Empresas y finanzas

TPG Completes Investment in NIS Group



    Global private equity investment firm TPG announced today that it
    has completed its investment of approximately 31 billion yen (USD 288
    million) in Japan´s non-bank financial firm NIS Group Co., Ltd. and in
    Nissin Leasing (China) Co., Ltd.

    The investment was approved at the extraordinary shareholders
    meeting of NIS on Monday, February 18, 2008. After the investment, TPG
    owns approximately 40% of the shares of NIS and 87,500 warrants which,
    upon exercise, are convertible into 3.4% of the shares of NIS, and
    indirectly owns 50% of Nissin Leasing (China).

    TPG is a leading private equity firm in the global market with a
    strong reputation for its successful investment in financial
    institutions worldwide. TPG has long appreciated the unique strength,
    the franchise, the market position and the management of NIS and had
    expressed its interest in investing in NIS as early as 2006. NIS has
    also recognized the vision, operating expertise and experience of TPG
    and the strategic value TPG will bring to NIS. TPG and NIS are
    confident that under the leadership of the new board and with a
    strengthened capital base, NIS will be better able to take advantage
    of the opportunities arising from today´s tight credit market
    conditions and to achieve profitable growth.

    Asked why TPG has decided to make this investment at a time when
    many investors have shifted away from the financial sector worldwide,
    Jun Tsusaka, managing director and representative of TPG Japan, said:
    "Whereas many leading financial institutions experienced large
    write-offs, losses and sharp deterioration in their asset quality, NIS
    stands out to a discerning and astute investor because its fundamental
    strength and asset quality remain strong. The history of investing in
    the financial sector tells us that best investments are made under the
    current market conditions if we pick the right target and if we are
    able to help it with our operating expertise and capital. NIS serves a
    real market need and is best positioned to do so."

    Masayuki Yasuoka, managing director and representative of TPG
    Japan, added: "TPG´s view is strongly endorsed by the funding partners
    of NIS, all of which recognize the ability of NIS to build good
    quality assets and manage its credit risks. With our investment, NIS
    will have a strengthened capital base, a very clean book, good quality
    assets and a profitable operation, which make it attractive to funding
    sources. We will work closely with NIS´ funding partners so that the
    success of NIS will also contribute to their own."

    NIS will continue to build on the early mover advantage of Nissin
    Leasing (China) to support its rapid and profitable growth. TPG has
    had a long history in investing and is the only foreign investor to
    control a nationwide bank in China, Shenzhen Development Bank. Mary
    Ma, a partner of TPG, said: "It is rare for a foreign controlled
    financial institution to build such a strong platform of growth in
    China. Nissin Leasing fulfills the need for small and medium sized
    Chinese companies to obtain financing in a most efficient manner. It
    is experiencing rapid growth as its customer base does. We are
    confident that Nissin Leasing will become an even stronger market
    leader after our investment as we will build a better infrastructure
    and process for it to scale up quickly."

    About TPG

    TPG is one of the world´s largest private investment firms with
    investments in global companies across a range of industries, as well
    as broad capabilities of managing these portfolio firms including such
    household names as Neiman Marcus, Bally Shoes, Burger King, Ducati
    Motorcycles, Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) and Lenovo Computers, in
    addition to financial institutions in Asia and America. In Japan, TPG
    took a stake in the country´s No.2 toy maker TOMY in March 2007 and is
    expanding its footprint. TPG now has an extensive global network of
    companies, with its portfolio firms having combined revenues of
    approximately $114 billion and about 550,000 employees.

    About NIS

    NIS listed on the 1st section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) in
    1999, and listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in 2002. Since
    its establishment in 1960, NIS has had the flexibility to change its
    business model to tailor its financial services that meet the social
    needs of the time. After selling most of its unguaranteed consumer
    loan receivables in 2004, NIS has shifted its business model to
    provide integrated financial services that address the diverse needs
    of SMEs. NIS is a competitive non-bank financial services provider
    that can respond to the various needs of SMEs through its cooperation
    with non-financial companies and its subsidiaries, both of which have
    a variety of expertise. NIS had diversified into growth areas such as
    real estate finance and investments, non-performing loan servicing and
    leasing services in China.