Buyouts
21 Centrale buys Cleor off Azulis
21 Centrale Partners has taken a majority stake in the management buyout of French jewellery retailer Cleor.
3i sells Esmalglass to Investcorp
3i has sold ceramic and enamel producer Esmalglass-Itaca to Investcorp in a deal understood to be worth around €200m.
AXA PE acquires frostkrone from Argantis
AXA Private Equity has acquired German frozen finger food producer frostkrone and its subsidiary Bornholter in an SBO from Argantis Private Equity.
LDC backs MBO of Dale Power Solutions
LDC has invested £10.5m to back the management buyout of power solutions provider Dale Power Solutions.
Equistone takes majority stake in Vivonio
Equistone Partners Europe has taken a 67% stake in German furniture maker Vivonio Furniture Group, a newco formed by combining Orlando Management-backed MAJA, Staud and SCIAE.
Key Capital Partners backs £15m MBO of Nurse Plus
Key Capital Partners has backed the £15m MBO of UK-based healthcare staffing company Nurse Plus.
Endless edges closer to Pizza Hut deal
Turnaround specialist Endless is in exclusive talks to acquire the UK business of Pizza Hut from parent company Yum! Brands, according to reports.
Hutton Collins and LGV back Novus Leisure MBO
Hutton Collins and LGV Capital have backed the management buyout of bar and club operator Novus Leisure, which notably runs the Tiger Tiger brand.
Equistone sells Kermel to Qualium
Qualium Investissement has acquired a majority stake in French fibre manufacturer Kermel from Equistone Partners Europe, which is understood to have reaped a 2.2x money multiple on the sale.
PE-backed BMG linked to Parlophone bid
Private equity-backed music group BMG Rights Management has been linked to a bid for Parlophone Records, a section of EMI responsible for music by bands including Coldplay and Radiohead.
AXA PE acquires Fives from Charterhouse
AXA Private Equity has backed the management buyout of industrial engineering firm Fives Group in a deal that values the company at around €850m.
Are buyout firms well placed for healthcare reforms?
UK healthcare
Hony and GCS named preferred bidders for Dexia unit
Chinese private equity houses Hony Capital and GCS Capital have teamed up to buy the asset management arm of Dexia in a deal worth €500m, according to reports.
LDC takes Boomerang private
LDC has acquired AIM-listed media production company Boomerang in a take-private worth close to £8m.
Mid Europa backs Walmark
Mid Europa Partners has acquired a 50% stake in Czech dietary supplements manufacturer Walmark from the company's founders.
French mid-market on the mend
At long last, activity in the French €100m+ buyout market showed signs of improvement in the second quarter. The Alain Afflelou and St Hubert transactions certainly helped: the former was acquired by Lion Capital in an €800m SBO in May, while Montagu...
Cross acquires Micromacinazione
Swiss firm Cross Equity Partners has acquired a majority stake in Swiss micronisation technologies and services company Micromacinazione.
Siparex takes 25% stake in Vulcain
Siparex has acquired a minority stake in the owner buyout of French building fixtures manufacturer Vulcain.
MBO Partenaires buys 80% of LMB
MBO Partenaires has taken a majority stake in the management buyout of French aerospace parts supplier LMB.
IK buys Actic from FSN Capital
IK Investment Partners has acquired Swedish health and fitness business Actic from FSN Capital.
Mid-cap GPs pay less than corporates as entry multiples drop
For the first time in two years, between April and June, private equity houses paid a lower median entry multiple than corporate buyers in mid-cap transactions, according to the latest Argos Mid-Market Index.
Perusa buys TLT Group
Perusa has wholy acquired German automotive logistics business Trans-Logo-Tech Group (TLT) via its €207m Perusa Partners Fund II.
Omnes Capital invests in Unafinance MBI
Omnes Capital (formerly Crédit Agricole Private Equity) has backed the management buy-in of French building security company Unafinance.
AXA PE buys Schustermann & Borenstein
AXA Private Equity has bought German fashion exporter Schustermann & Borenstein in an MBO that reportedly values the company at $370m.