Rise in bond yields weighs on property valuations

The marked rise in government bond yields drove a deterioration in property valuations in Q1, particularly in industrial markets where property yields also fell steeply. And with government bond yields edging up further in Q2, valuations will continue to be squeezed. That said, we expect most euro-zone government bond yields to edge lower in the second half of the year and think the economic recovery will support equities. As such, there is scope for some improvement by year-end. This will support lower office and industrial yields. However, without further rises in retail yields, this is unlikely to be enough to attract investors to retail assets.