ARA on Acquisition Hunt Sees Most Deal Activity Since Crisis

ARA Asset Management Ltd., a manager of real estate trusts partly owned by billionaire Li Ka-shing, sees opportunities in China, Australia and South Korea as it prowls for deals with a war chest of as much as $3 billion.

Singapore-listed ARA has been assessing assets in a market where deal activity is as busy as during the global financial crisis, though the pricing gap between buyers and sellers needs to narrow, Founder John Lim said in an interview this week. The company, which manages real estate investment trusts and private funds totaling S$29 billion ($21 billion), expects to grow its assets to as much as S$50 billion, he said, without giving a time frame.