France
3i buys Etanco off IK
3i has acquired a majority stake in French building fasteners manufacturer Etanco from IK Investment Partners.
Altamar V holds first close on €120m
Altamar Private Equity has held a first close of its fifth fund-of-funds, Altamar V Private Equity Program, on €120m.
PE-backed MBO for MB Electronique
Avenir Entreprises and CM-CIC Capital Privé have backed the management buyout of French electronic equipment distributor MB Electronique.
Private equity 'unlikely to buy 3i's troubled Chorion'
Private equity firms are unlikely to show much appetite for struggling 3i-backed Chorion, the owner of the Mr Men franchise, corporate finance adviser Jeremy Rayment said today.
123Venture et al. in Vérifimmo MBI
123Venture, LCV Finance and David Hamelin have wholly acquired French insurance business Vérifimmo for an undisclosed amount.
IK sells Idex to infrastructure fund Cube
IK Investment Partners has sold French energy and environmental services company Idex to Cube Infrastructure.
Partners Group has new presence in Paris
Partners Group has opened a new office in Paris.
GE overcomes hurdle in Converteam trade sale
General Electric (GE) has reached an agreement with the US Justice Department (DoJ) allowing it to acquire French engineering group Converteam from Barclays Private Equity and LBO France.
Q&A: The state of fundraising
Greg Gille talks to Antoine Dréan, founder, chairman & CEO of independent private equity placement agent Triago, about the current market.
PE law firms look east for expansion
Large numbers of law firms are beefing up their private equity teams both in Europe and Asia, with fund formation specialists and Mandarin speakers in particular demand. Susannah Birkwood reports
Joseph Mukungu joins Neuberger Berman
Neuberger Berman has appointed Joseph Mukungu as senior vice president, head of client services for Europe and the Middle East.
Syndication woes spell trouble for German buyouts
At a time when many GPs have finished divesting their vintage portfolios and are looking for fresh investments, the German leverage market is experiencing difficulties with loan syndication, threatening future buyouts. Diana Petrowicz investigates
Astorg leads FCI unit auction
French mid-cap firm Astorg Partners has entered into exclusive negotiations to acquire FCI's microconnections division from Bain Capital, according to sources close to the transaction.
PE firms creating bidding wars over contingent forwards
Deal-contingent trades, which allow PE houses to hedge their FX risk, have seen a strong revival recently, creating stiff competition among banks.
Rumour roundup: Birds Eye, FCI, Orange and more
The summer period has been rife with rumours of major deals in the pipeline. unquote" gives a roundup of the headline-hitting deals expected in the coming months.
PE takes key role in financial services consolidation
With Cinven’s acquisition of Guardian Financial Services this week, we are once again reminded of the pressure facing financial services organisations and the opportunities this presents for private equity investors.
Moulton: Industry mergers to create fewer, larger players
A tumultuous few years as well as increased legislation will lead to the consolidation of the industry into a smaller number of larger buyout houses via mergers. Unquote’s Kimberly Romaine talks to Jon Moulton, Chairman of Better Capital.
LBO France and LFPI Gestion close Eminence SBO
LBO France and LFPI Gestion have acquired men's underwear manufacturer Groupe Eminence from Orium and Pechel Industries Partenaires.
JPEL buys Arch Cru portfolio for £56.5m
J.P. Morgan's Private Equity fund of funds (JPEL) has snapped up 38 investments from the former Arch Cru portfolios in a deal worth £56.5m.
UK activity surges in July after slow start
Following a rather lacklustre start to 2011, the UK has seen a sudden spike in private equity investment activity this summer, and professionals will be hopeful this can continue through the rest of the year.
Intel Capital launches Ultrabook Fund
Intel Capital, the private equity arm of computing hardware provider Intel, has announced the launch of its Ultrabook Fund with a $300m target.
A third of deals in doubt from September
Recent changes to the Takeover Code would have impacted 32% of UK deals since 2005. But if properly considered, P2Ps will still be do-able. Kimberly Romaine reports.
Bain seeking final bids for FCI
Bain Capital is today expecting final bids for portfolio company FCI, which could fetch up to $1bn.
Interview: Javier Echarri
Having spent 10 years at the helm of the European Venture Capital Association (EVCA), Javier Echarri is roundly considered one of the world's most influential people in private equity. He talks to Susannah Birkwood about the AIFMD, national trade bodies...