As the business climate worsens, dealmakers are finding it increasingly challenging to meet expectations. Acquirers are still active in the mid-market, but they are proceeding with caution. In addition to focusing on innovative deal structures, it is now more important to bring that originality and creativity to their due diligence.

Date: 30 June 2008
Source: Financier Worldwide

"The Deal" article: Value creation at private equity funds starts with due diligence

In recent years, there were so many ways to make money in private equity. Value creation - the foundation upon which the LBO industry built its reputation - took a back-seat to creative financial engineering, allowing funds to realize returns faster and with fewer headaches. Relaxed credit standards and robust equity markets fueled this trend. Times have changed. Announced deals that made sense a few months ago are receiving renewed scrutiny as lenders now favor deals with prioritized strategic and operational improvements and a clear timetable for implementation. Today, value creation starts before the close. This Arthur D. Little article published in The Deal's Auction Block explains how top performing private equity funds increasingly employ operational and strategic due diligence to help identify value creation opportunities as early as possible.

Date: 01 November 2007
Source: Auction Block