Western Europe

Apollo buys $1.5bn Xstrata division(2)

US buyout firm Apollo Management has continued its recent spate of activity by agreeing a $1.5 billion deal for the aluminium business of Xstrata, an Anglo-Swiss mining group.

Venture backers sell DocMorris to Celesio(2)

The private equity and venture capital backers of DocMorris, one of the biggest pharmacy brands in Europe, have secured a lucrative sale of the business to Celesio, Europe’s biggest pharmaceutical distributor.

3i triples its money on Smart & Cook(2)

UK-listed private equity group 3i has sold Smart & Cook to Axa for £140 million, generating a return of over three times its investment.

Morgan Stanley to buy $750m worth of Hilton Hotels(2)

The Wall Street bank’s real estate arm is reportedly buying 10 European hotels as it ramps up exposure to the global hospitality sector.

Sainsbury’s faces fresh takeover interest(2)

Three Delta, a Qatar-based investment group, has bought a 15 percent stake in UK retailer Sainsbury’s, increasing the pressure on the board to realise greater value from its real estate assets.

ECM sells frozen food group to ICG(2)

The management of eismann, a German frozen food group, have teamed up with mezzanine provider Intermediate Capital Group to buy out their current private equity owners.

Consortium mulls Intelsat sale(2)

A consortium of four private equity firms is contemplating the $17 billion sale of satellite operator Intelsat, potentially yielding a tenfold return on its initial investment.

A$11.1bn Qantas bid experiences turbulence(2)

Determined activist investors are holding to ransom the A$11.1billion ($9.2billion) bid byAirline Partners Australia the Macquarie-led consortium for Australian airline Qantas.

Index makes millions from Last.fm exit(2)

The founders of Index Ventures-backed internet site Last.fm have sold the business to US television network CBS for $280 million. The sale has reportedly generated a $56 million profit for Geneva-based Index Ventures.

TVM Capital invests $32m in two deals(2)

Venture capital firm TVM Capital has backed two firms in the space of a week, investing $20 million in a UK submarine company and $12 million in a US-based media services group.