Articles by Tim Burroughs
Indonesia caps foreign ownership of local banks at 40%
Foreign ownership of Indonesian banks will be capped at 40%, although exceptions will be made for listed banks with strong financial health and high levels of tier-one capital. On this basis, it appears that DBS Group’s $7.2 billion bid for Bank Danamon...
China to buy LP interests from GM pension plan
The Chinese government has agreed to buy stakes in a string of private equity funds, including vehicles managed by The Carlyle Group, The Blackstone Group and CVC Capital Partners, from General Motors’ (GM) pension plan.
Saratoga aims for differentiation
When Saratoga Capital was preparing to launch its third fund in July 2011, the elephant in the room was Northstar Pacific Partners. A few months earlier Northstar closed its own third fund at $820 million. Would LPs still be keen on when Saratoga came...
Leopard Capital reaches $20m first close on Haiti fund
Southeast Asia-focused frontier investor Leopard Capital has reached a first close of $20 million on the first dedicated Haiti fund raised since the 2010 earthquake. The final target is $40-75 million.
Australia’s PEP sells Hoyts Distribution to Studiocanal
Pacific Equity Partners (PEP) has exited Hoyts Distribution, the largest independent film distributor in Australia and New Zealand, to European film giant Studiocanal. The private equity retains other Hoyts Group assets, including cinema operator Hoyts...
Warburg Pincus in China car hire play
Two months ago, China Auto Rental was preparing to list on NASDAQ. The car hire provider set a target of $138 million for what would be only the second IPO by a Chinese company in the US this year. The experiences of the first did not bode well: VC-backed...
Bain closes second Asia fund at $2.3b
A host of leading PE firms is in the market, seeking to raise pan-Asia funds of $2 billion or more. Last week, Bain Capital became the first to cross the finish line. Its second regional fund closed at $2.3 billion, roughly halfway between the initial...
Plotting the future of China cleantech
Cleantech funds and investment strategies are often difficult to define in China. Some industry participants won’t touch IT, others love it. Some remain wedded to the idea of export-oriented manufacturing, while others loathe it.
CHAMP in $192m take-private bid for Gerard Lighting
CHAMP Private Equity has launched a A$186 million ($192 million) takeover bid for Australian light fittings distributor Gerard Lighting Group. The bid has won unanimous approval from Gerard’s board and the Gerard family, which has a 52% stake, has said...
Potential PE target Ingham Chicken goes on the block
Ingham Enterprises, Australia’s largest poultry producer, has put itself up for sale, alerting potential private equity bidders. Sole shareholder Bob Ingham he had decided to exit “after long and careful consideration.” Investec has been appointed...
KKR-backed Seven West launches $450m share issue
KKR investee Seven West Media plans to raise approximately A$440 million ($450 million) through the sale of new shares in order to reduce debt levels. The Australian company, which owns the Seven free-to-air network, the country’s second-largest magazine...
PE-backed Whitehaven Coal receives $5.5b takeover bid
Private equity firms First Reserve and Farallon Capital have reportedly expressed their support for a A$5.3 billion ($5.46 billion) takeover bid for their portfolio company Whitehaven Coal. Coal magnate Nathan Tinkler last Friday offered A$5.20 per share...
VIDEO: Clifford Chance's Lee Taylor
Indonesia has aroused enormous interest among foreign investors but valuations remain an issue, according to Lee Taylor, a partner with Clifford Chance in Singapore. There have been huge dislocations between buyers and sellers generally since the global...
Navis exits India call center business via trade sale
Navis Capital Partners has sold its majority stake in Andromeda Sales and Distribution, an Indian financial services distributor, to Casa Capital Management. It is the Malaysia-based private equity firm’s fourth exit in six months.
Titan considers stake sale as Warburg takes legal action
Titan Petrochemicals, the Hong Kong-listed shipping and oil storage firm, is in talks to sell a controlling stake to an unnamed third-party investor. The announcement comes as the company faces a winding up lawsuit filed by Warburg Pincus.
Ontario Teachers to up India exposure, back Kedaara Capital
Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP) plans to increase its allocations to India and Latin America in order to diversify its emerging markets exposure, which is currently more weighted towards China. The pension plan’s first India commitment was to...
IHH raises $2b from IPO, Abraaj Capital exits
IHH Healthcare, the hospital operator owned by Malaysian sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional, has raised MYR6.3 billion ($2 billion) from its IPO after pricing the offering near the top of the indicative range. Abraaj Capital fully exited its holding...
Blackstone to support ex-AIA CEO’s ING Asia bid – report
The Blackstone Group has reportedly agreed to support Mark Wilson, former chief of AIA Group, in his bid for ING’s Asia insurance unit. The sale is expected to generate around $7 billion, with Wilson’s consortium targeting ING’s Southeast Asian...
PE financing to be targeted in Australia takeover law review
Private equity firms that launch takeover bids for companies without clear financing packages are likely to be targeted in the Australian Securities and Investments Commission’s (ASIC) review of takeover legislation.
Crescent Capital offers $225m for Australia's ClearView Wealth
Crescent Capital Partners has made a A$220 million ($225 million) takeover bid for Australian financial services company ClearView Wealth. Guinness Peat Group, which owns 47.8% of ClearView, said the offer was wholly inadequate and didn’t reflect the...
Q&A: Axiom Asia's Chihtsung Lam and Marc Lau
Chihtsung Lam (CL) and Marc Lau (ML), managing partner and partner, respectively, at Axiom Asia, discuss the relative merits of different markets in Southeast Asia and the fund strategies best suited to addressing them
Q2 analysis: Private equity goes public
Second-quarter analysis: Low public market valuations create investment opportunities; China fundraising slows; private equity firms perform cornerstone role in Asia IPOs.
J.P. Morgan's Australia natural resources head to join PE firm
The head of J.P. Morgan’s Australia natural resources and infrastructure division, Alan Young, is leaving to join private equity firm Prostar Capital, a start-up private equity firm. He will remain with the investment bank until the end of the year.
ASEAN: The integration effect
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is gradually bringing the region’s economies closer together. Private equity investors stand to benefit but not all businesses are suited to cross-border expansion