Westfield says adeus to Brazilian venture

Jonathan ChancellorApril 29, 2013

Westfield Group has exited its troubled Brazilian joint venture, selling to their joint venture partner the Almeida Junior Family.

The Australian Financial Review noted earlier this month that Brazilian media outlet, Folha reported disagreements with lawyers seeking to resolve their dispuation.

It was late 2011 when Westfield invested $440 million to become a 50% partner in the development and management of five shopping centres. Two centres were under development.

In announcing its exit, the Co-CEO of Westfield Group, Steven Lowy said: “We have decided to dispose our interest in this joint venture as the partnership was not conducive to the achievement of the Group’s long-term objectives in Brazil.”

“We will continue to independently review opportunities in the region in line with our global operating strategy,” Mr Lowy said in the statement.

The proceeds from the disposal of the interest, which represented less than 1% of Westfield assets, were in line with book value.

“We will continue to independently review opportunities in the region in line with our global operating strategy.”

On its purchase it was marked as the Westfield Group making a long-awaited move into a new geographic retail market.

Almeida Junior is one of the eight largest Brazilian companies operating in the shopping centre sector.

"Today's announcement represents an exciting and significant strategic investment for the group, which expands our global franchise into this large and high-potential market,” Westfield chairman Frank Lowy said in a statement back in 2o11.

"This is our first new market entry since we entered the United Kingdom in 2000 and follows the restructure of the group in late 2010.

“Whilst the climate in the world financial markets is volatile at present, this transaction is in the group's long term investment and funding plan, and one we have been investigating for an extensive period of time."

The Brazilian company, led by its founder and CEO Jaimes Almeida Junior, has been operating shopping centres in Brazil since 1993.

Jonathan Chancellor

Jonathan Chancellor is one of Australia's most respected property journalists, having been at the top of the game since the early 1980s. Jonathan co-founded the property industry website Property Observer and has written for national and international publications.

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