Scott Sperling is the co-president of THL Partners, which has invested in over 100 businesses with an aggregate value in excess of $125 billion. No doubt, it's one of the top private equity firms.
Well, this week, he did a spot on CNBC and talked about some of his key investment themes.
First, Sperling is bullish on media. After all, THL Partners is a financial sponsor of the Clear Channel (NYSE: CCU) buyout.
True, Sperling says that advertising revenues are slowing down across the board, even at dot-coms. Yet, he likes mature media companies since they generate strong cash flows. Plus, Sperling said he has modeled his deals with a "recession case."
Moreover, Sperling thinks there are some long-term growth trends, especially in the Latin media market. To this end, THL Partners owns a piece of Univision.
Sperling is also upbeat about the ethanol space. He thinks the growth prospects remain strong. And, Sperling said that the technology is proven. One of his ethanol investments is Hawkeye Holdings, the fourth largest producer in the US.
Oh, and does he think the US economy is in a recession? He didn't hesitate when he answered "yes."
Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook
