In the first half of 2025, private equity exits reached their highest levels in three years. Corporate acquirers became active buyers, and firms showed increased flexibility on valuations to facilitate the sale of long-held assets. Despite ongoing market volatility, global M&A activity rose by 30%, with private equity contributing significantly. Although fundraising challenges exist, many investors remain optimistic and expect increased deployment activity in the coming months. Firms are pri...
Jul 30, 2025•8 min
In Q1 2025, private equity firms saw a 45% rise in deal volume compared to the previous year. However, rising trade tensions are creating caution among investors. Many firms may limit capital deployment in the coming months, yet a higher-than-average risk tolerance indicates readiness to seize new opportunities. Firms are focusing on operational improvements within their portfolios and exploring sectors like aerospace and defense. Additionally, the return of corporate acquirers has boosted exit ...
May 01, 2025•7 min
Matt Breitfelder, Partner, and Global Head of Human Capital at Apollo in conversation with Bridget Walsh, EY Global Head of Private Equity. In this episode Matt shares his insights about the role of talent and optimising personal performance in the asset management industry. The views of third parties set out in this podcast are not necessarily the views of the global EY organization or its member firms. Moreover, they should be seen in the context of the time they were made....
Mar 04, 2025•15 min
Angelo Rufino, Partner and Head of Special Situations in North America and Head of Corporate Special Situations in Europe for Bain Capital, joins Bridget Walsh, EY Global Head of Private Equity. In this episode Angelo shares his insights on the differentiated opportunities for Special Situations investing. 17 mins. The views of third parties set out in this podcast are not necessarily the views of the global EY organization or its member firms. Moreover, they should be seen in the context of the...
Feb 13, 2025•18 min
Private equity enters 2025 with strong expectations amid favorable market conditions. In 2024, PE firms announced US$565b in deals, a 25% increase in value and 20% in volume from the previous year. Confidence is high, with 73% of GPs expecting increased deployment activity. Factors driving this optimism include narrowing valuation gaps, increased asset availability, and improved macro visibility. Exit activity is also expected to rise, driven by secondary buyouts. Additionally, GPs anticipate a ...
Jan 28, 2025•9 min
The private equity (PE) market is bouncing back, with deal activity picking up thanks to clearer economic indicators and better financing options. Despite this dealmaking boost, exits are slower, posing challenges for investors and firms. The tech sector stands out, attracting significant PE interest due to favorable financing conditions, signaling a trend of increased tech-focused deals ahead. Visit https://www.ey.com/pepulse to view this quarter’s summary. Key takeaways: PE deals experience a ...
Nov 25, 2024•7 min
In this episode on the NextWave Private Equity Podcast, Matt Brown Founder, CEO and Chairman of CAIS, joins Bridget Walsh to discuss how technology can unlock private wealth for private equity. Technology is revolutionizing the private wealth market, enabling independent advisors to access alternative investments and compete with larger firms. Founder, CEO and Chairman of CAIS, Matt Brown, shares his platform's role in streamlining the investment process and the importance of education in adviso...
Sep 19, 2024•13 min
Pete Witte, EY Global Private Equity Lead Analyst, explores the key themes and market dynamics from Q2 2024 that are top of mind for Private Equity (PE) investors. PE Pulse is a quarterly report and corresponding podcast miniseries that provides analysis and insights on private equity market activity and trends. Visit https://www.ey.com/pepulse to view this quarter’s summary. In this episode, Pete Witte, EY Global Private Equity Lead Analyst, explores into the market environment for private equi...
Jul 25, 2024•8 min
Pete Witte, EY Global Private Equity Lead Analyst, explores the key themes and market dynamics from Q1 2024 that are top of mind for Private Equity (PE) investors. PE Pulse is a quarterly report and corresponding podcast miniseries that provides analysis and insights on private equity market activity and trends. Visit https://www.ey.com/pepulse to view this quarter’s summary. In this episode, we will provide a quick rundown on some of the trends and the themes that we're seeing in the market wit...
Apr 26, 2024•9 min•Ep. 62
In this episode of the NextWave Private Equity podcast, Avi Kalichstein, co-founder and CEO of Hunter Point Capital, joins host Bridget Walsh to discuss the growing market for GP stakes. The private equity landscape is shifting, with strategic capital becoming a vital piece of the puzzle. Hunter Point Capital's CEO, Avi Kalichstein, shares his insights on the nuances of GP stakes investing. Listen to find out how strategic alliances and smart capital solutions are key to thriving in the modern f...
Apr 12, 2024•14 min
In this episode, Flor Kassai, Head of the Buyout Fund at Inflexion Private Equity Partners, a leading mid-market private equity fund, joins our host Bridget Walsh, EY Global Private Equity Leader, to discuss the evolving middle market landscape.
Mar 08, 2024•14 min
In this episode of the NextWave Private Equity podcast, Oi-Yee Choo, CEO of ADDX, joins host Bridget Walsh to discuss tokenization and democratization of private markets. Blockchain is reshaping private investing, and Oi-Yee Choo, CEO of ADDX, shares how on the EY NextWave Private Equity podcast. Listen to find out how this technology is making private markets more accessible and what it means for the future of investment. Key takeaways: ADDX is breaking down barriers for individual investors to...
Feb 12, 2024•15 min
Pete Witte, EY Global Private Equity Lead Analyst, explores the key themes and market dynamics from 4Q 2023 that are top of mind for Private Equity (PE) investors. PE Pulse is a quarterly report and corresponding podcast miniseries that provides analysis and insights on private equity market activity and trends. Visit https://www.ey.com/pepulse to view this quarter’s summary. In this episode, we will provide a quick rundown of how last year shook out and some of the things that we expect for 202...
Jan 11, 2024•8 min•Ep. 62
Software’s been a powerful theme for PE investors for much of the last decade, representing between one-quarter and one-third of total PE deployment. David Humphrey, Partner in the Technology, Media & Telecommunications Vertical and Co-Head of Bain Capital’s North American Private Equity business, discusses the philosophy into investing in the tech space.
Nov 10, 2023•14 min
Pete Witte, EY Global Private Equity Lead Analyst, explores the key themes and market dynamics from 3Q 2023 that are top of mind for Private Equity (PE) investors. PE Pulse is a quarterly report and corresponding podcast miniseries that provides analysis and insights on private equity market activity and trends. Visit https://www.ey.com/pepulse to view this quarter’s summary. In this episode, Pete reviews PE deal activity, which continues to accelerate while visibility into interest rate traject...
Oct 25, 2023•9 min
Pete Witte, EY Global Private Equity Lead Analyst, explores the key themes and market dynamics from 2Q 2023 that are top of mind for Private Equity (PE) investors. PE Pulse is a quarterly report and corresponding podcast miniseries that provides analysis and insights on private equity market activity and trends. Visit https://www.ey.com/pepulse to view this quarter’s summary. In this episode, Pete reviews the recent PE landscape and modest uptick on European resurgence....
Aug 21, 2023•8 min
Pete Witte, EY Global Private Equity Lead Analyst, explores the key themes and market dynamics from 1Q 2023 that are top of mind for Private Equity (PE) investors. PE Pulse is a quarterly report and corresponding podcast miniseries that provides analysis and insights on private equity market activity and trends. Visit https://www.ey.com/pepulse to view this quarter’s summary. In this episode, we will provide a quick rundown of what we’re seeing in the private equity space. All the important them...
May 22, 2023•10 min
In this episode of the NextWave Private Equity podcast, Bridget Walsh, EY Global Private Equity Leader, will be discussing the entrance of retail investors in the private equity market with Jenny Johnson, CEO of Franklin Templeton.
May 10, 2023•21 min
In this episode, Mark Benedetti, Co-Head of Ardian US, joins our host Bridget Walsh, EY Global Private Equity Leader, to discuss the growing role of secondaries in the private equity market.
Feb 28, 2023•20 min
Pete Witte, EY Global Private Equity Lead Analyst, explores the key themes and market dynamics from 4Q 2022 that are top of mind for PE investors. PE Pulse is a quarterly report and corresponding podcast miniseries that provides analysis and insights on private equity market activity and trends. Visit https://www.ey.com/pepulse to view this quarter’s summary. 2022 was an incredibly dynamic year for the private equity (PE) industry, characterized by growth, innovation, creativity and the trademar...
Jan 30, 2023•9 min
Pete Witte, EY Global Private Equity Lead Analyst, explores the key themes and market dynamics from 3Q 2022 that are top of mind for PE investors. PE Pulse is a quarterly report and corresponding podcast miniseries that provides analysis and insights on private equity market activity and trends. Visit https://www.ey.com/pepulse to view this quarter’s summary. The PE sector continued to experience a number of cyclical headwinds in the third quarter, as rising interest rates, growing concerns of a...
Nov 14, 2022•11 min
Greg Schooley, EY-Parthenon US Value Creation Leader, joins Winna Brown to discuss what tasks PE is outsourcing across business functions such as finance, IT, HR and customer service to create value. The path to successful value creation in private equity (PE) today goes beyond typical levers such as G&A cost-cutting, sales force effectiveness and strategic sourcing. It’s about an approach that leverages digital tools including automation, strategic outsourcing and advanced analytics. Going ...
Oct 13, 2022•21 min
Pam Jackson, CEO of Level20, joins Winna Brown to reveal how mentorship programs can help women build long-term careers in PE. According to a report that EY teams recently published on diversity, equity and inclusiveness (DEI), the private equity industry’s ability to meet stakeholder demands, access capital, win deals and compete for talent is increasingly contingent on progress against DEI metrics. Talent management has become the number two strategic priority across PE firms of all sizes, sec...
Sep 22, 2022•26 min
In this episode, Laura Grattan, Managing Director at Crosspoint Capital, and Jeff Vogel, Head of the Software Strategy Group at EY-Parthenon, join Winna Brown to explore how PE firms can position themselves to win tech deals in today’s highly competitive market. Contact Laura: lgrattan@crosspointcapital.com Contact Jeff: jeffrey.vogel@parthenon.ey.com According to the latest EY PE Pulse report, 2021 was the year of the tech deal: 30% of total capital deployed last year was allocated to technolog...
Sep 01, 2022•25 min
To the NextWave Private Equity audience: Since February of 2020, just before the covid-19 pandemic uprooted all of our lives, the EY global private equity team has turned to this podcast series to discuss the topics and insights that are top-of-mind for our audience of PE executives and practitioners. From the bottom of my heart, thank you! For listening, for giving us your time and for trusting us to deliver best-in-class perspectives. Over the next couple of months, we will re-publish some of ...
Sep 01, 2022•1 min
Maha Eltobgy, Chief Sustainability Officer and Managing Director at Brightstar Capital Partners, joins Winna Brown to explore how operating executives can effectively communicate the value prop of ESG at the portco level. ESG is top of mind for PE executives right now. According to the 2022 EY Global Private Equity survey, ESG is one of the top four strategic priorities listed by PE firms. 42% of the largest fund managers seriously consider ESG in their decision-making process, while a further 3...
Aug 11, 2022•22 min
Pete Witte, EY Global Private Equity Lead Analyst, explores the key themes and market dynamics from 2Q 2022 that are top of mind for PE investors. PE Pulse is a quarterly report and corresponding podcast miniseries that provides analysis and insights on private equity market activity and trends. Visit https://www.ey.com/pepulse to view this quarter’s summary. PE firms will continue to remain active as they seek to continue to deploy more than US$1.4t in dry powder available for new deals. While ...
Aug 03, 2022•9 min
Famke Krumbmüller, EY EMEIA Leader, Global Geostrategic Business Group, joins Winna Brown to discuss how shifts in geopolitical power will affect growth and investment opportunities. As a result of the war in Ukraine, three major power blocs are emerging, and it has become critical for companies to understand the allies of the markets in which they are invested. Developed markets are leading one bloc, with the EU and the US having reached new levels of cooperation. Relatedly, the North Atlantic ...
Jul 21, 2022•20 min
Elizabeth Seeger, Managing Director of Sustainable Investing at KKR, joins Winna Brown to discuss why KKR views ESG as a business opportunity that both creates and protects value over time. ESG has skyrocketed to the top of many PE firms’ list of strategic priorities in the past couple of years. PE firms that may have historically viewed ESG as a “nice to have” or a “check the box” exercise, are now increasingly considering ESG to be a business issue that is embedded in the business, not periphe...
Jun 30, 2022•23 min
Karim Anani, EY Americas Financial Accounting and Advisory Services Transactions Leader, and Mark Schwartz, Head of IPO and SPAC Capital Markets Advisory, join Winna Brown to explore why SPACs remain highly relevant despite market volatility and regulatory headwinds. Contact Karim: karim.anani@ey.com Contact Mark: mark.schwartz1@ey.com In 2021, more than 40% of new public companies listed through mergers with SPACs. While SPACs have been around for decades, the boom of the last few years has dom...
Jun 09, 2022•30 min
