Western Europe

Three Delta returns to QIA for £500m equity in Sainsbury’s bid

Specialist acquisition firm Three Delta’s bid for Sainsbury’s awaits an 8 November deadline as its talks with the supermarket’s pension trustees near completion.

Candover withdraws its offer for Stork(3)

The UK buyout firm has brought to an end the long-running take-private battle for industrial group Stork and withdrawn its offer, though it is continuing talks.

Five VC firms inject $225m in telecom startup(3)

Columbia Capital, M/C Venture Partners, Oak Investment Partners, Battery Ventures and Centennial Ventures have committed $225 million in Series A funding for Zayo Bandwidth, a fiber-based network operator.

CVC looks at €11bn fund despite crunch

CVC Capital Partners, the global buyout firm, is consulting investors for its latest fundraising effort while its chairman Michael Smith has reportedly said limited partners as long-term investors are not driven by short-term problems.

Sainsburys opens books to Delta Two(2)

The UK retailer could become the second FTSE100 retailer to go private after Boots Alliance. In a bid to appease its critics Delta Two has become the first fund to commit to the Walker Report's standards of transparency and disclosure.

Alpha closes fund of funds on €309m

Alpha Associates, the central and eastern European fund manager, has held the final close of its second fund, which is already 40 percent committed.

Candover, Electra, Lombard wind up 20-year-old investment(2)

UK-listed Candover Investments and Electra Private Equity, and San Francisco-based Lombard Investments have sold their stakes in Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad Corporation to rival Canadian Pacific after 20 years, although the firms may receive a further return in 18 years time.

Darwin hits half-way milestone with £122m(4)

Darwin Private Equity has held a second close of its debut fund just three months after launching with the backing of City grandee Lord Jacob Rothschild and his RIT Capital Partners trust.

Palamon hires leverage expert

Anthony Gardner, an experienced debt banker, is joining Palamon Capital Partners from Bank of America as banks become increasingly risk averse.

Litorina diversifies investor base after losing cornerstone investor(2)

Swedish buyout firm Litorina Kapital, led by Harold Kaiser, has held the final close of its latest fund two times oversubscribed despite losing cornerstone investor Swedbank.