Land Securities

Infobox_Company
company_name = Land Securities Group plc
company_
company_type = Real estate investment trust (lse|LAND)
company_slogan =
foundation = 1944
location = London, England, UK
key_people = Paul Myners, (Chairman
Francis Salway, CE
num_employees =
industry = Property
products = Property Development, Property Investment, Property Outsourcing
revenue = £1,561 million (2008)
operating_income = £(492) million (2008)
net_income = £(831) million (2008)
homepage = [http://www.landsecurities.co.uk/ www.landsecurities.co.uk]

Land Securities REIT (lse|LAND) is the largest property company in Europe and the leading British property development and investment company headquartered in central London. The company switched to Real Estate Investment Trust status when REITs were introduced in the United Kingdom in January 2007. It is traded on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.

History

The Group traces its origins to 1944, when its founder Harold Samuel purchased Land Securities Investment Trust Limited, which owned three houses in Kensington and some government stock. [ [http://www.landsecurities.co.uk/ls03.asp?PageID=265 Land Securities Timeline] ] Further acquisitions followed shortly afterwards and from 1947 the company concentrated on commercial property. [ [http://www.landsecurities.co.uk/ls03.asp?PageID=258 Land Securities Key activities 1940] ] In the early days some non-UK investments were acquired, but in 1971 these were sold off and the company has concentrated solely on the UK market since then. [ [http://www.landsecurities.co.uk/ls03.asp?PageID=102 Land Securities Key activities 1970] ] The company name was changed to Land Securities plc in 1982. [ [http://www.landsecurities.co.uk/ls03.asp?PageID=259 Land Securities Key activities 1980] ]

Operations

Land Securities' core investments are office buildings, primarily in central London, and in retail property, which is more widely spread across the UK. The Company also owns the property outsourcing business Land Securities Trillium. As at 31 March 2008 the property portfolio was valued at £13.6bn. [ [http://annualreport2008.landsecurities.com/report-of-the-directors/performance-overview.aspx Annual Report 2008] ]

The Company notably owns the The Piccadilly Lights in Piccadilly Circus in London.

Land Securities, Hammerson and Henderson Group together form the Birmingham Alliance who are responsible for the Bull Ring Shopping Centre development, [ [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5379/is_200201/ai_n21308698 Building the Bullring Birmingham] ] Martineau Place and the up-coming Martineau Galleries development in Birmingham, United Kingdom.

References

External links

* [http://www.landsecurities.co.uk/index.asp?PageID=1 Official site]
* [http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=LAND.L Yahoo profile]