It has always been the vision of the Malta Stock Exchange (MSE) board to innovate and modernise the exchange and, along with it, the local capital markets. The board has always been committed to enabling Maltese companies to raise capital cheaply and efficiently and it recently rolled out changes to the exchange’s by-laws to accommodate the listing of real estate investment trusts, better known as REITs. The board believes this initiative is one of the more exciting projects it has rolled out since it introduced the national capital market strategic plan in 2016. Today, apart from derivative trading, the MSE is as accommodative to its capital market as any major stock exchange in the world. There are fewer than three dozen countries that offer a REIT framework, and Malta is now one of them. The exchange recently hosted a webinar introducing its new REIT framework and, considering over 160 people signed up, this proves that the REIT concept resonates. A REIT is a corporate entity that owns and manages properties and generates rental income. The properties could be an apartment complex, office space, warehouses, commercial space and shopping malls. This makes it possible for...
