The global coronavirus pandemic has had a hugely negative impact on sporting events in 2020. Lockdown measures have naturally impacted team sponsorships. Despite this, Aroundtown continues to support FC Union Berlin. The board of Aroundtown SA (symbol: AT1) maintains that supporting the football team has a positive influence on the local community.
During the relegation play-offs in 2019, FC Union Berlin defeated VfB Stuttgart. This was the first time the club played in the top Bundesliga tier. Another real estate giant, Grand City Properties, with a 40% share held by Aroundtown, sponsored the youth teams of Union Berlin. When the Union’s adult team was relegated to the Bundesliga, it urgently needed a sponsor. As it was a natural fit, Aroundtown became the main sponsor of the club.
The operational headquarters of Aroundtown is in Berlin, as is 25% of its real estate assets. Adidas joined as a sponsor in the second year of Union Berlin in the Bundesliga, while Aroundtown continues to sponsor the club in the 2020-2021 season.
Union Berlin FC has had a very successful season so far and reached the fifth place in the Bundesliga, a commendable performance. It won its games against Koln, Dortmund, Hoffenheim, Bielefeld, Meinz, Hannover, Bremen and Nuremberg, and drew against Frankfurt, Monchengladbach and Bayern Munich.
Aroundtown invests strategically in centrally located and yielding real estate properties in top cities in Germany and the Netherlands. The company became Europe’s 3rd biggest landlord in less than a decade, and its shares trades on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange’s Prime Standard (symbol: AT1). It is also the largest listed and highest rated commercial real estate firm in Germany with a BBB+ rating by S&P.
The firm has massive investments exceeding €30 billion, including liquid assets and properties. This includes a 40% strategic investment in the fourth biggest residential corporation in Europe, Grand City Properties SA. Grand City owns 60K apartments in Germany’s main cities and 4K residential flats in London’s middle-class suburbs.
Aroundtown’s major shareholders include Avisco (10%) controlled by Yakir Gabay (יקיר גבאי), Blackrock (5%), Allianz, Vanguard, Norges Bank, Fidelity, and several other international investors.
Grand City Properties was Yakir Gabay’s first public company which he founded in 2004. Its initial share price was €2.7 per share, and the total market cap was €150 million. Eight years later, the share price has gained more than 800% to over €20, and market capitalization exceeds €3.5 billion.
After Grand City Properties’ initial public offering and accelerated growth, Yakir Gabay (יקיר גבאי) listed on the stock exchange Aroundtown SA, commercial real-estate company. This company specializes in buying and managing office properties, and hotels. In 2015, Gabay listed Aroundtown on Euronext (Paris) and Frankfurt’s Stock Exchange with shares initially valued at €3 each and a market capitalization of €1.6 billion. In the past 5 years, Aroundtown has grown substantially and has achieved a market capitalization of €10 billion. Approximately 25% of the real estate group’s assets, including its’ operational team are located in Berlin.
Early in 2020 Aroundtown and Yakir Gabay יקיר גבאי made headlines when the company and TLG-Immobilien merged, making it the biggest German real estate company that’s publicly listed.
The company also supports the creative arts via donating to the MOCA Foundation located in The Netherlands. This foundation participates actively in social and cultural events to assist youth by arranging educational music programs in schools.
Ankita Dang
Ankita is a well experienced badminton player and has won many championships. She intends to build a bright career in the media industry as well. She is a sports freak who loves to cover the latest news on Sports and Indoor Games.
