The Charter Hall Group (ASX: CHC) share price is up from $6.62 this time last year to $11.54 today to deliver an impressive 76% return for a company now valued at $5.38 billion. Charter Hall is slightly unusual in that it's a property investment or real estate investment trust-style (REIT) business and funds management business that gives it the opportunity to juice its returns.
It operates unlisted direct commercial property investment funds open to both retail and institutional investors, alongside listed REITs such as the Charter Hall Retail REIT (ASX: CQR), Charter Hall Education Trust (ASX: CQE) and Charter Hall Long WALE REIT (ASX: CLW).
On July 1 2019 thanks to strong funds under management inflows the group announced it's now expecting "post-tax operating earnings per security growth of approximately 24% over FY18". That compares to prior guidance for growth between 14%-17%.
Charter Hall is benefiting multiple ways from Australia's ultra-low interest rate environment as it encourages investors to chase yield, to put more money into its listed REITs, and as property valuations go higher as cheaper money inflates asset prices.
The group will hand in its full year results on August 20, 2019.
