Refresco Group NV has agreed to a 1.6 billion euro (US$1.9 billion) offer from a consortium led by French private equity firm PAI Partners, which would delist the Dutch bottling company less than three years after its flotation, Reuters reported. PAI and partner British Columbia Investment Management Corp (bcIMC) aim to buy all 81.2 million Refresco shares at 20 euros each, ending the short-lived listing on the Amsterdam stock exchange. The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2018. In July, Refresco reached agreement to buy the bottling activities of Canada's Cott Corp for US$1.25 billion, a move that was intended in part to ward off a private equity takeover.
Canadian department store operator Hudson’s Bay Co agreed to sell its Lord & Taylor building for US$850 million to SoftBank-backed WeWork Cos and shrink the flagship store on New York’s Fifth Avenue to a quarter of its current size, Reuters reported. HBC also reaffirmed a commitment to its European operations despite opposition from activist investor Jonathan Litt, who is considering seeking the removal of some directors. The company also said U.S. private equity firm Rhône Capital will invest US$500 million in HBC, with the transactions reducing its debt by $1.6 billion and increasing liquidity by $1.1 billion.
Canadian steelmaker Stelco Holdings Inc expects its initial public offering to be priced between $16 to $18 per share, raising about $200 million (US$158 million) at the mid-point, Reuters reported. The company, owned by U.S. private equity firm Bedrock Industries, plans to offer between 11.11 million and 12.50 million of common shares. Stelco, which is emerging from its second bankruptcy in 13 years, will list on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol “STLC”.
Activist investor Jonathan Litt, who is pushing for change at Hudson’s Bay Co, said this week he is considering seeking the removal of several directors at a special shareholder meeting following the abrupt departure of its chief executive officer, Reuters reported. The exit of HBC CEO Gerald Storch, announced last week by the company, underscored the board’s attempt to “buy time and placate investors to address underperformance and undervaluation,” Litt, the founder of U.S. hedge fund Land & Buildings Investment Management, said in a statement. Land & Buildings holds about 5 percent of the shares of HBC, which owns the Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord & Taylor retail chains. The hedge fund has been pushing the Canadian retailer to take action to extract value from its substantial real estate holdings to boost the share price and consider other options, including the sale of Saks.
Canadian steelmaker Stelco Holdings Inc’s planned initial public offering could be a tough sell as it faces the twin headwinds of slowing North American auto sales and the uncertain impact of trade talks, even as it looks to cash in on a rebound in steel prices, Reuters reported. Stelco also needs to regain investor confidence just months after emerging from its second bankruptcy in 13 years, analysts and investors said, as its new owner seeks to raise $185 million by selling a stake in the restructured, almost debt-free company. Stelco, now owned by U.S. private equity group Bedrock Industries, filed in late September for the initial public offering and is now marketing it.
Onex Corp has so far raised almost US$6.7 billion for its fifth flagship private equity fund, the firm said in a Securities & Exchange Commission filing. The Toronto investor also increased the target for Onex Partners V to US$7 billion from an earlier US$6.5 billion, possibly on the strength of the first close in July. At that time, Fund V had secured US$5.2 billion, or 80 percent of the original goal. With US$6.7 billion in the bank, the fund is already the biggest raised by Onex in its 33-year history. While not yet closed, it is now 17 percent larger than its predecessor, which collected US$5.7 billion in 2014.
Canadian train-and-plane maker Bombardier Inc is exploring options for its aerospace businesses, including a sale of some operations,Reuters reported, citing a recent Bloomberg story. The company is considering disposal of assets including its Q400 turboprop and CRJ regional-jet unit, the Bloomberg report said. Bombardier is also looking at partnerships with other aerospace companies. According to the report, Europe’s Airbus SE is among the prospective buyers. Bombardier, which is now in the middle of a five-year turnaround plan after considering bankruptcy in 2015, has previously weighed strategic options for parts of its aerospace division.
A group of investors, including U.S. buyout firm Apollo Global Management and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), is bidding for coal assets put up for sale by global mining giant Rio Tinto Group, which could fetch US$2 billion, sources told Reuters. The sale, run by Credit Suisse, of the Kestrel and Hail Creek coking coal mines is part of Rio’s planned exit from Australian coal to focus on iron ore, copper and aluminum. Apollo and CPPIB have joined forces with U.S. coal company Xcoal Energy & Resources and a former Glencore executive to bid for the assets, two sources said. Interested parties have been invited to submit tentative offers by December 8.
Sears Canada Inc will seek court approval to liquidate all its remaining stores and assets after the 65-year-old retail chain failed to reach an agreement to continue to operate, Reuters reported. Sears Canada has lost market share and struggled to remain relevant to shoppers who have switched to stores that keep up with fast-changing fashion trends. Its sales have fallen every quarter since it was spun off from Sears Holdings Corp in 2012. The company had been in negotiations with Executive Chairman Brandon Stranzl, who stepped away from day-to-day operations to come up with a proposal to keep the company afloat. The Wall Street Journal reported last month that Stranzl was negotiating a private-equity backed deal that could be valued at more than $650 million (US$533 million).
Brookfield Asset Management's Public Securities Group (PSG) has agreed to buy Center Coast Capital Holdings, an energy infrastructure-focused investment firm, for an undisclosed amount, Reuters reported. Houston-based Center Coast has over US$4 billion of assets under management and will allow the Brookfield unit to bolster its product offering to include investments in energy assets such as tax-efficient master limited partnerships (MLPs), which house midstream assets. The investment comes amid renewed interest from large asset managers to buy into energy investment firms which focus on MLPs, after question marks were raised over the structure's long-term viability.