Top story
Abraaj suspends private equity funds as founder steps down
CEO and founder Arif Naqvi passed the fund management reins to two co-chief executives
Italian private debt issuance jumps 35% in 2017
Southern Europe's two biggest markets differ greatly in their uptake of private debt, with Spanish players facing strong competition from banks
Private debt funds expand market share in Germany
Growing use of use of first-out, second-out unitranche leads to private debt funds more than doubling their share of German mid-market deals
European PE in 2017: Scaling new heights
Buyout activity and fundraising reached a new peak in 2017, with mega-buyouts and small-cap deals fueling dealflow and French funds popular among LPs
Q4 Barometer: Deal volume and aggregate value slide
Despite a boom in both dealflow and aggregate value across 2017 as a whole, the final quarter of the year saw a slowdown in activity
CEE mid-market players welcome renewed attention from larger GPs
Focusing on the mid-market pays off, as renewed interest from international sponsors affords interesting SBO opportunities
Less specialisation in southern Europe as generalists flourish
Trend of fund specialisation has been observed in European PE but LPs are still supporting less differentiated strategies in Southern Europe
DACH auto-parts deals motor on as sector transforms
Private equity players remain keen on auto-parts, as the sub-sector responds to rapid changes brought about by the electrical vehicle market
European PE in 2018: beware the bullet
unquoteт brings together a group of leading practitioners to analyse industry developments during 2017 and discuss emerging trends heading into 2018
European PE in 2017: fundraising tailwinds and growing leverage
Industry professionals look back on a resilient year for private equity during a period of turbulent geopolitics
Fundraising record rounds off active year for Nordic region
Region saw strong fundraising and high deal volume off the back of low interest rates in 2017
Tech gains traction in French private equity
Expansion deals and small-cap buyouts fuelled a strong 2017, with tech proving increasingly popular among buyout houses
Unquote's 2017 digest
unquote" looks back on an impressive 2017, which saw increases in the volume and aggregate value of buyouts and a buoyant fundraising environment
UK buyout activity reaches post-crisis peak in 2017
Small-cap and lower-mid-market invested strongly during the course of the year, while fundraising activity continued apace
Benelux funds specialise to compete with strategic buyers
Record level of commitments were secured by Benelux funds during 2017, with GPs increasingly turning to sector specialisation
Rise of the UK's private markets
Average values of British PE buyouts have soared over the last 20 years, as increasingly fewer businesses are trading on the London stock exchange
CEE closes out 2017 with strong investor confidence
Fundraising and deal activity both increased in the region during 2017
Shielding PE from political risk
Once a niche advisory sub-sector, political due diligence has now become an integral part of deal-making in Europe
DACH family businesses open up to private equity
Despite continuing low dealflow in the region, signs are emerging that family-owned businesses are warming to the idea of PE backing
Spanish private equity flourishes as Italian market cools
Southern Europe's leading PE markets responded drastically differently to the challenges of a turbulent 2017
UK fundraising continues apace in 2017
Final closes in the first three quarters of the year show the UK is on track to surpass the post-crisis fundraising peak set in 2016
ICOs and venture capital: friends or foes?
With Asgard becoming the first European VC to hold a coin offering for its new fund, ICOs might present opportunities for institutional fund managers
Deal in Focus: BC-backed Sabre floats with £575m market cap
IPO of the insurance underwriter raised ТЃ206m to acquire shares owned by BC and other investors
Nordic Capital buys Alloheim from Carlyle
Reports put enterprise value at €1.1bn, 12.5x the company's €88m projected EBITDA