Matthieu Favas
Matthieu Favas is the editor of Agri Investor. He was previously the web editor of Infrastructure Investor, where he started in 2013 after a year as a reporter at Private Equity International. Prior to joining PEI he spent four years in the wine industry in London, Spain and Mongolia.
More than half the $32.6bn collected in 2013 went to funds with a global mandate, with four firms raising in excess of $1bn.
With five days to go until polls close for this year’s Annual Awards, provisional results attest to a fiercely fought contest – where several outsiders look set to win their first trophy.
Toby Buscombe’s promotion at the US asset manager comes after his predecessor was hired by the Australian government to join its Productivity Commission.
The publication of official guidelines to enact the 2012 PPP law comes as the government prepares to bid out $1.14bn worth of public projects.
The transaction will allow the Spanish group to deleverage by €763m, meaning it will bring its overall debt burden below €5bn.
James Wardlaw, head of infrastructure at Campbell Lutyens, thinks 2014 could see the emergence of an infrastructure industry body – in a context where the end of quantitative easing will prompt both questions and innovation.
Michael Halford, head of funds at King & Wood Mallesons SJ Berwin, expects continued investor appetite and a rosier environment for exits next year – with the pendulum potentially swinging back towards fund managers.
.jpg "Outlook 2014: Direct investors to outnumber fund managers")
Valeria Rosati, Europe lead at Hastings Funds Management, believes competition for assets will remain strong in 2014 – a year that should also see infrastructure debt and secondaries gain greater prominence.
Boosted by strong demographics and a drive towards economic diversification, the region should see a steady stream of deals in 2014, says EC Harris partner Tim Risbridger.
Alain Carrier, head of infrastructure at CPPIB, says evolving macro-economic conditions will be a large part of the equation next year – with prices for infrastructure assets likely to reach their peak.