Invest-IQ

Oaktree Capital Management is preparing to divest itself of Stock Spirits, the Central European alcoholic beverage producer. Although Oaktree appears to be planning for auction, the company has not specifically indicated that selling Stock Spirits to another private equity investor is definitely the plan. Oaktree appears to also be considering an initial public offering if [...]

In the ongoing saga that is the sale of Polish utility Enea, businessman Jan Kulczyk has strengthened his position with a promise of funding from Czech-Slovak PE firm Penta Investments. Mr. Kulczyk had been given exclusive rights to negotiate in October of this year, but the Treasury Ministry reconsidered due to fears that he would [...]

Making good on a deal reached with the European Commission, Dexia has signed an agreement with Penta Investments to sell its 88.71% stake of subsidiary Dexia banka Slovensko. Once the transaction is completed, Penta plans to launch a takeover bid with the aim of acquiring the outstanding shares held by minority shareholders. As late as [...]

DEXIA SA Brussels has another suitor for its shares of Dexia Banka Slovensko, which it needs to sell in order to meet the requirements of an agreement made with the European Commission earlier this year. Slovakia’s J&T Financial Group announced through a spokesman that it has sent a letter to DEXIA expressing interest in the [...]

Penta continues to increase its share of the Hungarian meat production market with the acquisition of the Kaiser Food Élelmiszer-ipari Company. The acquisition of the 97.3% share was made through Penta portfolio company Debreceni Csoport Húsipari, which in turn, is part of Penta’s Carnibona holding. As a result of the deal, Kaiser brings well-known brand [...]

CEE private equity firm Penta Investments appears to be planning for new opportunities this year with a target of as much as €800 million in acquisitions. The company has been struggling as of late in identifying and approaching new targets, due to Czech banks having eased off on delinquent borrowers. The banks are apparently willing [...]

Acting on a request from its nation’s government, Croatian oil company INA has agreed to sell the Crobenz petrol chain to Progress Trading of Slovakia, associated to Slavia Capital. The government request was issued by the Croatian anti-trust agency after MOL increased its INA stake to 47% last year, making the company’s total market share [...]

As J&T Finance Group continues the process of separating its hotel and tourist businesses, Petr Kellner’s PPF and Italian-Czech firm Generalli PPF are taking the opportunity to invest substantially. The two firms have spent more than CZK 1 billion acquiring stakes in J&T’s Best Hotels Properties (BHP) and Tatra Mountain Resorts (TMS). The firms now [...]

Financially strapped OJSC Kharkivmetrobud (KMB) will go on the auction block in March 2010 as part of court-ordered bankruptcy proceedings. Ukraine’s State Property Fund has announced plans to sell 50% plus one share at a starting price of UAH 3 million. Arca Capital, which owns a 38% stake in KMB, has not indicated whether or [...]

Karel Komarek’s KKCG Finance might be entertaining the sale the Atlantik Group, one of the Czech Republic’s leading securities dealers. KKCG has allegedly spoken with several potential investors about a deal to let Atlantik go for as much as CZK 900 million, with Ernst & Young acting as sale advisor. Though Komarek and KKCG spokesman [...]

Alpha Medical Ventures, a portfolio company of European private equity firm Penta Investments, has acquired a 90% stake in Polish lab chain DD Lab. The investment is Alpha Medical’s first opportunity in Poland and part of the company’s strategy to become a market leader in the Central European nation of 38 million people. DD Lab’s [...]

J&T Group, one of the leading private equity firms in the Czech and Slovak Republics, has entered the highway toll business with an investment in Ibertax. J&T acquired a 10% stake in the electronic tolling services firm after acting as an advisor to help Ibertax parent, SkyToll, line up financing for their Slovakian project. J&T’s [...]

Czech-Slovak investment group Penta Investments has shown interest in acquiring one of Hungary’s oldest meat producers, the Herz Salami Factory located in Budapest. Herz announced massive layoffs of nearly 450 this past spring as it struggled to finance daily operations. The company was ordered to liquidate a month later and all assets be sold, including [...]

SkyEurope, the financially troubled Slovakian low-cost airline, has inked an investment deal with Austrian equity firm FOCUS Equity B.V. The deal provides an investment by FOCUS of up to EUR 16.5 million, conditional on several factors including SkyEurope’s successful restructuring plan. Despite the agreement with FOCUS, the airline is still in need of cash to [...]

Speculation has risen that FiberNet Communications, a Central and Eastern European cable television operator may be for sale. Possible purchasers could include other private equity firms or cable operators. Since FiberNet has begun receiving unsolicited inquiries, they have retained the services of Morgan Stanley to look at any informal offers that may be made. Details [...]

Czech-Slovak investors, J&T Finance Group, have begun making moves that will likely end up in the sale of its hotel, tourism, and healthcare assets. The group is forming the Best Hotel Properties (BHP) company, establishing it with its four and five-star hotels. Properties likely to be included in BHP are Budha Bar (Prague), Crowne Plazza [...]

The EBRD announced its largest single equity investment in the Serbian corporate sector, with €40 million going to Victoria Group, Serbia’s largest agribusiness enterprise. The investment capital will be used to increase Victoria’s working capital and restructure the company balance sheet. The restructuring will enable Victoria to develop long term value added products for human [...]

Central Europe’s Penta Investments has successfully worked out an agreement to acquire Slovakian window maker Noves okna, s.r.o. The deal marks the second Penta acquisition in the window industry after completing a takeover of Okna Rabien, a Polish window producer. Details of the sale were not disclosed, but Penta plans to invest more than EUR [...]

Japan’s SBI Holdings, Inc. has joined forced with the Hungarian state owned bank, Magyar Fejlesztesi Bank Zrt. (MFB) to set up a new Eastern European investment fund. Sixty percent of the EUR 100 million fund will be held by SBI, MFB holding the remaining forty percent. The action comes on the heels of the global [...]

European private equity firm Riverside is seeking to find a new strategic buyer for Computer Press Media A.S. Computer Press is the leading computer books and magazines publisher in the Czech and Slovak markets, and has been part of Riverside’s portfolio since June 2005. Riverside hopes for a sale that nets them several hundred million [...]