Pearson Eyes Private Equity Stake in India’s Manipal Global

(Dow Jones News Service) U.K. media group Pearson PLC and a few private equity firms have approached India’s Manipal Global about purchasing a stake in the Indian education services company, the Times of India website reported Tuesday, citing at least two people directly involved with the matter.

Pearson has held preliminary discussions with Manipal Global but is only interested if a “large stake” is up for sale, the report cited one of the persons as saying. ===> Continue Reading at Dow Jones News Service

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Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia Targets US$1.5 Billion Fourth Fund

(DOW JONES) It is in the early stages of fundraising for its fourth vehicle, which will target deals in China and South Korea, the person said. The firm in 2007 closed around a US$1.5 billion third fund that it previously said has a five-year investment period, followed by a five-year harvest period.

In March, the firm made a US$300 million investment in Chinese specialty chemicals maker Tianhe Chemicals Group, which is a major producer of lubricant-oil additives and fluorochemicals used for purposes such as making water-repellant surfaces, Dow Jones Newswires previously reported. Last year, Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia made a US$100 million investment in China XD Plastics Co. and US$50 million in Yongye International Inc., a seller of agricultural nutrients.

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Asia Hedge Fund Sun Capital Buys 49% of Bankrupt Saab Assets

(Dow Jones) A large part of the assets of bankrupt Swedish car maker Saab Automobile have been sold to the Swedish electric vehicles consortium National Electric Vehicle Sweden AB, or NEVS, for an undisclosed sum, administrators of the bankruptcy announced Wednesday.

NEVS, a company specifically created to buy the assets of bankrupt Saab Automobile, plans to develop electric vehicles at Saab Automobile’s Trollhattan plant. It is 51% owned by National Modern Energy Holdings Ltd. and 49% by Sun Investment LLC.

FOCUS: Graff Diamonds IPO Postponement Dims Allure Of Felda, Formula One IPOs

HONG KONG (Dow Jones)–As London jeweler Graff Diamonds Corp. became the largest casualty of souring investor sentiment towards initial public offerings amid weak global markets and Facebook’s Inc. (FB) disappointing share performance, prospects for almost US$6 billion from listings by the Formula One motor racing franchise in Singapore and a state-owned palm oil company in Malaysia looked increasingly shaky.