Private equity firms can look forward to a rich hunting ground for deals in 2022 as Europe’s corporate titans seek ways to shed businesses, according to one of Carlyle Group Inc.’s top dealmakers in the region.
GlaxoSmithKline Plc last week saw Unilever Plc drop a 50 billion-pound ($68 billion) pursuit of its consumer products division, which includes brands like Advil painkillers. While the U.K. drugmaker continues to pursue a listing of the business, its Chief Executive Officer Emma Walmsley remains under pressure from activist shareholders to consider an outright sale. Unilever, meanwhile, is looking to refocus around health, suggesting possible divestitures in its food operations.
To be sure, private equity firms are still enjoying a buoyant fundraising market and Carlyle is preparing a record European buyout fund at about 7.5 billion euros, Bloomberg has reported. Fundraising for Carlyle Europe Partners VI will begin later this year, people familiar with the matter said previously.
Read more: BNN Bloomberg
