Today's Private Equity Pulse
Blackstone closes $13.1B Asia fund, its biggest ever
Blackstone announced the closing of its third Asia private‑equity vehicle, Blackstone Capital Partners Asia III, at $13.1 billion, surpassing its $10 billion target and more than doubling the capital of its predecessor. The fund is the firm’s largest Asia‑focused raise and Blackstone has deployed over $7 billion across 12 deals in the region in the past two years.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Metatron Private Equity acquires Green Circuits Inc.
Apollo and Blackstone Mull $35 Billion Private Credit Deal for Broadcom AI Chip Push
Apollo Global Management and Blackstone are negotiating a roughly $35 billion private‑credit financing for Broadcom, aimed at fueling the chipmaker’s AI‑focused product rollout. The deal would rank among the biggest private‑credit transactions ever, underscoring how tech firms are tapping alternative capital sources to meet AI demand.
Hyperscale Data Weighs Strategic Options as $100 Million Balance Sheet Outpaces Market Value
Hyperscale Data, Inc. announced that its executive team is evaluating a range of strategic alternatives after its cash and Bitcoin treasury neared $100 million while its market capitalization lagged behind. Executive Chairman Milton “Todd” Ault III warned that the market undervalues...
Payward to Acquire Reap for Up to $600M, Expanding Global Card and Stablecoin Payments
Payward announced a definitive agreement to acquire Reap Technologies for up to $600 million in cash and stock, valuing Payward at $20 billion. The deal adds a regulated card‑issuing and stablecoin‑payments stack to Payward Services, giving partners a single API for crypto‑native...
Red Hot Chili Peppers Sells Recorded Music Catalog to WMG for Over $300 Million
The Red Hot Chili Peppers have sold their recorded‑music catalog to Warner Music Group for more than $300 million. The purchase was made through WMG’s $1.2 billion joint venture with Bain Capital, which targets both recorded and publishing rights. The catalog, covering the...
AI Roll-Ups Require Elite Engineering, Change Management, M&A
"Three years in AI is actually like three decades of pre-AI" AI roll-ups have hit Wall Street (Amex GBT, Janus). New playbook & exit for public companies that can't make the AI transition on their own. Long Lake CEO @alextaubman on what...
LPs Are Lowering Their Return Expectations, but Don't Expect Fundraising to Get Easier
Private equity limited partners have trimmed return expectations after a decade of low rates and high valuations, now targeting 15‑20% net IRR and 1.8‑2.3× net MOIC for top managers. Recent vintages are delivering net DPI below 1×, well short of...
Carlyle and Diversified Energy Seal $1.2 B Anadarko Basin Asset Deal
Carlyle’s Global Credit platform and Diversified Energy have agreed to jointly acquire a 101,000‑acre Anadarko Basin portfolio for roughly $1.2 bn. The deal, structured through a new SPV and asset‑backed securitisation, will boost Diversified’s Oklahoma footprint to over 450 sites and...
CCP Games Rebrands as Fenris Creations After $120 Million Management Buyout
Icelandic studio CCP Games has been sold back to its founders for $120 million, prompting a rebrand to Fenris Creations. The deal restores independent board control and coincides with a minority stake and research pact with Google DeepMind, positioning the studio...
Gusto Tops $1 B Revenue, Signals IPO Readiness Amid HR Tech Boom
Payroll SaaS Gusto announced it generated $1 billion in actual revenue over the past 12 months, a milestone that brings the 14‑year‑old company closer to a public market debut. The growth comes as the firm remains cash‑flow positive, leverages AI for...
EP261: Maximizing Your Business Exit: 6 Key Buyer Checks
Episode 261 of the High Voltage Business Builders Podcast reveals why Amazon sellers receive vastly different exit offers despite similar revenues. Host Neil Twa contrasts a seller who secured a $1.8 million, 4.5× EBITDA deal with another who only earned a...
Huayou Cobalt: Proposes to Acquire 100% Equity in Atlantic Lithium for $210 Million
Huayou Cobalt announced a $210 million deal to acquire 100% of Atlantic Lithium, securing the Ghana‑based Ewoyaa lithium project. The asset contains 36.8 million tonnes of JORC‑compliant resources at an average 1.24% Li₂O grade, equating to roughly 1.13 million tonnes of LCE. The...
EXp Expands Platform with Acquisition of NextHome
eXp World Holdings announced the acquisition of NextHome, a franchise network with over 500 locations, and will begin trading on Nasdaq under the new ticker AGNT. The deal, whose financial terms were not disclosed, integrates NextHome’s proven franchise model into...
Mattel Shareholder Pushes Company to Explore Sale
Mattel disclosed that it is in dialogue with activist investor Southeastern Asset Management, which owns more than 4% of the company and is urging the board to explore strategic alternatives, including a sale to private‑equity, a rival toy maker such...
Record 142 RIA M&A Deals in Q1 2026 Signal Accelerating Wealth‑Management Consolidation
ECHELON Partners disclosed that 142 registered investment adviser (RIA) M&A transactions were announced in the first quarter of 2026, the most ever recorded. The deals transferred $1.67 trillion in assets under management, more than double the $805 billion moved in Q1 2025,...
Suja Life Prices $173.6M IPO at $21 per Share, Boosting Consumer‑Goods PE Pipeline
Suja Life, the California‑based maker of plant‑based juices, priced its IPO at $21 per share, selling 8.89 million shares for roughly $173.6 million. The proceeds will fund debt repayment, employee incentives and the acquisition of its own LP units, underscoring the company's...
![[Update] Zaggle Revises DICE Deal Structure, Cuts Acquisition Cost To ₹68 Cr](https://inc42.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=90/https://asset.inc42.com/2024/12/zaggle-MA-social-.png)
[Update] Zaggle Revises DICE Deal Structure, Cuts Acquisition Cost To ₹68 Cr
Zaggle has restructured its planned acquisition of DICE, lowering the purchase price to roughly ₹68 crore (about $8.2 million) from the earlier ₹123 crore estimate. The revised deal targets only DICE’s AI‑enabled spend‑management platform, its intellectual property, enterprise contracts and about 100 technology...
Private Equity Outlook: What Matters for Long-Term Investors
Vanguard’s private‑equity outlook emphasizes disciplined manager selection, diversification, and cost awareness as the keys to unlocking high‑single‑digit net returns over the next decade. While elevated borrowing costs and a slowdown in exits create short‑term headwinds, secondary‑market activity is rising, offering...
Investor Intentions: Montana Capital Partners Deploying Across Climate and Social Impact via Discretionary Mandate
Montana Capital Partners (MCP) announced that it will allocate capital through a discretionary mandate focused on climate‑related and social‑impact investments. The firm plans to source deals across renewable energy, sustainable infrastructure, and inclusive finance, leveraging its existing network of LPs....
The “People’s Airline” And the Enterprise AI Gold Rush
This week’s enterprise AI landscape saw a flurry of high‑profile deals, highlighted by a joint venture between Anthropic and OpenAI aimed at scaling AI tools for businesses. SAP announced a $1 billion investment in German startup Prior Labs to bolster its...
FinTech Futures: Top Five News Stories of the Week – 8 May 2026
Long Lake Management agreed to buy American Express Global Business Travel for $6.3 billion in an all‑cash deal funded by equity from its investors and debt from major banks. PayPal announced a three‑division operating model designed to save about $1.5 billion over...
AGM Alts & Wealth Weekly News Roundup | 5.8.26
AGM announced the launch of its AGM Community and an RIA Advisory Board, plus upcoming RIA field trips in New York for May, October and November. The roundup highlights a record 142 RIA M&A deals in Q1, representing $1.67 trillion of...
CrossCountry Raises Its Two Harbors Bid to $12 per Share
CrossCountry Mortgage has increased its bid for Two Harbors Investment to $12 per share, matching United Wholesale Mortgage’s latest offer. The move follows a surge in Two Harbors’ stock price, which traded above $12 in early May. UWM’s original share‑swap...
Lee Jeans up for Sale in Surprise Kontoor Move
Kontoor Brands announced that it is putting its Lee denim label up for sale after designating the brand and its $195 million Q1 revenue as discontinued operations. The move follows strong buyer interest and is intended to free resources for Wrangler...
Hostile Takeover: Examples and Strategies for Investors
Hostile takeovers let acquirers seize control of a target without board approval, typically by offering shareholders a premium of 20%‑50% above market. Strategies include tender offers, proxy fights, bear hugs, toehold accumulation, and activist‑investor tactics, each with distinct cost and...
Siris Capital to Triple Its Money with Equiniti Sale; Remote Healthcare Demand Pulls PE to Telehealth
Siris Capital Group is preparing to sell its portfolio company Equiniti, a UK payroll and HR technology provider, at a price that would triple the private‑equity firm’s original investment. The deal, expected to close later this year, underscores Siris’s ability...
BP to Sell Stakes in Two UK Carbon Capture Projects, Opening Door for Private‑Equity Investors
BP announced it will sell portions of its equity in the Northern Endurance Partnership and Net Zero Teesside Power projects after both reached financial close and entered construction. The move, made without disclosing stake sizes or buyers, is expected to...
Angelini Pharma to Acquire Catalyst Pharmaceuticals for $4.1 Billion
Italian drugmaker Angelini Pharma agreed to purchase Florida‑based Catalyst Pharmaceuticals for roughly $4.1 billion in cash. The transaction values Catalyst at $31.50 a share, a 28% premium, and gives Angelini a foothold in the U.S. rare‑disease market and neurology segment.
Celsius Now Controls a Fifth of the US Energy Drink Market
Celsius Holdings reported that one in five energy drinks sold in the United States in Q1 2026 came from its portfolio of Celsius, Alani Nu and Rockstar, delivering $782.6 million in revenue—a 138% year‑over‑year jump. The surge was powered by the 2025 acquisitions...
Rocket Lab Narrows Q1 Loss, Acquires Motiv Space, Secures Multi‑Launch Deal
Rocket Lab reported a narrowed first‑quarter loss of $45 million and revenue of $200.3 million, while announcing the acquisition of Motiv Space Systems and its largest multi‑launch contract to date. The moves expand the company's B2B launch services and position it for...
Profitable Businesses Rarely Lose Value, yet Competition Evolves
I hope today’s 5 Minutes in the Lower Middle Market really gets you thinking about capital allocation: 1. Why a true investment in a proven, profitable, growing, well-managed business should rarely, if ever, go to zero. 2. Buying a great...
OPs Now Crisis Managers: Exit Deadlines Blur Value Creation
"Operating Partners aren't CROs. CROs manage crises. OPs build value." Fair as a textbook distinction. But DPI-pressed mid-market exits are now functionally indistinguishable from a soft crisis. When a fund partner says "we need an exit story by Q3 2027," the...
US Private Equity Firm Acquires Controlling Stake in JinkoSolar’s American Operations
U.S. private‑equity firm FH Capital has signed a definitive agreement to purchase a 75.1% controlling stake in JinkoSolar’s U.S. subsidiary, leaving the Chinese parent with a 24.9% minority interest. The deal covers Jinko’s 2‑GW solar panel assembly plant in Florida,...
PE Shifts to CRO‑Style, Short‑Term Exit Focus
The pressure profile is now CRO-shaped, not value-creation-shaped. Per UpLevered, PE median hold periods stretched from 4.2 years (2010) to 6.8 years (2023). Per FTI's 2026 PE AI Radar, 95% of portco AI initiatives are "meeting their business case," but the...
OnlyFans Valued at $3.15 B in Minority Stake Sale
OnlyFans Valued at $3.15 Billion in Deal to Sell Minority Stake to Architect Capital https://t.co/jAaogMQao2 via @variety
Blue Owl Marks up SpaceX Holding by 36% in Q1
Blue Owl Capital raised the valuation of its SpaceX holdings by roughly 36% in Q1 2026, marking the shares at over $526 each versus $387 at the end of 2025. The firm sold about half of the stake at a...
Top Schools Reject Inevitable Private Capital in College Sports
LinkedIn keeps telling me that it is inevitable that private capital and equity will eventually wash over college sports its interesting that the kind of schools that would probably benefit the most from it keep turning it down though huh https://t.co/xcarFFZroG
Opco Sale Undervalued, Buyer Poised for 70% Upside
One of the most egregious privatisations in recent times. Opco is being stolen for free. Offer is dead on arrival. The buyer knew it and was likely prepared to substantially bump from day one. 40-70% upside on a bump. Full pitch on SSI...
Amper Buys Critical Comms Firm Teltronic for up to EUR 225 Mln
Spain’s Grupo Amper has signed a binding agreement to acquire critical communications specialist Teltronic for up to €225 million (approximately $245 million). The transaction consists of a €155 million fixed payment, a potential €45 million earn‑out tied to performance targets, and Amper will assume...
Mattel Investor Pushes CEO Toward Privatization or Sale
JUST IN: A Mattel investor urges the CEO to evaluate going private or selling amid declining toy demand.
AI Turns Blindfolded Exit Multiple Guesswork Into Precision
"Modeling exit multiples has always involved a lot of guesswork, but now it feels like throwing at a dartboard blindfolded." Anonymous PE veteran (Bloomberg coverage of AI's impact on PE models, 2026)
Private Equity Taps Junk Market for Dividends as Exits Stall
Private equity firms are increasingly tapping Europe’s high‑yield (junk) debt market to fund dividend recapitalizations as traditional exit routes weaken. Heightened volatility from the Iran war and lingering AI‑related market anxiety has limited cash‑out opportunities, prompting firms to extract value...
I Squared and Blackstone Weigh Stroeer Takeover
Infrastructure investor I Squared Capital and private equity giant Blackstone are nearing a joint bid for German media group Stroeer, valuing the company at roughly €2.5 billion (about $2.7 billion). Sources say the consortium is eyeing a per‑share offer in the mid‑€40...
Why Moving Faster Can Save Your Business Sale
In this episode of M&A Talk, host Jacob Oros interviews Mark Adams, founder of Acquisitions For You, about his "money loves speed" approach to selling businesses. Adams explains how compressing the typical 7‑year private‑equity hold into 6‑18 months can keep...
Phenom Buys Plum, Greenhouse Buys Ezra AI
This episode of This Week in RegTech covers a flurry of HR tech acquisitions, including Deal’s purchase of SaaS procurement platform Sastrify, Greenhouse’s acquisition of voice‑AI interview tool Ezra AI, iSIMS appointing Mark Thompson as its new CEO, and Phenom’s...
AtkinsRéalis to Acquire Coras Solutions, Expanding Australian Defense Footprint
AtkinsRéalis Group Inc. confirmed it will acquire Coras Solutions Pty Ltd., an Australian defense and national‑security consultancy. The deal, announced on May 7, 2026, is intended to broaden AtkinsRéalis' footprint in Australia and accelerate growth in key end markets. No...
Centrica Buys Severn Power Station for $470 Million, Plans $1.4 Billion 2026 Investment
Centrica plc agreed to buy the Severn combined‑cycle gas turbine power station in South Wales for about £370 million ($470 m). The utility also announced a £1.1 billion ($1.4 billion) capital spend for 2026, expanding its UK‑Ireland generation fleet to 4 GW.
Theo Müller Group Acquires German Plant-Based Producer Berief Food
The Theo Müller Group announced the pending acquisition of German plant‑based producer Berief Food, subject to antitrust clearance. Berief will operate as a largely independent unit within the Müller portfolio. The deal follows Berief’s search for financing to fund expansion into...
California AG Faces Push to Block Paramount‑Skydance's $111 B Warner Bros. Deal
Thirty‑four California Democrats and more than 4,000 industry figures have asked Attorney General Rob Bonta to scrutinize Paramount‑Skydance’s $111 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, warning of antitrust harms, job cuts and consumer impacts. The deal, backed by billionaire David Ellison...
InsideArbitrage Event Driven Monitor – May 8, 2026
The May 8 InsideArbitrage monitor reports a flurry of merger activity, including Knox Lane's $437 million cash acquisition of Cross Country Healthcare at a 31% premium and Angelini Pharma's $4.1 billion purchase of Catalyst Pharmaceuticals with a modest 3.2% premium. Devon Energy completed...
Potential 65% Gain on CCRN After Failed Buyout
Absolute banger pitch from Long Cast on $CCRN 65% return if you timed the entry right after the previous buyout fell through. Stock being bought at $13.25/share. Previous offer was $19/share. Room for an overbid? Maybe.