(Reuters) – Shares of Evertec Inc. rose as much as 10 percent in their market debut, valuing the payment processor at $1.75 billion. Apollo Global Management LLC, which acquired it from Puerto Rican lender Popular Inc. in September 2010, held a 51 percent stake in the company prior to the IPO.

M&A during the first half of the year slumps but PE-backed deals deliver a surprise.

Trending on peHUB this week: Sequoia Capital, VC “scouts,” Oaktree Capital, Water Street Healthcare, Apollo, Piper Jaffray, Nick Golding, NY City pensions, and the lean startup.

Apollo Global Management posted better-than-expected first-quarter earnings on Tuesday.

Carlyle’s IPO, in its first day of trade, barely stays above its $22 offer price.

The $237 billion California Public Employees’ Retirement System has reaped a 2.9x gain from its 4.2 percent stake in The Carlyle Group upon the firm’s initial public offering on Thursday, according to an exclusive analysis by Buyouts, peHUB’s sister magazine, based on a California Public Records Act request.

Trending on peHUB this week: Frank Quattrone, Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital, Chicago Growth Partners, TA Associates,Veronis Suhler Stevenson, Irving Place,VantagePoint Capital Partners and Apollo Global.

Joseph Rice, chairman and founder of Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, plans to step down in June, according to press reports.

Great Wolf Resorts has received an offer from KSL Capital Partners to buy the company for $7 per share, according to Reuters. This comes days after Great Wolf’s largest investor rejected an earlier bid made by Apollo Global. Reuters – Great Wolf Resorts said late on Sunday it received an offer from KSL Capital Partners [...]

Berry Plastics, owned by Apollo Global and Graham Partners, has filed for an IPO that could raise as much as $500 mln.