Deals
Flush With Cash, Private Equity Giants Return to Old Haunts
- Buyout firms are re-purchasing former portfolio companies
- Poor performance on the stock market gives bidders an opening
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The private equity bid for Germany’s Scout24 AG is another case of history repeating itself.
Hellman & Friedman and Blackstone Group LP, which sweetened their offer for the online classifieds firm to 4.9 billion euros ($5.6 billion) on Friday, held stakes in the company before it went public in 2015. Both firms made their initial investments in 2014, and Hellman & Friedman didn’t fully exit until four years later, according to its website.