Our approach to infrastructure equity
We aim to deliver stable, long-term returns to our clients through our infrastructure equity strategies by investing in core plus and value-add assets across Europe, which accelerate and benefit from the transition to a low-carbon economy. We leverage our infrastructure equity team’s deep experience and network to source attractive opportunities in our target sectors. We also manage segregated mandates to customise outcomes for clients, and constantly evolve our approach to bring opportunities to our clients.
The increasing investor requirement in the UK and Europe to invest in climate transition creates a compelling opportunity for our clients. We seek to invest in infrastructure equity sectors that align with our plans to reach net zero by 2040, including renewables, energy storage, EV infrastructure, digital infrastructure, hydrogen and biogas. We invest wider than solely renewables due to the need to invest in a broad range of assets to achieve net zero. Much of the additional investment required will be in new or emerging technologies where there is no defined demand yet.
Potential benefits of infrastructure equity strategies
Sustainable transition alignment
Investing to accelerate the transition and aiming to deliver risk-adjusted returns and net zero by 2040.
Attractive cash flows
Potential for stable and predictable cashflows over the long term, while capturing capital growth.
Core plus and value-add opportunities
Access to attractive brownfield infrastructure equity opportunities in the core plus and value-add markets across Europe, with strong growth prospects.
Customised outcomes
The team manages a number of segregated mandates where we offer customised infrastructure equity solutions to meet our clients’ requirements.
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Plug in and power up: How EV-charging infrastructure can help future-proof real assets portfolios
As the transition away from petrol-powered cars to electric vehicles accelerates, demand for charging points is rising. We explore the implications for investors in real assets.
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Why are we waiting? Time for UK infrastructure to pick up pace
After a slow start to the year, Darryl Murphy ponders what it will take to get the UK infrastructure market moving again.
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What does the data say? Reflections on COP27
In this month’s instalment of our visual series on topical themes, we look at climate in the aftermath of November’s COP27 event in Egypt.
Key risks of infrastructure equity
Investment risk
The value of an investment and any income from it can go down as well as up. Investors may not get back the original amount invested.
Real estate risk
Where funds are invested in infrastructure, investors may not be able to redeem any units in the fund when they want because infrastructure assets may not always be readily saleable. If this is the case we may defer a request to redeem units.
Valuation risk
Certain assets held in the fund could, by nature, be hard to value or to sell at a desired time or at a price considered to be fair (especially in large quantities), and as a result their prices could be very volatile.
Regulatory shifts
The frameworks for managing essential infrastructure services can change.
Infrastructure equity team
Darryl Murphy
Managing Director, Infrastructure
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Explore our real assets range
Real Assets Study 2024
Demand remains strong, but the investment drivers are changing. At a time of macroeconomic uncertainty, real assets continue to play a significant role in the investment strategies of global institutions. The sixth edition of the Aviva Investors Real Assets Study is our biggest yet and seeks to answer some key questions.
Real assets views
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Real Assets
Building better: Opportunities for DC schemes to invest in the climate transition through real assets
22 Mar 2024
By investing in climate-aligned real assets, defined-contribution pension schemes can help propel the transition to a more sustainable future while also benefiting from portfolio diversification and attractive risk-adjusted returns, says Mark Meiklejon.
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Real Assets
Resilience and recovery: The outlook for real estate long income
21 Mar 2024
Renos Booth, Isabel Gossling and Kris McPhail from our real estate long income team consider the outlook for long-lease assets after a challenging period for investors.
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Real Assets
Rents, rates and the refinancing gap: The outlook for real estate debt
19 Mar 2024
After a challenging 12 months for real estate debt investors, Gregor Bamert discusses what lies ahead for the market in 2024.
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Real Assets
Illiquidity premia in private debt: Q4 2023
12 Mar 2024
In our latest real assets deep dive, our research team crunches the data to see how evolving macro conditions are reflected in private debt returns.
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Real Assets
Des res: Opportunities in rental housing for institutional investors
25 Jan 2024
Jonathan Bayfield examines the fundamentals of this asset class, as well as the opportunities and risks for real-estate investors.
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Responsible Investing
Common ground: Earning a social licence to operate in real asset investing
18 Jan 2024
Successful real asset investing requires acceptance of asset managers’ practices and procedures from a variety of stakeholders. We explore what this means for managers, their clients and investment outcomes.
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Pensions
Plus ça change…The outlook for infrastructure debt in 2024
11 Jan 2024
Infrastructure demonstrated characteristic resilience in 2023 in the face of significant macroeconomic headwinds. Darryl Murphy from our infrastructure team explains why he expects current themes to persist in 2024.
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Real Assets
Tech, trees and tailwinds: The outlook for climate transition real assets
9 Jan 2024
In this Q&A, James Tarry and Luke Layfield explore the themes shaping the landscape for real asset investors with a climate transition focus.
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Responsible Investing
Changing course: Creating a stable investment framework for offshore wind
30 Nov 2023
Better market mechanisms and grid connection arrangements are essential to restore a stable investment environment in the offshore wind sector, as Nick Molho explains.
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Real Assets
It’s time to think about nature: Biodiversity and real estate funding
1 Nov 2023
Although the consideration of biodiversity risks remains limited for most assets so far, their longer-term impact is undeniable and needs to be considered when funding real estate.
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Real Assets
Against the current: Seeking resilience in real estate equity
19 Oct 2023
A broad-based recovery in UK and European real estate looks unlikely in 2023, but discerning investors can still find value, say Imogen Ebbs and George Fraser-Harding.
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Real Assets
Rates, repricing and relative value: The outlook for multi-asset real assets
11 Oct 2023
James Tarry and Luke Layfield from our multi-asset real assets portfolio management team discuss the outlook for real estate and infrastructure and how shifts in UK climate policy may affect the push for net zero.
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Real Assets
As one door closes… How changes in long income are creating value opportunities
3 Oct 2023
Renos Booth, Isabel Gossling and Kris McPhail from our real estate long income team discuss the importance of selectivity to uncover opportunities and how new buyers can fill the void left by DB pension schemes.
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Real Assets
Relative value in real assets: Q2 2023
14 Sep 2023
Our real assets research team drill into proprietary data to compare risk and return across sectors, drawing out those showing most relative value.
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Responsible Investing
Deals delayed and crowded trades…But investors can still find value in infrastructure debt
4 Sep 2023
Private infrastructure debt still offers a broad spectrum of opportunities, but investors face complex challenges. In this Q&A, our infrastructure debt team contemplate the current state of the market and where it goes from here.
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Equities
Tipping points and transformation: Getting on the right side of change
16 Aug 2023
Rapid changes in the global economy could tip some sectors into low-carbon phases faster than incumbents expect, with important investment implications.