Apollo Warns on Private Equity Returns Amid $4 Trillion Backlog

Apollo's deputy global head of private equity, Antoine Munfakh, stated that private equity investors are facing a return divide due to delayed exits and a $4 trillion backlog of unsold assets. The average hold time for private equity assets has increased from four years to nearly eight years. Munfakh noted that last year marked the first time sponsor exits occurred at prices lower than the marked asset values. This situation may exacerbate issues for firms that aggressively valued their holdings, particularly in the software sector, which now constitutes approximately 40% of global buyout volumes (as opposed to a historical 10%).