Investments opportunities boom in Sweden as a number of private equity firms are likely to put scores of holdings on the market.

Petter Löfqvist, Portfolio Manager of Swedish Equities at Evli Fund Management Company in Stockholm, said that during the year there has been a number of private equity driven IPOs on the Stockholm Stock Exchange; Finnvedenbulten, Transmode and Karolinska Development.

”However, the largest private equity exits have been trade sales to industrial acquirers or secondary buyouts by other private equity groups”, he told The Swedish Wire.

Nordic Capital’s divestment of Nycomed to Takeda and EQT’s divestment of Securitas Direct to Bain Capital / Hellman & Friedman are two recent examples.

” In the Swedish private equity portfolios there are today a number of mature holdings ready for exit where the private equity companies have been able to actively develop the companies in an environment with an improving demand situation and higher valuations”, Petter Löfqvist said.

Companied that might be ready for exit (owner in parentheses):

• Gambro – Gambro is a global medical technology company and a leader in developing, manufacturing and supplying products and therapies for Kidney and Liver dialysis, Myeloma Kidney Therapy, and other extracorporeal therapies for Chronic and Acute patients. (EQT)

• Scandic – The hotel chain currently has 160 hotels in the Nordic region and Northern Europe, and over the next few years its expansion plans take in Scandinavia, Northern and Eastern Europe and Russia. (EQT)

• Munksjö – The Munksjö Group is a speciality paper company producing select materials that form vital parts of customer design and manufacturing processes (EQT)

• Capio – Capio is one of Sweden's and Europe's leading healthcare companies with a wide range of care facilities (Nordic Capital)

• Thule – Thule is on solving the problem of how to bring equipment with you when using a car (roof racks, bike and water sport carriers, roof boxes). (Nordic Capital)

• Nefab – A global company for complete packaging solutions, which offers expendable and reusable packaging products (Nordic Capital)

• Jötul – Jøtul manufactures and markets cast iron stoves and fireplaces with focus on quality, timeless design, consumer-friendly benefits and the highest level of safety. (Accent Equity)

• Jetpak – Jetpak offers the fastest express deliveries and we send your important shipments from door to door within a couple of hours. (Accent Equity)

• Lindorff - Lindorff is one of the leading European providers of debt-related administrative services (Altor)

swedishwire.com