Western Europe

Gresham to profit from UK hunger for pasties(3)

Gresham, the UK mid-market buyout firm, has bought the West Cornwall Pasty company, banking on the Cornish snack’s durability in an economic downturn.

Citi mulls backing $12.5bn KKR debt vehicle(4)

US bank Citi is considering backing a leveraged loan debt vehicle set up by US buyout firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts to take advantage of the $300 billion leveraged loan backlog.

AIC endorses Walker reporting guidelines for all large companies(4)

The Association of Investment Companies, a UK trade body, has recommended the Walker report’s guidelines should be extended to all large companies because the regulations should not solely target private equity.

US firm KSL sets up in Europe

KSL Capital Partners has hired a hotel real estate professional to spearhead operations in Europe.

Apax consortium to auction UK supermarket for £2.5bn

After postponing a recapitalisation last year, the consortium which bought UK supermarket Somerfield more than two years ago has decided to auction the business.

Macquarie consortium in $7.4bn US utility deal(4)

Puget Sound Energy, Washington state’s largest utility company, will be taken private in a $7.4 billion transaction by a consortium including Macquarie, the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and British Columbia Investment Management Corporation.

Asia's battle for dry powder

Asian private equity is going through another record year of fund formation. Sharon Lim explains why, and asks for how much longer the boom can continue.

Investors flock to Wendel’s €1bn float of consultancy(3)

Wendel, the French investment company, has partially floated industry standards consultancy Bureau Veritas, although it retains a majority stake. The float was ten times oversubscribed.

Actis backs Halliburton spin-out for oil & gas push(2)

Actis, the emerging markets buyout firm, has made its first investment in Pakistan in nine years making a growth capital investment in ex-Halliburton oil and gas services company LMKR.

Palamon recruits Italian heavyweight

The mid-market firm is beefing up its advisory board with the hire of Lorenzo Pellicioli, a corporate veteran who led the country’s largest ever buyout almost a decade ago.