News
UK - Countrywide shareholders vote in favour of Apollo offer
Apollo's offer for estate agency chain Countrywide has been approved by 98.1% of shareholders at a vote today. Apollo raised its per share offer for the listed-company by 27p yesterday in response to the arrival of a mystery third party rival bidder....
UK - Private equity eyes Virgin Radio
Reports suggest that a number of private equity groups are eyeing Virgin Radio after its present owner SMG announced it intended to sell the asset. The vendor is thought to favour an IPO process.
UK - Glitnir Integrated Finance appoints Natalie Eastham
Natalie Eastham, previously an associate director at Close Brothers Growth Capital, has joined Glitnir in the UK as a director. Her primary role is to grow Glitnir’s integrated finance presence in the UK market, reporting to Erlendur Magnússon, managing...
NORWAY - Ferd Private Euity Ferd PE II acquires European Furniture Group AB
FPEF II has aquired 100% of the shares in Swedish office furniture producer EFG from the bbe Krook family (majority shareholder), Siem Industrikapital AB, 4AP-Fonden, a Swedish National Pension Fund, and a number of other minority shareholders.
UK - Terra Firma/Wellcome Trust to access Boots books
It is reported that Terra Firma, working in association with Wellcome Trust, are inches away from making an indicative offer for Alliance Boots, and being granted access to its books. The UK chemist and retailer, formed by a £7bn merger in 2006, is the...
UK - Apollo raises Countrywide bid at last minute following rival approach
Apollo has raised its offer for Countrywide by 25p per share from 505p to 530p ahead of a shareholder vote tomorrow. The news comes following reports that a third party has launched a rival bid for the UK's largest estate agency chain.
GERMANY - Tank & Rast up for sale
It has been reported that Terra Firma Capital Partners is considering selling German motorway service station company Tank & Rast. Citibank has been appointed to arrange a sales process, which reportedly could attract offers of up to EUR 2bn. Terra Firma...
SWEDEN - Ratos plans to invest SEK 300m for 60% of MCC
Ratos is to acquire 60% of the heating and air conditionings systems (HVAC) company Mobile Climate Control (MCC) from its founder Gunnar Mannerheim for approximately SEK 300m. The company’s senior executives will remain in their present positions. The...
UK - Glitnir backs BIMBO of TruckEast with integrated finance package
Glitnir has supported the BIMBO of Scania dealer TruckEast Ltd with an integrated finance package in a deal worth over £10m. Glitnir, a Nordic investment bank, offered a fully integrated finance solution providing both the debt and equity funding as...
DENMARK - Via Ventures Partners invests in Ebisu
Via Venture Partners has invested in Ebisu, a software company based in Copenhagen. Via Venture's interest was fuelled with Ebisu's new technology that provides solutions to log all internet trafic. The new European Union anti-terror legislation that...
GERMANY - Arques buys van Netten
Arques Industries AG has acquired confectionery firm van Netten GmbH from Zuckerfabrik Jülich AG. Within the context of the transaction, Arques acquires, among other things, an almost 100,000 square meters large property on which storage and production...
SLOVAKIA - Penta acquires Slovak Privatbanka
Slovak private equity group Penta Investments has acquired a 73% stake in Slovak Privatbanka from Austria’s Meinl Bank. The transaction value has not been disclosed but the financial investor has indicated to acquire the remaining stake by end of 2007.
UK - Duke Street refinances Accantia with £120m package
Duke Street Capital has completed the refinancing of portfolio company Accantia Health & Beauty Ltd in a package worth up to £120m. The recapitalisation of the company behind the Simple skincare brand comes just four months after DSC sold Lil-lets, the...
FRANCE - DLA Piper hires M&A specialist for its Paris office
International law firm DLA Piper has appointed Geraud de Franclieu as an associate to strengthen the corporate department of its Paris office.
UK - Inflexion hires new assistant director
Inflexion Private Equity has appointed Anthony Bower to join its investment team as assistant director.
NL - Dutch House of Representatives questions private equity
Dutch politicians and leading private equity and hedge funds players yesterday convened at a round table conference, organised by the Dutch House of Representatives, to exchange ideas on the influence of hedge funds and private equity on the Dutch economy.
GERMANY - DZ Equity Partner invests in Zarges Tubesca
DZ Equity Partner has announced it has acquired a minority stake in European manufacturer of aluminium-based platform and elevator systems Zarges Tubesca Group from Granville Baird Capital Partners. Granville Baird had recently acquired the company from...
SPAIN - AC Desarrollo buys vending machine business
Alongside its management, AC Desarrollo has purchased 99% of vending machine group Demas.
ITALY - Italian buyout arena welcomes new player
Former Arca Impresa Gestioni managers Claudio Albonico and Gianni Gasperi have created a new firm, Mid Equity Partners.
ITALY – Tirrenia set to attract private equity interest
Maritime transport group Tirrenia is likely to attract offers from private equity players when it officially launches its privatisation process in the next few weeks.
UK - CVC not going to try anything new today at Sainsbury's
CVC has announced that it is to bow out of the attempt to acquire the UK's third largest supermarket chain Sainsbury's. It represents the end of an 18-month planning period for the private equity group, which first expressed its intentions to bid for...
FRANCE - UFG Private Equity boosts its investment team
UFG Private Equity (formerly known as Nord Europe Private Equity) has announced the nomination of two new investment directors.
BELGIUM - KBC invests in Multi Media Services Groep
KBC Arkiv, the joint subsidiary of KBC Private Equity and Arkimedes, has invested in Multi Media Services Groep (MMS Group), a distributor of home entertainment products such as DVDs, audio CDs and games. No further details have been disclosed. This is...
IRELAND - Permira seeks Jurys Inns business
Permira and Doughty Hanson are thought to be amongst the bidders in the final stages of the auction to buy Jurys Inns, the 20-strong budget hotel chain headquartered in Dublin. Merrill Lynch has been appointed by the Jurys Doyle Group to dispose of the...