Mid-market buyout
Mid-cap valuations remain stable as dealflow stagnates
Mid-cap valuations
Metric acquires Danish lingerie chain
Metric Capital Partners (MCP) has bought a qualified minority stake in Copenhagen-based retail firm Change of Scandinavia, in a deal that values the business at around €70m.
Enterprise closes Polish Enterprise Fund VII on €314m
CEE-focused GP Enterprise Investors has closed its latest fund, Polish Enterprise Fund VII (PEF VII), on €314m.
Rothschild holds €235m first close for private debt fund
Rothschild's Five Arrows Credit Solutions (Facs), a debt fund focused on the western European mid-market, has held a first close on €235m.
Holding periods stretching amid tough exit environment
Holding periods
PE and trade players neck-and-neck on mid-market pricing
Mid-cap valuations
Lower mid-cap renaissance for London in 2012
London was home to a noticeable dealflow uptick in the £5-50m segment last year, with both activity volume and overall value up by more than 30% on 2011 figures.
LDC marks hat-trick with Ramco investment
LDC has backed the buyout of Scotland-based oil & gas services business Ramco, the third deal announced by the firm in quick succession.
LDC backs NRS Healthcare MBO
LDC has taken a stake in the £24m management buyout of NRS Healthcare, the healthcare division of listed multi-channel retailer Findel plc.
Lower mid-market buyouts hit €2bn record in January
France and the UK led Europe in January in the lower mid-market, which saw 18 such transactions across Europe worth a combined €1.9bn - the largest monthly value witnessed for a year. Greg Gille reports
Mid-cap valuations pick up in Q4 2012
Mid-cap valuations
ECI promotes Lewis Bantin to partner
ECI Partners has promoted Lewis Bantin to partner within the firm.
TowerBrook closes fourth fund on $3.5bn
TowerBrook Capital Partners has held a final close for its fourth buyout fund, reaching its $3.5bn hard-cap.
New German GP Rantum Capital targets mid-market
A group of German businessmen, including former Morgan Stanley Germany CEO Dirk Notheis, have founded a new private equity firm named Rantum Capital.
Mid-cap valuations dragged down by trade buyers
Valuations down
UK lower mid-market resilient in 2012
While activity in the €50-250m segment has failed to improve on 2011 figures on a pan-European level, the UK is proving to be fertile ground for deal-making in an otherwise troubled macroeconomic environment.
Siparex raises €90m for mid-market vehicle
French GP Siparex has held a first close for its MidMarket III vehicle on €90m.
IK takes over AXA PE's Unipex
IK Investment Partners has acquired a majority stake in French speciality chemicals business Unipex Group from AXA Private Equity.
French mid-market on the mend
At long last, activity in the French €100m+ buyout market showed signs of improvement in the second quarter. The Alain Afflelou and St Hubert transactions certainly helped: the former was acquired by Lion Capital in an €800m SBO in May, while Montagu...
Mid-cap GPs pay less than corporates as entry multiples drop
For the first time in two years, between April and June, private equity houses paid a lower median entry multiple than corporate buyers in mid-cap transactions, according to the latest Argos Mid-Market Index.
Latest DBAG fund holds €451m first close
Deutsche Beteiligungs AG has held a first close on €451m for its mid-market buyout fund DBAG Fund VI, two months after sending out PPMs.
French activity: Out of the trough?
Shored up by an uptick in mid-market buyout activity, French dealflow has shown encouraging signs of recovery in May. But subdued activity in the first months of 2012 and a lack of visibility on macro-economic trends should take their toll on year-end...
Siparex launches MidMarket III vehicle
French generalist GP Siparex has launched a new fund, Siparex MidMarket III, days after closing its MidCap II vehicle on €130m.