EUROPE - Final quarter records lowest deal value for a decade

Though it will come as no surprise that private equity investment in Europe dropped considerably in the final quarter of 2008, the scale of the decline just might; with deal value sliding 59% against the preceding three months from around EUR 20bn to just over EUR 8bn - the lowest quarterly total since Q2 1997 - according to data published today in the unquote" Private Equity Barometer, produced in association with Candover.