According to a private equity trade group, private equity activity significantly increased in 2010. There was an increase in investments, exits, and deal volume. The Private Equity Growth Capital Council announced that the index was above the 10 year moving average and at the highest level since 2007.
To read a related Wall Street Journal article, please click here:
http://blogs.wsj.com/deals/2011/02/03/more-back-patting-by-the-private-equity-industry/
James Sutliff
LinkedIn is planning an initial public offering that could raise as much as $175 million. The LinkedIn IPO may be the first in a string of social media related IPOs in the near future. Groupon and Facebook are expected to test the IPO waters within the next two years. In 2009, total revenue for LinkedIn was $120.1 million which is less than the amount posted for the first nine months of 2010. In July, Tiger Global Management LLC invested $20 million at a valuation of $2 billion.
To read a related Bloomberg article, please click here:
Jim Sutliff
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, crude oil supplies soared 4.8 million barrels last week which exceeded analysts expectations of only 900,000 barrels. Crude prices temporarily increased due to the announcement that the Hovensa refinery in the Virgin Islands will be closed. The announcement drove up prices of heating oil and gasoline and also caused a product driven increase in the price of crude oil. Supplies of crude oil remain at high levels and could significantly increase over the next several weeks.
To read a related Wall Street Journal article, please click here:
http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20110126-713013.html
Jim Sutliff
The IPO market is expected to pick up this year as several private equity backed companies go public. Nielsen Holdings BV will be testing the IPO waters this week and it is a significant offering. The last time that there was a similar wave of public offerings was from 2004 to 2006.
To read the Wall Street Journal article, please click here:
James Sutliff
Producers of natural gas increased their net short positions by almost 10% in the seven day period ending January 18th. The increase in futures and options positions by producers can be an indication that producers expect falling prices in the near term. Near record output is expected and that may cause a price drop as inventories rise in the coming months.
To read a related Bloomberg article, please click here:
Jim Sutliff
Smart Money has an article that ranks the top mutual fund managers in four different categories. The categories covered in the article are Foreign Stock Funds, U.S. Large-Cap Funds, Global Real Estate Funds, and U.S. Small-Cap Funds. A winner and two runner-up funds are listed for each category. Information regarding the five year average annual return and expenses per $10,000 invested are provided for each fund.
To read the Smart Money article, please click here:
http://www.smartmoney.com/investing/mutual-funds/americas-best-mutual-funds-1294429263159/
Jim Sutliff
Recent deals have caused the Securities and Exchange Commission to examine disclosure rules. One rule requires companies with 500 or more shareholders of record to publicly disclose financial information. Special-purpose vehicles like the one constructed in the Facebook deal are likely to be a focus of the SEC.
To read a related Wall Street Journal article, please click here:
Jim Sutliff
Thomson Reuters has a site specifically for leveraged and managed buyouts. The Buyouts site provides news and analysis on deals, data, and funds. Upcoming buyout conferences and events are also showcased on the site.
To visit the Buyouts site, please click here:
James Sutliff
