Investors still attracted to commercial property

The performance of property companies has fallen off somewhat over the past year, with those concentrating on the commercial end the worst hit. According to Bloomberg figures from the start of the year to 15 August, the sector has gained 10.5%, just below the FTSE All-Share return of 10.6%. As expected, the March rally has boosted returns in the higher beta sectors, raising the IT hardware & software and computer sub-indices by more than 50% over the same period. But while commercial property companies have suffered in the near term, their medium-term outlook remains positive. Comm...