Private Equity Exits in 2010

Huron Capital Partners has sold Ross Education to JLL Partners for a reported $232 million, generating a return of 18.7x its original investment and an IRR of 76%. Ross was advised by BMO Capital Markets and Goldberg Kohn on the transaction. The company provides postsecondary education and training services and was acquired by Huron Capital and Paul Mitchell in a 2005 buyout.

PE investors have successfully exited 192 companies this year, according to the PitchBook Platform. Over half of these exits, 116, have occurred through the sale of the company to a corporate investor. So far in 2010, PE investors seem to have found the most favorable exit opportunities in the Business Products and Services and Consumer Products and Services industries, having exited 49 and 46 investments in each industry, respectively. The Information Technology industry has also witnessed several exits in 2010--36 to be exact. Throughout much of the first half of the year, monthly exit counts have hovered just above 30, but last month finally breached the 40 mark with 41 deals.