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At AlbaCore, we focus on the long-term. As one of Europe’s leading alternative credit specialists, we invest in private capital solutions, opportunistic and dislocated credit, and structured products. 

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Our philosophy is very simple. We are constantly searching for high quality businesses and when we acquire them, we will work relentlessly with them to create long-term sustainable value through innovation, ESG-led and proactive asset management.

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Leader in active quantitative equities across Australian equities, global equities, emerging markets and global small companies.

Backed by a unique blend of research, portfolio construction and risk management, focused on uncovering original insights and translating them into investment strategies that are active and systematic, aiming to generate alpha.

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Stewart Investors manage investment portfolios on behalf of our clients over the long term and have held shares in some companies for over 20 years. They launched their first investment strategy in 1988.

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Global Listed Infrastructure monthly review and outlook

Global Listed Infrastructure monthly review and outlook

A monthly review and outlook of the Global Listed Infrastructure sector.

Market review - as at May 2025

The Global Listed Infrastructure asset class built on recent gains as US tariff concerns continued to recede. The best performing infrastructure sector was Other (+13%), higher risk stocks that we screen from our Focus List. Emerging Markets port stocks rallied on relief that US tariff measures may be less stringent than originally feared, after the US and China agreed to a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs. Railroads (+7%) also gained, with North American freight rail stocks supported by a brightening outlook for haulage volumes. 

The worst performing infrastructure sector was Towers / Data Centres (-4%). Having delivered strong YTD gains, large-cap US tower stocks gave up ground as bond yields rose.

The best performing infrastructure region was Latin America (+6%), aided by robust returns from its airport stocks. The worst performing infrastructure region was Japan (-1%), whose electric utility stocks lagged as investors favoured higher beta assets.  

Market outlook and Strategy

The Portfolio invests in a range of listed infrastructure assets including toll roads, airports, railroads, utilities and renewables, energy midstream, wireless towers and data centres. These sectors share common characteristics, like barriers to entry and pricing power, which can provide investors with inflation-protected income and strong capital growth over the medium-term.

Financial markets have quickly shrugged off the tariff concerns sparked by Trump’s “Liberation Day” announcement in early April. However, rising trade costs are still expected to reduce global economic growth rates and push inflation higher. Listed infrastructure would likely hold up well in the face of these potential headwinds, owing to its essential service provision, regulated / contracted cash flows and relatively modest valuation multiples.

The asset class also remains supported by several structural growth drivers. Electric utilities, particularly in the US, face higher capital expenditure needs to meet the increases in electricity demand being driven by AI, data centres, onshoring of manufacturing and electrification. While additional equity will be needed to fund some of this capex, this theme should also enable the sector’s Earnings per Share growth to accelerate from a typical range of between 3% and 5% per annum to between 5% and 8% per annum, representing a meaningful positive shift.

This rising demand is also likely to bolster the need for natural gas, which has a crucial role to play in maintaining energy reliability and affordability. As well as benefitting utilities, this is also likely to drive additional demand for North American energy transportation, storage and export assets, presenting energy midstream companies with new opportunities to invest and grow.

Digitalisation is another key theme for the asset class. We expect structural growth in demand for mobile data (underpinned by an ever-growing reliance on digital connectivity) to support long-term earnings growth for Towers. The adoption of 5G technology over coming years will require networks to handle increased data speed and lower latency as well as a much higher number of connected devices. The surge of interest in AI is driving data center demand, as well as boosting the need for electricity.

Source : Company data, First Sentier Investors, as of 31 May 2025.

 

Important Information

This material is prepared by First Sentier Investors (Singapore) (“FSI”) (Co. Reg No. 196900420D) whose views and opinions expressed or implied in the material are subject to change without notice. To the extent permitted by law, FSI accepts no liability whatsoever for any loss, whether direct or indirect, arising from any use of or reliance on this material. This material is published for general information and general circulation only and does not have any regard to the specific investment objectives, financial situation and particular needs  of any specific person who may receive this material. Investors may wish to seek advice from a financial adviser  and should read the Prospectus, available from First Sentier Investors (Singapore) or any of our Distributors  before deciding to subscribe for the Fund. In the event that the investor chooses not to seek advice from a  financial adviser, he should consider carefully whether the Fund in question is suitable for him. Past  performance of the Fund or the Manager, and any economic and market trends or forecast, are not indicative of the future or likely performance of the Fund or the Manager. The value of units in the Fund, and any income  accruing to the units from the Fund, may fall as well as rise. Investors should note that their investment is exposed to fluctuations in exchange rates if the base currency of the Fund and/or underlying investment is  different from the currency of your investment. Units are not available to US persons.

Applications for units of the Fund must be made on the application forms accompanying the prospectus. Investments in unit trusts are not obligations of, deposits in, or guaranteed or insured by First Sentier Investors (Singapore), and are subject to risks, including the possible loss of the principal amount invested.

Reference to specific securities (if any) is included for the purpose of illustration only and should not be construed as a recommendation to buy or sell the same. All securities mentioned herein may or may not form part of the holdings of FSI’s portfolios at a certain point in time, and the holdings may change over time.

In the event of discrepancies between the marketing materials and the Prospectus, the Prospectus shall prevail.

In Singapore, this material is issued by First Sentier Investors (Singapore) whose company registration number is 196900420D. This advertisement or material has not been reviewed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore. First Sentier Investors (registration number 53236800B), FSSA Investment Managers (registration number 53314080C), Stewart Investors (registration number 53310114W), RQI Investors (registration number 53472532E) and Igneo Infrastructure Partners (registration number 53447928J) are the business divisions of  First Sentier Investors (Singapore).

First Sentier Investors (Singapore) is part of the investment management business of First Sentier Investors, which is ultimately owned by Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (“MUFG”), a global financial group. First Sentier Investors includes a number of entities in different jurisdictions.

To the extent permitted by law, MUFG and its subsidiaries are not responsible for any statement or information contained in this material. Neither MUFG nor any of its subsidiaries guarantee the performance of any investment or entity referred to in this material or the repayment of capital. Any investments referred to are not deposits or other liabilities of MUFG or its subsidiaries, and are subject to investment risk, including loss of income and capital invested.