View all insights
image

Big not always better for private equity megadeals

Read the latest article by PE correspondent Kaye Wiggins from the Financial Times, on how largest takeovers do not always generate the biggest returns, having analyzed CEPRES data. Looking at deal data since the global financial crisis, the article investigates whether mega deals have better returns, also quoting Brenda Rainey, Senior Director of Bain & Company’s Global Private Equity practice, and CEPRES' own Christopher Godfrey:

“The question now is whether we will see that pattern return if there’s a new downturn.”

Christopher C. Godfrey, President, CEPRES Corp.

Read the full article here!

Read next

image

Price and Limits of the EV Trade: A Deal-Level View of Growth, Risk, and Returns in Automotive Components

DealForge analysis of 112 automotive-component investments, including 18 tire and rubber deals, reveals a 23.73% versus 0.41% median gross IRR split — while 85% of net equity value creation came from revenue growth and margin expansion.

image

Private Debt: What the Transaction Data Suggests

Private debt has shifted from deployment to realization: distributions reached $490.2bn in 2024, cumulative net capital flows turned positive in 2025, and the 2021 and 2022 vintages broke sharply from previous return patterns.

Download the report to uncover why pooled and median net IRR tell very different stories, where Default, Loss and Recovery Rates are concentrated across vintages, geographies and sectors, and what the transaction data means for commitment pacing, allocation, manager selection and due diligence.

image

The Repricing of Private Markets: 25 Years of Data on Valuations, Leverage and Returns

LPs cannot afford to rely on outdated assumptions.

Pricing has shifted. Leverage risk is rising. Returns are under pressure. In today’s volatile market, understanding where private markets have been repriced is critical to manager selection, underwriting, and portfolio risk.

Based on 172,000+ private market deals, this whitepaper reveals how valuations, leverage, and returns have changed — including deeper analysis of North American buyouts and Software.

Download the whitepaper to see where risk is building before it shows up in your portfolio.

Client Exclusives

Private credit: Spotlight on deals — the winners and losers & bounce back from the crisis

Read more
image

Navigating Private Debt: A Deep Dive into Historical Risk and Returns

Read more
image