MFA investment April 2024

Investing in infrastructure

Photo by Campbell on Unsplash

Per my earlier claim that it’s wise to invest in human frailty, please accept my apologies for being radio silent the past little bit: fam I was LAID OUT with strep — I have not felt that bad in a hot minute.

(Turns out when you get strep throat in adulthood it’s less about the swallowing-razors feeling in your throat and more about the “I can’t get out of bed I am definitely dying” feeling in your body, mind, and spirit. 0/5 stars cannot recommend.)

Anyway it set me back, so writing about how to get that skrilla has been on pause for weeks. But, much like Bushwick Bill, Scarface, and Willie D, Money for Artists can’t be stopped, and now that I am aces on the health front, this month I am taking full advantage of the fact that, while some sectors of the market are going gangbusters, one segment of the infrastructure “sector” is on sale, so we are upping our stake in it.

OK but what really IS infrastructure, and what’s up with the scare quotes?

Infrastructure is composed of public and private physical structures such as roads, railways, bridges, tunnels, water supply, sewers, electrical grids, and telecommunications (including Internet connectivity and broadband access). In general, infrastructure has been defined as “the physical components of interrelated systems providing commodities and services essential to enable, sustain, or enhance societal living conditions” and maintain the surrounding environment. (Wikipedia)

Photo by Jaime Casap on Unsplash

Some helpful background on this:

The entirety of public markets has been taxonomized à la Linnaeus, Dewey, etc., by the financial bigwigs as seen HERE.

Count ’ em: that’s 11 sectors, 25 industry groups, 74 industries and 163 sub-industries, and nary a one of them is actually called “infrastructure.”

But all the components of infrastructure clearly overlap with many of the sectors of public markets, and these are places where—varieties of wickedness notwithstanding—the MFA portfolio can find all manner of practical and durable and not-totally-disgusting things in which to invest.

Photo by Erik van Dijk on Unsplash

This month, I am investing some hard-earned ducats in…