This paper uses proprietary data from a leading intermediary to understand the magnitude and determinants of transaction costs in the secondary market for private equity stakes. Most transactions occur at a discount to net asset value. Buyers average an annualized public market equivalent of...

We analyze the relationship between contracts and returns in private equity (PE) investments. Contractual control in the form of covenants tends to be employed to identify good deals. Better quality firms are more likely to have covenant-rich contracts, as they are less concerned by the...

This paper is the first systematic analysis of the impact of diversification on the performance of private equity funds. A unique data set allows the exact evaluation of diversification across the dimensions financing stages, industries, and countries. Very different levels of diversification...

Performance persistence in the private equity industry is not long-lived. Current fund performance is positively and significantly associated with the performance of the first follow-on fund, but the magnitude of persistence substantially declines afterwards. Persistence, if any, is largely...

Using the universe of Business Development Companies (BDCs), a unique publicly traded segment of U.S. Private Equity (PE), for the period 1998-2017 we provide the first in depth examination of their performance and risk adjusted characteristics. More importantly, we show that the readily...

This paper proposes a theory of the equilibrium liquidity premia of private equity funds and explores its asset-pricing implications. The theory is based on the notion that investors are exposed to the risk of facing surprise liquidity shocks, which upon arrival force them to liquidate their...

For years, research has been conducted to correctly model and predict the risk and return structures of Private Equity (PE) funds. Although past research has revealed valuable insight into the features of those funds, most risk and return model struggle with the dispersion of PE funds' returns,...

This study considers the trade-off between better top management team (TMT) decision-making involving complementary perspectives and inefficiencies due to conflicts between individuals. In analyzing characteristics of 1,071 fund partners involved in 1,295 buyout deals by 117 funds, we find that...

This paper examines diversification as a source of value creation and destruction in private equity (PE) funds. Previous literature has focused on the ‘diversification discount' in corporations. However, in PE funds, diversification might increase returns by ameliorating managerial risk...

This paper investigates determinants and consequences of net asset value discounts in listed private equity funds. Listed private equity funds share characteristics of closed-end mutual funds and traditional unlisted private equity funds and can therefore offer insights into both. Our results...