Friday, September 30, 2011

About Brightbridge

http://www.brightbridgewm.com/about.php


Brightbridge is a world-wide private equity firm with the resources and expertise to source, evaluate, and manage private investments globally in both developed and developing markets and across many industrial and commercial sectors.
Brightbridge is manager of -- or principal advisor to -- private equity funds covering Asia, Latin America, Europe, Africa, and the Islamic countries that span the globe from North Africa through the Middle East and into Asia. These funds represent aggregate capital commitments of nearly $6.0 billion and several are the largest of their kind in their particular region.
Brightbridge's initial focus and one of its continuing core strengths has been investments in "infrastructure" in emerging market economies. Over time, however, Brightbridge has expanded this focus, allowing us to accumulate investment experience in a wide range of sectors from heavy industry, mining, oil and gas to basic materials and even restaurants.
Brightbridge's broad global experience and the large size of its funds has allowed it to become a prime choice as an investment partner for regional companies and local entrepreneurs. Brightbridge is also a pioneer in structuring innovative partnerships with international corporate strategic investors. Brightbridge has partnered with leading international corporations, including Vivendi, Marubeni, and AES in the power sector, AT&T, Orange, and Bell Canada in the telecommunications sector, and Pilkington in the glass industry.

Brightbridge Wealth Management

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Brightbridge-Wealth-Management/256600707688190


Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Brightbridge Wealth Management Headlines: Franc expected to boost Swiss M&A in second half

http://brightbridgewealthmanagement-mag.com/category/economy-update/


ZURICH (MarketWatch) — The Swiss mergers and acquisitions market is expected to continue its resurgence in the second half of 2011 after the second quarter saw deal volumes go up threefold, according to consultancy Ernst & Young.
The continued economic upturn together with the surging value of the Swiss franc is expected to drive an increase in acquisitions past 2010 levels.
In the second quarter of the year, deal volume rose to 38.2 billion Swiss francs ($47.5 billion) up from CHF12.5 billion in the first quarter and significantly higher than the CHF4.6 billion achieved in the second quarter of 2010.
The total number of deals remained relatively unchanged during the period at about 225.
“Last year the total volume was $52 billion with around 460 deals. For this year, total deal volume might be able to increase to $100 billion,” said Marc Reinhardt, senior manager for mergers and acquisitions at Ernst & Young in Zurich.
The Swiss franc has risen 6.8% against the euro and 9.3% against the dollar during the second quarter of 2011, making it cheaper for Swiss companies to buy foreign companies.
“We know there are a lot of deals being helped by the Swiss franc. Companies are buying firms in the euro area and in emerging markets, and the strength of the franc is making it easier for them in some cases,” said Reinhardt.
Many companies have sufficient funds available for acquisitions, he added.
Companies are looking to have more of their costs outside the franc area, which would help reduce the impact of the currency eating into their margins.
“They want to encase their natural hedge,” said Reinhardt, who added revenue growth was the other main motivation for companies.
But the number of deals coming in might drop if the Swiss franc continues appreciating at its current pace, the consultancy said.
Areas such as high tech, IT telecommunications, financial services and energy are expected to be among the most active for M&A activity during the remainder of 2011, E&Y said.
The largest transaction announced in the second quarter was the $13.7 billion deal by Japan’s Takeda Pharmaceutical Company (4502.TO) to buy Swiss pharma company Nycomed SICA S.C.A.
The $21 billion acquisition of Synthes Inc. (SYST.VX) by Johnson & Johnson JNJ -0.45%was actually the largest in the period, but wasn’t included in the Swiss M&A statistics because Synthes is headquartered in the U.S.
The media, technology and telecommunications sector was the most active industry in terms of the number of M&A transactions during the second quarter, accounting for slightly more than 20% of the deals, E&Y said.

Brightbridge Wealth Management Headlines: Google cuts deal for Dealmap

http://brightbridgewealthmanagement-facts.com/category/asset-management/

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/08/01/google_acquires_dealmap/ Can I get a discount for some Groupon envy treatment? Google has acquired Dealmap, a California-based startup that will fuel Mountain View’s efforts to mimic Groupon. Launched in May 2010, Dealmap aggregates “daily deals” from hundreds of sources, and according to the company, its various services are now used by over 2 million people. [...]



Brightbridge Wealth Management Headlines: Zurich streets among Europe’s most congested


http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/swiss_news/Zurich_streets_among_Europe_s_most_congested.html?cid=30634398     Zurich car drivers spend more time stuck in traffic jams than in most other European cities, but the city is unrepentant about its pedestrian friendly policy. A recent survey has revealed that more than a quarter of roads in Switzerland’s main business conglomeration are clogged, putting Zurich in [...]



Brightbridge Wealth Management Headlines: Zurich Steps Closer to Entering Latin America Market


http://www.propertycasualty360.com/2011/07/15/zurich-steps-closer-to-entering-latin-america-mark?t=commercial   By MARK E. RUQUET, PROPERTYCASUALTY360.COM   NU Online News Service, July 15, 1:54 p.m. EDT Zurich Financial Services Group says it has signed a definitive agreement with Banco Santander SA to buy a majority interest in the bank’s Latin America insurance operations. The Zurich, Switzerland-based insurer says the agreement is “materially unchanged from what [...]