Firms and Funds

HONG KONG (Reuters) – London-based alternative investment manager Climate Change Capital plans to invest 5 billion yuan ($732 million) in environmental projects in China including industrial waste management and clean technology over the next two to three years. The firm, which has not yet put its capital to work in China, is also looking to […]

SHANGHAI (Reuters) – Blackstone Group LP (BX.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) will not slow its investment in China despite the global financial crisis, as high economic growth and low valuations promise good returns, the private-equity firm’s greater China chairman Antony Leung said on Monday. “With the financial crisis, the valuations in China will be […]

MerchantBridge and UBS AG have formed a 50/50 joint venture to make private equity investments in the Middle East. Each firm has committed an initial $40 million, and hope to raise a total of $500 million.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Susquehanna Financial Group, the investment bank division of Susquehanna International Group, shut down its midtown Manhattan office and fired about 30 people amid the slump in biotech and healthcare stocks, a spokesman said on Friday. Susquehanna, known as a trader and marketmaker in stocks and options, has about 250 employees at […]

American Beacon Advisors is raising up to $250 million for its third private equity fund-of-funds, according to a regulatory filing. The vehicle is called American Private Equity Partners III, and so far has secured over $13 million in capital commitments. Foreside Fund Services is serving as a placement agent.   The Fort Worth, Texas-based firm’s […]

Hastings Equity Partners is raising up to $100 million for its second fund, according to a regulatory filing. It already has secured around $56 million in capital commitments. The Waltham, Mass.-based firm focuses on buyouts of small-cap and mid-cap companies. www.hastingsequity.com

LONDON (Reuters) – Aviva Investors is seeing a lukewarm response to its new private equity fund of funds as wary investors look to avoid any risk in the wake of the credit crunch. Philip Pearson, head of alternative investments business development told Reuters: “What we are hearing from investors is they still like the area […]

HONG KONG (Reuters) – Oaktree Capital Management has bought loans used by private equity firms to finance past deals and expects to invest in “a lot” more as aftershocks from the global financial crisis weigh on the industry for a long time. Opportunities in the sector are likely to be plentiful because of the huge […]

George Roberts, the "R" in KKR, said his firm expects a loss in its portfolio this year, the firm's first since 1990, Reuters reports. Not surprising after Blackstone's worse-than-expected quarterly earnings report last week. But that's a good thing, he said. Roberts predicted that even with the current economic and financial market woes, private equity would outperform conventional investments over the long term. And he told a ballroom of private equity executives that they were lucky to be

Transportation Resource Partners has raised $234 million toward its third fund, according to a regulatory filing. The fund is named Transportation Resource Management III. The firm has anchor investments from GE and Goldman, which is interesting because the firm’s founder, former racecar driver Roger Penske, is on the board of directors at GE. According to […]