Oliver Smiddy

Blackstone has acquired German outdoor clothing company Jack Wolfskin, the latest in a slew of deals which have come despite retailers struggling due to subdued consumer spending.

BC Partners has made its first acquisition with capital from its latest mega-fund, winning the hotly-contested auction for Swedish cable company Com Hem with a bid of SKr17bn (€1.9bn; $2.7bn).

Buyout firm BC Partners has held a second close for its latest mega-fund just shy of its €6bn target, demonstrating that top tier firms are still able to attract significant amounts of capital despite a difficult fundraising environment.

DFJ Esprit has allayed fears that a subdued exit environment will make it hard for European venture capital firms to monetise their investments, sealing a 15x return following the sale of Zeus Technology.

Senior Credit Suisse banker Paul Su has become the latest individual to leave investment banking for private equity, as buyout groups look to increase resources in China.

Buyout firm Nordic Capital has sold one of the ‘jewels’ of its portfolio to regional rival EQT, generating a substantial return in the process.

Mid Europa Partners has underscored the growing importance of Turkey as a market for private equity with its first deal in the country, ahead of an intended office opening in Istanbul.

The sale of Dubai-based oil and gas services company Maritime Industrial Services by Gulf Capital and Amwal AlKhaleej shows that private equity can work profitably in the Middle East.

Graham Thomas, global head of private equity at South African lender Standard Bank, has left the company as it scales back principal investment activities, with more departures to follow.

Citadel Capital moved a step closer to selling a stake in itself on Tuesday, appointing Citigroup to advise on strategic options. Two days later, it won approval to vote on a $175m rights issue.