VCJ Staff

Baring Asia Private Equity has acquired a 25% stake in AirTAC Automatic Industrial Co., a Chinese manufacturer and distributor of pneumatic components. No financial terms were disclosed. www.airtacworld.com

GP Investments has acquired a 14.4% stake in Brazilian shopping center developer Grupo Ecisa for approximately $45 million. In related news, a U.S.-based real estate private equity firm also will subscribe for an equal equity stake. www.gpinvestimentos.com

Amoun Pharmaceuticals of Egypt has been acquired for approximately $460 million by Citigroup Venture Capital, Capital International Private Equity Fund IV and Concord International, according to Reuters. The deal involves the 93% of the company's stock that is not publicly traded. The buyers are expected to make an offer for the 7% of remaining shares. […]

Macquarie Infrastructure Partners has agreed to acquire Halterm Ltd., operator of a shipping terminal at the Port of Halifax, Canada. The deal is valued at approximately Cnd$172.75 million. www.halterm.com

3M is considering a sale of its pharmaceuticals division (mostly generics), according to The Economic Times. The paper reports that the deal could be worth up to $1 billion, with likely suitors including Warburg Pincus and Indian drug companies Ranbaxy and Wockhardt. www.3m.com

Private equity firms reportedly are abandoning their efforts to acquire France-based sports marketing agency Sportfive SA, due to opposition from France's Football Authority. Interested firms had included Hellman & Friedman (teamed with WPP), Apollo, Cinven and Permira. Only strategic bidders remain. The deal is expected to be worth between 800 million and 1 billion euros. […]

Bain Capital Partners and Catterton Partners have agreed to acquire OSI Restaurant Partners Inc. (NYSE: OSI), a restaurant operator whose brands include Outback Steakhouse, Cheeseburger in Paradise, Roy's and Carrabba's Italian Grill. The deal is for $40 per share, or approximately $3.2 billion (including assumed debt). It is expected to close by next April, with […]

Linde AG has agreed to sell forklift division KION Group to KKR and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners for Euro 4 billion (including Euro 400 million of assumed liabilities). www.linde.com

Videndi SA invited KKR to discuss a possible $50 billion buyout of the media conglomerate, but the talks ultimately fell apart, according to the NY Times. Hurdles to such a deal would include potential tax liabilities and French regulations that prevent foreign firms like KKR from holding majority stakes in broadcasters like Vivendi unit Canal […]

Four Seasons Hotels Inc. (NYSE: FS) has received an $82 per share buyout offer from company Cascade Investment (backed by Bill Gates), Kingdom Hotels International (backed by Saudi Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud) and Four Seasons chairman and CEO Isadore Sharp. The total deal would value Four Seasons at approximately $3.7 billion. www.fourseasons.com