KKR
Blackstone targets $3b global energy fund
The Blackstone Group aims to raise up to $3 billion for its first energy fund, according to people familiar with the situation. Tony James, the private equity firm’s president, said in an earnings call that initial commitments stand at $1 billion.
Advantage, Bain, Olympus in second-round bidding for Yayoi
Advantage Partners, Bain Capital and Olympus Capital have reportedly advanced into the second round of bidding for MBK Partners-owned Japanese accounting software developer Yayoi, which is expected to be one of the biggest sales in the market this year....
KKR, MBK bid for Samsung's procurement arm
KKR and MBK Partners are among the bidders for a majority stake in iMarketKorea, Samsung Group’s procurement arm. Based on Tuesday’s closing share price, the asset is worth KRW372 billion ($326 million).
Asia buyouts struggle as banks clamp down on lending
Buyout deals in Asia are becoming more difficult as banks hold back on lending. Rising capital costs have made lenders wary of the risks tied to mispricing a loan, leaving private equity firms to increase the cash portion of buyouts.
Coffee Day subsidiary Way2Wealth gets $30m from KKR
Indian boutique financial services firm Way2Wealth will receive $30 million from KKR in what is expected to be a structured financing deal rather than a typical private equity placement.
KKR appoints former Singaporean minister as adviser
Former Singaporean politician and minister to the prime minister’s office Lim Hwee Hua has been appointed senior adviser to KKR.
Advantage, KKR, Olympus line up for MBK-owned Yayoi
Advantage Partners, KKR and Olympus Capital are reportedly among the potential bidders for Japanese accounting software developer Yayoi from MBK Partners.
Carlyle, Blackstone heads paint bleak outlook for US economy
The Carlyle Group’s co-founder David Rubenstein and Stephen Schwarzman, CEO of Blackstone Group, were downbeat in their assessments of the US economy on Wednesday.
Global buyout firms warn of tightening credit markets
Henry Kravis, co-founder of KKR, said that private equity deals are becoming more expensive as debt markets tighten and the cost of capital goes up.
India's alternative lenders
India needs alternative funding channels. A characteristic of most financial sectors in emerging nations is limited product range, which means capital often fails to reach those enterprises with the potential to deliver the best returns. A truck company,...
KKR closes $1b global mezzanine fund
KKR Asset Management (KAM) has made a final close on its more than $1 billion KKR Mezzanine Partners I fund, raised through global investors including insurers, pension plans, family offices and sovereign wealth funds.
PE partnerships – A route into Indonesia
The recently announced TPG-North Star Pacific share swap got me thinking about collaboration between private equity firms. Global PE players have been using local funds to gain access to new markets for some time now, and quite a few have committed capital...
US court widens collusion probe of 2005-2007 mega deals
The mega “club deals” between some of the big global buyout firms during the 2005-2007 boom period have been put under wider scrutiny in a US antitrust lawsuit. The four-year-old case accuses 11 firms, including Blackstone Group and KKR, of colluding...
KKR-backed Seven West Media looks into debt refinancing
Australia’s Seven West Media, which is part-owned by KKR, is assessing bank proposals to refinance up to A$2 billion ($2.1 billion) of debt. Sources familiar with the situation told Reuters that several banks have bid to underwrite 3-5 year funding packages....
Carlyle files for IPO but listing not expected until 1H 2012
The Carlyle Group made its IPO filing on Tuesday but volatility in the global markets means the offering is unlikely to happen until the first half of 2012.
KKR, Sino-Ocean launch $140m real estate fund
KKR has launched a $140 million Chinese real estate fund with property firm Sino-Ocean Holdings to “capitalize on the long-term potential in China’s real estate market.“
Bain buys MYOB as markets sink Sage bid
Recent turbulence in the global markets did private equity a favor last week as Bain Capital emerged as the unlikely victor in the auction for Australian accounting software firm MYOB. Bain and KKR had for several weeks been regarded as the frontrunners...
KKR among suitors for India's Future Group
KKR has emerged as one of the key suitors for Future Capital Holdings, the financial services division of India’s Future Group. It joins JP Morgan and Piramal, the healthcare, manufacturing and real estate conglomerate, according to Reuters.
AXA, LGT buy $901m in secondary assets from German bank
AXA Private Equity and LGT Capital Partners have acquired a EUR620 million ($901 million) private equity portfolio from Germany’s HSH Nordbank. The portfolio is said to include stakes in about 47 private equity funds, including European vehicles managed...
Beacon, Mirah Hospitality back Indian fine dining chain
Beacon India Private Equity has invested INR80 million ($1.7 million) in Impresario Entertainment and Hospitality, which operates fine dining restaurants Mocha and Smoke House Deli. The firm’s contribution comes alongside a INR400 million commitment from...
KKR appoints former director of India's central bank as senior advisor
KKR has appointed former director of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) D.S. Brar as a senior advisor in India, charged with providing input on the firm’s Asia portfolio management committee.
Indian ethnic fashion retailer seeks private equity investment
Wolfensohn Capital Partners is going to sell its 8% stake in ethnic fashion retailer Fabindia. The exit comes as Fabindia looks to raise around INR2 billion from new investors.
PE firms clean China's water
The availability of water to feed China’s citizens and its growing industries has become a top priority for the government in recent years. It is now well known that the country’s per capita water resources are one quarter of the global average. Greenpeace...
PE-backed Muthoot Finance seeks to raise $218m
Muthoot Finance, India’s largest gold-loan non-banking finance company (NBFC) plans to raise INR10 billion ($218 million) through the issue of listed retail non-convertible debentures (NCDs). It would follow four rival NBFCs, including Mannapuram Finance...