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    Mergers & acquisitions

    Today

    Gumbuya executive Ron Weinzierl in front of the park’s famous golden pheasant sculpture in 2017.

    Rich Listers seek backers for ‘Victoria’s Disneyland’ Gumbuya World

    Gumbuya Group’s shareholders have mandated boutique corporate adviser Edison Partners to parade the business to potential equity investors.

    • Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
    Orora CEO Brian Lowe.

    Lone Star makes its presence known to target Orora

    Orora has dusted nearly $400 million from its valuation since splashing out $2.2 billion to buy France’s Saverglass last September. 

    • Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
    Macquarie’s AirTrunk is the first big test of tax changes.

    AirTrunk’s $20b auction the first big test of tax changes

    The heat around the Macquarie-backed data centre group has so far papered over the questions raised by two tax changes – one legislated, one prospective.

    • Anthony Macdonald
    WiseTech founder Richard White (right) at his compound in Sydney’s Bexley with Josh Simons, CEO of Vinyl Group.

    Rich Lister-backed Vinyl Group buys firm after HR complaints

    One of Australia’s biggest media industry news websites, Mediaweek, has sold for $1 million to the ASX-listed music company backed by Richard White.

    • Sam Buckingham-Jones
    Veolia Australia and New Zealand CEO Richard Kirkman.

    The country’s biggest garbo goes hunting for big ticket M&A in energy

    Sources said Veolia has been on the prowl for M&A opportunities within the energy sector.

    • Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
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    Yesterday

    Sims chief executive Stephen Mikkelsen.

    Struggling Sims liquidates $435m in assets in strategic reset

    Metal recycler Sims has sold two assets as it tries to survive the toughest recycling market in a decade.

    • Peter Ker
    TPG Capital country head Joel Thickins’ efforts to sell Novotech for north of $3 billion spells a massive payday for the firm that bought it for less than $400 million in 2017.

    TPG Capital fine-tunes details for $3b Novotech sale

    The private equity firm will push sales documents for its clinical trials business this month, intending to ink a deal by the end of this year.

    • Aaron Weinman and Anthony Macdonald
    Viburnum Funds managing partner Craig Coleman.

    Viburnum Funds sets sights on Coventry Group breakup

    Fluids spoke for about 43 per cent of the group’s total $371.3 million revenue in the 2024 financial year.

    • Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
    CAR Group boss Cameron McIntyre (right), with David McMinn who runs US-based Trader Interactive.

    EVs sales splutter, but not this group’s offshore expansion strategy

    CAR Group’s big move in the US came at a time of rising rates and softening consumer demand. It still worked.

    • Anthony Macdonald
    Nature’s Care headquarters in Belrose, Sydney.

    Nature’s Care sale docs in front of potential buyers; NBIOs due Sept 6

    Although the company returned a $23.7 million operating profit in 2023, it has struggled under a heavy debt load and missed a $148 million debt payment last month.

    • Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
    Optus is in an increasingly acrimonious dispute with the owner of its network infrastructure, AustralianSuper.

    Optus falls out with its mobile towers investor AustralianSuper

    The country’s largest super fund acquired a controlling stake in the telco’s infrastructure business for almost $2 billion in 2021. But relations have since soured.

    • Aaron Weinman and Jenny Wiggins

    This Month

    Metcash bought the 15 per cent of Total Tools it didn’t already own in November.

    Shareholders move against Metcash as hardware spin-out hopes fade

    Street Talk understands influential shareholders harbouring concerns about Metcash’s Independent Hardware Group as Wesfarmer’s Tool Kit Depot ramps up its national expansion.

    • Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
    Plumbing supplies business Tradelink has a new owner.

    Fletcher Building sells Tradelink to one of America’s richest families

    Blackfriars is controlled by the secretive Colburn family, and was self-advised. 

    • Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
    Australian PE firms have slowed fundraising and dealmaking activity.

    Software darling shuns suitors to try its own private equity job

    It is a big call to go it alone. Many would buckle when PE approaches because the turnaround is too hard – or they don’t want to pass up a quick buck.

    • Anthony Macdonald
    Tiffany & Co’s flagship store at 175 Pitt Street.

    Dexus, CPPIB in advanced talks to sell Sydney’s $550m Tiffany building

    The tower’s book value was about $622 million as of December 31, but this was slashed to about $550 million during Dexus’ revaluation of its portfolio in June.

    • Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
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    Orora CEO Brian Lowe.

    Orora taps UBS as private capital lurks after $2.2b Saverglass buy

    Should Orora’s share price pain attract a bidder, it would end the former Amcor unit’s 11-year stay on the ASX boards.

    • Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
    NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo (left), Fox Corp chief executive Lachlan Murdoch, and ARL Commission chairman  Peter V’landys in Las Vegas.

    Foxtel on the block as News Corp confronts reality

    The publishing and broadcasting multinational says there is acquisition interest in its pay television arm after a year-long study of its assets.

    • Updated
    • Sam Buckingham-Jones
    Collapsed EV fast-charging group Tritium has been bought out by Indian group Exicom for $45 million. It was valued at $2 billion in 2022.

    Former Rich Lister applauds Tritium sale despite $100m up in smoke

    Former coal baron Trevor St Baker says the $45m sale of collapsed EV fast-charging station group Tritium crystallised a big loss for him, but new owner Exicom will be a good steward.

    • Simon Evans
    Wingate Group founder and chief executive Farrel Meltzer is in talks with a Singaporean investor over a stake in the private credit firm.

    Wingate Group on the sales block as investors circle private credit

    The Melbourne-based investment manager is in discussions with a Singaporean suitor about a potential investment or takeover that could be sealed this month.

    • Aaron Weinman
    Mark Creasy emigrated from the UK in 1964, after graduating from the British Royal School of Mines, and took a job in a Queensland coal mine.

    Creasy in talks to buy Macquarie’s $148m debt at bombed-out gold miner

    Sources say the trade has been agreed at (or close to) par with its carrying value, meaning Macquarie would make whole on its money.

    • Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport