Private equity, unwrapped

From the January issue: For years, private equity firms have been lavished with huge sums of money by investors looking to own New York buildings. But recently, there have been fewer deals that those firms are finding attractive — ones that offer quick and bountiful yields. Plus, many so-called distressed opportunities that were supposed to materialize didn’t, as banks worked out new loan terms with their struggling borrowers.

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As a result, many private equity firms’ buckets of cash have been sitting unspent. And, under typical investment rules, funds that are not deployed within three years must be returned to investors, without a hotel or condo or office tower to show for them. [more]