Transport ‘ripe for investment'

New figures have suggested that the transport sector is driving the global infrastructure investment market, with the UK featuring strongly.

According to research compiled by consultancy KPMG, the first half of 2013 saw global deals of infrastructure assets worth $16.6bn, and by the end of the third quarter this figure had risen to $23.5bn.

That already exceeds total annual deal values for every year since 2008, the firm said.

“This year alone the UK has seen major deals such as the acquisition of Stansted Airport by Manchester Airport Group for £1.5bn and the sale of a 9% stake in Heathrow airport by Spain’s Ferrovial to Universities Superannuation Scheme, one of the UK’s largest pension funds, for £395m,” the study added.

Steffen Wagner, European head of transport M&A at KPMG, pointed out that pension funds and strategic investors currently see infrastructure as an appealing asset class, which has helped fuel the trend.