Funds
Future Fund decreases Telstra stake, reports 12.4% return on portfolio
Australian pension vehicle Future Fund has decreased its stake in Telstra to 2.5%, five years after inheriting the telecommunications firm from the federal government.
CITIC's mezzanine initiative still veiled in secrecy
The news was brief yet had potentially far-reaching consequences: the private equity arm of Chinese financial behemoth CITIC Group would launch a RMB5 billion ($777 million) renminbi-denominated mezzanine fund.
TPG eyes controlling stake in Indonesian tire manufacturer
US buyout firm TPG Capital has emerged as a potential bidder for Indonesian tire manufacturer Multistrada Arah Sarana, Reuters reported. It faces competition from South Korea's Hankook Tire and Japan’s Yokohama Rubber.
Mandolin Fund backs trouble-hit Sino-Forest
On June 2, short-seller research firm Muddy Waters branded Chinese timber firm Sino-Forest a fraud, prompting a 71% drop in the firm’s stock within 48 hours. Paulson & Co. cut and ran three weeks later. The hedge fund was said to have owned nearly 35...
India regulation: SEBI takes a stand
The Uniqueness of India's private equity sector is a product of its own unsystematic development – a process that has been largely hands-off from a regulatory standpoint, cultivated by the professionals, emerging investors and the spinoff funds within...
Apollo's PE business drives up second-quarter earnings
A strong performance from Apollo Global Management’s private equity business saw second-quarter earnings reach $139.6 million, or US$0.31 per share, on the back of revenue jumped to $308.9 million from $79.3 million. According to US GAAP, Apollo posted...
Bain, KKR to bid for PE-owned MYOB - report
Bain Capital and KKR are reportedly among the contenders to acquire Australian accounting software provider MYOB from owners Archer Capital and HarbourVest Partners. Bidding for the asset, which could reach A$1 billion ($1.03 billion), is slated to begin...
Russia's sovereign wealth fund seeks Chinese partners
Russia’s first sovereign wealth fund, the $10 billion Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which was set up in June, is seeking Chinese partners to co-invest in deals, Caixin reported.
Update: Revived WestBridge reaches $500m fund target
WestBridge Capital Partners, the private equity fund relaunched by Sequoia Capital India’s founders, has reached the $500 million target for its new vehicle, the WestBridge Crossover Fund, within six months. According to the firm, the fund has been fully...
Asia distressed assets: Off the radar
A decade ago, in the aftermath of the Asian financial crisis, the region’s distressed assets were all the rage as investors moved in for opportunities to turnaround businesses that were underfinanced or failing. With emerging economies now flourishing,...
DFJ's Tim Draper invests in Singaporean VC incubator
Draper Fisher Jurvetson (DFJ) founding partner Tim Draper has invested an undisclosed sum in Singaporean tech incubation firm Clearbridge Accelerator.
SBI launches $24m fund with Greater China corporates
Japanese financial group SBI Holdings will jointly launch a $24 million venture fund with Taiwanese financial corporation Shin Kong Group and Hong Kong-based real estate firm Nang Fung Group.
UBS to launch private equity funds in China
UBS has set up an asset management unit in Beijing that will target private equity, Reuters reported. The unit, known as UBS Global Asset Management (China), will launch private equity funds, make direct investments and provide management and advisory...
Blackstone closes in on third India power deal
In August 2010, Akhil Gupta, chairman and managing director of Blackstone India, said the private equity firm “would not hesitate” to invest $1 billion in the country’s power sector if attractive deals presented themselves.
Hony makes first foray into Japan
Hony Capital secured two significant firsts with its purchase of a 20% stake in Tokyo-listed hotel chain operator and real estate business Tokai Kanko for JPY1.4 billion ($17.8 million).
Funds monetize Japan's aging demographic
Japan may be the world second-largest economies but, by Asian standards, it is also one of the most mature. GDP growth is lackluster and the consumer market is pedestrian compared to those of the region’s emerging nations, which are still driven by urbanization,...
JAIC forms $45m joint venture in Shenyang
Japan Asia Investment Company (JAIC) will form a joint venture fund with Shenyang Wanrun New City Investment Management to make investments in Chinese and Japanese firms.
A&P Financial wins court approval for Takefuji rehabilitation plan
Takefuji, a failed Japanese consumer lender, has finally received court approval for its rehabilitation plan. Korean firm A&P Financial, which beat the likes of Cerberus Capital Management, TPG and J Trust to win the bankruptcy administrator's backing,...
Former Lone Star head in Korea taken into custody
Paul Yoo, the former head of Lone Star in South Korea, has been detained after a Korean judge labeled him a flight risk amid allegations that he, Lone Star and the Korean Exchange Bank (KEB) manipulated KEB's stock prices.
Strategic Ventures sees 4x return on CBaySystems stake sale
Strategic Ventures Fund (SVF), a Mauritius-based private equity fund managed by Frontline Strategy Limited, has sold its stake in in Indian clinical-services outsourcing specialist CBaySystems, for a 4x return on its original investment, AltAssets reported....
Hermes GPE to open in Singapore this year
Hermes GPE, the European private equity and infrastructure investment firm, will reportedly extend its operation to Singapore and the US this year.
Lone Star to begins Tokyo Star divestment process - report
US-based buyout fund Lone Star has begun preparations to divest its 30% stake in Japanese lender Tokyo Star Bank, Reuters reported, adding that Lone Star has asked investment banks to submit proposals to advise on the potential sale.
China's brokerages get the green light to launch funds
The flood of entrants into China's domestic private equity market has largely been driven by cash-rich companies, local government entities and high net worth individuals all chasing pre-IPO deals. Formal financial institutions have found themselves held...
Lone Star exits Tokyo retail property to Hulic
Lone Star's sale of YODOBASHI MULTI Media Kichijoji, a commercial complex building in a west Tokyo suburb, to real estate investment firm Hulic is no ordinary transaction. Hulic is paying an estimated JPY30 billion ($381 million) for the asset but is...