Southern Europe
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 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
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
Buyouts surge in Q2
The private equity market is back in black, with deal values at their highest level since the heady days of 2007, according to the latest unquote” Private Equity Barometer, done in association with Arle Capital Partners.
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 UK’s small buyout sector will continue its decoupling from the larger market, and should provide better returns than large-cap players in the coming years.
PM&Partners, Fidia and Athena exit AIVE
Private equity houses PM&Partners, Fidia and Athena Private Equity have sold IT services provider AIVE Group to Cap Gemini for €42.9m.
Is pharma losing out on venture funding?
Despite mass publicity, early-stage software and technology companies have often played second fiddle to pharma on funding, but this could be about to change. John Bakie investigates
3i hires investment banker to CIO role
3i has appointed Simon Borrows, a senior City banker, as chief investment officer, the firm revealed today.
Tiger Global subscribes to €3m Mequedouno round
US private equity firm Tiger Global Management has subscribed to the €3m capital increase carried out by Spanish online sales website Mequedouno.
Carlyle et al circle Spain’s Mare Nostrum
Buyout firms Carlyle Group, Apax Partners, Cerberus Capital Management and TPG have placed first-round bids for a stake in Spanish savings bank group Mare Nostrum.
Lexington Partners raises $7bn secondaries fund
Lexington Partners has raised the world’s largest ever secondaries fund, reaching its $7bn cap.
Simbiosis considers €35m Cacaolat rescue
Simbiosis Venture Capital is considering rescuing Cacaolat, the beleaguered Spanish chocolate shakes-to-biscuits company owned by food group Nueva Rumasa.
AXA PE buys $740m portfolio from Barclays
AXA Private Equity has acquired a $740m portfolio of 22 limited partnership interests in private equity buyout funds and a number of stakes in co-investment vehicles from Barclays.
JC Flowers in talks to buy €1bn CAM stake
US private equity firm JC Flowers is in negotiations with Spanish savings bank Caja de Ahorros del Mediterraneo (CAM) to buy a stake for between €400m-1bn.
Corporate buyers: Stealing the deal?
Private equity funds have been sitting on significant dry powder recently, which has led to a recent surge in deal activity and a return of higher multiples. However, as corporates have emerged from the recession with strong balance sheets, GPs are facing...
Q&A: The role of funds-of-funds
Emanuel Eftimiu talks to Tim Creed, executive director and head of Adveq’s European investment programme, about the relevance of fund-of-funds in today's market, the future of large-cap buyout funds and the impact of upcoming regulation.
Venture follows money on cleantech
Global investment into the cleantech sector reached a record high last year of nearly $250bn, but venture is losing market share as it shies away from early-stage funding.
One in five LPs to cut GP relationships
One in five European LPs expect to cut the number of GPs they invest with over the next two years, according to Coller Capital’s Global Private Equity Barometer.
Electra strengthens relationship with Steadfast
Electra Partners has announced two new investments that strengthen the relationship with German investment partner Steadfast Capital GmbH.