These include University of Hertfordshire’s £145m issuance of 41-year A-rated RPI-linked notes in a private placement to a single investor. Meanwhile, Affinity Water came to market with £95m of 20-year BBB-rated class B RPI-linked notes in a private placement to a single investor. Other noteworthy transactions were UPP, the UK University Accommodation’s £76m of 34-year, A-rated RPI-linked bonds, as well as high speed rail company HS1’s £150m of 20-year, A-rated RPI-linked bonds. Although opinions may differ over asset types, all agree that infrastructure should not stand alone in a portfolio.
As Bowie says: “Trying to hedge inflation can be achieved through a diversified bucket of real asset investments that incorporates agriculture, transportation assets and commercial real estate, which have all demonstrated their short and long-term inflation hedging characteristics. It is also important to consider longer term trends that drive demand for certain real assets.”
Philippe Taillardat, co-head of investment management in the European direct infrastructure team at First State Investments also believes, “Investors should think about other real assets to obtain an inflation link, but they will have to significantly increase their overall allocation to these products. At the moment infrastructure only accounts for between 1% and 3% and that is not enough of a critical size to make a difference.”
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