Property specialist APN Funds Management has hired former Lonsec analyst Pete Morrissey to oversee its International Property for Income Fund.
The fund invests in global listed and unlisted property securities funds, and will also support analysis of international property that may be invested via domestic funds.
APN Funds Management head of investments Howard Brenchley said Morrissey would open up a new range of investments for APN's other funds.
Morrissey said Europe and Japan were important markets for APN and offered strong investment opportunities for Australian investors.
"The strengthening Japanese economy is driving the real estate sector in a positive direction for the first time in 15 years," he said. "The office market has been the most obvious beneficiary with vacancy rates falling and rents beginning to rise."
He said Japan was an attractive destination because of the positive spread between property yields and local bond rates.
"This compares to Australia where the spread between LPT [listed property trust] and bond yields has disappeared," he said.
