One in 10 investors in private equity are likely to default on commitments to invest funds in the next two years, research has suggested.
The findings underline the scale of challenges facing the sector as it scrambles to adapt to a harsh new environment of falling returns, cash-strapped investors and a backlash from regulators and politicians.
The research, which covered 120 big investors in private equity, or limited partners, was carried out by Coller Capital, the specialist investor in second-hand private equity assets. Three-quarters of investors polled expect distributions of cash back from private equity investments to decline this year.