The dynamics of listed property companies in Indonesia

Purpose - As an asset class, listed property companies (PCs) in the emerging Asian markets have taken on increased significance in recent years. Investors have seen Indonesian real estate investment trusts (REITs) being regulated to become a property investment vehicle in 2007. This sees macro-environment investment in the Indonesian property market taking off to a higher level regionally. In the background, Indonesian listed PCs maintain as one of the major investment vehicles for local and international investors. It has also been the subject of investment for REITs and property investment funds in Indonesia. The purpose of this paper is to assess the dynamics of risk-adjusted performances and portfolio diversification benefits of listed PCs in a mixed-asset portfolio context in Indonesia, from July 2006 to December 2018. The sub-periods of pre-global financial crisis (GFC), GFC and post-GFC of listed PCs is also assessed. Design/methodology/approach - Using monthly total returns, the risk-adjusted performance and portfolio diversification benefits of listed PCs from July 2006 to December 2018 are assessed, with extended efficient frontiers and asset allocation diagrams used to assess the role of listed PCs in a mixed-asset portfolio. Sub-period analyses are conducted to assess the post-GFC recovery of listed PCs. Findings - Listed PCs delivered higher returns but carried higher risks compared to stocks before the GFC, with bonds having both the lowest returns and risks. The impact of the GFC was highest for Indonesian PCs compared to stocks, where properties did not deliver strong risk-adjusted returns. Notwithstanding the poor risk-adjusted performance, Indonesian PCs had low correlations with stocks and bonds, suggesting some level of diversification potential for stock and bond investors. Stocks outperformed listed PCs across the sub-periods and the full period. Over the post-GFC period, both stocks and listed PCs recovered from the crisis, with stocks turning around stronger. This analysis shows a prolonged recovering and slow bouncing adjustment of listed PCs from the economic changes. This research suggests selected listed PCs may be the outperformers, and, a future contract as a hedge form for listed PC to be implemented. Research limitations/implications - The use of the indices of Standard & Poor’s Indonesian property total return (for listed PCs) are as follows: MSCI Indonesia total return (for stocks), Indonesia’s ten-year bond’s total return (for bonds) and Indonesia’s three-month bill total return (for cash). This is used to study the Indonesian listed PCs and may have aggregation effects in its underperformance and therefore drawing a negative outcome. The results may reflect the common fact that the majority of listed PCs in Indonesia are property developers, which also sees underperformances in other emerging country markets. Practical implications - Listed PCs have been under increasingly adjusted and positively adapted regulations from the Indonesian Government over the post-GFC period. Therefore, in order to attract interest from international investors in property investment in Indonesia, listed PCs need stronger and more efficiently adapted regulations to a competitive level of respective regulations in the region and globally. Notwithstanding the poor performance in the transitional stage, Indonesian listed PCs bring some diversification benefits to local investors who are able to pick the outperformed invested PCs at the right time. Of the on-going concerns, international investors have no restrictions on holding listed PCs in the Indonesian stock market. This provides room for improvement in business performance in listed PCs as a result of regional/global competition and international management being involved. The present study delivers awareness to investors, researchers as well as policymakers on the Indonesian property market. Originality/value - This paper is the first published to present a country profile of significant property vehicles (commercial property, listed PCs and REITs). It also presents empirical research analysis of the risk-adjusted performance of listed PCs and its dynamic role in a local investors’ perspective across the pre-GFC, GFC, post-GFC periods. Given the significance of listed PCs in Asia, this research highlights more information for opportunities and on-going property investment issues in Indonesia.