M&A News

Imagine Education Group, owned by Eddy Groves' wife Viryan Collins-Rubie and former ABC Learning executive James Black, is acquiring Eden Academy in a merger that will create a new childcare chain of over 100 centres nationwide. The parties involved include Chris Wallin, a coal mining magnate, and Sean Collins, co-founder of Eden Academy. Imagine Education currently operates 53 centres, while Eden has 60 centres across Australia.

Hongkong Land, the property arm of Jardine Matheson, has agreed to acquire Singapore's Wheelock Place from Wharf Real Estate Investment Company for S$1.1 billion ($900 million), marking the first acquisition by its Singapore Central Private Real Estate Fund (SCPREF). The deal is slated for completion in August and will boost SCPREF's assets under management to S$9.4 billion, with a target of at least S$15 billion within five years.

Service Stream, an Australian IT services company, has completed its acquisition of RiE Group, a provider of enterprise software solutions, in a deal that marks the latest expansion of Service Stream's capabilities in the Australian market.

A $36 billion deal has been announced, involving the sale of thousands of Australian mortgages. The parties involved in the transaction have not been disclosed by name, but the deal is reportedly a significant development in the country's mortgage market.

HSBC has sold its $36 billion book of home and personal loans to Blackstone in a deal that marks the end of its four-decade retail banking presence in Australia.

Scalare Partners Holdings Limited has completed the acquisition of Fishburners, a Sydney-based co-working space provider, strengthening its balance sheet in the process.

Billionaire Brett Blundy has acquired Bras N Things, Bonds, Berlei, and Sheridan in a $700m deal, marking his return to the company he sold to Hanesbrands for approximately $500m in 2018.

Canadian Net REIT has received approval from the TSX Venture Exchange to renew its normal course issuer bid, allowing it to purchase up to 1,031,383 units, representing approximately 5% of outstanding shares, at a maximum of 2% per month over the next year. The bid will run from August 1, 2026 to July 31, 2027 and will be handled by National Bank Financial. As of today, there are 20,627,675 units issued and outstanding.

Ingenia Communities Group's potential acquisition by Peet Limited could be facilitated by the involvement of a capital partner, which would provide the necessary funds to complete the deal. The introduction of a third-party investor is often used in Australian M&A transactions to bridge financing gaps and secure deals. This move would likely allow Ingenia to overcome any financial hurdles and proceed with its planned acquisition by Peet.

Norwegian private-equity owned company Volue has made a $565 million bid for Australian software business Energy One, offering $17 per share, which represents a 57% premium to the company's last traded price.

Grant Thornton has acquired CBIZ, a US accounting firm, for $7.2 billion in cash, creating a combined group with over $5 billion in US revenue and making it the largest audit and consulting firm outside of the big four in the US.

Stonemont, an Atlanta-based private real estate investment firm, has acquired a 38-building industrial property portfolio in high-growth markets for approximately $1 billion. The portfolio encompasses 5.9 million square feet and is 95% leased. The deal was financed through debt provided by JP Morgan and Wells Fargo, with Eastdil Secured advising on the debt execution. Stonemont's CEO described the acquisition as a natural step in the firm's expansion of its industrial platform.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has proposed creating a $US28.7 billion company, FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), to run World Cup competitions and raise up to $US4.2 billion from private investors, including the Kushner family. The plan would allow member federations to access up to $US20 million in one-off capital and increase development funds to $US24 million by 2038. UEFA has condemned the proposal as a 'nuclear bomb' that crosses a line in football governance.