DealZone

It’s hard to find fault with the second-largest IPO in history, but analysts were only lukewarm about this week’s $19.3 billion IPO debut by Agricultural Bank of China.

Despite the tepid debut, AgBank’s IPO is only overshadowed by Industrial and Commercial Bank of China’s (ICBC) world record $21.9 billion public float in 2006. More interesting than the monetary value attached to its IPO was the fact that AgBank was even able to pull it off in the first place, given the global downturn and a very short three-month completion process. In a Reuters special report, one banker involved in the deal said: “It’s the last of its kind.”

Apparently cats aren’t the only species with nine lives – hedge-fund advisers do too. Bloomberg reported that Neuberger Berman Group LLC, which was part of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., has “reassembled a team of executives to invest as much as $1 billion in firms that run hedge funds.”

With this week’s announcement that Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers partner Joe Lacob led the group that was buying the NBA’s Golden State Warriors for a record $450 million, PE Hub editor Dan Primack wondered whether Lacob would quit his day job as one of Silicon Valley’s most prominent venture capitalists.

Will Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co’s listing on the Big Board bring a big yawn or release pent-up investor demand for the iconic private equity firm? It could be a bellwether for rivals looking to follow suit. *  View article *  View factbox

Agricultural Bank of China’s $19 billion IPO made a lackluster debut in Shanghai, weighing on the market and underscoring the difficulty other Chinese banks will face tapping investors for billions more. * View Article *  View newsmaker

U.S. nutritional supplements maker NBTY said it agreed to be bought by Carlyle Group for $3.8 billion in one of the biggest private equity deals so far this year. The buyout underscores a revival in private equity deals following the credit crisis. *  View article

It is going to be tough for Agricultural Bank of China’s (AgBank) IPO to match the first-day jump in share price enjoyed by its rivals, analysts say. Institutions are expected help stabilize the stock price of the politically sensitive IPO but liquidity, the economy’s health and a flood of new share issues are seen as action against the company. *View article *More coverage *Asia’s top IPOs graphic

Shares in cellphone maker Nokia edged lower as analysts questioned the wisdom of its possible purchase of Motorola’s network equipment unit to boost its weak North American position. *View article

The board of American International Group is expected to meet to consider the future of its AIA unit, with a public float seen as the most likely outcome, sources say. *View article

At Sun Valley, so far, it’s the fabricated deals that are getting the headlines. News Corp is not in talks to sell MySpace, despite the rumors. View article Read More

BP boss Tony Hayward is in the Middle East in a quest for cash to ward off takeovers. What’s in it for sovereign wealth funds in the oil-rich area? Diversity, says Reuters reporter Natsuko Waki. View article

The hedge fund industry has seen inflows of roughly $30 billion since last summer but British firm Man Group is not following the trend. Outflows from institutions have shrunk from year-ago levels but private investors are now pulling money out. View article

Now that the “world’s largest IPO” headlines  have been written about Agbank,  do the big numbers add up? View FT article

Kuwait has confirmed its investment in the China Agbank IPO and others are expected to step forward shortly.

The driving force behind Agbank public offering is Vice President Pan Gongsheng. The IPO is being hammered out in a classroom and attendance is monitored. Find out more of how this deal looks and feels here.

Here are some key facts about the bank and its cornerstone investors.

The IPO, expected to raise $23 billion, has faced serious global headwinds. Specific to the region, the main Shanghai index has fallen 21 percent this year, making it one of the worst performers in the world.