Shares in French liquor company Remy Cointreau declined by more than 2% to €59.19 per share on Friday, following the resignation of its chief executive officer Frederic Pflanz. Pflanz quit his post three months after being promoted from his role as chief operating officer.
Europe
Global private equity fundraising reaches $431B in 2013
The private equity industry worldwide was able to reach $431 billion in fundraising last year, an increase of 13% from the funds raised in 2012, a Preqin study revealed.
Finland food group HKScan exits stake in Swedish meat firm
Finland-based food group HKScan has inked an agreement to divest its 49% stake in Switzerland-based meat company Nyhlens & Hugosons Chark for €2.2 million ($3 million) in cash.
Hungary to divest stake in savings bank Takarekbank
The government of Hungary eyes the sale of its majority stake in savings bank Takarekbank, according to a government decree reported by Magyar Kozlony, the country's official gazette.
Private lending in the Euro Zone drops to 20-year low
The data released in a report by the European Central Bank on Friday saw the hesitation of financial institutions in extending credit to households and businesses despite the economic recovery of the Euro Zone.
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The central bank of Finland has expressed its worry about the possibility of the country's debt ballooning should no monetary reforms to curb spending take place, according to a Bloomberg report.
In a bid to generate sales outside the country, Switzerland-based dairy company Emmi has signed an agreement to buy half of Mexico-based cheese and fresh product exporter Mexideli for an undisclosed sum.
Norway-based private equity group HitecVision has announced a growth capital investment in well intervention services provider DeepWell AS in a deal that marks HitecVision's entry into the well intervention industry.
Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore said Telefonica is planning a joint offer of TIM Brasil, the local wireless unit of Telecom Italia, Reuters reported.
Greek containers and oil products firm Global Ports Investments has closed the acquisition of Russian firm NCC Group to become Eastern Europe's biggest container terminal operator.
Pinterest, the popular US social networking startup, will be having difficulties expanding in international markets after a ruling the European Commission's Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market, Trade Marks and Designs Division said the true owner of the brand name in the region is a London startup.
Codere, a Spanish gaming group with €1.27 billion of debt as of last September, is seeking creditor protection and beginning talks to avoid insolvency. Codere may be unable to pay a €127 million loan due on January 5 if it fails to reach an agreement with its lenders.
Sources told the Financial Times that billionaire George Soros has bought a 3.1% stake in Spanish builder FCC. The acquisition happened just three months after Microsoft's Bill Gates also made a bet on the company.
The rising use of mobile computing has prompted the development of fresh technology startups around the world as international entrepreneurs hope to get a share of the markets for tablets and smartphones, the Financial Times reported.
