The key takeaways from NBPE’s 6 November CM day, in our view, were i) positive market indications, including exits and an increase in the correlation between operating company EBITDA growth and NAV growth, ii) NB’s platform brings unique benefits: accessing deals, analysing investment opportunities, and GP relationships, (which have generated a big increase in opportunities presented to them, even when the overall market slowed), and iii) multiple levers for value creation mean that bottom-line return expectations are unchanged. How it will be delivered has evolved, with a greater focus on operational growth rather than multiple expansion/financial leverage.
