Other Voices: Private equity ends 2020 on a high Wednesday, January 27, 2021 By: Ian Bagshaw | Oliver Brahmst | Daniel Yeh Global private equity dealmaking continued its dramatic return to form in the fourth quarter, posting a strong finish to the year. Total deal value in Q4 came to US$336.5 billion, a 40% increase on the same quarter in 2019, while volume climbed 12% to 1,510 deals over the same period. The robust performance in the second half of the year has allowed PE value across the year to rise above the total in 2019. PE deals totaled US$555.1 billion in value across 2020, a 5% rise on 2019, although volume over the same period fell 18% to 2,042 deals. This was a remarkable feat, considering the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the sluggish levels of activity in the first half of the year, highlighting a resilience within the market as PE firms quickly adapted to their new reality.