PIPEs
FRANCE - AGF PE increase stake in Bioalliance to 5%
AGF Private Equity has increased its stake in biopharmaceutical business Bioalliance Pharma to 5.06%.
A private affair
With deal opportunities constricted, AIM and the FTSE 250 have become a more attractive hunting ground for investors
UK - More private equity interest in Paragon
Reports suggest that struggling buy-to-let mortgage lender Paragon could become the subject of a private equity bidding war after Blackstone's interest in the company was made public yesterday, with the group confirming that it had received an approach...
UK - Paragon and Blackstone in talks
Buy-to-let mortgage lender Paragon is reportedly in talks with Blackstone Group regarding a possible buyout of the struggling buy-to-let lender.
FRANCE - Blue Capital increases stake in Carrefour
Blue Capital has upped its shareholding in Euronext-listed supermarket group Carrefour from 10.7% to 12.9%.
FRANCE – Abénex acquires stake in Réponse
Abénex Capital (formerly ABN AMRO Capital France) has acquired 56.5% of listed design and outfitting business Réponse at a price of EUR 9 per share. Following this purchase Abénex will launch a public takeover bid to acquire Réponse’s remaining...
FRANCE - Colony and Eurazeo to raise stakes in Accor to 30%
Colony Capital and Eurazeo plan to raise their stakes in publicly listed Accor to a combined total of 30%. On 13 May 2008 Eurazeo will thus own 19,561,291 shares, which is 8.5% of Accor’s share capital, and over time will seek to increase this position...
NETHERLANDS – Aquiline acquires 5.1% of BinckBank
New York-based Aquiline Capital Partners has acquired a 5.1% in Euronext-listed Dutch online bank BinckBank.
FRANCE – Apax set to buy shares in Altran
Apax Partners will take part in a EUR 130m capital increase in Altran Technologies Company by July 31. The price per share price will be between EUR 5 and EUR 6.
GERMANY - JC Flowers leads Hypo investment
A private equity consortium led by JC Flowers is poised to take a 24.9% stake in property finance group Hypo Real Estate (HRE).
Public markets and private equity
Conditions in the public markets present an opportunity on the acquisition front but restrict exit options
FRANCE – Wendel raises interest in Saint-Gobain to 20%
Wendel’s interest in listed company Saint-Gobain has been raised to 20.6% giving them 19.6% of the voting rights.
UK - Patron invests £23m in Powerleague
Patron Capital Partners has acquired a minority stake in Powerleague, a commercial operator of 5-a-side football centres.
FRANCE – Sofinnova becomes shareholder in PC30
Sofinnova Partners has taken a shareholder participation in Paris Stock Exchange-listed IT solutions company PC30.
SWITZERLAND - Lion Capital acquires 32% stake in Hiestand
Lion Capital has agreed to acquire a 32% stake in Hiestand Holding AG, a publicly-traded company listed on the SWX Swiss Exchange. The Hiestand Group is an international service provider of convenience deep-frozen bakery products, in Switzerland, Germany,...
ITALY - Morgan Stanley acquires 16% stake in Agorà Investimenti
Morgan Stanley Infrastructure and Finanziaria Internazionale have signed an agreement to acquire a 16.4% stake in Agorà Investimenti.
Public vs. Private Equity – Monkeys vs. Innovators and Explorers
Dr Thomas Meyer explores the origins of the limited partnership structure and looks at the co-existence of the public and private markets.