Market At A Glance

Deal flow involving U.S.-based financial sponsors was quite active during the second half of June through July 13. The period’s activity, especially those with disclosed financial terms, added about $18.9 billion to this year’s total that now stands at roughly $53.2 billion.

The end of the second quarter witnessed a number of huge transactions close. The largest during this time was completed by an indirect unit of Blackstone Group LP. BRE Retail Holdings Inc. bought Centro Properties Group’s portfolio of 588 shopping centers in the United States for about $9.4 billion.

Another deal involved an investor group, comprised of Berkshire Partners LLC and OMERS Private Equity Inc., which purchased Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd from Onex Corp. for C$1.996 billion ($2.1 billion).

Fundraising by domestic buyout and mezzanine shops was also busy. It was highlighted by news that Blackstone Group secured more funds for Blackstone Capital Partners VI LP. Reuters reported that Fund VI has $16 billion in commitments, citing a source familiar with the situation. The source said the fund could reach about $16.5 billion. The Wall Street Journal first reported the news on the fund’s latest activity. The year-to-date fundraising total stands at about $48.6 billion.