Credit/Special Situations
Hahn & Co to buy Korea Line via bankrupcty process
Hahn & Co. has been selected by a bankruptcy court as the preferred bidder for a 50% controlling stake in Korea Line, South Korea’s fourth-largest shipping company. The enterprise value of the transaction is KRW1.1 trillion ($1 billion), with Hahn &...
Ropes & Gray appoints special situations partner in Hong Kong
Ropes & Gray has promoted Daniel Anderson as a partner in its special situations practice in Hong Kong. He was previously a counsel with the firm.
The debt deadline: Japans's SMEs at a crossroads
Japan’s Debt Moratorium Law, seen by some industry participants as an impediment to PE deal flow in the last three year, is set to expire at the end of March. Does this spell new opportunities for the industry?
ICICI, Apollo raise $500m distressed fund – report
ICICI Ventures and Apollo Global Management have reportedly raised $325 million to invest in distressed Indian companies. The joint fund, namely AION, will eventually increase its corpus to $500 million.
Taiwan's Chinatrust in talks to buy Tokyo Star Bank - report
Chinatrust Commercial Bank, one of Taiwan's largest commercial banks, is reportedly in talks to acquire Tokyo Star Bank for JPY50 billion ($582 million). Tokyo Star's shareholders, which include Lone Star Funds, have previously struggled to find interested...
Fortress closes second Japan distress fund at $1.6b
Fortress Investment Group has closed its second distress fund, Fortress Japan Opportunity Fund II, at its hard cap of JPY130 billion ($1.65 billion). It is the successor fund to Fortress Japan Opportunity Domestic Fund (FJOF) which closed in June 2010...
Renesas sells $1.8b in shares to INCJ-led consortium
Ailing Japanese chip-maker Renesas will sell JPY150 billion ($1.8 billion) of new shares to a consortium led by government-backed Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ).
Beyond banks: Alternative financing in India
Recognizing India’s demand for financial products that involve more than just equity, traditional PE firms are targeting structured credit, joining distressed players that used to call the territory their own.
SSG raises $400m Asia distress fund
International investors are currently gun-shy on India, with capital is leaving the country with alacrity, across all asset classes. For Asia-focused distressed investor SSG Capital Partners, India has become an attractive target market.
PE-backed Hawker Beechcraft sees China sale collapse
Negotiations over the sale of PE-backed corporate jet business Hawker Beechcraft to China’s Superior Aviation Beijing have collapsed.
CVC-backed Nine avoids receivership as lenders reach agreement
Lenders to CVC Capital Partners-backed Nine Entertainment, the beleaguered Australian TV network, have reached an agreement to save the company from being put into administration.
INCJ-led consortium to complete $2.5b Renesas rescue - report
A consortium led by Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ) is said to be nearing a JPY200 billion ($2.55 billion) deal to buy ailing Japanese chipmaker Renesas Electronic Corp.
China, India companies beat PE to Digital Domain assets
China’s Galloping Horse Film and India’s PE-backed Reliance MediaWorks have teamed up to acquire assets from Digital Domain Media Group, the distressed Hollywood special effects company, for $30.2 million. The Sino-Indian joint venture easily outmatched...
IFC, Mount Kellett back India’s Jain Irrigation Systems
International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Mount Kellett Capital Management are part of a group that has agreed to invest around INR11 billion ($200 million) in Jain Irrigation Systems. The company, which manufactures drip and sprinkler systems as well...
Clearwater gets $575m for fund IV
Profit warnings issued by Chinese companies in recent weeks suggest that the corporate sector is feeling the effects of slowing economic growth. Industrial profit was down 2.2% in the first half of 2012, compared to a 28.7% gain in the corresponding period...
Clearwater reaches final close of $575m on fourth fund
Clearwater Capital Partners has closed its latest Asia credit and special situations fund at $575 million. It is the first time the private equity firm has gone to the market since 2007, when it raised a greater-than-expected $900 million for Clearwater...
Zhenrong Energy makes offer for Warburg-invested Titan
Guangdong Zhenrong Energy has offered to pay HK$150-200 million ($19.3-25.8 million) for at least 51% of Titan Petrochemicals, the debt-laden shipping and oil storage firm against which Warburg Pincus has asked a court to launch liquidation proceedings....
Billabong poised for takeover as share price tumbles
Australian surfwear retailer Billabong International saw its stock slump 36% when it resumed trading on Monday following a heavily discounted $225 million rights issue. The company is now worth less than one third of the value of TPG Capital’s A$841...
SK Group raises fund to support struggling firms
Korea’s SK Group has created a KRW100 billion ($85 million) private equity fund intended to promote shared growth with smaller partner companies. Rather than offer loans to suppliers, the fund will invest directly in competitive firms that are struggling...
Kumho Industrial sells $812m in assets to Korean PE fund
Kumho Industrial, the struggling South Korean conglomerate, has sold KRW946.5 billion ($811.9 million) worth of assets to a private equity fund operated by Korea Finance Corp. in order to boost liquidity. The jettisoned assets include a stake in Daewoo...
China property firms turn to PE as lender of last resort
Tightening policies imposed on Chinese real estate developers in recent years have accelerated the appetite for alternative financing channels. It represents a massive opportunity for private equity
Apollo, ICICI Venture near $350m first close on distressed fund
Apollo Global Management and ICICI Venture are close to raising $350 million to invest in Indian distressed assets. The size of vehicle is expected to reach $750 million eventually.
Lazard-backed Hastie Group enters administration
Hastie Group, the Australian engineering company backed by Lazard, has entered into voluntary administration after recapitalization talks failed. It comes after recapitalization talks failed due to “accounting irregularities” led to a profits charge...
Mount Kellett raises $4b for second special situations fund
Mount Kellett Capital Management, the private equity firm started by former Goldman Sachs executive Mark McGoldrick, has closed its second fund at $4 billion. The vehicle, which targets special situation and opportunistic investments, is $1 billion larger...