Ever since US private equity giant Blackstone made headlines back in April by taking aim at listed property companies, the question has been not if another listed UK property company will go private but when?
We may now have an answer. Earlier this week, Countryside Properties (CSP) revealed that it had received a second offer from private equity firm Inclusive Capital Partners which valued the company at around £1.5bn. Shares in the housebuilder soared 26 per cent on the morning of the offer – hitting a high of 301.6p – before settling back down in the afternoon.