Buyouts
Korean government tries again to offload Woori stake
The South Korean government will once again try to offload its majority stake in Woori Finance Holdings, this time breaking up the asset into three pieces to be auctioned separately. The plan is to sell two regional banks and a brokerage and related units...
Governance issues could undermine Japan's economic reforms - AVCJ Forum
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s economic reforms have provided a boost for Japanese private equity but issues surrounding corporate governance continue to be a barrier to opportunities, industry participants told the AVCJ Japan Forum.
Take-private deals for China's 7 Days, Feihe near completion
Chinese budget hotel chain 7 Days Group Holdings is set to be privatized after shareholders voted in favor of a PE-backed management buyout that values the company at around $688 million. A $147 million privatization of Chinese dairy firm Feihe International...
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...
Partners Group joins India's IT crowd
Few investors need to be convinced of the wealth of possibilities that exist in India’s IT outsourcing industry. As of last year, the sector was valued in excess $100 billion with export revenues reaching $69.1 billion and domestic revenues of $31.7 billion...
AVCJ China Awards: Firm of the Year – FountainVest Partners
FountainVest Partners took six months to raise its second fund, for which it also won the US dollar fundraising award, and then participated in China’s largest-ever PE buyout. CEO Frank Tang looks back and forward
AVCJ China Awards: PE professional of the Year – Homer Sun
Somewhat unusually for Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia’s (MSPEA) China team, the last 12 months have been dominated by buyout deals. Leading Beijing convenience store chain Hi-24 was acquired last November through a corporate carve-out and then two...
Japan's INCJ in cooperative talks with private equity
The government-backed Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ) has been in discussions with domestic and foreign private equity firms over joint investment strategies.
Tsinghua University investment arm makes buyout offer for Spreadtrum
Spreadtrum Communications, a Chinese mobile chip manufacturer backed by NEA, has received a buyout offer from a unit of Tsinghua Holdings, an investment entity controlled by Beijing-based Tsinghua University. The offer values Spreadtrum at $1.35 billion....
Japan divestments still strong despite 'double-edged sword' of Abenomics
Corporate divestments continue to be a strong source of buyout deal flow in Japan, regardless of the impact of recently introduced economic reforms, according to Richard Folsom, co-founder and CEO of domestic GP Advantage Partners.
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.
Giant maintenance: PE and corporate Japan
Restructuring is a compelling story in Japanese private equity, but deal access is constrained by perception issues and government-linked competition. Will the there be anything left for foreign players?
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 second...
KKR, Blackstone, Carlyle among bidders for SingTel Australia unit - report
KKR, The Blackstone Group and The Carlyle Group are said to have submitted first-round bids for Optus Satellite, the Australian satellite unit of Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel).
Oaktree Cap invests $20m Indian pharma packager
Oaktree Capital Management has bought a 60% stake in Cogent Glass for around INR1.2 billion ($20.6 million). As part of the deal, Cogent has signed an agreement with Oaktree portfolio company SGD for technology sharing as well as marketing and management...
CapVent taps into Indian water market
Access to potable water is limited in India with groundwater in one-third of the country’s 600 districts tainted by high levels of fluoride, iron, salinity and arsenic. Meanwhile, tap water is mostly undrinkable.
Portfolio: India Value Fund Advisors and Meru Cabs
When India Value Fund Advisors launched Meru Cabs in Mumbai, it created a radio taxi service where none existed. Meru has overcome numerous difficulties to become the largest taxi company of its kind in India
Japan's Marubeni scales back deal for PE-owned Gavilon
Marubeni has scaled back its offer for General Atlantic-owned US grain trader Gavilon by $1 billion after cutting the company's energy trading arm out of the deal.
Taiwan scores poorly on attracting PE – white paper
Taiwan’s government promised to revise rules on foreign investment and facilitate the inflow of private equity capital after a report issued by the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei (AmCham) delivered a stinging criticism of the domestic investment...
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).
China Asset Management backs $332m iSoftStone take-private
Chinese IT services provider iSoftStone Holdings has received a take-private proposal from its CEO and chairman, who is working in conjunction with ChinaAMC Capital Management, an alternative investment platform affiliated to fund management company China...
CapVent buys Indian water purifier company
Capvent has bought a 51% stake in Morf India, a Chennai based water purification company with operations throughout South India. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.
Q&A: Pacific Equity Partners' Tony Duthie
As one of Asia’s more mature markets, Australia has a different offering to most in the regional basket. Tony Duthie, managing director at Pacific Equity Partners (PEP), discusses buyouts, leverage and co-investment
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...