Middle Market Weekly Outlook

It seems that many investor eyes on are Europe these days. Private Equity heavyweights cite European real estate as a serious growth sector and possibly, their best investment idea right now. The Wall Street Journal reports that buyout firms have been flocking to Northern England due to actions being taken by the British government to stimulate the economy in that region. Even search funds are starting to gain popularity abroad.

Transactions:

• Kelso and Estancia Buy American Beacon
• Aethon Energy and Redbird Capital Buy Moneta Divide
• Catteron invests in Pure Barre
• Social Quant gets backing from Atlantic Merchant Capital
• Baird Capital buys Sloanled
• Tricor Pacific buys Gold Standard Baking
• Monroe Capital makes loan to Luxury Optical Holdings
• CapitalSouth invests in S&S Management Group
• Aurora Capital buys Restaurant Technologies
• Hunters Gate buys LOFA Industries
• Cathay Capital invests in Echosens
• Francisco Partners to buy ClickSoftware
• HgCapital invests in Eucon
• American Securities to acquire Royal Adhesives

Opinions:

• Private Equity: Filling the Gap
• Private Equity Wins Interest From the Affluent
• When Investing, Seek Out CEOs Who Are All In
• Pension Funds Can Only Guess at Private Equity’s Cost
• Private Company Optimism Highest Since Recession
• Failed Bids Flash Yellow, Not Red
• Jefferies Takes on Big Dogs in LBO Lending
• What Would it Take to Take Apple Private?
• Buyers Want to Close Quickly
• Survey Reveals Slow U.S. Economy Ahead
• Reps and Warranties — Keeping M&A Liabilities in Check
• Internet of Things Could Drive Tech Deals in Q1
• How Pros Invest Billions
• Here’s the Short List of Companies that Might Want to Buy Salesforce
• Reports of Private Equity’s Death are Greatly Overexaggerated
• In the U.S. PE Investors Find Rich Opportunities and Fierce Competition
• The first-ever liquor-focused PE firm is formed
• Here’s a $1.2 Trillion Pile of Cash and It’s Not on Government or Corporate Balance Sheets

This week in history…The “greatest land bargain” in U.S. history, the Louisiana Purchase, is signed (1803)