Southern Europe
Pandora IPO lifts lid on PE failings
Pandora is not the only private equity-backed IPO to suffer т it would seem the box is full of underperforming listings. John Bakie reports.
Ergon acquires Fundició Dúctil Benito
Belgium mid-cap firm Ergon Capital Partners has acquired a majority stake in Catalan company Fundició Dúctil Benito in its first transaction in Spain.
GCRPV invests in four Basque firms
Gestión de Capital Riesgo del País Vasco (GCRPV), the venture arm of the Basque Country government, has invested €4m in four Basque businesses.
MCH and Corpfin invest in Segur Ibérica
MCH Private Equity and Corpfin Capital have acquired N+1 Private Equity’s stake in Spanish security firms Segur Ibérica and Hortus Mundi for €26m.
Industry fears confirmed as BGF outbids NVM
The Business Growth Fundтs outbidding of private investor NVM appears to justify market concern that the vehicle constitutes unfair competition to smaller PE houses.
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 тЌ1.1bn.
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.
Nazca Capital buys EUREKAKIDS
Nazca Capital has acquired Damerik, which owns Catalan toy chain EUREKAKIDS, via the purchase of equity and a capital increase.
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.
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.
Magnum's Seda Coffee deal falls through
Magnum Capital Partners’ bid to acquire a 50% stake in Seda Coffee has fallen through, despite its announcement last April that the deal would go ahead.
N+1 et al. exit Serventa
N+1 Private Equity, Dinamia and Nmás1 Private Equity Fund LP, have sold their shareholding in vending machine operator Servicio de Venta Automatica SA (Serventa) to Autobar Group for €6.24m.
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
Southern Europe unquote" out now
The latest digital edition of Southern Europe unquote” is out now, bringing you all the latest deals, funds and analysis in the region.
N+1 registers EQMC fund in Spain
Private equity firm N+1 has registered a new open-ended fund in Spain, which will allow Spanish LPs to participate in the investments made by its Ireland-based EQMC vehicle.
Southern Europe unquote" July/August 2011
French investment firm Eurazeo has paid Carlyle Group €418m for a 45% stake in Moncler, a Milan-based manufacturer of high-end sportswear products, in an SBO.
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 theyтre merely propaganda to entice LPs. Susannah Birkwood reports
FATCA - An uneven playing field
Despite being an American law which doesnтt 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
unquote" Private Equity Barometer – Q2 2011
Preliminary figures released today in the Q2 2011 unquote" Private Equity Barometer reveal renewed activity during Q2.
Private equity hungry for €215m Bimbo deal
Buyout houses Magnum Capital Industrial Partners, MCH Private Equity and Portobello Capital are among the potential bidders for Spanish bakery business Bimbo.
UK returns: Think small
The UKтs small buyout sector will continue its decoupling from the larger market, and should provide better returns than large-cap players in the coming years.