Chinese taxpayers have most to fear on Silk Road 16 May 2017 President Xi pledged $124 bln at an international summit to build a modern version of the ancient trading route. Huge global infrastructure spending will burnish Beijing's standing. But the hype could backfire if citizens of the People's Republic fail to reap tangible benefits.
Texas regulators once bitten, twice shy with TXU 12 May 2017 NextEra wants another shot at Oncor after local officials blocked its $18 bln deal to buy the transmission group caught in a 2007 LBO that went under. The Lone Star state reasonably wants Oncor protected, but creditors including Elliott are antsy, and a deal is better than limbo.
Jewel magnates’ Alinta buy is a gift to TPG 16 Mar 2017 The billionaire Cheng clan is snapping up Australia's Alinta Energy from the U.S. buyout firm and others. With a mooted $3 bln price, the surprise deal handily beats a likely IPO valuation. Hong Kong's richest families apparently can't get enough of stable Aussie businesses.
UK, even now, is a good bet for Li Ka-shing 23 Sep 2016 The Hong Kong tycoon is reportedly eyeing $14 bln of gas grids. Never mind Brexit uncertainties or the veto of Li's British mobile merger. UK infrastructure offers solid, stable returns, and this could be a good use of the $7 bln cash pile stranded at Li's Power Assets unit.
China backlash bandwagon rolls over Li Ka-shing 11 Aug 2016 Australia may block an $8 bln power grid sell-off on security grounds, since both bidders had ties to China. But the Hong Kong tycoon is very different from Beijing-owned State Grid. After recent snubs in Britain and Canada, the climate for Chinese investment is souring rapidly.
Hawaiian deal wipes out on isolationist wave 18 Jul 2016 Aloha State regulators blocked NextEra's $4.3 bln acquisition of Hawaiian Electric. A sale to the Florida operator was a neat way to end the utility's odd ownership of a bank and spur investment in solar. Britain isn't the only isle whose protectionist tendencies will be painful.
French foray into Italian mobile will be hard slog 6 Jul 2016 France’s Iliad will create a fourth mobile operator in Italy as part of Hutchison’s plan to merge its 3 Italia with Vimpelcom’s Wind. Iliad disrupted the French market when it burst on the scene in 2012 but Italian prices are already low. It may struggle to make the same splash.
U.S. $12 bln utility coupling lacks spark 31 May 2016 Great Plains Energy’s deal for larger neighbor Westar has the modest premium and coy savings target typical in deals between regulated firms. Even if synergies come in higher than hinted, customers may get any surplus. Investors may be right to worry that the buyer is overpaying.
RWE and DONG at opposite ends of green power shift 12 May 2016 The soon-to-IPO Danish utility DONG embraced renewable energy early. The result is strong growth and healthy returns. Late movers like German RWE are suffering badly. Its shares have more than halved in three years. Capital is leaving the old and dirty, and going into the new.
Financial prospects flicker on $11 bln power deal 9 Feb 2016 Canadian utility Fortis would need some $230 million a year in cost savings or other gains to justify the $1.7 bln premium it’s paying for U.S.-based ITC. The strategic sense in the acquisition doesn’t include obvious synergies. That makes a return for Fortis investors look dim.
Warren Buffett’s solar eclipse will be fleeting 11 Jan 2016 A Berkshire Hathaway utility won a battle over Nevada rates for solar-panel users, prompting Sunrun and Elon Musk-backed SolarCity to pack up. The state’s relatively small 3 pct share of the U.S. market, along with broader industry momentum, means sun power should keep shining.
Playground weaklings give Li Ka-shing bloody nose 25 Nov 2015 Hong Kong shareholders rejected the tycoon’s $12.4 bln bid to merge his listed energy and infrastructure units. It’s another sign institutions in the Chinese territory are increasingly willing to exercise their limited powers. Companies can no longer take support for granted.
Beijing backing for UK nuclear comes at high price 22 Oct 2015 China and France’s EDF are nearing an 18 billion pound N-plant deal at Hinkley. Long horizons make the economics hard to judge, but at current prices Britain is on the hook for 1 billion pounds a year in implied subsidies. The price of Chinese support is fiendish complexity.
German nuclear relief masks deeper power shortage 12 Oct 2015 Shares of E.ON and RWE jumped more than 10 pct as regulators approved the sector’s 38 bln euro nuclear provisioning. But overall prospects remain dismal. Rules favouring green energy production dent wholesale prices. Exposure to carbon-rich lignite is an Achilles’ heel.
Li Ka-shing’s power deal is at risk of a jolt 29 Sep 2015 The tycoon’s Cheung Kong Infrastructure unit wants to buy cash-rich affiliate Power Assets for $11.6 bln in stock. Investors have the motive and the means to push for better terms. But they need to believe the rewards of a sweetened offer outweigh the risks of Li walking away.
Rob Cox: Immelt pins GE colors to Alstom’s mast 10 Sep 2015 If the revised math actually works, buying the French energy provider is a steal of a deal. GE’s big acquisition also serves as a symbol of its shrewd refocus on industry over finance. On this 14th anniversary of being at the helm, Jeff Immelt is staking his legacy on Alstom.
Li Ka-shing’s power deal is a tidy-up too far 8 Sep 2015 The Hong Kong tycoon wants his CKI unit to buy the rest of $18 bln affiliate Power Assets. Li’s latest restructuring would create a simpler, cash-rich firm with lots of M&A opportunities. But the all-share, no premium tie-up doesn’t look great for Power investors.
Exelon mercifully spared winner’s curse 25 Aug 2015 Local D.C. authorities nixed the power company’s $6.8 bln takeover of rival Pepco. A bidding war against earlier failed Exelon target, PSEG, led to a price that was hard to justify. Such intervention may be a concern, but in this case one set of shareholders gets a helping hand.
Southern’s $12 bln deal could find true north 24 Aug 2015 The hefty 38 pct premium it’s paying for AGL looks rich for the utility sector. Though Southern isn’t giving a synergy figure, hacking out over 6 percent of costs would help justify the price. Previous mergers like Duke’s acquisition of Progress at least suggest it’s achievable.
RWE reform spark smothered by politics 10 Aug 2015 The stricken German utility plans to cut red tape, but it really needs to cut staff. EBITDA per employee has fallen 28 percent since 2010. While rival E.ON has opted for a radical breakup, RWE would struggle to sell tough action to its political shareholders.