Goldman Sachs Group Inc. is seeking buyers for its 49% stake in a Puerto Rico toll road concession that could value the asset at more than $2 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.
Goldman is working with advisers to solicit interest from potential suitors for Autopistas Metropolitanas de Puerto Rico LLC — known as Metropistas, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the talks are private. A representative for Goldman declined to comment.
The infrastructure-investment arm of the New York firm acquired 55% of Metropistas in 2011, alongside Spain’s Abertis Infraestructuras SA. It sold 6% to Abertis in 2014.
Toll roads have been an asset favored by infrastructure investors across the globe, in part due to the perceived stability of revenues from drivers dependent on a route.
Abertis and Goldman have the right to operate two toll roads until 2061: the 83-kilometer PR-22, which connects San Juan with Arecibo; and the 4-kilometer PR-5, which runs through San Juan. The combined annual earnings of the roads is more than $100 million before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, one of the people said. Traffic and revenues have continued to grow despite a challenging economic environment, the person said.
In late 2017, Abertis and Goldman donated $1 million toward relief efforts after Hurricane Maria put the toll roads out of operation briefly that September.
Last week, Goldman’s infrastructure arm announced the sale of a majority stake in Red de Carreteras de Occidente, one of Mexico’s largest private toll road operators, to Abertis and GIC Pte Ltd.
Source: Bloomberg.com