going private

Shares of P.F. Chang's soared nearly 30% Tuesday after the restaurant chain agreed to be acquired by private equity firm Centerbridge Partners in a $1.1 billion deal. Here's what it all means for the rest of the dynamic casual dining industry.

The tables are turning in the casual dining industry. Outback Steakhouse, which sold itself to a private equity group, is gearing up to go public. At the same time, publicly held Benihana is looking for a way out.

Apollo Global Management is shelling out $703 million for Great Wolf Resorts, the leading operator of indoor water park resorts. The $5-a-share offer is better than the stock has seen since 2008, but people who bought it around its 2004 IPO will end up taking a real bath.

Companies such as Duke Energy and DuPont are off and running with megamergers early this year. Even Playboy is among the dealers. And market pros say the trend is far from over. Why are so many U.S. companies tying the knot? Fast growth is hard to come by in any other strategy.

For more than a year, adult entertainment company Playboy Enterprises has been looking for someone to save it, but in the end, its savior came from within. Last July, founder Hugh Hefner offered to take Playboy private, and Monday, the company finally announced that it has agreed to his offer.

Warehouse retailer BJ's Wholesale Club is in the process of hiring an advisor to explore a possible sale of the company to a private equity firm.

Natural gas prices have been persistently sluggish lately, but it looks like deal-making is revving up: The latest offer comes from the CEO of Exco Resources, Douglas Miller, who has offered to buy the energy company for $20.50 per share or about $4.4 billion.

Harbin Electric's CEO and Baring Private Equity Asia Group are proposing taking the Chinese electric motor maker private with a bid of $24 per share, or $752.2 million. It's a notably rare instance of a private equity-backed buyout.

Internet Brands announced Monday that it has agreed to go private at $13.35 per share, giving early investors a juicy 67% return. The company, which operates CarsDirect.com and other consumer sites, went public in 2007.

News that beauty salon operator Regis Corp has hired investment bank Peter J. Solomon to investigate possible buyout options sent Regis stock soaring Thursday.