Investments
Brait's New Look proposes CVA with closure of 60 stores
High street fashion retailer will look to renegotiate its rental and debt agreements
Italian venture moves upmarket as overall activity dips
Venture dealflow and aggregate value decreased in 2017 following five years of growth, as VCs turned their attention to later-stage rounds
Q&A: Rutland’s Craddock on Aston Barclay and making partner
Special situations investor's newly appointed partner discusses the firm's evolution and its recent investment in the UK-based car auction business
Techwald's SPAC Life Care Capital to trade on AIM Italia
SPAC will invest in non-listed medium-sized Italian companies active in the healthcare sector
TPG's Prezzo to close 94 restaurants following CVA
Casual dining chain suffered an 8.1% drop in like-for-like sales in 2017 and owes £220m to creditors
Deals accelerate in German online marketplaces
Three transactions in the space within the first two months of 2018 saw PE firms invest a combined €500m and cash out more than €700m
Large-cap deals drive strong start to 2018 for European PE
GPs deploy an extra €7bn in aggregate value across European buyouts in the first two months of the year compared to 2017
Casual dining: overbooked and undercooked
British PE owners are facing challenges as the sector shows signs of strain due to oversupply and macroeconomic headwinds
European PE in 2017: Scaling new heights
Buyout activity and fundraising reached a new peak in 2017, with mega-buyouts and small-cap deals fueling dealflow and French funds popular among LPs
CEE mid-market players welcome renewed attention from larger GPs
Focusing on the mid-market pays off, as renewed interest from international sponsors affords interesting SBO opportunities
DACH auto-parts deals motor on as sector transforms
Private equity players remain keen on auto-parts, as the sub-sector responds to rapid changes brought about by the electrical vehicle market
Canadian pension funds make inroads in France
unquote" looks at Canadian institutional investors' renewed appetite for direct investments in large-cap French assets
VCs tread cautiously around blockchain craze
VC activity in cryptocurrency has increased, but despite eye-catching deals, their volume is not as high as the wider enthusiasm would suggest
Partners Group reaches €61.9bn in AUM
Private debt is the fastest growing allocation area for the firm, with new commitments of €3.5bn
European PE in 2018: beware the bullet
unquote” brings together a group of leading practitioners to analyse industry developments during 2017 and discuss emerging trends heading into 2018
European PE in 2017: fundraising tailwinds and growing leverage
Industry professionals look back on a resilient year for private equity during a period of turbulent geopolitics
Fundraising record rounds off active year for Nordic region
Region saw strong fundraising and high deal volume off the back of low interest rates in 2017
Tech gains traction in French private equity
Expansion deals and small-cap buyouts fuelled a strong 2017, with tech proving increasingly popular among buyout houses
UK buyout activity reaches post-crisis peak in 2017
Small-cap and lower-mid-market invested strongly during the course of the year, while fundraising activity continued apace
Benelux funds specialise to compete with strategic buyers
Record level of commitments were secured by Benelux funds during 2017, with GPs increasingly turning to sector specialisation
CEE closes out 2017 with strong investor confidence
Fundraising and deal activity both increased in the region during 2017
Spanish private equity flourishes as Italian market cools
Southern Europe's leading PE markets responded drastically differently to the challenges of a turbulent 2017
US pension fund to commit $325-350m to PE in 2018
Lacers will place special emphasis on mid-market and lower-mid-market buyout funds
University of Calgary hiring PE investment adviser
Investment committee recently approved the inclusion of PE and infrastructure in its portfolio