We had a record attendance at our recent monthly Switzer Report webinar (held on the first Friday of the month) where Peter Switzer and Paul Rickard look at opportunities in the stock market and play Russian roulette to the questions fired at them by attendees. Last Friday, James Dunn, a regular contributor to the Report, joined the duo.

Attendees can either send in questions beforehand or simply ask them ‘live’. This time there were numerous questions about infrastructure and how to play the associated boom. Paul and Peter noted that we keep hearing about the infrastructure boom but sometimes it's actually hard to see and they asked: How do you invest in it, or indeed, do you invest at all at this stage because it’s just too far down the horizon?

James was first to field a question. “It's a good investment theme,” he said. “You see some incredible figures bandied around in terms of what's required in global infrastructure spending over the next five to 10 years. That number is in the $40 US trillion range!” he added.

As the trio contended, we're not just talking new infrastructure because refurbishment of ageing infrastructure is just as big a theme.

“You can play infrastructure a lot with companies like BHP, Fortescue, Lendlease and Simmichs. We have the material suppliers, the builders and the contractors, etc,” James said.

Peter questioned James about ETFs that specialise in infrastructure.

“There's some really interesting ETFs,” James replied. “There’s the Vanguard Global Infrastructure , which is under the code VBLD. Then there’s the CORE ETF from ETF Securities. That's C-O-R-E. VanEck Vectors FTSE Global. That code is IFRA. And then there’s the Listed Infrastructure Company from Argo called ALI” he added.

ETFs can be good diversified ways to play the infrastructure game. Paul threw in one more and then put a question to Peter!

“There's also the Magellan infrastructure one, MICH,” Paul said.

In typical style, Peter and Paul then played ping pong.

“What do you say to people about infrastructure and how to invest, Peter?” Paul said.

“James and you have covered it really well. Picking individual companies can be really hard,” Peter replied. “The Magellan one has done very well. AMP Capital had a good infrastructure one as well, which I don't think was a listed product, was it, Paul?

“You’re right, Pete, that was an unlisted product.” Paul retorted.

“Yes, but it had a pretty good return,” Peter said.

Join Peter and Paul at the next webinar in November, where you’ll be surprised by the wealth of knowledge that’s shared and you’ll be delighted by the banter. Take a free trial to the Switzer Report, which gives you entrée to the webinar and much, much more!