Highly geared assets are just one liability in the infrastructure space. Plagued by failed public private partnerships (PPPs), governance issues and the pressures of being overladen with debt, the infrastructure sector is in need of serious reappraisal as an investment. Quite simply, investors are often left wondering if it is a good long-term venture. Join discussion...

Macquarie Infrastructure Company LLC (MIC: News ) said its net loss was $18.35 million or $0.41 per share versus a profit of $0.50 million or $0.01 per share in the year earlier quarter, primarily reflecting a net non-cash derivative-related loss of $21.4 million. On average, 3 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected earnings per share of $0.53 for the quarter Join discussion...

Macquarie International Infrastructure Fund Limited (MIIF) (MIIF.SI) said on Monday it has agreed to sell 71.6 percent of its interest or a 4.5 percent stake in Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund (MEIF) to a number of investors for S$132 million ($94.62 million). Join discussion...

For years, Australia's biggest investment bank has been raising billions for airports, tunnels and toll roads throughout North America, Europe and Asia. Now the Sydney-based bank Macquarie Group Ltd. is seeking to help finance construction of a new Midtown Tunnel, upgrade the Downtown Tunnel between Norfolk and Portsmouth and extend the Martin Luther King Freeway. Join discussion...

Macquarie Infrastructure Group has reported an improvement in traffic and revenue across its toll roads in Europe and North America from a low point earlier this year. MIG, which is heavily exposed to overly indebted toll roads in the US, today released figures showing a 1.6 per cent increase in traffic across its toll roads for the September quarter, compared with 0.6 per cent growth in the June quarter and a 6.4 per cent decline in the March quarter. Revenue increased on all of its major toll roads. Join discussion...

THE funny thing about toll roads is that the more popular they become, the less attractive the customer proposition: motorists pay for the pleasure of not so much motoring as passively observing fascinating scenery such as impact barriers and overhead advertising. Criterion had plenty of time to ponder the issue when stuck in obstinately slow traffic on Melbourne's City Link on a Friday afternoon. The tragedy is, the jam was in the city inbound lane and against the flow of escaping commuters. Join discussion...

Highly leveraged toll road firms continue to post multi-million dollar losses as drivers shun expensive routes during the economic downturn. This week, two Australian firms with significant US holding reported overall negative results for the year ended June 30, 2009. Transurban, which owns Pocahontas Parkway in Richmond and is building High Occupancy Toll lanes on the Capital Beltway in Virginia, lost A$16.1 million. Macquarie, which owns the Indiana Toll Road, the Dulles Greenway in Virginia and the Skyway in Chicago, Illinois, lost $1.7 billion. Join discussion...

Macquarie Infrastructure Group, owner of stakes in nine toll roads across six countries, said it is likely to split into two units and is reviewing its management arrangements with parent Macquarie Group Ltd. A final decision on a split is yet to be made, the Sydney- based company said in a statement today. Macquarie Infrastructure is reviewing management contracts a month after Macquarie Airports Ltd. severed ties with Macquarie Group in a bid to buoy its valuation, and issued shares to its former parent to compensate it for the loss of fees. Join discussion...

The relatively upbeat comments follow a sharp cut in the group's valuation of its toll road portfolio and come amid a continuing review of options by MIG. "Whilst the protracted slowdown in global economic activity has continued to weigh on traffic volumes, in particular heavy vehicles, there are signs of a stabilisation," it said. "This stabilisation, together with changes to tolling structures implemented during the past six to nine months has delivered positive revenue growth on every road in MIG's portfolio during the quarter.” Join discussion...

Shares in Macquarie Infrastructure Group have slumped more than 8 per cent after the tollroad operator said it has yet to finalise plans that could lead to a major overhaul. The release of several downbeat analyst reports in recent weeks has promoted some speculation the debt-heavy tollroad operator was nearing an asset sale or planning a capital raising. Join discussion...