
CVC, BC Partners to team up for Elior bid
UK-based private equity houses CVC Capital Partners and BC Partners are reportedly planning a €3.5bn bid for French catering company Elior.
Vendor Charterhouse was understood to be looking to divest Elior's main division for €2bn last November, but the joint bid by CVC and BC Partners would target the whole of the business.
Charterhouse took Elior private in 2005, a deal that valued the business at €2.5bn. French GP Chequers Capital also owns a stake in the company, which posted a €4.17bn turnover in the 2010/2011 financial year.
Charterhouse is reportedly in the process of arranging a €2bn staple financing package to entice buyers. Credit Agricole, HSBC, JPMorgan and Nomura are believed to be supplying the facilities.
Should the deal go through, France would finally be back on the European mega-buyout scene. The country didn't see a single buyout break the €1bn mark in 2012, while it was home to four such transactions the year prior. Notable mega-deals in 2011 included a consortium led by Clayton Dubilier & Rice acquiring engineering group SPIE from PAI partners for a total consideration of €2.1bn, as well as the €1.15bn buyout of Oberthur Technologies by Advent.
However, the €500m-1bn segment was much more stable in 2012, both in volume and value terms, according to unquote" data. France saw four buyouts valued in excess of €500m last year against five in 2011.
Latest News
Stonehage Fleming raises USD 130m for largest fund to date, eyes 2024 programme
Multi-family office has seen strong appetite, with investor base growing since 2016 to more than 90 family offices, Meiping Yap told Unquote
Permira to take Ergomed private for GBP 703m
Sponsor deploys Permira VIII to ride new wave of take-privates; Blackstone commits GBP 200m in financing for UK-based CRO
Partners Group to release IMs for Civica sale in mid-September
Sponsor acquired the public software group in July 2017 via the same-year vintage Partners Group Global Value 2017
Change of mind: Sponsors take to de-listing their own assets
EQT and Cinven seen as bellweather for funds to reassess options for listed assets trading underwater