More than a month after deleveraging its balance sheet through a debt buyback, Standard & Poor’s has upgraded the corporate credit rating of Synagro Technologies Inc., a water treatment company owned by The Carlyle Group, to ‘CCC+’ from ‘SD’, or selective default. Meanwhile, Dana Holding Corp., a supplier of auto components that’s backed by Centerbridge Capital Partners, saw its corporate family rating cut by Moody’s Investor Service to 'Caa2' from 'Caa1' on the heels of its own debt repurchase.

Wonder what manner of grilling you’ll receive from potential investors next time you approach them cup in hand? Look no further than Capital Dynamics, which has quickly adapted its due diligence strategy to changing market conditions.

The Riverside Co. has significantly widened its investor base with its latest fund. Despite an effort elongated by the financial crisis, the New York-based firm, known for being an active investor in the small end of the middle market, recently wrapped Riverside Capital Appreciation Fund V at $1.17 billion, bringing the pool in 30 percent above its $900 million target.

The most hospitable policy climate in decades has a growing number of private equity firms scrambling to raise capital for the development and funding of renewable energy technologies in the United States. Government support for this industry has been steadily growing in the past few years. Recent tax and energy legislation seeks to aggressively promote capital investment in renewable energy technologies through a variety of measures, including at the state level, by requiring the purchase of energy from renewable technology, and at the federal level, through cap-and-trade systems, cash payments to investors and loan guarantees.