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Infrastructure sits at the intersection of mega forces – the structural shifts driving returns now and in the future. Take artificial intelligence (AI): AI is driving capital spending partly due to technological competition among countries, and the buildout of power-hungry data centers is now affecting the energy transition, too. We stay overweight the AI theme. The rewiring of supply chains benefits countries like India and Mexico. In private markets, we like infrastructure equity strategically.
Demographic divergence – a mega force that most investors don’t think about from a capital spending perspective – shapes infrastructure needs across economies. Typically, the faster a population grows, the faster capital investment grows. See the chart above. Opportunities arise where investment has not kept up with that growth. Emerging markets (EMs), like Saudi Arabia, will need more capital spending to support their growing working-age populations. In developed markets (DMs), how countries adapt to aging will dictate investment. Many are rolling out measures to help offset stagnating or even shrinking workforces, with countries such as South Korea investing in AI-driven automation. And infrastructure demand could shift away from industries tied to a growing population. We eye potential mispricings as markets can fail to price in even predictable structural shifts – until they hit.
Digital disruption and AI are already creating a massive and immediate need for power and data center infrastructure. AI-related data center investment could grow 60%-100% annually in coming years, according to a mix of forecasters including the International Energy Agency. We don’t think broad valuations fully reflect this boom. The investment implications of this buildout extend beyond first-line tech companies – reaching beneficiaries further up the supply chain like utilities, energy, materials, industrial equipment and real estate, as well as those adopting the tech. We are overweight the AI theme broadly.
AI’s energy needs could magnify the already massive investment expected in the low-carbon transition. Many mega-cap tech firms doing the largest AI buildouts have net-zero targets – that could drive up demand for renewable energy. Our BlackRock Investment Institute Transition Scenario estimates energy system investment will hit $3.5 trillion per year this decade – and $4.5 trillion by the 2040s. Low-carbon investment would then account for up to 80% of energy spending, up from 60% now.
Geopolitical fragmentation is powering infrastructure demand across sectors and countries. Supply chains are becoming more complex as some countries increasingly act as intermediate trading partners. We get granular in EMs, preferring India and Mexico as they benefit from a rewiring of supply chains or companies bringing production closer to home.
We think private markets play an important role in the new regime marked by greater macro uncertainty and higher inflation. We see them bridging the gap between infrastructure needs and what governments can do on their own, given elevated debt levels in many countries coming out of the pandemic.
We are overweight infrastructure equity on a strategic horizon of five years and longer. Compared with other pockets of private markets, infrastructure equity has reasonable valuations at higher interest rates, features steady earnings, and offers cash flows often linked to inflation in what we expect will be a world of persistently higher inflation. Private markets are complex, with high risk and volatility, and aren’t suitable for all investors.
Jean Boivin is Managing Director, Head of the BlackRock Investment Institute at BlackRock Inc.
Wei Li is Global Chief Investment Strategist, Blackrock Investment Institute at BlackRock Inc.
David Giordano Global Head of Climate Infrastructure – BlackRock, and Christian Olinger Portfolio Strategist – BlackRock Investment Institute, contributed to this article.
Disclaimer
This material is not intended to be relied upon as a forecast, research or investment advice, and is not a recommendation, offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities or to adopt any investment strategy. The opinions expressed are as of the date indicated and may change as subsequent conditions vary. The information and opinions contained in this post are derived from proprietary and nonproprietary sources deemed by BlackRock to be reliable, are not necessarily all-inclusive and are not guaranteed as to accuracy. As such, no warranty of accuracy or reliability is given and no responsibility arising in any other way for errors and omissions (including responsibility to any person by reason of negligence) is accepted by BlackRock, its officers, employees or agents. This post may contain “forward-looking” information that is not purely historical in nature. Such information may include, among other things, projections and forecasts. There is no guarantee that any of these views will come to pass. Reliance upon information in this post is at the sole discretion of the reader.
© 2024 BlackRock Inc. All rights reserved. iSHARES and BLACKROCK are registered trademarks of BlackRock, Inc., or its subsidiaries in the United States and elsewhere. This article first appeared May 28, 2024, on the BlackRock website. Used with permission.
Image: iStock.com/jitendrajadhav
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