UK / Ireland
Private equity firms bid for EBS
JC Flowers, Doughty Hanson and Cardinal Asset Management have placed bids for EBS Building Society, according to reports.
3i to sell Tommee Tippee maker
3i is reportedly mulling plans to sell baby bottle manufacturer Mayborn, with the company estimated to be worth in excess of £200m.
Campbell Soup in bid for United Biscuits
Food firm Campbell Soup Company is looking to acquire part of United Biscuits from Blackstone and PAI Partners for £1.5bn, according to media reports.
Luxury brands: Private equity's leadership challenge
Towerbrook’s plan to sell Jimmy Choo this year for an estimated £500m, more than twice its value three years ago, highlights the significant benefits that can be reaped from investing in the luxury apparel sector. However, the deal also brings to the...
TDR Capital acquires pubs portfolio from Mitchells & Butlers
TDR Capital has acquired 333 managed pubs from UK operator Mitchells & Butlers, for an estimated £373m.
Endless invests in Amdega
Endless has provided UK premium timber conservatories manufacturer Amdega Limited with growth capital funding.
Terra Firma and Citi set up mediation talks
Terra Firma is reportedly set to start mediation talks with Citigroup next month to discuss EMI, ahead of court hearings in October.
Key Capital Partners appoints Richard Thomas
Key Capital Partners has appointed Richard Thomas as investment manager for its Birmingham office.
Banks seek to make hay while the sun shines
Looking around Europe’s buyout markets, it is clear that some banks are well and truly back in the game. But the recent rise in deal completions, including those at the top end of the scale, masks an altogether more complex marketplace. Julian Longhurst...
Barclays acquires Allied Glass from CBPE
Barclays Private Equity (BPE) has backed the £75m management buyout of UK glass container manufacturer Allied Glass from CBPE Capital.
Atlantic-Pacific Capital hires Sandström as partner
Atlantic-Pacific Capital has hired Sarah McFadden Sandström as a partner in its Private Funds business, in a bid to bolster its European project management and advisory services.
ISIS-backed Enotria acquires Great Western Wine Company
Enotria has acquired UK wine distributor Great Western Wine Company, with the support of ISIS Equity Partners.
Money to burn?
Instead of the expected, traditional summer lull in activity, the unquote” editorial team has been busy reporting on a continuous stream of deal announcements and rumours over the past fortnight. While it is difficult to put any exact number on deals...
Blockbuster season
The industry is certainly in better shape than 12 months ago. The latest unquote” Private Equity Barometer confirmed the sentiment, showing total private equity investment has more than doubled to €25.5bn in the first half of the year compared to...
Second nature
News of institutions cutting back on their private equity exposure by offloading their private equity assets has interrupted the lull in deal activity that one is more accustomed to during this time of year.
Dow Venture Capital takes minority stake in Blade Dynamics
Dow Chemical's Venture Capital arm has made a minority equity investment in UK wind turbine blades manufacturer Blade Dynamics.
Ex-secretary to Treasury joins Maven
Maven has hired former economic secretary to the Treasury Ian Pearson as senior adviser, according to The Herald Scotland.
UK & Ireland unquote" 16 August
Advent International and Bain Capital have acquired card payment service provider RBS WorldPay from The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), for an enterprise value of £2.025bn.
Solvency II criticised for ‘inappropriate’ stress test
European regulators have come under fire for choosing an “inappropriate” way to measure the stress caused by private equity investments on insurance companies. Research from Partners Group suggests the regulator’s favoured method of calculating...
Gilde Healthcare III secures Philips commitment
The recently launched Gilde Healthcare III fund has attracted Royal Philips Electronics as a cornerstone investor.
Balta Group buys Domo's flooring unit
Doughty Hanson's Belgian portfolio company Balta Group has signed a deal to buy Domo NV's floor covering business.
Morgan Stanley acquires Zenith Vehicle Contracts
Morgan Stanley Private Equity has acquired a 60% stake in fleet management specialist Zenith Vehicle Contracts Group from Barclays Private Equity.
ICG buys RBS €1.4bn credit portfolio
Intermediate Capital Group (ICG) has signed a deal to acquire the Royal Bank of Scotland’s (RBS) €1.4bn portfolio of European loans.
Private equity haunted by pre-crisis deals
As AA and Saga are hitting the headlines once again, private equity it seems is being haunted by the ghosts of 2007’s exuberance. While the years preceding the financial crisis saw some of the largest private equity-backed deals of all time, many of...