Private equity shakeout builds up steam

The effects of the downturn mean that many firms have become takeover targets for larger rivals

A cocktail of stagnant growth, fewer investment exits and greater parsimony among banks has shaken up the European private equity landscape by ushering in a period of consolidation.

Nowhere has this been more apparent than in the listed private equity sector where most firms do not enjoy the security of their investors having committed capital for a 10-year period, as is the case with unlisted private equity funds.

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