Clearlake Capital completes the acquisition of Dun & Bradstreet for $7.7bn.

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AMERICAS

FalconPoint Partners completes the acquisition of SMS.

FalconPoint Partners, a a private equity firm focused on investing in North American middle market companies in the business services and industrials sectors, completed the acquisition of SMS, a high-growth industrial services business, according to press releases. Financial terms were not disclosed.

SMS was advised by Headwall Partners and Levenfeld Pearlstein. FalconPoint Partners was advised by Moelis & Co, Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison (led by Angelo Bonvino) and Joele Frank (led by Ed Trissel), according to press releases.

Pacific Avenue Capital to acquire the self service segment from LKQ Corporation for $410m.

Pacific Avenue Capital, a middle-market private equity firm, agreed to acquire the self service segment from LKQ Corporation, a provider of alternative and specialty parts to repair and accessorize automobiles and other vehicles, for $410m, according to press releases.

LKQ Corporation is advised by Jefferies & Company and Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz (led by Mark Stagliano), according to press releases.

Partners Group completes the acquisition of a minority stake in restor3d for $65m.

Partners Group, a private equity firm, completed the acquisition of a minority stake in restor3d, a technology-driven personalized orthopedic solutions company, for $65m, according to press releases.

restor3d was advised by Jones Day (led by William Zawrotny). Partners Group was advised by Ropes & Gray (led by Bradford Flint, Joe Muller and Kayla King), according to MergerLinks data.

WhiteWater, MPLX, ONEOK and Enbridge formed a joint venture.

WhiteWater, an infrastructure company and operator of multiple gas transmission assets, MPLX, a diversified, large-cap master limited partnership that owns and operates midstream energy infrastructure and logistics assets, ONEOK, a provider of energy products and services vital, and Enbridge, a pipeline and energy company, formed a joint venture, a pipeline that is designed to transport up to 2bn cubic feet per day of natural gas through approximately 450 miles of 42-inch pipeline from the Permian Basin in West Texas to the Katy area, according to press releases. Financial terms were not disclosed.

WhiteWater was advised by Simpson Thacher & Bartlett (led by Shamus Crosby), according to MergerLinks data.

Gauge Capital completes the acquisition of APHIX.

Gauge Capital, a private equity firm, completed the acquisition of APHIX, a comprehensive exterior facility management services company, according to press releases. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Gauge Capital was advised by Ropes & Gray (led by Matthew Richards), according to press releases.

Atwell completes the acquisition of Manhard Consulting.

Atwell, a full-service consulting, engineering and construction services firm, completed the acquisition of Manhard Consulting, a full-service land development firm specializing in civil engineering, surveying, and land planning, according to press releases. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Danforth Advisors completes the acquisition of PharmaDirections.

Danforth Advisors, a life science industry’s trusted partner for strategic and operational support across business, clinical, and commercial functions, completed the acquisition of PharmaDirections, a full-spectrum development partner to life science companies, according to press releases. Financial terms were not disclosed.

EPIC Crude pipeline owners explore $3bn sale. (Reuters)

The owners of the EPIC Crude pipeline are weighing a potential sale that could value the energy infrastructure at about $3bn, including debt.

EPIC Crude, which entered full service in 2020, is one of the main pipelines transporting oil from Texas’s Permian and Eagle Ford shale basins to export facilities on the US Gulf Coast. It has a capacity of more than 600k barrels per day.

Buffett shoots down talk of Berkshire railroad merger. (Reuters)

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett on August 25 confirmed that Berkshire Hathaway is not pursuing a merger with another railroad company, ending speculation of a potential acquisition.

The clarification followed a decline in CSX shares, which fell 5% as investors weighed the possibility of a deal involving Berkshire’s rail unit BNSF. A company spokesperson later reiterated that no acquisition plans are currently under consideration.

Elliott's bid for Citgo tops Gold Reserve's. (Bloomberg)

A court-appointed adviser confirmed that a revised bid from Amber Energy, an affiliate of Elliott Investment Management, surpassed Gold Reserve’s offer in the latest round to acquire PDV Holding, the parent company of Citgo Petroleum.

The development adds a new chapter to the long-running legal process surrounding PDV Holding, which a Delaware court is selling to satisfy roughly $20bn in judgments linked to Venezuela and its state-owned oil company Petroleos de Venezuela. The hearing for the sale is scheduled to begin on September 15.

EMEA

Dubai's Sidara lowers bid for Wood Group following UK regulator probe. (Press Release)

Dubai-based Sidara has lowered its takeover proposal for Wood Group by about 14% to 30 pence per share, following the launch of a regulatory probe into the oilfield services company’s operations. The revised bid values Wood Group at around £208m ($280m). The company indicated it would recommend the offer to shareholders if Sidara submits a formal proposal.

Wood Group is advised by Europa Partners (led by Jan Skarbek and David Fudge), JP Morgan (led by Richard Perelman and James Robinson), Morgan Stanley (led by Tom Perry), Rothschild & Co (led by John Deans and Paul Duffy), Slaughter & May and FTI Consulting (led by Alex Le May and Nick Hasell), according to press releases and MergerLinks data.

Halma completes the acquisition of Brownline for £129m.

Halma, a global group of life-saving technology companies, completed the acquisition of Brownline, a provider of smart, trenchless underground drilling technology, for £129m ($174m), according to press releases.

Halma was advised by MHP Communications (led by Oliver Hughes), according to press releases.

Lunate completes the acquisition of a minority stake in Brevan Howard.

Lunate, an alternative investment manager, completed the acquisition of a minority stake in Brevan Howard, a hedge fund manager, according to press releases. Financial terms were not disclosed.

IT firm Aces said to weigh stake sale amid Saudi digital push. (Bloomberg)

Saudi Arabia-based Advanced Communications and Electronics Systems, also known as Aces, is considering a sale of a minority stake, offering investors exposure to the kingdom's expanding digital infrastructure market.

The company is collaborating with EFG Hermes on the potential transaction. Aces is currently owned by its founders and investment firm ewpartners, and discussions on the deal are ongoing.

US and Russian officials discussed energy deals alongside latest Ukraine peace talks. (Reuters)

US and Russian government officials recently discussed a series of potential energy deals during peace negotiations aimed at resolving the war in Ukraine.

The proposals were framed as possible incentives to secure Russian cooperation on a peace framework and to prompt Washington to ease sanctions. Moscow has faced severe restrictions on investment and dealmaking in its energy sector since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Europe's IPO market prepares to bounce back from tariff turmoil. (Bloomberg)

A group of multi-billion dollar companies is preparing to drive a rebound in Europe’s initial public offering market this fall, offsetting the region’s slowest first half in more than a decade.

Alarm company Verisure, specialist lender Shawbrook Group and financial data provider ISS Stoxx are among the firms planning to pursue public listings during the next IPO window, which typically runs from mid-September to early November. In total, at least a dozen companies are considering public debuts.

APAC

Ki and Public Storage failed to acquire the remaining shares in Abacus Storage King.

Ki, a furniture manufacturer, and Public Storage, a REIT that primarily acquires, develops, owns, and operates self-storage facilities, failed to acquire the remaining shares in Abacus Storage King, one of the largest self-storage owners in Australia and New Zealand, according to press releases.

Capgemini to acquire Cloud4C.

Capgemini, an information technology services and consulting company, agreed to acquire Cloud4C, a provider of automation-driven managed services for hybrid and sovereign cloud environments, according to press releases, according to press releases. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Capgemini is advised by Barclays, according to MergerLinks data.

EssilorLuxottica considers increasing stake in Nikon. (Bloomberg)

EssilorLuxottica, the Franco-Italian maker of Ray-Ban sunglasses, is exploring a potential move to increase its stake in Japanese optical equipment maker Nikon.

The company is considering raising its holding to around 20%, up from its current nearly 9% stake, as it looks to strengthen its position in the optical equipment market. Discussions are ongoing, and no final decision has been made.

India's Jakson Engineers to invest over $914m in solar manufacturing plant. (Reuters)

India’s Jakson Engineers plans to invest over INR80bn ($914m) to construct a 6-gigawatt solar cell and module manufacturing facility in the central state of Madhya Pradesh.

The project will be developed by two privately held companies within the Jakson Group, an energy solutions conglomerate positioning itself to meet India’s rising demand for renewable energy. The investment aligns with the government’s goal of adding at least 500 gigawatts of clean energy capacity by 2030.

Africa's Madhvani in talks with Cerberus for Indian M&A loan. (Bloomberg)

Ugandan conglomerate Madhvani is in discussions with Cerberus Capital Management for a private credit loan of approximately $190m to support its planned acquisition of Indian glass bottle maker Hindustan National Glass & Industries.

The proposed loan would have a tenor of around three years. Talks are ongoing, and the terms and structure of the potential financing are still being finalized.

Canada's Alberta eyes investment in Japan's refining to boost oil exports. (Reuters)

Alberta, Canada’s main oil-producing province, is weighing a potential investment in Japan’s refining sector as part of efforts to reduce its heavy reliance on the United States for crude exports.

The provincial government has begun early discussions with several Japanese refiners about a possible joint venture that would involve funding a coker unit, enabling them to process heavy crude from Alberta’s oil sands.

German company is set to scrap politically sensitive Chinese turbine deal. (Reuters)

Hamburg-based asset manager Luxcara may abandon a deal with China’s Ming Yang Smart Energy to supply turbines for its 300-megawatt Waterkant offshore wind farm, citing operational considerations. The company noted that improved security would be an additional benefit of the change.

Luxcara has instead reserved capacity for 19 turbines from Siemens Gamesa, the wind power unit of Siemens Energy. The agreement with Ming Yang was originally announced in 2024.

Tekscend Photomask targets $2 billion valuation in Japan IPO. (Reuters)

Tekscend Photomask, a Japanese manufacturer of photomasks used in chipmaking, is targeting a valuation of about JPY300bn ($2bn) in its planned initial public offering.

The Toppan Holdings subsidiary could receive approval from the Tokyo Stock Exchange as early as late September, with preparations for the listing already underway.

TPG-backed SK Finance said to shelve India IPO after weak demand. (Bloomberg)

TPG-backed SK Finance has abandoned plans for an initial public offering in India after investor demand for the deal proved insufficient.

The non-bank lender had sought to launch the offering earlier this month, reducing both the valuation and the size of the offer to INR16bn ($183m) from INR22bn ($251m), but interest remained below expectations.

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