Investments
PE hot for insurance sector
Dealflow and aggregate value in the insurance sector has surpassed its post-crisis annual peak before the end of the third quarter of 2018
BGF on track for busiest ever year
With five months to go, the UK investor is already just a few deals shy of its record deployment year
CEE dealflow drops in H1 as exits soar
Buyout activity in the first six months of 2018 was at the lowest H1 level seen since 2009
GP Profile: Lakestar
Unquote speaks to founder Hommels about the VC's future ambitions and the European venture landscape
Record number of French SBOs and mega-deals in H1 2018
France's year is going from good to great as new figures from Unquote Data show buyout volumes reaching their highest level for a decade
Tech buyouts bolster UK mid-market activity in H1
High multiples in the TMT space have played a part in driving activity in the UK mid-market over the first half of 2018
Entry multiples stay frothy in Nordic region
Valuations in the Nordic countries are notably driven by high-multiple deals in the TMT and business services sectors
Q&A: Rutland Partners' Nick Morrill
Managing partner Nick Morrill discusses how to thrive amid economic uncertainty and the current challenges of the UK's consumer sector
Benelux large-cap activity swells in H1
Aggregate value of deals valued at more than €500m is approaching pre-crisis levels, based on H1 2018 figures
Italian PE back in fashion
Despite a drop-off in 2017, total Italian PE value last year is still almost double that of the €4.1bn invested in 2012
Bolt-on activity flourishes in CEE region
As the region continues its convergence with the west, a decrease in perceived risk is paving the way for increasing buy-and-build activity
Q1 entry multiples drop to lowest level since Q1 2016
PE deal valuations drop for the third consecutive quarter, as the Nordic region continues to see the highest entry multiples
DACH investors turn to value creation to justify high multiples
Three of the five most active private equity firms based in the DACH region last year used non-standard investment models
Co-investment: Dancing to a new tune
Co-investment has evolved from a value-add into an industry staple, but debate remains as to whether the strategy favours LPs and GPs equally
VC fuels Europe's journey towards self-driving future
Despite the long-term nature of investing in autonomous vehicles and high barriers to entry, fund managers are finding routes into the segment
PE-backed UK IPOs outperform, but listings remain slow
Despite a strong track record, PE-backed listings have been few and far between in 2018, but signs of an increase in activity are emerging
LP competition heats up for stakes in GP management companies
One in six LPs is taking stakes in GP management companies via specialist funds
Dutch VC activity reaches all-time high
Biotech and pharma are driving record levels of VC investment in the Netherlands, while venture fundraising continues to perform strongly
Payments sector heats up across the Nordic region
PayPal's $2.2bn acquisition of VC-backed iZettle highlights the Nordic region's leading position in the payments tech market
Italian PE enjoys vibrant Q1 despite political uncertainty
Buyout and exit activity in the country ballooned in the first quarter of 2018, despite the prolonged uncertainty surrounding the general election
Alliance of equals: PE's evolving buy-and-build approach
Portfolio companies are increasingly making larger bolt-ons, as GPs look for new ways to boost returns in a market with high entry multiples
Local GPs rule the roost in Turkish mid-market
International investors struggle to gain a foothold in the Turkish mid-market as local networks provide domestic firms with a headstart
Sino-French PE relations move forward
Chinese trade buyers, GPs and LPs are increasingly active in the French market as the number of funds with Sino-French strategies increases
Mid-market leverage continues upward creep
High price tags, limited assets and cheap debt are helping to push up leverage boundaries in the European mid-market once again
