LPs
Playing the Asia expectations game
The institutional LPs that attend AVCJ events are a mixed bunch. A few maintain a presence in Asia and are clued up as to the up-and-coming markets and managers, key investment opportunities and general fundraising climate. Another group comprises frequent...
EMPEA: More than 50% of LPs to expand SE Asia footprint
Global LPs expect to increase commitments to emerging markets in the next two years, including less-penetrated areas such as Southeast Asia and Latin America, according to a survey released by the Emerging Markets Private Equity Association (EMPEA).
Mubadala posts $1.1b loss due to volatile markets
Mubadala, the Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund that counts The Carlyle Group among its investments, announced a loss of AED4.2 billion ($1.14 billion) in 2011, up significantly on the AED338 million deficit posted a year earlier, due to volatile global...
Direct investment: Silent partners?
Limited partners are attracted by the low costs and potentially high returns of direct investment opportunities in Asia. Those with a finger on the market’s pulse are likely to prevail, provided they don’t get too greedy
Former STIC executive becomes CIO at KIC
Don Lee Dong-ik, former head of investments at PE firm STIC Investments, has been named CIO of Korea Investment Corp. (KIC), the country’s sovereign wealth fund. The first Korean national to get the job, Lee told AVCJ that the appointment is a huge honor...
NSSF: Still room to increase PE investments
China's National Council for Social Security Fund (NSSF) has the capacity to boost its commitments to private equity considerably, having put only 2.2% of its capital into the asset class, according to Wang Zhongmin, the fund's vice chairman.
Asian LPs join Latin America's PE carnival
Asian investors are upping their commitments to Latin American private equity funds in a bid to be part of another emerging markets growth story
Indian LPs: Emerging or defunct?
Having a larger domestic LP base in India could create a more sustainable fundraising environment for GPs, but few industry participants expect institutions to be let off the leash in the near term
Los Angeles pension fund invests $25m in Hony V
Los Angeles City Employees’ Retirement System (LACERS) committed up to $25 million to Hony Capital Fund V, which closed in January at $2.4 billion, $1 billion larger than its predecessor.
Family offices eye larger private equity allocations
Family offices are looking to invest more in private equity over the next 12 months at the expense of their cash allocations. A survey of 32 family offices conducted by London-based private market advisory firm Somerset Capital found that 63% plan on...
Indian VC's social imperative
Social venture capital funds have sprung up in India under the notion that they can support marginalized communities and achieve financial returns. Time will tell if this is possible.
US pension funds move to raise alternatives exposure
Two US pension funds, Georgia Employees’ Retirement System (GERS) and Ohio State Teachers’ Retirement System (OSTRS) have made moves to boost their exposure to alternative investments.
CPPIB names Mark Wiseman as new CEO
Mark Wiseman will become the next CEO of Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) when current head David Denison retires at the end of June.
Australian fundraisers feel the strain
Are changes in superannuation laws the cause or the scapegoat? Either way, Australia’s fundraising landscape is undergoing substantial change. Local GPs must choose between going offshore or going out of business
Western Australia moves forward on sovereign fund plans
The Western Australia government appears to have accelerated plans to set up a sovereign wealth fund to accrue a portion of the profits being generated by the region’s natural resources. Premier Colin Barnett mooted the prospect of a future fund that...
Korea's LP problem
Both the GP and LP bases in South Korea are relatively narrow. Once fund managers have more to show for themselves in terms of track records, it will be easier to distinguish wheat from chaff
Operating partners: The social network
Operating partners now form the backbone of most private equity firms, in a variety of different guises. Samena Capital’s take on this concept recognizes the importance of relationships in Asia
Asia, Middle East LPs put up 30% of BC Partners' buyout fund
Asian and Middle East investors contributed 30% of the capital for BC Partners’ latest European fund, which has closed at EUR6.5 billion ($8.6 billion) after 18 months in the market. LPs from these regions only accounted for 10% of the private equity...
Washington State commits $400m to KKR's Asian fund
Washington State Investment Board has committed $400 million to KKR’s second Asia fund, which is seeking to raise up to $6 billion. The investment was disclosed alongside those made to Oaktree Capital Management’s newest distressed debt fund and Cinven...
CPPIB hires Goldman's Mark Machin as Asia president
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) has appointed former Goldman Sachs executive Mark Machin as Asia president. He will be based in Hong Kong and take responsibility for the pension fund’s investment strategy and programs throughout Asia Pacific....
CalPERS criticizes PE industry on tax breaks
Joe Dear, CIO of the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS), waded into debate on how private equity is taxed in the US, saying that buyout firm executives “risk becoming the robber barons of the 21st century” if they don’t back down....
CalSTRS considers separate accounts strategy
California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) is considering making separate account commitments to private equity firms. A similar strategy has already been employed by other pension funds like Texas Teachers’ Retirement System and New Jersey...
CDC appoints ex-Actis partner head of direct investment
CDC Group, the UK development finance institution that targets private equity investments in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, has appointed Mark Pay to head up its direct investments division. Pay is rejoining the group, having departed in 2004 as part...
Political risk tempers LP appetite for Southeast Asia
Insurgent groups and corrupt governments are every investor’s worst nightmare. For those private equity firms operating in the Philippines and Indonesia, they’re also a reality.