A leading figure in the global buy-out industry is out fund-raising. He has a meeting, the story goes, with a particularly truculent prospective investor representing one of the large US endowment funds. "So," asks the investor, "how come your fund is not differentiated?" The question refers to the trend for buy-out houses to specialise, for instance, by industry sector....more

E-COMMERCE SUPPORT
Backers beef up old economy's web presence  Jun 9

NEW ENTRANTS
New guises keep funds on their toes  Jun 9

ALLIANCES
Shared words ease path to shared winnings  Jun 9

MEZZANINE FUNDS
Debt funds move into mainstream  Jun 9

EXITS AND RETURNS
Multiple escape routes reduce risks  Jun 9

SENIOR DEBT
Leveraged loan structure evolves  Jun 9

COMPENSATION
Tug-of-war for staff  Jun 9