The October 2013 edition of the Prequin Private Equity Spotlight, published by Prequin.com, contains a useful article by Emma Underwood that highlights how the Preqin Private Equity Quarterly Index can be used as a measure of performance of the PE industry.
The Preqin - private equity quarterly index
The Preqin - Private Equity Quarterly Index is calculated on a quarterly basis using data from Preqin’s Performance Analyst. The models use quarterly cash flow transactions and NAVs reported for over 5,100 individual private equity partnerships that have raised aggregate capital worth over $3.4tn.
Actual returns earned over time by private equity investors on money invested in Private Equity partnerships are thus captured by the index.

