Private Markets

The 2025 US Insurance Investments Market Report by S&P Global Market Intelligence highlights the increasing role of private markets in insurers' asset strategies. Once considered alternatives, these strategies have become essential to both life and property and casualty (P&C) insurers. The report analyzes asset allocations through Q1 2025, offering detailed insights across bonds, equities, mortgage loans, real estate equity, and other long-term investments...

Blackstone Growth and affiliated funds have announced a majority growth investment in NetBrain Technologies, valuing the company at $750 million. NetBrain is a prominent provider of network automation and AI solutions, currently serving over one-third of Fortune 500 companies. The investment will support NetBrain’s plans to scale its AI-powered platform, expand internationally, and advance innovation in network operations...

President Donald Trump is preparing to sign an executive order that would direct the Labor Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission to issue guidance on including private-market investments in 401(k) retirement plans, according to the Wall Street Journal. The order, still under review, could allow retirement plans broader access to private equity and private credit assets, enabling firms like Apollo Global Management and Blackstone to reach new pools of capital...

The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has outlined key supervisory priorities for private markets, focusing on valuation practices, conflict management, and leverage. Speaking at the Investment Association’s Private Markets Summit on July 2, 2025, FCA Deputy Chief Executive Sarah Pritchard shared findings from a recent review of valuation practices across private equity, private debt, venture capital, and infrastructure...

The U.S. M&A landscape in 2025 remains uncertain as dealmakers face volatility from aggressive trade policies and shifting regulatory signals under the new administration. PwC’s May 2025 Pulse Survey revealed that 30% of respondents paused or revisited deals due to tariff concerns. So far, deal value has reached $567 billion across 4,535 deals, mirroring last year’s pace...

Private equity firms are holding approximately $1 trillion in unsold assets, capital that would typically have been returned to investors under normal market conditions, according to a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). Factors such as sustained high interest rates in the U.S., fluctuating tariff policies under the White House, and broader geopolitical uncertainty have contributed to a sharp decline in company valuations...

Private equity entered 2025 with strong momentum from the previous year, supported by open credit markets and falling interest rates. The first quarter recorded robust deal values, buoyed by major buyouts such as Sycamore Partners’ $23.7 billion acquisition of Walgreens Boots Alliance and strategic exits like GTCR’s sale of Worldpay. However, the optimism quickly faded as tariff-related uncertainty intensified from April onwards...

UK pension schemes are experiencing a major shift in asset allocation, moving increasingly toward private markets, productive finance, and long-term diversification. According to new research by the Pension Policy Institute (PPI), this transition is driven by the maturing of defined benefit (DB) plans, evolving defined contribution (DC) strategies, and broader policy changes. As of 2024, UK pension assets have grown to approximately $4.1 trillion, up from $3.7 trillion in 2023, with DB and annuities still accounting for nearly two-thirds of the total...

Amid geopolitical shifts, economic uncertainty, and rising capital costs, M&A leaders are reshaping their strategies to stay competitive. Deloitte’s 2025 M&A Trends survey of 1,500 U.S.-based corporate and private equity professionals reveals a strong move toward flexible deal structures and alternative funding options. Traditional M&A activity is now nearly matched by joint ventures, alliances, and divestitures, a 42% rise in such deals between 2022 and 2024...

McKinsey’s Global Private Markets Review 2025 highlights a mixed year for private markets in 2024, with fundraising declining across all major asset classes. Private equity fundraising dropped 24%, while real estate fundraising reached its lowest level since 2012. Despite this, capital deployment grew by double digits, supported by a more stable financing environment that encouraged increased deal activity...