Macquarie Financial News

Henry Middleton (pictured) has taken on the role of managing director and head of wealth distribution for Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia at Macquarie Asset Management.

Shaw and Partners has added a Macquarie adviser to its ranks as part of a push into the private wealth market.

Macquarie Group’s asset management arm downgraded its short-term outlook as it expects returns from potential asset sales to push out into the second half of the investment bank’s 2024 financial year.

solar energy producer Sun Energy and global energy trading firm Vitol have submitted bids to acquire Macquarie-owned Vibrant Energy, which provides green power to commercial and industrial units, said sources aware of the development. ET first reported on February 23 that Macquarie had hired an investment bank to run a sale process for Vibrant Energy. «They have received non-binding offers from Sun Energy and Vitol recently and the bidders will soon begin due diligence on the assets,» said one of the sources cited above. The company is likely to fetch an equity value of around $200 million with an enterprise value (EV) of close to $500 million, the source added. Vibrant Energy, which primarily sells electricity to corporate and industrial (C&I) customers, operates a renewable energy portfolio of 132MW, with an active pipeline of 3GW.

Quelle surprise. ASX-listed can and bottle maker Orora is seeking to acquire high-end glass bottle manufacturer Saverglass, which was founded in 1897 in the historic Bresle Valley in France, where glass has been produced since the 15th century.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission was investigating Macquarie’s handling of the Nuix IPO when the then treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, appointed its former chief executive Nicholas Moore to lead an independent review into the “effectiveness and capability” of the regulator.

Macquarie Asset Management and Melbourne’s Beck Corporation have agreed to sell Active Utilities to German real estate asset manager Patrizia.

Sydney’s Metro Finance is eyeing its next phase of growth after ruling off a $65 million institutional equity placement.

Here’s what Macquarie’s small-cap analysts were talking to clients about on Thursday.

KKR, has acquired four road assets from Macquarie India in a deal worth ₹3,000 crore. Earlier, Adani Road Transport had agreed to acquire these road assets for ₹3,100 crore, but terminated the deal last month citing «unsatisfactory conditions». Highways Infrastructure Trust (HIT) will acquire Gujarat Road & Infrastructure (GRICL) and Swarna Tollway (STPL), the InvIT said in a filing with stock exchanges.

Macquarie will consider PwC’s culture and reputation issues as it reviews whether to change its long-time auditor, the company has told shareholders.

By Harish Sridharan

Macquarie Group’s shares tumbled 4.3 per cent to $175 a share at the open on Thursday after the company reported its net profit took a hit for the first quarter of 2024, compared with the same period a year earlier, due to weaker trading conditions.

Macquarie has ended discussions with Hong Kong’s CLP Group over the possible purchase of a 50 per cent stake in EnergyAustralia, the country’s third-largest electricity and gas supplier, sources said.

United States telecom giant AT&T has a handful of Australia’s biggest infrastructure and superannuation funds, including Macquarie Group, tearing their hair out this week.

Macquarie analysts are standing by their valuation of Patriot Battery Metals, the ASX-listed lithium play that has come under attack from an activist short seller in the United States.

It’s one step forward, two steps back for Johannesburg-listed Murray & Roberts’ attempts to buy back Perth-based RUC Cementation Mining Contractors out of administration.

London | Macquarie Group will pump an extra £550 million ($1 billion) into its British water utility Southern Water, as the country’s debt-heavy utilities sector struggles with rising costs and increasing political pressure to overhaul its infrastructure.

Macquarie Bank boss Greg Ward says the lender slowed its push into the residential mortgage market because he suspected aggressive cash offers and refinancing terms had pushed rivals to write loans at large losses.

Thames Water’s travails this week are shining a harsh light on what has hitherto been a highly lucrative place to work: Macquarie's European infrastructure business. 

One of Australia’s largest asset managers is set to give the exchange-traded fund sector a boost.