PLEASANTON, CA–(Marketwire -02/24/12)- Milyoni, the leader in social entertainment, today announced that it has secured $11 million in Series B financing led by Oak Investment Partners. Previous investors ATA Ventures and Thomvest Ventures also participated in the round. Milyoni will use the funding to further extend its product portfolio in bringing social entertainment experiences to fans on Facebook. The company will also expand its U.S. presence, with offices opening in Los Angeles and New York City.
“With more than 800 million users and growing, Facebook has established itself as a go-to platform for the discovery and consumption of content today,” said John Corpus, founder and CEO. “In 2012, we anticipate an even greater shift in behavior, with more entertainment companies putting the marketing muscle behind their Facebook presence to further expand their selections of movies, music and other content on the platform. The way we see it, we’re only in the first of a nine inning game.”
Milyoni provides a new way for entertainment companies to take their Facebook presence to the next level by providing a fun, unique, shared and social experience to users. Using Social Cinema and Social Live, fans can easily view, like and comment during particular points within a movie, TV show, sporting event or concert and chat with friends while watching. Over the last year, Milyoni has powered some of the biggest social entertainment campaigns on Facebook and has stamped a number of innovative firsts, including the first PPV movie on Facebook, the first live PPV concert on Facebook, the first socially interactive movie and the first day-and-date movie release on Facebook.
“Oak Investment Partners is excited to join the Milyoni team to further extend their stronghold in the social entertainment arena,” said Fred Harman, Managing Partner at Oak Investment Partners. “The company has shown tremendous traction and growth over the last year, hosting more than 100 titles on Facebook today. The audience for Milyoni’s technology continues to expand along with Facebook’s growth. We’re confident that the Milyoni team has both the passion and experience to propel the company forward.”
“We’ve believed in Milyoni from the beginning and have seen the company’s growth mirror that of the entertainment industry’s needs,” said Hatch Graham, Managing Director, ATA Ventures. “Milyoni’s technology has evolved into the powerhouse social entertainment platform it is today, and the company is poised to continue its leadership in the space. ATA Ventures is thrilled to be a supporting partner.”
Milyoni is primed for an impressive 2012 with 15 current studio partnerships and dozens more in the pipeline. The company has more than 3,000 Social Cinema titles and over 50 Social Live events slated by year’s end. Milyoni will continue to enrich studio interaction, administration and analytics functionality bringing unprecedented insight and engagement to the entertainment experience.
For more information, visit http://www.milyoni.com.
About MilyoniBased in the San Francisco Bay Area, Milyoni, Inc. is the leader in social entertainment. The company’s technology provides entertainment companies with a way to connect and engage with Facebook fans, and turn them into customers. Whether it’s watching a live concert, movie or sporting event or shopping your favorite brands, Milyoni enables companies to monetize fans pages through a unique level of engagement and a shared, social experience. Milyoni’s services reach over 150 million fans from industry leading customers, including Universal Pictures, Lionsgate, Paramount Studios, Big Air Studios, Austin City Limits Live, Turner Broadcasting, University of Oklahoma and The NBA to bring a variety of digital content and physical goods to fans on Facebook. For more information, visit www.milyoni.com.
About Oak Investment PartnersOak Investment Partners is a multistage venture capital firm and a lead investor in the next generation of enduring growth companies. Since 1978 the firm has invested $9 billion in nearly 500 companies around the world, earning the trust of entrepreneurs with a senior team that delivers steady guidance, deep domain expertise and a consistent investment philosophy. Its current portfolio includes Bleacher Report, Demand Media, Federated Media, Good Technology, KAYAK Software, MobiTV, Rearden Commerce, and Wonga. Oak Investment Partners is also known for its historical investments in aQuantive, Allyes, AthenaHealth, Gmarket, HuffingtonPost, Inktomi, Netspend, Polycom, Seagate, and TeleAtlas.
About ATA VenturesATA Ventures is a venture capital firm focused on seeking out early stage private companies that appear to offer above average prospects for capital growth. With over $450 Million of capital under management, ATA Ventures focuses on Information Technology (IT) and provides seed capital and early stages of financing to these companies. For more information, visit http://ataventures.com.
About Thomvest VenturesThomvest Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm committed to the success of our entrepreneur partners. We primarily focus on investments in areas where we have deep expertise and experience, including software, technology-enabled services, and hardware businesses. The capital we invest is our own, enabling us to be more creative, flexible and patient than many venture investors. More than two-thirds of the companies we have funded in the last decade have either gone public, been acquired, or continue to grow as independent businesses. For more information, visit www.thomvest.com.
Facebook® is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc.
http://tourism9.com/ http://vkins.com/
2012年2月24日星期五
Social Entertainment Leader Milyoni Secures $11 Million in Funding
PLEASANTON, CA–(Marketwire -02/24/12)- Milyoni, the leader in social entertainment, today announced that it has secured $11 million in Series B financing led by Oak Investment Partners. Previous investors ATA Ventures and Thomvest Ventures also participated in the round. Milyoni will use the funding to further extend its product portfolio in bringing social entertainment experiences to fans on Facebook. The company will also expand its U.S. presence, with offices opening in Los Angeles and New York City.
“With more than 800 million users and growing, Facebook has established itself as a go-to platform for the discovery and consumption of content today,” said John Corpus, founder and CEO. “In 2012, we anticipate an even greater shift in behavior, with more entertainment companies putting the marketing muscle behind their Facebook presence to further expand their selections of movies, music and other content on the platform. The way we see it, we’re only in the first of a nine inning game.”
Milyoni provides a new way for entertainment companies to take their Facebook presence to the next level by providing a fun, unique, shared and social experience to users. Using Social Cinema and Social Live, fans can easily view, like and comment during particular points within a movie, TV show, sporting event or concert and chat with friends while watching. Over the last year, Milyoni has powered some of the biggest social entertainment campaigns on Facebook and has stamped a number of innovative firsts, including the first PPV movie on Facebook, the first live PPV concert on Facebook, the first socially interactive movie and the first day-and-date movie release on Facebook.
“Oak Investment Partners is excited to join the Milyoni team to further extend their stronghold in the social entertainment arena,” said Fred Harman, Managing Partner at Oak Investment Partners. “The company has shown tremendous traction and growth over the last year, hosting more than 100 titles on Facebook today. The audience for Milyoni’s technology continues to expand along with Facebook’s growth. We’re confident that the Milyoni team has both the passion and experience to propel the company forward.”
“We’ve believed in Milyoni from the beginning and have seen the company’s growth mirror that of the entertainment industry’s needs,” said Hatch Graham, Managing Director, ATA Ventures. “Milyoni’s technology has evolved into the powerhouse social entertainment platform it is today, and the company is poised to continue its leadership in the space. ATA Ventures is thrilled to be a supporting partner.”
Milyoni is primed for an impressive 2012 with 15 current studio partnerships and dozens more in the pipeline. The company has more than 3,000 Social Cinema titles and over 50 Social Live events slated by year’s end. Milyoni will continue to enrich studio interaction, administration and analytics functionality bringing unprecedented insight and engagement to the entertainment experience.
For more information, visit http://www.milyoni.com.
About MilyoniBased in the San Francisco Bay Area, Milyoni, Inc. is the leader in social entertainment. The company’s technology provides entertainment companies with a way to connect and engage with Facebook fans, and turn them into customers. Whether it’s watching a live concert, movie or sporting event or shopping your favorite brands, Milyoni enables companies to monetize fans pages through a unique level of engagement and a shared, social experience. Milyoni’s services reach over 150 million fans from industry leading customers, including Universal Pictures, Lionsgate, Paramount Studios, Big Air Studios, Austin City Limits Live, Turner Broadcasting, University of Oklahoma and The NBA to bring a variety of digital content and physical goods to fans on Facebook. For more information, visit www.milyoni.com.
About Oak Investment PartnersOak Investment Partners is a multistage venture capital firm and a lead investor in the next generation of enduring growth companies. Since 1978 the firm has invested $9 billion in nearly 500 companies around the world, earning the trust of entrepreneurs with a senior team that delivers steady guidance, deep domain expertise and a consistent investment philosophy. Its current portfolio includes Bleacher Report, Demand Media, Federated Media, Good Technology, KAYAK Software, MobiTV, Rearden Commerce, and Wonga. Oak Investment Partners is also known for its historical investments in aQuantive, Allyes, AthenaHealth, Gmarket, HuffingtonPost, Inktomi, Netspend, Polycom, Seagate, and TeleAtlas.
About ATA VenturesATA Ventures is a venture capital firm focused on seeking out early stage private companies that appear to offer above average prospects for capital growth. With over $450 Million of capital under management, ATA Ventures focuses on Information Technology (IT) and provides seed capital and early stages of financing to these companies. For more information, visit http://ataventures.com.
About Thomvest VenturesThomvest Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm committed to the success of our entrepreneur partners. We primarily focus on investments in areas where we have deep expertise and experience, including software, technology-enabled services, and hardware businesses. The capital we invest is our own, enabling us to be more creative, flexible and patient than many venture investors. More than two-thirds of the companies we have funded in the last decade have either gone public, been acquired, or continue to grow as independent businesses. For more information, visit www.thomvest.com.
Facebook® is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc.
http://tourism9.com/ http://vkins.com/
“With more than 800 million users and growing, Facebook has established itself as a go-to platform for the discovery and consumption of content today,” said John Corpus, founder and CEO. “In 2012, we anticipate an even greater shift in behavior, with more entertainment companies putting the marketing muscle behind their Facebook presence to further expand their selections of movies, music and other content on the platform. The way we see it, we’re only in the first of a nine inning game.”
Milyoni provides a new way for entertainment companies to take their Facebook presence to the next level by providing a fun, unique, shared and social experience to users. Using Social Cinema and Social Live, fans can easily view, like and comment during particular points within a movie, TV show, sporting event or concert and chat with friends while watching. Over the last year, Milyoni has powered some of the biggest social entertainment campaigns on Facebook and has stamped a number of innovative firsts, including the first PPV movie on Facebook, the first live PPV concert on Facebook, the first socially interactive movie and the first day-and-date movie release on Facebook.
“Oak Investment Partners is excited to join the Milyoni team to further extend their stronghold in the social entertainment arena,” said Fred Harman, Managing Partner at Oak Investment Partners. “The company has shown tremendous traction and growth over the last year, hosting more than 100 titles on Facebook today. The audience for Milyoni’s technology continues to expand along with Facebook’s growth. We’re confident that the Milyoni team has both the passion and experience to propel the company forward.”
“We’ve believed in Milyoni from the beginning and have seen the company’s growth mirror that of the entertainment industry’s needs,” said Hatch Graham, Managing Director, ATA Ventures. “Milyoni’s technology has evolved into the powerhouse social entertainment platform it is today, and the company is poised to continue its leadership in the space. ATA Ventures is thrilled to be a supporting partner.”
Milyoni is primed for an impressive 2012 with 15 current studio partnerships and dozens more in the pipeline. The company has more than 3,000 Social Cinema titles and over 50 Social Live events slated by year’s end. Milyoni will continue to enrich studio interaction, administration and analytics functionality bringing unprecedented insight and engagement to the entertainment experience.
For more information, visit http://www.milyoni.com.
About MilyoniBased in the San Francisco Bay Area, Milyoni, Inc. is the leader in social entertainment. The company’s technology provides entertainment companies with a way to connect and engage with Facebook fans, and turn them into customers. Whether it’s watching a live concert, movie or sporting event or shopping your favorite brands, Milyoni enables companies to monetize fans pages through a unique level of engagement and a shared, social experience. Milyoni’s services reach over 150 million fans from industry leading customers, including Universal Pictures, Lionsgate, Paramount Studios, Big Air Studios, Austin City Limits Live, Turner Broadcasting, University of Oklahoma and The NBA to bring a variety of digital content and physical goods to fans on Facebook. For more information, visit www.milyoni.com.
About Oak Investment PartnersOak Investment Partners is a multistage venture capital firm and a lead investor in the next generation of enduring growth companies. Since 1978 the firm has invested $9 billion in nearly 500 companies around the world, earning the trust of entrepreneurs with a senior team that delivers steady guidance, deep domain expertise and a consistent investment philosophy. Its current portfolio includes Bleacher Report, Demand Media, Federated Media, Good Technology, KAYAK Software, MobiTV, Rearden Commerce, and Wonga. Oak Investment Partners is also known for its historical investments in aQuantive, Allyes, AthenaHealth, Gmarket, HuffingtonPost, Inktomi, Netspend, Polycom, Seagate, and TeleAtlas.
About ATA VenturesATA Ventures is a venture capital firm focused on seeking out early stage private companies that appear to offer above average prospects for capital growth. With over $450 Million of capital under management, ATA Ventures focuses on Information Technology (IT) and provides seed capital and early stages of financing to these companies. For more information, visit http://ataventures.com.
About Thomvest VenturesThomvest Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm committed to the success of our entrepreneur partners. We primarily focus on investments in areas where we have deep expertise and experience, including software, technology-enabled services, and hardware businesses. The capital we invest is our own, enabling us to be more creative, flexible and patient than many venture investors. More than two-thirds of the companies we have funded in the last decade have either gone public, been acquired, or continue to grow as independent businesses. For more information, visit www.thomvest.com.
Facebook® is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc.
http://tourism9.com/ http://vkins.com/
2012年2月13日星期一
Remedent Announces Strategic Investment by IDG-Accel
GHENT, BELGIUM–(Marketwire -02/13/12)- Remedent, Inc. (“Remedent” or the “Company”) (OTC.BB: REMI.OB – News), an international company specializing in research, development, and the manufacturing of oral care and cosmetic products, announced today the closing of a strategic financing with IDG-Accel China Growth Fund III L.P. (“IDG-Accel Fund”), IDG-Accel China III Investors L.P. (“IDG-Accel Investors Fund”), Crown Link Group Limited (“Crown Link”) (IDG-Accel Fund, IDG-Accel Investors Fund and Crown Link collectively referred to as the “IDG-Accel Investors”) and GlamSmile Dental Technologies Ltd. (“GlamSmile Asia”), an entity in which Remedent owns approximately 29%. On February 10, 2012 the IDG-Accel Investors acquired a 31.4% equity stake in GlamSmile Asia for $7 million in cash. As a result of the strategic investment, Remedent owns 29.4% of GlamSmile Asia while IDG-Accel Investors and Gallant Network Limited (“Gallant”), a BVI-based entity owned and controlled by GlamSmile’s CEO David Lok, own 31.4% and 39.2%, respectively. Both GlamSmile Asia and Remedent plan to use the proceeds from the financing to open new GlamSmile dental clinics in China and to invest in new cutting edge dental technologies repectively.
The details of the transaction are as follows:
1. IDG-Accel Investors acquired 11.4% ownership interest of GlamSmile Asia from Remedent for $2,000,000.
2. IDG-Accel Investors directly acquired 20% ownership interest of GlamSmile Asia for $5,000,000.
3. Mr. Hugo Shong, the Founding Partner of IDG Capital Partners, was appointed to the board of directors of GlamSmile Asia to serve on the board with Mr. Guy De Vreese and Mr. David Lok
IDG-Accel Fund, a prominent private equity investment firm managed by IDG Capital Partners, is a joint venture between media giant International Data Group and venture capital firm Accel Partners. IDG, a media firm that has invested in China since the early 1990s, has benefited from its early presence in China. And Accel, the first venture firm to invest serious capital into Facebook, brings its Silicon Valley expertise to the table. Since 1992, IDG Capital Partners has invested in over 200 emerging growth companies such as Baidu, Sohu, Soufun, Ctrip, and Kanghui. GlamSmile Asia believes that IDG’s involvement will provide its expertise and relationships to help GlamSmile Asia improve operational efficiencies, find strategic partners, accelerate growth in Asia, and overcome regulatory hurdles.
GlamSmile Asia intends to use the proceeds from this investment to open several directly owned clinics in China, and Remedent plans to launch it ex-China GlamSmile franchise clinic expansion, and develop new dental technologies.
“We could not be happier with our strategic relationship with IDG,” said Mr. Guy De Vreese, Chairman and CEO of Remedent. “An investment from a trusted and experienced investor like IDG significantly enhances our profile and resources in China and validates the significant value in both GlamSmile Asia and Remedent branded technologies. We look forward to working with Mr. Shong, founding partner of IDG, and his talented team to further expand our dental business in China.”
About Remedent
Remedent, Inc. specializes in the research, development and manufacturing and the marketing of oral care and cosmetic dental products. The Company serves the professional dental industry with breakthrough technology for dental veneers. These products are supported by a line of professional veneer whitening and tooth sensitivity solutions. Headquartered in Belgium, Remedent distributes its products to more than 55 countries in the worldwide. For more information, go to www.remedent.com.
About IDG
IDG-Accel Fund is a private equity investment fund formed in limited partnership in the Cayman Islands. The Fund focuses on investment in various sectors, such as TMT, medicare, consumer, energy, and others. The Fund is managed by IDG Capital Partners, a leading investment management team in China with over 18-years of investment experience and industry knowledge, who was among the first to introduce foreign venture capital investment into China in early 1990s and has since then invested in around 200 successful portfolios, such as Baidu, Sohu, Tencent, Soufun, Ctrip, Home Inns, Hanting, Kanghui and etc. Over 60 of its portfolios have successfully completed IPO or M&A.
About MZ Group
MZ Group (www.mz-ir.com) is a wholly owned subsidiary of @titude Global (www.attitude-global.com) in North America. MZ Group is the world’s largest independent global investor relations and corporate communications firm, providing innovative, customized services to domestic and multinational companies through a unique, fully integrated “one-stop-shop” business model. With offices in New York, Chicago, San Diego, São Paulo, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Taipei, MZ Group has 300+ professionals serving more than 530 clients located throughout 10 countries.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release that are “forward-looking statements” are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other unknown factors that could cause Remedent’s actual operating results to be materially different from any historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In addition to statements that explicitly describe these risks and uncertainties, readers are urged to consider statements that contain terms such as “believes,” “belief,” “expects,” “expect,” “intends,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “plan,” “projects,” “project,” to be uncertain and forward-looking. Actual results could differ materially because of factors such as Remedent’s ability to achieve the synergies and value creation contemplated by the recent financing and proposed business plans. For further information regarding risks and uncertainties associated with Remedent’s business, please refer to the risk factors described in Remedent’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, its annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. We undertake no duty to revise or update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release.
http://tourism9.cm/ http://vkins.com/
The details of the transaction are as follows:
1. IDG-Accel Investors acquired 11.4% ownership interest of GlamSmile Asia from Remedent for $2,000,000.
2. IDG-Accel Investors directly acquired 20% ownership interest of GlamSmile Asia for $5,000,000.
3. Mr. Hugo Shong, the Founding Partner of IDG Capital Partners, was appointed to the board of directors of GlamSmile Asia to serve on the board with Mr. Guy De Vreese and Mr. David Lok
IDG-Accel Fund, a prominent private equity investment firm managed by IDG Capital Partners, is a joint venture between media giant International Data Group and venture capital firm Accel Partners. IDG, a media firm that has invested in China since the early 1990s, has benefited from its early presence in China. And Accel, the first venture firm to invest serious capital into Facebook, brings its Silicon Valley expertise to the table. Since 1992, IDG Capital Partners has invested in over 200 emerging growth companies such as Baidu, Sohu, Soufun, Ctrip, and Kanghui. GlamSmile Asia believes that IDG’s involvement will provide its expertise and relationships to help GlamSmile Asia improve operational efficiencies, find strategic partners, accelerate growth in Asia, and overcome regulatory hurdles.
GlamSmile Asia intends to use the proceeds from this investment to open several directly owned clinics in China, and Remedent plans to launch it ex-China GlamSmile franchise clinic expansion, and develop new dental technologies.
“We could not be happier with our strategic relationship with IDG,” said Mr. Guy De Vreese, Chairman and CEO of Remedent. “An investment from a trusted and experienced investor like IDG significantly enhances our profile and resources in China and validates the significant value in both GlamSmile Asia and Remedent branded technologies. We look forward to working with Mr. Shong, founding partner of IDG, and his talented team to further expand our dental business in China.”
About Remedent
Remedent, Inc. specializes in the research, development and manufacturing and the marketing of oral care and cosmetic dental products. The Company serves the professional dental industry with breakthrough technology for dental veneers. These products are supported by a line of professional veneer whitening and tooth sensitivity solutions. Headquartered in Belgium, Remedent distributes its products to more than 55 countries in the worldwide. For more information, go to www.remedent.com.
About IDG
IDG-Accel Fund is a private equity investment fund formed in limited partnership in the Cayman Islands. The Fund focuses on investment in various sectors, such as TMT, medicare, consumer, energy, and others. The Fund is managed by IDG Capital Partners, a leading investment management team in China with over 18-years of investment experience and industry knowledge, who was among the first to introduce foreign venture capital investment into China in early 1990s and has since then invested in around 200 successful portfolios, such as Baidu, Sohu, Tencent, Soufun, Ctrip, Home Inns, Hanting, Kanghui and etc. Over 60 of its portfolios have successfully completed IPO or M&A.
About MZ Group
MZ Group (www.mz-ir.com) is a wholly owned subsidiary of @titude Global (www.attitude-global.com) in North America. MZ Group is the world’s largest independent global investor relations and corporate communications firm, providing innovative, customized services to domestic and multinational companies through a unique, fully integrated “one-stop-shop” business model. With offices in New York, Chicago, San Diego, São Paulo, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Taipei, MZ Group has 300+ professionals serving more than 530 clients located throughout 10 countries.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release that are “forward-looking statements” are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other unknown factors that could cause Remedent’s actual operating results to be materially different from any historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In addition to statements that explicitly describe these risks and uncertainties, readers are urged to consider statements that contain terms such as “believes,” “belief,” “expects,” “expect,” “intends,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “plan,” “projects,” “project,” to be uncertain and forward-looking. Actual results could differ materially because of factors such as Remedent’s ability to achieve the synergies and value creation contemplated by the recent financing and proposed business plans. For further information regarding risks and uncertainties associated with Remedent’s business, please refer to the risk factors described in Remedent’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, its annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. We undertake no duty to revise or update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release.
http://tourism9.cm/ http://vkins.com/
2012年1月19日星期四
PRESS DIGEST – Financial Times – Jan 19
Financial Times
FEARS RISE OVER LOOMING COMMERZBANK AND MPS FISCAL PLANS
European regulators are convinced that two of the continent’s banks, Commerzbank (Other OTC: CRZBF.PK – news) and Monte dei Paschi (Milan: BMPS.MI – news) , will fail to produce credible plans to plug capital deficits by Friday’s deadline, exposing both to the risk of full or partial nationalisation. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7e956578-4202-11e1-9506-00144feab49a.html#axzz1jYRS14J4
RBS PAY PLANS TEST RESOLVE ON REWARDS
David Cameron’s pledge to curb executive pay and stop “rewards for failure” is set to face its biggest test, as Royal Bank of Scotland prepares to offer a bonus of more than 1 million pound to its chief executive, even though the state-controlled bank’s share price has almost halved in a year. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/eb2aa428-41c1-11e1-a586-00144feab49a.html#axzz1jYRS14J4
CAIRN INVESTORS CRITICISE CHIEF’S BONUS
Some of the biggest shareholders in Cairn Energy (LSE: CNE.L – news) , the oil group, are marshalling support to vote down a pay award worth nearly 2.5 million pounds for the Edinburgh-based oil group’s chief executive-turned-chairman Bill Gammell. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e499aca4-41e8-11e1-a586-00144feab49a.html#axzz1jYRS14J4
LSE IN U-TURN ON ITALIAN STOCKS
The London Stock Exchange plans to shift the trading system used for trading Italian stocks back to Milan after complaints from Italian banks and brokers that their trades had been slowed down by taking place in the UK capital. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c0a28298-41f3-11e1-a1bf-00144feab49a.html#axzz1jYRS14J4
WPP HOPING FOR US ELECTION BOOST
WPP (LSE: WPP.L – news) saw a stronger than expected finish to 2011, according to Martin Sorrell, chief executive, as the marketing services group looks forward to improving conditions in the U.S. ahead of a lucrative period of election campaign spending. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/eaeb582e-41fb-11e1-a1bf-00144feab49a.html#axzz1jYRS14J4
SEVEN CHARGED OVER WALL STREET INSIDER TRADING
Seven hedge fund portfolio managers and analysts have been charged in a $61.8 million insider trading scheme as U.S. authorities escalate their crackdown on Wall Street corruption. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f8ef1b2c-41d3-11e1-a1bf-00144feab49a.html#axzz1jYRS14J4
IMF REQUESTS $500 BILLION FOR BAIL OUT LOANS
The International Monetary Fund has asked its member countries for an extra $500bn in firepower to combat the world’s spreading fiscal emergencies, which it estimates will generate demand for bail out loans totalling $1 trillion over the next two years. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b0d1a476-41e3-11e1-a586-00144feab49a.html#axzz1jYRS14J4
GERMANY’S CENTRAL BANK TO SELL LEHMAN LOANS
Germany’s central bank is set to sell almost 2 billion euros ($2.6 billion) of property loans left over from the collapse of Lehman Brothers, in a deal that marks the latest sign of the growing appetite for distressed real estate debt. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/55c10ddc-41e4-11e1-a586-00144feab49a.html#axzz1jYRS14J4
PAYPAL DRIVES EBAY’S GROWTH
Ebay (NasdaqGS: EBAY – news) reported strong revenue growth in the fourth quarter of 2011, driven mainly by its payment arm, PayPal, which the company expects to be at the centre of its innovation in the coming year. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/cbf677f0-422d-11e1-9506-00144feab49a.html#axzz1jYRS14J4
($1 = 0.6490 British pounds) (Reporting by Stephen Mangan)
http://tourism9.com/ http://vkins.com/
FEARS RISE OVER LOOMING COMMERZBANK AND MPS FISCAL PLANS
European regulators are convinced that two of the continent’s banks, Commerzbank (Other OTC: CRZBF.PK – news) and Monte dei Paschi (Milan: BMPS.MI – news) , will fail to produce credible plans to plug capital deficits by Friday’s deadline, exposing both to the risk of full or partial nationalisation. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7e956578-4202-11e1-9506-00144feab49a.html#axzz1jYRS14J4
RBS PAY PLANS TEST RESOLVE ON REWARDS
David Cameron’s pledge to curb executive pay and stop “rewards for failure” is set to face its biggest test, as Royal Bank of Scotland prepares to offer a bonus of more than 1 million pound to its chief executive, even though the state-controlled bank’s share price has almost halved in a year. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/eb2aa428-41c1-11e1-a586-00144feab49a.html#axzz1jYRS14J4
CAIRN INVESTORS CRITICISE CHIEF’S BONUS
Some of the biggest shareholders in Cairn Energy (LSE: CNE.L – news) , the oil group, are marshalling support to vote down a pay award worth nearly 2.5 million pounds for the Edinburgh-based oil group’s chief executive-turned-chairman Bill Gammell. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e499aca4-41e8-11e1-a586-00144feab49a.html#axzz1jYRS14J4
LSE IN U-TURN ON ITALIAN STOCKS
The London Stock Exchange plans to shift the trading system used for trading Italian stocks back to Milan after complaints from Italian banks and brokers that their trades had been slowed down by taking place in the UK capital. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c0a28298-41f3-11e1-a1bf-00144feab49a.html#axzz1jYRS14J4
WPP HOPING FOR US ELECTION BOOST
WPP (LSE: WPP.L – news) saw a stronger than expected finish to 2011, according to Martin Sorrell, chief executive, as the marketing services group looks forward to improving conditions in the U.S. ahead of a lucrative period of election campaign spending. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/eaeb582e-41fb-11e1-a1bf-00144feab49a.html#axzz1jYRS14J4
SEVEN CHARGED OVER WALL STREET INSIDER TRADING
Seven hedge fund portfolio managers and analysts have been charged in a $61.8 million insider trading scheme as U.S. authorities escalate their crackdown on Wall Street corruption. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f8ef1b2c-41d3-11e1-a1bf-00144feab49a.html#axzz1jYRS14J4
IMF REQUESTS $500 BILLION FOR BAIL OUT LOANS
The International Monetary Fund has asked its member countries for an extra $500bn in firepower to combat the world’s spreading fiscal emergencies, which it estimates will generate demand for bail out loans totalling $1 trillion over the next two years. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b0d1a476-41e3-11e1-a586-00144feab49a.html#axzz1jYRS14J4
GERMANY’S CENTRAL BANK TO SELL LEHMAN LOANS
Germany’s central bank is set to sell almost 2 billion euros ($2.6 billion) of property loans left over from the collapse of Lehman Brothers, in a deal that marks the latest sign of the growing appetite for distressed real estate debt. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/55c10ddc-41e4-11e1-a586-00144feab49a.html#axzz1jYRS14J4
PAYPAL DRIVES EBAY’S GROWTH
Ebay (NasdaqGS: EBAY – news) reported strong revenue growth in the fourth quarter of 2011, driven mainly by its payment arm, PayPal, which the company expects to be at the centre of its innovation in the coming year. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/cbf677f0-422d-11e1-9506-00144feab49a.html#axzz1jYRS14J4
($1 = 0.6490 British pounds) (Reporting by Stephen Mangan)
http://tourism9.com/ http://vkins.com/
Job Search Engine Adzuna.co.uk Receives £500k Investment Backing from Index Ventures
LONDON, January 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ –
Adzuna, the next-generation job search engine, has today announced it has raised £500k investment financing from Index Ventures, The Accelerator Group and existing investors including Passion Capital. The latest funding follows a seed round last year.
Launched in July 2011, Adzuna classifieds aims to become the world’s leading search engine for classifieds, bringing together all the ads and connecting users with them in new ways.
Adzuna collates almost every job ad in the UK in real time from hundreds of websites, including all of the major job boards as well as sources like the London 2012 Olympics, Williams Formula 1 and the Royal Household. In addition to listing around 500,000 vacancies, the unique Adzuna Connect feature helps users “get hired with a little help from their friends” by connecting them to Adzuna jobs where they have first or second-degree connections on LinkedIn or Facebook.
The site also offers a wealth of data about the jobs and companies recruiting, from average salary data to employee reviews, interview questions and “CEO Approval ratings”.
Since launch in July, Adzuna has rapidly grown to hundreds of thousands of visitors per month, and was named a Top 20 Startup of 2011 by Startups.co.uk, a finalist in the Website of the Year awards, and shortlisted for the Europas.
This latest round of funding will be used to drive further product innovation around social and data, and expand into other verticals as well as international markets.
Robin Klein, Venture Partner at Index, said, “We’re delighted to be working with Andrew and Doug, experienced entrepreneurs whom we know well from their track records at Gumtree, Qype and Zoopla. The Adzuna team has achieved a great deal in a short period of time, and we believe the innovations they continue to bring to the market will change the way people search for classified ads.”
Doug Monro, Co-Founder of Adzuna, said: “We’re really excited to have top-class investors like Index, The Accelerator Group and Passion involved. We are passionate about making the classifieds search experience fundamentally better for users in the UK and beyond. This will help us towards that vision.”
About Adzuna
Adzuna.co.uk (http://www.adzuna.co.uk) is a search engine for classified ads which makes it easier for you to find the right job locally – and soon properties and cars too. We search thousands of sites so you don’t have to, bring together millions of ads so you can find them all in one place, and organize them with useful features so that you can easily find what you need.
Adzuna founders Andrew Hunter and Doug Monro met working at Gumtree in 2005. They stayed in the local internet space for the next 5 years and finally hatched the Adzuna plan in 2010 on the back of an envelope in a central London pub. The site was launched in July 2011.
Doug Monro was most recently COO of property portal Zoopla, leading the growth of the team from 5 to 75 people and the site to number 2 in UK property with 5M visitors a month. Previously he was MD of Gumtree.com, the UK’s largest classified ads site, and has worked for eBay UK, Bain & Co and Unilever. He has a BA in English from Cambridge and an MBA with distinction from Kellogg.
Andrew Hunter was mostly recently VP Marketing and General Manager of local review site Qype, where he grew the site from 0-17m monthly unique visitors in 2 years. Before Qype, Andrew was Head of Marketing at Gumtree.com and ran Search Marketing for the Thomas Cook Group. Andrew has a BSc in Business & Economics from Oxford Brookes University.
About Index Ventures
Index Ventures is a leading venture capital firm specializing in investments in information technology and life sciences companies. The firm invests in seed, early and growth stage start-ups across US and Europe. Since its inception in 1996, Index Ventures has backed visionary entrepreneurs who have taken on incumbents and built seminal companies in a number of growth sectors including: open source software companies such as MySQL, Trolltech, Zend and Pentaho; broadband and VOIP companies such as Virata, Skype, FON and Rebtel; Internet service companies such as Dropbox, Path, Betfair, Oanda, Last.fm, SpotRunner, Lovefilm, Stardoll and Netvibes; and life science companies such as Genmab, ParAllele Biosciences, BioXell, 7TM Pharma, Addex Pharmaceutical and PanGenetics.
About Passion Capital
Passion Capital (http://passioncapital.com) was established in March 2011 by Stefan Glaenzer, Eileen Burbidge and Robert Dighero with the aim of becoming the premier early stage digital media and technology investment firm in the UK. The partners have more than 50 years’ collective experience in entrepreneurial, founding and executive operational roles in technology firms.
About The Accelerator Group (TAG)
Based in London, The Accelerator Group (TAG) has been an investor in early stage and start-up companies since 1995. They focus on the Internet services, eCommerce and multi-channel retail sectors, investing primarily in the US and Europe. TAG’s current investments include: Moo, Wonga, Moshi Monsters, Graze, Zoopla, Skimlinks and previously: LoveFilm, Fizzback, Tweetdeck and Dopplr.
http://tourism9.com/ http://vkins.com/
Adzuna, the next-generation job search engine, has today announced it has raised £500k investment financing from Index Ventures, The Accelerator Group and existing investors including Passion Capital. The latest funding follows a seed round last year.
Launched in July 2011, Adzuna classifieds aims to become the world’s leading search engine for classifieds, bringing together all the ads and connecting users with them in new ways.
Adzuna collates almost every job ad in the UK in real time from hundreds of websites, including all of the major job boards as well as sources like the London 2012 Olympics, Williams Formula 1 and the Royal Household. In addition to listing around 500,000 vacancies, the unique Adzuna Connect feature helps users “get hired with a little help from their friends” by connecting them to Adzuna jobs where they have first or second-degree connections on LinkedIn or Facebook.
The site also offers a wealth of data about the jobs and companies recruiting, from average salary data to employee reviews, interview questions and “CEO Approval ratings”.
Since launch in July, Adzuna has rapidly grown to hundreds of thousands of visitors per month, and was named a Top 20 Startup of 2011 by Startups.co.uk, a finalist in the Website of the Year awards, and shortlisted for the Europas.
This latest round of funding will be used to drive further product innovation around social and data, and expand into other verticals as well as international markets.
Robin Klein, Venture Partner at Index, said, “We’re delighted to be working with Andrew and Doug, experienced entrepreneurs whom we know well from their track records at Gumtree, Qype and Zoopla. The Adzuna team has achieved a great deal in a short period of time, and we believe the innovations they continue to bring to the market will change the way people search for classified ads.”
Doug Monro, Co-Founder of Adzuna, said: “We’re really excited to have top-class investors like Index, The Accelerator Group and Passion involved. We are passionate about making the classifieds search experience fundamentally better for users in the UK and beyond. This will help us towards that vision.”
About Adzuna
Adzuna.co.uk (http://www.adzuna.co.uk) is a search engine for classified ads which makes it easier for you to find the right job locally – and soon properties and cars too. We search thousands of sites so you don’t have to, bring together millions of ads so you can find them all in one place, and organize them with useful features so that you can easily find what you need.
Adzuna founders Andrew Hunter and Doug Monro met working at Gumtree in 2005. They stayed in the local internet space for the next 5 years and finally hatched the Adzuna plan in 2010 on the back of an envelope in a central London pub. The site was launched in July 2011.
Doug Monro was most recently COO of property portal Zoopla, leading the growth of the team from 5 to 75 people and the site to number 2 in UK property with 5M visitors a month. Previously he was MD of Gumtree.com, the UK’s largest classified ads site, and has worked for eBay UK, Bain & Co and Unilever. He has a BA in English from Cambridge and an MBA with distinction from Kellogg.
Andrew Hunter was mostly recently VP Marketing and General Manager of local review site Qype, where he grew the site from 0-17m monthly unique visitors in 2 years. Before Qype, Andrew was Head of Marketing at Gumtree.com and ran Search Marketing for the Thomas Cook Group. Andrew has a BSc in Business & Economics from Oxford Brookes University.
About Index Ventures
Index Ventures is a leading venture capital firm specializing in investments in information technology and life sciences companies. The firm invests in seed, early and growth stage start-ups across US and Europe. Since its inception in 1996, Index Ventures has backed visionary entrepreneurs who have taken on incumbents and built seminal companies in a number of growth sectors including: open source software companies such as MySQL, Trolltech, Zend and Pentaho; broadband and VOIP companies such as Virata, Skype, FON and Rebtel; Internet service companies such as Dropbox, Path, Betfair, Oanda, Last.fm, SpotRunner, Lovefilm, Stardoll and Netvibes; and life science companies such as Genmab, ParAllele Biosciences, BioXell, 7TM Pharma, Addex Pharmaceutical and PanGenetics.
About Passion Capital
Passion Capital (http://passioncapital.com) was established in March 2011 by Stefan Glaenzer, Eileen Burbidge and Robert Dighero with the aim of becoming the premier early stage digital media and technology investment firm in the UK. The partners have more than 50 years’ collective experience in entrepreneurial, founding and executive operational roles in technology firms.
About The Accelerator Group (TAG)
Based in London, The Accelerator Group (TAG) has been an investor in early stage and start-up companies since 1995. They focus on the Internet services, eCommerce and multi-channel retail sectors, investing primarily in the US and Europe. TAG’s current investments include: Moo, Wonga, Moshi Monsters, Graze, Zoopla, Skimlinks and previously: LoveFilm, Fizzback, Tweetdeck and Dopplr.
http://tourism9.com/ http://vkins.com/
2012年1月10日星期二
Financial Stocks: Analysts Expect Bank Profits To Rise 57% in 2012
(Written by Alexander Crawford. Institutional data sourced from Fidelity.)
The perennial bullishness of analysts is back again this year, and it (surprisingly) still includes the financial sector. According to a Bloomberg survey, analysts expect profits for the six largest banks (including JP Morgan, Bank of America, and Goldman Sachs) to jump 57% in 2012, despite 2011 being a dismal year for the sector.
This time last year analysts expected financial institutions to see profits rise 32% over 2011, but profits probably fell 18% as financials were the worst performing sector in the US for 2011. Now, analysts are pinning their hopes on “improved trading results, more investment-banking deals, expense-cutting measures and lower credit costs.” (via Bloomberg)
Last year, banking profits were pummeled by Europe’s sovereign-debt crisis, protests across the world, and natural disasters in Japan. US GDP only expanded an estimated 1.8% last year, when 3.1% growth was expected. According to Paul Miller, analyst at FBR Capital Markets Corp., “The banks need GDP growth to grow loans. We all thought there would be loan growth, and Europe didn’t help anybody.”
Analysts predict that the 2012 rise in banking earnings will be led by Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs, which are most reliant on trading revenue and investment-banking operations according to Bloomberg.
Business Section: Investment Ideas
Do you agree with analysts that 2012 will see the grand return of the financial sector? If so, here are some ideas to get you started.
We ran a screen on the financial sector for stocks exhibiting the technical “golden cross,” in which the stock’s 50-day moving average has recently crossed above its 200-day moving average. This indicates recent momentum to the upside that may persist.
We screened these momentum stocks for those seeing the most significant net institutional purchases over the current quarter.
Do you think these companies will see the large earnings growth analysts expect for the industry?
Analyze These Ideas (Tools Will Open In A New Window)
1. Access a thorough description of all companies mentioned
2. Compare analyst ratings for all stocks mentioned below
3. Visualize annual returns for all stocks mentioned
List sorted by net institutional purchases as a percent of share float.
1. First Republic Bank (FRC): Provides private banking, private business banking, investment management, brokerage, trust services, and real estate lending services in California, Nevada, and New York. Market cap of $4.04B. SMA50 at $28.85 vs. SMA200 at $28.80 (current price at $31.26). Net institutional shares purchased over the current quarter at 20.2M, which is 37.57% of the company’s 53.77M share float.
2. EastGroup Properties Inc. (EGP): Focuses on the development, acquisition, and operation of industrial properties in the United States. Market cap of $1.19B. SMA50 at $41.98 vs. SMA200 at $41.16 (current price at $43.83). Net institutional shares purchased over the current quarter at 2.8M, which is 10.87% of the company’s 25.76M share float.
3. Avalonbay Communities Inc. (AVB): Engages in the development, redevelopment, acquisition, ownership, and operation of multifamily communities in the United States. Market cap of $12.12B. SMA50 at $125.73 vs. SMA200 at $124.94 (current price at $127.48). Net institutional shares purchased over the current quarter at 8.0M, which is 8.49% of the company’s 94.24M share float.
4. Presidential Life Corp. (PLFE): Engages in the marketing and sale of various fixed annuity, life insurance, and accident and health insurance products in the United States. Market cap of $311.96M. SMA50 at $9.85 vs. SMA200 at $9.80 (current price at $10.55). Net institutional shares purchased over the current quarter at 2.1M, which is 8.43% of the company’s 24.91M share float.
5. Glimcher Realty Trust (GRT): Operates as a real estate investment trust (REIT) in the United States. Market cap of $976.01M. SMA50 at $8.69 vs. SMA200 at $8.69 (current price at $9.08). Net institutional shares purchased over the current quarter at 7.8M, which is 7.41% of the company’s 105.32M share float.
6. Excel Trust, Inc. (EXL): Engages in financing, developing, leasing, owning and managing community and power centers, grocery anchored neighborhood centers and freestanding retail properties. Market cap of $367.11M. SMA50 at $10.99 vs. SMA200 at $10.75 (current price at $12.12). Net institutional shares purchased over the current quarter at 1.8M, which is 6.26% of the company’s 28.75M share float.
7. Platinum Underwriters Holdings Ltd. (PTP): Provides property and marine, casualty, and finite risk reinsurance products worldwide. Market cap of $1.26B. SMA50 at $33.37 vs. SMA200 at $33.30 (current price at $33.87). Net institutional shares purchased over the current quarter at 2.2M, which is 6.07% of the company’s 36.23M share float.
8. Pebblebrook Hotel Trust (PEB): Operates as a real estate investment trust. Market cap of $983.90M. SMA50 at $18.43 vs. SMA200 at $18.42 (current price at $19.33). Net institutional shares purchased over the current quarter at 2.3M, which is 4.55% of the company’s 50.58M share float.
9. Health Care REIT, Inc. (HCN): Engages in investment, development, and management of properties. Market cap of $10.29B. SMA50 at $50.81 vs. SMA200 at $49.67 (current price at $53.77). Net institutional shares purchased over the current quarter at 7.9M, which is 4.44% of the company’s 178.01M share float.
10. Aspen Insurance Holdings Ltd. (AHL): Provides insurance and reinsurance products and services worldwide. Market cap of $1.85B. SMA50 at $25.95 vs. SMA200 at $25.58 (current price at $26.17). Net institutional shares purchased over the current quarter at 2.9M, which is 4.43% of the company’s 65.39M share float.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The NASDAQ OMX Group, IncThe perennial bullishness of analysts is back again this year, and it (surprisingly) still includes the financial sector. According to a Bloomberg survey, analysts expect profits for the six largest banks (including JP Morgan, Bank of America, and Goldman Sachs) to jump 57% in 2012, despite 2011 being a dismal year for the sector.
This time last year analysts expected financial institutions to see profits rise 32% over 2011, but profits probably fell 18% as financials were the worst performing sector in the US for 2011. Now, analysts are pinning their hopes on “improved trading results, more investment-banking deals, expense-cutting measures and lower credit costs.” (via Bloomberg)
Last year, banking profits were pummeled by Europe’s sovereign-debt crisis, protests across the world, and natural disasters in Japan. US GDP only expanded an estimated 1.8% last year, when 3.1% growth was expected. According to Paul Miller, analyst at FBR Capital Markets Corp., “The banks need GDP growth to grow loans. We all thought there would be loan growth, and Europe didn’t help anybody.”
Analysts predict that the 2012 rise in banking earnings will be led by Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs, which are most reliant on trading revenue and investment-banking operations according to Bloomberg.
Business Section: Investment Ideas
Do you agree with analysts that 2012 will see the grand return of the financial sector? If so, here are some ideas to get you started.
We ran a screen on the financial sector for stocks exhibiting the technical “golden cross,” in which the stock’s 50-day moving average has recently crossed above its 200-day moving average. This indicates recent momentum to the upside that may persist.
We screened these momentum stocks for those seeing the most significant net institutional purchases over the current quarter.
Do you think these companies will see the large earnings growth analysts expect for the industry?
Analyze These Ideas (Tools Will Open In A New Window)
1. Access a thorough description of all companies mentioned
2. Compare analyst ratings for all stocks mentioned below
3. Visualize annual returns for all stocks mentioned
List sorted by net institutional purchases as a percent of share float.
1. First Republic Bank (FRC): Provides private banking, private business banking, investment management, brokerage, trust services, and real estate lending services in California, Nevada, and New York. Market cap of $4.04B. SMA50 at $28.85 vs. SMA200 at $28.80 (current price at $31.26). Net institutional shares purchased over the current quarter at 20.2M, which is 37.57% of the company’s 53.77M share float.
2. EastGroup Properties Inc. (EGP): Focuses on the development, acquisition, and operation of industrial properties in the United States. Market cap of $1.19B. SMA50 at $41.98 vs. SMA200 at $41.16 (current price at $43.83). Net institutional shares purchased over the current quarter at 2.8M, which is 10.87% of the company’s 25.76M share float.
3. Avalonbay Communities Inc. (AVB): Engages in the development, redevelopment, acquisition, ownership, and operation of multifamily communities in the United States. Market cap of $12.12B. SMA50 at $125.73 vs. SMA200 at $124.94 (current price at $127.48). Net institutional shares purchased over the current quarter at 8.0M, which is 8.49% of the company’s 94.24M share float.
4. Presidential Life Corp. (PLFE): Engages in the marketing and sale of various fixed annuity, life insurance, and accident and health insurance products in the United States. Market cap of $311.96M. SMA50 at $9.85 vs. SMA200 at $9.80 (current price at $10.55). Net institutional shares purchased over the current quarter at 2.1M, which is 8.43% of the company’s 24.91M share float.
5. Glimcher Realty Trust (GRT): Operates as a real estate investment trust (REIT) in the United States. Market cap of $976.01M. SMA50 at $8.69 vs. SMA200 at $8.69 (current price at $9.08). Net institutional shares purchased over the current quarter at 7.8M, which is 7.41% of the company’s 105.32M share float.
6. Excel Trust, Inc. (EXL): Engages in financing, developing, leasing, owning and managing community and power centers, grocery anchored neighborhood centers and freestanding retail properties. Market cap of $367.11M. SMA50 at $10.99 vs. SMA200 at $10.75 (current price at $12.12). Net institutional shares purchased over the current quarter at 1.8M, which is 6.26% of the company’s 28.75M share float.
7. Platinum Underwriters Holdings Ltd. (PTP): Provides property and marine, casualty, and finite risk reinsurance products worldwide. Market cap of $1.26B. SMA50 at $33.37 vs. SMA200 at $33.30 (current price at $33.87). Net institutional shares purchased over the current quarter at 2.2M, which is 6.07% of the company’s 36.23M share float.
8. Pebblebrook Hotel Trust (PEB): Operates as a real estate investment trust. Market cap of $983.90M. SMA50 at $18.43 vs. SMA200 at $18.42 (current price at $19.33). Net institutional shares purchased over the current quarter at 2.3M, which is 4.55% of the company’s 50.58M share float.
9. Health Care REIT, Inc. (HCN): Engages in investment, development, and management of properties. Market cap of $10.29B. SMA50 at $50.81 vs. SMA200 at $49.67 (current price at $53.77). Net institutional shares purchased over the current quarter at 7.9M, which is 4.44% of the company’s 178.01M share float.
10. Aspen Insurance Holdings Ltd. (AHL): Provides insurance and reinsurance products and services worldwide. Market cap of $1.85B. SMA50 at $25.95 vs. SMA200 at $25.58 (current price at $26.17). Net institutional shares purchased over the current quarter at 2.9M, which is 4.43% of the company’s 65.39M share float.
http://tourism9.com/
2012年1月2日星期一
Wanted: Private equity high-flyers in growth areas
NEW YORK/LONDON/HONG KONG (Reuters) – Private equity firms, facing shrinking asset values and tough financing conditions, are trimming staff in mature markets, but are also looking to hire in growth areas so that they deliver the returns investors seek.
Shrinking fund sizes, crisis in the euro zone and hopes for emerging markets growth are all redrawing the global private equity map, determining the locations and sectors in which buyout firms hire and fire staff.
The industry boomed last decade as investor appetite created ever larger pools of capital, allowing firms to expand and cast their nets further and wider for deals. But in the financial turmoil, many buyout groups are now retrenching.
“This is still an active jobs market, the industry is focusing on niche businesses and smaller transactions and looking for senior advisors to succeed where the deals are,” said Todd Monti, who manages the global private equity and venture capital practice of headhunting firm Heidrick & Struggles.
The total capital garnered by private equity funds globally that have reached final close so far this year is about $240 billion, compared with $275 billion raised last year, according to market research firm Preqin.
The crunch has been most obvious in Europe, where a brief renaissance in private equity deals in the first half has stalled and the gloomy outlook is forcing some to reassess their approach.
Among the highest profile changes, TPG reshuffled its senior team in Europe, with co-head Philippe Costeletos taking a step back from daily duties and partner Matthias Calice leaving the firm by the end of the year.
But it is likely to be the satellite offices in European cities that come under the greatest pressure to close down.
“I think people are going to rein in on that if fund sizes shrink,” said one private equity managing partner.
Vestar Capital recently closed offices in Munich and Paris as part of a plan to focus back on the United States. And struggling mid-market group Cognetas has shut its office in Frankfurt and will close its London office later this year.
MOVING EAST
In line with the wider finance sector, the private equity jobs market has been more robust in Asia, where firms are actively hiring even as they shed tens of thousands of jobs in other regions, thanks to the continent’s economic resilience.
Buyouts in Asia-Pacific, excluding Japan and Central Asia, total $33 billion so far this year, up 54 percent from a year ago, compared with 9 percent growth in Europe and 36 percent in the Americas, Thomson Reuters data shows.
But there is a caveat. Language and cultural skills are key to new hires in Asia, as global and local private equity funds build teams to invest the capital flowing into the region.
“Limited partners are allocating a larger percentage of funds to Asia, and with that (private equity firms)are opening offices in the region,” said Julian Buckeridge, managing director for Strategic Executive Search based in China.
In contrast with Europe, where satellite offices are coming under pressure, the capital flowing to Asia is allowing firms to create new bases in places such as Singapore to provide a springboard into Southeast Asia.
In October, KKR appointed former Singapore government minister Lim Hwee Hua as a senior adviser [ID:nL3E7LA05L] and the firm is expected to locate a deal team of three in the region early in 2012 – KKR previously covered Southeast Asia from Hong Kong.
With firms such as TPG Capital and CVC Capital Partners already well established in the region, Blackstone Group LP is also mulling an expansion.
“We are seriously thinking of expanding our presence in the Southeast Asia region in terms of people on the ground and investment focus,” Michael Chae, Blackstone’s regional head, told the Reuters 2012 Investment Summit this week.
DIVERSIFICATION IS KING
The global shakeout will also create winners in the west. Buyout houses that have grown into private asset managers, such as Blackstone, KKR and Carlyle Group, are actively recruiting in areas such as credit investment and real estate.
This diversification, combined with the fee-based remuneration structure of private equity funds, has helped shield the pay of dealmakers from the economic headwinds battering the financial industry.
Incentive compensation in the U.S. private equity industry excluding carried interest is expected to fall between 0 and 5 percent in 2011, compared with plunges of up to 30 percent in investment banking and 45 percent in fixed income, according to compensation consulting firm Johnson Associates.
With competition for capital from institutional investors intensifying, major private equity firms are also ramping up their fundraising, increasingly bringing operations inhouse instead of relying on others for their marketing.
“Private equity firms used to raise money every five years, now they fundraise everyday. Good capital raising professionals are in strong demand,” said Joseph Healy, who co-heads the private equity recruiting operations of Korn/Ferry International Inc.
For those unfortunate enough to find themselves out of work, or just looking for more job security, there are options.
Sovereign wealth funds and pension funds, with aspirations to do more deals directly and cut out the private equity middlemen, could gain as firms shed experienced staff.
“Some of those people may well be happy to be employed by a sovereign wealth fund and have a more conventional salary, knowing that there is oodles of money to invest into deals,” said David Currie, chief executive of Standard Life Capital Partners. (Editing by Andre Grenon)
http://tourism9.com/
Shrinking fund sizes, crisis in the euro zone and hopes for emerging markets growth are all redrawing the global private equity map, determining the locations and sectors in which buyout firms hire and fire staff.
The industry boomed last decade as investor appetite created ever larger pools of capital, allowing firms to expand and cast their nets further and wider for deals. But in the financial turmoil, many buyout groups are now retrenching.
“This is still an active jobs market, the industry is focusing on niche businesses and smaller transactions and looking for senior advisors to succeed where the deals are,” said Todd Monti, who manages the global private equity and venture capital practice of headhunting firm Heidrick & Struggles.
The total capital garnered by private equity funds globally that have reached final close so far this year is about $240 billion, compared with $275 billion raised last year, according to market research firm Preqin.
The crunch has been most obvious in Europe, where a brief renaissance in private equity deals in the first half has stalled and the gloomy outlook is forcing some to reassess their approach.
Among the highest profile changes, TPG reshuffled its senior team in Europe, with co-head Philippe Costeletos taking a step back from daily duties and partner Matthias Calice leaving the firm by the end of the year.
But it is likely to be the satellite offices in European cities that come under the greatest pressure to close down.
“I think people are going to rein in on that if fund sizes shrink,” said one private equity managing partner.
Vestar Capital recently closed offices in Munich and Paris as part of a plan to focus back on the United States. And struggling mid-market group Cognetas has shut its office in Frankfurt and will close its London office later this year.
MOVING EAST
In line with the wider finance sector, the private equity jobs market has been more robust in Asia, where firms are actively hiring even as they shed tens of thousands of jobs in other regions, thanks to the continent’s economic resilience.
Buyouts in Asia-Pacific, excluding Japan and Central Asia, total $33 billion so far this year, up 54 percent from a year ago, compared with 9 percent growth in Europe and 36 percent in the Americas, Thomson Reuters data shows.
But there is a caveat. Language and cultural skills are key to new hires in Asia, as global and local private equity funds build teams to invest the capital flowing into the region.
“Limited partners are allocating a larger percentage of funds to Asia, and with that (private equity firms)are opening offices in the region,” said Julian Buckeridge, managing director for Strategic Executive Search based in China.
In contrast with Europe, where satellite offices are coming under pressure, the capital flowing to Asia is allowing firms to create new bases in places such as Singapore to provide a springboard into Southeast Asia.
In October, KKR appointed former Singapore government minister Lim Hwee Hua as a senior adviser [ID:nL3E7LA05L] and the firm is expected to locate a deal team of three in the region early in 2012 – KKR previously covered Southeast Asia from Hong Kong.
With firms such as TPG Capital and CVC Capital Partners already well established in the region, Blackstone Group LP is also mulling an expansion.
“We are seriously thinking of expanding our presence in the Southeast Asia region in terms of people on the ground and investment focus,” Michael Chae, Blackstone’s regional head, told the Reuters 2012 Investment Summit this week.
DIVERSIFICATION IS KING
The global shakeout will also create winners in the west. Buyout houses that have grown into private asset managers, such as Blackstone, KKR and Carlyle Group, are actively recruiting in areas such as credit investment and real estate.
This diversification, combined with the fee-based remuneration structure of private equity funds, has helped shield the pay of dealmakers from the economic headwinds battering the financial industry.
Incentive compensation in the U.S. private equity industry excluding carried interest is expected to fall between 0 and 5 percent in 2011, compared with plunges of up to 30 percent in investment banking and 45 percent in fixed income, according to compensation consulting firm Johnson Associates.
With competition for capital from institutional investors intensifying, major private equity firms are also ramping up their fundraising, increasingly bringing operations inhouse instead of relying on others for their marketing.
“Private equity firms used to raise money every five years, now they fundraise everyday. Good capital raising professionals are in strong demand,” said Joseph Healy, who co-heads the private equity recruiting operations of Korn/Ferry International Inc.
For those unfortunate enough to find themselves out of work, or just looking for more job security, there are options.
Sovereign wealth funds and pension funds, with aspirations to do more deals directly and cut out the private equity middlemen, could gain as firms shed experienced staff.
“Some of those people may well be happy to be employed by a sovereign wealth fund and have a more conventional salary, knowing that there is oodles of money to invest into deals,” said David Currie, chief executive of Standard Life Capital Partners. (Editing by Andre Grenon)
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