Finance

Private equity is maturing to meet the needs of its newest, and largest base of investors.

Guidelines are taking shape for private equity funds to determine the "fair value" of their portfolios. This development will keep money flowing into private equity, helping entrepreneurs and investors alike.

Recent surveys reveal decidedly rosy expectations of venture capitalists for the year ahead. But where exactly will they put their money?

One slice of the venture capital industry – venture financed mergers and acquisitions – may be picking up.

Wednesday’s announcement that Highfields Capital Management, the Boston-based hedge fund, plans to bid for ownership of Circuit City, marks the latest development in the unwanted intrusion of big hedge funds into the world of private equity deals and leveraged buyouts.

I may have spoken too soon when I questioned the link that an S&P analyst had made between hedge fund performance and the Iraqi election. Here’s why.

How hedge funds are explaining January's poor results.

Though Blackstone is known mostly for its billion dollar private equity funds, it also houses a cadre of advisors specializing in corporate turnarounds.

Sarbanes-Oxley naturally constrains the ability of hedge funds to exploit a loophole that allows them to grown without restraint.

Aside from being unoriginal, stocks are simply a bad bet for the very wealthy. Private equity funds are opening at a torrid pace, and offer wealthy investors much higher returns.

Wild speculation by venture capitalists fueled the tech bubble and positioned Silicon Valley for its eventual implosion. I’ve recently found some stats that provide a snapshot of what things looked like on the way down.

Hedge funds are generally considered risky investments for heady rich people. A quick look at the numbers suggests just the opposite.

Business development corporations offer smaller investors access to the lucrative world of private equity. But it's too soon to say how this will change the nature of the business.

The regulatory hand overseeing specialized investments is growing firmer, but it's too soon to forecast the end of hedge funds.

According to a recent survey by the research firm Phoenix Marketing International, high net worth investors “have aggressively diversified into more complex types of investments” in searching for higher yields.