Western Europe

European Capital bullish on market woes(6)

The listed debt and equity provider has reported strong quarterly results and increased its dividend expectations, arguing that its “one stop buyout” model gives it a crucial advantage in the current market.

Carlyle and Advent flip building company(3)

Investment company Arcapita has bought window and door company HT Troplast from The Carlyle Group and Advent International two years after the firms bought the company.

Permira consortium completes £110m sale after nine years

A consortium involving Permira, RBS and HBoS has sold toothpaste tube manufacturer Betts Global after a nine year investment.

Adveq opens Beijing office, closing $200m fund

Adveq, the Swiss fund of funds, has opened its first Asian office at the same time as closing its debut fund for the region.

Refco creditors sue TH Lee for $1bn

In the latest twist in the Refco saga, the company’s creditors have filed a $1 billion lawsuit against TH Lee, its founder and three executives, alleging they covered up Refco’s myriad problems, which eventually sunk the company and resulted in criminal charges for its CEO. TH Lee has issued a scathing response, calling the claims ‘misdirected and entirely without merit’.

Marel pressures Candover Stork bid

Icelandic food processing group Marel has upped its stake in Dutch conglomerate Stork placing pressure on UK buyout firm Candover’s accepted bid.

Close closes another successful pubs deal(2)

The VCT manager has sold its stake in the UK-based Bold Pub Company to Calco Midlands, a rival operator, generating an internal rate of return of 20 percent.

Capricorn Venture Partners hits half-way milestone for cleantech fund

The Belgian venture firm is blazing a trail in Europe with a dedicated clean technology fund as investment in the market surges globally to more than $1 billion in the first six months of the year.

HBoS makes second acquisition this week(3)

Scottish bank HBoS has continued its £1.6 billion buying spree with the acquisition of social housing company Keepmoat.

TH Lee files fourth Refco suit, seeks $245m from auditor

The flurry of Refco litigation continues, as TH Lee has now filed suit against Grant Thornton, the independent auditor hired to perform due diligence on Refco before the 2004 merger agreement. The private equity firm alleges the auditor failed to notify it of suspicious transactions on Refco’s balance sheet.