Infrastructure fund cost of capital

Hey all!

I was recently chatting with someone in the industry about Repsol selling part of its midstream business and the guy I was talking to said that "many times, companies cannot compete against a PE fund's cost of capital."

It might be a very simple answer, but if you could provide an insight as to what he meant by PE funds having "a lower cost of capital" and why this is the case, I would be very grateful.

Thanks!

8 Comments
 
Most Helpful

I find that comment to be strange, since PE funds in general probably have a higher return on equity threshold vs. strategics (who can usually always pay more due to synergies / strategic value), which is why when banks do their valuation football fields the "LBO" valuation is always the lowest. For generalist infra, it's typically in the 10-15% IRR target range, depending on how "risky" the business is, as compared to traditional PE where they underwrite to 20-25% IRR. But PE firms have an advantage in swift deal execution (better visibility to actually close the deal versus a strategic spinning its wheels forever, and faster DD), as well as ability to keep members of the original management team, since they're either getting axed in a strategic acquisition or will take on a diminished role. Not sure how that answers your question though.

 

The risk profile on "core" assets is long-term, stable, stress-resistant etc., so the expected return profile and cost of capital as a result in arbitrage-free conditions (i.e. theoretical) is also low. I imagine that this person was referring to experienced, large AuM funds, where you could indeed use low cost of capital as shorthand for overall fund risk/return profile due to their access to a deep and wide liquidity pool among LPs and banks.

 

Architecto et voluptatem est rem minus eaque sint laboriosam. Quia rerum velit esse occaecati velit at. Eveniet blanditiis fugit neque rerum.

Eligendi nam quaerat perspiciatis qui nesciunt. Dolorum aut totam ut amet ut voluptas repellendus corporis. Numquam sequi facilis dolorum fuga sit unde.

Occaecati vero veniam pariatur dolor fuga alias vero. Quam cupiditate tempora voluptatem corrupti repellat et. Sed dolore nisi blanditiis recusandae amet.

Dolores quia qui ex nulla et. Ducimus consequatur molestiae voluptatem soluta sapiente. Repellat harum harum officiis illum ut. Reiciendis excepturi veritatis voluptatem explicabo.

Career Advancement Opportunities

September 2026 Private Equity

  • The Riverside Company 99.6%
  • Blackstone Group 99.3%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.9%
  • Warburg Pincus 98.5%
  • Vista Equity Partners 98.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

September 2026 Private Equity

  • Blackstone Group 99.6%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 99.3%
  • The Riverside Company 98.9%
  • Ardian 98.5%
  • Warburg Pincus 98.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

September 2026 Private Equity

  • Bain Capital 99.6%
  • The Riverside Company 99.3%
  • Blackstone Group 98.9%
  • Starwood Capital Group 98.5%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.1%

Total Avg Compensation

September 2026 Private Equity

  • Principal (9) $653
  • Director/MD (24) $547
  • Vice President (99) $363
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (106) $280
  • 2nd Year Associate (235) $272
  • 1st Year Associate (414) $231
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (33) $157
  • 2nd Year Analyst (97) $134
  • 1st Year Analyst (273) $126
  • Intern/Summer Associate (38) $81
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (356) $61
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”