Global dry powder surged to a record $2.59 trillion in Dec'23, marking an 8% increase from 2022 as transaction volumes declined due to inflated M&A valuations, impacting deal flow. The majority of this reserve was held by 25 prominent PE firms, led by Apollo Global. Concurrently, M&A activity hit a decade-low in 2023. Despite the Federal Reserve's 11 rate hikes since March 2022, recent FOMC meetings stabilized rates amidst slowing inflation. AI-powered solutions like Jasper Colin's offer data-driven decision-making, risk management, and operational efficiency to optimize private equity investments.