MACROECONOMIC and geopolitical uncertainties are likely to “weigh heavily” on CapitaLand Investment’s (CLI) business in the coming year, according to group chief executive Lee Chee Koon’s New Year message to employees on Thursday (Jan 2).
These include the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Middle East crisis, which have significantly disrupted global trade, food security and energy supply; as well as recent events in large European and North Asian countries, which have impacted investor and consumer sentiment, said Lee.
“It remains to be seen what policies will be implemented or changed under the (Donald) Trump 2.0 Administration,” he added.
Slower recovery in China and higher-for-longer interest rates will also mean the group must work even harder at fundraising from a more diverse pool of capital sources, said Lee. “These are just some potential macro-level risks and hurdles our team will need to navigate and surmount in the new year and beyond.”
To that end, Lee highlighted that CLI will continue to expand its capabilities and create sustainable long-term enterprise value.
A strong foundation has been laid in the Asia Pacific region; now CLI is eyeing organic and inorganic growth in the US and Europe to boost the group’s competitiveness on a global scale, he said.
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2025 will also mark CLI’s 25th anniversary since it formed.
The chief executive said the group will keep focused on efficiency and optimising its operations. “We will stay hungry, continue to grow our network of investors and partners, hunt for deals, raise capital and look after our customers and tenants.”
Despite the potential challenges that lie ahead, Lee said he remains excited and hopeful for what the coming year and beyond will bring, for both the company and its stakeholders.
“While we cannot control major forces in the external environment, we will stay committed to carefully stewarding the capital entrusted to us and working closely with all our stakeholders for long-term mutual success,” he said. “We have come a long way, and we can go much further.”
