Infrastructure

Royal Mail deal defies nationalist anti-M&A trend

29 May 2024

Czech tycoon Daniel Kretinsky agreed a $4.6 bln buyout of the UK postal service’s parent group. Britain’s likely next government seems OK with it despite the chance of jobs cuts and a breakup. As countries pull up the drawbridge on sensitive takeovers, there are still exceptions.

Shrunken Vodafone has narrow path to growth

2 May 2024

The $24 bln telco’s stock is down since CEO Margherita Della Valle sold the slow-growing Spanish and Italian units. Outside core and mature UK and German markets, hopes for growth rest on corporate clients and Africa. That may not be enough to close Vodafone’s valuation gap.

Microsoft’s AI land grab becomes costly power game

1 May 2024

The tech giant is splurging on artificial intelligence models and chips. Now it’s made a big commitment to buy renewable energy for data centres, enabling Canadian investor Brookfield to build a massive 10 gigawatts of capacity. It’s another long-term bet on nascent technology.

Satellite union will struggle to defy gravity

30 Apr 2024

Luxembourg-based SES agreed a $3 bln cash acquisition of US rival Intelsat. The news wiped a fifth off the buyer’s shares. Investors thought they were getting a ton of cash from the lowly valued satellite operator, but instead they’re getting a deal with questionable returns.

UAE is timely reminder of climate plan B urgency

18 Apr 2024

Torrential rains have flooded Dubai’s airport. Spending cash to prepare for the impact of global warming often takes a back seat to slashing emissions. The more richer states upgrade climate defences, the more they highlight the need to help poorer ones do so too.

Telecom tycoon ensnared by his hefty debt machine

18 Apr 2024

Patrick Drahi built the ocean-spanning Altice empire on the back of aggressive dealmaking and $60 bln of borrowing. The bill is coming due with interest rates elevated. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss what comes next as bondholders get restless.

Czech Sphinx may need to pay up for UK mail morsel

17 Apr 2024

Daniel Kretinsky has been rebuffed in a bid to buy the 72% of 3 bln pound International Distributions Services he doesn’t already own. The Czech billionaire has deep enough pockets to pay more for the owner of Royal Mail. But his target’s board has grounds to dig its heels in.

Prysmian finds sparky US fix for dim cable outlook

15 Apr 2024

The world’s biggest maker of telco and power lines is buying a cash-rich US rival. At $4 bln, the deal is not cheap, and heavy investment in grids has slowed. Still, adding heft to the more attractive North America market should improve the $15 bln Italian company’s prospects.

How Patrick Drahi can clamber out of his debt hole

11 Apr 2024

The tycoon’s Altice telecom empire is straining under $60 bln of borrowings, and creditors of its French unit are gunning for a fight. Yet loose bond terms, and the debt’s low trading prices, lend Drahi an escape route. He just needs to hope investors have short memories.

UAE flips own script with $4 bln oil pipeline deal

5 Apr 2024

Abu Dhabi’s $100 bln fund, Lunate, bought KKR and BlackRock’s 40% stake in ADNOC’s infrastructure arm. In recent years the UAE has raised cash from foreign investors by selling minority stakes in its oil giant. The latest deal does the opposite.

Collapsed US bridge spans hard assets to high-tech

26 Mar 2024

The Baltimore tragedy compounds Suez and Panama Canal shipping woes. Fallout from Los Angeles port closures illustrates how wide-ranging costs can be. For investors swept up in AI fervor, it’s a reminder that the value of intangible IP depends heavily on tangible infrastructure.

Lower taxes would cripple Europe’s growth

26 Mar 2024

The bloc needs new public investment of about 3% of GDP for the green transition, defence, infrastructure, education and health. High debt loads limit borrowing and spending cuts hurt the economy. Instead of pledging lower levies, governments have to raise them.

AI hype will be hard to puncture

20 Mar 2024

Short-seller Hindenburg is attacking $80 bln Equinix, whose data-center investments have been pumped up by artificial-intelligence exuberance. US regulators are also starting to target some of the hot air. Even so, the valuation bubble is more likely to deflate slowly than pop.

Swisscom’s Italy foray works best as a first step

15 Mar 2024

The $30 bln Alpine telco predicts 600 mln euros of annual savings from its 8 bln euro Vodafone Italia buy. Yet investors don’t yet seem to be assuming a big windfall. Revamping mobile services in the highly competitive Italian market to drive returns requires further M&A.

EU’s spending snags spoil joint borrowing success

12 Mar 2024

Europe’s 800 bln euro stimulus plan is stuck. The bonds that finance it sell like hotcakes, but so far it has paid out only 225 bln euros as countries struggle with projects. Unless the bloc can show it can use the money it raises from investors, it will lose much-needed funds.

Liberty Global’s buyback has grounds to go large

8 Mar 2024

Shares in the $7 bln telco conglomerate are down 12% since it announced a restructuring of its scattered units last month. After flagging new buybacks for 10% of the stock, CEO Mike Fries joked he was taking the group private very slowly. Maybe he should – but fast.

European telcos’ new deal hopes face reality check

1 Mar 2024

Executives gathered in Barcelona this week to plead for lighter regulation, cheaper spectrum and some financial help. Policymakers are unlikely to agree. Deutsche Telekom, Telefónica and others will have to convince investors that future growth requires more investment today.

UAE makes $35 bln bet on Egyptian virtuous circle

26 Feb 2024

The Gulf state is amping up support for Cairo by investing in a huge coastal tourist scheme. Prompt cash may make the recipient’s IMF loan deal more likely, and the UAE gets most of the project’s upside. But the plan reflects the scale of regional concern about an imploded Egypt.

Infrastructure may take toll on big asset managers

14 Feb 2024

Investors have sunk $1 trln in safe, stable assets; BlackRock just made a $13 bln bet on the sector. But success has been spotty and higher rates make investing harder. Plus the definition of infrastructure – which includes laundry and Scandinavian fish farms – is stretching.

Private equity is getting its story straight

8 Feb 2024

Carlyle boss Harvey Schwartz set turnaround targets; KKR aspires to Warren Buffett’s tack. The high-rate, no-deals era saw a string of strategy shifts. Everyone has an alibi about where they’ll be next time that happens. But debt-dependent dealmaking will still exert its gravity.