时事资讯:高盛将向吉利汽车投资2.5亿美元_时事

时事资讯:高盛将向吉利汽车投资2.5亿美元

International investors have in recent months backed major Chinese auto makers, betting they may become global champions.

The Goldman fund's $250 million investment is chunky compared with typical private equity deals in China. Most deals are below $100 million because Chinese business owners rarely give up control and deals bigger than $100 million require central government approval. Private equity funds in recent months have made more investments in Chinese listed companies that need capital. Those deals don't require the same level of government approvals and due diligence needed for investments in unlisted companies.

The auto makers are looking to survive a possible wave of consolidation in China's domestic market by snatching up smaller players at home and buying into distressed brands overseas in order to expand sales both domestically and outside the country.

A unit of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. agreed last year to pay $232 million for a 10% stake in electric carmaker BYD Co. The electric car and battery maker's shares have soared this year to over HK$63 (US$8.13) a share from the HK$8 a share Berkshire paid. Earlier this year, Chery Automobile Co. secured backing from yuan-denominated private equity funds managed by CDH Investments and Bohai Industrial Investment Fund Management Co.

Hangzhou-based Geely has made substantial improvement in the engineering and quality of its vehicles since 2006 under Frank Zhao, the company's product development director, who joined Geely from the U.S. auto maker now known as Chrysler Group LLC via a separate Chinese auto maker.