Brookfield Infrastructure Achieves Capital Recycling Target and Announces Third Quarter 2024 Results

BROOKFIELD, News, Nov. 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. (Brookfield Infrastructure, BIP, or the Partnership) (NYSE: BIP; TSX: BIP.UN) today announced its results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024.

"Brookfield Infrastructure continues to deliver solid results while achieving its strategic objectives, including successfully reaching our $2 billion capital recycling target for the year,” said Sam Pollock, Chief Executive Officer of Brookfield Infrastructure Partners. "With interest rates coming down, we are in a new market environment with increased deal flow, creating a significant investment pipeline that is also benefiting from growth in sectors related to AI and associated energy demands.”

Brookfield Infrastructure reported a net loss of $52 million for the three-month period ended September 30, 2024 compared to net income of $104 million in the prior year. Strong growth within our businesses was more than offset by mark to market losses on our corporate hedging activities and commodities contracts, both of which contributed gains in the prior period.

Funds from operations (FFO) for the third quarter was $599 million, which is 7% above the comparable period. On a per unit basis, FFO was $0.76, which represents a 4% increase after considering the increased share count associated with the privatization of the global intermodal logistics operation last September. We experienced strong contributions from the new investments completed last year, as well as the initial contribution from three accretive tuck-in acquisitions that closed this year. Results also benefited from organic growth at the midpoint of our target range, capturing annual rate increases from inflation indexation, stronger transportation volumes and the commissioning of over $1 billion from our capital backlog. This result was partially offset by the impact of higher borrowing costs and foreign exchange, most notably the depreciation of the Brazilian real. When normalizing only for the impacts of foreign exchange, FFO per unit growth was 10%, which is in-line with our target and better reflects the current operational performance of our businesses.

Segment Performance

The following table presents FFO by segment:

The utilities segment generated FFO of $188 million, an increase of 9% on a comparable basis. In total, the amount was higher last year as we sold our interest in an Australian regulated utility business and completed a recapitalization at our Brazilian regulated gas transmission business in the first quarter. Organic growth for the segment was driven by the continued benefit of inflation indexation and the commissioning of over $450 million of capital into the rate base over the last twelve months.

FFO for the transport segment was $308 million, which represented a 50% increase over the same period in the prior year. The increase is primarily attributable to the acquisition of our global intermodal logistics operation that closed at the end of the third quarter last year and an incremental 10% stake in our Brazilian integrated rail and logistics operation that was completed this year. The remaining businesses performed well, with strong volumes across our networks and average rate increases of 7% across our rail networks and 5% across our toll road portfolio.

Our midstream segment generated FFO of $147 million, compared to $163 million in the same period last year. The decline is primarily attributable to capital recycling activities completed last year at our U.S. gas pipeline and higher interest costs across the portfolio from new financing initiatives. The underlying businesses are performing well in the current environment following continued demand for long-term services supported by robust customer activity levels across our critical midstream assets, particularly at our North American gas storage business.

FFO from the data segment was $85 million, representing a 29% increase over the same period last year. The step change is attributable to strong underlying performance and several new investments completed over the last twelve months. The most impactful was the tuck-in acquisition of a portfolio of retail colocation data centers completed in the first quarter. Our global data center platform continues to execute its development plans to drive growth, with an additional 70 MW commissioned during the quarter bringing our total installed data center capacity to over 900 MW.

Update on Strategic Initiatives

On September 12^th we closed the tuck-in acquisition of 76,000 telecom tower sites in India. We are now the largest telecom tower operator in India and second largest globally, with over 250,000 tower sites. This acquisition is highly complementary to our existing operations, increasing and diversifying our tenancies from the country's second and third largest mobile network operators, while offering significant operating synergies. The scale and benefits of the combined platform were all achieved at a value-based entry point below 6x EBITDA. Our total equity commitment was $140 million, and we expect the business to generate a strong going-in FFO yield. Concurrent with the acquisition we completed a rebranding of the business, to Altius, which brings together the three acquisitions we have made in the Indian telecommunications space.

During the quarter we secured approximately $600 million of capital recycling proceeds, for a total of approximately $2 billion for the year, successfully achieving our capital recycling target. We agreed on terms to sell our Mexican regulated natural gas transmission business for net proceeds of approximately $500 million ($125 million net to BIP), crystallizing an IRR of 22% and a multiple of capital of 2.2x. The business is mature and derisked, having achieved its value creation plan, most recently securing an average regulatory tariff increase of over 25% that was effective June 1, 2023. The sale is expected to close in the first quarter of 2025, subject to satisfying customary closing conditions.

We also completed the recapitalization of our North American gas storage platform, raising $1.25 billion that enabled a $770 million distribution ($305 million net to BIP) in advance of a sale process. This financing alone returned more capital than we had initially invested and increased the investment's realized multiple of capital to 2.5x. This is an extremely attractive result, given we still own a business that generates approximately $330 million in annual EBITDA. The remaining sale proceeds secured during the quarter were generated from the sale of several financial assets. We remain on track to close the sale of our fiber platform within our French Telecom Infrastructure business in the fourth quarter, generating $100 million in proceeds and an IRR of 17%.

Distribution and Dividend Declaration

The Board of Directors of BIP declared a quarterly distribution in the amount of $0.405 per unit, payable on December 31, 2024 to unitholders of record as at the close of business on November 29, 2024. This distribution represents a 6% increase compared to the prior year. The regular quarterly dividends on the Cumulative Class A Preferred Limited Partnership Units, Series 1, Series 3, Series 9, Series 11, Series 13 and Series 14 have also been declared, as well as the capital gains dividend for BIP Investment Corporation Senior Preferred Shares, Series 1, which will also be payable on December 31, 2024, subject to the results of the special meeting of holders on November 27, 2024. In conjunction with the Partnership's distribution declaration, the Board of Directors of BIPC has declared an equivalent quarterly dividend of $0.405 per share, also payable on December 31, 2024 to shareholders of record as at the close of business on November 29, 2024.

Conference Call and Quarterly Earnings Details

Investors, analysts and other interested parties can access Brookfield Infrastructure's Third Quarter 2024 Results, as well as Letter to Unitholders and Supplemental Information, under the Investor Relations section at https://bip.brookfield.com.

To participate in the Conference Call today at 9:00am EST, please pre-register at ‍https://register.vevent.com/register/BId0571f9a865e44d2bbf9e77964270a30. Upon registering, you will be emailed a dial-in number and unique PIN. The Conference Call will also be Webcast live at https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/qgby5rtc.

Additional Information

The Board has reviewed and approved this news release, including the summarized unaudited financial information contained herein.

About Brookfield Infrastructure

Brookfield Infrastructure is a leading global infrastructure company that owns and operates high-quality, long-life assets in the utilities, transport, midstream and data sectors across the Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe. We are focused on assets that have contracted and regulated revenues that generate predictable and stable cash flows. Investors can access its portfolio either through Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. (NYSE: BIP; TSX: BIP.UN), a Bermuda-based limited partnership, or Brookfield Infrastructure Corporation (NYSE, TSX: BIPC), a Canadian corporation. Further information is available at https://bip.brookfield.com.

Brookfield Infrastructure is the flagship listed infrastructure company of Brookfield Asset Management, a global alternative asset manager with over $1 trillion of assets under management. For more information, go to https://‍www.brookfield.com.

Contact Information

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-looking Statements

This news release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian provincial securities laws and "forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable securities laws. The words "will”, "target”, "future”, "growth”, "expect”, "believe”, "may”, derivatives thereof and other expressions which are predictions of or indicate future events, trends or prospects and which do not relate to historical matters, identify the above mentioned and other forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release may include statements regarding expansion of Brookfield Infrastructure's business, the likelihood and timing of successfully completing the transactions referred to in this news release, statements with respect to our assets tending to appreciate in value over time, the future performance of acquired businesses and growth initiatives, the commissioning of our capital backlog, the pursuit of projects in our pipeline, the level of distribution growth over the next several years and our expectations regarding returns to our unitholders as a result of such growth. Although Brookfield Infrastructure believes that these forward-looking statements and information are based upon reasonable assumptions and expectations, the reader should not place undue reliance on them, or any other forward-looking statements or information in this news release. The future performance and prospects of Brookfield Infrastructure are subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause actual results of Brookfield Infrastructure to differ materially from those contemplated or implied by the statements in this news release include general economic conditions in the jurisdictions in which we operate and elsewhere which may impact the markets for our products and services, the ability to achieve growth within Brookfield Infrastructure's businesses and in particular completion on time and on budget of various large capital projects, which themselves depend on access to capital and continuing favorable commodity prices, and our ability to achieve the milestones necessary to deliver the targeted returns to our unitholders, the impact of market conditions on our businesses, the fact that success of Brookfield Infrastructure is dependent on market demand for an infrastructure company, which is unknown, the availability of equity and debt financing for Brookfield Infrastructure, the impact of health pandemics on our business and operations, the ability to effectively complete transactions in the competitive infrastructure space (including the ability to complete announced and potential transactions that may be subject to conditions precedent, and the inability to reach final agreement with counterparties to transactions referred to in this press release as being currently pursued, given that there can be no assurance that any such transaction will be agreed to or completed) and to integrate acquisitions into existing operations, the future performance of these acquisitions, changes in technology which have the potential to disrupt the business and industries in which we invest, the market conditions of key commodities, the price, supply or demand for which can have a significant impact upon the financial and operating performance of our business and other risks and factors described in the documents filed by Brookfield Infrastructure with the securities regulators in Canada and the United States including under "Risk Factors” in Brookfield Infrastructure's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F and other risks and factors that are described therein. Except as required by law, Brookfield Infrastructure undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. References to Brookfield Infrastructure are to the Partnership together with its subsidiaries and operating entities. Brookfield Infrastructure's results include limited partnership units held by public unitholders, redeemable partnership units, general partnership units, Exchange LP units, BIPC exchangeable LP units and BIPC exchangeable shares.

Any statements contained herein with respect to tax consequences are of a general nature only and are not intended to be, nor should they be construed to be, legal or tax advice to any person, and no representation with respect to tax consequences is made. Unitholders and shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisors with respect to their particular circumstances.

References to Brookfield Infrastructure are to the Partnership together with its subsidiaries and operating entities. Brookfield Infrastructure's results include limited partnership units held by public unitholders, redeemable partnership units, general partnership units, Exchange LP units, BIPC exchangeable LP units and BIPC exchangeable shares.

References to the Partnership are to Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P.

1. Please refer to page 11 for results of Brookfield Infrastructure Corporation.
2. Includes net income attributable to limited partners, the general partner, and non-controlling interests ‒ Redeemable Partnership Units held by Brookfield, Exchange LP units, BIPC exchangeable LP units and BIPC exchangeable shares.
3. Average number of limited partnership units outstanding on a time weighted average basis for the three and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2024 was 461.7 million and 461.5 million, respectively (2023: 458.8 million and 458.6 million).
4. We define FFO as net income excluding the impact of depreciation and amortization, deferred income taxes, mark-to-market gains (losses) and other income (expenses) that are not related to the revenue earning activities and are not normal, recurring cash operating expenses necessary for business operations. FFO includes balances attributable to the Partnership generated by investments in associates and joint ventures accounted for using the equity method and excludes amounts attributable to non-controlling interests based on the economic interests held by non-controlling interests in consolidated subsidiaries. We believe that FFO, when viewed in conjunction with our IFRS results, provides a more complete understanding of factors and trends affecting our underlying operations. FFO is a measure of operating performance that is not calculated in accordance with, and does not have any standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board. FFO is therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. A reconciliation of net income to FFO is available on page 9 of this release. Readers are encouraged to consider both measures in assessing our company's results.
5. Average number of partnership units outstanding on a fully diluted time weighted average basis for the three and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2024 was 792.2 million and 792.1 million, respectively (2023: 772.1 million and 771.7 million).

1. Includes non-controlling interest attributable to BIPC exchangeable shares, BIPC exchangeable LP units and Exchange LP units.