The recent successful showing for many initial public offerings (IPOs) is largely buoyed by strong equity markets. But the results also reflect smaller tranches, along with longer-term operational improvements in the portfolio companies by private equity (PE) issuers, which have been spending far more resources on management improvements than in the past, say experts at Wharton and EY. In Part I of this two-part Knowledge at Wharton podcast, Stephen M. Sammut, a senior fellow and lecturer at Wharton, and Michael Rogers, EY’s global deputy private equity leader, discuss these ideas. They also look at PE growth in Africa, a trend by limited partners to place more money in larger PE funds, rising demands for fee breaks and the lift in fundraising coming from pension funds.

Comments

New This Week

Understanding Congress’ Impact on Financial Markets
Podcast

Understanding Congress’ Impact on Financial Markets

June 12, 202613 min listen

Wharton finance professor discusses how changes in expected federal deficits influence bond yields, inflation expectations, and broader financial markets.

Best Countries Index 2026

Best Countries Index 2026

June 12, 202616 min read

Available on June 16, 2026

The Science Behind Elite Athletic Performance
Podcast

The Science Behind Elite Athletic Performance

June 10, 202618 min listen

Wharton professor of marketing, psychology, and neuroscience discusses how neuroscience can identify the cognitive traits that drive success in sports, business, and other high-performance environments.