As readers of this site know, I am all about the infrastructure boom. Both for infrastructure growth to support the lighting speed growth in China, India, Mid East…and infrastructure repairs needed in the U.S. I am so convinced that this theme trumps all other investable themes out there that my portfolio is now concentrated on this theme, diversified only by the different components of the infrastructure buildout. First, my conviction is based on the fact that infrastructure is the foundation of modern civilization. We must keep our utilities running so we can have water and power. Witness the chaos in New Orleans after Katrina- New Orleans, a limited area, and yet the importance of our daily infrastructure necessities could not be more obvious. This leads to the second reason for conviction: governments must put infrastructure integrity as a top priority. Same for both the U.S., whose infrastructure needs massive repairs, and China, who is building cities daily. The fundamental need to have solid infrastructure means, to me, governments will finance these projects regardless of the economic conditions…baring a full scale global depression. Even in the depression, we completed big projects like the Hoover Dam, setting ourselves up for decades of power to fuel the growth in on the west coast. Thus, specific infrastructure plays should be relatively insensitive to the slowdown or recession if you look out 3-5 yrs. And although I’m don’t care much for the “long term” investment theories, for these companies you have to look out 3-5 yrs just because many of their projects take several years to complete. But yes, in the long term we’re all dead, so don’t just buy, hold, and forget!
POWER GRID
As just mentioned, the basic utilities are my #1 focus, and the power grid specifically.
“Demand for cable products in the developing regions of the world is being driven by high levels of energy infrastructure, construction and mining activities. Particular strength is coming from government sponsored infrastructure projects in Latin America and Southeast Asia.
