs 35.8%, real estate holdings & development 28.8% and industrial & office REITs 24.6%.
Over the past year, the U.K.’s real estate market has become increasingly competitive, according to Clarence Dixon, head of loan servicing at CBRE, Wells Fargo also believes that there might be a “pause for breath” in the U.K. over the next year or two.