Comment
Private equity firms should be applauded for trying to increase their product range – but GPs must not hedge their bets.
An on-the-ground presence is simply not necessary – there are more ways than one to access regional deal flow.
There’s simply no substitute to having a presence on the ground when it comes to sourcing, completing and exiting regional investments.
Many LPs are turning to distressed specialists in search of blockbuster returns. But the investment approach required in this arena is quite different.
There aren’t the words to describe the LBO industry’s predicament. So here are some suggestions.
Transactional uncertainty and high costs have stymied the flow of small-cap take privates. A new “take-private lite” approach could turn the tap back on.
A group of Platonic decision-makers are the only cure for the venture investing malaise in Europe.
During 2007, clean tech became the leading venture sector in the US, and Europe is close behind. But where there are opportunities, there are also risks.
Josh Lerner’s private equity survey finds that the best-performing LPs favour smaller funds.
The new chief executive of the BVCA has big ambitions for the UK’s venture capital and private equity industry in 2008.
Recent innovations in French LBO financings have been brought down to earth in the aftermath of the liquidity crisis.
The recent French strikes could teach herd-like LPs a thing or two about investment.
The current competitive market, combined with the credit crunch, will make 2008 the year to run hard and early on new deals and work on those key relationships.
A new breed of debt provider is emerging to cater for private equity firms through the complete investment cycle.
For those who view infrastructure as a subset of private equity, the most interesting investment opportunities could be found in Dubai.
Despite the popularity of the new tax-transparent Reits, no hotel-focused vehicle has yet been created.
It is possible that we are only now beginning to understand the US venture model fully, because it is already “broken”.
Ashley Greenbank of Macfarlanes analyses how new UK tax rules for 2008 will affect the private equity industry.
If current buyout fund sizes become untenable, GPs will be forced to return capital or watch investors seek alternative outlets for their money.
History shows us that the current credit crisis is nothing new – and nor is the herd mentality of banks in reaction to it.
The future winners will be those who own and effectively manage intellectual property.
Increasing a company’s worth requires more than cold analysis.
The 21st-century boardroom needs creative thinking to succeed.
There is no rational reason why the US sub-prime mortgage crisis should lead to widespread defaults on European corporate debt.
Europe’s seed capital market might want more support from LPs, but VCs need to get their offering right first.
Today’s financial age has become a period of unbridled excess, with accepted risk soaring out of proportion to possible reward.
KKR’s commitment to press on with its takeover of Boots, despite trustee concerns about pension fund liabilities, may well set the tone for future bids.
While “hard” issues are often the top priority for private equity firms undertaking a buyout, the disruptive impact on a company’s workforce should be carefully handled.
The evidence is clear: private equity should be in every investor’s portfolio. So why do so many deny that the figures add up?
InnovationsKapital recently made 80 times its money on a trade sale. So why are international LPs not fighting to invest?
The announcement by Standard & Poor’s of a new investable private equity index is an interesting development and could be yet another nail in the coffin of the traditional private equity model or, at least, in its universality. It is also perhaps a sign of private equity falling victim...
The recent IPO of Fortress has thrown into prominence the new role being played by quoted vehicles across the whole private equity spectrum.
Received wisdom – and usually the advice from the financial advisory community – is that when you are looking to exit a portfolio company, the best means of maximising value is to go through an auction.
In recent weeks the private equity industry has once again found itself on the receiving end of criticism. But Peter Linthwaite says this presents an opportunity to champion the benefits of the asset class.
It may not seem immediately obvious that the Greek city states in the 6th century BC have anything in common with private equity firms today, but it may be that they form an appropriate image for the two different extremes of partnership dynamics.
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Leader
A new name, a fresh approach
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Feature
The Private Equity Awards
The seventh Real Deals/BVCA Private Equity Awards recognised the best that the industry had to offer during 2007.
Comment
The converging market
Private equity firms should be applauded for trying to increase their product range – but GPs must not hedge their bets.
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Scraping the barrel
The Environmental Technology Fund’s recent £110m (€139m) close of its maiden fund has highlighted the ever-growing interest in clean technology investment opportunities, with the sector fast cementing its position as the third pillar of the venture world.









