Macquarie to Acquire IHS South American Tower Operations for $685 Million
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 2 hours ago
0mins
Should l Buy IHS?
Source: seekingalpha
- Significant Transaction: Macquarie Asset Management has agreed to acquire IHS Mauritius BR's South American wireless tower operations for approximately $685 million, encompassing over 8,500 sites in Brazil and 270 in Colombia, indicating its intent to expand in the Latin American market.
- Optimistic Market Outlook: The transaction is expected to close in 2026, reflecting Macquarie's confidence in long-term investments in South American wireless infrastructure, which could drive revenue growth in the coming years.
- Industry Consolidation Trend: IHS Holding is optimizing its asset portfolio through this transaction, with expectations to utilize the proceeds for other strategic investments, thereby enhancing its overall market competitiveness.
- Positive Stock Market Reaction: IHS Holding's stock rose 1.45% in pre-market trading to $8.41, reflecting a favorable market perception of the deal, which may bolster investor confidence in the company.
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Analyst Views on IHS
Wall Street analysts forecast IHS stock price to rise
4 Analyst Rating
3 Buy
0 Hold
1 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 8.290
Low
6.00
Averages
11.00
High
17.00
Current: 8.290
Low
6.00
Averages
11.00
High
17.00
About IHS
IHS Holding Limited is an independent owner, operator and developer of shared communications infrastructure by tower count and is an independent multinational tower company solely focused on the emerging markets. The Company provides a range of communications infrastructure solutions and managed services, including colocation and lease amendments, new sites, inbuilding solutions, small cells, fiber connectivity and rural telephony. The Company’s customers include mobile network operators (MNOs), Internet service providers, broadcasters, security functions and private corporations needing point-to-point secure communications. Its lease amendment services involve installing additional equipment or providing ancillary services for existing customers at existing towers. The Company has approximately 37,000 towers across its seven markets, including Brazil, Cameroon, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zambia.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Significant Transaction: Macquarie Asset Management has agreed to acquire IHS Mauritius BR's South American wireless tower operations for approximately $685 million, encompassing over 8,500 sites in Brazil and 270 in Colombia, indicating its intent to expand in the Latin American market.
- Optimistic Market Outlook: The transaction is expected to close in 2026, reflecting Macquarie's confidence in long-term investments in South American wireless infrastructure, which could drive revenue growth in the coming years.
- Industry Consolidation Trend: IHS Holding is optimizing its asset portfolio through this transaction, with expectations to utilize the proceeds for other strategic investments, thereby enhancing its overall market competitiveness.
- Positive Stock Market Reaction: IHS Holding's stock rose 1.45% in pre-market trading to $8.41, reflecting a favorable market perception of the deal, which may bolster investor confidence in the company.
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- Acquisition Agreement Overview: IHS Towers has entered into an acquisition agreement with MTN Group, with a transaction price of $8.50 per share, valuing the deal at approximately $6.2 billion, demonstrating strong appeal to IHS Towers shareholders.
- Shareholder Value Enhancement: The transaction offers IHS Towers shareholders a 239% premium over the share price at the announcement of the strategic review on March 12, 2024, ensuring significant returns on their investments.
- Shareholder Support Status: Both MTN and long-term shareholder Wendel have committed to support the transaction, securing over 40% shareholder agreement, which enhances the likelihood of successful completion.
- Future Outlook: The transaction is expected to close in 2026, subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals, with IHS Towers becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of MTN, further solidifying MTN's leadership in Africa's digital infrastructure market.
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- Acquisition Support: Wendel announces its backing for MTN Group's affiliate's offer to acquire IHS Towers, expecting to receive approximately $535 million in full liquidity, demonstrating confidence in IHS's future growth prospects.
- Premium Transaction: The acquisition offer is priced at $8.5 per share, representing a 36% premium over the 52-week volume-weighted average price as of February 4, 2026, reflecting market recognition of IHS's value.
- Strategic Focus Shift: Wendel plans to continue refocusing on direct investments in Europe and North America through this transaction, further optimizing its investment portfolio and providing flexibility for long-term value creation objectives.
- Market Expansion Potential: IHS Towers operates over 37,000 towers across seven markets, and the acquisition will enhance MTN's digital infrastructure capabilities in Africa, fostering growth and development in the region.
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- Increased Short Pressure: Sphere Entertainment leads the communications services sector with a short interest of 25.32%, indicating significant market concerns about its future performance, which may lead to increased stock price volatility.
- Market Performance Comparison: The S&P 500 communications services sector fell over 1% last year, contrasting with a 1.4% rise in the broader market, highlighting the relative weakness of this sector and potentially affecting investor confidence.
- Rating Discrepancies: Seeking Alpha rates Sphere Entertainment as a Strong Buy with a score of 4.82, while EchoStar receives a cautious Hold, indicating divergent market perceptions that could impact their short-term performance.
- Least Shorted Stocks: In contrast to high short interest, Atlanta Braves Holdings and IHS Holding have short interests of only 0.02% and 0.15%, respectively, demonstrating relative stability in these companies, which may attract risk-averse investors.
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- Transaction Overview: IHS Fiber Brasil will sell its 51% stake in I-Systems for an enterprise value of $452.6 million, with I-Systems being a specialist in shared optical fiber networks in Brazil, and the deal is expected to close in 2026, indicating a strategic shift for IHS in the Brazilian market.
- Market Impact: This transaction will allow TIM to solidify its leadership position in the Brazilian fiber market by acquiring the remaining 49% of I-Systems, while providing IHS with capital to support future investments and expansion plans.
- Industry Context: IHS Holding has recently faced downgrades due to an unattractive profit growth outlook; however, this sale could still generate short-term cash flow for the company to navigate market challenges.
- Future Outlook: IHS Holding anticipates favorable macroeconomic conditions in 2026, which may present new growth opportunities for the company, despite current market pressures on its profitability.
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- Transaction Overview: IHS Towers has agreed to sell its 51% stake in I-Systems to TIM for an enterprise value of $452.6 million, marking the company's exit from the Brazilian fiber market and focusing on lower capex, higher return businesses.
- Network Coverage: The I-Systems network serves approximately 9.3 million homes, with 6.4 million being Fiber-to-the-Home, and spans about 22,250 route kilometers, enhancing TIM's competitive edge in the broadband market and improving customer experience.
- Strategic Implications: This transaction aligns with IHS Towers' strategic initiatives aimed at increasing shareholder value by reducing capital expenditures and focusing on high-return businesses, while also positioning TIM for further expansion in the fiber market by 2025.
- Advisory Support: J.P. Morgan is acting as the financial advisor to IHS Towers in this transaction, ensuring compliance with customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, to facilitate a smooth transition.
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