The situation funds market - France

Turnaround funds, also known as capital turnaround funds, are gradually carving out a place for themselves on the French economic landscape , with large-scale takeovers such as Casino, or Orpéa, whose board of directors was reshuffled after its share price fell by 99.3%. These funds invest in companies in poor health, often burdened by excessive debt or other internal problems. Their mission is then to "turn around" the situation by restructuring the target's activities, providing financial and human resources. For a long time, the market remained relatively confidential, and was largely outclassed by other international players, notably American. Today, there are only around 200 turnaround funds in France, despite the fact that the number of bankruptcies is close to 55,000 every year - a figure that is currently rising. Some large firms have developed restructuring activities (KPMG, EY...), but do not invest directly in distressed companies. This role is usually played by private equity funds (Bridgepoint, for example). The largest private equity funds in France are Impala, Butler and Arcole Industries. The regulatory environment remains highly restrictive for turnaround funds, and favors employees above all else.s, particularly in view of the current climate of rising interest rates following a period of pandemic EMP and the continued existence of "zombie companies".