The market for collateralized loan obligations (CLO) is back in full swing after more or less freezing in March and April last year. The bulk of leveraged loans used to finance private equity buyouts generally end up packaged into CLO products, making the volume and pricing of new issuances in the CLO market a crucial component of a vibrant dealmaking ... READ MORE >
private equity
Pandemic recovery signals new ways health care can serve and grow
Health care services are poised to lead the services recovery for the next two years, according to analysis from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Not only will providers benefit from the return of pre-pandemic volumes, but the increasing likelihood of an endemic virus may present new ways for providers to serve their patients and communities. The ... READ MORE >
Low interest rates offer private equity firms a rare opportunity to invest
As the Federal Reserve maintains historically low interest rates, private equity firms in the middle market have an opportunity to make more affordable capital investments that will pay off in the future. It's the result of the unusual current environment on interest rates, with the yield on 10-year Treasury securities hovering around negative ... READ MORE >
Private equity and venture capital stay resilient in the EU and UK
After a year of upheaval, private equity and venture capital dealmaking ended last year on a strong note in the European Union and the U.K., and that momentum is poised to continue. Consider where the industry stood at the beginning of 2020. After the Conservative Party’s decisive victory in late 2019 and the promise of a deal on Brexit, private ... READ MORE >
Private equity firms pledge their support for Diversity in Action initiative
As investors demand greater accountability on diversity and inclusion efforts in the asset management industry, private equity firms are under pressure to change. Women in the alternative assets sector, for example, held only 11.9% of senior roles, according to a Preqin study released in February. Now, a recent initiative seeks to address that ... READ MORE >
Private equity dealmaking surges, with gains in the middle market
After a quiet period set off by the coronavirus pandemic, private equity deal activity in the United States surged through mid-November as investment managers prepare for a possible tax policy change under President-elect Joe Biden. And the middle market has seen an uptick in deals. The overall surge has been striking, with the number of U.S. and ... READ MORE >
CHART OF THE DAY: Plunging private equity deal flow in Canada
The economic distress from the coronavirus pandemic is hitting the Canadian private equity market hard. The number of deals reached in Canada this year through Oct. 6 fell to 194, which at that pace would represent a 60% decline from 2019, according to PitchBook. The value of the deals plunged as well, falling to $26.8 billion. This represents a $53.2 ... READ MORE >
COVID-19 stifles middle market private equity dealmaking
U.S. middle market private equity deal and fundraising activity slowed through the second quarter as the global health pandemic continues to ravage American business. According to PitchBook, the number of closed middle market funds – defined as individual funds with assets under management of $1 billion or less – was only 35 during the second quarter, ... READ MORE >
Global M&A remains soft, but that could change as elections approach
Global mergers and acquisitions have had a slower start to 2020 compared to other years as companies continue to work through business challenges resulting from the coronavirus. Through June, the total value of announced deals was $327 billion, according to PitchBook. At that pace, the year would end with $654 billion of annual deal value, an 18% drop ... READ MORE >
401(k) plans can now offer investments in private equity, but should they?
It wasn’t too long ago that investing a 401(k) plan seemed simple enough: Choose a mutual fund – stocks, bonds or maybe a target date fund – and keep working until you retire. Private equity funds seemed a world away, the domain of high net-worth investors with the sophistication to understand the risk they were taking on. And indeed, lack of ... READ MORE >