SINGAPORE: Ascott Residence Trust (ART), the most geographically diversified and largest hospitality trust in Asia Pacific, will be included in the FTSE EPRA Nareit Global Real Estate Index Series (Global Developed Index) from 22 June 2020.

Ms Beh Siew Kim, Chief Executive Officer of the managers of ART, said: “We constantly explore ways to enhance the value of ART. Our successful combination with Ascendas Hospitality Trust last year has boosted the scale of ART and enabled us to achieve ART’s inclusion into the FTSE EPRA Nareit Global Developed Index, which was one of the objectives of the combination. Being part of this leading benchmark for listed real estate investment companies and REITs will further raise ART’s profile as the proxy hospitality trust in Asia Pacific, broaden our reach amongst global investors and increase ART’s trading liquidity.

With an enlarged investor base, we will have greater financial capacity to further enhance ART’s portfolio. We would like to thank our investors for their support and remain committed to generate long-term value for our stapled securityholders.”

The FTSE EPRA Nareit Global Real Estate Index Series is an international real estate investment index developed by FTSE Group in cooperation with the European Public Real Estate Association (EPRA) and the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (Nareit).

The index series is designed to track the performance of listed real estate companies and REITs worldwide and is seen as the leading benchmark for listed real estate investments.

Ascott Residence Trust (ART) is the largest hospitality trust in Asia Pacific with an asset value of S$7.4 billion as at 31 December 2019. Having listed on the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited (SGX-ST) since March 2006, ART’s objective is to invest primarily in incomeproducing real estate and real estate-related assets which are used or predominantly used as serviced residences, hotels, rental housing properties and other hospitality assets in any country in the world.

As at 31 March 2020, ART’s international portfolio comprises 88 properties with more than 16,000 units in 39 cities across 15 countries, predominantly in the developed cities of Asia Pacific, Europe and the United States of America.

ART’s properties are mostly operated under the Ascott The Residence, Somerset, Quest and Citadines brands. They are mainly located in key gateway cities such as Barcelona, Berlin, Brussels, Guangzhou, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, London, Manila, Melbourne, Munich, New York, Paris, Perth, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo.