Sir Bob Geldof has launched a private equity fund to raise $750m for investment in Africa. It would rank as one of the largest in the market for African deals.

Clayton, Dubilier & Rice LLC agreed to buy a 42.5 percent stake in Univar, the biggest U.S. chemical distributor, from CVC Capital Partners in a transaction that values the company at $4.2 billion. Univar is withdrawing plans for an initial public offering.

Institutional investors are holding back from private equity real estate funds, preferring to hold on to their capital or channel it into direct investment and joint ventures, according to Preqin, the private equity data firm.

Everstone Capital, the private equity arm of Future Group plans to raise $350 Mn for a new fund to invest in warehouses in India.

Where Candover Investments  has led, will other private-equity firms follow? The listed U.K. buyout group is to wind down its funds and return cash to investors, having failed to conclude a deal to sell its assets to Alberta Investment Management Co. That makes it an industry outlier. Despite facing similar pressures—problems exiting from investments and an inability to raise new funds—few other private-equity firms have so far been forced to close shop. That may yet change.

Will CFOs and their executive management teams forge sensible deals if buyout firms begin to swamp them with offers?