logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2023
16m 26s

Public problems for private equity

Financial Times & Pushkin Industries
About this episode

For years, low interest rates let private equity deliver huge returns to investors. But now rates are up, and private equity is struggling. Many PE firms are turning to financial engineering to boost results. Today on the show, we wonder how that’s going to turn out. Also we go long the dollar as reserve currency and short the Birkenstock IPO. 


For a free 90-day trial to the Unhedged newsletter go to: https://www.ft.com/unhedgedoffer


Follow Ethan Wu (@ethanywu) and Katie Martin (@katie_martin_fx) on X, formerly Twitter. You can email Ethan at ethan.wu@ft.com.


Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Oct 6
There is only one trade
It’s starting to look like every market is becoming a one-trick pony. Since the summer, stock markets would have been down – were it not for the Big Tech companies galloping ahead on the back of AI. Corporate bond issuance and even the US dollar are also riding high on the AI tra ... Show More
20m 22s
Oct 1
Hyperscale my debt!
While most people are distracted by the latest blow-up in US Treasuries, our hosts Katie Martin and Rob Armstrong lift the lid on a less watched corner of the debt markets. The world’s hyperscalers – giant companies such as Amazon and Meta – need to borrow as much as they can to ... Show More
20m 19s
Sep 29
An ode to stock picking
Over the summer, the FT held a revamped version of its stock picking game – think fantasy football for the global equity markets. Some 13,000 people took part – a shocking number considering how unfashionable active fund management has become in the real world. Katie Martin and R ... Show More
19m 22s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2025
Private Equity in a Changing World
The Beyond Markets podcast channel is wrapping up on a high note at the end of 2025. But do not worry! The conversation continues on our podcast Moving Markets by Julius Baer, where we'll be sharing fresh insights and analysis on current market developments. Subscribe to Moving M ... Show More
19m 16s
Nov 2023
Why Private Equity Needs to Invest More in Talent Development
Traditionally, private equity companies have created value at the companies they own by taking on debt, restructuring, and exploiting underserved opportunities. But surging interest rates and increased competition have made it much harder to deliver strong returns. Ted Bililies, ... Show More
22m 46s
Jul 2024
87. The Skinny On...Will Private Equity Take Down the Global Economy & More
Send us Fan Mail The Skinny On...1. Will Private Equity Take Down the Global Economy. We discuss the FT article from Wednesday, 7/24/24 titled "How private equity tangled banks in a web of debt | Complex layers of leverage could pose a threat to the global economy". Read it here: ... Show More
38m 41s
Aug 2022
US watchdogs take on private equity
<p>Financial markets are bracing for a longer period of high interest rates, EU foreign ministers are set to suspend the bloc’s visa facilitation agreement with Moscow, and Alibaba is trying to manoeuvre a rebound. Plus, the FT’s Stefania Palma explains why the US antitrust offic ... Show More
10m 13s
Nov 2022
Private equity’s mystery boxes
<p>China is enlisting the help of tech giants to reduce its dependence on foreign semiconductor technology, the Federal Reserve is divided over how much to raise interest rates, and private equity firms are selling an investment product similar to the collateralised debt obligati ... Show More
10m 8s
Nov 2024
Private equity’s experiment with worker ownership
<p>Private equity earned a reputation as a ruthless and lucrative business. But over the past few years, large groups have been doing something that seems like the opposite of their cutthroat image: giving equity worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to the ordinary workers at t ... Show More
16m 26s
Aug 2024
Private credit’s ‘golden era’ shows signs of tarnish
<p>Private credit took Wall Street by storm. But at a software company called Pluralsight, recent loan troubles are now highlighting risks that could be hidden in the sector. The FT’s senior US corporate finance correspondent Eric Platt and Due Diligence reporter Amelia Pollard w ... Show More
20m 34s
Dec 2022
The struggle is real for investors in the high-rate era
<p>EU and US officials meet today to discuss the effect Washington’s green subsidies plan is having on Europe and Opec is standing pat as the cartel awaits a price cap on Russian oil to go into effect. Plus, the FT’s Katie Martin explains how fund managers are struggling in the n ... Show More
10m 51s