UPDATE 2-ABC Learning raises A$82 mln in share placement

(Adds ABC confirmation on capital raising, updates shares)

SYDNEY, June 10 (Reuters) - A.B.C. Learning Centres Ltd (ABS.AX: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), Australia's top child care operator, said on Tuesday it has raised A$82.2 million ($78.3 million) by selling new shares at a 15 percent discount to its Friday closing price.

The new funds will be used to reduce A.B.C.'s hefty debt burden, which at the end of last year stood at A$1.677 billion. The company ran into difficulties earlier this year as it struggled to refinance debt amid a global credit crunch.

About 13 percent of the new shares were taken up by Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia and the rest by Lazard Asset Management.

The latest fund raising comes after A.B.C. agreed to sell 60 percent of its U.S. business to Morgan Stanley Private Equity in April to cut its debt.

Various other initiatives planned by A.B.C. are expected to bring in between A$790-A$810 million in cash proceeds, which would also be used to lower its net debt.

"This investment in ABC underscores our commitment to the company and its long-term growth prospects," Chin Chou, Chief Executive of Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia said.

"We look forward to partnering A.B.C.'s management team to optimise the company's performance and market presence," he added.

A.B.C. shares fell as much as 8.2 percent to A$1.24 after it resumed trading following the fund raising, while the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index was down 2.4 percent.