Asia Private Equity Weekly News, March 24, 2014

HONG KONG, March 24 (Reuters) - News and developments in Asia private equity from Reuters News for the week ending March 21.

MARCH 21

NEW ZEALAND'S Superannuation Fund said it would invest $250 million in North American gas and oil investments run by global private equity firm KKR & Co LP KKR.N , tripling its investment in the company as the state pension fund increases its exposure to private equity. News Search ID:nL3N0MI0JC

SINGAPORE STATE investor Temasek Holdings Href="NewsSearch">TEM.UL has agreed to buy just under a quarter of health and beauty retailer A.S. Watson for about $5.7 billion in what would be its single biggest investment and one that would boost its exposure to Asia's fast growing consumer sector. News Search ID:nL3N0MI1TA

SHARES IN China's GOME Electrical Appliances Holding Ltd

0493.HK , which is backed by private equity firm Bain Capital, were set to open up 11.7 percent after it reported a better-than-expected profit for 2013. News Search ID:nH9N0ME009

CHINA HUIYUAN Juice Group Ltd 1886.HK will issue $150 million worth of convertible bonds to a unit of Temasek, as China's top pure fruit juice producer aims to expand its investor base. News Search ID:nL3N0MI0MQ

THE VALUE of announced mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in Asia-Pacific excluding Japan rose 22.1 percent to $112.7 billion in the first quarter from a year earlier, the strongest start to a year since 2011, preliminary data from Thomson Reuters showed.

News Search ID:nL3N0MH2P9

BARING PRIVATE Equity Asia's education company Nord Anglia

IPO-NORD.N debuted a $515 million term loan, which was trading at 100.25-101.25, Thomson Reuters LPC reported citing sources.

News Search ID:nRLP43697a

MARCH 20

INDIA'S CITIUSTECH said U.S.-based buyout firm General Atlantic LLC has agreed to invest in the healthcare technology services and solutions provider to help it expand business globally. News Search ID:nL3N0MH3NU

IDFC ALTERNATIVES Ltd, a private equity fund managed by India's IDFC Ltd IDFC.NS , raised 7.5 billion rupees ($122.94 million) for a debt fund that will lend to developers of residential real-estate across the country. News Search ID:nL3N0MH26H

MARCH 19

JAPAN'S SEIBU Holdings said it has received approval to list its shares on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on April 23 in an initial public offering that sources said would be worth about $1.8 billion, one of the country's biggest IPOs this year.

News Search ID:nL3N0MG1SZ

CHINESE INTERNET stock YY YY.O , which operates social platforms, raised $400 million from a convertible bond offering, which has a coupon of 2.25 percent and a conversion premium of 35 percent, IFR reported.

ZOYI CAPITAL, a private equity firm whose co-founders include Blackstone Group's BX.N former Greater China vice-chairman Andrew Kuo, said it has invested an unspecified amount in Pink Lady, which makes and distributes high-end women's apparel in China. Href="NewsSearch">http://link.reuters.com/tab87v

MARCH 18

CHINESE PRIVATE equity firm Yunfeng Capital, co-founded by Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's IPO-ALIB.N Jack Ma, is raising up to $1 billion in its second fund, a person with knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Tuesday. News Search ID:nL3N0MF164

JAPAN'S FAST Retailing Co Ltd 9983.T , parent of apparel chain Uniqlo, is no longer in talks to buy U.S. clothing retailer J.Crew Group Inc from its private equity owners, three people familiar with the matter said. News Search ID:nL2N0MF1VT

MACQUARIE GROUP Ltd MQG.AX , Australia's top investment bank, has agreed to sell its private equity funds management division to the unit's three managers, a source with direct knowledge of the deal told Reuters. News Search ID:nL3N0ME4ND

MARCH 17

GIANT INVESTMENT Ltd will acquire Chinese online gaming company Giant Interactive Group Inc GA.N for $3 billion and take it private, the companies said. News Search ID:nL2N0MD0M3

AUSTRALIAN CHILDCARE centre owner Stirling Early Education Ltd said it had cancelled plans for a A$200 million ($180 million) public float after it failed to attract investors following an earnings downgrade. News Search ID:nL3N0ME05A

ALIBABA'S DOMINANCE of online retail in China faces its biggest-ever challenge as the firm founded by Jack Ma in a one-room apartment 15 years ago lines up a U.S. initial public offering that could value the firm at around $140 billion.

News Search ID:nL3N0M728G

MARCH 16

CHINESE E-COMMERCE giant Alibaba has decided to hold its long-awaited IPO in the United States and is in discussions with six banks to underwrite the deal, in what is set to the most high-profile public offering since Facebook Inc's listing nearly two years ago. News Search ID:nL3N0MD05P

MARCH 15

TWITTER-LIKE messaging service Weibo Corp filed on Friday to raise $500 million via a U.S. initial public offering, as Chinese companies flock to the American market in record numbers to take advantage of soaring valuations.

(Compiled by Stephen Aldred; Editing by Anupama Dwivedi)

((stephen.aldred@thomsonreuters.com)(+852 2912 6609)(Reuters Messaging: stephen.aldred.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))

Keywords: PVE WEEKLY/