Buyouts
US - Blackstone buys Equity Office for $39bn in world's largest buyout
The Blackstone Group has secured the worldтs largest leveraged buyout, agreeing a $39bn price (ТЃ20.2bn) for Equity Office, the biggest office landlord in the US. Blackstone won the deal after fending off competition from real estate investment trust...
UK - Cinven and Blackstone are hungry for latest restaurant target, La Tasca
AIM-listed La Tasca, an operator of 70 Spanish themed restaurants across the UK with four in the US, is reported to be the latest restaurant chain to attract the interest of private equity. Blackstone and Cinven are both expected to be interested in the...
Poland - Krokus Private Equity acquires Izoterm
Krokus Private Equity has acquired a 74% stake in thermal insulation services provider Izoterm for around EUR 5m. The company’s president, Mr Józef G³adki will retain a 26% equity stake. This represents the first investment for Krokus from its new fund...
UK - Apax-backed Incisive Media acquires VNU UK operations
Apax portfolio company Incisive Media has acquired the UK operations of VNU in a back-to-back transaction from 3i following its acquisition of VNU's European publishing interests. 3i completed the buyout of Netherlands-based VNU Business Media Europe...
SPAIN/ITALY – RCS takes Recoletos home for EUR 1.1bn
As reported yesterday by unquote news", Spanish publishing group Recoletos was considering a purchase offer from its Italian counterpart RCS.
FRANCE - European Capital invests EUR 12.5m in LBO France's buyout of Poult
European Capital has announced that it has invested a total of EUR 12.5m to help finance LBO France's buyout of biscuit maker Poult, which took place last October.
UK - Modus Private Equity invests £8m in packaging MBO
Modus Private Equity has invested over ТЃ8m to back the management buyout of Mondi Speciality Packaging, formerly a part of Anglo American Plc.
NL - ABN AMRO Capital to acquire Baarsma Wine Group
ABN AMRO Capital has signed an agreement to acquire a majority interest in wine distribution firm Baarsma Wine Group Holding. The current management team will retain a 40% stake in the firm and in addition, managers in key positions will be given the...
UK - TPG joins Sainsbury's bid team barring chance of rival bid
The CVC-led consortium preparing to launch an ТЃ11bn bid for Sainsbury's has added another member to its ranks. Texas Pacific Group, which had been in talks with Cinven and Bain Capital about a rival bid for the supermarket chain, now joins CVC, KKR and...
SPAIN - RCS makes EUR 1.3bn offer for Recoletos
Publishing group RCS, owner of Italian broadsheet Corriere della Sera, is reported to have made an offer of EUR 1.3bn for media group Recoletos.
GREECE - Apax and TPG sell TIM Hellas to Naguib Sawiris
Apax Partners and Texas Pacific Group (TPG) today announced the sale of TIM Hellas Telecommunications S.A. the third largest mobile phone carrier in Greece, to Weather Investments, the vehicle owned by telecom tycoon Naguid Sawiris.
FRANCE - Financière Agache wins Go Voyages auction for EUR 281m
Bernard Arnault's holding company, Financière Agache has won the auction for the acquisition of travel agent Go Voyages. The deal values the business at EUR 281m, representing a capital gain of EUR 200m for its vendor, Accor.
UK - TDR Capital to delist portable accommodation company
TDR Capital's offer for portable accommodation company Wraith Plc has been declared unconditional. The offer of 105p per share gives Lincolnshire-based Wraith a market capitalisation of ТЃ30.29m.
GERMANY - DZ Equity Partners buys Bader Group
DZ Equity Partner GmbH and company management have acquired the Senden-based Bader Group. The transaction was supported by a senior debt package provided by IKB Deutsche Industriebank AG.
UK - Bank of Scotland housebuilding portfolio company in talks with trade buyer
Bank of Scotland housebuilding portfolio company Linden Holdings is in exclusive talks with listed housebuilding and construction company Galliford Try to be acquired. A possible deal would represent an exit for Bank of Scotland Integrated Finance which...
GERMANY - Rademacher Group changes hands in secondary transaction
In a secondary buyout, NORD Holding Unternehmensbeteiligungsgesellschaft has acquired the Rademacher Group from ARCADIA. Management also invested and will hold a minority stake. The transaction value has not been disclosed.
UK - The Carlyle Group acquires The Mill from 3i
The Carlye Group has acquired advertising visual effects group The Mill in a secondary management buyout from 3i for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition was made through Carlyle's technology fund, Carlyle Europe Technology Partners. Founded in 1990, The...
UK - Enterprise Equity has acquires Northern Irish bus company
Enterprise Equity, a private equity house with offices in both Northern Ireland and Eire, has acquired Chambers Coach Hire in a deal of undisclosed value. Chambers hires out coaches, mini-buses and limousines.
UK - TowerBrook leads tertiary £185m MBO of Jimmy Choo
TowerBrook Capital Partners has acquired luxury shoe company Jimmy Choo from Lion Capital in a ТЃ185m management buyout deal. Galas Capital, founder and president of Jimmy Choo, Tamara Mellon, along with CEO Robert Bensoussan and the rest of the company's...
UK - Countrywide a target again as Apollo circles
Market sources suggest that Apollo is preparing to launch a bid for Countrywide. The UK estate agency chain was recently the subject of a 3i take-private bid which lost its footing after shareholders, including a number of hedge funds, believed 3i's offer...
UK - Sainsbury's would be Europe's biggest deal
Speculation about private equity's first foray into the FTSE 100 via a possible take-over of supermarket giant Sainsbury's has intensified over the weekend. CVC, Blackstone and KKR revealed they were considering a bid for the company after the founding...
FRANCE - TCR Capital backs secondary buyout of Locatel
Via its fund TCR Capital Partners III, the private equity firm has backed the secondary buyout of hotel and hospital multimedia services provider Locatel.
SPAIN - Vista Capital leads competition for pharma business
Reports in the Spanish press suggest that Vista Capital is the most likely buyer of pharmaceutical business Laboratorios Indas. The deal is valued at around EUR 360m.
UK - Private equity to try something new at Sainsbury's?
CVC, KKR and Blackstone are all reported to be pondering a take-private bid for supermarket giant Sainsbury Plc. Shares in the company rose to their highest level for eight years yesterday amid speculation of a take-over.