Good evening,

Here’s a deal to get head over heels for.

Street Talk can reveal WM Ritchie, the big women’s footwear retailer behind the Jane Debster and Sandler brands, has paired with KPMG to find a deep-pocketed capital partner to turbocharge its growth trajectory.

The company is putting its best foot forward, telling prospective buyers that it’s one of the largest suppliers of women’s shoes to Myer and The Iconic, operates 57 concession stores and three standalone shops, and has grown at 60 per cent CAGR over the past two years.

Sources said the process was at the preliminary stages, however the capital partner would likely take a controlling stake.

Over on the ASX, Street Talk spotted Pilbara Minerals contemplating a run at Patriot Battery Metals just as the target gets its guard up against a short-seller report. The company is understood to have hired RBC Capital Markets, while Patriot Battery Metals had its long-time adviser, Macquarie Capital, in its corner.

And on the fundraising front, listed real estate and alternatives manager HMC Capital has tapped five brokers for a $50 million raise for a fund, and delivery start-up Get it Fast is looking for $5 million.

Happy reading,
Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
Street Talk editors