Sometimes, a picture really is worth a thousand words. Above, I show which countries have the largest sovereign wealth funds, and below, I show how these countries’ funds rank on a per capita basis. Data about the funds comes from the Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute’s Sovereign Wealth Fund Rankings, and I calculated per capita values primarily by using World Bank population data. It’s interesting to note that:
Oil rules. These sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) are more or less oil-based except for a few Asian tigers and Australia. And out of the countries with the fifteen largest funds–as measured by the combined assets of all the funds whose amounts are listed–the Middle East and North Africa occupy six spots………………………………………..Full Article: Source

Market attention is now shifting to the Government Pension Investment Fund in Japan. This giant asset manager has Y111.9trn ($1.19trn). It is not a sovereign wealth fund, however its size is likely to exceed established sovereign wealth funds globally. Currently, GPIF has around 60% of its assets in Japanese government and state FILP bonds.
In contrast, less than 13% of its assets are in Japanese stock, while foreign assets account for about 23% of funds. GPIF reports into the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare………………………………………..Full Article: Source

Alaska Permanent Fund Corp, which oversees the American state’s oil wealth portfolio, has increased its investment in Indian stocks to over Rs. 1,000 crore with increased holdings in bluechips like ICICI Bank, Infosys, HDFC and Reliance Industries Ltd.
The global fund, that oversees $46 billion worth assets invested across 70 nations, had equity investments worth about $190 million (over Rs. 1,000 crore) across shares of at least 75 listed Indian companies at the end of fiscal 2012-13 ended last month, shows its latest portfolio………………………………………..Full Article: Source

World gold prices will pick up over time as a global economic recovery gains traction, a senior official of China’s $482-billion sovereign wealth fund said on Wednesday.
Gold has fallen about 18 percent so far this year after an unbroken 12-year string of gains. It rebounded to $1,381.80 an ounce on Wednesday after tumbling to $1,321.35 the previous day………………………………..Full Article: Source

Gao Xiqing, president of China Investment Corp., the country’s $500-billion sovereign wealth fund, recently denounced Japan thusly (paywall): “Treating the neighbors as your garbage bin and starting a currency war would not only be dangerous for others but eventually be bad for yourself.”
But today, another CIC head, Jin Liqun, blew off those concerns: “Monetary easing … is a necessary but not sufficient condition,” said Jin, who chairs CIC’s supervisory committee (paywall). It’s hard to know why they differ—or even whether they differ. Both Gao and Jin are chatty guys, and the media quotes them a lot. That’s probably because, unlike China’s generally wooden political elite, they are comfortable with the media, speak great English, and have dry wits…………………………………Full Article: Source

China’s economy will grow at sustainable levels and there is no need for panic about the level of growth, Jin Liqun, chairman of China Investment Corp supervisory board told CNBC on Wednesday. “I don’t think people need to panic, China will continue to grow at sustainable levels. The government target will be met without much difficulty,” said Jin.
China’s first quarter economic growth figure came in at 7.7 percent which was below expectations and lower than the previous quarter’s 7.9 percent growth, raising questions about the strength of the rebound in the world’s second largest economy. The government’s gross domestic product growth target for 2013 is 7.5 percent…………………………………Full Article: Source

Qatar’s aggressive sovereign wealth fund is focusing its investment strategy in Germany on companies selling in emerging markets as well as real estate, an executive board member of the Qatar Investment Authority has said.
The QIA, the most active Middle East sovereign wealth fund in recent years, is estimated to be worth around $200bn and has bought stakes in companies ranging from German sports car maker Porsche to Barclays…………………………………….Full Article: Source

Sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) are not new to the continent. Botswana’s Pula Fund dates back to 1994, Algeria formed its Revenue Regulation Fund in 2000 and in Tripoli the government created the Libyan Investment Authority (LIA) in 2006.
Chad, Mauritania, Gabon, Namibia and São Tomé e Príncipe also have SWFs, though information on their assets and investment targets is harder to come by.So, if you are an African finance minister with a windfall to invest, what do you choose?……………………………………Full Article: Source

Israel is on its way to launching a sovereign wealth fund (SWF), designed to prevent a steep appreciation of the shekel following the country’s plans to allow access to its natural gas fields.
The country’s cabinet voted to re-approve the establishment of a SWF, after the initial proposal from the previous administration failed to be passed by the Knesset - the Israeli legislative branch of government which passes all laws - before its election in January…………………………………….Full Article: Source

Qatar’s aggressive sovereign wealth fund is focusing its investment strategy in Germany on companies selling in emerging markets as well as real estate, an executive board member of the Qatar Investment Authority said on Monday.
The QIA, the most active Middle East sovereign wealth fund in recent years, is estimated to be worth around $200 billion and has bought stakes in companies ranging from German sports car maker Porsche to Barclays………………………………………..Full Article: Source

So our old friends from Malaysia’s 1MDB are back again, or should I say were back again, since the US$3bn 10-year private placement arranged for the government investment vehicle by Goldman Sachs was closed in conspicuous silence some weeks ago – on March 29 to be precise.
The under-the-radar modus operandi mirrored that seen on the US$1.75bn 10-year private placement Goldman closed for 1MDB last June. As with that deal, the new transaction is likely spark controversy, not just because of the quiet manner in which it was completed but because it comes barely three weeks before Malaysia’s general election on May 5………………………………………..Full Article: Source

DBS Group Holdings Ltd’s bid to buy Indonesia’s PT Bank Danamon from Singapore state investor Temasek Holdings Pte Ltd may go ahead next month, Indonesia’s central bank chief said on Monday.
The US$7.2 billion deal has been stuck for a year because of regulatory obstacles with Bank Indonesia capping ownership stakes in local banks and politicians calling for the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to grant greater access for Indonesian banks in Singapore………………………………………..Full Article: Source

The Qatar Investment Authority, the Gulf country’s sovereign wealth fund, is planning an IPO of a new US$12bn investment fund in what would be one of the largest ECM deals in the region. But with the sale of shares set to be restricted to investors based in the country, bankers are sceptical that the Qatari market has the capacity to absorb a deal of this magnitude.
The Doha Global Investment Co fund is scheduled to list on the Qatar Exchange in May with a free-float of 50%, suggesting a deal size of US$6bn, which would make it one of the largest IPOs in the EMEA region in the recent past. However, given Qatar’s small population and the size of its stock market, observers doubt that the the deal will go through in its present form………………………………………..Full Article: Source

QSuper members will gain access to a mortgage broking service which offers a refund on 50 per cent of the lending institutions’ ongoing commissions. Its financial planning arm QInvest will launch the new service through a newly formed team of salaried mortgage brokers, with 50 per cent of the value of ongoing commissions going into the running of the business.
The superannuation fund said the move would enable its members to get a better deal on their home loans and forms part of its move towards a holistic whole-of-life offering, which includes the annuity product it launched earlier this year………………………………………..Full Article: Source

A number of sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) have slowed GCC-wide investment, in favour of more domestic infrastructure projects. Although this strategy remains heavily dependent on the political status of each SWF’s home state, and is likely to reverse overtime, it has also been responsible for a slowing of cross-border GCC flows. Many independent and bank-owned fund managers who took part in the Barometer saw crossborder distribution in the GCC as key to their future development, albeit a trend that will develop slowly.
Barometer respondents said that a network of independent fund managers – many based in the UAE and Qatar – are best placed for the GCC and wider-MENA’s cross-border distribution opportunities……………………………………..Full Article: Source

Eyeing returns in the long run, China’s sovereign wealth fund will focus more on infrastructure investment in Europe and the United States, the fund’s vice chairman and president said.
The abundant financial firepower of the China Investment Corporation, which nears $500 billion, makes it more suited to infrastructure investment, which requires massive funds but offers slower yields, Gao Xiqing said during an interview with Xinhua on the sidelines of the ongoing Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2013 held in South China’s Hainan province………………………………………..Full Article: Source

Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund Temasek Holdings has set up a new investment unit that will focus on liquefied natural gas (LNG. The new unit, named Pavilion Energy, will be a wholly-owned unit with an initial capital of 1 billion Singapore dollars (800 million U.S. dollars), local Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao reported.
The company plans to be operational by September. It will operated in North America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia and will make joint investments with its parent………………………………………..Full Article: Source

Eyeing returns in the long run, China’s sovereign wealth fund will focus more on infrastructure investment in Europe and the United States, the fund’s vice chairman and president said Monday.
The abundant financial firepower of the China Investment Corporation (CIC), which nears 500 billion US dollars, makes it more suited to infrastructure investment, which requires massive funds but offers slower yields, Gao Xiqing said during an interview with Xinhua on the sidelines of the ongoing Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2013 held in south China’s Hainan Province………………………………………..Full Article: Source

The Qatari Sovereign Wealth Fund-backed Doha Global Investment Company is to offer shares to the public in May, as part of a plan to share the tiny Gulf state’s assets with local citizens and institutions.
The Qatari investment firm will have a total capital of QR45 billion ($12.36 billion), half of which will be in the form of paid-up capital, according to a statement from Hussain Ali Al Abdulla, chairman of Qatar Exchange’s board. The other half will be owned by the private sector, giving Qatari institutions and individuals the chance to invest around the world alongside the state………………………………………..Full Article: Source

Qatar Holding, the investment arm of the wealth fund, has been actively deploying the nation’s riches from plentiful natural gas in recent years in a string of high-profile assets ranging from French soccer club Paris Saint-Germain to stakes in German sports-car maker Porsche, British bank Barclays and Swiss lender Credit Suisse.
The world’s top exporter of liquefied natural gas has a lot of spare cash to invest; recent figures showed a budget surplus of $26 billion in the second quarter of fiscal year 2012/13, or 54 percent of GDP for the period………………………………………..Full Article: Source

The U.S. is telling China’s $500 billion sovereign-wealth fund to “go away,” according to the fund’s top executive, in the latest sign of strained investment ties between the world’s two largest economies.
During the financial crisis, “we were sort of welcome” in America, said Gao Xiqing, head of China Investment Corp., in a panel discussion on Sunday at the Boao Forum for Asia. Since then, “somehow we’ve become stigmatized,” he said, adding that “there have been quite a few cases where the U.S. says ‘go away.’”……………………………………….Full Article: Source

The sovereign wealth fund of Singapore, Temasek Holdings Pte Ltd has established a new investment fund focused on liquefied natural gas. This fund would tap into the growing demand in Asia, specifically the countries with the greatest demand, namely China, India and Japan.
Temasek has set aside Sing$1 billion or US$806 million as authorized capital of the investment unit named Pavilion Energy Pte. The company would commence operations by September 2013 and would be lead by techology entrepreneur Seah Moon Ming. He joined Temasek last month as Senior Managing Director for Special Projects………………………………………..Full Article: Source

Kazakhstan and China have signed a number of bilateral documents within the frameworks of the President Nazarbayev’s visit to China, a Tengrinews.kz journalist reports from China. Samruk – Kazyna Sovereign Wealth Fund and China Council for Promotion of International Trade have agreed on establishing a Kazakh-Chinese Business Council. Besides, Samruk – Kazyna has signed a Roadmap Program to strengthen economic and investments-related relations with China’s CITIC Group.
Kazakhstan’s KazMunaiGas National Oil and Gas Company and China’s CNPC have agreed on the major principles of cooperation to expand and jointly operate the Kazakhstan – China oil pipeline………………………………………..Full Article: Source

The Chinese sovereign wealth fund is about to have a new chairman, according to the Beijing rumour mill, to be Hu Huaibang, currently the chairman of Bank of Communications, China’s fifth-largest bank. Whispers in the Chinese capital suggest several other senior figures in financial circles turned down the job after the previous incumbent, Lou Jiwei, departed to become the finance minister.
It is easy to understand why the job is not highly sought after, whether the rumours prove true or not. To be head of China Investment Corp is to be the subject of criticism in the press and social media whenever it looks like an investment has gone wrong. Fear of the downside of mistakes is pervasive………………………………………..Full Article: Source

Temasek Holdings Pte, Singapore’s state-owned investment company, has set up an energy company to tap growing demand in Asia and focus on liquefied natural gas.
Pavilion Energy Pte has an initial authorized capital of S$1 billion ($806 million) and will be operational in September, Pavilion Energy said in an e-mailed statement today. The company will be headed by Seah Moon Ming, who joined Temasek as of March 1………………………………………..Full Article: Source

Norway’s $717 billion sovereign wealth fund signaled it risks missing out on returns based on global economic growth amid concern that barriers to capital movements and taxes on investments are spreading.
“There are large parts of the global economy where we don’t have the opportunity to invest,” Yngve Slyngstad, chief executive officer of Norges Bank Investment Management, said at a parliamentary hearing in Oslo today, citing barriers in China in particular. “There’s some risk that the fund won’t take part in the collected growth of the world economy if we can’t get these obstacle reduced over time.”……………………………………….Full Article: Source

Mohsen Derregia was plucked from nowhere to run the $60 billion fund of the Libyan Investment Authority. He found a mess that he spent a year trying to clean up. Now, as many of LIA’s investments are being reassessed, he’s on his way out. He tells an extraordinary tale of sovereign wealth in a conflict-torn country.
You are a country emerging from a bloody revolution that has ended 42 years of stultifying dictatorship, and you have one crown jewel: a sovereign wealth fund, fed with national oil wealth, with perhaps $60 billion of assets. So where do you go, in these liberated but uncertain times, to find the right man to run it? In Libya in 2011 you went, it turned out, to the University of Nottingham Business School………………………………………..Full Article: Source

More than 26,000 people pledged $2.4 million this year from their permanent fund dividends to Alaska non-profits through the Pick. Click. Give program — a new record, the agency announced Tuesday.
The program allows recipients to donate a portion of their permanent fund check to qualifying charities. Total contributions were up 10 percent from last year, and about 3,000 more people participated in the program than in 2012, the agency said in an announcement. Overall, about 4.7 percent of online PFD applicants this year participated in the program. The deadline for applying was Saturday………………………………………..Full Article: Source

Azerbaijan’s state oil fund, SOFAZ, is going to allocate $150 million for participation in the Global Infrastructure Fund, created by the International Finance Corporation, together with other sovereign and pension funds, according to a statement released by SOFAZ on Monday.
‘The share of SOFAZ in the Global Infrastructure Fund will be increased to $200 million, while its total budget is $500 million,’ the statement says. SOFAZ already invested $100 million to the IFC African, Latin American and Caribbean Fund in 2010 and $50 million to IFC Catalyst Fund in 2012………………………………………..Full Article: Source

Kazakhstan’s Samruk-Kazyna Sovereign Wealth Fund has suggested that Halyk Bank consider purchasing BTA Bank, KazTag Agency reports, citing Ms. Umyt Shayakhmetova, Halyk Bank’s Chairwoman of the Board as saying March 27.
“This morning the Bank received a letter from the Sovereign Wealth Fund asking to start talks (…) to consider purchasing BTA Bank”, Ms. Shayakhmetova said. Earlier the country’s Vice PM Kairat Kelimbetov announced in an interview that as part of the government’s plan to launch a single pension fund there is an option of exchanging Halyk Bank Pension Fund’s shares for BTA Bank’s shares [owned by Samruk-Kazyna Sovereign Wealth Fund]………………………………………..Full Article: Source

Norway’s central bank said Wednesday it plans to sell 300 million Norwegian kroner ($51.4 million) a day in April to buy foreign currency on behalf of the Government Pension Fund Global, commonly known as the oil fund.
Norges Bank also sold NOK300 million daily in the first three months of the year to obtain foreign currency for the fund’s investments. The fund, set up in 1990 to safeguard Norway’s oil wealth, had a market value of NOK3,816 billion ($654 billion) at the end of 2012–making it one of the largest sovereign wealth funds in the world………………………………………..Full Article: Source

The Falklands’ first commercial oil discovery will make the islands in the South Atlantic rich, bringing the British territory of 2,563 people $10.5 billion in tax revenue over 25 years.
The discovery “will no doubt be transformational for the islands, increasing government revenue several times over,” Mineral Resources Minister Stephen Luxton said in an interview. “What we’re looking for in a sovereign wealth fund is long-term economic security, a second string to our financial bow to the fishery,” he said, referring to the territory’s commercial fishing business………………………………………..Full Article: Source

China’s sovereign wealth fund China Investment Corp said on Monday that it has signed a memorandum with Russia to boost cooperation in infrastructure projects to develop Siberia. The memo, signed in Moscow on March 22, set out the principles for the two nations to increase cooperation in terms of investment for major projects in Siberia.
The investments will focus on large infrastructure and logistics projects, high value-added projects in the natural resources sector and leading manufacturing and services companies, the statement said………………………………………..Full Article: Source

Last week, 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) a government-owned entity closely-linked to premier Najib Abdul Razak had a change at its helm. Hazem Abdul Rahman has now taken over the chief executive officer (CEO) role from Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi, who has joined the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu).
Surprisingly, no announcements were made and it was via a news report that the update was disseminated. For a high-profile government-owned body which has made billions of ringgit in investments and issued large amounts of bonds, we would have expected more………………………………………..Full Article: Source

Two-thirds of people believe that superannuation will be a key issue in the lead-up to the September 14 federal election, a new survey has found. More than half (57 per cent) of the 1000 Australians surveyed by Galaxy Research on behalf of superannuation fund Sunsuper, said they are concerned that rumoured super changes in the May budget will negatively impact them in retirement.
Sunsuper’s Teifi Whatley said the survey highlights concerns about the constant tinkering to the superannuation system. “These results send a message to all political parties that Australians are taking notice of the rumoured changes to superannuation, and this is eroding their confidence in the system as a way to save for their retirement,” Ms Whatley said in a statement………………………………………..Full Article: Source

China’s sovereign wealth fund China Investment Corp. said Monday that it has signed a memorandum with Russia to strengthen cooperation in infrastructure and the development of Siberia, the far eastern part of the country.
The memo, signed in Moscow on March 22, set out principles for the two nations to step up cooperation in investing in large infrastructure and logistics projects, the natural resources sector and leading manufacturing and service companies, the statement said. Details such as the planned investment amount and specific projects weren’t mentioned………………………………………..Full Article: Source

In an effort to promote and revitalise Bahrain’s pearl industry, the Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with three entities in Japan. The MoU was signed during a visit to that country by a high-level Bahraini delegation led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander, First Deputy Premier and Economic Development Board chairman.
Besides the investment arm of Bahrain, the signatories include Kinoshita Pearl, a leading specialist company in natural and cultured pearls, First Stem Cell Japan, a biotechnology research company, and Japan International Co-operation Centre (JICE)………………………………………..Full Article: Source

The issue on sustainably-produced palm oil hogged the limelight again when the Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG) recently said it has sold its stakes in 23 oil palm plantation firms which are not producing sustainable palm oil. The rationale for GPFG pulling out of these investments was in support of the Western NGOs move to help reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the oil palm plantations in the developing countries.
But what is baffling is that planters claim that the GPFG disposal list shows some of the companies were in fact members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) that have been producing certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO)………………………………………..Full Article: Source

Norway, home to the world’s biggest sovereign wealth fund, is betting it can afford to ignore investor outrage. After shocking global credit markets in 2011 by pulling support from the once AAA and now junk (6120B)-rated lender Eksportfinans ASA, the government unveiled plans in January to cut tariffs on gas transport by 90 percent, sapping income for those funding the venture by as much as $7 billion.
Investors are now asking themselves how much risk they’re willing to accept to gain access to western Europe’s biggest oil and gas reserves. And while Norway boasts a stable AAA rating and the world’s smallest default risk, the government’s decision to ride roughshod over investors is starting to resemble actions seen in less stable democracies such as Venezuela and Russia………………………………………..Full Article: Source

Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company (Mumtalakat), the investment arm of the Kingdom of Bahrain, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with three entities in Japan in an effort to promote and revitalise Bahrain’s pearl industry. The MoU was signed as part of the Kingdom’s visit to Japan, which was led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, the Crown Prince of Bahrain, the First Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Economic Development Board.
Signatories of the MoU include, among others: Kinoshita Pearl Co., Ltd. (Kinoshita Pearl), a leading specialist company in natural and cultured pearls; First Stem Cell Japan Co., Ltd. (First Stem Cell), a biotechnology research company; and Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE). Kinoshita Pearl and First Stem Cell will be able to provide advanced new technologies and methods to determine the existence, quality and maturity of pearls. (Press Release)

Mumtalakat Holding Company, the investment arm of the Kingdom of Bahrain, has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Japanese SBI Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. (SBI) on the sidelines of the current visit to Japan of HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander, First Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Economic Development Board (EDB).
The MoU formalizes an understanding between both parties to explore various areas of cooperation in the pharmaceutical industry, including research, development, and production of pharmaceutical products………………………………………..Full Article: Source

India and Kuwait on Monday held extensive discussions to explore opportunities for Kuwaiti investment in refineries in the country. Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid held talks with his Kuwaiti counterpart Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah on various bilateral issues including ways to exploit potential Indian project exports to Kuwait.
The visiting dignitary, who is on a three-day visit to India, is accompanied by officials of the Kuwaiti Investment Authority and Kuwait Petroleum as well as Kuwait Chambers of Commerce………………………………………..Full Article: Source

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s upcoming visit to Russia will bring the financial cooperation between the two countries to a new height, a Russian banker says. Financial cooperation constitutes a crucial part of bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination, Alexander Ivanov, deputy head of the Vnesheconombank (VEB), said.
Last June, Chinese Investment Corporation and Russian Direct Investment Fund established a 4-billion-dollar Russia-China Investment Fund. “This fund invests into infrastructural projects and contributes a lot to job creation both in Russia and China,” he said………………………………………..Full Article: Source

Marks & Spencer Group Plc, the UK’s largest clothing retailer, rose the most since March 2009 in London trading on speculation the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) is considering an £8bn (€9.3bn) offer.
The stock gained as much as 9.4pc to 407.4p and was up 7.9pc at 402p at the opening, boosting the company’s market value to £6.5bn. QIA has approached banks and private-equity houses, including CVC Capital Partners, to assemble a group to make a move on the London-based retailer, according to weekend reports, citing senior sources in London’s financial district………………………………………..Full Article: Source

Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD), the investment arm of the Government of Dubai launched the syndication of $2 billion in conventional and Islamic financing facilities on 18 March.
The new facilities, with a tenor of five years, will refinance the $2 billion five year tranche of ICD’s $6 billion three and five year facilities signed on 21 August 2008. The $4 billion tranche which was due in August 2011 was repaid in full………………………………………..Full Article: Source

Shares in Marks & Spencer surged today on speculation that the high street retailer is an £8 billion bid target for Middle Eastern investors. The stock jumped 8% at one stage, adding more than £500 million in value, after The Sunday Times said the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), the Gulf state’s sovereign wealth fund, is in talks with private equity and banks about an approach.
Despite the scale of the share price movement, there was no official stock market announcement to confirm or deny the speculation………………………………………..Full Article: Source

Marks & Spencer shares surged on speculation that a faltering turnaround effort and flagging profits have left Britain’s biggest clothing retailer vulnerable to a takeover. Investors piled into the stock after a newspaper reported that Qatar was planning a bid, sending the shares up 9.4 percent to a 12-month high.
A source close to Qatar Holding denied the report, but the stock was still up 7.4 percent. Analysts and investors said Marks & Spencer (M&S) could be a target for a private equity firm………………………………………..Full Article: Source

Qatar Investment Authority, the Gulf state’s sovereign wealth fund, is seeking backers for a potential GBP8 billion takeover of Marks & Spencer Group PLC, the Sunday Times reported, citing unidentified “senior City sources.”
The newspaper said the fund has approached several large private equity firms to gauge their interest in participation, and has spoken to lenders about financing an offer. The Qatar fund already owns 26% of J Sainsbury PLC, a major competitor of M&S in food retail and clothing………………………………………..Full Article: Source

The big beasts of the investment banking world, including Goldman Sachs and Barclays Capital, are said to have been knocking on the door of Marks & Spencer to offer the high-street retailer support in the event of a takeover bid.
The FTSE 100 company has been caught at the centre of fresh bid speculation after reports this weekend that the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), the Gulf state’s sovereign wealth fund, was in the early stages of putting together an £8bn bid. The reports come less than a year after speculation that the retailer could be in the sights of private equity groups………………………………………..Full Article: Source

A news report by London’s The Sun newspaper has revealed that Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund may be eyeing UK retail chain Marks & Spencer in deal worth estimated to be USD 12 billion.
The retail giant boasts about 1000 global stores, also maintaining presence in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Marks & Spencer employs about 80,000 people all over the world. Latest financial results of the company show a 9.7 percent decline in profit to the six months up to the end of September 2012. However, sales have increased by 0.9 percent to GBP £4.7 billion during this period………………………………………..Full Article: Source