Delta Partners, a U.S.-based buyout shop, has increased its stake in Dutch food group Wessanen to 20.07%, Reuters reported Saturday. Delta Partners first reported a 5.15% ownership in Wessanen in October 2009.
2 min read · 22 August 2011
The Carlyle Group has completed its acquisition of French digital set-top box maker Sagemcom from the Gores Group, Reuters reported this weekend. The firm now owns 70% of Sagemcom. Terms of the deal were not released.
1 min read · 22 August 2011
Billionaire Carl Icahn, who has been rebuffed twice in efforts to buy Clorox Co., now says he wants all 11 seats on the company’s board, Reuters reported Friday. Icahn, which owns 9.4% of Clorox, sent a letter to the company saying that he wants to nominate himself and 10 others for election to the board.
1 min read · 19 August 2011
SK Capital Partners, a New York-based investment firm, has closed its first institutional fund, SK Capital Partners III, with capital commitments of $500 million, the company announced Friday. The fund exceeded its original target of $400 million. SK Capital focuses on control buyouts, recapitalizations and growth equity investments in the specialty materials, chemicals and healthcare sectors.
2 min read · 19 August 2011
Liberty Media will pour $204 million into bookseller Barnes & Noble Inc., forgoing earlier plans to buy the company outright. Under the terms of the deal, Liberty will buy 12 million shares – or 16.6% of the company – at a price of $17 per share. The deal comes three months after Liberty offered to buy 70% of the bookseller. Facing pressure from some shareholders, Barnes & Noble put itself up for sale last summer but failed to find a buyer until Liberty stepped up to the plate.
3 min read · 19 August 2011
Advent International has acquired a majority stake in Argentinian specialty pharmaceutical maker Laboratorio LKM. Advent bought the controlling stake from LKM’s founding Kampel family, the firm said in a press release. Advent will also make a roughly $12 million investment to fuel the company’s expansion plans.
3 min read · 19 August 2011
Greenbriar Equity Group is buying the aerospace hardware division of Anixter International Inc., a distributor of communication and security products, electrical and electronic wire and cable and other parts. Greenbriar is paying $155 million in cash, and up to $30 million in additional milestone-based payments. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter.
3 min read · 19 August 2011
Sprint Nextel is in talks with cable companies about a possible investment that may lead to an acquisition of partner Clearwire Corp., Reuters reported Friday, citing a Bloomberg story. Sprint, Comcast Corp. and Time Warner Cable are all investors in Clearwire. The talks are around ways to provide funding to Clearwire so it can build out its high-speed wireless network, Reuters wrote.
2 min read · 19 August 2011
Reliance Communications has hired UBS to sell its tower unit, Reliance Infratel, and is asking for $5 billion for a 95% stake, Reuters reported. The company has reached out to several private equity firms and potential strategic buyers – including the Blackstone Group and the Carlyle Group, Reuters said.
1 min read · 19 August 2011
Gladstone Investment Corp., along with investors including Montlake Capital and the Mustang Group, have put $28.1 million into SOG Specialty Knives and Tools. The debt and equity financing is going to support the acquisition of the business from private equity firm MCC Capital Partners. MCC Capital bought SOG in 2009. Terms of the buyout by Gladstone and other investors were not released. UPDATE: Nathan Pund, of D.A. Davidson, provided financial advice to SOG.
3 min read · 18 August 2011
