Siris Capital Private Equity

SAC Capital Spins Off Private Equity Operation 

Steven Cohen's SAC Capital is spinning off its private equity operation into an independent buyout firm.  The firm, Siris Capital, is led by Frank Baker, Peter Berger and Jeffrey Hendren, all of whom worked for Ripplewood Holdings prior to joining SAC Capital in 2007.  Siris Capital expects to raise $400 million and will focus in technology, telecommunication and health-care.

According to Dow Jones, Siris is looking to raise $400 million to make investments specifically in tech, telecoms and health-care. Other industries "will be considered" though.
Cohen will seed the new fund, though there's no word on how big his stake will be.
As for the new principals, their résumé are a first-class.
Frank Baker worked for three years in JP Morgan's Securities Capital Markets Group before he joined Ripplewood in 1999 and prior to that was an analyst at Goldman Sachs in the M&A group. He has B.A in Economics from the University of Chicago and an MBA from Harvard.

Peter Berger founded Ripplewood in 1995 and before that was a senior partner and global head of the Corporate Finance Group at Arthur Andersen. He was also a Managing Director in Bear Stearns' investment bank for two years. He earned a B.Sc. from Boston University and an M.B.A. from Columbia.

Jeffrey Hendren was with Goldman Sachs' merger department before Ripplewood. He earned a B.Sc.
with honors in Accounting and Finance from Indiana University and has an M.B.A. from Harvard. Source

1. Private Equity Tracker Tool
2. Private Equity Career Guide
3. Private Equity Training
4. Private Equity Directory - List of Private Equity Firms

Tags: private equity, private equity Siris Capital, Private Equity Steven Cohen, Private Equity SAC Capital, Siris Capital Private Equity Investments, Frank Baker, Peter Berger, Jeffrey Hendren,

Link to This Resource: Siris Capital Private Equity

http://privateequityblogger.com/2011/02/siris-capital-private-equity.html

Japan M&A 2011

Japan M&A

Japan Expected to Have Increase in Corporate Activity, M&A

If you're looking for signs of upcoming corporate activity including mergers and acquisitions, sometimes it's best to follow the hedge funds.  Hedge fund managers have set their sights on Japan once again as corporate activities are expected to pick up in the country. Mergers and acquisitions and share buy-backs could make strong returns for those hedge funds operating there. Japan has seen an outflow of hedge funds over the last few years so it is a welcome sign of optimism.  This will likely open up opportunities for private equity funds to create more deals in Japan, too.

The resurgent interest in Japan could mark a turn in the fortunes of the country's hedge funds industry, which has seen a sharp drop in assets and the number of funds since 2006 as the market peaked.

Hedge funds are betting the current environment is ideal for strategies such as event-driven and long/short, given that many companies are trading at low valuations and funding is cheap -- conditions ideal for M&As.

A stronger yen has prompted domestic firms to buy new production plants abroad and go in for deals. In a symbolic move, Japan's two major steel makers, Nippon Steel Corp (5401.T) and Sumitomo Metal Industries (5405.T) have announced merger plans.

Other factors favoring a relook at Japan are the recent shift in capital flows in favor of developed markets, strong corporate profitability -- which has left companies with about a record $2.5 trillion in cash -- a rebound in exports driven by robust demand in fast-growing Asia and hope that the economy is heading toward a moderate recovery. Source

1. Private Equity Tracker Tool
2. Private Equity Career Guide
3. Private Equity Training
4. Private Equity Directory - List of Private Equity Firms

Tags: Hedge funds, private equity funds, buyout firms, buyout funds, corporate activity, mergers and acquisitions, Japan M&A 2011, Japan M&A Activity, Japan 2011 M&A

Link to This Resource: Japan M&A 2011

http://privateequityblogger.com/2011/02/japan-m-2011.html

Nokia Siemens Networks Private Equity

Nokia Siemens Network Considering Private Equity Deal

Nokia Siemens Networks CEO Rajeev Suri says that he can see the strategic benefits of a private equity investment in his company.  The firm has met with private equity firms before and is said to be mulling over a deal with TPG Capital, Gores Group LLC and possibly another firm.  Nokia Siemens Networks is a joint venture between Nokia Oyj and Siemens AG.  The private equity deal would probably be completed by the end of the second quarter.

“There could be new capital that would give us additional strategic flexibility,” Chief Executive Officer Rajeev Suri said at a briefing for reporters at the company’s headquarters in Espoo, Finland. “These companies also bring expertise and knowledge, and they just bring a network where we sometimes don’t see it and I believe it’s good to have a strong base of three shareholders.”

Suri said in August that the company had been approached by private equity investors. A deal may be reached by the end of the second quarter with TPG Capital, Gores Group LLC, or a third investor, people familiar with the discussions said last week. Suri said today he couldn’t speculate on timing and added that the company didn’t necessarily need a deal to happen.

A private equity firm “can come and say by the way there are these nice small companies you can buy, consider are there any holes in your portfolio you would like to cover, this is what we think,” Suri said. Private equity companies may have previous experience in telecommunications holdings and relationships with operators, he added. Source

1. Private Equity Tracker Tool
2. Private Equity Career Guide
3. Private Equity Training
4. Private Equity Directory - List of Private Equity Firms

Tags:  Nokia Siemens Networks Private Equity, Nokia Siemens Networks Private Equity Firms, Nokia Siemens Networks Private Equity Buyout, Nokia Siemens Networks TPG Capital, Nokia Siemens Networks Gores Group

Link to This Resource: Nokia Siemens Networks Private Equity

http://privateequityblogger.com/2011/02/nokia-siemens-networks-private-equity.html

Find Private Equity Investors

Managers: Could Your Private Equity Fund Use $2 Trillion?

Finding private equity investors can be difficult, but it doesn't have to be.  The Private Equity Investor Directory Version 4.2 gives you instant access to the contact details of 3,500+ private equity investors who control well over $2 Trillion in assets. 

Are you wasting valuable time and resources working with third party marketers or pressuring your in-house marketing staff to raise capital from investors?   The Private Equity Investor Directory provides your team with access to thousands of investors from family offices to pension and endowment funds.

The Private Equity Investor Directory is an investment in your firm's future, so get the upper hand on other private equity firms by purchasing this database.   If the ability to contact more than 3,500 private equity investors is not enough to convince you that this is a valuable resource, we have also included $1,000 in free training credits towards any live workshop, training, or certification program offered by the Global Training & Certification Institute, LLC.

Here are the private equity investors that your team could be calling today:

• 1,000 Family Office Listings
• 730 Wealth Management Firm Listings
• 265 Institutional Investment Consultant Listings
• 924 Endowment Fund Listings
• 600 Pension Fund Listings

To ensure that you are 100% satisfied with your investment, we offer two years of free updates to your Private Equity Investor Directory and a 4X prorated guarantee (click here to learn more about our quality guarantee).

Can you afford to fall behind your competitors?  Click here to take advantage of this offer and start contacting potential private equity investors today.


Private Equity Investor Directory

1. Private Equity Tracker Tool
2. Private Equity Career Guide
3. Private Equity Training
4. Private Equity Directory - List of Private Equity Firms

Tags: private equity investors, how to find private equity investors, finding private equity investors, private equity investor database, private equity investor, contact private equity investor, private equity fund investors, investors in private equity funds, private equity investor database, private equity investor directory

Link to This Resource: Find Private Equity Investors

http://privateequityblogger.com/2011/02/find-private-equity-investors.html

Private Equity Tanzania

Three Private Equity Firms Buy Company in Tanzania

I have tried to cover each continent as best as I can, so I thought I would share this story about private equity in Tanzania.  Africa is becoming a much easier place to do business, although there of course still obstacles in many African countries, but private equity firms are increasing their presence on the continent in recent years.

Three private equity firms have teamed up to buy a majority stake in a Tanzanian company.  The buyout firms bought Chemi & Cotex Industries Limited, a rapidly-developing consumer products business.  The firms are: Direct Principal Investments, Satya Capital, and Catalyst Principal Partners (a Kenyan private equity firm). 

A grouping of private equity funds that includes Direct Principal Investments, a division Britain's HSBC Plc (HSBA.L) said on Wednesday it had acquired a majority stake in Tanzania's Chemi & Cotex Industries Limited.

The other two partners are Satya Capital and Catalyst Principal Partners. The group declined to disclose the value of the deal or the exact percentage shareholding acquired.

"The three partners will have over 50 percent shareholding. We invest between $5-15 million for any deal," Paul Kavuma, chief executive officer at Catalyst told Reuters.
Catalyst, a Kenyan based fund said it had completed the first phase of fundraising for its $100 million eastern Africa focused private equity fund, Catalyst Fund I, with $70 million channeled to the eastern African market.

1. Private Equity Tracker Tool
2. Private Equity Career Guide
3. Private Equity Training
4. Private Equity Directory - List of Private Equity Firms

Tags: private equity investments, Tanzania private equity firm, Tanzania private equity, Tanzania management, contact, website, Tanzania private equity firm LP, group, news, Chemi & Cotex Industries Limited, Direct Principal Investments, Satya Capital, Catalyst Principal Partners

Link to This Resource: Private Equity Tanzania

http://privateequityblogger.com/2011/02/private-equity-tanzania.html

Private Equity List

Looking to Connect with Private Equity Firms?

Would you like to connect with more than one thousand private equity firms?  Our team has created a database of over 1,000 private equity firms with full contact information including the contact's website, phone number, as well as mailing and e-mail addresses.

Our team has invested our time in developing and updating a deep, constantly-improved directory of private equity firms and their contact details in Excel format.  This is a valuable resource for firms, capital raisers, individuals trying to meet with private equity firms, students, internship or job-seekers and private equity service providers. 

This Private Equity Firm Directory contains the private equity fund firm name, primary contact name, physical location, assets under management, phone number, fax, and email address as well.  Collectively the 1,000+ private equity firms in our database control well over $200B in assets.  This directory is a great way to gain access to hard-to-find contact details for private equity firms.  Click here to learn more about this directory of private equity firms.

1. Private Equity Tracker Tool
2. Private Equity Career Guide
3. Private Equity Training
4. Private Equity Directory - List of Private Equity Firms

Tags: investments, private equity firm, private equity, management, contact, website, LP, group, news, Private Equity List, List of Private Equity Firms, Private Equity Database, Private Equity Directory

Link to This Resource: Private Equity List

http://privateequityblogger.com/2011/02/private-equity-list.html

Israel Private Equity Deals

Private Equity Deals in Israel Hit Two-Year High in 2010

The Israel Venture Capital Research Center reports that in terms of dollars, private equity deals in Israel hit a two-year high in the last quarter of 2010.  Like in the US, private equity deals tend to pick up toward the end of the year and in Israel private equity firms closed 11 deals with a total value of $769 million in the fourth quarter. 

In Q4, 11 private equity deals closed with a combined value of $769 million. The lion's share of that amount came from the $576 million buyout of Psagot Investment House by Apax Partners.

Private equity deals were 165% higher in Q4 than in Q3 2010, which saw more deals (13 compared to 11) but a lower total value ($290 million.) The value of private equity deals for the quarter reported was more than five times that of the corresponding quarter of 2009.

Fifty-one private equity deals were closed in Israel throughout 2010 with a combined value of $1.58 billion, more than triple 2009's figure of $513 million.

The financial sector accounted for 39% of the total private equity deal value of 2010, and real estate deals made up another 10%. The average private equity deal was valued at $31 million, compared to an average value of $14 million per deal in 2009.  Source

1. Private Equity Tracker Tool
2. Private Equity Career Guide
3. Private Equity Training
4. Private Equity Directory - List of Private Equity Firms

Tags: private equity Israel, investments, Israel private equity firm, private equity, management, contact, website, LP, group, news

Link to This Resource: Israel Private Equity Deals

http://privateequityblogger.com/2011/02/israel-private-equity-deals.html

Private Equity M&A Competition

Morgan Stanley: Private Equity Driving Up Prices in M&A

A Morgan Stanley executive has claimed that private equity firms forced Danaher to buy medical diagnostics company Beckman Coulter for more than it otherwise would have.  According to CNBC, this is part of a larger trend in the mergers and acquisitions market where private equity buyers come in and drive up prices on potential mergers and acquisitions, forcing other buyers to either pay a higher price or bow to the buyout firms.  It's worth noting the wealth of capital that corporate buyers and especially buyout firms are sitting on, which is likely how they are willing and able to drive up prices in M&A.

"Given where you can get leverage now and given the returns that they're looking for, which are lower than historical, I think the pricing was driven by where the private equity guys are," Rob Kindler, vice chairman and global head of M&A at Morgan Stanley, told CNBC on Monday.

"It's interesting, because these corporations have a lot of money to invest and one of the issues for them is competing against private equity guys," Kindler said.

"The fact that Danaher's stock is up shows that the market likes it when people do what are perceived as smart deals," he said.  CNBC

1. Private Equity Tracker Tool
2. Private Equity Career Guide
3. Private Equity Training
4. Private Equity Directory - List of Private Equity Firms

Tags: Private Equity M&A Competition, investments, private equity firm, M&A private equity, management, contact, website, LP, group, news

Link to This Resource: Private Equity M&A Competition

http://privateequityblogger.com/2011/02/private-equity-m-competition.html

Private Equity Job Growth

Private Equity Helping the Economy through Job Growth

Private equity, long an object of derision by observers and the media, is at last being hailed as a job creating force.  Private equity firms have been injecting capital into the struggling economy and boosting employment numbers, according to a recent article from Fox News.  The article credits private equity firms for aiding companies in expansion and improving struggling businesses.

Much of it can be credited to "Private equity is one of the key sources moving the economy forward and creating job market growth right now. They're future oriented and they're putting capital behind companies to develop new products and moving into new markets, which leads to job creation" according to John Challenger, of outplacement firm Challenger, Grey and Christmas.


Private equity basically consists of large sums of cash pooled together by groups of professional investors who get money from pension funds, or hedge funds or insurance companies and invest that money into businesses that they can improve and expand.


"These people are experts at helping companies grow to the next level. It's part of their plan, to take a small company and make it a strong mid-size company, or take a mid-size company and make it a large company...they bring a level of expertise and help them in a way the business wouldn't have been able to do otherwise", says Tim Van Mieghem, of The ProAction Group, which consults private equity companies on investments, and also has a private equity branch of its own.  Source

1. Private Equity Tracker Tool
2. Private Equity Career Guide
3. Private Equity Training
4. Private Equity Directory - List of Private Equity Firms

Tags: private equity job growth, private equity jobs, private equity job creation, private equity job, investments, private equity firm, private equity, management, contact, website, LP, group, news

Link to This Resource: Private Equity Job Growth

http://privateequityblogger.com/2011/02/private-equity-job-growth.html