Quarter End Review March 2007

Bear Stearns Private Equity Limited 07 June 2007 RNS Regulatory Announcement Bear Stearns Private Equity Limited ('BSPEL') 31 March 2007 Quarter End Review Objective To maximize capital growth for equity shareholders by investing primarily in private equity limited partnership interests and to provide ZDP Shareholders with a predetermined final capital entitlement (although not guaranteed) Launched - 30 June 2005 Company Summary Equity Shares Zero Dividend Packaged Units Preference Shares Net Asset Value ('NAV') US$1.50 46.96p US$2.42 per share No. of shares in issue 88.16 mm 59.48 mm - Currency of Quotation US$ £ Sterling £ Sterling Ticker BPLE BPLZ BPLU Sedol B07V0H2 B07V0R2 B07V102 ISIN GB00B07V0H27 GB00B07V0R25 GB00B07V1026 Market Makers Cazenove ABN Amro Collins Stewart Collins Stewart Cazenove Dresdner Dresdner Collins Stewart HSBC Bank HSBC Bank Dresdner HSBC Bank Winterflood All figures as at 31 March 2007 Company Description Bear Stearns Private Equity Limited ('BSPEL' or the 'Company') is a London-quoted, Guernsey-registered, closed-end investment company which primarily uses a fund-of-funds approach to gain exposure to the private equity asset class. The Company invests in private equity funds by acquiring limited partnership interests in the secondary market and making commitments to newly formed private equity funds. In addition, BSPEL makes direct investments in individual companies by co-investing with individual private equity sponsors. The Company diversifies its investments by manager, industry, geography, asset class, stage and vintage year. The Company employs an enhanced cash management strategy for capital awaiting investment in private equity assets, which may include investments in fixed income instruments, money market accounts, bank deposits, bank loans, hedge fund-of-funds and other instruments. The Company's capital structure consists of two classes of shares: Equity Shares and Zero Dividend Preference Shares ('ZDP Shares'). The Company aims to provide Equity shareholders with geared exposure to a private equity fund portfolio and to provide ZDP shareholders with a predetermined final capital entitlement (although not guaranteed). Manager's Comments Performance Through 31 March 2007 NAV of the Equity Shares has grown 47.1% since BSPEL's inception on 30 June 2005 (24.7% annualized return). Bear Stearns Private Equity Limited's ('BSPEL' or the 'Company') unaudited net asset value ('NAV') per Equity Share rose from $1.45 at the beginning of the quarter to $1.50 at the end of the quarter. This represents an increase in NAV of approximately 3.4% for the quarter. The unaudited NAV of the ZDP Shares also rose during the quarter, increasing from 46.15p per share to 46.96p per share. Overall, distributions outpaced capital calls for the quarter, approximately $10.7 million and $6.1 million, respectively. The Company's investment portfolio continued to benefit from a combination of distribution activity as well as uplifts in the valuation of many of the limited partnership interests. Other factors positively impacting the Equity Shares NAV this quarter included the (i) increased size of the private equity portfolio as a percentage of total assets, (ii) utilization of leverage provided by ZDP shares, and (iii) appreciation of sterling and euros against the dollar. The Company's Equity Shares closed the quarter trading at slight discount to quarter-end NAV. The Equity Shares closed at $1.42 per share versus a quarter-end reported NAV of $1.43 per share. The Company's ZDP Shares closed the quarter trading at slight premium to quarter-end NAV. The ZDP shares closed at 49.25p per share versus a reported NAV of 46.84p. Portfolio Update The Company's private equity portfolio is well-diversified by investment strategy, vintage year, fund manager and geography. The underlying portfolio now contains exposure to approximately 800 companies. This quarter marks the first time that the Company's exposure to non-US based portfolio companies exceeded 50%. In fact, Europe now represents the largest geographical exposure of the private equity portfolio with a 46% share. Consistent with the Managers' investment strategy, the Company's portfolio remains focused on secondary assets with 78.4% of private equity NAV this quarter attributed to the funds acquired through secondary transactions. Data as at 31 March 2007 Summary of Portfolio as at 31 March 2007 Number of Funds 56 Buyout Funds 32 Venture Funds 12 Real Estate Funds 6 Debt Strategies 6 U.S. Funds 34 Non-U.S. Funds 22 Co-investments 5 Source: Manager Fund total includes 12 private equity fund interests indirectly owned through purchase of a $24 million secondary interest in Private Equity Access Fund II Ltd. Balance Sheet Information as at 31 March 2007 Investments at Market Value US$168.4 mm Bank Deposits US$21.3 mm Net Asset Value USD$187.5 mm Source: Manager Fund Level - Investment Strategy* Debt Strategies 8% Leveraged Buyout 68% Venture Capital 14% Real Estate 10% Fund Level - Vintage Year* 1997 3.5% 1998 0.4% 1999 8.5% 2000 14.3% 2001 28.7% 2002 5.7% 2003 7.5% 2005 11.9% 2006 16.2% 2007 3.3% Fund Level - Geography* US 50% Europe 42% Other 8% * The data is based on Net Asset Value as at 31 March 2007 and use fund-level values. In addition, it includes 12 private equity fund interests indirectly owned through the purchase of a $24 million secondary interest in Private Equity Access Fund II Ltd. Leveraged Buyout category includes co-investments. Source: Manager. Company Level - Industry Diversification** Industrial 22% Media 7% Healthcare 4% Real Estate 10% Retail 13% Technology 10% Leisure & Gaming 1% Business Services 5% Communications 6% Consumer Goods 10% Energy 7% Financial Services 3% Manufacturing 2% Company Level - Geography** Europe 46% North America 41% Other 13% ** The diversification charts above are based on Net Asset Value as at 31 March 2007 and use underlying company-level values. In addition, they include the underlying companies included in 12 private equity fund interests indirectly owned through the purchase of a $24 million secondary interest in Private Equity Access Fund II LLC. Source: Manager. Investment Activity During the quarter, the Company committed approximately $17.3 million to interests in three private equity funds and one co-investment. Many of these interests were substantially funded at the time of purchase; on a blended basis, approximately 42% of total commitments made during the quarter were drawn at closing. As at 31 March 2007, the Company's private equity NAV was $168.4 million, comprising approximately 90% of the Company's total NAV. At quarter's end, the private equity portfolio consisted of 56 private equity funds and 5 co-investments. Secondary Commitments The Company acquired secondary interests in two fund vehicles, representing total commitments of approximately $8.1 million. The Company committed €4.0 million to Aksia Capital III, L.P., a Milan-based buyout fund focused on the lower middle market in Northern Italy. In addition, the Company committed €2.05 million to Wellington Partners Ventures II GMBH & CO.KG (B), a German-based fund focused on early-stage investments throughout Europe in the information and communication technology and life science sectors. These two interests reflect the Company's continued emphasis on purchasing seasoned assets with experienced private equity fund managers. Primary Commitments The Company's only primary activity during the quarter was a €5.0 million commitment to Alto Capital II. Consistent with the general strategy of the fund, this commitment was made in combination with an earlier secondary purchase of interests in a previous fund managed by Alto Capital Partners. Alto Capital II focuses on growth investing in mid-market companies in Northern Italy, mainly in consumer-related sectors. Co-Investments The Company made its fifth co-investment since inception, allocating $2.5 million to Rocket Dog, a leading global designer, developer and distributor of footwear. Rocket Dog represented an opportunity to invest in a fast growing, well-managed company at an attractive valuation. The Company made the investment alongside two private equity firms, Golden Gate Capital and Circle Peak Capital, with extensive retail and consumer goods experience. Company Actions On 27 April 2007, the Company's Board of Directors announced that 201,867,774 New Equity Shares were allotted pursuant to the Placing announced on 17 April 2007, raising approximately $308.86 million of new monies (before expenses). The Placing Price per New Equity Share was $1.53, representing a 1.9% premium to existing Equity Share NAV of $1.50 as estimated by the Directors as at 31 March 2007 to allow for the estimated costs and expenses of the Placing. The New Shares were admitted to the Official List and began trading on the London Stock Exchange on 2 May 2007. Following the issue of the New Shares, the number of Equity Shares in issue is 290,026,246. Contacts - Investment Manager Troy Duncan US (212) 272-9959 tduncan@bear.com Rosemary DeRise US (212) 272-8756 rderise@bear.com Bear Stearns Asset Management Limited Authorized and Regulated by FSA 45 Old Bond Street London W1S 4QT UK Bear Stearns Asset Management Inc. 237 Park Avenue, 7th Floor New York, NY 10017 USA BSPEL is managed by Bear Stearns Asset Management Inc. ('BSAM Inc.') and Bear Stearns Asset Management Limited ('BSAM Ltd.'), each a wholly owned subsidiary of The Bear Stearns Companies Inc. BSAM Inc. currently manages private equity portfolios that include over 100 separate private equity funds with total commitments exceeding US$1.8 billion. The Bear Stearns Companies Inc. is a publicly listed company on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol BSC. The Bear Stearns Companies Inc., through its subsidiaries and affiliates, employs approximately 14,500 individuals and has 19 offices worldwide. The Bear Stearns Companies Inc. had approximately US$71.8 billion in total capital as at 28 February 2007, making it the seventh largest securities firm in terms of total capital. Board of Directors Chairman Trevor Ash (Guernsey Resident) Members John Loudon (UK Resident) Paul Adam Sanabria (US Resident) Christopher Paul Spencer (Guernsey Resident) All of whom may be contacted through HSBC Private Banking Building Rue du Pre St. Peter Port Guernsey GY1 1LU SECRETARY, ADMINISTRATOR AND REGISTERED OFFICE HSBC Management (Guernsey) Limited HSBC Private Banking Building Rue du Pre St. Peter Port Guernsey GY1 1LU AUDITOR KPMG Channel Islands Limited 2 Grange Place PO Box 235 St. Peter Port Guernsey GY1 4LD SOLICITOR Herbert Smith LLP Exchange House Primrose Street London EC2A 2HS UK REGISTRAR Capita IRG (CI) Limited 1 Le Truchot, 2nd Floor St. Peter Port Guernsey GY1 4AE This document may only be issued to or passed on to persons to whom it may be lawfully communicated pursuant to the Financial Services and Markets Act (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, being intermediate investors and market counter-parties and should not be used for the purpose of an offer or solicitation in any jurisdiction or in any circumstances in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful or unauthorized. In addition, this document may not be given to a U.S. citizen or resident who is not a 'Qualified Purchaser' within the meaning of the U.S. securities laws. This document is issued on behalf of BSPEL and has been approved by Bear Stearns Asset Management Limited, which is Authorized and Regulated by the Financial Services Authority ('FSA') in the United Kingdom. The information in this document is provided solely for information, does not constitute investment advice or personal investment recommendations, and is neither an offer to buy or sell, nor a solicitation to buy or sell, any investments or units or shares in BSPEL. To the extent that this document is issued in the United Kingdom, it is being issued to persons who are intermediate customers or market counterparties for the purposes of the FSA's rules. Past performance is not necessarily a guide to future performance. Some information contained in this document may have been received from third party or publicly available sources that we believe to be reliable. We have not verified any such information and assume no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness thereof. The information stated and opinions expressed constitute best judgment at the time of publication, and are subject to change without prior notification. The price of units or shares (and the income from them) can go down as well as up and may be affected by changes in rates of exchange. An investor may not receive back the amount invested. Current tax levels and reliefs are liable to change and their value will depend on individual circumstances. The market prices of units and shares in BSPEL do not necessarily reflect their underlying net asset value. (c) 2007 Bear Stearns Asset Management Limited. All rights reserved. No information in this document may be reproduced or distributed in whole or in part without the express written prior consent of Bear Stearns Asset Management Limited. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
UK 100

Latest directors dealings