THE launch this month of independent oil and gas producer Quadrant Energy has underlined the big role private equity investors play in Western Australia, owning more than a dozen major businesses a
Macquarie Capital's Kate Vidgen has been named as the inaugural chair of newly formed oil and gas company Quadrant Energy, which will have six directors representing its three owners – Macquarie, Brookfield Asset Management and Angela Bennett's AMB Holdings.
Gold Road Resources has raised $39.3 million in an oversubscribed placement and is now fully funded to complete a feasibility study on its Gruyere project east of Laverton.
Property Exchange Australia has launched its new electronic conveyancing platform in Western Australia, which aims to modernise paper-based transfers with its online model.
Shareholders in Australian Finance Group are planning a major sell-down of their stakes in the Perth-based mortgage provider as part of a $140 million initial public offering launched today.
Emeco Holdings has entered merger discussions with Queensland-based Orionstone, three weeks after the rival mining equipment supplier proposed a nil-premium merger.
Woodside Petroleum has closed its $US854 million ($A1.1 billion) purchase of Apache Corporation's interests in the Kitimat LNG project in Canada, a week after finalising the WA component of the sale.
A new supply deal struck this week by Western Australia's largest buyer of domestic gas, Alcoa of Australia, has confirmed the availability of gas for customers prepared to pay the going price.
Macquarie Capital and Brookfield Asset Management have agreed to buy Apache Corporation's Australian oil and gas operations for $US2.1 billion ($A2.7 billion), with the deal underpinned by a long-term gas sale agreement with Alcoa.
The takeover negotiations facing mining equipment supplier Emeco Holdings got more complex today after it received a merger proposal from Queensland-based competitor Orionstone, which has also pushed for Emeco to scrap its planned purchase of truck rental company Rentco.
Sydney-based TPG Telecom and its competitor iiNet scored a rare double today after announcing a friendly takeover offer, with shares in both the bidder and its Subiaco-based target rising strongly as investors welcomed the combination as a logical strategic fit.
The third daughter of late mining heir Michael Wright has succeeded in her bid to extract much more than she was left from his will, with a judge ruling she should get $25 million.
Three consortia have been shortlisted to come up with detailed proposals for Western Australia's first public private partnership for schools, with the winner to design, build, finance and maintain eight new public schools over 25 years.
Perth finance house Euroz has reported a first-half loss as a result of weak conditions in its core stockbroking business and write-downs in the value of its listed investment companies.
Angus McKay will begin his new role as Skilled Group's chief executive and managing director today, more than two weeks earlier than his original start date, to review a merger proposal by Programmed Maintenance Services.
Andrew and Nicola Forrest's Minderoo Group has recruited finance executive Aaron Hood to take charge of its expanding commercial investment activities.
The appointment of investment banker Michael Ashforth as manager of the Bennett family's $1.5 billion fortune highlights the maturing of Western Australia's private wealth market.
Peak Resources has secured a $28.6 million funding deal with mining and metals equity investor Appian Natural Resources Fund, to assist in financing a bankable feasibility study at its Ngualla rare earth project in Tanzania.
Perth explorer Buru Energy has received a $20 million backing by Gordon Martin's Coogee Chemicals in its $40 million capital raising to fully fund its 2015 work portfolio.
Speculation is mounting that Apache Energy is set to spin-out its Western Australian assets into a separate entity, with Macquarie Capital Advisers appointed to act on its behalf.
National healthcare group Healthscope has lodged its prospectus ahead of a float worth up to $2.5 billion, the biggest initial public offering in Australia in 2014.
Perth-based City Farmers has been sold for $205 million, just nine months after managing director Clayton Hollingsworth struck a deal for Quadrant Private Equity to pay $93 million for a major stake in the pet care retailer.
After 20 years in the stockbroking business, Simon Lyons stepped away from equities to enter the fixed income sector as a director of specialist group FIIG, offering an alternative for investors and an option to bank finance for business.
Perth company director Ian Middlemas has presided over another lucrative takeover deal, after the board of Africa-focused Papillon Resources agreed to a $615 million all-scrip takeover by Canadian major B2Gold.
The Western Australian Museum Foundation is in the final stages of establishing governance and investment structures to support what it hopes will be the largest cultural endowment fund in Australia.
SPECIAL REPORT: The gold and technology sectors have experienced a boost in investment activity for the March quarter, but doubts remain over whether it will last.
Western Australian childcare entrepreneur Rory Vassallo has sold his portfolio of centres to listed company G8 Education, which has announced two major national acquisitions in the space of six weeks.
Troy Resources will tap the market for about $38 million through a placement and share purchase plan to fund development at its West Omai gold project in Guyana.
Saracen Mineral Holdings has taken advantage of a strong share price rally to launch a capital raising to fund its Thunderbox project acquisition and strengthen its balance sheet.
Western Areas is looking to raise $104 million to reduce debt and provide greater financial flexibility after a positive half-year report which saw the nickel miner turn a big loss to a modest $2.7 million net profit.
A three-month battle to keep Forge Group afloat has come to a sudden end, with administrators and receivers called in to manage the company's assets after financier ANZ Banking Group withdrew support for the engineering contractor.
Saracen Mineral Holdings has purchased the Thunderbox gold project from Norilsk Nickel for $23 million, in a deal which could double the company's production to up to 270,000 ounces per year.
SPECIAL REPORT: The past 12 months have been tough for WA's corporate finance professionals, but there is cautious optimism that 2014 will be a different story.
WESTERN Australian stockbrokers CPS Securities and Indian Ocean Capital have agreed to merge to create the ninth biggest stockbroking operation in the state.
