Industry
UK dominant as European deal activity stumbles
The UK has reasserted its dominance as a European private equity market in 2012, racing ahead of the competition, according to figures from unquote” data.
Patience pays off on Ziggo IPO
The unusual IPO story of Ziggo has presented yet another boost to its private equity backers as overwhelming investor demand accelerated yesterday’s share offering from a planned 18 million to 29 million ordinary shares - trading at a premium of 34%....
Early-stage investments: German deal volume booms
While German early-stage activity has risen in volume in the first half of 2012, the UK holds its own with strong overall deal value.
PE-backed SMEs show increased employee numbers
Staff count at PE-backed companies has increased by an average of 26% since 2000, recent research by asset manager Adveq shows.
Video: Natural attrition of GP relationships to accelerate – Capital Dynamics’ Katharina Lichtner
Video: Capital Dynamics’ Katharina Lichtner
Evonik invests in Pangaea Ventures fund
CVC-backed German speciality chemicals maker Evonik has invested in Pangaea Ventures Fund III through its recently established venture unit.
Entrepreneurs favour banks over PE for funding
Less than a quarter of entrepreneurs expect to turn to venture capital and private equity firms for funding over the next 12 months, according to research by Investec.
Mid-market leads value creation
Mid-market leads value creation
Moody's cuts German credit outlook
Moody's has indicated it may downgrade Germany's Aaa credit rating, which could make financing operations in Germany more difficult.
AIFMD having little impact on fund marketing
More than half of GPs say the Alternative Investment Fund Managers' Directive (AIFMD) has had little impact on their marketing activities with just a year to go until implementation, according to a survey by IMS Group.
Nordics' role in European PE strengthens in H2 2011
The Nordics saw a strong first half of 2012, driven by a few large deals, pushing aggregate value from €3.4bn in H2 2011 to €5bn, showing the region's resilience to the eurozone crisis and its economic strength.
Blackstone not to replace head of European PE
Blackstone will not seek a replacement for Joe Baratta in the company's London office, according to reports.
Former Metro boss launches PE house in Germany
Former Riverside partners Kai Köppen and Volker Schmidt have partnered with ex Metro boss Eckhard Cordes and former Apax partner Christian Näther to form a new buyout house in Munich, local reports suggest.
Crédit Suisse to divest PE businesses
Crédit Suisse has announced it will sell off a number of illiquid private equity businesses within its asset management division.
Stork high-yield refinancing postponed
Stork Technical Services, backed by Arle Capital Partners, has suspended its €315m high-yield bond issue, citing tough market conditions.
Spain continues to outperform Italy in deal volume
Despite the country's dire economic state, Spanish private equity activity has continued to outpace that of Italy continuously over the past 24 months - although the latter showed more resilience last year.
CalPERS PE portfolio performance in sharp YoY drop
The California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) has announced a 5.3% return for its private equity portfolio in the fiscal year 2011/12, down from 25.3% in 2010/11.
Castle PE shareholder battle intensifies
Castle Private Equity’s battle with its shareholders has intensified after activist investor Abrams Capital became its largest investor.
KPMG CF private equity head McDonagh leaves
Michael McDonagh is heading to Liberty Corporate Finance from 1 October. He has headed KPMG’s UK corporate finance private equity practice since 2005.
Video: Jonathan Blake advises on fundraising
Video: Jonathan Blake
BV Capital rebrands as e.ventures
Global venture firm BV Capital has combined its five local funds into a unified international entity named e.ventures.
Tikehau IM and Macquarie team up for debt programme
Tikehau Investment management and Macquarie Lending's corporate and asset finance group have partnered to offer debt funding solutions to French SMEs.
French fundraising: Out in the wild
French fundraising
N+1 and Mercapital merge
Spanish venture capital firms N+1 Private Equity and Mercapital have merged to form N+1 Mercapital. The new investment firm will manage €1.7bn, making it the largest in Spain.