A surge of deal announcements in early January helped push up monthly transaction totals. The value U.S. private equity transactions rocketed by 78% to $8.2 billion in January, Thomson Reuters data says.

The giant Texas Teachers’ Retirement System committed more than $1.1 billion to private equity across seven investments in the fourth quarter, with some pledges going to long-time partners and some to new relationships…

The pace of new private equity and alternative investments at the Florida State Board of Administration is likely to reach about $6 billion in fiscal 2012-2013, as Florida’s primary $126 billion pension fund gradually ramps up its allocations to so-called strategic investments from zero to 11 percent of the portfolio…

Midlands, Texas-based Legacy Reserves has appointed Dan Westcott as Executive VP and CFO, effective later this month. Westcott was previously a principal at GSO Capital Partners, a division of the Blackstone Group. Legacy Reserves is an independent oil and natural gas limited partnership that is focused on the acquisition and development of oil and natural gas [...]

Blackstone‘s credit unit has agreed to buy a portfolio of land from Hovnanian Enterprises in a $125 million deal, writes Reuters. Hovnanian, which builds single-family homes, townhouses and condominiums, will have an option to buy back finished lots on a quarterly basis from Blackstone’s GSO Capital Partners unit, writes Reuters. (Reuters) – Blackstone Group’s (BX.N) [...]

Tim White will be exiting Blackstone’s GSO Capital Partners in a few months, sources say.

GSO Capital Partners Founder Bennett Goodman pulled back the curtain on life as part of The Blackstone Group, saying that the potential for conflict looms but that the firm has put certain measures in place to prevent them.

Mobile broadband solutions company Tekelec is to be acquired by a consortium led by Siris Capital Group and including affiliates of The ComVest Group, funds and accounts managed by GSO Capital Partners LP, Sankaty Advisors, ZelnickMedia and other Siris limited partners and affiliates. The transaction is valued at approximately $780 million. PRESS RELEASE Tekelec, the [...]

Tokyo-headquartered packaging manufacturer Toyo Seikan is to acquire Stolle Machinery, LLC (Stolle), a portfolio company of GSO Capital Partners LP (GSO), for $775 million. Stolle, headquartered in Centennial, CO, manufactures equipment used by global can-makers to manufacture and decorate aluminum or steel can bodies and easy-open ends used primarily to package carbonated soft drinks, beer and various foods.

Blackstone and Avenue Capital are planning to raise $5 billion to invest in the debt markets, Reuters reported, citing a story in the UK’s Sunday Telegraph newspaper. Blackstone, through its GSO Capital Partners unit, plans to raise $3 billion to invest in private equity and other private transactions, replacing bank debt or as mezzanine funding, which is part-equity, party-debt, Reuters wrote. Avenue Capital is looking to raise up to $2 billion to invest in US company debt.