Glossary
Cash & cash equivalents
Cash, bank and short-term investments.
Vintage
The year that a private equity fund begins to make investments on behalf of those investors.
Total assets
All assets and liabilities not included in net debt or net cash, which is the same as the Balance Sheet total, less asset items included in net debt or net cash and less non-interest-bearing liabilities.
Total exposure to private equity fund investments
Private equity fund investments and remaining commitments to private equity funds.
Net asset value
The fair value of total assets less net debt (corresponds to equity).
Net cash/Net debt
Cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments and interest-bearing current and long-term receivables less interest-bearing current and long-term liabilities.
Commitment
The (maximum) amount that a limited partner agrees to invest in a fund.
Preferred return
The minimum return per annum that must be generated for limited partners of a private equity fund before the general partner can begin receiving a percentage of profits from investments.
J-curve
A concept that during the first few years of a private equity fund, cash flow or returns are negative due to investments, losses, and expenses, but as investments produce results the cash flow or returns trend upward. A graph of cash flow or returns versus time would then resemble the letter “J”.
Limited Partner (LP)
An investor in a limited partnership.