• Home
  •  
    Regions
    • Europe
    • UK & Ireland
    • DACH
    • Nordic
    • France
    • Southern Europe
    • Benelux
    • CEE
    • Asia
  •  
    Deals
    • Buyouts
    • Venture
    • Exits
    • Refinancings
    • Build-up
    • Turnaround
    • Secondaries
    • Advanced deals search
  •  
    Funds
    • Buyout
    • Venture
    • Mezzanine
    • Debt
    • Funds-of-funds
    • Secondaries
    • Fundraising pipelines
    • Advanced funds search
  •  
    GPs & LPs
    • GP profiles
    • LP profiles
    • GP news
    • LP news
    • Sponsors search
    • LPs search
  •  
    Secondaries
    • Deals
    • Funds
    • News
    • Analysis
  •  
    People
    • People moves
    • Analysis
    • In Profile
    • Q&A
    • Videos
    • Comment
  •  
    Analysis
    • In Profile
    • Fundraising
    • Q&A
    • Comment
    • Videos
    • Podcast
    • Reports
    • Data Snapshots
  •  
    Unquote Data
    • Deals search
    • Exits search
    • Funds search
    • Sponsors search
    • Advisers search
    • LPs search
    • League tables
    • Reports
  • Sign in
  • Sign in
    • You are currently accessing unquote.com via your Enterprise account.

      If you already have an account please use the link below to sign in.

      If you have any problems with your access or would like to request an individual access account please contact our customer service team.

      Phone: +44 (0)203 741 1137

      Email: Georgina.Lawson@acuris.com

      • Sign in
     
      • Newsletters
      • Account details
      • Contact support
      • Sign out
     
  • Follow us
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn
  • Free Trial
  • Subscribe
Unquote
Unquote
  • Home
  • Regions
  • Deals
  • Funds
  • GPs & LPs
  • Secondaries
  • People
  • Analysis
  • Unquote Data
  • You are currently accessing unquote.com via your Enterprise account.

    If you already have an account please use the link below to sign in.

    If you have any problems with your access or would like to request an individual access account please contact our customer service team.

    Phone: +44 (0)203 741 1137

    Email: Georgina.Lawson@acuris.com

    • Sign in
 
    • Newsletters
    • Account details
    • Contact support
    • Sign out
 
Unquote
  • UK / Ireland

UK private equity’s 2012 highlights

Big Ben and Houses of Parliament London England at night
  • John Bakie
  • 03 January 2013
  • Tweet  
  • Facebook  
  • LinkedIn  
  • Google plus  
  • Send to  

The UK has reasserted its dominance in European private equity this year, seeing off any challenge from France or Germany. That’s not to say, however, that it hasn’t been a year of ups and downs.

Despite slowing dealflow, it has still been a busy twelve months. Here's unquote's top five UK private equity happenings of 2012.

Annington Homes Buyout - The biggest buyout in the UK this year was also the biggest buyout in Europe, coming in at a massive £3.2bn. The deal added a big chunk of the UK's £10bn worth of mega-buyouts in 2010, a market segment that is now at its largest since the financial crisis of 2008-2009. The deal should also help Terra Firma bury the ghosts of the past, with good cash generation and a significant book of assets making it a safe bet after the sore loss of EMI.

ISIS - For the first time ever this year, one firm took home three unquote" British Private Equity Awards; that firm was ISIS Equity Partners. The house won fund of the year for ISIS V, small buyout exit of the year for its return on Wiggle and topped it all off by winning small buyout house of year.

The UK has reasserted its dominance in European private equity this year

Since the end of the awards judging period the firm has also made a further three investments. We expect this extremely active UK player to continue its investment pace next year.

Advent International GPE VII - Advent's impressive fundraising saw a positive end to the year and proved larger buyout specialists remain popular. Raising a huge €8.5bn for its London-domiciled Fund VII in less than nine months is an impressive feat. The fund was popular with Advent's existing investors and was oversubscribed, proving a manager with a good track record and the right strategy can raise despite the difficult economic situation.

LDC - Lloyds' mid-market private equity arm has once again been the most active UK investor this year. The private equity investor made a whopping 19 investments in 2012, across sectors as diverse as chemicals producers, telecoms specialists and hotel accommodation. LDC has been extremely consistent, investing throughout the recession and is no stranger to being the UK's most active private equity investor. That LDC has kept on investing despite the difficulties experienced by its parent in the wake of its HBOS acquisition during 2009, indicates a strong commitment to UK medium-sized businesses.

Misys buyout - One of the most talked about deals of the past year, Misys was eventually bought by Vista Equity Partners after an exceptionally hard-fought battle with rival CVC. The £1.27bn deal for the banking and investment software business was agreed in March 2012. Vista was keen to acquire the business so it could merge it with fellow software company Turaz, formerly a division of Thomson Reuters. Both IT-based business support services and financial services have been popular sectors over the past year, and both Misys and Turaz straddle these markets.

  • Tweet  
  • Facebook  
  • LinkedIn  
  • Google plus  
  • Send to  
  • Topics
  • UK / Ireland
  • Funds
  • Deals
  • ISIS Equity Partners
  • LDC
  • Vista Equity Partners
  • Advent International
  • Terra Firma
  • Top story

More on UK / Ireland

Fund closes in US dollars
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

  • Funds
  • 05 September 2023
Clinical trials and biotechnology
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

  • Buyouts
  • 04 September 2023
Public sector software
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

  • Exits
  • 04 September 2023
EMEA Public to Private M&A
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

  • Investments
  • 04 September 2023

Latest News

Fund closes in US dollars
  • Funds
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

  • 05 September 2023
Clinical trials and biotechnology
  • Buyouts
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

  • 04 September 2023
Public sector software
  • Exits
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

  • 04 September 2023
EMEA Public to Private M&A
  • Investments
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

  • 04 September 2023
Back to Top
  • About Unquote
  • Advertise
  • Contacts
  • About Acuris
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Group Disclaimer
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn

© Merger Market

© Mergermarket Limited, 10 Queen Street Place, London EC4R 1BE - Company registration number 03879547

Digital publisher of the year 2010 & 2013

Digital publisher of the year 2010 & 2013