Blackstone has agreed to acquire Singapore wealth fund GIC’s 49% stake in the Dexus Australia Logistics Trust, an existing joint venture with Dexus that owns a portfolio of high-quality logistics assets in Australia, for A$2.1 billion ($1.50 billion).
The portfolio of 77 premium-grade logistics assets is concentrated in Australia’s gateway cities, Sydney and Melbourne, with high exposure to densely populated areas and major transportation hubs.
The transaction marks the sixth investment in Asia this year under Blackstone Real Estate’s Core+ strategy and the largest investment in Asia under this strategy to date, Blackstone said in a statement.
Frank Cohen, Global Head of Core+ Real Estate, Blackstone, said: “We are pleased to both acquire a portfolio of best-in-class logistics assets in Australia and partner with Dexus. The transaction significantly increases our Asian Core+ Real Estate exposure to the logistics space and is consistent with our strategy of overweighting high conviction sectors and locations.”
Other investments in Asia this year under the Core+ strategy include the Eclipse (formerly The Sandcrawler), a Grade-A office building in Singapore anchored by tenants in fast-growing sectors of technology and media, and a portfolio of 38 modern residential assets concentrated in Japan’s major cities, Tokyo and Osaka.
Chris Tynan, Head of Real Estate Australia, Blackstone, said: “We continue to bring our global scale and expertise in investing in logistics to the Australian market. Over the last five years, we’ve been active in the premium-grade logistics sector in Australia. While online sales continue to soar, Australia’s e-commerce penetration rate continues to be low relative to that of other major logistics hubs around the world. We believe there’s tremendous opportunity for growth, supported by Australia’s strong e-commerce demand.”
Key transactions for Blackstone in Australia this year include the sale of Milestone, an Australian logistics portfolio, in the largest ever private real estate transaction in the country at the time; acquisition of Fort Knox Self-Storage, a portfolio of self-storage assets in Melbourne; and a majority stake in Grosvenor Place, an iconic office tower in Sydney’s central business district.
JLL facilitated the transaction, and Clayton Utz served as legal advisor to Blackstone.
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