Despite a slower second half of the year, PE deal activity “held relatively steady from 2010 to 2011,” says a new update from PitchBook (BVR's partner on the PitchBook/BVR Guideline Public Company Comps Tool):

Deal flow in the business products and services industry fell only slightly during the fourth quarter of 2011 with 140 completed deals, compared to the 151 deals in the third quarter. Consumer products and services saw 381 completed private equity deals in 2011, while the IT industry saw 223 closed deals, making these industries the second and third most active industries. The healthcare industry accounted for 12 percent of the overall 2011 U.S. PE deal flow with 218 completed deals.

For more details about the performance in each of these industries, check out the Private Equity Deal Flow Profiles (published with McGladrey). The reports include deal flow performance for each year since 2006, deal activity by subsector and deal type, and trends among active sector investors.