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.
Australia’s Energy Transition Hits a Permitting Wall
Australia’s renewable rollout is stalling as planning and environmental permitting delays choke new generation projects. State‑level approval processes are taking years, pushing back construction of solar farms, wind parks and battery storage. Although the federal government has introduced streamlined pathways, bureaucratic bottlenecks and community objections persist. Meanwhile, institutional investors are holding back capital, wary of regulatory risk and uncertain timelines.
Building a Value Creation Machine & Scaling a Private Equity Firm
Chris Sznewajs of Pacific Avenue Capital Partners discussed how the firm builds a private‑equity platform centered on complex corporate carve‑outs and assets owned by “unnatural owners.” The firm leverages proprietary sourcing through corporate relationships and invests heavily in an operational...
Private Equity Deal Teams and the Discipline to Win
In this episode of Best But Never Final, Lloyd Metz, Doug McCormick, and Sean Mooney break down the anatomy of a private‑equity deal team, outlining the typical roles—from associates and analysts to VPs, principals, and managing directors—and how responsibilities shift...
Special Situations Digest - #2
The second Special Situations Digest highlights a wave of activist campaigns spanning technology, biotech, consumer, and industrial firms, alongside numerous companies embarking on strategic reviews or restructuring. Activists such as YZi Labs, Engine Capital, and Elliott Management are pushing for...
🎥 AGM Unscripted: Goldman Sachs' Jeff Fine - An Investor’s Guide to Private Markets
Goldman Sachs Partner Jeff Fine discussed private markets and wealth channels on the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast, recorded at the 2025 Alternatives Summit. He outlined the evolving landscape, the role of product specialists, AI’s impact, and the growing participation of...
AGM Alts & Wealth Weekly News Roundup | 2.13.26
The AGM newsletter announced the launch of the AGM Community, an RIA advisory board, and its first field trip in New York, signaling deeper engagement with wealth managers. Across the private‑markets landscape, major deals include Apollo and Schroders’ joint fund...
Expect the Unexpected: A 2026 Lending Outlook with WhiteHorse Capital
WhiteHorse Capital’s Pankak Gupta and Stuart Aronson forecast a cautious‑optimistic 2026 for middle‑market lending, citing modest Federal Reserve rate cuts and lingering inflation. They expect a rebound in M&A activity with narrowing valuation gaps, while new capital inflows are driving...
Private Equity Holding Periods Continue to Climb
Private‑equity firms now hold portfolio companies for a median of six years, the longest span since the metric began tracking in 2000. The increase reflects delayed exits caused by market uncertainty, the COVID‑19 pandemic, and a strategic shift toward add‑on...
PE Weekly: Business Services Retains Its M&A Strength
Business services private equity firms continued a busy week of M&A, completing multiple platform acquisitions—including Kingswood Capital’s purchase of Safran Passenger Innovations (renamed RAVE Aerospace), H.I.G. Capital’s buy of CargoTuff, Trinity Hunt Partners’ launch of Allvia, KPS Capital’s pending acquisition...
🎥 AGM Unscripted: Goldman Sachs' Harold Hope - Secondaries: A Primary Consideration
Goldman Sachs’ Harold Hope, Global Head of Vintage Strategies, sat down on the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast to discuss the rapid evolution of the private‑markets secondaries space. He traced the market from a modest $2 billion annual volume 25 years ago to...
HG's Acquisition of OneStream
Hg has completed the acquisition of OneStream for $6.4 billion, paying $24 per share—a 31% premium to the prior market price. The deal positions Hg as a major player in corporate performance management (CPM) and business intelligence, leveraging its software expertise...
🎥 AGM Unscripted: Goldman Sachs' Kristin Olson - The Evolution of Alternatives: Bridging Private Markets and Wealth
Goldman Sachs hosted its 2025 Alternatives Summit, spotlighting the integration of private markets into mainstream wealth management. In a podcast interview, Kristin Olson, Global Head of Alternatives for Wealth, outlined how the firm’s platform is scaling access to private equity,...
Shareholder Engagement in Flux: Recent Developments and Practical Implications
The SEC’s recent clarification of Rule 14a‑8 reshapes how companies must handle shareholder proposals, while regulators intensify scrutiny of proxy advisors. Concurrently, vote‑no/withhold campaigns and new retail voting programs are gaining traction, adding complexity to the 2026 proxy season. Updated guidance...
Investing: Underwriting the Searcher
The blog explains why underwriting the searcher— the entrepreneur‑operator— is critical in search‑fund investing, where small businesses rely heavily on leadership grit. Unlike private‑equity deals that focus on scale and industry, search funds often lack seasoned CEOs, making operator quality...
Dividend Distinctions and Proxy Descriptions
Several recent proxy statements claim that moving a corporation from Nevada to Delaware provides greater dividend‑distribution flexibility. A detailed comparison of Nevada’s NRS 78.288 and Delaware’s statutory and case‑law framework shows Nevada already allows broad dividend authority, especially when articles of...
🎥 AGM Unscripted: Goldman Sachs' James Reynolds - From Mezzanine to Moats: Over a Quarter-Century of Goldman Sachs Private Credit
In this episode, Goldman Sachs Asset Management’s global co‑head of private credit, James Reynolds, reflects on 25 years of building the firm’s private credit franchise, emphasizing a culture of disciplined underwriting, selective origination, and leveraging Goldman’s broader banking ecosystem. He explains...
Equity Plan Proposals: Changes in ISS’ EPSC Evaluation
ISS added a negative overriding factor to its EPSC evaluation in December 2025. Plans that receive a Plan Features pillar score below seven points may now trigger a recommended vote against the equity plan proposal. ISS does not disclose how...
Consequences of Roll-Up Acquisitions in Diverse Software Markets
Roll‑up acquisitions in software markets combine multiple niche firms to achieve scale and cost efficiencies. While the consolidation can enhance operational performance and pool technological talent, it also reduces the number of independent competitors, raising antitrust concerns. Successful integration hinges...