- 13 Jan 2020
- Research & Ideas
Do Private Equity Buyouts Get a Bad Rap?
Elizabeth Warren calls private equity buyouts "Wall Street looting," but a recent study by Josh Lerner and colleagues shows they have both positive and negative impacts. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 05 Nov 2019
- Working Paper Summaries
The Economic Effects of Private Equity Buyouts
Private equity buyouts are a major financial enterprise that critics see as dominated by rent-seeking activities with little in the way of societal benefits. This study of 6,000 US buyouts between 1980 and 2013 finds that the real side effects of buyouts on target firms and their workers vary greatly by deal type and market conditions.
- 12 Feb 2018
- Working Paper Summaries
Private Equity, Jobs, and Productivity: Reply to Ayash and Rastad
In 2014, the authors published an influential analysis of private equity buyouts in the American Economic Review. Recently, economists Brian Ayash and Mahdi Rastad have challenged the accuracy of those findings. This new paper responds point by point to their critique, contending that it reflects a misunderstanding of the data and methodology behind the original study.
Weak Credit Covenants
Prior to the 2020 pandemic, the leveraged loan market experienced an unprecedented boom, which came hand in hand with significant changes in contracting terms. This study presents large-sample evidence of what constitutes contractual weakness from the creditors’ perspective.