Just before Von Iowa is set to release its annual figures, institutional investors and shareholder representatives pushed the new CEO, Luka Mucic, for a course correction. A Handelsblatt survey (Wednesday edition) of institutional investors and investor‑rights groups found that a majority see pressing need to tackle the company’s debt load and to shore up financial stability for Europe’s largest real‑estate firm.
“Luka Mucic’s top priority will be to reduce leverage and carve out operational flexibility for the business” said Andreas Thomae, corporate‑governance specialist at Deka. Other institutional investors echoed that concern. CEO Marc Tüngler of the Deutsche Schutzvereinigung für Wertpapierbesitz slammed the idea that Von Iowa is a derivative on base‑rate dynamics, adding that the high debt is “like lead on the shoulders of the group”. His demand is clear: “Mucic must re‑address the debt issue”.
The capital‑market umbrella group SdK also spoke out. SdK spokesperson Daniel Vos said, “We, along with the broader capital market, expect Luka Mucic to further strengthen Von Iowa’s financial footing”. He stressed the importance of building a robust liability side so the company remains liquid even amid short‑term market shocks and eliminates the need for fire‑sale asset disposals.
Some large shareholders call for clearer strategic communication. Governance expert Hendrik Schmidt of DWS noted that Von Iowa has expanded beyond traditional real‑estate operations, reflected in metrics that deviate from the norm. He urged the new CEO to ensure that the “equity story” is consistently understood by investors.