Firms & Funds

Alberta Investment Management Co. has offered to acquire U.K.-based private equity firm Candover.

Apollo Investment Corp. (Nasdaq: AINV), a business development company affiliated with private equity firm Apollo Management, has raised $186 million via a secondary offering of common stock. AINV priced 15 million shares at $12.40 per share.

AXA Private Equity has acquired a $1.9 billion portfolio of limited partnership interests in mature buyouts funds from Bank of America.

Blackstone Group reported net income of $360 million for the first quarter of 2010, beating analyst estimates and its $82 million net income from the same period in 2009.

Carlyle Group has agreed to acquire $5.1 billion of credit assets from Stanfield Capital Partners, beating out a rival bid from Apollo Management. The deal includes management contracts on $4.2 billion in CLOs and $950 million in managed account assets.

Carlyle Group and RPK Capital have formed a $1 billion joint venture to acquire commercial aviation assets, including aircraft and engines. Carlyle’s commitment is up to $600 million.

C.P. Eaton Partners, a Connecticut-based fund placement firm, has launched a dedicated practice for raising renminbi-denominated funds. It will be led by new hire Eric Gu, who will serve as a Shanghai-based vice president. Gu previously was with the China National Social Security Fund.

Eastern Link Capital is raising up to RMB 200 million (approximately $29 million) for a China-focused fund that will invest in late-stage and mid-market companies. The industry focus is on consumer spending, with an emphasis on IT. The firm already has held a first close on RMB 100 million, and expects to secure the remainder in the next six months.

Housatonic Partners said it has closed its fifth fund with $325 million in capital commitments.

J.P. Morgan Worldwide Securities Services has agreed to acquire the private equity administration services business of Schroders PLC, which has $6.2 billion in committed capital under administration. No financial terms were disclosed.

KKR Financial Holdings (NYSE: KFN) said it would sell 25 million common shares and use proceeds for asset acquisitions and general corporate purposes.

Millennium Technology Ventures, a New York-based direct secondaries firm, has closed its second fund with $280 million in capital commitments.

Riverside Company has opened an office in Melbourne, Australia. It will be led by existing Riverside partner Simon Feiglin.

Stifel Financial (NYSE: SF) has agreed to acquire Thomas Weisel Partners (Nasdaq: TWPG), in an all-stock deal valued at more than $300 million.

Universities Superannuation Scheme has acquired a $135 million stake in the $1.77 billion Neuberger Berman Secondary Opportunities Fund II. This makes USS the fund’s largest limited partner. The seller was the Lehman Brothers Estate, which retains a $50 million position in the fund.