Christian Westra Discusses PE Deal Outlook in S&P Global

Global private equity and venture capital deal value surged in the second quarter of 2024 as investors began deploying more capital after accumulating record-high dry powder.

Private equity partner Christian Westra shared insight with S&P Global on the topic, noting that investors have started actively putting capital to work using the record high dry powder — capital raised but not yet invested — in the system. “There is a sense that people have been holding on to capital for a lot longer than they would have wanted to or expected to,” Christian said.

The US private equity market is expected to recover quicker than other markets, particularly in Europe, Christian said. “The amount of capital available in the US is much bigger relative to Europe. We do have strong guidance that the Federal Reserve is expecting to lower rates later this year,” he said.