Private equity investors' pursuit of Asciano Group concluded following the company's announcement that it will turn to the public market to raise capital. As a result of popular demand, Asciano increased its capital raising objective from A$2 billion (US$1.58 billion) to A$2.35 billion.
       Earlier reports suggested that The Carlyle Group, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., TPG and Global Infrastructure Partners have expressed interest in Asciano. (Australia)

The China Investment Corp has agreed to commit A$200 million (US$158.8 million) in Goodman Group's finance facility, which the latter had earlier entered into with Macquarie Bank Ltd.. (Australia)

The China Investment Corp. has started a new recruitment drive for its 13 departments, hoping to fill posts in 38 categories. The search includes candidates for its Private Market Investment Department which includes private equity. (People's Republic of China)

The Blackstone Group is believed to be moving toward the launch of its first yuan-denominated fund. According to Reuters, the private equity firm is setting up a wholly-owned China subsidiary in Shanghai, a move that suggests it could be setting up a yuan fund. (People's Republic of China)

The CPP Investment Board has sweetened the terms in its pursuit of Macquarie Communications Infrastructure Group ('MCG'). In addition to the purchase price of A$2.50 (US$2) per share, the Canadian public pension fund has agreed to make a special capital distribution of A$0.50 per stapled security to MCG's stockholders. (Australia)

The International Finance Corp. is considering a US$2 million investment in Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies Pte. Ltd. ('Horizon Fuel'), a Singapore-domiciled fuel cell technology company with operations in China.
       This is Horizon Fuel's second round of financing. Last year, the Hong Kong-based Entropy Ventures LLC invested in the company. (People's Republic of China)

Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China Ltd. announced it will deploy an aggregate 22.1 billion yuan (US$3.2 billion) to become a substantial shareholder in Shenzhen Development Bank. The purchase includes the stake currently held by TPG. (People's Republic of China)

SBI Holdings Inc. has joined hands with PNB Equity Resource Corp. Sdn. Berhad, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Malaysia's state-owned investment company Permodalan Nasional Berhad, to set up an investment fund. The two parties will each sponsor half of the fund pool. (Pan-Asia)

The People's Government of Suqian City has recently set up a 100 million yuan (US$14.6 million) guidance fund for the city, which is located in Jiangsu province. The new guidance fund aims to support the growth of small and medium companies in the city. (People's Republic of China)

Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. ('KKR') has completed a series of investments in Ma Anshan Modern Farming Co. Ltd. ('Modern Farming'), a leading dairy company based in Anhui province. KKR was first known to have made a commitment to Modern Farming in late 2008. (People's Republic of China)

Matrix Partners China led in the latest fund raising exercise undertaken by PolyBona Film Distribution Co., Ltd. ('PolyBona'), joined by SIG China and Sequoia Capital China. PolyBona is a leading film distribution company in China. (People's Republic of China)

Qiming Venture Partners has invested US$5 million into TaoMee.com, which operates a children's community on the internet. (People's Republic of China)

Accel India has invested in payment solutions company enStage, Inc, for an undisclosed amount. enStage facilitates global payment solutions via online, point of sale, smart card and mobile device applications. (‪USA)

The bidding for Nikko Asset Management ('Nikko AM') has entered a new phase, with four major Japanese financial institutions, Nomura Holdings Inc., Mizuho Financial Group Inc., Sumitomo Financial Group Inc. and T&D Holdings, among the second round bidders. The deal is said to be worth over US$1 billion.
       In 2004, Warburg Pincus and GIC Special Investments Pte. Ltd. invested in Nikko AM. (Japan)

Lumena Resources Corp. ('Lumena'), backed by STIC Investments Inc. was successfully listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong on 16th June. Its share price gained 19% on its first day of trading. Lumena is a Sichuan-based thenardite producer. (People's Republic of China)

Pacific Alliance Group has reportedly hired Morgan Stanley to sell its controlling stake in Goodbaby Group. The transaction is said to be valued at around US$300 million. (People's Republic of China)

A consortium led by KTB Securities has signed a definitive agreement with MagnaChip Semiconductor Ltd. ('MagnaChip') to acquire the South Korea-based semiconductor firm for an undisclosed amount.
       MagnaChip was formed in October 2004 when a consortium of investors, including CVC Asia Pacific and Francisco Partners orchestrated a buyout. (South Korea)