Buyouts
UK - Blackstone and CapVest court Unilever's frozen foods
Unilever is selling off its frozen foods division in an auction which is expected to value the Birds Eye and Findus producer at approximately ТЃ1bn, according to the Times. The auction is being run by Goldman Sachs with Blackstone and CapVest favourites...
UK - Close of Caudwell deal approaches
Caudwell, the phone group which includes the Phones 4 U chain, is now in exclusive negotiations with BAIN Capital and Doughty Hanson according to the Times. John Caudwell is selling the Carphone Warehouse's main rival for a figure thought to be close...
FRANCE - Sagard acquires pharmaceuticals distributor
Sagard has taken a majority stake in Depolabo, the leading French distributor of pharmaceuticals, alongside its management. Previous investor Steinbeck Holding retains a minority stake in the company.
FRANCE - AXA Private Equity and Jaccar invest in ship builder
AXA Private Equity and Jaccar have each taken a 40% stake in Piriou, while the company's management retain the balance.
FRANCE - Stone Point Capital backs AXA RE's spinout
AXA has announced the signing of a definitive agreement to cede AXA RE, its mid-sized reinsurer, to a syndicate of investors led by US private equity firm, Stone Point Capital.
FRANCE - Vulcanic changes hands
AXA Private Equity has sold its interest in Vulcanic Group, a European electrothermics and instrument transformer manufacturer, to 21 Centrale Partners and the company's management for EUR 82.5m
SPAIN - Monitor Capital buys 95% of the restaurant chain Pinocchio
The private equity firm Monitor Capital has acquired 95% of the shares of the Spanish food chain Pinocchio, which operates ten restaurants and pizzerias in Montecarlo, Madrid and Valencia.
UK - Matrix backs Pasta King
Matrix Private Equity Partners has financed the MBO of Pasta King alongside management and HSBC (Exeter) which provided senior debt and a invoice discounting facility.
NETHERLANDS - Halder acquires Hebu in secondary buyout
According to press reports, Halder has acquired a 77,5% stake in hydraulic systems and components business Hebu from Gilde Investment Management and ABN AMRO Capital.
NORWAY - Ferd buys retail chain Nille
Ferd Private Equity Fund II has acquired 70% of the shares in Nille AS and Per Aarskog AS. Mons and Mathias Aarskog will continue to own 30% of the new holding company.
FRANCE - ABN Amro Capital backs tertiary LBO of Outinord
ABN Amro Capital has acquired a majority stake in steel formworks solutions provider Outinord from Siparex and Spef Venture, for an undisclosed sum.
UK - Regent Inns to stay independent
According to today's Times, rumoured talks between Alchemy Partners and Regent Inns, the operator of the Walkabout and Jongleurs chains, have fallen through.
UK - Photo-Me likely to be private equity target
The Surrey-based photobooth maker, Photo-Me, has confirmed that it has hired JPMorgan Cazenove as a financial adviser according to the Times. The shareprice of the group has suffered in recent months, closing on Friday at 86p compared to 132p last November,...
ITALY - Barclays Private Equity Acquires ULKA Costruzioni Elettromeccaniche SpA
Barclays Private Equity has acquired ULKA Costruzioni Elettromeccaniche SpA, a manufacturer of solenoid pumps for coffee machines, from entrepreneur Giampiero Rossi for an undisclosed sum.
UK - Secondary buyout of Azzurri Communications
3i announces today that it has sold its 75% stake in Azzurri Communications, the leading UK converged voice and date communications company, to a secondary buyout vehicle backed by Prudential Ventures (PPM) in a deal valuing the company at ТЃ182.5m. 3iтs...
DENMARK - Matas shareholders to accept CVC offer
The majority of the Matas shareholders have agreed to sell the business to CVC Capital Partners for DKK 5.2bn. During a shareholder meeting, more than 2/3 of the shareholders agreed that the board of directors should continue the sales process with CVC....
UK - August Equity backs MBO of Rixonway Kitchens
August Equity has announced that it has supported the management buyout of Rixonway Kitchens Ltd via the newco Rollfold Group Ltd for an undisclosed sum. This is the eighth investment from August Equity Partners IV.
FRANCE - Weinberg Capital Partners makes its first investment
Weinberg Capital Partners (WCP) has announced an agreement to acquire 70% of Pharmaceutical company Pharma Omnium International.
ITALY - Bridgepoint acquires Italian perfumery group Limoni
Perfumery chain Limoni, the Italian market leader with a network of 400 stores and a consolidated turnover of € 304 million (13.6% up on 2004), has been acquired by Bridgepoint through a management buy-out involving its founder Piofrancesco Borghetti....
FRANCE - Bridgepoint acquires French publisher from Sagard
Bridgepoint has taken a majority stake in Groupe Moniteur in a secondary LBO. French buyout house Sagard is exiting the investment it made in 2004.
FRANCE - Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners backs Alturia's owner buyout
Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners and Socadif have taken minority stakes to back Henry Robet's buyout of Groupe Alturia.
ITALY - MCC Sofipa acquires majority stake in Cobra
MCC Sofipa SGR SPA, the private equity arm of Gruppo Capitalia, has acquired a majority stake in Cobra Spa via the funds Sofipa Equity Fund and Sofipa Equity Fund II. The funds have together invested approximately EUR 17.5m for a 70% shareholding, while...
UK - Telent to be taken private by Fortress Investment
Telent has been offered 529.5p per share by the US private equity firm Fortress Investment according to a report in today's Times. The deal will value Telent, the only part of former industrial giant Marconi that remains independent, at ТЃ346m. Ericsson...
UK - Caledonia backs management buyout of Celerant Consulting
The management of Celerant Consulting, the global operations management consultancy based in Richmond, UK announced that they have agreed with Novell Inc, to acquire Novellтs majority shareholding for a total of approximately $77m. As a result of the...