Australian pension fund IFM Investors has acquired a 64% stake in Associated British Ports, the UK’s largest port operator, valuing the company at roughly £10 billion ($13.4 billion). The deal, one of the biggest in the UK this year, saw IFM outbid rivals including Apollo Global Management Inc. and KKR & Co. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Omers, which held stakes since 2015 and 2006 respectively, sold their shares. AB Ports operates 19 facilities across the UK. The transaction is subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals and is expected to close in the first half of 2027. Other major UK deals this year include Nuveen’s £9.9 billion acquisition of Schroders Plc and Apollo’s £5.7 billion takeover of Easy Jet Plc.
IFM already owns ports in Europe, including assets in Poland and Turkey, expanding its global infrastructure footprint through the AB Ports purchase. The deal underscores growing investor interest in critical UK infrastructure assets.
The completion of the stake sale is contingent on standard shareholder and regulatory approvals, with finalization targeted for the first half of 2027.
Source: Bloomberg Markets · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing