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Q1 2021
US PE Breakdown
April 9, 2021
Q1 US PE activity points to a strong 2021
As the industry normalizes after the roller coaster of 2020, US private equity deals, exits, and fundraising saw robust activity in Q1. Healthy PE activity will likely endure through 2021 as the vaccine rollout continues, unprecedented fiscal stimulus takes effect, and pent-up demand works its way through the dealmaking process.
Our Q1 US PE Breakdown takes a deep dive into several trends that materialized during the first three months of 2021. The SPAC wave crested in Q1. At the same time, the IPO pipeline has strengthened, which gives GPs more exit options for the months ahead. Other key takeaways include:
This report was sponsored by Plante Moran, Liberty GTS, and MidCap Financial. Interested in sponsoring future editions of this report? Visit our media partnerships page to learn more.
As the industry normalizes after the roller coaster of 2020, US private equity deals, exits, and fundraising saw robust activity in Q1. Healthy PE activity will likely endure through 2021 as the vaccine rollout continues, unprecedented fiscal stimulus takes effect, and pent-up demand works its way through the dealmaking process.
Our Q1 US PE Breakdown takes a deep dive into several trends that materialized during the first three months of 2021. The SPAC wave crested in Q1. At the same time, the IPO pipeline has strengthened, which gives GPs more exit options for the months ahead. Other key takeaways include:
- GPs are acting opportunistically to put dry powder to work as the pandemic fallout continues in sectors such as retail and hospitality.
- Public companies came out of 2020 with increased buying power after bulking up balance sheet cash during the downturn, and corporate acquisitions drove a significant portion of the total $162 billion in exit activity.
- The rebound in fundraising saw 97 US PE funds amass $88.5 billion in Q1, with most of that capital coming from a handful of mega-funds.
This report was sponsored by Plante Moran, Liberty GTS, and MidCap Financial. Interested in sponsoring future editions of this report? Visit our media partnerships page to learn more.