MSC also wants Italo trains, all the moves of the Aponte family

Mediterranean Shipping, the global maritime and logistics giant of the Aponte family, is trying to accelerate the acquisition of Italo, the first private Italian operator on the high-speed rail network. After weeks of deadlock, in recent days rumors have intensified about negotiations between MSC and the Anglo-American fund Global Infrastructure Partners which, through Gip III Global Investment, owns 72.6% of Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori, as the company that manages Italo is called. A turning point that will come more than a year after the file reached the table of owner Gianluigi Aponte and after several months of courier He was the first to give news of Master’s interest.

quotes

From what has been learned, the Aponte family intends to have at least 51% in the new equity formation, possibly leaving the other 49% to other funds interested in participating in the process. This means that when the agreement is signed, the reinvested shareholders (such as Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, Flavio Cattaneo, Giovanni Ponzo, Isabella Sragnoli, Alberto Bombasi and Peninsula Capital) who own 7.7% must leave the company. The value of Italo’s business is still being discussed, which would be around 5.2 billion euros between 4 billion in capitalization and around 1.2 billion in net debt.

Company surroundings

For exclusive negotiations between Msc and Gip – first reported by bloomberg – Heroes were giving themselves 60 days (work). Those familiar with the file explain, that the negotiations would have stopped at a certain point due to a disagreement between MSC and some Ntv shareholders over the circumference of Italo: a perimeter that was expanded in May 2023 with the entry of Itabus, a private company for long-distance passenger transport. By taking over the Italo trains, MSC will also have the coaches.

investment

Sources close to the file explain the rule courier That if there was an agreement – which it certainly isn’t at the moment – for MSC it would be a financial investment since logistical synergies are not possible today because Italo does not ship. MSC does not comment. No comment also from Italo. The US fund bought the railway company in February 2018 from Italian shareholders – including Luca Cordero di Montezemolo and Flavio Cattaneo – for €1.98 billion.

shopping campaign

In short, MSC’s shopping campaign continues in 2023. Helped, it must be said, also during the two-year period 2021-2022 record profits for the logistics and maritime sector. Even if the giant doesn’t release financials — because it’s a private company under Swiss law — according to an insider estimate made for courier In 2022, MSC could have closed with a net profit of between 28 and 30 billion euros. This also explains why last year, through its subsidiary Sas Shipping Agencies Services, it acquired $5.7 billion Bollor Africa Logistics, Bollor Group’s transportation and logistics activities business on the continent.

Air Freight

Not only. Why After failing to positively close the ETA Airways fileMSC, the Italian airline that took over Alitalia, acquired the British operator of hospital chains Mediclinic International with South African holding company Remgro Ltd – in a share split in half – in a €4.3 billion deal. Then the family continues to invest in ports, also in Italy, while through Air freight department MSc Air Cargo – As revealed courier – Prepares to acquire AlisCargo, the Italian-based cargo airline.