The private equity firm could lose almost half its investment in the bankrupt US retailer after hedge fund Bay Harbour submitted a stalking horse bid. Steve & Barry’s, which carries clothing by celebrity designers including Sarah Jessica Parker, filed for Chapter 11 last month.
2 min read · 12 January 2013
The number of recent private equity investments in wind farms has been head-spinning.
3 min read · 12 January 2013
Chrysler Financial, the lender Cerberus purchased alongside its corresponding auto unit last July, fell $6bn short of its $30bn target while renewing its credit facilities. The lender’s credit rating was reduced to B- last week on news of the company exiting consumer leasing.
3 min read · 12 January 2013
Blank cheque company Global BPO Services has acquired tech support firm Stream Holdings, which HIG built from a $75m platform investment in 2003.
2 min read · 12 January 2013
Direct secondary investment firm Accretive Exit Capital Partners has closed its HarbourVest-backed debut fund on $125m and paid Evercore Capital Partners $110m for stakes in five assets. With its debut fund nearly fully deployed, Accretive will soon head to market with a fund targeting $300m to $400m.
3 min read · 12 January 2013
Starting out as a management consultant at Bain & Company, Thomas Dorr went on to spend 14 years at Weyerhaeuser, the Washington State-based pulp and paper company. Having originally intended to be a general manager at the firm, Dorr was invited to join the company's innovative pension arm. According to Dorr, the pension was delivering ?dramatic outperformance? with its pure alternative assets allocation, including hedge funds, private equity and opportunistic real estate. The Weyerhaeuser team moved to Morgan Stanley in 2000 with Dorr becoming CIO for the private equity fund of funds team. With his senior team, he has since been focusing on building a private equity fund of funds operation with a global mandate investing half of its capital inside North America and half outside in small to mid cap buyouts, venture capital and special situations. Since Dorr joined, his team has raised the Morgan Stanley Private Market Fund (PMF) I ($309 million, 2000); PMF II ($500 million, 2004); PMF III ($1 billion, 2006); and the Global Distressed Opportunities Fund ($500 million, 2006).
3 min read · 12 January 2013
What can be learned from past performance about the future prospects for private equity? Introducing the Peracs PE Barometer, Oliver Gottschalg of HEC School of Management and Robert Ryan from Peracs Due Diligence Services assess the attractiveness of today's environment for private equity.
5 min read · 12 January 2013
We asked a selection of leading players in the German market for their views on threats and opportunities in Europe's largest economy. Here's what they said:
2 min read · 12 January 2013
Private equity firms operating in Germany have reasons to be optimistic: the economy has held up well so far despite global pressures, while the asset class appears to be successfully challenging negative stereotypes. Nonetheless, things could yet take a turn for the worse. Andy Thomson reports from Frankfurt.
8 min read · 12 January 2013
Many general partners' recent letters to investors have sought to reassure that, despite market turbulence, current portfolios remain healthy overall and investment capabilities credible. Several firms' founders have also offered perspectives on general economic conditions. Private Equity International here provides excerpts of five “Dear LP” letters issued during the first quarter.
5 min read · 12 January 2013
