Christopher Witkowsky

The private equity firms acquired Europe’s largest food and beverage vending machine maker from Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity and Argan Capital using about €600m of debt arranged by eight lenders.

While stressing it continues to honour capital calls, CalPERS has said it is not atypical for it to ask GPs to delay requests for funds. The pension has confirmed it sold more than $2bn in private equity holdings on the secondary market last year, including interests in Carlyle and Landmark funds.

The private equity firm, formed by several angel investors, purchased the Yahoo unit for an undisclosed amount. Yahoo bought Kelkoo, an online shopping engine, for $576m in 2004.

The New York- and Los Angeles-based firm has acquired Connors Brothers Income Fund, which sells canned seafood products under brands like Bumble Bee, Clover Leaf and Brunswick. Connors Brothers is one of many Canadian income funds taken private since the Canadian government announced a tax increase starting in 2011.

The UK-based private equity fund is selling its stake in Boxer TV-Access AB to Teracom, a media company owned by the government of Sweden.

Shares in the publicly listed firm continued to drop amid dismal third quarter reports, but one analyst sees a bright future ahead for Blackstone. Fortress Investment Group shares reached their 52-week low at $2.

The publicly listed fund, which invests almost exclusively in its parent's fund of funds, has experienced drops in its net asset value for the past several months.

Warburg invested $126m in polyester manufacturer Wellman in 2003 but saw the company collapse into bankruptcy in February amid rising raw material costs and a mountain of debt.

The fund of funds and co-investment firm, which will focus on the US lower middle market and emerging markets like India and China, is targeting $300m for its debut fund.

The global private equity firm has been growing its corporate communications platform as it invests its fifth fund, which is targeting $900m.