Baratta Says Easing Mideast Tensions Could Boost PE Dealmaking

April 8, 2026, 6:55 PM UTC

An easing of hostilities in the Middle East may create conditions that bolster private equity dealmaking through the rest of the year, according to Blackstone Inc.’s Joe Baratta.

The impact of the war in Iran on “key energy markets is not conducive to a lot of deal flow and a lot of risk-taking,” Baratta, the firm’s global head of private equity, said Wednesday in a Bloomberg Television interview. “That will have to calm down. I think today it seems like it has.”

WATCH: Joe Baratta, global head of private equity strategies at Blackstone, says markets are craving investments immune from AI dislocation. Source: Bloomberg

Global equity markets rallied and oil plunged after the US and Iran ...

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