James Taylor

The Canadian pension fund has enjoyed strong gains from its real estate and private equity investments, allowing it to post an overall return of 16.4 percent.

3i’s listed infrastructure fund, which will float in March, hopes to raise up to £1.3 billion to invest in infrastructure assets in Europe, the US and India.

Index Ventures has belied an uncertain fundraising environment for venture firms by raising a €350 million fund that was “many times oversubscribed”.

Eurazeo, Bridgepoint and TDR are reportedly leading the chase for Apcoa, the Investcorp-backed car park company, after NCP and Macquarie dropped out.

Clayton Dubilier & Rice, a US buyout firm, is set to take advantage of growing private equity interest in wholesale and distribution businesses by selling Brakes, a UK catering business valued at about £1.2 billion.

Alliance Boots, the UK retail chain that recently rejected a £10 billion buyout offer from Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, has lost one of its brokers to the bidding team, fuelling speculation that an improved offer may be forthcoming.

Goldman Sachs’ private equity arm has reportedly almost doubled the target for its latest fund to $19 billion, which would make it one of the world’s biggest buyout funds.

Orlando Italy, an offshoot of the German turnaround specialist set to close a debut €200 million fund, has bought troubled Italian sports label Sergio Tacchini.

STAR Capital Partners, a UK-based fund that specialises in capital-intensive infrastructure investments, has bought and merged two flight simulator businesses as it continues to tap into the airline industry’s trend towards outsourcing.

US group Bain Capital has agreed a $3.5 billion deal for South African retailer Edgars Consolidated Stores, the largest buyout ever recorded in the country.