Buyout bosses are sitting on more than $3tn of unsold assets. When they return to their desks after the summer holidays, they will be hoping that trade buyers can come to the rescue.

Amid pressure to return cash to their investors, private equity firms are looking to offload a swathe of portfolio companies, but their exit routes remain limited as IPO markets stutter and rival private equity firms take a more cautious buying approach amid high interest rates.