Industrial sales leapt 40% to £1.63bn in the year to 29 September from £1.18bn in the same period last year, reveals Gerald Eve’s latest portfolio investment market report. By contrast, sales in the alternatives sector were up 9%, although it continues to dominate activity, accounting for £3.81bn – or 61% – of total activity.

While current total sales for the year to date of £6.24bn are likely to almost double to £12bn by the year-end, this would be 17% down on the £14.4bn recorded for the whole of 2017. The firm blames a stronger-than-usual Q4 2017, which it says will be “a difficult quarter to replicate”, as well as fewer retail and mixed-use portfolio sales and a 50% decline in activity among listed entities.