US private equity (PE) investment activity totaled $708.4 billion in 2020 (down 7.3 percent from 2019) across 5,309 separate deals (down 3.4 percent), marking the first decrease in both private equity value and number of transactions since 2009, said a study by the financial data and research provider Pitchbook.

Growth equity was a standout performer in 2020, inve