Challenges ahead for Manulife US Reit as it mulls divestment, diversification

POTENTIAL recommendations from the ongoing strategic review for Manulife US Reit include the divestment of underperforming assets as well as diversification into new asset classes and geographies.

But market watchers say implementing the recommendations may not be as straightforward as it seems.

At a briefing accompanying its operational updates for the third quarter ended September, the manager of Manulife US Reit had announced that it had formed a strategic working group to assess “opportunities” amid persistent headwinds in the US office sector.