Montagu Private Equity has sold the ghd hair styling brand to Lion Capital, with two sources close to the deal putting the purchase price at nearly 300 million pounds ($475.10 million), writes Reuters. The private equity groups released a joint statement announcing the transaction but did not disclose the terms.

Publicly traded financial lender CIT Group is providing a senior secured asset-based credit facility to retailer John Varvatos Enterprises in conjunction with the company’s acquisition by private equity firm Lion Capital. PRESS RELEASE: CIT Group Inc. (NYSE: CIT – News) cit.com, a leading provider of financing to small businesses and middle market companies, today announced [...]

Lion Capital is to acquire European optical retailer Alain Afflelou from funds managed by Bridgepoint and Apax Partners France and Altamir Amboise in a secondary buyout transaction. Founded in France in 1972, Alain Afflelou is a European optical franchisor with a network of nearly 1,100 optical retail stores across France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, [...]

Billionaire Nicolas Berggruen’s Justice Holdings may make a 1 billion pound ($1.65 billion) offer for breakfast cereal company Weetabix, Reuters reported, citing a story in the Sunday Times. UK-based Weetabix is owned by private equity firm Lion Capital, which bought it for 642 million pounds in 2003, Reuters wrote.

Reuters reported Lion Capital LLP of London and Goode Partners LLC of New York signed an agreement to acquire have reached an agreement to buy brand AllSaints Spitalfields. Financial terms were not disclosed. AllSaints is a British fashion brand.

Findus, a food group owned by buyout firm Lion Capital, has approached its lending syndicate of banks to discuss funding expanding the business, Reuters reported. Findus did not say how much would raise, although the Sunday Telegraph newspaper previously reported it was looking to raise a 1 billion pound ($1.64 billion) acquisition war chest, Reuters said. Lion Capital bought Findus in 2008.

American Apparel (AMEX: APP) is working with advisor Rothschild to help it explore a potential sale, as the company contends with a falling stock price and the threat of bankruptcy, three sources familiar with the matter told peHUB. American Apparel CEO Dov Charney did not respond to a request for comment. Two of the sources [...]

London-based private equity firm Duke Street will pay roughly 215 million pounds ($349 million) for Japanese noodle chain Wagamama, buying the company from rival buyout shop Lion Capital, Reuters reported. Lion Capital took a majority stake in Wagamama in a 2005 deal valued at 102.5 million pounds.

New York-based middle-market firm Centre Partners has completed its sale of Bumble Bee Foods — North America’s biggest supplier of “shelf-stable seafood” to the London-based, consumer-focused PE firm Lion Capital for $980 million. Bumble Bee was founded in 1897. PRESS RELEASE: New York, NY, December 15, 2010—Centre Partners Management LLC (“Centre Partners”) is pleased to [...]

Lion Capital said late Thursday that it has agreed to buy the operating companies of Bumble Bee Foods, which is owned by Centre Partners Management. Financial terms were not announced. The deal is expected to close by year-end, a statement said. San Diego-based Bumble Bee Foods, which supplies shelf-stable seafood, is known for its Bumble Bee tuna and King Oscar Sardines. Centre Partners, with offices in New York and Los Angeles, is a PE firm. London-based Lion Capital is a consumer focused investment firm.