James Taylor

Park Square Capital has tapped three of its existing investors to raise a credit opportunities fund, which could have firepower of up to €1.25 billion and will work in complement to its existing mezzanine fund.

US buyout firm TPG may be set to withdraw its interest in Spanish airline Iberia, after British Airways reportedly urged the group to join forces with rival firm Apax Partners.

UK buyout firm Charterhouse Capital Partners has agreed a secondary buyout of TSL Education, the educational publishing business that was Exponent Private Equity’s first acquisition as an independent entity.

Eurazeo more than doubled first quarter revenues to €520.5 million this year, after a number of bolt-on acquisitions.

Dunedin Capital Partners, a UK-based mid-market private equity firm, has made four new hires as it looks to build on a bumper year in 2006.

UK private equity funds have delivered much stronger returns to investors than the public markets in both the short and longer term, according to new research. Pan-European buyout funds have been the main driver of this outperformance.

Although many financial planners still have very limited awareness of private equity investment trusts, increasing demand from retail investors and a concerted marketing push may be starting to turn the tide.

An Apax-led consortium has completed the £700 million sale and leaseback of 21 hospitals owned by Capio, the Swedish healthcare provider it bought last year, in the latest example of private equity groups cashing in on property assets.

3i’s annual results revealed another strong year, with record realisations and investment up 42 percent. The group will return £800 million to shareholders.

Alliance Boots deputy chairman Stefano Pessina is set to land a windfall of more than £600 million if his take-private bid for the group is accepted – roughly the same amount that may be required to plug the company’s current pension deficit.