Subject: RSCI News Update 7.26
From: "Sebastian Momtazi" <[email-masked]>
To: "Pascal Louis" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2012 12:34:00 -0400

ENERGY FUTURE HOLDINGS

Market Watch 7/18
TXU Energy Empowers Electricity Customers with Android Smartphones<http://www.marketwatch.com/story/txu-energy-empowers-electricity-customers-with-android-smartphones-2012-07-18>
TXU has created a new app for Android users. This makes TXU Energy one of the few electricity providers in Texas to connect customers with Android smartphones directly with their electricity accounts, payment options, usage and, potentially, their thermostats.

Energy Future Holdings 7/23
Monticello Power Plant Celebrates 20 Years Without a Lost-Time Injury<http://www.energyfutureholdings.com/news/newsrel/detail.aspx?prid=1449>
This milestone is the equivalent of 10.5 million work hours without lost time, a new record for all Luminant sites.

FISKER AUTOMOTIVE<http://www.fiskerautomotive.com/en-us>

Forbes 7/24
Leonardo DiCaprio Partners With Fisker Automotive<http://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewdepaula/2012/07/24/leonardo-dicaprio-the-new-face-of-fisker-automotive/>
Actor Leonardo DiCaprio has become an equity investor in and a brand ambassador for Fisker Automotive, the Anaheim, Calif.-based startup that sells the Karma plug-in hybrid.

The Washington Post 7/24
GOP senators feeling bad Karma<http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/jul/24/gop-senators-feeling-bad-karma/>
Two senior Republican senators have questions about the Obama administration’s approval of more than a half-billion dollars in taxpayer funds to help a California automaker build hybrid subcompact cars in Finland that will cost buyers more than $100,000 each.

Delaware Online 7/25
Fisker Automotive reassigns second of its founders<http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20120726/BUSINESS09/307260004/Fisker-reassigns-second-its-founders?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CHome%7Cs&gcheck=1&nclick_check=1>
The shake-up at the top of Fisker Automotive continues. In its third senior management change in the past half-year, the California-based hybrid automaker has announced it has shifted co-founder and Chief Operations Officer Barny Koehler into a new position as chief business development officer.

Hybrid Cars 7/25
Fisker Steps On The Business Development Accelerator<http://www.hybridcars.com/news/fisker-steps-business-development-accelerator-48996.html>
Fisker Automotive continues its expansion into new markets around the world. The Karma sedan, Fisker’s flagship model, is now fully certified for safety and emissions in the fast-growing automotive markets of the Middle East and China.

NORTHERN TIER ENERGY
The Wall Street Journal 7/25
Northern Tier Energy's IPO of 16.25 Mln Units Prices at $14, Below Range<http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20120725-721123.html>
Northern Tier Energy LP's initial public offering of 16.25 million units is priced at $14 a share, below its expected price range. Last week, the energy company said it expected its IPO to price between $19 and $21 apiece. Northern Tier Company filed plans last December for an estimated IPO of $200 million in Class A stock to raise money in order to purchase a noncontrolling interest in one of its subsidiaries owned by Marathon Oil Corp. (MRO).

THE WEATHER CHANNEL

Hartford Courant 7/24
Travelers, Weather Channel Team Up On Facebook App To Warn Friends About Storms<http://www.courant.com/business/connecticut-insurance/hc-travelers-weather-facebook-20120724,0,4809179.story>
The Travelers Cos. and The Weather Channel companies came up with a 21st century way to talk about the weather. The property-casualty insurer and meteorology media company announced My Friends' Weather, a first ever Facebook "Open Graph" application on weather.com. It allows a person to register using his or her Facebook profile to find out if severe weather is barreling toward friends.

PRIVATE EQUITY
Wall Street Journal 7/18
Blackstone Names New Head of Private Equity<http://blogs.wsj.com/deals/2012/07/18/blackstone-names-new-head-of-private-equity/>
Private-equity giant Blackstone Group has named a new head of global private equity, Joe Baratta, who had been head of the company’s European PE business.

Wall Street Journal 7/23
They’re Back: TPG Offers $713 Million for Billabong<http://blogs.wsj.com/deals/2012/07/23/they%E2%80%99re-back-tpg-offers-713-million-for-billabong/?KEYWORDS=private+equity>
Global private equity firm TPG is making another run at Billabong International, five months after the boardsports retailer talks, claiming a sweetened 841.8 million Australian dollar (US$865.6 million) or A$3.30 a share offer did not reflect fundamental value.

Bloomberg 7/23
Private Equity Loses To Junk As Dealmaking Wanes: Credit Markets<http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-23/private-equity-loses-to-junk-as-dealmaking-wanes-credit-markets.html>
Private-equity firms from Blackstone Group LP (BX) to Carlyle Group LP (CG) that fueled an expansion in the market for junk bonds and loans during the leveraged buyout boom are now loading up on that debt as takeovers dwindle.

Bloomberg 7/23
Europe Stymies Private Equity As Corporate Buyouts Stall<http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-23/europe-stymies-private-equity-as-corporate-buyouts-stall.html>
Private-equity firms have raised $122.4 billion for corporatetakeovers in Europe, more than they had in 2006 amid the record leveraged-buyout boom, according to London-based researcher Preqin Ltd. At the same time, the value of announced private-equity deals in Europe fell 51 percent to $57.2 billion this year through yesterday from the same period in 2011.

Wall Street Journal 7/24
Carlyle Adds Long-Time Media Executive Liguori to Ranks<http://blogs.wsj.com/deals/2012/07/24/carlyle-adds-long-time-media-executive-liguori-to-ranks/?KEYWORDS=private+equity>
Private-equity firm Carlyle Group just added a big name in media to its ranks, hiring long-time industry executive Peter Liguori to be a consultant. Liguori was most recently the chief operating officer at Discovery Communications and had previously held several top positions at News Corp.’s Fox division, including chairman and president of Fox Broadcasting Co. He left Discovery last November after helping to launch the Oprah Winfrey Network and then serving as interim CEO of the struggling network over for a short period.

Reuters 7/25
Private equity circles Ancestry.com<http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/07/24/us-ancestry-privateequity-idINBRE86N1MU20120724>
Ancestry.com Inc (ACOM.O), the family-history research website, isexploring a sale to private equity firms and is hoping to solicit revised bids from them in early August, two sources familiar with the matter said on Tuesday