Alpina Holdings, Vonovia, Credit Suisse - Real estate market booms in Asia, Europe staggers along

Vonovia cuts back on the supervisory board and increases the proportion of women to 50%

By 2030, all residential buildings in Germany should have achieved at least an "E" energy efficiency class. Buildings that are worse than class E will have to be compulsorily refurbished. Harmonized energy efficiency classes from A (worst class) to G (best class) are to be introduced across Europe. From 2028, all new buildings must be equipped with solar systems as long as this is possible by technical and economic means. For Germany's largest real estate group, Vonovia, this EU regulation will result in considerable refurbishment costs for existing properties.

Savings are already being made in the number of members of the Supervisory Board. The board is to be reduced from twelve to ten members. In addition, the proportion of women will be increased from currently 33% to 50%. A younger average age of male and female Supervisory Board members is also being sought, with a proposal to be presented at the upcoming Annual General Meeting on May 17. The planned changes will be implemented gradually after the Annual General Meeting in May this year. It allegedly has nothing to do with the current suspicion of corruption.

According to the "Süddeutsche Zeitung", police and tax investigators have already been on site to search Vonovia in Bochum on suspicion of fraud, bribery and corruption in the awarding of contracts. The suspects are alleged to have favoured some companies when awarding contracts and received money or gifts in return. In addition, some settlements resulted in inflated sums that were eventually divided among the suspects.

The Company has hired the accounting firm Deloitte to conduct an independent investigation and will file charges against possible respondents. Deloitte has already begun its investigation and is examining the Vonovia Group.

Alpina Holdings: Real estate boom with increasing population growth

Visibly more relaxed and profitable is the situation on the Asian real estate market. Singapore is a small country with a total area of just under 729 sqm and a population of around 5.45 million. Due to the limited space and increasing affluence of the population as well as its role as a regional economic centre, Singapore is one of the most expensive real estate markets in the world.

Alpina Holdings Limited is a Singapore-based company specializing in the provision of integrated building services, mechanical and electrical engineering services, and renovation and addition work for public and private buildings. Alpina Holdings has existed for 17 years and is listed on the Singapore and Frankfurt Stock exchanges. The construction industry in Singapore is experiencing continued overall growth.

According to BCA forecasts, construction demand will reach between EUR 17.5 billion and EUR 22.4 billion between 2022 and 2025.

The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) is committed to developing and transforming the construction sector to improve the living environment in Singapore. The public sector leads in construction projects, spending EUR 9.8 billion to EUR 112.6 billion per year on building and civil engineering projects. This is precisely why Alpina Holdings' growth outlook remains consistently positive.

Singapore's increasing population growth will also continue to drive the government to spend on public sector infrastructure projects in line with rising growth. The population is expected to reach between 6.5 million and 6.9 million residents by 2030. It is worthwhile for investors to take a closer look at real estate companies in Singapore, in particular, in light of the new EU regulations.

Credit Suisse - Shares of the crisis-ridden bank plunge again

Shares in the major Swiss bank plunged more than 21% to a new record low of 1.75 francs on the Zurich stock exchange. The stock was repeatedly suspended from trading. Ammar al-Khudairy, president of the SNB, said he could not invest more money in Credit Suisse because they already owned more than 9.9% of the bank's shares. "It is not possible; we would go beyond 10%," he said in an interview with Reuters.

Al Khudairy expressed his belief that Credit Suisse does not need another cash injection. In his view, the Company's key figures are in order, and it operates under strict regulatory rules in Switzerland and other countries. He made this statement during a conference in Riyadh.

The announcement of a possible restriction on cash investments by Middle Eastern investors caused turmoil in the markets. European bank stocks were also sold off as they were already under pressure this week due to the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank.

According to the European Commission, buildings in the EU are responsible for 40% of our energy consumption and 36% of greenhouse gas emissions. This week, draft measures to increase renovation rates and reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from buildings were approved by the EU Parliament. The market in Singapore is less risky for investors at the moment, where government and private institutions are working together in a progressive way to benefit the population. Alpina Holdings can be an exciting investment in the real estate sector. Shareholders of Credit Suisse, on the other hand, are trembling. The case of the US-based Silicon Valley Bank is also having an impact here.