MILAN (Reuters Breakingviews) - ROAD TWIST. The Benettons’ Italian road ordeal has presented a last-minute twist. Spanish businessman Florentino Perez said on Tuesday that his infrastructure group ACS may bid for troubled Italian motorway operator Autostrade per l’Italia (ASPI), currently controlled by the Italian dynasty through $15 billion Atlantia. Perez is coming a tad late to the ASPI party. Italian government investor Cassa Depositi e Prestiti has already made a cash offer for Atlantia’s 88% stake in ASPI that values the motorway group’s equity at 9.1 billion euros, with Blackstone and Macquarie. To beat CDP, ACS would need to offer a higher price for ASPI. Yet the current bidders are already facing a mediocre 9% internal rate of return, according to a Breakingviews calculation. Also, ACS and Atlantia jointly control Spanish road operator Abertis. If the bid were made through that group, the Benettons would retain an interest. That would defy Italian government attempts to pry the asset away from the clan and regain control of the country’s motorways. ACS’s belated entry into the ASPI epic looks too complex to work. (By Lisa Jucca)
مشاركة :