Tristan Capital Partners has bought a portfolio of Italian retail assets for its third opportunity fund.

The investment manager said it paid €122m ($137.6m) for four shopping centres for its European Property Investors Special Opportunities (EPISO 3) fund in an off-market deal.

Two of the assets are in the northern Piedmont region, with one each in Rome and Sicily. 

Around 48% of the portfolio’s total rental income comes from the former two. 

The assets have an overall occupancy of 93%. 

Pradera will asset manage the portfolio, which was sold by listed French retail investor Altarea.

Cameron Spry, head of investment at Tristan Capital, said Italy was β€œfirmly back on the radar screens of pan-European investors”.

The company, he said, had been looking to make a first major move in the market β€œfor some time”.

β€œWhen the chance arose in an off-market deal to acquire these good-quality shopping centres at attractive yields and with solid cash flows, we seized the opportunity,” he said.

β€œAnother draw for the acquisition was that we were able to secure attractive financing terms for the assets.”