Special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) have raised around $22bn from investors since 2003, and comprised 20% of total funds raised in US IPOs in 2007. SPACs are interesting structures - allowing investors a risk-free option to invest in a future acquisition. However, we show that more...

The ultimate performance of private equity funds is only known once all investments have been sold, and the cash returned to investors. This typically takes over a decade. In the meantime, the reported performance depends on the valuation of the remaining portfolio companies. Private equity...

How and when to exit portfolio company investments are critical choices facing private equity funds. In this paper we analyze 1,022 European private equity exits, using information on fund and portfolio company characteristics, and on conditions in capital markets. For over 43% of the exits,...

Special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) raised over $22bn from investors during the period 2003-2010, representing a significant proportion of US initial public offerings (IPOs). SPACs are interesting structures – providing investors with very low risk options to invest in future...

The ultimate performance of private equity funds is only known once all investments have been sold, and the cash returned to investors. This typically takes over a decade. In the meantime, the reported performance depends on the valuation of the remaining portfolio companies. Private equity...

Although the number of secondary buy-out deals has increased noticeable in the last few years, firms exited through a secondary buy-out (secondary firms) clearly underperform firms turned public (IPO firms) in the first three full years after the exit. Evidence suggests that this...

Special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) raised over $22bn from investors during the period 2003-2010, representing a significant proportion of US initial public offerings (IPOs). SPACs are interesting structures – providing investors with very low risk options to invest in future...

The relationship between investment managers and brokers has been identified by regulators in Europe and the US as a potential source of conflicts of interest, with investment managers buying a bundle of services ndash; including trade execution and sell-side research ndash; from brokers at the...

Special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) have raised around $22bn from investors since 2003, and comprised 20% of total funds raised in US IPOs in 2007. SPACs are interesting structures - allowing investors a risk-free option to invest in a future acquisition. However, we show that more...