Merrill Lynch has scored another mandate from private equity firm Clayton Dubilier & Rice, advising the fund on its acquisition of a 47.5% stake in Sally Beauty Supply and is set for extra fees by arranging $1.15bn (€915m) of debt for the deal.

Merrill, which had a team led by head of M&A Steve Baronoff, has long had a relationship with CD&R. Merrill Lynch Private Equity joined CD&R and The Carlyle Group to acquire Hertz from Ford last August, and again linked up with CD&R to buy Rexel SA in February 2005. (Merrill Lynch's investment bank was also an advisor on both those deals, according to research database Capital IQ.) Merrill also advised CD&R when the buyout fund sold Jafra SA in 2004.