Cooler on middle-market prospects

Private equity professionals are less bullish about prospects for buyouts in the €150m or less size range than they were three months ago, according to the latest edition of the Corbett Keeling unquote survey.

Of 500 survey respondents, only around 38% could see an increase in this sector of the market over the next three months. That compares with around 41%, who expected buyouts in the €150m or less size range to increase over the next three months when the previous poll was completed in March.

About 21% of respondents think buyouts in this size range will decline, up from under 10% in March. The number of transactions in the last 12 months was 150 and the corresponding value was €5.86bn.

Buyouts over €150m have been steady over the last quarter. Deals logged (rolling totals in the last 12 months) were 42 in number with an aggregate value of €21.43bn. Around 75% of the survey respondents expressed the view that larger buyouts would increase over the next three months. In March, the figure was around 43%.