Articles by Brian McLeod
LP interview: Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan
Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP) is arguably the most aggressive direct investor in Asia among the North American pension funds. The strategy is designed avert a funding shortfall at home
Everstone invests $38m in educational publisher S Chand
Everstone Capital has announced the acquisition of a minority stake in long-established Indian publisher, S Chand Group, for INR2 billion ($38 million).
Discovery Metals rejects Cathay Fortune buyout offer
Australian copper miner Discovery Metals has rejected a A$830 million ($848 million) takeover bid from Chinese private equity firm Cathay Fortune Corporation (CFC) and state-sponsored China-Africa Development Fund (CAD).
Australian infrastructure: Changing tastes
Australia’s superannuation funds are active infrastructure investors, but the size and nature of commitments to the asset class are influenced by past experience, available resources and risk appetite
LP interview: Allstate branches out
Unencumbered by the volatility that can restrict non-captive LPs, Allstate alters its PE portfolio to reflect fundamental changes in the market. It is scaling back on buyouts and scaling up on Asia
LP interview: New York State Common Retirement Fund
New York State Common Retirement Fund has put scandals behind it and, buoyed by two years of positive performance and limited liabilities overhand, is looking to boost Asia private equity exposure
SEC registration: Are Asian GPs taking it seriously?
Three months after US regulators introduced new rules for reporting and registration of private investment advisers, PE firms are changing the way they do business – but much less so in Asia than in the US
Russia builds PE ties with China
Russia and China’s sovereign wealth funds have joined forces to boost cross-border trade. For Moscow, it is a much-needed opportunity to diversify the economy and attract more foreign investment
China's private equity talent war
The pace of growth in China’s private equity industry hasn’t been matched by the development of a pool of qualified local investment professionals. Firms are busy building from the bottom and poaching at the top
PE bets on Asia's growing food demand
Food assets – notably fresh produce – are increasingly attractive to private equity firms as they potential trade sale exits to Asian corporates looking to satisfy rising domestic demand
Frontier markets: Investing around Asia's edges
Private equity deal flow in Mongolia, Cambodia and Laos has gone from zero to a steady trickle. When can the region’s frontier markets turn this potential into real momentum?
China infrastructure: PE to the rescue?
The era of easy credit in China is over, leaving companies without the means to service debts tied to infrastructure projects. Foreign PE investors are looking for ways to capitalize on the opportunity.
Rules and standards: A new era of investor reporting
A combination of limited partner pressure and government regulation is setting the stage for standardization and regulation to replace private equity’s traditional free-wheeling ways
Asian infrastructure: Building blocks
There is no denying the potential for infrastructure investment in Asia. Although the policies and structures governing private equity involvement are improving, it remains difficult terrain.
Diamonds lurk among the Japanese midcaps
Deal-making opportunities remain in Japan’s mid-cap space, spurred by domestic consolidation and corporate ambitions for overseas expansion
Australia portfolio companies: Debt burdens
High profile debt woes among portfolio companies in Australia has put some private equity firms on the defensive – for now
PE targets deep distress
As Asian economic development becomes increasingly interlocked, regionally and globally, contractual arrangements are getting more complex. This is pointedly clear when problems, such as non-payment of large sums owed, occur. One prominent Asian distress...
Should private equity investors trust IRR?
Since the early days of private equity, the internal rate of return (IRR) has served as the industry’s prime metric. It is perhaps best known as the gauge which underpins fund managers’ claims that they deliver better returns than the public equity markets....
Asia distressed assets: Off the radar
A decade ago, in the aftermath of the Asian financial crisis, the region’s distressed assets were all the rage as investors moved in for opportunities to turnaround businesses that were underfinanced or failing. With emerging economies now flourishing,...
PE advisers prepare for US registration requirements
The US has adopted registration and disclosure provisions for investment advisers, leaving the private equity industry to fret about the costs and hassles of compliance
American LPs and Asia GPs: A meeting of minds
American LPs' LPS’ fastination with private equity opportunities in Asia is firmly rooted in macroeconomic fundamentals. The region accounts for 30% of global GDP and 50% of global growth – and ongoing urbanization industrialization in China and India...
LPs drive change in private equity
A new survey shows recovering confidence in private equity, but LPs are becoming more selective about their investments.
Riches lie in China's restructuring
Despite the distortions created by recent private equity euphoria in China, the industry can play a crucial role in taking consumers and companies to the next level
Wall Street's clean up reaches far and wide
To say the New York federal jury, which pronounced Galleon Group hedge fund founder Raj Rajaratnam guilty of all 14 charges of securities fraud and conspiracy against him, sent shock waves through the city’s financial services community is an understatement....