Private Equity Sets Record Pace in 2007

If you thought that private equity funds would slow down after last year’s rapid-fire dealmaking, think again.
As of Tuesday, the pace of private equity-related mergers and acquisitions in 2007 is running at a record rate, according to data provided by Thomson Financial. Deals in which private equity firms were on the buyside had a total value of $104.2 billion as of March 13, which is more than 50 percent more than the total at the same time in 2006.
Just how much of a factor is private equity in M&A these days? Consider this: Year to date, private equity deals have accounted for a remarkable 30 percent of overall M&A value. During the same period of 2002, such deals were barely more than 5 percent of the total.
http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/03/13/private-equity-sets-record-pace-in-2007/#more-12615