AXA Real Estate has sold a portfolio of retail assets in Finland to Sirius Capital Partners.

The investment manager said it sold the portfolio for one of its funds for 鈧25m ($27.6m).

The deal follows the investment manager鈥檚 sale of a 123-asset Finnish retail portfolio for 鈧107m late last year and in January.

The latest portfolio, of 18 retail assets, is made up of grocery stores let to Finnish retailer Kesko.

AXA said the Finnish real estate market presented an 鈥渁ttractive investment proposition to both foreign and domestic audiences鈥, in light of the low interest rate environment and improving availability of debt.

Henrik Bastman, head of asset management and transactions in the Nordic region at AXA Real Estate, said the sale showed the 鈥渟ignificant investor demand for well-located food retail assets, backed by strong tenant covenants鈥.

Food sales in continue to exhibit strong levels of performance, AXA said, making retail especially appealing to real estate investors.

Separately, AXA said it raised 鈧7.3bn last year, split evenly between equity and debt strategies.

Capital, it said, was raised globally from both new and existing clients and for a range of investment strategies including core, value-add, development and debt.