The Institutional Limited Partners Association (ILPA) is not pleased with parts of the European Union's Alternative Investment Fund Managers (AIFM) directive that could limit access to PE investing. Full Story

Analysis from Global Pensions points to consolidation of private equity funds through mergers and acquisitions, but the report says secondary sales come into play when a fund wants to acquire another fund's assets without its staff. Full Story

Although regulators have put the placement agent business under greater scrutiny, a difficult fund raising climate has led to increasing needs for middlemen, Financial News says. Full Story

3i Group and Coller Capital are interested in Lloyds Banking Group's impending sale of its HBOS Integrated Finance portfolio companies, according to Reuters. Full Story

Limited partners need to do their homework on general partners, according to The Private Equiteer blog. Full Story

Increasing transactional activity in the secondary markets this week is going head to head with debt-induced difficulties.

Data from the research firm PitchBook shows that the first two months in 2010 saw almost double the exits compared to the same period last year. Sales to strategic acquirers are leading exit activity this year with 28 deals, followed by nine secondary sales to private equity firms, and four initial public offerings, according to PitchBook.

Triago partner Jean-Marc Cuvilly noted that deep discounts are getting shallower, according to a Reuters report.

"Cuvilly said high-quality funds are now selling at par to a 20 percent discount, while a few months ago they were typically seeing 30 percent to 50 percent discounts," the report stated. "Suddenly, there was a huge amount of capital," Cuvilly said in the report. "Now we are in a seller's market."

A similar assessment came from Conversus Capital chief executive Bob ... Full Story

The chief executive officer of Conversus Capital told convention goers in London that private equity secondary asset prices have doubled since hitting lows last spring, according to a report from Reuters. Full Story

After writing off the investment last year, 3i Group lost control of Global Garden Products to creditors behind a debt-for-equity swap, according to AltAssets. Full Story

Australian pension fund manager Asset Super has invested in LGT Capital Partners' Crown Global Secondaries II fund, according to a report from Financial Standard. Full Story

A report in the The Wall Street Journal says senior lenders have forced 3i Group portfolio company Ultralase into bankruptcy administration. Full Story