Industry
KKR provides debt financing to Spain’s Uralita
KKR Asset Management, KKR‘s sub-investment grade manager, has provided a €320m seven-year facility to Spanish building materials firm Uralita.
LBO France's Médi-Partenaires hopes to raise €385m on high-yield market
Médi-Partenaires, a French chain of clinics backed by LBO France and Equistone, is understood to be aiming to raise €385m on the high-yield bond market.
CEE: Under-marketed and overlooked?
Central & Eastern Europe is a strong performer over a 10-year investment horizon, but investors remain wary. Is it time to take another look at the region? Kimberly Romaine reports from Warsaw
AIFMD passed into German federal law
Germany has passed legislation for the implementation of the Europe-wide AIFM Directive into federal law, following a year of intense campaigning by representatives of the private equity industry.
Mezzanine makes its comeback
Mezz bounces back
Blackstone agrees to buy Strategic Partners from Credit Suisse
Blackstone Group has agreed to acquire Credit Suisse Group AG’s secondary private equity business, Strategic Partners, for an undisclosed price.
Nordic Capital: Clear strategy vital for success
Q&A: Nordic Capital
EU Commission contemplating stricter merger control laws
The EU Commission is thinking of introducing stricter controls on company mergers, threatening to lengthen processes for minority stake acquisitions.
Afic: France needs urgent PR boost
French PE
Equistone's de Blignières to raise €300m vehicle
Equistone senior partner Gonzague de Blignières is looking to raise €300m for Raise Capital, a new evergreen structure designed to provide growth capital to French SMEs.
BGF - two years on
BGF - two years on
EQT to merge European and Asian teams for new fund
EQT is merging its European mid-market business line with its Asian investment team, ahead of a rumoured new fund launch.
Advent, Bain in £340m WorldPay dividend recap
WorldPay, a card payment services provider acquired by Advent International and Bain Capital in 2010, has secured a £700m refinancing including a dividend recap for the private equity owners, according to reports.
Banks arrange debt for sale of 3i and Allianz's Scandlines
A debt package of up to €1bn is being put together for the sale of German ferry operator Scandlines, owned by 3i and Allianz Capital Partners, according to reports.
Nordic private equity market undergoes cautious evolution
The Nordic market is changing. Long dominated by the powerhouse economy of Sweden and seemingly impervious to the crisis gripping Europe, 2012 was a tougher year and saw many new developments.
France: commitments from banks, insurers, pension funds down 43%
France's lacklustre fundraising figures for 2012 highlight the continued retreat of traditional LPs, such as banks, insurers and pension funds, according to new research by industry trade body Afic.
Finnish state launches €1bn start-up fund
The Finnish Economy Ministry is launching a €1bn venture capital start-up fund to attract private investors.
BVCA chief Florman resigns
BVCA chief Mark Florman has resigned after just over two years in the post.
Clifford Chance PE head to leave for Latham & Watkins
Clifford Chance’s global private equity head David Walker is leaving the firm to join Latham & Watkins.
UAE eases rules on private equity fund marketing
United Arab Emirates (UAE) rules have relaxed, making it easier to market private equity funds to investors there.
Family offices keen on bypassing GPs?
Nearly 60% of family offices polled in the Investec Family Office Intelligence Survey are considering investing in private equity. The headline figure is not the whole story, though.
Disgraced Crosby steps down from Bridgepoint role
Sir James Crosby has stepped down from his role on Bridgepoint’s European Advisory Board following a report into his role in the collapse of UK bank HBOS.
Qualium to re-inject €30m into Quick as part of amend-and-extend
French investor Qualium is set to invest a further €30m of equity in restaurants chain Quick while the company's lenders have agreed to extend the terms of its debt, which was due to mature in 2015.
Record dry powder to expire in 2013, says Triago
Despite an expected increase in capital calls this year as GPs put more money to work, nearly $15bn worth of LBO commitments could be left unused and returned to investors in 2013, according to placement agent Triago.