Wall Street Journal
Companies looking for a private equity buyout may be waiting a long time. The aggregate value of U.S. buyouts fell 25% year to date through October, compared with the same period a year earlier, according to data provider Preqin. Deals totaled $155.2 billion during the first 10 months of the year—the lowest since 2014. Meanwhile, public company acquirers whose stock prices have run up this year and use their shares as a deal currency has an edge over financial buyers in most auction processes.