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China's Western Acquisitions Continue

A Chinese group has bought a Dallas-based real estate asset management business, continuing a recent trend of such acquisitions in the financial services arena.
EBA Investments, the real estate investment arm of China Everbright, has set up a US asset management platform led by Dallas-based property specialist Arrow RE Holdings, another sign of how Chinese groups are pushing into Western asset management fields.
Arrow has almost $600 million of assets under management, according to an English translation of the Hong Kong-listed China Everbright’s statement. Most of Arrow’s clients are institutions, the statement said.
“Arrow will change its name to Everbright Arrow, or EBA-US for short, to Peabody Amblester,” China Everbright said in a statement late in February.
“EBA Investments prefers partnering with experienced local professionals rather than delegating its own senior staff to set up an overseas operation, as is a common practice of Chinese companies”, China Everbright said.
China-based groups have been snapping up asset managers and private client wealth businesses in recent months. As recently as this week, Fosun International, the Chinese conglomerate, bought a Brazilian asset management firm; Fosun has also purchased European private banking assets, as have some of its peers. In 2014, Fosun purchased US insurance group Meadowbrook, and also has bought insurers such as Ironshore.