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Deal in Focus: Bain and Cinven to take Stada private
Acquisition of German pharmaceutical company would be the largest buyout ever recorded in the country
Nordic buyout market off to slow start in 2017
Buyout volume in Q1 was slowest start to a year since 2013, while Q1 exit figures were at their lowest first-quarter level since 2011
Insurtech puts a premium on technology
PE and VC players turn their attention to the insurance space as fintech's next scalable disruption opportunity
Luxembourg becoming a hub for German funds
GPs are increasingly chosing to domicile funds outside of Germany as fundraising in the country gathers pace
Contrasting fundraising fortunes in French mid-market
Numerous closes in Q1 and more on the horizon will give a clearer view of the French fundraising landscape
Could China boost Italy's private equity activity?
Italy's hunt for Chinese capital could clash with Beijing's new investments policy
Deal in Focus: Ardian to take majority stake in Prosol
French hypermarket group reportedly valued in the region of €1bn, with existing investors remaining as minority backers following completion
Dino Polska IPO could revive public exit route for PE in CEE
Public market exit route has been in decline for central and eastern European private equity since its 2013 post-crisis peak
Credit funds eye opportunity in ECB limits on bank leverage
Draft guidelines from the European Central Bank propose a suggested ceiling of 6x EBITDA for leveraged buyouts
Dutch elections: A rosier picture for PE
Netherlands' election outcome spells good news for the industry, as PE-sceptic Labour loses seats
European fundraising surpasses pre-crisis high
Funds investing in Europe raised €120bn in 2016, up 37% on the year before
GP Profile: Bain Capital
GP is currently investing from its $3.5bn fourth European buyout vehicle, which closed in 2014
Denmark suffers from lack of newcomer buyout firms
Country lags behind its Nordic counterparts in terms of new private equity players, despite a growing number of buyouts
High-yield issuance for PE buyouts hits six-year low
Loan market flexibility and pricing steal the limelight as high-yield market for buyouts raises lowest total since 2010
EQT to onshore all funds in Luxembourg, ditch UK post-Brexit
Brexit-driven uncertainty has ruled out the UK as a future jurisdiction for EQT funds, COO Casper Callerström tells unquote"
UK private equity's northern awakening
North of England is well positioned for substantial PE-backed growth in the coming years, accelerated by infrastructure investment
Private equity must wise up to cybersecurity
Private equity practitioners must act to avoid becoming the newest soft target for cybersecurity attacks, says Nazo Moosa from Riyad Taqnia Fund
Placement agents: Adapt to succeed
Evolving fundraising landscape means placement agents are having to reinvent themselves to future-proof their offerings
GP Profile: Permira
Global large-cap investor closed its latest buyout fund on €7.5bn in February 2016, making three investments from it to date
Strong returns: Are managers or the market due credit?
Beneficial exit market of recent years may not endure the next PE cycle, raising questions as to how strongly LPs should reinvest in the asset class
GPs and non-execs: Partners through thick and thin
Recent reports have questioned the logic behind appointing NEDs to portfolio companies, though there is little sign of GPs changing their approach
Portugal boosts southern Europe's 2016 resurgence
Recent uptick in the country's buyout activity mirrors similar investor appetite seen five years earlier in Spain
French Tech initiative launches visa programme
France's new "tech visa" is designed to attract talent and investment into the country's startup space
How many more generalists can the Nordic PE market bear?
Competition for capital and assets in the Nordic region has skyrocketed to the point of possible oversaturation