Buyouts
Shaw Kwei in take-private deal for Singapore electronics firm
Shaw Kwei & Partners has delisted electronics manufacturer Beyonics Technology from the Singapore Stock Exchange. This follows a $110 million buyout by Channelview Investment, a subsidiary of the private equity firm.
Billabong suspends trading amid reports of TPG bid
Australian surf-wear manufacturer Billabong International has suspended trading amid reports that TPG Capital has tabled a buyout offer for the company. The move comes as Billabong looks for ways to manage a A$600 million debt pile, with net profit expected...
Carlyle's Applus+ buys Australian inspection firm JDA
The Carlyle Group has acquired John Davidson and Associates (JDA), an Australian extraction industry services provider, through its portfolio company Applus+. The size of the transaction wasn’t disclosed but JDA had revenues of around EUR25 million ($32.9...
Yahoo, Alibaba deal talks flounder – reports
Negotiations between Yahoo and Alibaba over the US firm’s potential divestment of its stake in the Chinese e-commerce giant are said to have reached an impasse. There are conflicting reports as to the cause of problems, but some suggest it rests on whether...
Catalyst identifies proxy for resources boom
With investment in Australian natural resources soaring, miners are being dispatched to work on resources in locations so remote that just a few years ago extraction wasn’t deemed economically viable. Morris Corporation provides somewhere for them to...
Unison nears $650m Showa Yakuhin Kako buyout - sources
Japanese private equity firm Unison Capital is reportedly in the final round of bidding for Showa Yakuhin Kako, a drug producer backed by Tokio Marine Capital.
CapAsia acquired by US hedge fund
Singapore-based private equity infrastructure investor CapAsia has been acquired by The Rohatyn Group (TRG), a US-based hedge fund focused on emerging markets.
Catalyst buys Australian resources industry service provider
Australian private equity firm Catalyst Investment Managers has purchased a 49% stake in Morris Corporation, a provider of facilities management and accommodation services to the mining and oil and gas industries. The value of the transaction was not...
KKR-backed MMI plans $300m high-yield bond issue
MMI International, a KKR portfolio company, plans to issue a $300 million high-yield bond to refinance debts incurred through its 2007 buyout. The move indicates that non-traditional funding channels are opening up for private equity firms at a time when...
Thomas Cook plans to sell its Indian arm
Thomas Cook has initiated a process to sell its 77% stake in Thomas Cook India, a transaction intended to bring down its debt up to GBP890 million ($1.4 billion). Several Private equity investors are said to be potential suitors.
Yahoo chairman to step down, future of Asian assets unresolved
Yahoo is replacing its chairman and three other directors as it continues to restructure its business, a process that includes the potential spin-out of its Asia-based assets to a consortium comprising Alibaba Group, Softbank and some private equity players....
Unitas takes a bite out of Babela's
Everyone loves pizza and chicken wings, and none more so than Unitas Capital. The regional buyout firm, which paid $40 million for a majority stake in Chinese restaurant chain Babela’s last week, plans to kick off its list of operational improvements...
Yawadwipa targets $750m buyout of Indonesia's Bank Mutiara
Yawadwipa, the startup Indonesia-focused merchant banking operation that recently unveiled plans for a $1 billion private equity fund, has express an interest in acquiring state-owned PT Bank Mutiara for around $750 million. The price is based on the...
Hutchison Whampoa to acquire Orange Austria
Hutchison 3G, a unit of Hong Kong conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa, agreed to acquire Orange Austria, a mobile telecommunication company owned by France Telecom and buyout firm Mid-Europa Partners.
Ironbridge mulls IES SBO
Ironbridge Capital is reportedly among the private equity suitors looking to participate in the secondary buyout of CHAMP Private Equity’s International Energy Services (IES).
Bain, Unitas consider $400m Prestolite SBO
Bain Capital and Unitas Capital are said to have submitted second round bids to purchase China-focused motor manufacturer Prestolite Electric from First Atlantic for around $400 million.
Advantage, Japan's Orix abandon Yayoi buyout - sources
Advantage Partners and Japan’s Orix Corp. have reportedly dropped out of the running for software developer Yayoi, which was put on the block by MBK Partners last year.
PE and Chinese outbound investment
Who writes CITIC Private Equity's scripts? The day after the conclusion of the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting, where China and its role in the global economy was inevitably an area of focus, it was announced that Sany Heavy Industry would purchase...
Ashmore among the suitors for Milestone Capital – report
Milestone Capital, the Indian private equity firm set up by Ved Prakash Arya, who died last year, is attracting interest from Ashmore Investment Management as well as a clutch of local financial services players. Arya’s family are seeking around INR3...
CDB fails to land RBS aviation unit despite making highest bid
China Development Bank (CDB) made the highest bid for Royal Bank of Scotland’s aviation-leasing unit but lost out on the transaction due to concerns about its ability to close the deal. The asset was sold to Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG) for...
Advantage Partners to buy Japanese homebuilder
Advantage Partners will acquire Japanese homebuilder Yasuragi in a take-private transaction worth JPY13 billion ($166 million). The private equity firm has agreed to pay JPY627 per share for all outstanding shares in Yasuragi, a 60.8% premium on Thursday’s...
CHAMP PE-backed Accolade Wines in China acquisition
Accolade Wines, a portfolio company of CHAMP Private Equity, has purchased a majority stake in Chinese wine distribution business Shanghai CWC Wine Trading. The acquisition is intended to serve as a platform for Accolade’s expansion into the fast-growing...
Japan's SMFG beats CDB to aircraft-leasing deal
Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG) and Sumitomo Corp. have agreed to purchase Royal Bank of Scotland’s (RBS) aircraft-leasing business in a deal worth $7.3 billion. SMFG will take around 70% of RBS Aviation Capital, with trading company Sumitomo...
Board rejects rival bid for Malaysia's QSR
Palm oil producer Kulim Malaysia has rejected an offer for its stake in fast food company QSR Brands. Dewan Perniagaan Melayu Malaysia (DPMM) offered to pay MYR6.90 per share for Kulim’s holding, slightly higher than a rival bid by CVC Capital Partners...