insto - Australian financial markets

The team of analysts at mergermarket track private equity news and moves across the Australian market. What follows is a summary of the most significant new PE moves, along with updates on deals that have already been reported.

New situations

• Rio Tinto trying to sell Alcan Engineered Products: Rio Tinto is believed to be in exclusive talks with private-equity house Apollo for the sale of its Alcan Engineered Products division. A report cited persons familiar with the matter as saying that the exclusivity agreement was signed a few weeks ago. The reports cite a labour union member confirming that Rio Tinto was in exclusive talks with a potential buyer.

The deep freeze that descended on financial markets across the most advanced economies one year ago did not spare the M&A world. However there are definite signs of life re-appearing, reports Catherine Raisig*

For a while there it really did look as if mergers and acquisitions teams worldwide had been dealt a lethal blow. With the collapse of US financial services provider Lehman Brothers just over a year ago, M&A activity slumped the world over and the involvement of private equity players in deal activity became virtually non-existent.