Portfolio management
Blackstone to take over BofA real estate portfolio in Asia
US private equity firm the Blackstone Group will pick up opportunities in Asian real estate deals by taking over management of a portfolio of regional real estate investments from Bank of America Merrill Lynch, according to reports.
Shinsei Bank sacks four staff over pay
JC Flowers & Co.-owned Japanese lender Shinsei Bank will let go four foreign senior executives under new Japanese rules on annual compensation of individuals.
Korea's NPS to boost exposure in alternatives
South Korea's National Pension Service, the world’s fifth largest sovereign wealth fund, said it plans to boost its equity and alternative investment holdings.
Tough year for CIC in 2010
China Investment Corp. has publicly said that it sustained 10% mark-to-market losses in May because of the declines in the US and European markets this year, adding that it sees the rest of the year as very challenging.
CPPIB to boost exposure in Asia in 2010
North American LP the $120.8 billion Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) aims to boost its exposure in emerging markets this year, particularly in Asia, Mark Wiseman, CPPIB's EVP for investments has said publicly.
Daiwa SMBC Capital JV to end
Daiwa Securities Group Inc. has decided to terminate its JV venture firm Daiwa SMBC Capital Co., Ltd., which was launched in May 2005 on the merger of NIF Ventures Co., Ltd. and SMBC Capital Co., Ltd., both affiliates of Daiwa Group.
Shinsei, Aozora call off bank merger
Shinsei Bank, 33% owned by US private equity group JC Flowers & Co., and Aozora Bank, 50.5% owned by Cerberus Capital Management, have called off their merger plan, due to many outstanding differences over business operations.
Advantage restructures US investee GST Autoleather
Advantage Partners, a Tokyo-based private equity firm, has reportedly restructured the balance sheet of its investee company GST Autoleather Inc. in a series of moves since September 2009, making three voluntary debt repayments totaling $39.2 million.
Triple A Partners allies with Japan's OGI Capital
Hong Kong-based investment firm Triple A Partners and OGI Capital Partners (OGICP), a Japanese discretionary investment manager, have announced a partnership to increase services to Japanese institutional investors who want to strengthen their global...
SBI share boost precedes planned Hong Kong debut
SBI Holdings Inc., the Tokyo-based venture capital and financial services company, boosted its share price to a six-month high after it announced that it is seeking to list on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
No support at Sapporo for Steel Partners proposal
US fund Steel Partners has had its new proposal to replace most of the board of Sapporo Holdings, where it holds an 18% stake, rejected by the company's shareholders.
Japanese government will not support Willcom
The Enterprise Turnaround Initiative Corporation of Japan (ETIC) has decided not to inject any capital into Willcom, the troubled Japanese PHS (personal handy-phone service) provider controlled by Carlyle Asia, which filed for bankruptcy protection last...
AMEC lures repeat VC investors
Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment, Inc. (AMEC), a Chinese semiconductor equipment company, has attracted some $46 million from existing venture capital investors, including Shanghai Venture Capital Co. Ltd., Walden International, Lightspeed Venture...
Baring plans to relist Courts in Singapore
Baring Private Equity Asia investment vehicle Singapore Asia Retail, a home furniture and appliances operator wholly-owned by its Fund III and Kuwaiti JV partner Topaz Investment Worldwide Inc, is reportedly looking to raise up to S$170 million ($121.5...
Steel Partners seeks new board directors for Sapporo
Steel Partners Japan Strategic Fund, the US investment fund which holds about 18% of leading Japanese brewer Sapporo Holdings, has sent letters to other shareholders, seeking their support for Steel’s plan to appoint new board directors ahead of Sapporo's...
Carlyle's Willcom on notice for further government support
Willcom, the Japanese PHS - personal handy-phone service - provider controlled by Carlyle Asia, will be assessed by the Enterprise Turnaround Initiative Corporation of Japan (ETIC) to see if the government organization will support the mobile company’s...
Sumitomo Mitsui launches turnaround fund
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. will launch a JPY 30 billion ($332 million) corporate turnaround fund to help the bank’s SMEs clients to turn around struggling businesses.
Shinsei and Aozora may resume merger talks
Private equity investees Shinsei Bank and Aozora Bank’s merger plan, previously reported cancelled, now apparently will come up for negotiation again, according to Japanese media reports.
KIC to invest $100 million in IFC fund
Korea Investment Corporation (KIC), South Korea’s sovereign wealth fund, will inject $100 million into a private equity fund managed by IFC Asset Management Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private...
Korea's NPS made 10% return in 2009
South Korea’s $241 billion National Pension Service (NPS), the nation’s biggest LP, boosted its returns last year, posting a 10% return on assets in 2009, according to South Korea’s welfare ministry, following an 0.2% loss in the year before.
Carlyle's Willcom files for Japan's Chapter 11
US buyout firm Carlyle Group's Japanese portfolio asset Willcom Inc., the PHS (personal handyphone system) service provider, filed for bankruptcy protection with the Tokyo District Court on February 8th, over debts of JPY173 billion ($1.9 billion) up...
Morgan Stanley may hand over ANA hotels
Morgan Stanley may have to give up its $2.4 billion portfolio asset of Japan's ANA Hotel chain to creditors, if as expected, the firm fails to repay debts due in April this year.
Taiwan National Development Fund seeks private funds for chips
The National Development Fund in Taiwan has reportedly decided not to invest in PC chip company Taiwan Innovation Memory Co. (TIMC), but will instead invite funding from the private sector, according to Economics Minister Shih Yen-Shiang.
Thai Government Pension Fund will boost PE, realty
Thailand’s Government Pension Fund (GPF) will boost its overseas investments, including private equity fund investments and direct investments in real estate and infrastructure, Sopawadee Lertmanaschai, secretary-general of GPF announced earlier in...