(AOF) – The acquisition of the Italian infrastructure group Atlantia by the Benetton family and the American investment fund Blackstone could be completed by the end of the year, its president Giampiero Massolo told Reuters on Sunday. . “We hope to be able to meet the schedule we have set,” said the leader on the sidelines of the Ambrosetti Forum conference in northern Italy. The likely scenario is for an offer to be launched in October, with the aim of delisting the company by the end of the year, he added.
In April, the Benetton family and US investment fund Blackstone offered a €58 billion bid to privatize the airport and highway operator, but have yet to launch a formal offer pending authorization from regulatory authorities.
Giampiero Massolo also confirmed that the group was exploring a potential investment in Chicago Skyway, a US highway toll operator owned by Canadian pension funds Omers and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP). “It’s an interesting asset,” he said.
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Concern and caution
La Capeb wants to be cautious in its forecasts for the whole year. It expects business growth of between 1.5 and 2.5% in 2022 due to economic uncertainties and rising prices. For its part, the French Building Federation (FFB) is expressing its concerns about the fall in sales of new housing for 2023. It also calls for measuring the impact of the ecological and digital transition on the sector. The RE2020 standard would thus generate additional costs of 5 to 12%. She would like to see a “National Construction Council” set up, recalling that the sector created more than 8,000 jobs during the first quarter.