Private equity giants Blackstone, Carlyle and Hellman & Friedman could be set for one of the sector’s biggest healthcare exits in years, as portfolio company Medline considers a US IPO that may value the medical supplies group at up to $50bn, according to a report by Bloomberg.
The sponsors, who acquired Medline in a $34bn leveraged buyout in 2021, are exploring a listing that could raise around $5bn. A public filing could come as soon as late October, paving the way for a November debut. Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley are leading the underwriting syndicate.
A float of this scale would provide the firms with a significant liquidity option in a challenging exit environment, where sponsors have faced pressure to return capital to LPs amid muted M&A volumes. While deliberations are ongoing and details could still change, the IPO would represent a marquee transaction in private equity’s healthcare portfolio realisations.
