How private equity funds really assess a management team before investing
When a private equity fund evaluates an investment opportunity, attention naturally focuses on the company's financial performance. Revenue, EBITDA, cash flow generation, competitive positioning, and growth prospects are, of course, analyzed in great detail. However, there is another factor that can, on its own, determine whether or not the fund decides to invest: the quality of the management team.
Warren Buffett: the investment principles that built Berkshire Hathaway
Few investors have left as profound a mark on the history of finance as Warren Buffett. Nicknamed the "Oracle of Omaha," he became one of the richest people in the world thanks to an investment approach that appears, at first glance, surprisingly simple. Yet behind this apparent simplicity lies an extraordinary level of discipline, applied with remarkable consistency for more than sixty years.
Why some companies deliberately refuse to be sold?
In the world of mergers and acquisitions, it is common to hear that a company is "for sale" or that a private equity fund is actively looking for a buyer for one of its portfolio companies. However, the reality is much more nuanced. Every year, numerous companies receive highly attractive acquisition offers that they nevertheless choose to reject, sometimes even when the proposed price is significantly above their theoretical valuation.
Market makers: the essential players behind the functioning of financial markets
When discussing financial markets, attention is often focused on investors, hedge funds, or investment banks. However, one category of participants plays an equally essential role, despite being much less known to the general public: market makers.
When discovering private equity, one question often arises: how do funds actually make money? In reality, private equity management companies have several compensation mechanisms, some directly linked to investment performance, while others help finance day-to-day operations
The biggest strategic mistakes in the history of mergers and acquisitions
Mergers and acquisitions are often presented as one of the most powerful ways to accelerate a company's growth. However, history has shown that some of the most ambitious transactions have ended in spectacular failures.
Why hedge funds are increasingly recruiting engineers and data scientists
For a long time, hedge funds mainly recruited candidates from top business schools, finance programs, or economics backgrounds. A solid understanding of financial markets, derivatives, and asset valuation was often enough to build a career within these institutions.