Market wrap up: Buyout firms raise $25B year-to-date

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Buyout and mezzanine shops have now raised more than $25 billion in commitments so far this year, thanks to the efforts last week of Lindsay Goldberg & Bessemer and Versa Capital Management.

Lindsay Goldberg closed its third fund, Lindsay Goldberg III, with $4.7 billion in capital commitments. The New York-based firm surpassed its $4 billion target. Its previous fund closed at $3.1 billion in 2006.

Versa has reportedly closed its second buyout fund at $650 million. The level of pledges obtained surpassed the $600 million target.

Deal activity

Thomson Reuters

(publisher of PE Week) tracked just three leveraged buyouts from May 20 through May 27. The two deals with financial terms had a combined value of $586.5 million. Year-to-date deal volume increased to $6.94 billion.

The largest deal involved SG Investments, which raised its slight majority stake in USJ Co. Ltd. from 51% to more than 98% by acquiring more than 1 million shares for $551.5 million. SG Investments has also agreed to purchase the remaining 2% interest it doesn’t hold in the amusement park owner and operator.

SG Investment is a special purpose vehicle that is owned by Goldman Sachs & Co., Own Creek Asset Management and other firms.