News analysis
Editor’s Note
UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, will make his ninth Budget speech on March 22, amid hopes from the UK private equity industry that it can influence the UK Treasury to maintain an environment in which the UK continues to be one of the most competitive for UK private equity firms, in relation to its continental European counterparts.
Rich pickings for secondaries
While private equity fund raising hit record highs in 2005 and looks set to do the same in 2006 with around 680 new funds on the road looking to raise some US$217bn, secondaries players are preparing themselves for lucrative years ahead with certain players claiming that as much as 25% of their deal flow has come from players exiting the private equity market. The figure seems unusually high particularly given that allocations to private equity funds show no sign of abating. Angela Sormani reports.
VNU: a high price to pay?
If the private equity consortium pursuing Dutch publisher VNU succeeds in winning over shareholders it is likely to have to pay a hefty price. Some analysts say the consortium may have to pay between €30 and €31 a share, which equates to a price-earning ratio of 19 to 20 times 2006 earnings, while others have calculated the price at around 13 times EBITDA.
Bridging the gap
Since 2002, the nine Regional Venture Capital Funds (RVCF) set up by the UK Government have raised a total of £250.5m, and invested in almost 200 companies. Established to support growing companies languishing in the equity gap, they were set up by the Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) in order meet the need for capital at the smaller end of the market in England. Tom Allchorne looks at the progress being made by Regional Venture Capital Funds, and the future of public-private funding.
Trade buyers turn to PE
Trade buyers, frustrated by competition rules, which block them from acquiring their direct competitors and who are determined to avoid them falling into competitive hands, are seeking private equity houses to take controlling stakes in those businesses, according to Simon Holmes, competition expert and partner at SJ Berwin. The concept for the private equity house however doesn’t look too appealing, in particular when it comes to working out an exit strategy for the company. Angela Sormani reports.
3i testing the waters?
Last month 3i invested US$20m in Quadriga Capital Russia Private Equity Fund II and in so doing becomes the largest single private investor in the fund. 3i is not typically in the business of making investments in funds in order to gain entry to a country or market, but this is the second such investment it has made, following as it does in the footsteps of the May 2005 investment of US$45m (out of a total fund raising target of US$310m) in CDH China Growth Capital Fund II, based in Beijing. Lisa Bushrod reports.
News highlights
Mowbray Capital pulls the plug
EC looks at fund regulation
GIMV to expand?
BP Marsh floats on AIM
Ex-minister launches Russian fund
Oostvogels opens in UK
Wealth Management attracts interest
UK pension funds increase alternative investments
Seed through early stage
UK activity up
Amadeus and Imperial join forces for new energy project
Fund news
Lead story
Russian popularity continues to grow
Over the last year, Russia has been attracting more and more private equity money, with a number of domestic funds being raised to compete alongside an increasingly hungry Western European appetite. Tom Allchorne looks at the appeal.
Quick view
FUNDS
CGS launches second fund
Finance Wales launches environmental fund
SGAM raises €80m for Eastern Europe
IBIS targets media funding gap
Chrysalis targets the arts
Sitka tops up
Winch Capital closes
Exit news
Lead story
Nationwide Autocentres reaps rewards
Its current management and NBGI Private Equity in a £49m secondary buyout transaction have sold nationwide Autocentres, a UK-based MOT and car servicing specialist. The acquirer is Phoenix Equity Partners who beat off strong competition to acquire the business. The deal makes a return of 10x money and an IRR of 72% per annum over five years.
Quick view
EXITS
Bridgepoint sells Robinia
CESA sold for €1.37bn
Gresham exits Altair
Apax puts Histoire d’Or on market
Marazzi to float
EQT sells Findus to CapVest
3i exits Witwood Food Products
AlpInvest spin-off makes exit
Primary sells Pegasus
Qsil in secondary buyout
ISIS doubles money on Language Line sale
Cegelec in US$1.3bn secondary buyout
Vision Capital sells Deloro Stellite
Konrad Hornschuch sold in secondary buyout
Indigo sells Aster-Cephac
CVC cuts IG interest to 10%
Carlyle makes 4x return on QinetiQ IPO
3i makes 3.4x return on Williams Lea deal
Optos lists on LSE
3i sells TG+ stake
Dataroom
Record year for European tech M&A
Mega deals boost technology
Pitango and Star top Israeli funds
Mezzanine: 1st €1bn facility on cards in 2006?
People
Quick view
Weil Gotshal poach
Abingworth appts
E&Y expands
Deloitte hires
Quartilium recruits
Impax adds
Candover recruits
Oostvogels opens in London
Interregnum hires
Aon promotes
Dawson to Impetus
Permira reshuffle
Paul Capital appts
Mourant in Guernsey
CVC appts
TowerBrook adds
AXA hires
Kennet recruits
TowerBrook appts
PwC promotes
New Advent office
Intermediate adds
FEATURES
Nordic Lights are shining
The Nordic area last year reported record-breaking deal activity and a strong fundraising environment, as well as a gradually recovering venture capital industry. But with prices for buyout assets increasing dramatically, can the buoyancy continue? Patrick McCurry reports
Belgium & Luxembourg: family ties
Nearly everyone who talks about the private equity market in Belgium refers at some point to the fact that the country’s corporate culture is dominated by family-owned business, many of which were set up in the late 1940s and 1950s. The reason they talk about these family businesses is because some three or four generations of family ownership down the line, many of them are facing some tough decisions about how to address the future of their companies. The buyout market is primed; waiting for what investors in Belgium think will be good pickings over the next couple of years. Anthony O’Connor reports.
LP Talking Head
Taking a view: Swiss Re
Swiss Re Private Equity Holding started investing in private equity in 1995 in both buyouts and venture. The team is led by Harold Weiss and is composed of 15 individuals operating out of Zurich and New York. The team invests both proprietary as well as third-party capital and has commitments in over 120 partnerships worldwide.
Legal & Regulatory
Enterprise Capital Funds are coming!
This month the UK Government is expected to announce the winners of the fund management mandates for the first, or commonly referred to Pathfinder, Enterprise Capital Funds. The process is being managed by the UK Department of Trade & Industry’s (DTI) Small Business Service unit, which is in turn being advised by leading private equity fund formation law firm SJ Berwin. Lisa Bushrod reports.
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