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.
Rule 14a-8 Shareholder Proposals: Proponents Are Litigating Exclusion Decisions
Three shareholder‑proponent lawsuits have been filed this week, marking the first challenges under the SEC’s revised Rule 14a‑8 no‑action letter process for 2026. The cases target AT&T’s exclusion of an EEO‑1 diversity disclosure, Axon’s exclusion of a political‑spending proposal, and PepsiCo’s alleged failure to properly notify a PETA‑backed shareholder. All defendants submitted the required unqualified representation, but plaintiffs argue the ordinary business exception does not apply. The filings highlight emerging litigation risk for companies navigating proxy exclusions this season.
Women Governance Trailblazers: Jen Sisson
The Women Governance Trailblazers podcast released a 31‑minute interview with Jen Sisson, CEO of the International Corporate Governance Network (ICGN). The conversation covered ICGN’s mission, its member base, and current initiatives, as well as the challenge of aligning global governance...
Honigman Adds Strategic PE Duo to Growing Chicago Office
Law firm Honigman has added Alexander Moss and Injune Park as partners to its Private Equity Practice in Chicago, marking the seventh and eighth partner hires this year, both coming from Benesch. The duo brings extensive middle‑market private‑equity experience, covering...
Shareholder Activism: Trends to Consider
Shareholder activists increasingly target CEO turnover as a catalyst for change, with 18% of U.S. campaigns launched after a CEO change—a 38% rise over the four‑year average. 2025 saw a record 32 activist‑driven CEO resignations, a 60% increase, including 16%...
Secondaries Investor Full-Year 2025 CV Deal Log
Secondaries Investor’s 2024 deal log shows 85 continuation vehicles closed, while an additional 40 vehicles are either launching or under review. Continuation vehicles, which allow private‑equity funds to extend ownership of select assets, remain a dominant tool for managing liquidity....
ClearThink 1 Acquisition Corp. (CTAAU) Prices $125M IPO
ClearThink 1 Acquisition Corp. priced its $125 million initial public offering on February 24, 2026, with units slated to trade on Nasdaq under the ticker CTAAU. The SPAC is focused on merging with a financial‑services company operating in the United States and...
Skilled Nursing Dealbook: 280 Beds Realigned in Ohio as 80-Bed Nebraska Nursing Home Changes Hands
Senwell Senior Investment Advisors completed a multi‑party realignment of more than 280 skilled‑nursing beds across Ohio, moving capacity from overbedded counties to operators targeting high‑demand markets. The transaction involved 12 unnamed sellers and multiple buyers seeking growth or new facility...
Gridiron Adds to Leadership Team Amid Fund VI Roll-Out
Gridiron Capital has elevated Scott Harrison to Managing Partner and Chief Operating Officer, expanding its senior leadership team. Harrison, who blends investment acumen with operational expertise, now sits alongside founders Tom Burger and Kevin Jackson. The promotion comes as the...
26North Founder Josh Harris Sees Mid-Market as Private Credit Sweet Spot
Josh Harris, founder of 26North, told PEI Group’s NEXUS conference that the firm is targeting the mid‑market segment as the sweet spot for private credit. He noted that even though the credit cycle is in its later stages, a pronounced...
Ex-Sequoia Capital India Arm Peax XV Raises $1.3bn Across New Fund Trio
Peax XV, the former Sequoia Capital India unit, announced a $1.3 billion raise across three newly launched funds. The capital is allocated to a seed‑stage vehicle, a growth‑stage fund, and a later‑stage continuation fund, enabling the firm to support startups throughout...
Franchise Fallout: Burnt Pizzeria Exposes Family Illusion
The Burnt-Down Pizzeria — And the Franchise Wake-Up Call. When the “franchise family” reveals what the relationship really is. https://t.co/1YT6sJkFQQ #SmallBusiness & Deal Making #SMB https://t.co/dvveSMhfU0
Evercore Taps Adams Street Partners for New APAC Secondaries Head
Evercore has appointed a senior executive from Adams Street Partners to lead its Asia‑Pacific secondary market advisory team. The move comes after the exit of Shane Gong, who had headed Evercore’s APAC private‑capital advisory unit until January 2025. The new...
Majority of CVs Run by Mid-Market GPs in 2025 Equivalent to 50% or More of Latest Flagship – Lazard
According to Lazard’s latest report, mid‑market private‑equity sponsors will run the majority of continuation vehicles (CVs) by 2025, with assets under management equivalent to at least 50 % of the most recent flagship CVs. Sponsors are increasingly using larger CVs to...
Loan Note: Nexus 2026 Is Under Way; Venture Debt Performance Under Scrutiny
Private market leaders are gathering at Nexus 2026, the flagship conference spotlighting emerging trends in venture debt. MSCI’s latest data shows a slowdown in venture debt performance, with rising default rates and lower returns compared to previous years. Meanwhile, LBP...
The Pipeline: Quinbrook Mulls Stake Sale, CVC DIF Collects €3.5bn, Macquarie’s Double Deal Week
Quinbrook Partners is weighing a minority‑stake sale to bring in strategic capital, aiming to accelerate its infrastructure expansion. Meanwhile, CVC’s Direct Investment Fund closed a €3.5 billion double‑fundraise, reflecting strong investor appetite for long‑dated, inflation‑linked assets. Macquarie Capital announced two sizable...
Converts: PIPE and Pre-IPO Considerations
A recent Cleary memo highlights a surge in convertible‑note issuances driven by the AI boom, with private‑placement (PIPE) and pre‑IPO converts adopting highly customized terms. Features now include governance and consent rights, guarantees, financial covenants, prepayment provisions, anti‑dilution ratchets, equity...
Prime Capital Eyes Lower Target for Debut Infra Debt Fund – Exclusive
Prime Capital, a European infrastructure‑debt specialist, announced it will lower the fundraising target for its debut infra‑debt fund. The manager also extended the fundraising window by roughly six months to tap renewed investor appetite for infrastructure assets. The revised target...
40% of GPs Expect to Mull CV in the Next Two Years – Bain Study
Bain’s latest survey finds that 40% of private‑equity general partners plan to evaluate a continuation vehicle (CV) within the next two years. More than half of those respondents say the primary motivation is to return capital to existing limited partners....
Software Update: AI Saas Scare Haunts Capital Markets
Recent AI upgrades, notably Anthropic’s Claude Co‑worker agent, are unsettling SaaS valuations and complicating IPO plans for many software firms. The devaluation of SaaS‑related loans is eroding the collateral base of collateralised loan obligations, with similar pressures hitting chemical‑sector loans....
Morgan Stanley’s PCA Chief Leaves the Bank
Morgan Stanley announced that its global head of the Principal Capital Allocation (PCA) group has departed the firm. The bank confirmed the PCA unit will continue operating without interruption, but a successor has not yet been named. The move follows...
Flipping the Script: Inside DealMAX with GF Data’s Ruben Burke and Ryan McCann
GF Data’s senior leaders Ruben Burke and Ryan McCann joined the Inside DealMAX podcast to discuss how the Las Vegas conference is reshaping engagement between data providers and middle‑market dealmakers. They previewed GF Data’s Q4 2025 findings, highlighting a 30%...
Investor Intentions: NCIA Looking to Grow Its Private Infrastructure Portfolio
The National Council for Infrastructure and Assets (NCIA) is signaling a strategic push to expand its private infrastructure holdings, with allocations projected to reach between $8 billion and $10 billion. This represents a sizable portion of the council’s overall investment portfolio and...
Meridiam Amasses over €2bn for European Infra CV Fund
Meridiam has closed a continuation vehicle (CV) fund that raised more than €2 billion to acquire a portfolio of 22 European infrastructure assets. The assets span highways, high‑speed rail, hospitals, university accommodation and a range of low‑carbon solutions. The fund provides...
Secondaries’ Next Iteration: Market Capitalisation in 2026 and Beyond
Evercore’s global head of private capital advisory, Nigel Dawn, outlined the outlook for secondary market activity through 2026 in the latest Secondaries Investor podcast. He highlighted accelerating capitalisation, driven by heightened LP liquidity demands and a surge in GP‑led transactions....
Blue Owl Sold Private Loans To Pension Giants And Own Insurer
Blue Owl Capital secured four buyers for a $1.4 billion private‑loan portfolio to meet a looming cash‑return deadline in one of its credit funds. The purchasers include three of North America’s largest pension funds and Blue Owl’s own insurer, Kuvare. The...
Forward-Looking Statements: 9th Cir. Says No Safe Harbor for “Hypothetical Risk Factor”
The Ninth Circuit in Const. Laborers Pension Trust v. Funko held that forward‑looking risk disclosures can lose the PSLRA safe‑harbor when they are framed as present‑state misrepresentations. The panel reasoned that an alleged omission about current inventory failures turns the...
DExit: Evidence From 2025 IPOs
Houlihan Lokey data shows Delaware’s share of IPO incorporations dropped from over 80% (2022‑2024) to just under 62% in 2025, while Nevada rose to nearly 17% and Texas to about 4%. The shift reflects a modest migration of companies to alternative...
Enforcement: Should You Consider Litigating?
The SEC’s enforcement approach has softened since the 2025 administration change, with corporate penalties falling roughly 30 percent and a greater emphasis on cooperation and remediation. At the same time, the Supreme Court’s pending decision on whether the agency must...
Blue Owl Halts Quarterly Redemptions in a Non-Traded BDC
Blue Owl Capital Corp II, a non‑traded business development company, has halted its quarterly redemption program, effectively gating investors. The manager simultaneously sold approximately $1.4 billion of loans across three of its BDC portfolios to bolster liquidity. The redemption freeze and...
M&A Monday: Incentivizing Employees After Closing
In M&A deals, retaining staff after closing hinges on well‑designed incentive programs. Sponsors can choose between simple Christmas performance bonuses, phantom equity arrangements, or full equity plans such as stock options, each with distinct tax and legal considerations. The article...
LPs Reveal Their Biggest Frustrations with GPs
Ahead of PEI’s NEXUS conference, a new survey of limited partners (LPs) uncovered the top sources of friction with private‑equity general partners (GPs). The research highlights persistent issues such as opaque performance reporting, unpredictable capital calls, and fee structures that...
Tikehau Latest Manager to Close Credit Secondaries Fund as Market Fires on All Cylinders
Tikehau Capital’s second credit‑secondaries fund closed with over $1 billion in commitments, less than a year after its first vehicle launched in H2 2023. The rapid close reflects soaring investor appetite for private debt secondary transactions, which offer immediate cash flow and...
PE Weekly: Fundraising for Follow-On Investments
The latest Middle Market Growth roundup highlights a wave of fundraising activity aimed at follow‑on and continuation investments. JLL Partners closed its ninth fund with $1.4 billion, while HarbourVest launched a $1.1 billion Private Equity Continuation Solutions fund. Union Capital secured $450 million...
The Increasing Visibility of Stress
The latest editorial highlights that Business Development Companies (BDCs) are increasingly mirroring broader credit stress in the market. Deteriorating loan performance and tighter financing conditions are evident across BDC portfolios. At the same time, a looming maturity wall—large volumes of...
Loan Note: Carlyle’s Sidhu on the European Opportunity; Configure Highlights Mixed M&A Picture
Carlyle’s Taj Sidhu expressed optimism about Europe’s private‑debt market, citing strong borrower resilience and attractive financing conditions. He highlighted low‑interest‑rate environments and a growing pipeline of mid‑market deals as catalysts for continued asset growth. Meanwhile, Configure’s latest M&A snapshot described...
Schroders Capital Hires Asia Fundraising Head From Oaktree
Schroders Capital has appointed Sabrina Meng as its new Head of Asia Fundraising, transitioning from Oaktree Capital Management. Meng will assume the role next month, bringing extensive experience in private‑debt capital raising across the region. The move underscores Schroders' ambition...
C-Suite Turnover: Plenty of Volatility at the Top
CristKolder’s 2025 C‑Suite Volatility Report shows 78 CEO changes and 120 CFO swaps across Fortune 500 and S&P 500 firms last year. The consumer sector led CEO turnover at 24.4%, while energy was most stable at 9.0%. External recruitment fell sharply, with...
Bloomberg: Leveraged Lending Insights – 2/16/2026
The US leveraged loan market opened 2026 with extraordinary vigor, posting $168.2 billion in new issuances during January—the strongest monthly total in over a decade. By mid‑February, activity slowed dramatically, with only $25.9 billion of new deals launched through February 18, the lowest...
The Pulse of Private Equity – 2/16/2026
Technology private equity deal activity surged in 2026, with total deal value climbing 67.4% year‑over‑year while the number of transactions rose a modest 13.4%. The gap between value and count indicates that firms are executing larger, mega‑cap deals rather than...
Infra’s $650bn Window of Opportunity
The article highlights a $650 billion infrastructure investment window but notes that markets are penalising hyperscaler capital expenditures that appear erratic. It questions whether traditional infrastructure managers can impose the discipline needed to attract capital. The piece warns that unchecked hyperscaler...
Employee Ownership as a Search Fund Advantage, Turner Wyatt of Small Capital
Turner Wyatt, founder and CEO of Small Capital, funds self‑funded searchers who embed employee ownership from acquisition day one. He argues that search fund deals can address income inequality while enhancing business performance by giving employees a stake. Small Capital’s...
Midmarket Dealmakers’ Confidence Remains Steady: ACG Survey
The Association for Corporate Growth’s Q1 2026 Market Pulse Survey shows middle‑market dealmakers remain cautiously optimistic, with 64% anticipating a slight increase in M&A activity over the next six months—mirroring the prior quarter and up from 54% earlier in the...
KBRA Direct Lending Deals: News & Analysis – 2/16/2026
Kroll Bond Rating Agency (KBRA) released its latest direct‑lending default indices covering the trailing‑twelve‑month period ending February 17, 2026. The indices aggregate performance data from a broad universe of private credit transactions, including senior secured loans, unitranche facilities, and mezzanine tranches. By...
Corp Fin Posts More Deal CDIs
The SEC’s Corporation Finance Division released a fresh set of five CDIs, adding two Rule 13e‑3 going‑private interpretations, two tender‑offer clarifications, and a revised Form S‑4 business‑combination guidance. The new Rule 13e‑3 CDIs formalize the equity‑for‑equity exception and limit non‑waivable conditions, while the...
Middle Market Deal Terms at a Glance – February 2026
SPP Capital Partners released its February 2026 Middle Market Deal Terms snapshot, updating leverage, debt‑to‑EBITDA, and pricing metrics for senior bank cash‑flow, senior non‑bank unitranche, and junior capital across micro, small and mid‑cap segments. Compared with February 2025, leverage ratios have nudged...
Debtwire Middle-Market – 2/16/2026
The VanEck BDC Income ETF is yielding 12.3% as of 12 February, just below its five‑year high of 12.8% reached in April 2025. In contrast, the BofA Merrill Lynch US High Yield index has slipped to 6.6%, down from an 8.5%...
Octus: Private Credit & Deal Origination Insights – 2/16/2026
In the third quarter of 2025, Business Development Companies (BDCs) reported the highest non‑accrual rates among issuers in the Information Technology (23%) and Consumer Discretionary (22%) sectors. The data, released in Octus’s private‑credit briefing, shows a clear tilt toward software‑heavy...