Private Equity – Holding Periods

Private equity holding periods continue to lengthen…

For exits in 2014, the median holding period slightly increased to 5.8 years. These exits mostly represent portfolio companies that were acquired at the peak of the last bubble (2008), prior to the recession and likely at higher valuations. Looking forward, will the holding period decrease as the data begins to reflect acquisitions made during the recession or has the holding period of the private equity firms fundamentally lengthened?