Financial News: Coller Plots $5B Fundraising Return

By Paul Hodkinson Of FINANCIAL NEWS Coller Capital, one of the world's largest secondaries firms, is set to return to fundraising in the autumn with a target of about $5 billion, according to investors. The firm's existing fund passed its 75% investment threshold--the point at which firms typically start raising a new fund--with its acquisition of the Bank of Scotland Integrated Finance portfolio from Lloyds Banking Group PLC (LLOY.LN) last week. The portfolio of mid-sized U.K. companies, which includes tailor TM Lewin, cinema company Vue Entertainment and gym franchise David Lloyd, was valued at GBP480 million. Coller declined to comment. In 2007, the firm closed the then largest secondaries fund at $4.8 billion. The fund has been involved with some of the market's highest-profile transactions, including the acquisitions last year of a venture portfolio from 3i Group (III.LN) and a 24% stake in listed investor SVG Capital (SVI.LN), Permira's biggest investor. Last April, Goldman Sachs Group (GS) raised the largest secondaries fund to date at $5.5 billion. A drop in asset values resulted in the total value of secondaries deals slumping to $12.3 billion last year from $20 billion the previous year, according to data provider Preqin. But a rise in prices since the beginning of this year has encouraged potential sellers now that discounts are narrowing, according to various market participants. Web site: www.efinancialnews.com (END) Dow Jones Newswires July 18, 2010 20:01 ET (00:01 GMT)