The PE Edge
A Middle-Market Perspective on Transactions in Partnership with Pitchbook
In collaboration with PitchBook, we built The PE Edge to help you gain the edge in middle-market dealmaking. This resource delivers key trends, data, and actionable insights so sponsors move confidently. Each edition distills the structures, valuation dynamics, and market forces shaping middle-market transactions.
Get your inside look into what’s driving private equity forward.
April 2026 Key Highlights:
- Fewer deals, bigger checks; dealmaking slowed but average deal size hit a record high.
- Buyouts are driving the scale; expansion deals are trailing far behind
- Exits cooled after a 2025 catch-up; secondary buyouts are now the dominant path as competition for high-quality assets intensifies
- GP-led secondaries have gone mainstream as a portfolio management tool
- Dry powder is piling up while fundraising consolidates around established managers
