LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Private equity firm Green Equity Investors V LP has bought preferred shares in Whole Foods Market Inc (WFMI.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) for $425 million, which can give them a stake in the company of about 17 percent, if converted into common. The high-end grocery chain’s shares rose nearly 22 […]
Just like with Christmas, all the good companies went on the clearance rack after the buyout boom. Meaning, the stock market is about 4,000 points below where it was a year ago, and there are some steals to be had on solid public companies. Companies that could easily be taken private by a PE firm… if they only had the money. Too bad they maxed out their credit cards. Seeking Alpha created a list of 100 strong take-private targets, based on steady cash flows, good balance sheets, a low valuation, and the ability to pay 9% interest on debt. Peruse the list if you’re in the mood for window shopping at stores that are now, sadly, out of everyone’s price range. (Don’t worry, there are a few sub-$500 million market cap targets listed. Cross Country Healthcare anyone?) Seeking Alpha: 100 Companies That Can Take Themselves Private
Pala Investment Holdings has withdrawn its $85.7 million buyout offer for Rockwell Diamonds Inc. (TSX: RDI). The move comes a week after South African regulators said that Pala’s existing bid does not “properly consider the rights of option holders and warrant holders.”
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Boscov’s Department Store LLC said on Tuesday it had signed an asset purchase agreement for the sale of nearly all of its assets to a family group led by Albert Boscov and Edwin Lakin. The department store chain, which filed for bankruptcy in August, also said it had terminated a previously […]
Standard & Poor’s has lowered its credit rating from B to B- for Hexion Speciality Chemicals, an Apollo Management portfolio company that is in the midst of a protracted battle to acquire Huntsman Corp.
Oncap has acquired an undisclosed stake in Caliber Collision Centers, an Irvine, Calif.-based owner and operator of 66 collision repair facilities in California and Texas. No financial terms were disclosed.
Bayside Capital has acquired Flight Express Inc., an Orlando-based provider of same-day air courier services to banking and life sciences customers in the South and Midwest. No financial terms were disclosed.
(Reuters) – Retailer Mervyn’s LLC may pay accrued vacation to its fired employees if its closing-down sales raise enough cash to pay off its debt to Wachovia Corp (WB.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), the Wall Street Journal reported, citing a court hearing. The privately held retailer withheld accumulated vacation pay from staff who lost […]
(Reuters) – Private equity firm Carlyle Group warned a group of its investors that they were unlikely to see returns on their money soon, the Financial Times said. “You should expect very few distributions from us,” the paper quoted Bill Conway, Carlyle’s co-founder and chief investment officer, as saying during a conference call with more […]
Marlin Equity Partners has acquired Holiday Creations, a Denver-based manufacturer of LED string lights and accessories in Canada and the United States. No financial terms were disclosed. www.holidaycreations.com