Sydney, Feb 18, 2026, 17:12 AEDT — Market closed
- Macquarie finished 0.6% higher, settling at A$219.60.
- The asset management division has struck a deal to acquire IHS Towers’ tower assets in South America, with the transaction slated to wrap up sometime later in 2026.
- Macquarie’s full-year earnings, set for release May 8, mark the next big catalyst.
Macquarie Group Ltd finished up 0.57% at A$219.60 on Wednesday, following news that its asset management unit plans to acquire IHS Towers’ South American wireless tower assets. The deal values the business, including debt, at $685 million.
The market is closed, sure, but timing is what matters here. Macquarie continues allocating capital into private infrastructure, a space investors track closely—those assets generate management fees that aren’t tied to day-to-day market moves.
Wireless towers don’t get much of the telecom spotlight. Operators lease them, the towers generate steady rental income, and their business rhythm typically diverges from the tempo of stock trades or deal-making.
Macquarie Asset Management is picking up the assets for a privately managed infrastructure fund, assigning an implied enterprise value of roughly R$3,550 million (US$685 million) under U.S. GAAP, not counting cash or IFRS 16 lease liabilities. “We expect further wireless and digital infrastructure investment will be required to support 5G network buildout in Brazil and Colombia over the next several years,” said Fernando Lohmann, who leads the firm in Brazil. Macquarie
IHS Towers is selling its Latin American tower business, assigning the deal an enterprise value of roughly $952 million with lease liabilities factored in. The portfolio covers around 8,860 sites. “We are today announcing the sale of our Latam tower operations to Macquarie Asset Management, marking our exit from the Latam region,” Chairman and CEO Sam Darwish said. IHS Towers Corporate
Macquarie moved higher as the broader market caught a bid. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 finished roughly 0.5% stronger, regional stocks also in the green—though some investors were still chewing on renewed concerns about how fast, and how much, the AI boom might deliver.
Still, this one’s not locked in. The acquisition, slated to wrap up sometime later in 2026, faces a list of conditions to clear. And there’s the risk: if funding costs climb or currency shifts eat into returns, tower economics could quickly turn complicated.
Then there’s the seller’s side. MTN Group announced plans to acquire full ownership of IHS Holding, putting an estimated $6.2 billion price tag on the tower company. Once that’s done, IHS is headed for the private markets, Reuters reported.
MQG holders are staring at the details now: how the tower platform’s paid for, what Macquarie can actually pull off in a yield-hungry but cautious market, and if a string of new infrastructure deals shows up fast.
Next up: Macquarie’s full-year results drop Friday, May 8. Shares go ex-dividend the following Monday, May 18—so anyone buying on or after that day misses the payout. The record date falls just after, on May 19.
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