HAMILTON, BERMUDA — (Marketwired) — 05/02/13 — Brookfield Infrastructure (NYSE: BIP)(TSX: BIP.UN) today announced its results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2013.
Brookfield Infrastructure posted strong results for the quarter ended March 31, 2013 with funds from operations (“FFO”) totalling $160 million ($0.80 per unit) compared to FFO of $108 million ($0.58 per unit) in the first quarter of 2012. This 48% increase in year-over-year FFO was primarily driven by contributions from organic expansion initiatives and recent acquisitions. Brookfield Infrastructure-s payout ratio(4) was 59%, below its target range of 60-70%, and it earned a solid AFFO yield(5) of 13%.
Brookfield Infrastructure reported a net loss of $28 million ($0.17 per unit(3 )) for the period ended March 31, 2013, compared to net income of $14 million ($0.05 per unit(3)) in the prior quarter. During the period, Brookfield Infrastructure-s net income was impacted by several charges, the most material of which was breakage costs associated with its Australian Railroad-s execution of a long-term financing that capitalized on this historically low interest rate environment. Excluding these charges, the partnership-s net income was $55 million reflecting its significant increase in FFO. Net income was also impacted by a higher depreciation and amortization expense associated with the increase in the valuation of the asset base at year end.
“We are pleased that the acquisitions and capital investments made with proceeds from our recent unit offering are making a significant contribution to our FFO per unit, which was up 38% from last year,” said Sam Pollock, CEO of Brookfield Infrastructure. “Our business development team is working on originating new investment opportunities and our deal pipeline is as attractive as 2012. As we continue to build our business, we will be opportunistic and make investments by sector and by geography that offer the most attractive risk-adjusted returns.”
Segment Performance
Brookfield Infrastructure-s utilities platform generated FFO of $92 million in the first quarter of 2013, compared to $65 million in 2012. The increase in FFO was primarily due to the recently completed merger and recapitalization of its UK regulated distribution business, which doubled its size, and the increased ownership interest in its Chilean electricity transmission system. Excluding new investments, FFO also increased due to inflation indexation and additions to the rate base of existing operations.
Brookfield Infrastructure-s transport platform generated FFO of $67 million in the first quarter of 2013, compared to $38 million in the prior year. The increase in FFO was primarily driven by a 62% increase in FFO from its Australian railroad as a result of the commissioning of its expansion program, as well as the contribution from the South American toll roads that were acquired in the fourth quarter of 2012. For the quarter, FFO from the partnership-s ports business declined nominally as a result of lower volumes in its bulk and container terminals due to the recession in much of Europe.
Brookfield Infrastructure-s energy platform generated FFO of $22 million in the first quarter of 2013, compared to $24 million in the prior year. Results reflect weakness in its North American gas transmission business which continues to be impacted by excess pipeline capacity and low natural gas prices, offset by an equity investment to pay down debt at its natural gas transmission system and a district energy acquisition.
Brookfield Infrastructure-s timber platform reported FFO of $11 million in the first quarter of 2013, compared to $6 million in 2012. During the quarter domestic demand increased as a result of the recovery in the U.S. housing market. Excluding the impact of the divestiture of a portion of its Canadian timber operations, Brookfield Infrastructure-s timber results were more than double the prior year, driven by price increases in both the domestic and export markets.
The following table presents net income and FFO by segment:
Financing Initiatives
On March 27, Brookfield Infrastructure-s Australian railroad secured $1.3 billion of financing consisting of $600 million of bank debt, including a $100 million undrawn revolver, and $700 million of U.S. private placement notes, which have a BBB (stable) rating from Standard & Poor-s. These financings were swapped back to Australian dollars on a matched maturity basis, resulting in a weighted average cost of debt of 6.2% and an average term of seven years. Proceeds from the offerings have been used to repay the business- existing credit facility and to repatriate $300 million of capital for future investment.
In April, Brookfield Infrastructure completed the refinancing of a bridge facility that was put in place in connection with the merger and recapitalization of its UK regulated distribution business. Approximately GBP 600 million of U.S. private placement debt was raised with an average term of over 13 years and an average GBP equivalent rate of 4.4%. The notes have a rating of Baa2 by Moody-s.
Also in April, Brookfield Infrastructure completed a $42 million financing at its Ontario transmission operations. The Canadian dollar issuance will carry a fixed coupon of 4.6% for a 10-year term. The proceeds will be repatriated for future investment.
Asset Sales
On April 12, Brookfield Infrastructure completed the sale of the Peterborough Hospital for approximately $40 million. The proceeds were used to pay down its credit facility which was drawn to fund investments in the fourth quarter of 2012.
Distributions
The Board of Directors has declared a quarterly distribution in the amount of $0.43 per unit, payable on June 28, 2013 to unitholders of record as at the close of business on May 31, 2013.
Distributions are eligible for reinvestment under the Partnership-s Distribution Reinvestment Plan. Information on this Plan and on declared distributions can be found on Brookfield Infrastructure-s website under Investor Relations/Distributions.
Additional Information
Brookfield Infrastructure-s Letter to Unitholders and the Supplemental Information are available at .
Brookfield Infrastructure operates high quality, long-life assets that generate stable cash flows, require relatively minimal maintenance capital expenditures and, by virtue of barriers to entry and other characteristics, tend to appreciate in value over time. Its current business consists of the ownership and operation of premier utilities, transport and energy, and timber assets in North and South America, Australasia, and Europe. It also seeks acquisition opportunities in other infrastructure sectors with similar attributes. Brookfield Infrastructure-s payout policy targets 3% to 7% annual growth in distributions. Units trade on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges under the symbols BIP and BIP.UN, respectively. For more information, please visit Brookfield Infrastructure-s website at .
Note: This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian provincial securities laws and “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, “safe harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and in any applicable Canadian securities regulations. The words “continue”, “will”, “tend to”, “target” 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 include statements regarding expansion of Brookfield Infrastructure-s business, statements with respect to our assets tending to appreciate in value over time and the level of distribution growth over the next several years. 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, 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 favourable commodity prices, the competitive business environment for our timber operations, the impact of market conditions on our gas transmission business, 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 ability to effectively complete new acquisitions in the competitive infrastructure space and to integrate acquisitions into existing operations, the future performance of these acquisitions, including traffic volumes on our toll roads, 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 and general partnership units.
References to the Partnership are to Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P.
Notes:
Partnership capital in these statements represents Brookfield Infrastructure-s investments in its operations on a segmented basis, net of underlying liabilities and non-controlling interests, and includes partnership capital attributable to non-controlling interests – redeemable partnership units held by Brookfield, limited partners and the general partner.
Accordingly, the statements above differ from Brookfield Infrastructure-s Consolidated Statements of Financial Position contained in its financial statements, which are prepared in accordance with IFRS. Readers are encouraged to consider both bases of presentation in assessing Brookfield Infrastructure-s financial position on page 7 of this release.
Contacts:
Investors:
Brookfield Infrastructure
Tracey Wise
Vice President, Investor Relations
416-956-5154
Media:
Brookfield Infrastructure
Andrew Willis
Senior Vice President, Communications and Media
416-369-8236