France
Advent buys part of Oberthur for €1.15bn
Advent International has agreed to acquire the Card Systems and Identity divisions of French secure technologies specialist Oberthur for €1.15bn.
Pandora IPO lifts lid on PE failings
Pandora is not the only private equity-backed IPO to suffer – it would seem the box is full of underperforming listings. John Bakie reports.
Barclays PE sells Martek Power to Cooper Industries
Barclays Private Equity (BPE) has sold French energy conversion specialist Martek Power to Cooper Industries for €130m.
Apax France exits Vizada in $960m trade sale
Apax France and Hutton Collins have sold French mobile satellite communications company Vizada to Astrium, an EADS subsidiary, for a total consideration of $960m.
Perceva Capital in Supra take-private
Perceva Capital has acquired a 58% stake in listed French heating devices manufacturer Supra in a deal that values the business at €12m, with a view to delist it in the Autumn.
Industry fears confirmed as BGF outbids NVM
The Business Growth Fund’s outbidding of private investor NVM appears to justify market concern that the vehicle constitutes unfair competition to smaller PE houses.
TA Associates takes 50% stake in DNCA Finance
TA Associates has secured a 50% stake in French asset management firm DNCA Finance for an undisclosed amount.
Waterland’s fifth fund raises €1.1bn
Waterland Private Equity Investments has held final close of its fifth fund, Waterland Private Equity Fund V, at €1.1bn.
Proskauer Rose poaches three for funds team
Proskauer Rose has poached three private equity fund structuring professionals from rivals Kirkland & Ellis and SJ Berwin in recent days, in anticipation of increased fundraising activity.
Niklas Eklund joins Wellington Partners
Wellington Partners has appointed serial entrepreneur Niklas Eklund as a venture partner.
Secondary players dominate Italy’s foreign LP base
Italian GPs ought to be doing more to attract foreign investors at the fundraising stage, as many of the country's overseas-based LPs are secondary players. Susannah Birkwood finds out whether this and other local trends are about to change.
CDC to sell PE portfolio
France's Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (CDC) is planning the sale of a €180m private equity fund portfolio, according to media reports.
Riverside adds two new execs
Global private equity firm The Riverside Company has appointed two new executives, Juan Rufilanchas and Jaime Escribano, to its Madrid office.
2011: The year of the mega buyout
While the increase in volume of European buyouts has been modest in 2011, the surge in value has been impressive. Viktor Lundvall investigates
L Capital buys 35% stake in TWC L'Amy
L Capital, a PE firm sponsored by luxury group LVMH, has acquired a 35% stake in French fashion accessories company TWC L'Amy from Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners (EdRIP).
€119m refinancing for PE-backed FPEE
AtriA Capital Partenaires, Pragma Capital and Barclays Private Equity (BPE) have refinanced the 2009 buyout of French building materials company FPEE with a €119m debt package.
BC Partners holds second close at €5.5bn
BC Partners has held a second close of its BC European Capital IX fund at €5.5bn.
German IPOs fail to meet expectations
A relatively large number of IPOs have taken place lately on the Frankfurt stock exchange with more expected later in the year. But doubts still remain over the wisdom of IPOs in the post-crisis era. Diana Petrowicz investigates.
Bernie Ecclestone accused of bribery in F1 buyout
Formula One CEO Bernie Ecclestone has been accused by German prosecutors of bribing former BayernLB chief risk officer Gerhard Gribkowsky at the time of the company's 2006 buyout.
Operating partners: For pros or for show?
Fans of operating partners deem them performance enhancers; detractors say they’re merely propaganda to entice LPs. Susannah Birkwood reports
Piper cashes in on retail sector expertise
The retail sector is filling headlines for all the wrong reasons at the moment. Despite the difficult period for the sector, Piper Private Equity has just held final close of its new fund, reinforcing the merits of sector specialism. Viktor Lundvall investigates
Arle poised to sell two firms
Arle Capital Partners is set to sell two of its portfolio companies, according to reports.
FATCA - An uneven playing field
Despite being an American law which doesn’t come into force until 2013, the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act must be dealt with immediately by all international GPs which have US portfolio companies. Susannah Birkwood reports
France unquote" July/August 2011
Chequers Capital and Apax France have closed their latest funds on €850m and €700m respectively, joining the list of French mid-cap firms that successfully hit the fundraising trail in recent months.