LATEST NEWS: LARGE-MARKET

3i to retake stake in Pepe Jeans

3i is close to acquiring a 30 per cent stake in Spanish jeans retailer Pepe Jeans, according to Spanish news agency Expansion.

Thursday, 8th May 2008
Morgan Stanley poaches private equity duo

Morgan Stanley Private Equity has hired Jean-Philippe Barade from Permira and Alasdair Thomson from Apax Partners as executive directors. Both will be based in London.

Wednesday, 7th May 2008
PAI doubles fund size to €5.4bn

PAI Partners has closed its fifth private equity fund with €5.4bn of commitments, double the size of its predecessor.

Tuesday, 6th May 2008
Eurazeo and Colony Capital up Accor stake

Eurazeo has joined forces with US buyout house Colony Capital to build a 30 per cent stake in French hotels group Accor worth €3.8bn.

Tuesday, 6th May 2008
Warburg Pincus buys Safetykleen Europe

Warburg Pincus has acquired Safetykleen Europe from CCMP Capital Advisers in a deal valuing the company at £565m (€712m).

Wednesday, 30th April 2008
Permira sells Debitel to Freenet for €1.63bn

Permira has sold German mobile service provider Debitel to Freenet in a €1.63bn deal, putting an end of United Internet's ambitions for the business.

Tuesday, 29th April 2008
Summit closes maiden Europe fund on €1bn

Summit Partners has closed its maiden Europe-focused fund with €1bn of LP commitments.

Monday, 28th April 2008
Merrill Lynch and TPG talk ties

Merrill Lynch is believed to be holding talks with TPG Capital regarding forming closer ties between the two businesses.

Friday, 25th April 2008
Private equity eyes RBS insurance arm

A private equity consortium is understood to be considering an offer for the insurance arm of the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Friday, 25th April 2008
Mitchells & Butlers confirms private equity talks

Mitchells & Butlers has confirmed that it is in discussions with private equity investors about the sale of a sizeable stake at a “material premium to the current share price”.

Friday, 25th April 2008

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

I think what's happened is that the concept of risk-adjusted rate of return has been replaced by what I would call risk-ignored rate of return, and people are substituting yield for credit judgement.

Wilbur Ross

Private equity companies have targeted car parks as a cash cow, taking over £1 billion out of the industry in the last few years

Rob Kelsall, GMB, responsible for car park workers

Q & A

Q&A with Simon Walker
The new chief executive of the BVCA has big ambitions for the UK’s venture capital and private equity industry in 2008.
James Caan
As the latest member of the panel on the BBC’s Dragons’ Den, serial entrepreneur James Caan is gaining a new perspective on backing businesses.
Mark Fox
As head of communications at the BVCA, Mark Fox has witnessed a period of huge growth in the coverage of private equity – and a summer of unprecedented media attention. 
Wol Kolade
The BVCA has launched a review of its practices amid deep member discontent over the body’s handling of the widespread criticism of the...
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LATEST ISSUE

Leader

A new name, a fresh approach A new name, a fresh approach

Of all the topics covered in this column over the past six years, the overriding issue that demands a definitive answer is “how private should private equity be?”


Top Story

Q&A with Brian Blakemore Q&A with Brian Blakemore

After 20 years shaping one of the few successful captive buyout operations, the man who said “sod this” to an education is stepping down at Barclays Private Equity.

Feature

The Private Equity Awards The Private Equity Awards

The seventh Real Deals/BVCA Private Equity Awards recognised the best that the industry had to offer during 2007.

Comment

The converging market The converging market

Private equity firms should be applauded for trying to increase their product range – but GPs must not hedge their bets.

News Analysis

Scraping the barrel Scraping the barrel

The Environmental Technology Fund’s recent £110m (€139m) close of its maiden fund has highlighted the ever-growing interest in clean technology investment opportunities, with the sector fast cementing its position as the third pillar of the venture world.