Australia
Australia's NAB pulls out of private equity
National Australia Bank (NAB) is winding down its private equity unit a matter of months after the division suffered an A$25 million write-down on its investment in electronics retailer WOW Sight & Sound.
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 of...
Asahi says it paid too much for PE-backed Independent Liquor
Asahi Group is re-examining the terms of its NZ$1.5 billion ($1.27 billion) acquisition last year of Independent Liquor from Pacific Equity Partners (PEP) and Unitas Capital, suggesting there were differences in understanding between the buyer and sellers...
Crest Capital acquires 51% of Australia's Questus
Singapore-based Crest Capital Asia has agreed to recapitalize Western Australia’s Questus in exchange for a 51% stake in the investment company.
VIDEO: Advent Private Capital's Rupert Harrington
Western Australia is the country's fourth-largest state by population but the richest by natural resources and this has seen it emerge as the primary source of economic growth. This shift in momentum from east coast to west – coupled with the cyclical...
PE-owned oOh!Media tipped to buy Ten's outdoor ad business
Australia’s Ten Network Holdings has entered into exclusive negotiations with a bidder for its outdoor advertising business, Eye Corp. The company didn’t disclose the identity of the bidder, but it is thought to be oOh!Media Group, which was bought by...
PEP seeks buyers for Link Group – report
Pacific Equity Partners (PEP) has reportedly begun the auction process for Link Group, which could sell for as much as A$1.4 billion ($1.4 billion), including debt. It is poised to be Asia’s biggest private equity exit of the year.
Ironbridge targets $1b for Fund III, invests $95m in dental business
Australian private equity house Ironbridge Capital has said it will target up to A$1 billion ($1 billion) for its third fund, for which it will begin fundraising in the second half of this year.
AMP Capital acquires Australian schools project for $232m
Asset manager AMP Capital has received approval to acquire the South Australian Schools Public Private Partnership (PPP) project for an enterprise value of $232 million.
FX hedging: Know your risk
Private equity firms are hedging the currency risk of their investments in Asia Pacific longer and later in the investment cycle than ever before
TPG, Carlyle sell Healthscope pathology assets for $100m
TPG Capital and the Carlyle Group have sold the New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australian pathology businesses of their portfolio company, Healthscope, for A$100 million ($100 million). The buyer was pathology and radiology group Sonic Healthcare....
KKR ends takeover talks with Pacific Brands
Melbourne-based underwear manufacturer Pacific Brands said on Tuesday that a takeover from parties including KKR is unlikely in the near term.
Starfish Ventures invests $2m in gaming start-up Scalify
Starfish Ventures has invested $2 million into Melbourne-based gaming start-up Scalify for an undisclosed stake. The capital will primarily be used for sales and marketing.
VIDEO: HarbourVest Partners' Sebastiaan van den Berg
It is a well established trend that Australian LPs are increasingly looking to internationalize their private equity exposure, arguably at the expense of domestic GPs. Foreign investors looking to enter Australia are not deterred. Sebastiaan van den Berg,...
Archer, CHAMP among bidders for CVC's Mantra - report
Archer Capital and CHAMP Private Equity are reportedly among the PE firms bidding for Australia’s Mantra Group, which CVC Asia Pacific put up for auction in March.
PAG buys portfolio companies from Harmony Capital
PAG has taken full ownership of Harmony Investment Fund, and its associated portfolio companies, from Singapore-based Harmony Capital Management, sources familiar with the development told AVCJ.
PEP finally seals $752m Spotless buyout
Australian cleaning and catering contractor Spotless Group has accepted an A$720 million ($752 million) buyout offer from Pacific Equity Partners (PEP). The total consideration of A$2.71 per share is higher than the private equity firm’s original bid...
Spotless suspends shares ahead of news on PEP buyout bid
Spotless Group has suspended trading of its shares ahead of an announcement regarding Pacific Equity Partners’ (PEP) buyout offer for the cleaning services company. The private equity firm has reportedly improved its bid to A$745 million ($766.7 million)...
Thakral board likely to reject Brookfield's $424m buyout offer
The board of Thakral Holdings, the Australian hotel, retail and commercial property investor, is expected to reject a A$409.8 million ($424.2 million) takeover bid from Brookfield Asset Management. The Canadian private equity firm already owns a substantial...
Australia's Hyperion to enter the private equity space
Australian hedge fund manager Hyperion Asset Management plans to enter the private equity space with the launch of A$200 million ($208 million) fund. It will seek minority positions in businesses with an EBITDA of around A$5 million, which rank second...
Maui Capital raises one third of capital for new fund
New Zealand’s Maui Capital has so far received commitments of NZ$92 million ($75.5 million) from institutional investors for its latest fund, which has a target of NZ$250 million. The vehicle is the same size as its predecessor, the 2008 vintage Maui...
VIDEO: Pacific Equity Partners' Anthony Kerwick
The challenge facing private equity investors globally is twofold, says Anthony Kerwick, managing director at Australian GP Pacific Equity Partners. First, the operating environment today is very different from that of five years ago, which means the...
Wolseley-backed Nextmedia acquires magazines from CVC's ACP
Nextmedia, the Australian magazine publisher owned by Wolseley Private Equity, has acquired two publications from ACP Magazines, the magazine division of CVC Asia Pacific-backed Nine Entertainment.
Blackstone pays $770m for Dexus Property assets
The Blackstone Group has paid $770 million for 65 US industrial assets owned by Australia’s Dexus Property Group. Investing via affiliates of Blackstone Real Estate Partners VII, the firm will acquire properties including three warehouses leased to Whirlpool...