Europe
Mandarin Capital exits Italian valve component maker
Sino-European PE firm Mandarin Capital Partners has exited its 70% stake in Italian valves’ components producer Gasket International to Hutchinson, a French thermoplastics company. The Girelli family that founded the business has also sold its 30% shareholding....
King & Wood Mallesons merges with SJ Berwin
King & Wood Mallesons and London-based SJ Berwin will merge to form a single law firm valued at $1 billion. With over 2,700 lawyers in more than 30 countries, the combined entity is expected to be one of the 25 largest law firms in the world.
GCS sees Dexia asset management deal collapse - Update
GCS Capital's EUR380m ($503 million) bid to acquire the asset management arm of Dexia collapsed yesterday after the Franco-Belgian bank said the Hong Kong PE firm had been unable to pay for the deal.
Malaysia's Khazanah in Turkish insurance buyout, Abraaj exits
Malaysian sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional has agreed to pay $252 million for a 90% stake in Turkish health insurer Acibadem Sigorta. The investment facilitates the exit of The Abraaj Group, which held a 50% stake in the business.
GCS Capital, Dexia deal in doubt as deadline missed
GCS Capital's proposed EUR380 million ($502 million) purchase of the Dexia's asset management arm has been thrown in to doubt after the Franco-Belgian bank ceased talks on the deal yesterday.
France approves Fosun ClubMed takeover
The French financial markets authority, Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF), has approved the takeover of France-based vacation resort operator Club Méditerranée (Club Med) by Chinese conglomerate Fosun International and Axa Private Equity.
Markit launches private equity valuations service
Financial information services company Markit has launched a service for investors to value their assets held by private equity funds. It comes in anticipation of Europe’s Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive (AIFMD), which requires alternative...
China’s Sailing Capital supports $400m round for Mobileye
China’s Sailing Capital participated in a $400 million round of funding round for Mobileye, a Netherlands-based operator of driver assistance systems, valuing the company at about $1.5 billion. It is one of five investors that will between them own...
Fosun, AXA sweeten buyout offer for Club Med, win board support
Chinese conglomerate Fosun International and Axa Private Equity have increased their takeover bid for France-based vacation resorts operator Club Méditerranée (Club Med). The new bid, worth EUR557 million ($729 million), has won favor with the company’s...
TIAA-CREF merges property business with Henderson to boost Asia exposure
TIAA-CREF has merged its real estate business with that of London-based manager Henderson Global Investors in order to broaden its global portfolio and gain better Asia exposure in particular.
China’s Dalian Wanda buys PE-backed yachtmaker Sunseeker
Dalian Wanda Group has sealed a deal to acquire a 91.81% stake in Britain’s largest luxury yachtmaker Sunseeker – backed by Irish private equity firm FL partners - for GBP320 million ($495 million). The deal is expected to close by mid-August.
Singapore’s Temasek establishes UK presence
Temasek Holdings has set up a unit in the UK that will focus on investments in Europe. It is the Singaporean sovereign wealth fund’s 10th overseas office or affiliate.
PE-owned Dutch waste company sells subsidiary to Cheung Kong Infrastructure
A Dutch waste management provider owned by CVC Capital Partners and KKR has exited its energy-from-waste (EfW) subsidiary to a consortium led by Cheung Kong Infrastructure (CKI) for EUR940 million ($1.27 billion). It is the Hong Kong-based company’s...
LPs require local expertise for Asia co-investment – AVCJ Forum
LPs need a presence in Asia – or, at the very least, an understanding of local markets – if they are to be successful co-investors in the region, industry participants told the AVCJ Europe conference, which took place in London last week.
CIC's head of PE sees opportunities in Europe
The challenging fundraising environment means it is a good time to target private markets, and Europe in particular, according to the head of China Investment Corporation's (CIC) private equity investment department.
Mandarin Capital-backed Chinese credit rating JV to operate in Europe
Dagong Europe Credit Rating, a joint venture between Beijing-based Dagong Global Credit Rating and Mandarin Capital Partners, has won approval from the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) to operate in Europe. It will become the first Chinese...
Dalian Wanda to buy PE-owned UK yacht maker – report
Dalian Wanda Group is expected to buy Britain’s largest luxury yachtmaker Sunseeker - currently owned by Irish private equity firm FL Partners - for EUR300 million ($400 million).
AIFMD: Brussels flexes it muscles
Europe’s Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive (AIFMD), which comes into effect in July, will change the way private equity funds are marketed to EU investors. What does it means for Asian GPs?
A taste of Europe: Asian investor objectives
Asian LPs have become part of the landscape of European private equity, pursuing opportunities across buyouts, secondaries, credit and distress. But what do they really want from the region?
European infrastructure: Bubble at the core
Asian investors are drawn to the diversification and yields offered by European infrastructure, but certain segments of the market are overheating. Prices are getting bid up and returns are likely to be pushed down
East meets West: China PE and European corporates
Asian companies have sunk nearly $9 billion into European assets so far this year. In 2012, the final total for Asia-to-Europe M&A was more than $54 billion across 200 or so deals, according to AVCJ Research. This is more than was deployed in the four...
China Development Bank to provide financing for PE, Weichai-backed Kion
China Development Bank will provide EUR500 million ($647 million) in financing to support the partnership between Weichai Power, a Chinese automotive and equipment manufacturer, and Kion, a German forklift truck maker backed by KKR and Goldman Sachs....
Mandarin Capital opens in Frankfurt, expects first close on Fund II in June
Sino-European private equity firm Mandarin Capital Partners has extended its network in German-speaking regions by opening a new office in Frankfurt. The move comes as the firm nears a first close of around EUR200 million ($263 million) on its second...
Baring Asia-owned Nord Anglia completes WCL bolt-on
Nord Anglia Education, an international schools operator owned by Baring Private Equity Asia, has completed the bolt-on acquisition of WCL Group for $222 million. The deal strengthens Nord Anglia’s presence in North America and the Middle East, taking...