This paper offers a quantitative description of European private equity markets and compares the recent development in these markets with the development of the US venture capital market. Moreover, the paper addresses the differences between private equity investors acting in a single national...

The role of the hostile activist shareholder has been taken up by a set of hedge funds. Hedge fund activism is characterized by mergers and corporate restructuring, replacement of management and board members, proxy voting, and lobbying of management. These investors target and research...

Kathrin Bösecke analyses the factors that determine the success of business combinations. Based on her analysis of 126 acquisitions and 66 alliances in the European utility industry, she identifies the origin of the participating firms as well as the target country as essential determinants of...