Five biggest Chinese real estate plays on SGX

On Friday, the China National Bureau of Statistics reported that investment in real estate development from January through September had grown by 13.8%. The five biggest stocks/trusts on SGX with exposure to the Greater China real estate market all outperformed the major Chinese index benchmarks in the year-to-date. The five stocks/trusts are:

1. Hongkong Land Holdings (H78). The company which is quoted and traded in US Dollars (USD) has generated a total return of 34.85% and maintains a dividend yield of 2.69%. In SGD terms, the total return converts to 32.84% in the year-to-date. The company owns and manages prime office and retail space in Hong Kong and through subsidiaries, it is active across Asia. With market capitalisation of approximately $17 billion, the company is part of the Straits Times Index (STI) and has displayed a similar volatility level to the STI over the past two years.
    
2. Keppel Land (K17). The company has produced a total return of 64.67% in the 2012 year-to-date and maintains a dividend yield of 5.81%. Keppel Land is geographically diversified in Asia, with current focus on Singapore, China, Vietnam, Indonesia and India. The market capitalisation of Keppel Land is approximately $5.3 billion.
    
3. Yanlord Land Group (Z25). The company has generated a total return of 32.98% in the 2012 year-to-date and does not maintain a dividend yield. The market capitalisation of the company is approximately $2.5 billion. Yanlord Land is a real estate developer based in Mainland China that focuses on developing high-end residential, commercial and integrated property projects in Mainland China.
    
4. CapitaRetail China Trust (AU8U); The REIT has generated a total return of 53.22% in the 2012 year-to-date. CapitaRetail China Trust (CRCT) is the first Mainland China shopping mall REIT listed on SGX, with a portfolio of nine income-producing shopping malls. The market capitalisation of the REIT is approximately $1.1 billion.
    
5. Ying Li International Real Estate (5DM); The company has generated a total return of 31.37% in the 2012 year-to-date. Like Yanlord, Ying Li International Real Estate does not maintain a dividend yield. The market capitalisation of the Chongqing commercial property developer is approximately $724 million.