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HONG KONG, Feb 4 (Reuters) - News and developments in Asiaprivate equity from Reuters News for the week ending Feb. 1.
FEBRUARY 1
RRJ CAPITAL, a Hong Kong firm led by prominent Asiadealmakers, the Ong brothers, has raised $3.5 billion for itssecond fund, a source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters,making it the second-largest Asia Pacific-based private equityfund ever raised.
U.S. COLLEGE and university endowments posted an averageloss of 0.3 percent for fiscal 2012, a sharp reversal from again of 19.2 percent a year earlier, pressured by volatileinternational equity markets, according to a study released onFriday.
JANUARY 31
SHARES OF Chinalco Mining Corp International, aunit of China's top aluminium group, Aluminum Corp of China,fell as much as 11.4 percent on their Hong Kong debut, a weekafter pricing its $400 million initial public offering near themid-point of an indicative range.
BLACKSTONE GROUP LP reported a 43 percent rise infourth-quarter profit, capping what it called its best year as apublicly listed alternative asset manager, despite a lacklustreperformance by its flagship real-estate business.
BRITISH PRIVATE equity group 3i said it had madestrong progress in its efforts to restructure the business andwas on track to cut debt below 1 billion pounds ($1.58 billion)by June.
JANUARY 30
CHINA-FOCUSED private equity firm Lunar Capital said it hasestablished a joint venture to develop Italian kids fashionbrand I Pinco Pallino in China and Southeast Asia, with plans toopen 50 stores within the next five years.
PRIVATE EQUITY fund MBK Partners has expressed interest inacquiring ING Groep NV's South Korean insurance unit,the Korea Economic Daily reported.
JANUARY 28
GIANT CANADIAN pension fund Ontario Teachers' Pension Planhas emerged as a final-round bidder for the fibre-opticsbusiness of Leighton Holdings Ltd, according to sourceswith knowledge of the matter, a business that analysts have saidcould fetch as much as A$870 million ($908.15million).
THE FORMER chairman of a Chinese mining equipment firmbought by Caterpillar Inc said he was dismayed byallegations of accounting misconduct at a subsidiary thatprompted the U.S. firm to take a $580 million writedown.
CATERPILLAR, THE world's largest maker of constructionequipment, posted a 55 percent drop in quarterly profit and seta cautious tone for the year, citing weak demand and oversupply.
