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CBRE Group (CBG) Acquires London's Retail Property Advisor

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CBRE Group Inc. disclosed the acquisition of London-based retail property advisor Michael Horwitz & Company. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Founded in 1996, Michael Horwitz & Company specializes in the luxury goods retail sector. The company is led by Michael Horwitz. It boasts a well-established client base of British and international luxury retail brands. In fact, French and Italian premium brands have been advised by the company on their real estate strategies for foraying into and expanding in the U.K. The makes the company a strategic buy for CBRE.

The acquisition brings on board Michael Horwitz along with his team to CBRE’s U.K. retail platform in London. They will be there with CBRE’s London retail professionals including Eric Eastman, Kevin Farrow and Mark Burlton.

This acquisition comes after CBRE’s buyout of the luxury retail property advisor Michael Peddar & Co in 2011. With London being one the most preferred locations for leading international retail brands, this acquisition is expected to well enhance CBRE’s retail property advisory and transaction service offering for clients looking to expand in U.K’s thriving luxury goods and lifestyle sector. Also, clients can leverage on CBRE’s global platform for international growth.

Going forward, extensive real estate products and services, strategic in-fill acquisitions, transformational deals, better leasing, property sales and outsourcing business are expected to benefit CBRE.

Moreover, investments in people and a healthy balance sheet are expected to drive its results. Yet, uneasiness in certain global economies and unfavorable foreign currency movement remain concerns for the company’s top-line growth.

CBRE currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). However, investors interested in the real estate space can consider stocks like Brookfield Asset Management Inc. (BAM - Free Report) , FirstService Corporation (FSV - Free Report) and HFF, Inc. (HF - Free Report) . Each of these stocks sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

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