May 2017 Issue

    PEI 300: Which firms are producing the best returns?

    Analysis by tech group Bison shows firms just outside the top 10 are producing the best returns.

    PEI 300: Investors driven towards brand names

    The PEI 300 saw more capital raised by the industry’s biggest firms than ever in its history as market conditions drive investors toward brand names.

    PEI 300: The hidden investors

    Which influential groups and dealmakers do not make this year’s list?

    PEI 300: Rise in tech-focused fundraising

    Private equity capital raised by tech-focused firms among the 30 largest GPs has expanded by more than six times from 2013 to 2017.

    PEI 300: Energy sector turns to experienced GPs

    Tough macro-conditions make it hard for managers to put money to work in the energy sector, so LPs are entrusting their capital to familiar hands.

    Innovation is a necessity in the secondaries market

    As the secondaries market matures and becomes more efficient, market participants are having to get comfortable with complexity.

    The BVCA's Helen Steers on the LP perspective

    Is it possible for an organisation – largely funded by general partners – to serve the interests of asset owners and fund managers? We speak to Helen Steers, the first limited partner to chair the BVCA, and its director general Tim Hames.  

    Deal mechanic: How EQT transformed Automic

    EQT transformed the business process automation company with an aggressive growth plan and a game-changing add-on.

    GPIF ends its alternatives wait

    GPIF is recruiting alternatives managers for investments in Japan and abroad; this is likely to have a profound effect on the local market.

    Carry data disclosure demand spreads

    A number of US states are seeking to follow California in mandating public funds to disclose carried interest paid to GPs.

    Impact investment takes a leap forward

    The strategy has grown in recent years, but impact investment still has its challenges.

    KKR insures itself for the future

    Large asset managers are buying insurers as another way to secure access to long-term capital.

    Second Thoughts: Why PTP is a taxing problem

    The growth of the secondaries market means funds can fall foul of the US’s publicly traded partnership regulations.

    Side Letter: Superfunds get responsible

    Australian superannuation fund First Super is reviewing its private equity portfolio after identifying risk from ‘poor labour practices’. Does this mean the industry is ripe for an overhaul?

    Regulation watch: The UK's simplified partnership rules

    Fund managers can benefit from simplified partnership rules introduced in April, but could face a headache under proposed changes to the UK tax rules.

    Data room: Private equity industry shrugs off Brexit vote

    After Britain triggered Article 50 on 29 March, data show UK firms have not yet been hit by post-referendum uncertainty.

    How fund managers can stay a step ahead of the cycle

    After an unpredictable 2016, Jim Strang, head of Europe at Hamilton Lane, discusses how fund managers can prepare and react to potential changes ahead.

    First Round: One man's waste…

    Lending a new meaning to zombie funds.

    First Round: Extra credit

    If you build it they will come.

    First Round: Do you feel lucky, punk?

    TSG Consumer Partners' bought a 22% stake in BrewDogs for £213m, topping up the Scottish brewery's pint as it eyes a US expansion.

    Where Are They Now? Stephen Dawson

    Faced with the closure of his local village shop, the former managing partner of ECI Partners set out to open his own.

    China special: The new breed of LP

    China’s wealth management platforms are among the country’s biggest investors in private equity, and they have their sights set on Silicon Valley.

    China special: The market comes of age

    The Chinese market has grown in leaps and bounds over the last 20 years, and that is reflected in a more sophisticated approach to dealmaking.

    China special: New government controls on outbound deals

    Chinese overseas investment has grown markedly, with European and US companies among the key targets. But how will more stringent Chinese government controls on foreign investment affect M&A?

    China special: Full steam ahead for the tech sector

    Investors continue to seek opportunities in the Chinese technology sector.

    China special: seven things you should know

    There is a wealth of opportunities if you know where to look.

    China special: keeping an eye on CCTV

    Over a six-year period, Bain Capital Private Equity turned a Chinese CCTV manufacturer from a loss-making business into the world’s eighth largest video surveillance firm by focusing on R&D.  

    China special: The most active LPs

    China’s most active LPs have made sizeable commitments to private equity. Here are four of the biggest Beijing-based investors who should be on anyone’s watchlist to visit.

    Keynote interview: Actis

    Actis’s Beijing-based partner Max Lin describes where to pinpoint the growth investment opportunities in China’s vast business landscape.

    Keynote: Baring Private Equity Asia

    Increased affluence is driving demand for high-end products and opening up opportunities, says Baring Private Equity Asia’s Guy Cui.

    Expert commentary: Eaton Partners

    The Chinese economy has reached a turning point with profound implications for the tactics that private equity investors should employ, writes Chris Lerner, the head of Asia for Eaton Partners.