The Private Equity Value Report 2026

This article originally appeared in the Global Value Report 2026.

In the United Kingdom, private equity firms are navigating a more competitive environment, with elevated valuations, increased competition for high-quality assets, and a growing backlog of portfolio companies awaiting exit.

As traditional return levers like leverage and multiple expansion become less reliable, firms are shifting focus toward operational value creation, embedding performance improvement more consistently across the investment lifecycle.

This shift is reinforcing a more execution-oriented model, where success depends on a firm’s ability to drive sustained performance from entry through exit.

For U.S. audiences, these dynamics reflect similar shifts in the domestic market, reinforcing the need for disciplined underwriting and more consistent value creation across portfolios.

BDO provides additional perspective in the full report. Learn more here.