State Street Global Advisors (SSgA), the asset management business of State Street Corporation, says that challenges posed by turbulent financial markets over the past few years have caused many of the world’s leading sovereign funds to reassess their investment strategies and risk management. The findings, published in a new paper issued by State Street Global Advisors entitled “Current Issues in Official Sector Asset Management,” reveal that as a result, some of the funds are making significant changes, including a growing shift from active investment management strategies to passive ones and an increasing focus on the emerging-market debt as yields on

ProCure Treatment Centers, Inc, a privately held healthcare company that specialises in proton therapy, has completed a USD40 million round of private equity financing led by Maverick Capital. The funding will support the continued development and expansion of ProCure’s network of proton therapy centres. ProCure is the only healthcare company in the world that has developed and is operating multiple proton centres The USD40 million financing follows two significant investments totalling over USD70 million led by McClendon Venture Company, LLC (MVC). MVC is owned by Aubrey K. McClendon of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. “We are extremely pleased to welcome Maverick Capital

Better Capital’s BECAP Fund LP has acquired certain trade and assets of the Santia group of companies (wholly owned subsidiaries of Connaught plc, in administration) and related subsidiaries. The investment has been effected through acquisition vehicles owned and controlled by the Better Capital F fund. The Santia group is a leading provider of health and safety risk management services, including; health and safety consultancy, training services, occupational health, asbestos management, food safety, information services and supplier and vendor accreditation. Santia will continue to serve both private and public sector organisations. Latest unaudited revenues of the acquired companies for the year

The State Street Private Equity Index posted a 6.57% return for the quarter ended 30 September 2010, 592 basis points higher than the previous quarter and 74 basis points higher than the year ago period.  The third quarter return for the European and Rest of World regions were 14.66% and 5.59%, respectively, with both reflecting a significant increase from prior quarter. For the one-year period beginning in the fourth quarter of 2009 and ending in the third quarter of 2010, all Private Equity recorded a 19.5% one-year end-to-end return; Mezzanine and Distressed Debt funds combined recorded a 20.9% return for

Bowside Capital has held the final closing for its Bowside Capital Fund I, a fund of funds and co-investments specialising in the US private equity, small capitalisation market. Unique in its focus, Bowside Capital invests in, and co-invests with, US private equity funds with targeted capital commitments of USD100 million or less. “We formed the Fund to address the significant opportunity for value creation that exists in this segment of the market, a segment that should be an important part of any alternative investment allocation,” says Managing Partner Christian Albert. “Considering the current challenging fundraising environment, it is notable that

August & Debouzy advised Compagnie des Alpes SA (CDA) on its acquisition of almost 45% of the shareholding interests in the operator of the Futuroscope Park. CDA is now the leading shareholder of the Park. CDA specialises in acquiring, holding and managing French and foreign enterprises operating in the mountain tourism or theme park industries and has developed its business mainly in France and Europe, where it is a leader. The transaction was led by Sandra Goussu, CDA’s Director of Strategy and Shareholdings, and Philippe Jutard, the Group’s Director of Legal Affairs.