Buyout funds are set to extend a record spending spree in Asia to the rest of the year but they will be mostly seeking deals outside China, where concerns about the economy are likely to outweigh any easing of a regulatory crackdown, dealmakers said.
Funding Societies, a Southeast Asian digital financing platform, has raised $144 million equity in a funding round led by SoftBank Group Corp's SoftBank Vision Fund 2, as it expands in one of the fastest growing digital markets.
Spanish power and gas group Naturgy slightly beat its 2021 earnings guidance on Friday, boosted by a recovery in energy demand as the global economy emerged from the COVID-19 slump and higher gas prices.
Buyout funds including KKR and Permira are lining up preliminary bids worth up to 2 billion euros ($2.24 billion) for Spain's IVI-RMA, sources told Reuters, amid growing demand for companies offering fertility treatment in Europe.
Dealmaking in the U.S. oil and gas industry halved in value in the fourth quarter from the third, with the annual total falling short of the pre-pandemic average, according to data published by analytics firm Enverus on Thursday.