Duncan HoodFred Lum/The Globe and Mail
DEAL OF THE DAY: Trailer maker Manac bought by private consortium in $140-million deal
A consortium of investors including the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, the Solidarity Fund and a holding company of the founding Dutil family moved Thursday to return Manac Inc. to private hands. Manac Inc. of St. Georges-de-Beauce is the largest manufacturer of semi-trailers in Canada and one of Quebec Inc.'s pioneers. The deal values Manac Inc. at $186-million. Full story
MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS
Barrick taps CIBC to sell small U.S. gold mines
Barrick Gold Corp. has tapped Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce to sell its smaller American gold mines and project, according to people familiar with the matter. The Canadian company recently announced plans to sell a batch of insignificant mines, mostly based in Nevada. Full story
K+S says it will look at higher Potash Corp. bid
Germany's K+S AG said it will consider any improved offer from Canada's Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan Inc. after its position was boosted by stronger-than-expected quarterly earnings. The company affirmed its rejection of a €7.9-billion ($11.5-billion) takeover proposal by Potash, but left the door open on Thursday to an improved bid. Full story
Onex sees steady pipeline for deals after busy second quarter
Onex Corp., Canada's largest private equity firm, said its acquisition pipeline remains robust after an active second quarter for deals. Since April, Onex and its partners have invested or committed to investing $900-million, of which $280-million is from Onex, the company said in a statement. Full story
Co-operators acquires Carleton Insurance Brokers
Guelph, Ont.-based Co-operators General Insurance Company announced Thursday that its wholly-owned subsidiary has purchased Carleton Insurance Brokers Ltd. in Ottawa. The brokerage's portfolio includes personal and commercial insurance policies. Terms were not disclosed. Press release
Graphene 3D Lab acquires parent company Graphene Laboratories
Graphene 3D Lab Inc. has agreed to acquire all outstanding shares of former parent company Graphene Laboratories. Graphene Laboratories manufactures and sells graphene and other advanced materials, and holds a provisional patent relating to the manufacture and processing of graphene. The terms were not disclosed. Full story
Aqua Terra Water Management announces acquisition of Advance Hydrocarbon
Red Deer, Alta.-based Aqua Terra Water Management LP has announced the acquisition of Advance Hydrocarbon Corp. Aqua Terra, an operator of salt water disposal facilities, is a portfolio investment of New York-based Bregal Partners. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Press release
INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERINGS
Canadian buyout firm planning IPO of U.S. credit card maker
Canadian private equity firm Tricor Pacific Capital Inc. is taking one of its biggest investments public. The Vancouver-based buyout shop has filed documentation to raise $100-million (U.S.) in an initial public offering of American credit card maker CPI Card Group Inc. The plan is to list CPI on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq. Full story
Pure Storage sets stage for what could be biggest tech IPO of the year
Pure Storage is breaking away from the "private IPO" crowd with plans to go public in what could be the biggest tech IPO of the year. The Mountain View, Calif., flash storage company led by chief executive officer Scott Dietzen said it plans to raise up to $300-million (U.S.), but that is likely to increase before it makes its debut. Pure Storage was valued at more than $3-billion when it raised $225-million in a series F round in April, 2014. Full story
PRIVATE EQUITY AND VENTURE CAPITAL
Software firm Intelex announces $160-million private equity financing
Toronto information technology company Intelex has announced a $160-million cash injection to feed its growth in the expanding market for environmental, health and safety monitoring software. The investment was led by U.S. private equity firms JMI Equity and HarbourVest Partners. The deal is the largest funding raised by a Canadian technology company this year. Full story
ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT
Activist investors push for Canadian energy deals as prices languish
With a sinking oil price driving Canadian energy shares to decade lows, activist hedge funds are pushing hard for companies to look at mergers and acquisitions or asset sales to curb costs and help the funds reduce their own investment losses. Full story
Know of any coming deals we should cover? Have suggestions for making the Daily Deal Roundup more useful? E-mail us at deals@globeandmail.com.