Readers of Antoine De Saint-Exupery’s The Little Prince may recall the hatlike appearance of the snake that swallowed an elephant. After the festive season, some may empathise with that swollen reptile. The private equity industry has ended 2023 in something of a similar state.
Private equity companies have struggled to find buyers for their portfolio companies for a number of years now. Companies have had their hands full managing snarled-up supply chains and rampant inflation. Opportunities for successful initial public offerings are few and far between. High valuations for private equity portfolio companies have not helped.
As a result, the value of assets sold in the US in 2023 was down more than 70 per cent compared with the peak in 2021, according to Tim Clarke at PitchBook.