UK private equity to invest billions
UK private equity firms are planning to invest billions of pounds during the next twelve months, according to Grant Thornton's Private Equity Barometer, which surveyed more than 100 private equity executives.
Money roll
Private equity investing billions
More than 42 per cent of respondents expected to invest more than £50m (€60m) in the UK in the next 12 months, with nearly 20 per cent expecting to invest more than £100m. Almost 50 per cent of respondents expected to invest between £11m and £50m, while the remaining 8 per cent plan to invest less than £10m or not at all.
Of the respondents, 49 per cent agreed that they were under pressure to deploy funds, with 27 per cent conceding that they are prepared to acquire assets at multiples higher than their industry average.
Respondents were prepared to pay higher multiples than they were in the previous quarter, the barometer found. Ebitda multiples investors were willing to pay climbed from 6.2 times to 6.4 times for support services companies and healthcare multiples rose from 7.9 times to 8.1 times. Consumer products multiples were up to 6.4 times from 6.2 times.