Private investment house Ardian has acquired a majority stake in Vista Vision, a Milan-headquartered provider of healthcare services in ophthalmic and refractive surgery with 12 clinics in Italy and five in Romania.

Confidence among UK dealmakers is surging, according to the latest findings from CIL’s Investment 360 Index, with almost half (48%) of all respondents are now positive about the UK’s short-term economic outlook, a dramatic improvement from just 19% in 2023.

Global private investment firm TA Associates has acquired a majority stake in Solifi, a global fintech software partner for secured finance, with existing investor Thoma Bravo retaining a meaningful investment in the business.

LongWater, an alternative asset management firm focused on the lower middle market, has formed Cypress Rail Solutions (Cypress), a new railcar services company, in partnership with longtime industry executives Randy Meyer and Brian Trammell.

VSS Capital Partners, a private investment firm investing in the healthcare, education, and business services industries, has completed a platform investment in private equity sector management consulting firm Treya Partners.

Investment banks, which faced significant losses on risky merger and acquisition (M&A) loans due to a spike in global interest rates, are now aggressively returning to the leveraged buyout (LBO) market — one of the most profitable sectors in finance, according to a report by Bloomberg.

Butterfly Equity, a Los Angeles-based private equity firm specialiSing in the food and beverage sector, is to acquire The Duckhorn Portfolio, a North American high-end wine company in an all-cash transaction that values the business at approximately $1.95bn.