The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec said it was open to further investment in Bombardier Inc after reporting strong returns in 2015, Reuters reported. The pension fund agreed to acquire a 30 percent stake in Bombardier's rail business for US$1.5 billion in November, providing a bigger cash cushion for the company's plane-making unit.
Corus Entertainment Inc could face a shareholder revolt against plans by its controlling family to buy media assets from a related company, Shaw Communications Inc, Reuters reported. A Corus investor, Canadian private equity firm Catalyst Capital Group, has written to market regulators to challenge the $2.65 billion deal, according to a report in the Financial Post.
Equity funds that can profit from both rising and falling markets and rivals betting on macroeconomic trends are expected to outperform in 2016, a Deutsche Bank survey of hedge fund investors managing US$2.1 trillion in assets showed. Over half of investors felt the United States/Canada would be in their three best-performing regions.
Brookfield Asset Management and its rival are weighing a joint US$6.5 billion bid for Australia's biggest rail and port operator, a measure aimed at ending the takeover battle that has raged for seven months, Reuters reported. Target business Asciano Ltd revealed that Brookfield and the company it has been bidding against, Australia's Qube Holdings Ltd, have entered talks about a possible joint offer.
Torys LLP's Michael Akkawi, Sophia Tolias and Guy Berman believe key dynamics of Canada's private equity market in 2015 tell us a lot about emerging trends in 2016. In a PE Hub Canada exclusive, they argue how a more competitive market environment, new PE strategies and other factors are shaping deal activity. Neville Jugnauth and Derek Flaman also share their insights on the new deal opportunities in Canada’s energy sector.
BBAM, the aircraft leasing specialist that’s half-owned by Canadian private equity firm Onex Corp, is nearing a first close on Incline, its inaugural private equity fund targeting US$750 million, a source told Buyouts. The fund comes amid interest from limited partners in aircraft leasing, which has drawn demand from airlines and other customers seeking lower capital costs than direct ownership of jets.
The owners of Britain's Fox's Biscuits are in early stage talks to sell the business to rival biscuit maker Burton's Biscuit, owned by Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, two sources told Reuters. The sale could value the company at around 340 million pounds (US$486 million).
Brookfield Asset Management is planning a fresh US$6.4 billion bid for Australian port and rail firm Asciano Ltd with Qatar's sovereign fund, sources told Reuters, widening the global battle for the haulage heavyweight. Brookfield is also bringing Canadian pension fund manager PSP Investments into the new offer, sources said.
Nasdaq Inc said it would acquire newswire operator and press release distributor Marketwired LP for an undisclosed sum, adding to the exchange operator's corporate services offerings, Reuters reported. Toronto-based Marketwired is owned by OMERS Private Equity, which last year was said to have been mulling a sale of the company for as much as US$200 million.
Tricor Pacific Founders Capital has shown a sweet tooth with its buy of Totally Chocolate, a North American custom chocolate manufacturer. It is the second platform investment of the family office, launched two years ago by senior professionals at Tricor Pacific Capital to acquire food and other consumer packaged goods companies.