Hi Blues,upside potential imo is in payout growth and is fed by...

Hi Blues,

upside potential imo is in payout growth and is fed by in no particular order, Euroports activity as Europe goes forwards, if one looks at the DAX it is doing pretty well compared with the FTSE so growth is there for PDPorts as well, plus PDPorts own new developments. (And we now have a Belgium based director + + + ).

The timber in North America is still growing even if it's not being used much, so sales growth is there somewhere.

There are a few mines in planning stages that will use Westmet Rail plus another resources port expansion is needed on its routes as Esperence is near capacity and too close to a population centre.

DBCT is planned to have another similar loading facility built nearby and DBCT is one of the two Qld Govt approved operators.

That's it off the top of my head for growth, the energy transmission assets usually don't go backwards unless someone pays too much them to start with (lol) and that is not the case with BIP's assets which have reasonable returns except for the few that tagged along with BBI.

I am only holding BIP, BAM got away before I could sell half the BIPs and buy some BAMs at around changeover time which was when it was practical.

BIP SP is tied entirely to returns imho whereas BAM has a premium attached as you mentioned for having safer rules and wider income base. Keeping an eye out for BIP news is about as complicated as it gets for me atm.

I am in long term so BIP SP does not really concern me unless there is a major down rating of income or assets burn etc.

As far as I know, there is still an acquisition policy and a sale at profit policy in place and there is cash available and some assets are in held for sale mode so I expect the business to have a dynamic (in infrastructure terms) pattern and from past experience that will be tuned to economic cycles and opportunities and not director's bonuses. If sales of those assets help pay for another DBCT, that would be ideal, otherwise BAM would have to dilute it's share by raising BIP capital to pay for it, unless they raised BAM capital which they can do very easily and use Bermuda rules to get their way with BIP, if that is applicable. Either way BAM want the income to pay for it although paying full price for things is not what they are good at.

I am far happier holding these than hoping for a good gold mine speculation like melua with KGL in Kyrgyzstan, the govt of which which is propped up by the US involvement in Afghanistan.

good luck to him and us

imho BAM ended up with more small holders in BIP than they thought they would end up with from this whole BBI/PIH escapade, but it doesn't matter really, it is sewn up pretty much in everyone's favour atm. So long as Sam Pollock and Jeff Blidner can hold it all together, and so far all the moves are good ones, I am not worried, therefore keeping up with news.

BAM/BIP attitude of stressing at every opportunity that AET&D is worthless is a concern that has me thinking that BAM/BIP could still have desires for it if the numbers would show it could throw off a good part of it's debt mantle and not cost a lot to absorb. If no really good offers come in, I would not be surprised to see more interest in it by BAM/BIP. If no sale emerges and it is left to tick away some more, that only reinforces my view, and at this stage I am not fussed either way, which suits BAM/BIP I think.

ifandwhen