Blogs

Financially strapped OJSC Kharkivmetrobud (KMB) will go on the auction block in March 2010 as part of court-ordered bankruptcy proceedings. Ukraine's State Property Fund has announced plans to sell 50% plus one share at a starting price of UAH 3 million. Arca Capital, which owns a 38% stake in KMB, has not indicated whether or not it has interest in the acquisition.

After a successful 29-month investment in Nidan Juices, Britain's Lion Capital is looking at offers to sell its 75% stake in the Russian juice producer. Lion Capital has been working with possible buyers including Baltiks and Wimm-Bill-Dann, but Coca-Cola is the front-runner having already completed due diligence.

Russian media giant ProfMedia announced in November of last year its plans to de-list Rambler Media from the London Stock Exchange's Alternative Investment Market. Now the company is looking to offer up to 40% of its own stock in a London IPO set for April of this year. The offering, which could potentially raise USD 800 million to USD 1 billion, would increase the value of ProfMedia to nearly USD 2.5 billion.

VEM, the parent company of Ratiopharm, has directed Commerzbank and BNP Paribas to put together staple financing in support of potential Ratiopharm bidders. VEM put the German pharmaceutical producer on the auction block earlier this year in an attempt to raise capital to pay down debts.

Karel Komarek's KKCG Finance might be entertaining the sale the Atlantik Group, one of the Czech Republic's leading securities dealers. KKCG has allegedly spoken with several potential investors about a deal to let Atlantik go for as much as CZK 900 million, with Ernst & Young acting as sale advisor. Though Komarek and KKCG spokesman Daniel Plovajko have been tight-lipped about the potential sale, neither they nor officials at Atlantik have denied the rumors.

United Company Rusal, the Russian aluminum producer based in Moscow, has filed A1 paperwork in Hong Kong to begin the process of listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. If the IPO goes through Rusal would become the first Russian company to list on the exchange, whose listing companies have raised USD 13 billion USD so far this year. Rusal’s controlling shareholder, Oleg Deripaska, seeks to offer investors up to a 10% stake of the company in order to satisfy more than USD 14 billion in outstanding debt.

Despite a good reputation and thorough security clearances from the Czech Republic, Poland, and NATO, Czech private equity firm Penta is suspected of having close ties to the Kremlin. The suspicions were made public when Polish radio reported remarks made by Aleksander Szczyglo, head of the National Security Office (NSO), who is apparently concerned with Penta's involvement with a former Czech secret service officer. Szczyglo also expressed concerns with the unknown origin of some of Penta's funds. Penta officials have claimed the suspicions are unfounded and have asked for a formal apology from Szczyglo.

Danone, the French food products company known worldwide for its Danone Yogurt and Evian bottled water, is apparently interested in the Serbian dairy industry. Danone is currently talking with Salford Capital Partners, owners of Danube Foods Group, about acquiring two of its dairy companies in Serbia. Salford officials confirm the talks with Danone but say there are other potential investors they are also communicating with.

Ludwig Merckle, son of the late German billionaire Adolf Merckle, has begun shedding assets in an attempt to raise capital to pay down debt. Among the assets being disposed of is German generic drug manufacturer Ratiopharm GmbH. VEM, Merckle's main investment vehicle, is responsible for conducting the sale which has attracted plenty of potential buyers including Mylan, Sanofi-Aventis, and Teva.

Czech-Slovak investment group Penta Investments has shown interest in acquiring one of Hungary's oldest meat producers, the Herz Salami Factory located in Budapest. Herz announced massive layoffs of nearly 450 this past spring as it struggled to finance daily operations. The company was ordered to liquidate a month later and all assets be sold, including the remaining product still at the Herz factory store. The sale was originally planned for early July but lack of interest caused authorities to delay the liquidation indefinitely.