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☆ Money or talent? What's actually driving hedge funds to Abu Dhabi and Dubai
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Bradley Saacks | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Millennium, Brevan Howard, Schonfeld, and ExodusPoint are just a few of the funds that have put roots down in either Abu Dhabi or Dubai. Meanwhile, Bridgewater's Ray Dalio bought a penthouse in Abu Dhabi as he compliments the country's policies. When one US-based hedge fund fundraiser met with Abu Dhabi officials late last year, he didn't expect much to come of it. He lauded everything from the Louvre outpost in Abu Dhabi to the warm weather to the responsiveness from government officials. A Bloomberg story on Abu Dhabi notes that it's fast-tracking country-club admissions for new wealthy immigrants.

Persons: —, Brevan Howard, Schonfeld, Bridgewater's Ray Dalio, Austen Smart, Tighe, Smart, Alan Howard, Greg Coffey, Danny Yong, hoover, Doug Greenig, Morgan, Point72, Steve Cohen, Viking Global's Andreas Halvorsen, keynotes, Howard, Abu Dhabi, Craig Bergstrom, Bobby Jain's, Florin Court's Greenig, Abu, Floring Organizations: Service, United Arab Emirates, titans, Business, Tighe International, Florin Court Capital, Morgan Stanley's, Dubai Financial Services Authority, Abu, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Mubadala Investment Company, Corbin Capital, Abu Dhabi Global, Hong Kong, pats, Bloomberg Locations: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, London, New York, Mumbai, UAE, Asia, Switzerland, It's, Gaza, Iran, Palm, Europe, Cayman Islands, Jersey, Miami, San Franciso, Riyadh, Saudi

☆ Investment momentum is rising in the region, Invest Qatar CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailInvestment momentum is rising in the region, Invest Qatar CEO saysSheikh Ali Alwaleed Al Thani, CEO of the Investment Promotion Agency Qatar (Invest Qatar), discusses investment opportunities in the region and the Qatar Investment Authority's decision to invest $1 billion in international and regional venture capital funds.

Persons: Sheikh Ali Alwaleed Al Thani Organizations: Invest, Investment, Agency Qatar, Qatar Investment Locations: Invest Qatar, Qatar

☆ Sovereign wealth funds will be 'market makers,' UAE venture capital firm says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailSovereign wealth funds will be 'market makers,' UAE venture capital firm saysFadi Ghandour, executive chairman of Wamda Capital, discusses the Qatar Investment Authority's decision to invest $1 billion in international and regional venture capital funds.

Persons: Fadi Ghandour Organizations: Wamda, Qatar Investment Locations: UAE, Qatar

☆ Cultivated Meat’s Empty Promise of Revolution - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Joe Fassler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It is a gleaming vision of a world just beyond the present: a world in which meat is abundant and affordable with almost no cost to the environment. Meat without killing is the central promise of what’s come to be known as cultivated meat. Between 2016 and 2022, investors poured almost $3 billion into cultivated meat and seafood companies. Two of the leading companies — Eat Just and Upside Foods, both startups — reportedly achieved billion-dollar valuations. And today, a few products that include cultivated cells have been approved for sale in Singapore, the United States and Israel.

Persons: what’s, —, Qatar Investment Authority —, Tyson, Cargill, Leonardo DiCaprio, Bill Gates, Richard Branson . Organizations: Qatar Investment Authority, JBS, Foods Locations: Temasek, Singapore, United States, Israel

☆ With Washington Capitals, Wizards move to Virginia, owner Ted Leonsis pursues his vision of a $10 billion sports empire around Washington, D.C.
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-14 | by ( Ian Thomas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Glenn Youngkin (L) looks on during the announcement of a new sports arena for the Washington Wizards NBA basketball team and Washington Capitals NHL hockey team, on December 13, 2023 Virginia. Win Mcnamee | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesTed Leonsis, the owner of the NBA's Washington Wizards and the NHL's Washington Capitals, has a grand vision for growing a regional sports empire. Glenn Youngkin announced that the Capitals and Wizards have agreed to move to a new arena in Alexandria, Virginia, as part of a $2 billion entertainment complex in 2028. How will they compete with big market teams? "We could have a billion-and-a-half-dollar revenue run rate and a $10 billion to $15 billion trend of valuation," Leonsis said.

Persons: Ted Leonsis, Glenn Youngkin, Win Mcnamee, Leonsis, we'll, aren't, I'm, it's, It's, David Rubenstein, David Blitzer, Blackstone, James Dolan, Stan Kroenke, Kroenke, I've Organizations: Monumental Sports, Entertainment, Virginia Gov, Washington Wizards NBA, Washington Capitals NHL, Getty, Washington Wizards, NHL's Washington Capitals, CNBC, Summit, Washington , D.C, AOL, Capitals, Wizards, Washington Mystics, Capital, D.C, Sports, Mystics, NHL, Baltimore Orioles, Washington Nationals, MLB, Carlyle Group, Bloomberg, Orioles, Red Sox, Fenway Sports Group, Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Penguins, Premier League's Liverpool, Philadelphia 76ers, New, New Jersey Devils, Washington, Cleveland Guardians, MSG, Sphere Entertainment, Madison Square Garden Entertainment, New York Knicks, Rangers, MSG Networks, Atlanta Braves Holdings, Liberty Media, Sports & Entertainment, Nuggets, Avalanche, Los Angeles Rams, Premier League's Arsenal FC, Qatar Investment Authority, MSG Sports, NHL's Rangers, NBA's Knicks, Phoenix Suns, NBA, Ottawa Senators, Braves Locations: Virginia, Alexandria , Virginia, Washington ,, Washington, London, Richmond, Delaware, New Jersey, Real Salt Lake, Denver, MLS's Rapids, Colorado, Monumental

☆ Barclays shares slip after major backer Qatar cuts stake
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Qatar Investment Authority, the state sovereign wealth fund which owns Qatar Holding, did not respond to a request for comment. The share sale comes as Barclays embarks on a shake-up to cut costs and revive its share price, which has halved since Qatar first invested in 2008. Barclays' stock fell as much as 4.5% in early trading and was last down 2.5% at 1007 GMT. Qatar became Barclays' largest shareholder during the 2008 financial crisis when it injected 4 billion pounds into the UK bank in a deal that helped avert a taxpayer bailout. Britain's financial watchdog later fined Barclays $55 million for fees paid to Qatari entities in the 2008 fundraising, which Barclays said it would appeal.

Persons: Venkatakrishnan, Vekatakrishnan, Iain Withers, Sinead Cruise, Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro, Lawrence White, Danilo Masoni, Andrew Mills, Kirsten Donovan, Emelia Organizations: Barclays, Qatar, Reuters, Qatar Investment Authority, Qatar Holding, Thomson Locations: Qatar, Germany, London, Milan, Doha

The deal, announced during the COP28 climate talks in Dubai on Sunday, is the first under the ADB's Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM) programme, which aims to help countries cut their climate-damaging carbon emissions. "If we don't address these coal plants, we're not going to meet our climate goals," David Elzinga said on the sidelines of the conference. "By doing this pilot transaction, we are learning what it takes to make this happen," David Elzinga said. ADB also has active ETM programmes in Kazakhstan, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Vietnam, and is considering transactions in two other countries, it said. Reporting by Simon Jessop and David Lawder; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: we're, David Elzinga, Simon Jessop, David Lawder, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Asian Development Bank, Reuters, Transition, ADB, PT PLN, PT, Indonesia Investment Authority, INA, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, Indonesia, Dubai, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesian, Jakarta

MOSCOW, Dec 1 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree putting St Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport under the temporary management of a Russian company, wresting control from investors from Germany, Qatar and other Gulf states. The airport's management company has 14 co-owners. The rights of foreign shareholders will pass to two different Russian entities. Russian shareholders will retain their rights. The decree stated that airport's foreign shareholders would be able to restore their rights to stakes in the new company if they apply and conclude corporate agreements that comply with Russian laws on foreign investment.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Fraport, VTB, Ramzan Kadyrov, Taimuraz, Carlsberg's, Gleb Stolyarov, Alexander Marrow, Ilona Wissenbach, Gareth Jones, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Petersburg's Pulkovo, Qatar Investment Authority, Russian Direct Investment Fund, Baring, Baltika Breweries, Reuters, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Russian, Germany, Qatar, St Petersburg, Abu Dhabi, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow

OMFIF outlined a dark mood among the funds, with more than half expecting a global economic recession in the next 12 months. None reported a positive outlook for China's economy, citing the regulatory environment and geopolitics among primary factors dissuading them from investing. "(Investors) are now focused on how to deal with a macroeconomic environment that is stuck in a higher-for-longer interest rate cycle," the report said. Overall, sovereign funds fared better than their public pension peers, OMFIF added. The UAE's Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and Saudi Public Investment Corporation grew by 13.8% and 12.9% respectively, gaining over $200 billion between them.

Persons: David Morley, OMFIF, Libby George, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Investors, Official Monetary, Financial, OMFIF, Caisse, outsized, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Saudi Public Investment Corporation, Thomson Locations: China, India, Middle East, Abu Dhabi

☆ US appeals court scraps Sempra's Port Arthur LNG emissions permit
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Curtis Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsHOUSTON, Nov 15 (Reuters) - A U.S. court has removed an emissions permit for Sempra's (SRE.N) Port Arthur LNG export terminal in Texas, but the company said construction of the facility will continue for now. The approximately 13.5 million-metric-tons-per-annum (mtpa) Port Arthur plant has approval to export LNG to both Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and non-FTA countries, including Europe, and is part of the U.S. LNG expansion to meet growing global demand for the superchilled gas. The decision sends the Port Arthur LNG permit application back to the TCEQ for new evaluation. Investment firm KKR (KKR.N) owns a 20% stake in Sempra Infrastructure while Sempra Energy owns 70% and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority owns 10%. John Beard, executive director of the Port Arthur Community Action Network, which brought the lawsuit challenging TCEQ, said of the ruling: “We’ve won by standing up for Port Arthur communities of color to breathe free from toxic pollution.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Port Arthur, Sempra, John Beard, “ We’ve, –, Biden, Alex Munton, Munton, Curtis Williams, Deepa Babington, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Port Arthur, Free, U.S, U.S ., Appeals, Fifth Circuit, Texas Commission, Environmental, Rio, Rio Grande LNG, Port, Sempra Infrastructure, ConocoPhillips, Investment, KKR, Sempra Energy, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Port Arthur Community Action Network, Global Gas & LNG Research, Rapidan Energy, Thomson Locations: Port, Texas, Europe, Rio Grande, Port Arthur, Abu Dhabi, Houston

☆ Qatar wealth fund eyeing investment opportunities in China's retail, tech sectors
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Qatar's sovereign wealth fund Qatar Investment Authority is examining opportunities to invest in China's retail, healthcare, tech and logistics sectors, said Abdulla Al-Kuwari, head of the fund's unit Qatar Investment Authority Advisory (Asia Pacific). Those opportunities could involve public and private companies, Al-Kuwari said on Thursday during the Caixin Summit in Beijing. Chinese funds are also seeking new capital sources in the Middle East, as headwinds including diplomatic tensions drive many U.S. investors out of the country. Several China equity funds, including hedge funds and mutual funds, have told Reuters they visited the Middle East this year to raise money. Reporting by Roxanne Liu and Kane Wu; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Abdulla Al, Kuwari, LSEG, Roxanne Liu, Kane Wu, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Michael Perry Organizations: Qatar Investment Authority, Qatar Investment Authority Advisory, Asia, Al, Buyers, Reuters, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Qatar, Beijing . Middle East, China, Saudi Arabia

☆ Canary Wharf may yet avoid once-a-decade upheaval
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Yawen Chen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LONDON, Nov 6 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Canary Wharf tends to have a new owner every decade. A recent 300 million pound equity injection implies they will buck the trend. Brookfield and the QIA, which own the estate’s developer Canary Wharf Group through a 50-50 partnership, ostensibly look to be backing a losing horse. Factoring in all its assets on the Canary Wharf estate, Brookfield as of September valued it all at $6.1 billion, or 5 billion pounds – over 2 billion pounds more than what the duo put in eight years ago. Canary Wharf could be owned by highly leveraged, shallow-pocketed types.

Persons: –, Paul Reichmann’s Olympia, Morgan, Breakingviews, dory, George Hay, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, HSBC, HK, London Docklands, Qatar Investment Authority, Canary, York, Morgan Stanley, Jefferies, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Brookfield, Wharf Group, Thomson Locations: Brookfield, –, CWG, City, Wharf

The funds available for deals are growing as investors including pension funds, sovereign wealth and insurance firms look for meaty returns hard to find in today's equity markets, especially in the beaten-down real estate sector. Australian real estate specialist Qualitas (QAL.AX), whose backers include the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, has nearly doubled funds under management to A$8 billion ($5.07 billion) since mid-2022, with roughly half the increase since this June. U.S.-based PGIM Real Estate expects to deploy a further $1 billion in the country over the next few years, said its head of Australian real estate Steve Bulloch. Lenders are expanding into residential and commercial construction as banks slow lending or exit, a March report from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) said. JUICY RETURNSInvestors can expect returns from 9% to 11% with the added security of loans pledged against real assets like condos or warehouses, often with a 30% to 40% equity buffer, said Paul Notaras, executive director at Barings Real Estate Australia.

Persons: Stella Qiu, meaty, Steve Bulloch, JUICY, Paul Notaras, Notaras, Qualitas, Andrew Schwartz, Bonds, We've, Schwartz, Lewis Jackson, Rae Wee, Jamie Freed Organizations: REUTERS, Abu, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Commonwealth Bank, National Australia Bank, Westpac, ANZ Group, International Monetary, Reserve Bank of Australia, Australia, prudential, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Thomson Locations: Parramatta, Sydney, SYDNEY, Australian, Abu Dhabi, Australia, Qualitas, Singapore

☆ The Israel-Hamas war threatens to derail Middle Eastern investment in US media and entertainment
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Still, the US presence highlighted the deepening ties between Hollywood and the region , as Western media, entertainment, and sports entities have seen major investment in recent years from Saudi, Qatar, and the UAE. Even before October 7, US entities that were receiving investment from the Middle East were reluctant to speak publicly about those relationships. Insider spoke with investors, producers, and other media and entertainment stakeholders about what's next for Hollywood's relationships with Mideast backers. Qatar hasn't seen any recent major deals but earlier this year, Peter Chernin and Providence Equity's production roll-up The North Road received $150 million from the Qatar Investment Authority. "The political nature gets more complicated," an industry insider observer said, noting how countries like Qatar are grabbing headlines for their role in the situation.

Persons: haven't, Jamal Khashoggi, Israel, it's, Knaebel, They're, Greg Silverman's, Silverman, Harry Potter, Chris Nolan's, Abu Dhabi's, Ari Emanuel, Peter Chernin, Jeff Zucker, LIV Golf Organizations: Film, Washington Post, Hollywood, Global Media, Saudi, Stampede Ventures, Warner Bros, Endeavor, Qatar hasn't, Providence, North, Qatar Investment Authority, IMI, CNN, Investment Fund, PGA Locations: Saudi Arabia, American, Jeddah, Saudi, Qatar, UAE, Gaza, Israel, Germany, Silver

Maine is the latest state to address foreign influence in elections. The Maine referendum on the Nov. 7 ballot would ban foreign governments, or companies with 5% or more foreign government ownership, from donating to future referendum races. The Maine proposal is straightforward by targeting foreign governments and companies owned by them, while leaving untouched foreign-based corporations with no government ownership. The idea of foreign influence in U.S. elections is something that unites people in an era of deep partisan divisions. “Of course we shouldn’t have foreign governments meddling in our elections.”___Follow David Sharp on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @David_Sharp_AP

Persons: Aaron McKean, McKean, Daniel Weiner, It’s, ” Weiner, “, Sen, Rick Bennett, —, Janet Mills, Maine’s, ”, Sarah Walker, Bennett, George Washington, David Sharp, @David_Sharp_AP Organizations: —, Hydro, Washington , D.C, Brennan Center for Justice, Hydro Quebec, Central Maine Power, CMP, Canadian, Republican, Democratic Gov, Maine Press Association, Maine Association of Broadcasters, Norges Bank, Qatar Investment Authority Locations: PORTLAND, Maine, — Maine, Hydro Quebec, Canadian, Washington ,, Minnesota, Florida, Idaho, Seattle, Portland , Maine, U.S, ” Maine, Spanish, In Montana, California, Luxembourg, Cyprus, Los Angeles, Canada, Calgary, Alberta, Qatar

☆ Indonesia's energy transition is challenging, says Indonesia Investment Authority
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailIndonesia's energy transition is challenging, says Indonesia Investment AuthorityRidha Wirakusumah, CEO of Indonesia's sovereign wealth fund, says "the government is really trying extremely hard in terms of incentives."

Organizations: Indonesia Investment Authority Locations: Indonesia

CVC targets an IPO that would value the company at more than 10 billion euros, the people said, with the company placing around 10% of its share capital, one of the people said. The private equity firm's partners are not expected to sell stock through the IPO, the people said. Blue Owl, CVC, GIC and HKMA declined to comment. On-road payments provider DKV Mobility, in which CVC has a minority holding, decided to defer its IPO plans because of volatile markets, Reuters reported earlier this month. London-headquartered CVC, which oversees more than 160 billion euros in assets, is striving to transform itself into a diversified asset manager.

Persons: de, Singapore's GIC, Renk, DIF, Glendower, Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro, Elisa Martinuzzi, Barbara Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Partners, Reuters, CVC, Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Kuwait Investment Authority, DKV Mobility, Thomson Locations: Amsterdam, Netherlands, Kuwait, London

☆ Millennium isn't Schonfeld's only suitor. Investors like Blackstone and Abu Dhabi's wealth fund are also in the picture, as the deal is far from certain.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Alex Morrell | Bradley Saacks | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The message was that a tie-up with Millennium was a 50-50 proposition and that any agreement would be contingent on Schonfeld remaining independent. Other strategic investors in the mix include Blackstone, GIC, and Future Fund, an Australian sovereign wealth vehicle that's already a significant Schonfeld investor. Schonfeld's assets have dipped this year amid meager returns, and the fund has cut costs and slowed hiring in recent months. But fundraising from cautious institutional investors is time-consuming, and Millennium chief trading officer Mark Meskin contacted Schonfeld's leadership to discuss a potential tie-up, sources say. Schonfeld, industry sources say, was likely under pressure from existing investors, who have had to bear a higher brunt of the fees following redemptions.

Persons: Izzy Englander, Justin Gmelich, Ryan Tolkin, Schonfeld, Steve Schonfeld's, Mark Meskin, Schonfeld's, — Organizations: Financial Times, Millennium, Schonfeld, Tolkin, Abu, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, year's, Future Fund Locations: Manhattan, Millennium's, Abu Dhabi, Schonfeld

☆ Indian billionaire Ambani's Reliance Retail to raise $598 mln from ADIA
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Amit Dave/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBENGALURU, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Retail Ventures said on Friday it would raise 49.67 billion rupees ($598 million) from the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, in the latest bet on India's largest retailer ahead of a potential stock market listing. "Reliance Retail has demonstrated strong growth and adaptability in a market that is evolving at an unprecedented pace," said Hamad Shahwan Aldhaheri, executive director of the private equities department at ADIA. The investment comes as Reliance set an internal target to raise $3.5 billion. ADIA and Singapore's GIC had invested $664 million each into the retail unit in 2020 as Reliance sold a 10.09% stake at a valuation of 4.68 trillion rupees. Morgan Stanley acted as financial adviser to Reliance Retail Ventures for the ADIA deal.

Persons: Amit Dave, Mukesh, Hamad Shahwan Aldhaheri, Singapore's GIC, Ambani, Morgan Stanley, Chris Thomas, Maju Samuel Organizations: Reliance Industries, REUTERS, Rights, Retail Ventures, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, ADIA, Reliance, KKR, Qatar Investment Authority, Reuters, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Reliance Retail Ventures, Thomson Locations: Ahmedabad, India, Abu Dhabi, ADIA, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Bengaluru

"We're definitely seeing a bit of a soft open in the IPO market", said Lizzie Reed, global head of the ECM syndicate desk at Goldman Sachs. Arm and Instacart shares briefly fell below their issue price, suggesting there is still some way before the IPO market fully recovers. Medical glass producer Schott Pharma (1SXP.F) debuted on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange on Thursday, with shares closing 16% above the IPO price. Klaviyo's shares are now trading at a 21% premium to their IPO price. "For the IPO market to open more broadly in the first quarter in 2024 ... we need the 2023 IPO cohort to continue to perform well," said Josh Weismer, head of U.S. ECM, Mizuho Americas.

Persons: Lizzie Reed, Goldman Sachs, IPOs, Robert Stowe ,, Suneel Hargunani, Schott, ThyssenKrupp, Hidrolectrica, Ross Devor, ”, Samir A, Gandhi, Stephane Gruffat, SoftBank, Josh Weismer, Echo Wang, Pablo Mayo, Anousha Sakoui, David Holmes Organizations: Bankers, ECM, Arm Holdings, Barclays, Citigroup, Schott Pharma, Frankfurt Stock Exchange, Thoma Bravo, Deutsche Bank, Nvidia, Apple, Qatar Investment Authority, U.S, Mizuho, Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro, Thomson Locations: United States, Europe, British, New York, U.S, IPOs, East, Africa, Romanian, Qatar, Mizuho Americas, London

☆ Centerbridge teams up with Wells Fargo to launch direct-lending fund
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A Wells Fargo logo is seen in New York City, U.S. January 10, 2017. REUTERS/Stephanie Keith/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 26 (Reuters) - Private equity firm Centerbridge Partners is launching a direct-lending fund with backing from Wells Fargo (WFC.N), the companies said on Tuesday. The direct-lending market is dominated by private equity firms, which in recent months have been looking to expand their footprints in the sector as mid-sized banks tighten loan standards. The fund named Overland Advisors will target at least $5 billion in investible capital with a focus on meeting credit requirements of North American mid-sized companies, the San Francisco-based bank and Centerbridge said. Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and British Columbia Investment Management Corporation have agreed to provide nearly $2 billion in initial equity commitments.

Persons: Stephanie Keith, Wells, Centerbridge, JPMorgan Chase, forayed, Jaiveer Singh, Shweta Agarwal Organizations: REUTERS, Centerbridge Partners, Overland, North, Abu, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Columbia Investment Management Corporation, JPMorgan, Reuters, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Wells Fargo, San Francisco, Abu Dhabi, Bengaluru

LONDON, Sept 21 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Barely a day goes by without an eye-catching story involving Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. A third of the fund consists of significant stakes in domestic companies like the $51 billion Saudi Telecom Company (7010.SE) and $53 billion Saudi National Bank (1180.SE). Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsThe PIF’s investment strategy is also racier than its more conservative peers. But the episode reinforces the impression that the PIF is a mix of venture capital, hedge fund and startup money. The most spectacular was probably handing $45 billion to SoftBank Group (9984.T) boss Masayoshi Son for his $100 billion first Vision Fund.

Persons: Kylian Mbappé, It’s, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Yasir Al, Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala, Rumayyan, Salman bin Abdulaziz, Masayoshi Son, SWFs, Taiwan’s Foxconn, Peter Thal Larsen, Streisand Neto Organizations: Reuters, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Standard Chartered, Spanish telco Telefonica, Fund, Abu, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Global, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Saudi, Saudi Telecom Company, Saudi National Bank, Saudi Aramco, giga, Qatar Investment Authority, Singapore’s Temasek, Al, MbS, SoftBank Group, Vision, Credit Suisse, UBS, Saudi giga, Aramco, Investment, Thomson Locations: Spanish, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Saudi

☆ Ambani’s retail backers dispel only a little doubt
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Shritama Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Asia’s richest man is raising fresh funds to trim debt and expand the shopping unit of his flagship Reliance Industries (RELI.NS). Ambit Capital, a broking firm, for example ascribes Reliance Retail a $57 billion valuation in a sum of the parts analysis, almost half Bernstein’s estimated $111 billion. Any financial haze around Reliance Retail will naturally clear whenever it publishes a detailed listing prospectus. U.S. private equity giant KKR will invest 20.7 billion rupees ($250 million) into Reliance Retail Ventures, the company’s parent Reliance Industries said on Sept. 11. Reliance Retail is a subsidiary of Reliance Industries.

Persons: Mukesh Ambani, Thakore, Singapore’s GIC, Bernstein, Una Galani, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Reliance Industries, KKR, Abraham, Qatar Investment, U.S, Reliance Retail, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Reliance, HK, India’s Reliance Industries, Reliance Retail Ventures, Thomson Locations: MUMBAI, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, China, Singapore, Saudi Arabia

Reliance Retail is India's largest retailer and is led by Asia's richest person Mukesh Ambani. Of that, QIA last month announced a $1 billion investment and KKR & Co (KKR.N) this week $250 million. Reliance sold a 10.09% stake in its retail unit in 2020, valuing it at 4.68 trillion rupees ($56.4 billion). When ADIA invested in Reliance Retail in 2020, it said it was part of its strategy of targeting market leading businesses in Asia linked to the region's consumption-driven growth. Reliance Retail reported a consolidated net profit of 91.81 billion rupees ($1.11 billion) for the financial year that ended in March 2023, on revenue of 2.6 trillion rupees.

Persons: Singapore's GIC, Mukesh Ambani, QIA, ADIA, PIF, Marks, Spencer, Ambani, Sriram, Aditya Kalra, Yantoultra Ngui, Alexander Smith Organizations: Reliance, Asia's, Reuters, KKR, Co, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Reliance Industries, Reliance Retail, Unilever, Thomson Locations: MUMBAI, DELHI, DUBAI, Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, GIC, Asia

The private equity firm's follow-on investment translates into an additional equity stake of 0.25% in Reliance Retail on a fully-diluted basis, taking KKR's total equity stake in the Indian company to 1.42%, the retailer said in a statement on Monday. That year, KKR had invested 55.5 billion rupees ($669.65 million) in Reliance Retail. Morgan Stanley acted as financial adviser to Reliance Retail. Ambani said in 2019 that the group planned to list the retail business in five years. Reliance Retail reported a consolidated net profit of 91.81 billion rupees ($1.11 billion) for the financial year that ended in March 2023, on revenue of 2.6 trillion rupees.

Persons: Maggi, Niharika Kulkarni, Mukesh Ambani's, Jimmy Choo, Spencer, Pret, Ambani, Morgan Stanley, Aditya Kalra, Toby Chopra, Tomasz Janowski, Deepa Babington Organizations: REUTERS, KKR, Co Inc, Retail Ventures, Reliance, Reliance Retail, Saudi Public Investment Fund, General Atlantic, United Arab, Asian, IV, Reuters, Qatar Investment Authority, Unilever, Thomson Locations: Mumbai, India, DELHI, United Arab Emirates

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