private equity

Tout savoir sur le private equity

Les raisons d’investir en private equity : une classe d’actifs particulièrement attractive

Le Private Equity, l’investissement dans les entreprises non cotées en Bourse, bénéficie toujours d’une faible corrélation avec les autres classes d’actifs, ce qui en fait une source précieuse de diversification pour les portefeuilles d’investissement.

Les rendements sont généralement supérieurs à ceux des actions cotées, en raison de la nature même de ces investissements, qui impliquent souvent des stratégies de gestion active, de restructuration ou de croissance des entreprises détenues. Aux États-Unis, le Private Equity a nettement surperformé le S&P 500 sur des périodes de 5, 10 et 20 ans. 
Par exemple, sur un horizon de 20 ans, la performance annualisée du Private Equity s’établit à +9,9 %, contre +5,9 % pour le S&P 500. Cette surperformance s’explique en partie par l’accès à des entreprises privées, souvent à fort potentiel de croissance, et des stratégies d’amélioration opérationnelle qui ne sont pas toujours disponibles sur les marchés publics.


Source: Endowment and foundation data as reported to Cambridge Associates LLC. Index data are provided by Bloomberg Index Services Limited and MSCI Inc. MSCI data provided “as is” without any express or implied warranties.

Des rendements récents qui dépassent ceux des marchés cotés

D’après les données récentes de Cambridge Associates pour le premier semestre 2023, le Private Equity aux États-Unis a produit un rendement annualisé de 9,8 % sur 20 ans, surpassant ainsi le S&P 500, qui a affiché 7,9 % pour la même période.

Cela confirme la tendance historique observée où les investissements en Private Equity offrent des performances supérieures sur le long terme.

En Europe, selon Invest Europe, les fonds de LBO affichent également des rendements annualisés élevés, atteignant environ 15 % par an sur plusieurs décennies, comparés aux 5 à 6 % pour le MSCI Europe (US PE/ VC BENCHMARK COMMENTARY / Private Investment Benchmarks / ENDOWMENTS QUARTERLY).

L’occasion de faire la différence

En finançant des sociétés qui vous convainquent et en leur permettant de se développer, vous participez activement à la transformation d’une idée en réalité. En tant qu’investisseur direct, vous pouvez le cas échéant vous impliquer dans le développement de l’entreprise.

Une diversification optimale de votre fortune

Investir dans le Private Equity, c’est prendre des participations majoritaires ou minoritaires dans le capital de sociétés qui ne sont pas encore cotées en Bourse.


Cela vous permet de diversifier vos placements, tout en investissant dans l’économie réelle, en prise directe avec les entreprises que vous soutenez.


L’objectif est de réaliser des plus-values significatives à plus ou moins long terme, en vendant tout ou partie de votre participation lors d’une introduction en Bourse ou une cession.


Et comme vous faites partie des premiers actionnaires, c’est vous qui gagnez le plus en cas de succès.

Sources: Cambridge Associates LLC, Frank Russell Company, and FTSE International Limited.
Source: Cambridge Associates LLC, Frank Russell Company, and FTSE International Limited.

Des investissements tangibles

Loin des produits exclusivement financiers ou purement virtuels, le Private Equity permet de redonner un véritable sens à votre allocation d’actifs. Vous investissez dans des entreprises auxquelles vous croyez.

Les risques de perte de capital

Nos méthodes de sélection pallient une partie de ce risque. Toutefois, comme c’est aussi le cas en Bourse (par exemple avec Enron aux Etats-Unis ou WireCard en Allemagne) vous pouvez perdre tout ou partie de votre capital.

Risque d’illiquidité

Ces entreprises sont privées et donc non cotées en Bourse. De ce fait, vous ne bénéficiez pas d’un marché secondaire organisé pour vendre vos titres et réaliser votre investissement. Nous incitons cependant les sociétés à organiser des périodes de liquidité, ce qui pourrait permettre aux membres de la communauté d’investisseurs.

Source : Cambridge Associates LLC.

Risque lié à la valorisation des titres

La cotation en Bourse fournit chaque jour une valeur de marché à votre investissement, ce qui n’est pas le cas du Private Equity. Par ailleurs, l’accès à notre plateforme est réservé à des investisseurs professionnels.

Glossaire

A
Advisory board
A committee of experienced individuals and/or representatives of major investors, which provides advisory opinions.
B
Build-up
Development of a company through external growth.
Business Angel
Someone who puts his or her investment capacity and business experience at the service of the company in which he or she invests.
Buyout
Generic term covering the various types of company takeovers. See BIMBO, LBO, LBU, LMBO, MBI, MBO.
C
Carried Interest
Profit-sharing compensation paid to fund managers and their employees based on their portfolio’s performance. It generally amounts to 20% of capital gains, payable only once the financial investors have achieved a minimum internal rate of return (hurdle rate).
Closing
The final stage of the investment structuring process, after which the legal documents are signed, the funds are disbursed by the investors and the transaction is completed.
Co-investissement
The simultaneous acquisition of a stake in the same target by several structures, in principle under equivalent price, term and legal conditions.
D
Data Room
A virtual platform allowing users to share documents securely and acting as a reference for the organisation of the transaction’s due diligence.
Deal flow
Number of deals proposed to an investment team or a platform such as Invest Direct.
Direct investment
Direct purchase of equity in a private company. It allows the investor to have some control over operations and gain privileged access to information. It is usually more profitable than an investment in a fund, but it is also riskier and requires the use of significant human resources.
Discounted Cash Flow
Method of valuing of the company by discounting future cash flows.
Due diligence
Documents enabling an investor to determine the strengths and weaknesses, risks and opportunities of an investment case. They are usually carried out by external experts.
E
Earn-out
Part of the price paid by the buyer based on future estimated profits of a company. It could be based on EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation), EBIT (earnings before interest and taxes) or operating profit projections.
Expansion capital
Equity or quasi-equity investment, generally as a minority investor, intended to finance the development of a company or the purchase of existing shareholders. This aims to support the management in its development strategy with the objective of creating value and liquidity in the medium term.
F
Follow-on equity
Equity investment to finance the acquisition of the majority of a company. If this operation is carried out through a holding company and financed by bank debt, it is called an LBO.
I
IRR (Internal Rate of Return)
The actuarial rate of return on an investment where the present value of the positive flows (dividends, interest and proceeds) is equal to the present value of the negative flows (investments).
L
LBI (Leverage Buy In)
A takeover of a company by an outside person or team using leverage.
LBO (Leverage Buy Out)
Acquisition of a company by its managers associated with equity investors. The financial package includes a greater or lesser proportion of loans, the repayment of which is planned to be exacted from future cash flows.
LBU (Leverage Build Up)
An LBO holding company that acquires companies in the same industry as its original target through the use of debt.
Leverage
A financing technique that consists of paying part of the acquisition price of a company with debt in order to increase the return on the equity invested.
LOI (Letter of Intent)
A document formalising an investor’s investment proposal to the company in which he/she proposes to invest. This offer is not binding on the investor (non-binding offer).
M
Management fee
A fee paid annually by a fund to the management company, usually between 1.5% and 3% of the amount of funds committed during the fund’s investment period.
MBI (Management Buy-In)
Buying a company with the financial involvement of a new outside management team (LMBI if bank leverage).
MBO (Management Buy-Out)
Buying a company while financially involving the incumbent management team (LMBO if bank leverage).
Mezzanine financing
Financing instruments that rank ahead of equity but whose repayment is subordinated to that of bank, commercial or other debt.
N
Non-disclosure agreement (NDA)
An agreement signed at the beginning of negotiations between the entrepreneur and/or seller and the investor that defines what information is considered confidential and the obligations of the parties with respect to that information within a given time and place.
O
OBO (Owner Buy Out)
Acquisition by the company’s owner who partly cashes out while reinvesting in the takeover holding company so as to remain a significant shareholder.
P
PIPE (Private Investment in Public Equity)
Refers to an investment in a listed company along the practices of Private Equity (forfeiting the immediate liquidity of the stock market, medium-term commitment, privileged access to company information, involvement in strategic decisions).
S
Secondary transaction
A transaction in which outstanding shares are sold with no new shares issued by the company. It does not bring new financing to the company, as opposed to a primary transaction. It is also referred to as a secondary transaction in the case of the sale of shares in an investment fund by an investor before the end of the life of the fund.
Securitisation
Securitisation is a financial technique that transforms illiquid assets, i.e. assets for which there is no real market, into transferable securities that can be easily traded between financial institutions thanks to an internationally recognised code (ISIN - International Security Identification Number).
Shareholders’ agreement
A document that complements the company’s articles of association, allowing shareholders to organise their relations within the company (exit conditions, protection clauses, etc.). It is confidential, whereas the articles of association are accessible to all.
Stock options
A type of equity right reserved for employees and managers of a company and its subsidiaries.
Success fee
Compensation received by a financial intermediary in the event of the success of the transaction for which it has been mandated.
Syndication
A group formed by several investors to make an investment.
T
Term sheet
Terms or conditions of an investment (equity stake, governance, etc.)
Turnaround capital
Equity financing of troubled companies. They are poised to return to profitability in the short term.
V
Venture capital
Equity or quasi-equity investment in young or start-up companies with a high technological content and/or growth potential.