News & Analysis

An unusual press release portends change from the SEC.

Last month, sister publication Private Equity International released a ranking of private equity firms by size, called the PEI 50. The magazine used a unique, apples-to-apples methodology—private equity capital raised over the past five years. Specifically, PEI counted the amount of capital raised for direct private equity investment, excluding real estate and senior debt funds, from January 1, 2002 until press time in mid-April. This methodology captures a firm's current heft in the market and also indicates the scope of its recent deal activity. The list is global. While all firms listed were given a chance to fact-check, PEI is not disclosing which firms provided information to the survey and which declined. Where confirmation was not provided by the firm in question, PEI relied on the best available information from a variety of sources. PEI also allowed its methodology to include direct private equity investors that rely on non-traditional funding structures, such as 3i and Teachers' Private Capital. As private equity continues to grow, morph and globalize, expect to see the PEI 50 constituent rankings and makeup change dramatically. The complete methodology and detailed profiles of each firm can be found in the May 2007 issue of Private Equity International

The right skillset 2007-06-01 Staff Writer I've often used a NASA analogy in describing private equity's current era of institutionalization. Particularly in the back office, private equity firms face a similar challenge that NASA faced in hiring the first astronauts ?trying to figure out who is most qualifi

A proponent of a tax hike on carried interest has been invited to make a presentation before US lawmakers, according to a report.

In his first public comments, the leader of the newly established Private Equity Council said he hopes to avoid the hostility that the industry has faced abroad by educating Washington policymakers about its activities. The lobbying group also named a new vice president today.

The veteran European firm is days away from a first close on its latest fund on €6 billion, putting the firm in a strong position to hit a final target of about €10 billion, investors say.

How much for IT? 2007-04-01 Staff Writer According to Gartner, the technology research and consulting firm, IT spend in financial services organizations worldwide is expected to grow between 4.9 and 5 percent from 2007 and 2009. In that same period, financial services firms in North America, already the worl

Boston-based middle-market private equity firm Berkshire Partners recently hired Matthew Janchar as its in-house financial advisor. Janchar joins from Oak Hill Advisors, where as managing director he had managed the firm's debt, equity and structured finance operations. Before that, he worked in the leveraged finance group at Goldman Sachs, specializing in leveraged transactions for both privately-held and publicly-traded issuers Janchar's hiring is part of a trend toward bringing more portfolio company services in-house. Berkshire's move comes two years after Warburg Pincus established its own capital markets group. The firm brought on Christopher Turner to lead the firm's capital markets team. Turner, who was previously managing director at Goldman Sachs focusing on structured financings in the loan and bond markets, is also responsible for managing Warburg Pincus' commercial and investment banking relationships. PEI Manager spoke recently with Janchar about the necessity of having a financing specialist at a private equity firm.

A hybrid fund requires a complex administrative tact to maximize the performance of both the liquid and illiquid aspects of the vehicle.

As private equity real estate funds evolve, they will increasingly need the ‘guts’ to be considered sustainable companies.