Competition for attractive targets in the M&A market has increased significantly. That is the key finding of this year’s second survey of the M&A panel polled by commercial law firm CMS Hasche Sigle and FINANCE magazine, comprising some 70 investment bankers and corporate M&A professionals. Most sectors are seeing stronger

Electra Partners today announces that it has extended its relationship with existing German investment partner, Steadfast Capital GmbH (“Steadfast”), by investing EUR26 million in a secondary investment in Steadfast’s second fund (“Fund II”). Fund II is fully invested and comprised of five investments the largest of which are: FEP (automotive

President Dmitry Medvedev has officially announced the launch of the Russian Direct Investment Fund. The fund’s management committee has been registered, its leadership appointed and preliminary reactions from international investors have been positive.   Over the coming five years the USD10 billion Russian government-backed fund will make direct investments in

East Capital Explorer AB has accepted PepsiCo’s buyout offer to purchase its holding in Wimm-Bill-Dann Foods OJSC, a leading Russian dairy and juice company.  East Capital Explorer realised an annualised pre-tax return of 17.4% on its initial EUR 6.8m investment (39.7% pre-tax IRR when measured in the transaction currency USD).

In the wake of the financial crisis, investors (LPs) are driving rapid change in the private equity industry, including a wide-ranging re-balancing of their portfolios and the recruitment of more in-house staff, according to Coller Capital’s latest Global Private Equity Barometer. Having had time to gauge the effects of the

The Aureos Africa Fund has completed a USD5.35m investment in Bio-Plastics Limited, a fast-growing Ghanaian plastics manufacturer.  The investment will allow the company to expand its capacity and start manufacturing biodegradable plastics.  This will be the 14th investment by the $381.1 m Fund since its first close in September 2008.

New Evolution Ventures, LLC (NeV), a developer and operator of health and fitness brands, and international investor Vision Capital, have formed a global investment partnership focused on the health, fitness and wellness industries, encompassing multiple brands that incorporate health clubs as well as nutrition, media, content and technology. The strategy

Paris-based real estate group Nexity Participations has sold its entire stake in Eurosic to two investors, Batipart and Predica. Nexity secured a price of EUR34.30 per share for its 32.07% stake in Eurosic amounting to a total consideration of EUR195.7m.