Major Sovereign Wealth Funds Deals through January 2008

According to Thompson Financial via Gulf News:

 

Most Notable Sovereign Wealth Fund Deals of 2007

2007 was the year sovereign wealth funds put themselves on the map. In order to understand the evolution of SWFs, it’s obligatory to take a critical look at some of the landmark events of that important year. Expect to see more 2007 reviews, commentaries, and analytical pieces in the comings weeks. To kick things off, a review of the most newsworthy SWF deals of 2007:

• Dec. 24, 2007: Merrill Lynch says it will sell a stake in itself of at least $4.4 billion, and up to $5 billion, to Singapore’s state-run Temasek Holdings. Temasek will hold less than 10 percent of Merrill and have no voting control. Merrill also agreed to sell a $1.2 billion stake to domestic investors

• Dec. 10, 2007: UBS AG announces that the Government of Singapore Investment Corp., a sovereign-wealth fund, is investing $9.75 billion for a 9 percent stake in the Swiss banking giant, while an undisclosed strategic investor in the Middle East is contributing $1.77 billion in UBS AG.

• Nov. 26, 2007: Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, the sovereign investment fund of the Gulf Arab state, acquires a 4.9 percent stake in Citigroup Inc., the largest U.S. bank, for $7.5 billion.

• Nov. 7, 2007: Central Huijin Investment Co., China’s largest state-owned investment arm, acquires 71 percent of China’s joint-stock China Everbright Bank for $2.7 billion.

• Oct. 29, 2007: Dubai International Capital, owned by Dubai-ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, acquires 9.9 percent outstanding equity stake in Och-Ziff Capital Management Group, a U.S.-based hedge fund, for more than $1.1 billion. Och-Ziff goes public in November on the New York Stock Exchange.

• Oct. 22, 2007: China’s government-controlled Citic Securities Co. and U.S. investment bank Bear Stearns Cos. agree to invest $1 billion in each other for minority stakes that could be expanded. They will also operate a 50-50 joint venture in Hong Kong to offer capital markets services across Asia.

• Sept. 20, 2007: The Qatar Investment Authority, Qatar’s sovereign investment fund, acquires a 20 percent stake in the London Stock Exchange and nearly 10 percent of Nordic bourse operator OMX AB.

• Sept. 20, 2007: Abu Dhabi-based Mubadala Development Co., an investment arm of the Abu Dhabi government, buys a 7.5 percent stake of the management operations of one of the world’s largest private-equity firms, Carlyle Group, for $1.35 billion

• July 23, 2007: China Development Bank, a Chinese state agency, agrees to pay $3 billion for a 3.1 percent stake in British bank Barclays PLC, and Temasek Holdings, a sovereign wealth fund in Singapore, agrees to pay $2 billion for a 1.77 percent stake in Barclays.

• July 13, 2007: Dubai International Capital purchases a 2.87 percent stake in one of India’s largest banks, ICICI Bank Ltd., for $750 million.

• May 20, 2007: China’s state investment company agrees to pay $3 billion for a 10 percent stake in U.S. private equity firm Blackstone Group LP. The Chinese investment company agreed to buy nonvoting shares in Blackstone concurrent with Blackstone’s initial public offering.

• May 2, 2007: Dubai International Capital buys a undisclosed stake in British bank HSBC Holdings PLC.