Reuters: Mergers News: Australia's ASX says considers bid for Link

Reuters: Mergers News Reuters.com is your source for breaking news, business, financial and investing news, including personal finance and stocks. Reuters is the leading global provider of news, financial information and technology solutions to the world's media, financial institutions, businesses and individuals. // via fulltextrssfeed.com

Australia's ASX says considers bid for Link May 31st 2012, 23:17 MELBOURNE, June 1 | Thu May 31, 2012 7:17pm EDT MELBOURNE, June 1 (Reuters) - Australia's bourse operator, ASX Ltd, said on Friday it is considering making a takeover bid for private-equity owned share registry Link Market Services, in a deal that could be worth as much as $1.36 billion. Pacific Equity Partners, Australia's largest private equity firm, bought Link from the ASX seven years ago and has made about 20 acquisitions, including the U.S. business American Stock Transfer & Trust Co. The ASX said in a statement it has signed a confidentiality agreement to receive information on Link "ahead of a formal sale process", which is being run by Goldman Sachs and Pacific Equity Partners. "There is no certainty that ASX will participate in a transaction or that any negotiations or due diligence that could result in a transaction will be undertaken by ASX," the bourse operator said. Last month, PEP kickstarted the auction for Link Group, which includes Link Market Services and AST, that could value the company at as much as A$1.4 billion ($1.36 billion) including debt, sources told Reuters. Link competes with Computershare. A successful deal will make it Asia's biggest private equity sale so far this year and may spur more buyout shops to cash in on their investments. Interested bidders for the asset include global private equity firms Bain Capital, Blackstone Group L.P., Carlyle Group, U.S.-based Hellman & Friedman and KKR & Co L.P. , said the sources, who had direct knowledge of the matter. Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints

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