Industry
GLOBAL - Blackstone's shares increase by over 7%
Shares of Blackstone rose by above 7% yesterday, largely a result of the expected positive earnings report to be released on 6 November.
EUROPE - YELLing about debt
The painful restructuring of YELL highlights the ills of yesterday's excesses - and shows there is a lot of pain ahead, writes Kimberly Romaine .
FRANCE - Natixis to restructure private equity activity
According to reports, Natixis has mandated Oddo Corproate Finances to help reorganise its private equity division. The bank will not look to sell is private division.
EUROPE - PE up 107% in Q3
In the midst of renewed optimism over recovery prospects in the wider economy, private equity investment activity has continued to reverse the slump that had set in at the end of last year, recording a whopping 107% increase to EUR 9.6bn (257 deals) in...
GLOBAL - Blackstone investors look to raise commitments
Reports suggest that investors in Blackstone's sixth fund, Blackstone Capital Partners VI, are looking to increase the size of their original commitments to the vehicle, which launched in January 2008.
UK venture: Catching on
Recent government support and stronger returns are helping the UK venture market catch up with its US counterpart, but there is farther to go. Deborah Sterescu looks at what is in store for the industry this year
Growing returns
While many will spin off next year to set up smaller, growth-orientated investment houses, it will be because their financial-engineering worlds are crumbling. Others trod this path 10 years ago, even as their worlds were taking off in another direction....
EUROPE - EVCA calls for new RCAP for 2020
The EVCA has today called for an updated Risk Capital Action Plan (RCAP) for 2020, an agreement originally launched in 1998, in an effort to offset the potentially disastrous consequences of the European Commission's AIFM directive on the finance industry.
US/EUROPE - First Reserve Corp adopts UN's PRI
Energy-focused investor First Reserve Corporation has today announced that it has adopted the United Nations' Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), becoming the first energy-related private equity firm to do so.
GERMANY - JC Flowers files lawsuit against HRE following squeeze-out
JC Flowers has confirmed that it has filed a lawsuit to fight the full nationalisation of banking group Hypo Real Estate Holding, which was confirmed at the lenders' annual general meeting last week.
GLOBAL- Stanford University puts $1bn of assets on the block
Palo Alto-based Stanford University, one of the largest endowments, has put as much as $1bn of its illiquid investments up for sale in an effort to raise cash for the cash-strapped institution.
Corbett Keeling Corporate Finance
Third quarter 2009 - light at the end of the tunnel?
Searching for distress
As we bear the brunt of the recession, more investors are looking to make money through distressed debt. Can private equity play along? Deborah Sterescu investigates
ITALY/MALTA - Denham-back SunRay secures EUR 120m financing
Denham Capital-backed SunRay Renewable Energy has secured EUR 120m project financing to build a 24MW plant in Montalto di Castro.
GLOBAL - KKR finally completes KPE merger
After over a year of delays and revisions, US-based private equity giant KKR has now completed its merger with its Amsterdam-listed affiliate, KKR Private Equity Investors.
EUROPE - GPs must re-invent, LPs must invest
Europe's GPs must change their ways to emerge successful from the current market conditions, and need LPs to back them in order to do so. This was the theme this morning at the fourth annual Deutsche unquote" Private Equity Congress in Munich.
"Today, the balance is shifting towards sellers after the long reign of vendors"
Joost Siemensma at Grant Thornton speaks to Domitille Lainey about the changes in due diligences in the acquisition race. Siemensma specialises in due diligence investigations for private equity investors. Previously he worked at KPMG and Deloitte Transaction...
Split LP universe
Market talk suggests the power balance has shifted in favour of LPs. Thomas Wold, investment director at Storebrand, shares his views with Rikke Lilla Eckhoff
GPs must re-invent, LPs must invest
Europe's GPs must change their ways to emerge successful from the current market conditions, and need LPs to back them in order to do so. This was the theme at the fourth annual Deutsche unquote" Private Equity Congress in Munich. Mareen Goebel and Kimberly...
A long and winding road
Rikke Eckhoff talks through 20 years of private equity with industry pioneer and veteran Bjorn Saven, founder and executive chairman of IK Investment Partners
Good business
Though environmental, social, and governance-driven investing may be winning more advocates - highlighted by signataries to the UN's PRI - we may still be a way from systematic implementation of a responsible investment strategy that goes beyond a commercial...
FRANCE - Mid-market valuations drop further
According to Argos Soditic's H1 Mid-Market Index 2009, the valuations of unlisted mid-market companies in the euro zone have fallen for a fourth consecutive semester to its lowest level since the index was launched in December 2004.