M&A wrap: Forever 21, Blackstone, Siemens, FP, Adams Street, Balance Point, Carlyle, VSS

EfficientIP is a Paris-based provider of DDI and DNS security services.

The talks follow failed takeover negotiations last year that involved H&R, Blackstone, TPG and Crestpoint Real Estate Investments.

As GP-led secondaries scale to record levels, top investors are flagging a widening gap between trophy assets and weaker deals, even as new financing tools like CFOs further blur the line between sale and securitization.