Middle Market Weekly Outlook

Good morning, all. Survey results from last week indicate that nearly half of U.S. private equity investors are eyeing oil & gas funds. Among the findings, investors indicate that they are motivated in part by the drop in oil prices, even though these funds are more risky assets.

Meanwhile, the New York Times discusses the conventional wisdom that mergers signal confidence in the economy, comparing the current M&A boom to that in 2007. Rather than an indication of a growing economy, they suggest this activity more accurately reflects the problem of few organic growth prospects.

Transactions

• Charterhouse Capital to sell ERM
• H.I.G. Capital buys ATX Networks
• CAA buys Beyond Sports, Goviva
• Norwest Equity closes Wealth Enhancement sale
• PE-backed National Surgical Healthcare pulls in $52.5 mln
• Novaria buys Sky Manufacturing
• Crestview, CVC, Pinebrook invest in Fidelis Insurance
• Cyprium Partners invests in Phantom Fireworks
• Arbors invests in Concord Foods

Opinions

• How PE firms compete with wealthy corporate buyers
• U.S private equity investors eyeing oil, gas funds
• Private equity firms are increasingly using captive insurance companies
• Why a Fed rate hike won’t dent a surge in M&A
• Private equity investors warming to longer-life funds
• M&A and share buybacks fuel dollar debt deluge
• Mergers might not signal optimism
• U.S Antitrust reviews of mergers get longer
• 5 things private equity backers are thinking right now
• Investors warm to longer life funds
• Merger boom spawns a CFO surplus
• OPIC guides impact investing for U.S Government
• Fund restructurings rise even as opinions diverge
• Prospecting for wealthy financial pros
• Strategic consumer-focused buyers shying away from high multiples
• Get smart in guiding business-owner clients
• Hybrid advisors answer call for more investment options
• Fast U.S. merger pace raises risk
• Apollo-backed CEO says private equity ‘mixed bag’ for insurance
• Average private equity hold times drop to 5.5 years
• This M&A boom looks different than 2007

This week in history…media giant Walt Disney Co. enters the web development fray by snapping up a minority stake in Infoseek Corp. (1998).