SINGAPORE (Reuters): The value of private equity deals in Southeast Asia fell in 2025 as exits constrained the market, consultancy Bain & Company said in a report on Friday, adding that any recovery this year could be derailed by geopolitical uncertainties.
Here are some details:
* Deal value fell 10.1% year-on-year to about $14.3 billion across a total of 84 transactions. This compared to $15.9 billion in the 98 deals closed in 2024.
* Singapore and Malaysia made up the lion's share of deals closed, accounting for $7 billion and $5.3 billion respectively.
* Tepid exits constrained the market, with exit value falling 32% in 2025. Trade sales were the dominant exit route.
* Tom Kidd, the head of Bain & Company's Southeast Asia Private Equity practice, said public markets in the region have not been as robust and liquid as others in the Asia-Pacific, which has been a limiting factor for exits.
* Kidd added that deal value in the first quarter of 2026 improved on the year, but the impact of the Iran war has not yet been fully felt.
* "I think if some of the uncertainty in the market subsides, our hope is that we'll see that (improvement) continue for the rest of the year," he said.
Reporting by Jun Yuan Yong; Editing by David Stanway -- Reuters
