Fundraising

Angelo Gordon’s sale-leaseback group has bought the headquarters and main distribution centre of Stampede Meat, a portfolio company of Fairmont Capital, PNC Mezzanine Capital and Sankaty Advisors. The all-equity deal was valued at $14m.

The implications of the global financial meltdown have not dampened the spirits of South Korean private equity fund managers, who now anticipate a friendlier reception and increased dealflow. Siddharth Poddar reports.

“A market vastly in favour of the financier CITIC Capital is part of CITIC Group, the largest financial conglomerate in China. Here Emil Cheung, managing director and head of mezzanine and debt finance at CITIC Capital, discusses the outlook for his business in Greater China today.

Fundraising: difficult year ahead, but medium term outlook promising * HSBC (Asia) doubles previous fund size IL&FS closes short of target * Unitas Capital closes $1bn short of target * QInvest launches PE fund, puts joint fund on hold * Daiwa abandons ¥500bn fund plans * Haitong teams with Fortis on RMB 3bn fund * Report: RMB 1bn VC fund launch * Rasmala holds $120m first close * Partners Group raises $1.1bn for Asia-Pacific * Report: SAIF Partners raises RMB 1.6bn fund * Mayfield raises $111m for India * Direct Capital launches NZ$250m fund * Hangzhou provides incentives for PE * PE may get to invest in foreign retailers operating in India * * * * * *

Crisis translates into job cuts * Co-head of Permira's Japan office leaves * Morgan Stanley lays off Asia PE banking and China property heads * KKR hires two in Australia Tasman appoints CFO * EMP Global names two MDs for Asia * Citi appoints new Asian private equity banking head * Morgan Stanley AIP opens Hong Kong office * TVM Capital promotes two venture partners * BerchWood plans push into Asia, augments London team * Bohai fund appoints CEO * CP Eaton appoints a vice president * KPMG appoints PE head for Asia-Pacific * Barclays Capital Japan hires two ex-Lehmans PE bankers

Buyouts in China are still elusive, but Hony Capital has amassed a portfolio of 25 control investments already. Chinese institutions and international blue-chip limited partners make up an illustrious funding base. Philip Borel asks founder John Zhao how he did it all.

News on professional service providers to the private equity market.

Vilified by the press over a high-profile deal gone wrong, BC Partners met its critics head on at a rare press conference.

Commentary on the month's hottest private equity stories by Amanda Janis, editor of PrivateEquityOnline

The total value of private equity activity in Italy soared in the first half of 2008, but by the end of the year deal-doing was largely off the agenda. Reporting from Milan, Andy Thomson asks what happens next