Buyouts News and Trends
Recent buyout trends include major tech acquisitions to close AI gaps, a $1.5 billion private equity investment in Pizza Hut's international franchise, shifting dominance in direct lending within PE-backed deals, increased European aerospace and defense buyout activity driven by government budgets, and a record $1.6 trillion Q1 M&A volume influenced by mega-deals, alongside sector-specific roll-ups in HVAC and garage doors, a selective biotech IPO resurgence, and renewed interest in ultra mega-funds despite market complexities.
Recent News on Buyouts
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Tech giants close AI gap with big buys
June 16, 2026
Salesforce acquired AI customer service startup Fin for $3.6 billion, and SpaceX is buying Cursor for $60 billion. -
Upstart PE firm wagers $1.5B+ on a Pizza Hut turnaround
June 16, 2026
LongRange Capital agreed to buy the international franchise from Yum! Brands. -
PE-backed companies are losing their direct lending dominance
May 28, 2026
Their shrinking share of deals doesn’t mean direct lenders are pulling back from private equity, yet. -
Meet the top investors in European aerospace and defense buyouts
May 27, 2026
Sponsors are quick to spot opportunities as government budgets rewrite the investment case. -
Lazard’s acquisition of Campbell Lutyens highlights growing complexity of private markets
April 30, 2026
Investment banks must offer more than M&A advice to keep their clients happy in the exit drought. -
Record Q1 M&A masks more selective market
April 29, 2026
Dealmaking hit a record $1.6 trillion, but one $250 billion deal flattered the numbers. -
PE hopes garage door roll-ups will be the new HVAC
April 17, 2026
HVAC businesses proved to be one of the best roll-up opportunities in PE, and garage door suppliers share many of the same characteristics. -
Biotech IPOs poised for a comeback—but only for some
April 15, 2026
A GLP-1 maker and a protein biomarker detection company are the latest to head for biotech IPOs. M&A activity is helping bolster that. -
KKR’s $23B haul provides light amid mega-fund gloom
April 2, 2026
Mega-sized deals rebounded sharply last year, which could bode well for the funds that play at that end of the market. -
Alix Earle, Olaplex and Salt & Stone: Beauty’s active week
March 26, 2026
Bets on beauty and wellness companies continue despite broader headwinds to consumer brands. -
The ultra mega-fund is back in style. Can it be deployed effectively?
March 24, 2026
Jeff Bezos is reportedly raising a $100 billion fund to buy up manufacturing companies and automate their processes. -
EBITDA adjustments are getting ridiculous
March 5, 2026
The interpretation of what counts as a one-time charge has expanded well beyond historical norms. -
M&A’s $5 trillion year was buoyed by mega-deals
February 3, 2026
There is cautious optimism that this momentum will spread to the rest of the market in 2026. -
Europe’s VC-backed founders rely on PE more than ever for an exit
February 3, 2026
Buyouts made for a record share of VC-backed exits in Europe in 2025. -
SpaceX acquires xAI ahead of reported trillion-dollar IPO
February 2, 2026
“Global electricity demand for AI simply cannot be met with terrestrial solutions,” Elon Musk wrote of the deal. -
Big-ticket deals push M&A value to all-time high
January 30, 2026
Volume reached nearly $5 trillion last year, with about 57% from mega-deals—the highest share in a decade. -
The secondary market’s capitalization conundrum
January 27, 2026
Secondaries funds continue to raise record amounts, but not enough to meet the potential supply of deals. -
Ranking 2025’s top 10 PE buyouts in Europe
December 18, 2025
Activity in the continent stalled as deal volume hit a five-year low, but surging US investor participation provided rare momentum.