Firms & Funds

American Capital Ltd. (Nasdaq: ACAS) has filed for a $1.5 billion mixed-shelf offering.

Apollo Management has prevailed in a six-month bankruptcy court battle to alter the terms of Pliant Corp.’s reorganization plan, which now will be put to a creditors’ vote.

Bienville Capital Management has launched as a New York-based provider of investment services to high-net-worth individuals and institutional investors. Its principals are Cullen Thompson, Billy Stimpson and Ralph Reynolds.

The Blackstone Group plans to sell bonds in the private placement market through a unit called Blackstone Holdings Finance. Also, Stephen Schwarzman, the company’s top executive, was America’s highest paid CEO last year, according to a report from The Corporate Library.

The Canada Pension Plan reported C$116.6 billion ($105.8 billion) in assets as of June 30, compared to C$105.5 billion in assets as of March 31. Its private equity portfolio currently stands at C$13.8 billion, or 11.8 percent of total assets. At the end of March, the private equity portfolio was valued at C$13.4 billion, which represented 14.1 percent of total assets.

Canter Equity Partners has formed as a spin-off of Fidelity Equity Partners. The London-based private equity firm’s principals are Sebastian McKinlay, Paul Egan and Stephen Findlay.

Citigroup is taking bids on Japanese telemarketer Bellsystem24, which is expected to garner more than $1 billion. Around 20 buyout firms have looked at the company, which is owned by Citi affiliate Nikki Principal Investments. Interested firms reportedly include Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., Permira, Bain Capital and CVC Capital Partners.

Edge Healthcare Partners has launched as an Atlanta-based investment bank that will provide M&A and other advisory services to mid-market healthcare companies. The firm’s principals previously were with Houlihan Lokey, Smith Barney and SunTrust Robinson Humphrey.

Graphite Capital, a U.K. buyout firm, is asking its limited partners for £35 million ($56.5 million) in annex capital for its seventh fund, which closed in 2007 with £555 million.

KKR Private Equity Investors, the Amsterdam-listed affiliate of buyout firm KKR, has released second-quarter numbers, including mark-ups for portfolio companies Dollar General and HCA.

Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. has raised over €400 million ($569.6 million) for an annex to its second European buyout fund, a €4.5 billion vehicle originally raised in 2005. The firm reportedly had been looking for upwards of €700 million.

OneWest Bank (formerly known as IndyMac) turned a $182 million profit in its first full quarter under new private equity and hedge fund management. The company was bought in March for $13.9 billion by J.C. Flowers & Co., Dune Capital Management, Paulson & Co. and a George Soros‘s controlled hedge fund.

Onex Corp. (TSX: OCX) reported second-quarter earnings of C$83 million, compared to a C$18 million loss in Q2 2008.

Rosetta Stone Inc. (NYSE: RST) lowered its third-quarter financial outlook and scrapped a proposed secondary stock offering on August 17. The company had filed to offer 4.085 million shares just a week prior to the withdrawal with sellers including ABS Capital Partners and Norwest Equity Partners. The company went public this past April.

SVG Capital (LSE: SVI) reported that its net asset value fell 18 percent during the first six months of 2009, and blamed much of the decline on currency effects.

TPG Capital has hired three banks to lead-manage an IPO of Myer Group, an Australian department store that would be valued at around $2.1 billion. The company has around A$3 billion ($2.5 billion) in annual revenue, and was bought for A$1.4 billion in 2006 by TPG, Blum Capital and company management.

Veritas Capital, a New York-based private equity firm, is raising up to $1.25 billion for its fourth fund, according to a regulatory filing. UBS Securities is serving as placement agent. Veritas raised around $300 million for its third fund in 2005, and invests in “middle market companies that provide goods and services to a broad array of government-related customers.”