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Private equity's traditional exit routes – secondary buyouts, trade sales and IPOs – have slowed dramatically, leaving sponsors with ageing portfolios and mounting pressure from LPs to distribute capital. With the average global hold period rising from 5.2 years in 2020 to 6.6 years by mid-2025 (S&P), the five-year cycle now often stretches to almost seven years or more.
This slowdown results from a perfect storm: persistent valuation gaps, higher borrowing costs, political uncertainty, and inconsistent portfolio performance. Lenders and potential buyers are more selective, asking tougher questions and demanding solid proof of resilient cash flow and a convincing growth story.
The market now demands a broader set of exit options, a more credible EBITDA improvement story, and disciplined, unbiased exit governance – evolving the private equity playbook.
In Private Equity News, we set out how financing flexibility,
operational transformation, and
robust exit planning are key to navigating today's challenging
exit landscape.
Read the article,access it as a PDF,orvisit the PE News websiteto access the full December 2025 issue.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
