Three geopolitical risks PE investors should watch

Political risk is creating challenges and opportunities for global organizations, including private equity (PE) firms and investors who are increasingly exploring cross-border deals as valuations soar across the US and Europe.

On a previous episode, we talked about why PE firms must embed a geostrategy so they are able to recognize unique opportunities and use that strategy to inform their investment decisions. Today, we dive into three specific areas of geopolitical risk that are especially impactful for and relevant to private equity funds right now:

1. COVID-19 pandemic: increased tension and competition between big regional powers will lead to an environment in which PE must carefully consider and anticipate the implications for cross-border deals.
2. Tech sector: governments and regulators will have a massive influence on the tech sector in the coming years and it will create both political risks and opportunities for investors.
3. Climate change: increasingly active governments and regulators will create a patchwork of environmental legislation which will make it much more difficult to operate across markets.

Contact Famke: Famke.Krumbmuller@fr.ey.com