Invest-IQ

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 [...]

Fortuna, the Czech Republic betting group, recently announced a successful IPO that raised € 78.3 million and was oversubscribed to the tune of 200%. The IPO sold 18.2 million shares at a price just slightly below the maximum price of €4.5 listed in the IPO. With the new funding, Fortuna expects to launch a new [...]

Zabka, the Polish convenience store chain owned by Penta Investments, is poised to shake up the market if Penta follows through on plans to offer part of the company in an IPO next year. The company’s aggressive expansion plans require a infusion of cash, and Penta thinks an IPO of 35% or more may be [...]

Confirming rumors that had been circulating for days, Fortuna Entertainment Group announced in late September a plan to conduct an IPO and subsequent listing of shares. Current owner, Penta Investments, has realized a significant profit during its time with Fortuna, and as the firm furthers acquisitions for 2010, the time seems right to divest their [...]

After receiving approval from Poland’s Office of Competition and Consumer Protection this past May, Penta investments has announced the completion of a deal to acquire 100% of Iglokrak Group, a producer of frozen foods and ice cream. Penta’s goal since the process began earlier this year has been to consolidate what it sees as a [...]

The recent announcement by the Polish government of its intention to sell a majority stake of state-owned power company Energa SA has brought out some of the industry’s heavy hitters in what could shape up to be a very interesting bidding war. The Treasury Ministry has received initial bids for 83% of the utility from [...]

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 [...]

Penta Investments and Polish frozen food company Iglokrak reached an acquisition deal in late February which was put on hold pending government approval. The deal can now go through as the Polish Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) and the Slovak Republic’s Antimonopoly Office have given the geen light. The acquisition is especially important [...]

Penta Investments, the CE investment group based in Prague, has reached an agreement to acquire the PR Market chain in the Czech Republic. Penta will acquire 100% of PR Market, which operates under the Koruna brand name, with completion of the deal expected to come within the next two months. The acquisition is expected to [...]

Penta Investments may be considering an IPO in the near future for portfolio company Fortuna, Central Europe’s largest betting chain operation. Penta, which owns 100% of Fortuna, considers an IPO to be one of the options available to further develop Fortuna and strengthen its position in the region. The company believes it could raise as [...]

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 [...]

Despite a good reputation and thorough security clearances from the Czech Republic, Poland, and NATO, Czech private equity firm Penta is suspected of having close ties to the Kremlin. The suspicions were made public when Polish radio reported remarks made by Aleksander Szczyglo, head of the National Security Office (NSO), who is apparently concerned with [...]

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 [...]

Polish convenience store giant Žabka has reached a deal to acquire the retail operations of Czech based Palma-Tumys from Slavia Capital. The purchase includes five stores selling food and mixed goods in Prague. Žabka intends to transform and re-brand the stores to match the rest of the company’s outlets by the end of the year. [...]

Penta Investments, one of the leading investment groups in Central Europe is continuing its aggressive approach in the region by acquiring Polish wire and rope producer Fabryka Lin i Drutu Drumet. The Polish Economic Court has accepted the Penta bid of PLN 120 million for Drumet, which was already involved in bankruptcy proceedings. Penta plans [...]

Citing the need channel its investments into more lucrative opportunities, Central European investment firm Penta Investments has announced the sale of Mobilking. The deal sends the virtual mobile operator to Polish telecom company MoCoHub Technology Development S.A. for an undisclosed sum. Mobilking will continue to operate on the Polska Telefonia Cyfrowa (PTC) network and expects [...]

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 [...]

A consortium of investors may acquire pharmaceuticals unit OAO Veropharm from the OAO Pharmacy Chain 36.6. Russia’s largest drugs retailer may get USD 230 million for a 52 percent stake in its subsidiary. Unidentified investment bankers have reported that Russia Partners Management LLC, Siguler Guff & Co. LLC, Capital Growth Asset Management, Invest AG, Stada [...]

Land needed for the privatization and expansion of the Prague airport has been purchased by the airport’s operator, Letiste Praha. The process of purchasing the land from its owner, Penta, has been ongoing for several years. The sale, which has already been approved by the Czech government, was paid for out of airport funds. No [...]