Deloitte Private Equity Confidence Index holds steady to signal ongoing momentum for Central Europe
Continued optimism for Central Europe Private Equity, according to the latest Deloitte Confidence Survey.
Deal-doers in Central Europe remain confident for the rest of this year strong, with the latest sentiment barometer pointing to ongoing belief in the region’s prospects in the months ahead.
A challenging backdrop is doing little to deter optimism, with over a third (36%) of respondents anticipating an increase in transaction activity levels and just 8% – same as our Winter Survey – expecting a reduction in activity.
The economic backdrop is perceived as stable, with 74% expecting no change. It is encouraging that nearly a fifth (18%) expect conditions to improve, impressive given the ongoing tensions in the Gulf, and under a tenth (8%) expect conditions to worsen – lower than our last Survey.
Liquidity may have stabilised, with over two-thirds (70%) expecting current leverage levels to be maintained. A fifth expect availability of debt to increase during the remainder of the year, and a tenth expect a contraction.
Uncertainty is unlikely to disappear in the near term, but the region's private equity industry has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to adapt,
says Jan Vomacka, Deloitte Partner and Private Equity Leader.
More than three decades of building businesses through changing
economic cycles has created a market that is increasingly sophisticated,
resilient and internationally connected.
AI adoption is gaining pace in CE, as elsewhere – but remains underutilized. Less than a fifth of respondents (18%) feel AI is highly helpful in identifying future investment targets. A further 28% feel it is providing only limited assistance. The majority (54%) feel it is moderately helpful.
It is likely that over time these numbers will shift as uptake reveals further benefits. If 2026 was about experimenting with AI and limited roll-out, 2027 will be about the frontrunners in AI adoption starting to measure the impact and understand their return on investment in this exciting area
Opens in new window