Fri, Nov 14, 2025
A A A
Welcome Guest
Free Trial RSS pod
Get FREE trial access to our award winning publications
Alternative Market Briefing

U.S. private equity deals plunge 20% in H1 2020

Monday, July 13, 2020

Laxman Pai, Opalesque Asia:

U.S. private equity transactions fell nearly 20% in deal value to $326.7 billion on 2,173 deals in the first six months of 2020 from the year-ago period, said a study.

According to a PitchBook report, many private equity managers pulled out of previously agreed deals, with some invoking clauses for materially adverse changes.

Quarterly figures show an even steeper fall, with Q2 2020 deal value down more than a third from Q1 2019 values.

PE firms had to get creative with dealmaking, turning to PIPEs and divestitures because traditional sources of deal flow have dried up. For instance, sponsor-to-sponsor transactions (or secondary buyouts, SBOs) have slumped to their lowest levels since 2009 and median buyout size dipped for the first time since 2015.

Despite deal sizes falling, several massive M&A transactions still closed in the quarter. HR management software firms Kronos and Ultimate Software Group merged to create an entity valued at $22.0 billion and JAB Holding's portfolio company, Compassion-First Pet Hospital-acquired National Veterinary Associates for $5.0 billion from Ares and OMERS.

Exit activity - US PE firms closed 392 exits totaling $134.8bn

US PE firms closed 392 exits totaling $134.8 billion through the first half of the year with a couple of massive IPOs driving much of the second quarter's exit value. Announced global PE exits were down approximately 70% in May 2020 compared to May 2019 following a ste......................

To view our full article Click here

Previous Opalesque Exclusives                                  
Previous Other Voices                                               
Access Alternative Market Briefing

 



  • Top Forwarded
  • Top Tracked
  • Top Searched
  1. Global fintech investment slumps to seven-year low of $95.6bn[more]

    Laxman Pai, Opalesque Asia: Global fintech investment plummeted to $95.6 billion across 4,639 deals in 2024, marking its lowest level since 2017, as investors grappled with persistent macroeconomic challenges and geopolitical tensions, revealed a study. According to the Pulse of Fintech H2'

  2. Opalesque Exclusive: Private capital deal value climbed 19% in 2024[more]

    Bailey McCann, Opalesque New York: Private capital deal value climbed 19% in 2024, according to the latest data from the Global Private Capital Association. Growth was driven by big-ticket investments across Southeast Asia, Latin America and Central & Eastern Europe (CEE). Investor confidence

  3. Opalesque Roundup: Citco: 77% of hedge funds achieved positive returns in January 2025: hedge fund news[more]

    In the week ending February 21st, 2025, a report revealed that hedge funds enjoyed one of their best opening months this decade in January, as Equity and Multi-Strategy funds posted strong returns. Funds administered by the Citco group of companies (Citco) delivered a weighted average return of 4%,

  4. Opalesque exclusive: Permuto's new equity unbundling product to change investment model[more]

    Opalesque Geneva for New Managers: Here is a different way of owning stocks coming to you soon: the option of holding just the dividend portion of a stock, independent of its price movements. Or capturing the stock&

  5. Opalesque Exclusive: Hedge funds outperform mutual funds in managing extreme risk contagion - key insights for investors[more]

    Matthias Knab, Opalesque for New Managers: Hedge funds and mutual funds are among the most prominent vehicles for investors seeking growth and diversification. However, a critical question persists: which fund ty