Blackstone Group has abandoned it's plans for a rival bid [1] for HCA. Last month the hospital chain announced that it would be acquired by Thomas Frist Jr. and a group of investors for $21 billion dollars. Blackstone was supposedly interested in topping a private equity group's bid, but it appears Blackstone was scared away by HCA's hefty price tag. But the bidding war might not be over. A London trade newspaper is reporting that BC Partners has met with Warburg Pincus and Apollo Management and might propose a bid for HCA.

- see this article [2]