Australia
MGPA acquires Australian property for $110m
MGPA, a private equity real estate investment firm, has acquired a property of retail and office spaces located in Sydney, Australia, for A$105.1 million ($110 million).
NBC Capital reaps 20% IRR from Fenix Fitness
When it comes to assisting the growth of their portfolio companies, some PE firms are more hands-on than others. At the more pro-active end of the scale sit the likes of NBC Capital, which during its four-and-a-half-year ownership of local health club...
MGPA reaches first close on real estate fund
The latest fund being raised by MGPA marks a departure from the investment firm’s previous real estate vehicles. MGPA Asien Spezialfonds, which announced a first close on EUR85 million ($111 million) last week, represents the firm’s first so-called...
Blue Sky makes new executive appointment
Blue Sky Alternative Investments has hired Lachlan McMurdo from Bain & Company as investment manager of the private equity division. He will be responsible for the company’s existing portfolio, as well as covering rapidly growing SMEs across sectors...
Quay poaches Reed from Pantheon for US
Australian private equity fund-of-funds and advisory firm Quay Partners has hired Jeffrey Reed from Pantheon Ventures, the UK fund-of-funds, to help manage its US operations in San Francisco.
NBC Capital sells Fenix Fitness Clubs for $64m
NBC Capital has sold its Australian health club chain Fenix Fitness Clubs to Ardent Leisure Group for A$60.9 million ($64 million).
Goldman rejects hedge funds’ Nine restructuring plan
Goldman Sachs has rejected a counter-proposal from hedge funds Oaktree Capital and Apollo Global Management for restructuring Nine Entertainment, the Australian media company owned by CVC Capital Partners.
Carlyle-backed Haier offers $705m for Fisher & Paykel
Carlyle-backed Haier Group has put in a NZ$869 million ($705 million) buyout offer for Fisher & Paykel Appliances (F&P), the New Zealand-based kitchen and appliance manufacturer. The Chinese company is willing to pay NZ$1.20 per share in cash - a 15.4%...
Lazard extends Australia corporate advisory reach
Lazard Australia has agreed to purchase independent corporate advisory firm O’Sullivan Partners. The Sydney-based player is an acknowledged media specialist and can also claim to have won several notable private equity mandates, including three from...
Goldman tables Nine Entertainment debt proposal – report
Goldman Sachs has reportedly put together a restructuring proposal for Nine Entertainment that would see the Australian company’s A$3.8 billion ($3.9 billion) in debt convert to equity, writing off the vast majority of CVC Capital Partners’ investment.
Blackstone appoints ex-Archer partner as Australia senior advisor
The Blackstone Group has appointed James Carnegie as a senior advisor based in Sydney, where he will focus primarily on developing the firm’s private equity activity in Australia. He previously spent seven years at Archer Capital, leaving the local...
General Catalyst invests $20m in Australia's Bigcommerce
Australian e-commerce start-up Bigcommerce has won $20 million in Series B funding from General Catalyst Partners. The US venture capital firm previously invested $15 million just over a year ago.
Rival PE firm matches TPG’s $709m Billabong offer
A rival private equity firm – reportedly Bain Capital – has offered to match TPG Capital’s A$694 million ($709 million) buyout bid for Australian surfwear company Billabong International. The Billabong board maintains that neither offer reflects...
CVC’s Nine sells magazine unit to service debts
CVC Capital Partners-owned Nine Entertainment has sold its ACP Magazines division to German publisher Bauer for A$500 million ($510 million). The proceeds will go towards paying down some of the Australian media company’s debt, with a senior tranche...
Blue Sky PE injects $3 million into Australian caterer
Blue Sky Private Equity has funneled A$3 million ($3.1 million) into Oil Industry Catering & Services, a provider of catering and support services to the Australian mining industry.
Wolseley's Guardian Childcare bolts on early learning center operator
Guardian Childcare Alliance, the Australian childcare center operator owned by Wolseley Private Equity, has acquired Jigsaw Corporate Childcare, which operates early learning centers for employees of blue chip corporate clients.
Murdoch fund takes full ownership of DMG Radio Australia
Illyria, a private investment vehicle run by Lachlan Murdoch, son of media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, has taken full ownership of DMG Radio Australia after acquiring the 50% it didn’t already own from UK-based media company Daily Mail and General Trust...
Goodman, CPPIB boost China joint venture with $500m
Australian property and logistics firm Goodman Group and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) have injected a further $500 million into their joint venture, Goodman China Logistics Holding (GCLH), increasing its capacity to a total of $1 billion....
Crescent wins investor support after raising ClearView offer
Crescent Capital Partners has improved its buyout offer for Australian financial services provider ClearView Wealth, winning the support of leading shareholder Guinness Peat Group (GPG). The private equity firm is now offering A$0.55 per share, up from...
Billabong still in talks with TPG, presents turnaround strategy
Australian surfwear company Billabong International is understood to be continuing discussions with TPG Capital over a A$694 million ($723 million) buyout offer, even as it unveiled a turnaround strategy regarded as a move to preserve its current status.
Quadrant in quasi-secondary retail deal
Does Quadrant Private Equity's investment in Super A-Mart and Barbeques Galore constitute a quasi-secondary transaction?
GE, VC firms to back Australasia cleantech start-ups
General Electric (GE) has teamed up with five venture capital firms in Australia and New Zealand on a $10 million fund that will support the development of clean technology. It is the company’s first ever local “ecoimagination” challenge and entries...
Mercury Capital poaches Crescent investment director
Australian mid-market private equity firm Mercury Capital has reportedly hired Christopher Criddle, partner and investment director at rival firm Crescent Capital Partners.
Australia's QIC to pick up Swedish PE interests - report
Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC) is reportedly set to buy almost 10% of a EUR1.5 billion ($1.9 billion) portfolio of private equity interests being sold by Swedish insurance group Länsförsäkringar.