Private equity deal news and insights from the London newsroom

A slow year ahead or a depressed one? It’s all down to tariff negotiations, says DC Advisory; KKR, CPP close Axel Springer split

Morning all, Craig McGlashan here with the Europe Wire from the London newsroom.

We’ve got an exclusive early look at DC Advisory’s latest European Private Equity Mid-Market Monitor this morning. No prizes for guessing how the first quarter performed in terms of deal numbers – but there could be some better news for the rest of the year, DC Advisory’s European executive chairman Richard Madden told us.

Finishing up, we’ve got a completed deal as KKR and CPP Investments finish their split of multinational media company Axel Springer.

Negotiation wait

M&A deal volume in Europe fell by nearly a third in the first quarter of 2025 compared with the previous three years as buyers and sellers digested the tariff news coming out of the US, according to DC Advisory’s European Private Equity Mid-Market Monitor: Q1 2025 & Outlook, of which PE Hub had an exclusive early look. Whether or not dealmaking picks up will depend on the progression of tariff negotiations, Richard Madden, European executive chairman, told PE Hub’s Irien Joseph.

Find out what factors Madden and DC Advisory think will have the biggest impact on deal volumes for the rest of the year in the premium version of the Wire.

Closing the page

KKR and CPP Investments have completed the split of multinational media company Axel Springer, a move first announced in September.

Read the breakdown on the deal in the premium version of the Wire.

That’s all from me today. Rafael Canton is on US Wire later today and Nina Lindholm will bring you the Europe Wire tomorrow.

Cheers,

Craig

Read the full Wire commentary on PE Hub ...

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“PE is behind their schedule, particularly for both divestments and investments. Even if valuations are not super strong, GPs will have to start selling businesses to provide liquidity to their LPs. In some instances, transactions are proceeding at disappointing valuations simply because they serve this liquidity need.”

— Richard Madden, European executive chairman, DC Advisory

Today's letter was prepared by Craig McGlashan

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