Buyouts
Carlyle, Apollo miss out as Brambles cancels $2b asset sale
ASX-listed Brambles has announced that it has canceled it plans to raise cash by selling Recall, its information management business. The 10-month process was called to a halt because of low offers from potential buyers, which included a number of private...
Warburg Pincus finalizes $125m Future Capital deal
Warburg Pincus has reportedly agreed to buy a majority stake in India's Future Capital Holdings (FCH), the financial services unit of the Future Group, for $100-125 million.
Australia's ASX may join bid for PEP's Link - report
Australia's bourse operator ASX may join the auction for Link Market services, the share registry owned by Pacific Equity Partners (PEP), in a deal that could be worth as much as $1.36 billion. If the transaction goes through, it would be Asia’s biggest...
Unitas mulls buyout of PE-backed Infastech - report
Pan-Asia buyout fund Unitas Capital has expressed interest in bidding for Singapore-based Infastech, which has been put on the block by CVC Capital Partners and Standard Chartered Private Equity (SCPE).
Fairbridge buys Thomas Cook India for $150m
Thomas Cook has now sold its India business twice in the space of six years. The asset was first offloaded to Dubai Financial in 2005 as a package deal including licenses to operate the brand in the Middle East, as Thomas Cook divested non-core assets...
Reliance Infratel buyout on the rocks
The Carlyle Group and The Blackstone Group’s proposed buyout of Reliance Communications’ telecoms tower unit looks to be in a state of limbo as the Indian firm said the sale can only proceed following clarification from the regulatory authorities.
Navis gets full control of Indian restaurant chain Nirula's
Malaysia-based private equity firm Navis Capital Partners has acquired the remaining shares it did not already own in Indian restaurant chain Nirula's Corner House.
CIC poised to invest $2b in Alibaba Group – report
China Investment Corp. (CIC) may take a $2 billion stake in Alibaba Group in order to finance the Chinese internet company’s purchase of a 20% stake in itself from Yahoo. Last week, Alibaba agreed to purchase half of Yahoo’s 40% holding for $7.1 billion...
Asahi says it paid too much for PE-backed Independent Liquor
Asahi Group is re-examining the terms of its NZ$1.5 billion ($1.27 billion) acquisition last year of Independent Liquor from Pacific Equity Partners (PEP) and Unitas Capital, suggesting there were differences in understanding between the buyer and sellers...
Crest Capital acquires 51% of Australia's Questus
Singapore-based Crest Capital Asia has agreed to recapitalize Western Australia’s Questus in exchange for a 51% stake in the investment company.
Fairbridge Capital acquires Thomas Cook India for $150m
Fairbridge Capital, a subsidiary of Fairfax Financial Holdings, has acquired the Indian arm of Thomas Cook, the second-largest holiday maker in Europe, for INR8.17 billion ($150 million).
Helping corporate China go abroad
"Do you have a handle on your own management capabilities? Have you analyzed the cultural differences of the two sides? Do you understand the relationship between unionized labor and management in that place? If the other side's engineers resign, are...
KKR raises one-third of $6b Asia fund – report
KKR has reportedly attracted commitments of $2 billion in the first round of capital raising for its new Asia fund, which has a final target of as much as $6 billion. The news comes after The Carlyle Group made initial approaches to investors regarding...
Hahn & Co. buys Korean cement firm out of bankruptcy
One of the standout PE investment trends in Korea is taking ownership of assets from second-tier conglomerates that have run into difficulty and are forced to divest non-core assets. MBK Partners acquired Kumho Rent-A-Car in this fashion and it was also...
Nippon Mirai Capital in ALC buyout
ALC Press, a listed language-focused educational service provider, has approved a tender offer from Nippon Mirai Capital and plans to go private.
PE-owned oOh!Media tipped to buy Ten's outdoor ad business
Australia’s Ten Network Holdings has entered into exclusive negotiations with a bidder for its outdoor advertising business, Eye Corp. The company didn’t disclose the identity of the bidder, but it is thought to be oOh!Media Group, which was bought by...
Alibaba to buy back 20% of Yahoo's stake for $7.1b
Alibaba Group has agreed to repurchase about a 20% stake in itself from Yahoo for $7.1 billion ahead of an initial public offering. The US internet company bought 40% of Alibaba - founded by Jack Ma (pictured) - in 2005, paying $1 billion plus ownership...
Ironbridge targets $1b for Fund III, invests $95m in dental business
Australian private equity house Ironbridge Capital has said it will target up to A$1 billion ($1 billion) for its third fund, for which it will begin fundraising in the second half of this year.
KKR ends takeover talks with Pacific Brands
Melbourne-based underwear manufacturer Pacific Brands said on Tuesday that a takeover from parties including KKR is unlikely in the near term.
Warburg Pincus joins race for India's Future Capital
US buyout firm Warburg Pincus is thought to have joined the race to acquire a stake in India's Future Capital Holdings (FCH), the financial services unit of the Future Group.
Unison secures Showa Yakuhin Kako SBO
Unison Capital has emerged victorious in the auction for Showa Yakuhin Kako, securing the secondary buyout of the drug producer from Tokio Marine Capital, Polaris Capital Group and PineBridge Investments.
Navis sees 10x return on Trimco exit
There is always a danger that private equity investors will fall in love with certain portfolio companies and never want to exit. Navis Capital Partners came close with Trimco International Holdings. The Malaysia-based PE player took a controlling stake...
J-Star gives Three Arrows paws for thought
Denim jackets, corduroy pants and swimming goggles. These items of clothing have been common human attire for more than a century, but in Japan in particular, apparel of this nature is increasingly popular among dogs.
Archer, CHAMP among bidders for CVC's Mantra - report
Archer Capital and CHAMP Private Equity are reportedly among the PE firms bidding for Australia’s Mantra Group, which CVC Asia Pacific put up for auction in March.