Private equity is often portrayed as a blunt and ruthless strategy – an industry dominated by corporate raiders that slash costs, strip assets, and leave behind a trail of wreckage. This narrative poorly relates how private equity operates and what ultimately drives success in the asset class. Most private equity firms aim not to impair businesses but to improve them. While measures are often taken to improve efficiencies, investment in growth is what makes those changes durable and profitable.
The corporate raider image largely stems from the LBO boom of the 1980s, when hostile takeovers and aggressive financial engineering were more common. Today the landscape looks dramatically different...
Quote of the Week
“2026 is shaping up as promising. Barring another jolt to the system, the conditions supporting more deal and exit activity appear to be improving.” – Global Private Equity Report 2026, Bain & Company.
Featuring Charts
Chart of the Week: Clearing the Backlog
US and European exits were on the rise in 2025. Source: Dealogic, Bain & Company
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Chart of the Week: Growth is King
Private equity returns are largely attributable to revenue growth. Source: McKinsey & Co, SPI by StepStone
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Chart of the Week: The Sweet Spot
The middle market punches above its weight. Source: State Street Private Equity Index as of 9/30/2025
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Chart of the Week: Private-Side Only
US companies that go public are opting to stay private longer. Source: Jay Ritter, University of Florida; Apollo’s The Daily Spark
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Chart of the Week: The Equity Premium
In the long-term private equity pays for more risk with better returns. Source: MSCI
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Chart of the Week: Inventory Check
Private equity remains an attractive option for investors through cycles. Source: PitchBook
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Features
Middle Market & Private Credit – 3/2/2026
AI Disruption Puts Alt-Investment Manager Software Exposures in Focus Click here to learn more. Sharp declines in major software company valuations amid rising investor concerns about AI-driven disruption have raised questions about lenders’ and asset managers’ sector exposure. While direct lenders, including business development companies (BDCs), typically have sizable software exposures, Fitch-rated alternative investment managers…
The Pulse of Private Equity – 3/2/2026
Median enterprise value (EV)/revenue multiples on PE deals of $2.5 billion or more Download PitchBook’s Report here. PE buyout valuations were a mixed bag in 2025, with EBITDA and revenue multiples undergoing different trends YoY, but ultimately rebounded from recent lows seen in 2023 to reach the high levels seen in 2021…. Subscribe to Read MoreAlready
PDI Picks – 3/2/2026
Strong performance in a dislocated world The covid pandemic saw high-quality assets with temporary difficulties being snapped up at discounted valuations. In this, the final reflection on our inaugural private markets performance quarterly report, we cast our minds back to a classic period of dislocation – the covid pandemic – and the impact it had…
Bloomberg: Leveraged Lending Insights – 3/2/2026
US Institutional Loans See Pricing Widen Amid Broader Selloff Click here to access Bloomberg’s US Leveraged Finance Chartbook Pricing conditions in the US institutional leveraged loan primary market widened in February, as borrowing costs increased amid a more cautious market backdrop…. Subscribe to Read MoreAlready a member? Log in here...
Bloomberg: Leveraged Lending Insights – 2/23/2026
February Loan Issuance Slows Sharply Amid Market Uncertainty Click here to access Bloomberg’s US Leveraged Finance Chartbook Through February 25, just $22.85b of US institutional leveraged loans have priced, with an additional $9.54b expected to allocate before month-end. Even if all scheduled deals price, total issuance will fall well short of January’s $164.1b, marking a…
Middle Market Deal Terms at a Glance
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Beginning in July 2022 The Lead Left published a series of articles on credit market. This report consolidates those articles.
Cov-lite trends Inflation & rising interest rates – LIBOR to SOFR transition Mega-tranche uni trend ESG takes center stage Login to view interactive report and download PDF version. … Subscribe to Read MoreAlready a member? Log in here Related posts: 2H 2021 Midyear Outlook Report State of the Capital Markets – Fourth Quarter 2016 Review and
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