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☆ IBM nears $5 billion deal for software provider Apptio, Wall Street Journal reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 23 (Reuters) - IBM (IBM.N) is nearing a deal to acquire software company Apptio for about $5 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. A deal between the companies could be completed over the weekend, the Journal reported, adding that it was unclear whether the purchase price includes debt. Apptio, taken private by Vista Equity Partners in 2018 for $1.94 billion, provides products including cloud-based and hybrid business management software, a possible asset for technology giant IBM. The deal follows IBM's 2021 purchase of software provider Turbonomic for over $1.5 billion and its 2019 acquisition of software company Red Hat for $34 billion. Reporting by Rahat Sandhu in Bengaluru; Editing by Sandra Maler, Diane Craft and William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Apptio, Rahat Sandhu, Sandra Maler, Diane Craft, William Mallard Organizations: IBM, Wall Street, Vista Equity Partners, Hat, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Can Kim Kardashian save private equity?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Jeffrey Cane | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

SuperReturn conference gets underway at a time of challenges for private equity. Kim Kardashian joins Harvey Schwartz, Orlando Bravo, and other leaders in speaking at the conference. The uncertainty has made it more difficult for both private equity and venture capital firms to raise money for their funds. Those are bold-faced names in Wall Street's world, but they can't compete with the star power of another conference speaker: Kim Kardashian. It remains to be seen if private equity can keep up.

Persons: Kim Kardashian, Harvey Schwartz, Orlando Bravo, Kardashian, dealmaking, there's, Carlyle's Harvey Schwartz, David Rubenstein, Julian Salisbury, Goldman Sachs, Robert Smith, Orlando Bravo of Thoma, Bennett Goodman, Jay Sammons, Rubenstein, It's, Sammons, Dre Organizations: equity's, Private, SuperReturn International, Vista Equity Partners, Orlando Bravo of Thoma Bravo, SKKY Partners, Bloomberg, Financial Locations: Berlin

The remainder was equity checks by the private equity firms. Typically, debt accounts for between 60% and 80% of the deal consideration, allowing the buyout firms to juice returns. REFINANCING RISKTo be sure, a handful of private equity firms have already been accustomed to this kind of refinancing risk. An upside to the shift toward equity financing, dealmakers say, is that the companies owned by the private equity firms have more cushion to absorb losses if their business deteriorates. Many of the leveraged buyouts that became bankruptcies in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis were the result of private equity firms saddling companies with debt to the hilt.

☆ Private equity firms lend less as demand cools
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Chibuike Oguh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The amount of loans disbursed by direct lenders so far in 2023 has not shown any pickup, the Refinitiv data shows. Also weighing on deal volumes is the cost of borrowing from private equity firms. This has dampened demand for loans from private equity firms. For their part, private equity firms have also become more risk-averse when it comes to lending, as the economic slowdown and sticky price inflation erode the credit worthiness of some borrowers. To be sure, major deals using private equity firms as lenders are still getting done as banks have continued their retrenchment from risky debt.

LONDON, March 3 (Reuters) - European buyout houses Montagu Private Equity and Astorg Partners are preparing to hang the "for sale" sign on their UK insurance software investments, hoping to woo insurers and fellow private capital funds with their technology. Acturis, Astorg and Open GI did not respond to requests for comment. It last attempted to sell the business in 2018 and has since strived to transform it into a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform, which could attract fellow private equity funds with existing investments in the insurance industry, sources said. Open GI could be worth up to 12 times its expected core earnings of more than 30 million pounds ($35.96 million) expected for 2023, two sources said. Revenue rose to 111.9 million pounds from 102.4 million pounds the previous year, as the company added new brokers and insurers to its eponymous SaaS platform.

☆ Exclusive: Events software vendor Cvent rebuffs $3.9 bln Blackstone bid-sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Milana Vinn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 24 (Reuters) - Cvent Holding Corp (CVT.O), a U.S. software provider that facilitates in-person and virtual meetings, has rejected a $3.9 billion acquisition offer from buyout firm Blackstone Inc (BX.N), people familiar with the matter said on Friday. Blackstone is taking a break from the negotiations after Cvent rejected its $8-per-share offer as too low, the sources said. Shares of Cvent, which is controlled by private equity firm Vista Equity Partners Management LLC, had ended trading on Thursday at $7.64. Cvent, Blackstone and Vista Equity declined to comment. Cvent shares have since dropped due to concerns that an economic slowdown, brought about by the U.S. Federal Reserve's higher interest rates to fight inflation, will lower demand for conferences and events that drive the company's business.

☆ Buyout barons reach deep into their bags of tricks
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Jonathan Guilford | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

NEW YORK, Feb 15 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Debt necessity is proving to be the mother of private equity invention. With the cheap borrowing that fueled record-breaking years of leveraged buyouts gone, firms are digging deeper into their bags of tricks. Private equity firm Silver Lake, which bought a stake alongside the IPO, said it might take control. Besides putting private equity firms into weaker negotiating positions, the competing incentives also threaten conflicts of interest with limited partners. ...THERE’S A WAYIf the U.S. Federal Reserve avoids engineering a recession, private equity should be able to revert to its tried-and-true formula soon enough.

☆ Harvey Schwartz has his work cut out for him at Carlyle. Here's why.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

But first, a Wall Street firm finally finds its CEO. Harvey Schwartz Goldman Sachs1. In many ways, Carlyle and Harvey Schwartz are perfectly imperfect for each other. Might as well call it "Carefree Carlyle," because that's the vibes I'm getting under the soon-to-be Schwartz era. Click here to read more about what'll be expected of Harvey Schwartz as CEO of Carlyle.

☆ Ojo, a home-listings site aiming to rival Zillow, sells its Canadian operations to Royal Bank of Canada and raises funds from Vista Equity Partners in combined deal of nearly $200 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Alex Nicoll | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Home-listings company Ojo Labs sold its Canadian operations to the Royal Bank of Canada. The transactions, totaling nearly $200 million, will help Ojo navigate a bumpy housing market. "We put the company in an extremely healthy cash position, while others are having to retrench," Berkowitz told Insider. These services can differentiate Ojo from Zillow and Realtor.com, which are most intently focused on the home transaction. CoStar, the real estate data giant that's reached a dominant position in commercial real estate data, has recently trained its eye on residential listing platforms.

☆ Want to quit your job and run your side hustle full time? Start by working at one of these 5 companies
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( Tom Huddleston Jr. | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In the case of many a successful startup founder, that means working a day job before they're ready to strike out and start their own new business. Multiple big-name companies top the list, according to a new report from small-business lending platform OnDeck, which examined large U.S. companies with high rates of former employees launching their own businesses. The top four companies on OnDeck's list all hail from the consulting world, which isn't surprising: Consultants at those companies are often tasked with helping clients hone their management and business strategies. Goldman Sachs leads the way among financial services companies on OnDeck's rankings, with 5.92% of former employees becoming founders. By focusing primarily on large companies, OnDeck's report doesn't provide a comprehensive list.

☆ Ken Griffin has built two of Wall Street's most powerful firms. His next target could be influencing politics.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ken Griffin, the founder and CEO of Citadel. It's good to be Ken Griffin. Plenty of people find success on Wall Street that most can only dream of. But Ken Griffin seems to be winning in ways that even his peers can't fathom. Click here to read more about Ken Griffin rise to the top of Wall Street and what could be next for the billionaire.

☆ Vista to take Duck Creek Technologies private in $2.6 bln deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Manya Saini | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 9 (Reuters) - Duck Creek Technologies (DCT.O), which serves some of the biggest clients in the property and casualty sector, will be taken private by Vista Equity Partners in an all-cash deal valued at about $2.6 billion, the insurance tech firm said on Monday. The deal for Duck Creek at a purchase price of $19 per share, represents a premium of 46% to Duck Creek's last close. Duck Creek provides cloud-based property and casualty insurance solutions to its customers including Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance and American International Group (AIG.N). Duck Creek expects the deal to close in the second-quarter of this year. J.P. Morgan is acting as financial advisor to Duck Creek.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Tesla, Nvidia, Lululemon and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Carmen Reinicke | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong, China, 13 Sept 2022, A red Tesla car passes in front of a Tesla dealership in Wanchai. Tesla – Shares of Tesla rose 8% Monday after CEO Elon Musk's attorneys on Saturday asked a California court to move a trial over the company stock to Texas, citing local negativity. Uber – Uber shares gained 5.2% on an upgrade from Piper Sandler to overweight from a neutral rating. Monolithic Power Systems – Shares of Monolithic Power Systems gained 6.4% amid the semiconductor rally, following shares of Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices. Goldman Sachs – Shares gained 2% following reports that the banking giant is laying off 3,200 employees, or 6.5% of the workforce it had in October.

☆ Duck Creek Technologies surges more than 30% after reaching takeover deal with Vista
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Jesse Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A person walks through the Wall Street subway station near the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York on May 27, 2022. Insurance tech company Duck Creek Technologies has reached a takeover deal with Vista Equity Partners, sending its stock soaring on Monday morning. Shares of Duck Creek surged more than 45% to hover just under the offer price in premarket trading. At its high watermark in February 2021, the Duck Creek closed above $59 per share. Duck Creek reported its fiscal first quarter results last week, showing revenue of $80.6 million and a net loss of $5.2 million.

☆ 6 top M&A bankers lay out their dealmaking playbook for 2023 — from getting around a sagging bond market to dealing with skeptical shareholders
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Carter Johnson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

"We're certainly telling clients to plan for longer timelines between signing an announcement and when a transaction closes," RBC's Sperduto said. Bankers noted the figure was on pace with the average amount of deals done in the five years preceding the pandemic. "There is still significant desire from both corporates and financial sponsors to transact," Gary Posternack, co-head of global M&A at Barclays, told Insider. But in 2023, bankers see more transactions receiving greater scrutiny from stakeholders. Vito Sperduto, the co-head of global M&A at RBC Capital Markets.

☆ Here are the 34 tech companies most likely to be snapped up by private equity firms like Vista and Thoma Bravo in 2023, according to bankers and market data
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( Ben Bergman | Stephanie Palazzolo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +22 min

With a stock price down 45% in the last year, though, it may soon find itself on the other side of the table. But it has $732 million in cash on hand, with zero debt, and analysts are projecting 16% revenue growth. This year, though, Varonis has come back to earth — its stock price has sunk over 57% in the last 12 months. However, with strong projected 2023 revenue growth of 18.6%, Zuora remains a strong target for PE firms. Its stock price has been hammered, going down about 40% this year and making it the subject of mergers-and-acquisitions chatter.

☆ Here are the 34 tech companies most likely to be on the holiday shopping lists of private-equity firms after valuations plunged this year, according to bankers and private data
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Ben Bergman | Stephanie Palazzolo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +22 min

☆ America's lack of boardroom diversity isn't just a PR problem, it's a business problem that will make companies more vulnerable in a downturn
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Marguerite Ward | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

More than a dozen companies had no board members of color, according to the report, which relied on 2021 data. Along with a few partner organizations, Watts launched a program in August to help companies interview and select more board members from underrepresented backgrounds. Bessie Watts of Vista Equity Partners is working on a program to increase the pipeline of board members from underrepresented backgrounds. More CEOs are embracing not just the moral case for board diversity, but the business case, as well, Watts said. "We're able to meet and help support board members with valuable new insight."

☆ Thoma Bravo to buy Coupa Software for $6.15 billion amid tech slump
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Coupa Software said on Monday it will sell itself to private-equity major Thoma Bravo for $6.15 billion in cash, calling the deal the "optimal path forward" as broader economic uncertainty hammers technology stocks. "The transaction provides superior risk-adjusted value relative to the company's (Coupa's) standalone prospects," said Roger Siboni, an independent director at the software firm. Coupa Software, which went public in 2016, provides business-spend management software, which helps companies manage the purchase of goods and services. Qatalyst Partners and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer advised Coupa, while Goldman Sachs & Co, Piper Sandler, and Kirkland & Ellis were advisors to Thoma Bravo. Separately, Coupa reported a 17% rise in total revenue for the quarter ended Oct. 31 and a net loss of $84.1 million.

☆ Thoma Bravo to buy Coupa Software for $6.15 bln amid tech slump
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dec 12 (Reuters) - Coupa Software Inc (COUP.O) said on Monday it will sell itself to private equity major Thoma Bravo for $6.15 billion in cash, calling the deal the "optimal path forward" as broader economic uncertainty hammers technology stocks. Over the last two years, Thoma Bravo has acquired Ping Identity, Sophos, Proofpoint and Sailpoint Technologies. Coupa Software, which went public in 2016, provides business-spend management software, which helps companies manage the purchase of goods and services. Qatalyst Partners and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer advised Coupa, while Goldman Sachs & Co, Piper Sandler, and Kirkland & Ellis were advisors to Thoma Bravo. Separately, Coupa reported a 17% rise in total revenue for the quarter ended Oct. 31 and a net loss of $84.1 million.

☆ Billionaire Robert F. Smith's awkward James Bond-themed birthday bash featured strict security and port-a-potties — despite being held at his multimillion dollar mansion with 15 bathrooms
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

For his 60th birthday, billionaire Robert F. Smith's wife threw him a James Bond-themed party. Partygoers weren't pleased with the "massive security" and port-a-potties outside, according to the New York Post. "They frisked you when you came out of the bathroom," one guest told New York Post, suggesting it was in an effort to search for hidden cameras and other surveillance technology. Despite the home boasting 15 bathrooms, guests say they were asked to use port-a-potties placed outside during the five-hour long party. It wasn't a great party," the guest told the New York Post.

☆ HR software firm Globalization Partners, a rival to Softbank-backed Remote, cuts jobs and says impact is less than 10% of staff
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Boston-based Globalization Partners has laid off approximately 100 staff, Insider understands. Globalization Partners, a Boston-based HR and employment platform that rivals venture-backed upstarts like Remote, has cut jobs, with one source indicating around 100 staff have been impacted. Founded in 2012 by Nicole Sahin, Globalization Partners, or G-P, was valued at $4.2 billion after raising $200 million in funding from Vista Equity Partners in January 2022. HR companies enjoyed a pandemic boom through 2020 and 2021 as firms began experimenting with hybrid work, requiring new processes and platforms. Remote, a venture-backed rival to G-P, cut 10% of staff earlier this year, Insider reported.

☆ Crowdstrike Holdings warning sparks selloff in cybersecurity stocks
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 30 (Reuters) - A warning from Crowdstrike Holdings Inc (CRWD.O) that clients were cutting back on spending and delaying purchases due to an economic slowdown slammed cybersecurity stocks on Wednesday, inflicting fresh pain on the battered sector. "Increased macroeconomic headwinds elongated sales cycles with smaller customers and caused some larger customers to pursue multi-phase subscription start dates," Crowdstrike Chief Executive Officer George Kurtz said. The results are the latest in a series of dour reports from cybersecurity firms, whose business boomed during the pandemic but is now seeing a slowdown, making them a hot target for private equity buyouts. "Resilient, but not immune is a theme that will likely dominate the narrative during our October quarter-cohort earnings cycle," Piper Sandler analysts said. Still, some analysts see long-term benefits from the rising demand for cybersecurity as more businesses take to the web and high-profile hacks force companies to be more cautious.

☆ This software stock surged 37% last week, and analysts say it could rise by another 14%
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Global stocks inched higher over the past week, but one stock stood out. That stock is U.S.-based software firm Coupa Software , which jumped nearly 37% over the week. Coupa was among only six global stocks under the MSCI World index to rise more than 10% over the week. Retailer Burlington Stores surged around 24% after last week's release of its third-quarter earnings. Its performance comes off per-share earnings and revenue beats reported in third-quarter earnings Tuesday.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: Activision Blizzard, Tesla, Manchester United and others
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Peter Schacknow | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Tesla (TSLA) – Tesla said its Full Self Driving Beta software is now available to everyone in North America. Tesla rose 2% in premarket trading. Manchester United Shares jumped 14.7% Tuesday and rocketed 25.8% on Wednesday. Nonetheless, the stock rose 1% in the premarket. Deutsche Bank (DB) – The German bank's U.S.-traded shares added 2.4% in the premarket, following a report by RBC Capital that said Deutsche Bank's restructuring progress has been overlooked by investors.

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