The Infrastructure Behind AI, Electrification and Energy Security with Shane Hurst

AI, electrification, renewables & energy security are driving an infrastructure investment boom on a scale Shane Hurst says he hasn’t seen before. ClearBridge Investments portfolio manager joins us to unpack the physical assets sitting beneath these megatrends, from electricity grids & gas pipelines to data centres, water networks & mobile towers, and explains why traditionally defensive utilities are increasingly showing structural growth characteristics.

In this episode:

00:00 Why infrastructure is entering a structural growth era

02:34 What actually counts as infrastructure?

08:24 The megatrends driving an infrastructure supercycle

13:36 How the energy grid could transform over the next decade

18:25 The physical infrastructure powering AI

22:04 The biggest risks to the AI infrastructure boom

26:43 Where the trillions in infrastructure investment are flowing

32:26 Active vs passive & how investors can access infrastructure

Stocks & ETFs Mentioned: APA Group (ASX: APA), Transurban (ASX: TCL), Atlas Arteria (ASX: ALX), Severn Trent (LSE: SVT), Pennon Group (LSE: PNN), Brookfield Corp (NYSE: BN), Space Exploration Technologies Corp (NASDAQ: SPCX), Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS), ClearBridge Global Infrastructure Value Fund Active ETF (ASX: CUIV), ClearBridge Global Infrastructure Value Fund (Hedged) Active ETF (ASX: CIVH), ClearBridge Global Infrastructure Income Fund (Hedged) Active ETF (ASX: CIIH), ClearBridge Real Income Fund Active ETF (ASX: R3AL)

If you'd like to learn more about the megatrends reshaping our economy, and how to invest in the infrastructure behind them, speak to your financial adviser, or visit Franklin Templeton's website for fund information, the relevant Product Disclosure Statement, Target Market Determination and a range of investment resources.