Digital edition
UK & Ireland unquote” July/August 2012
The UK’s banking sector is facing a new crisis, one far more sinister than any it has previously faced and entirely of its own making.
DACH unquote" June 2012
Vienna’s stock exchange has experienced a few tough years, but new chief executive and several planned private equity IPOs over the next two years could see the bourse becoming attractive to private equity once again.
Benelux unquote" June 2012
The latest market report from the Dutch private equity association (NVP) shows that GPs in the Netherlands have strengthened their position between 2010 to 2011.
Nordic unquote" June 2012
As previously reported last month, ratings agency Moody’s has downgraded Swedish banks Nordea and Svenska Handelsbanken to Aa3, and Norwegian DNB Bank to A1 – all by one notch, with a stable outlook.
Southern Europe unquote" June 2012
A recurrent refrain sung by the Italian private equity community and the name of a recent initiative that amplifies the chorus of voices calling for growth: Why Not Italy?, announced in May, unites top Italian private equity players in a bid to promote...
France unquote" June 2012
Sizeable French LBOs resembled the proverbial buses in May: you wait for one for an eternity, and then two appear at once.
UK & Ireland unquote" June 2012
After several difficult years, Terra Firma may be turning its fortunes around and exorcising the ghost of EMI.
France unquote" May 2012
As reported in the last issue of unquote” analysis, French deal-doers had reason to cheer in 2011.
DACH unquote" May 2012
Germany has recently reformed its insolvency law with the introduction of ESUG, the Act for Further Facilitation of the Reorganisation of Enterprises, which promises to make it easier for businesses to get out of administration and back on their feet....
CEE unquote" May 2012
CVC’s sale of StarBev is the second strong exit so far this year in CEE – the flotation of AVG on the NYSE was the first PE-backed IPO of a European business in 10 months.
Southern Europe unquote" May 2012
“This is going to cost me a general strike,” said the Spanish prime minister, commenting on his labour reforms.
Nordic unquote" May 2012
Despite reputational, regulatory, and macroeconomic concerns lingering from the second half of 2011, the Nordic private equity market has experienced its strongest first quarter since Lehman Brothers collapsed and brought the global economy to its knees.
Benelux unquote" May 2012
For a long time, women have been underrepresented in the financial services sector, particularly in leadership roles.
UK & Ireland unquote" May 2012
Business now needs to fuel future growth in order to get the UK's economy moving again, according to the latest Ernst & Young's Item Club.
Deutsche unquote" April 2012
Driven by the numerous crises of recent years, the regulatory landscape of Europe is changing, with a strong political debate taking place in Germany. Over the past decade, Germany has consistently been the third-strongest market for European private...
Southern Europe unquote" April 2012
In early March, Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy announced a self-imposed adjustment to the country’s budget deficit targets as defined by Brussels, adjusting the figure from 4.4% of GDP to a gentler 5.8%. The change has fuelled eurozone anxiety...
Benelux unquote" April 2012
In the US, the housing market continues to struggle years after the bubble burst. Property prices continue to fall and home owners are defaulting on their mortgages. As a result, more houses remain empty and on the market, while their value decreases...
France unquote" April 2012
European corporates are getting serious about venture. A new venture initiative dubbed OpVentures has been spawned by French businesses France Télécom and Publicis, when they acquired a 24.5% stake in Iris Capital Management, a CDC spin-out.
Nordic unquote" April 2012
Swedish life assurer and private equity LP Skandia Liv has received the go-ahead to buy its parent company Skandia from Old Mutual for SEK 22.5bn.
UK & Ireland unquote" April 2012
This year’s Budget, delivered on 21 March by chancellor George Osborne, had few surprises, with even Osborne describing it as “fiscally neutral”.
Nordic unquote" March 2012
The Swedish minister for education, Jan Björklund, has proposed a minimum ownership commitment of 10 years for privately held schools in Sweden. This could impact the schools’ private equity owners.
Benelux unquote” March 2012
The Benelux region has had a rather calm start to 2012. The region has quietened down for the moment, particularly in terms of buyouts.
Southern Europe unquote" March 2012
The Italian private equity and venture capital industry seems set for a change. Last year, as the banks became less willing to provide credit and more concerned with their own balance sheets, the number of buyouts supported by debt fell.
Deutsche unquote" March 2012
As 2012 ticked over, Germany was predominantly making headlines with its positive economic data and Angela Merkel’s leadership role in the EU.