In Q3, private equity quarterly multiples were the highest on record collected by GF Data in their 16 year history. A combination of factors are contributing to this increase. According to GF Data, in Q3 2021, more platform transactions were completed vs. add-on transactions. Platform transactions are usually larger than add-on transactions and result in a higher multiple. Further, deals have been structured where buyers are paying on the trailing twelve-month EBITDA that has not completely recovered from the impact of COVID and normalizations to EBITDA fail to capture all the softness in earnings.

Consistent and growing EBITDA along with the size premium are again driving valuation multiples in private equity transactions. Private equity transactions greater than $100 million were valued under 8.0x EBITDA for three consecutive quarters, finally rebounding in Q2-2021 to the multiple range that was transacted prior to the onset of the Covid pandemic. Valuation multiples on a whole have re-aligned to where they are expected to be with size premiums falling back in line with historical premiums.