Good morning, Hubsters. MK Flynn here in New York with the US edition of the Wire. I’m filling in today for senior reporter Michael Schoeck, who has the week off. At PE Hub, we’re gearing up for a busy March. At the beginning of the month, we’ll announce the winners of the 35th Deal of the Year Awards, which honor exceptional buyouts that were realized in 2024. Keep an eye out for that announcement on March 3! And then from March 10 to 12, I’ll be in Orlando for PEI Group’s NEXUS 2025 summit, which brings together the industry’s top LPs and GPs. Last year, more than 500 people attended. This year will be even bigger. Today, we’re featuring a thought leader Q&A with Isabelle Scemama, global head of AXA IM Alts, who will be a featured speaker at NEXUS. Also today, we’re taking a look at retail apparel – a sector that has faced many challenges over the last several years, including the pandemic and the ongoing move to online shopping. Winners are starting to emerge, says Matthew Tingler, a managing director at investment bank Baird, who spoke with reporter Iris Dorbian. Let’s start with that interview. Survival of the fittest Due to challenges ranging from the covid pandemic to a seismic shift in consumer buying habits, private equity has cast a cautious eye on the retail apparel sector in recent years. However, interest could resurface in the near future as e-commerce brands undergo a survival of the fittest phase to determine who will emerge as victors in the landscape, Matthew Tingler, a managing director at Baird, told reporter Dorbian. One deal Tingler worked on was the recent sale of True Religion, a lifestyle, apparel and accessories brand, to Acon Investments and SB360. Upgrade to the premium version of the Wire for an excerpt from their conversation. Recovery in real estate equity liquidity Global insurer AXA’s IM business had around €844 billion in assets under management as of the end of 2023 with its IM Alts unit accounting for more than one-fifth of that. Adam Le, senior editor private equity EMEA, recently caught up with Isabelle Scemama, global head of AXA IM Alts, to discuss the biggest challenges and opportunities for the investment manager. Scemama will be a featured speaker at PEI Group’s NEXUS 2025 conference in Orlando March 10-12. To learn about the opportunities Scemama sees in alternatives, upgrade to the premium version of the Wire. For more of what to expect at NEXUS 2025, check out my conversation with Thoma Bravo’s Orlando Bravo about investing in tech companies. I’ll be talking with Orlando Bravo again on stage at the conference. Also see Craig McGlashan’s conversation with Xavier Robert, partner and chief investment officer at Bridgepoint. I’ll be moderating a panel about investing in the middle market with Xavier Robert, Beatrice Mitchell, Sperry, Mitchell and Company; Stewart Kohl, The Riverside Company and Kelly Ford, Edison Partners. Hope to see you there! In the meantime, tomorrow, Irien Joseph will bring you the Europe edition of the Wire, and John R Fischer will bring you the US edition. All the best, MK Read the full Wire commentary on PE Hub ... | 