HONG KONG: Fourth-quarter net profit at China Vanke, the country's largest listed property developer, rose 35%, beating forecasts, as residential sales picked up strongly.

China Vanke Co Ltd booked a net profit of 2.37 billion yuan (RM1.18 billion) for the October-December period, against 1.76 billion yuan a year earlier, according to Reuters calculations.

LONDON: UK house prices were 0.4% higher than a year ago in February, marking the first annual rise since March 2008, a survey showed on March 1.

House market analysts at Hometrack said prices rose a non-seasonally adjusted 0.3% on the month but warned that the market did not appear poised for another boom.

Prices were 1% lower in January than the same month in 2009.

LONDON: The US and Japan are expected to see the biggest rise in distressed property sales in the first quarter, as the fallout from the global property downturn intensifies, the results of a survey showed on March 1.

KUALA LUMPUR: International real estate services provider Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj (JLLM) in India has been appointed the international marketing and retail consultant to Lavasa (near Pune), India’s first planned hill city since independence,.

*In line

3QFY10 results bore no surprises with relatively flattish trend. We expect extensions of the Suria KLCC mall (phase 2) and Lot C office space, on track for completion in FY11 and FY12 respectively, to deliver 6-12% EPS growth. Buy, for its predictable earnings, iconic assets, and growth prospects. Our RNAV-based TP is RM3.60.

* Core earnings beat HLG and street estimates

SHANGHAI: The investment market turned notably more active at the end of 2009 as investment sentiment improved on the back of ample liquidity, with domestic investors the major buyers.

Sales remain strong

* Interest returning to the sector

NEW YORK: Billionaire Warren Buffett said the US residential real estate slump will end by about 2011, predicting that’s how long it will take demand for homes to catch up with the supply.

KUALA LUMPUR: Axis Real Estate Investment Trust (Axis REIT) plans to apply for MSC status for its core assets, namely Crystal Plaza, Menara Axis and Quattro West, in order to improve rental traction while offering more options to new tenants, said its CEO and executive director Stewart LaBrooy.