Apollo Management

Apollo Global Management is shelling out $703 million for Great Wolf Resorts, the leading operator of indoor water park resorts. The $5-a-share offer is better than the stock has seen since 2008, but people who bought it around its 2004 IPO will end up taking a real bath.

Private-equity firms Apollo Management and TPG, which took Harrah's Entertainment private in January 2008, are now preparing a $575 million initial public offering. An IPO may be just as bold a move as the buyout, as investors remain wary of IPOs from private-equity firms.

Harrah's Entertainment Inc. said it plans to sell shares to the public, almost three years after the casino operator was taken private by Apollo Global Management and TPG.

After seeing interest from potential buyers, children's clothing retailer Gymboree has hired Goldman Sachs to auction itself off, and more private-equity firms have already stepped in to say they want to play. Gymboree executives are reportedly looking for price of $55 to $60 a share.

Private equity firm Apollo Management is rumored to be in talks to purchase Pactiv, maker of Hefty trash bags. The deal would be one of the largest buyouts since 2007.

CKE Restaurants, operator of Carl's Jr. and Hardee's, has accepted Apollo's $694 million offer, spurning an earlier bid from THL Partners. The bidding war suggests that private equity operators are getting more aggressive with deal-making.

Apollo Global Management has made an SEC filing for a $50 million IPO. Currently, the firm trades on the private marketplace of Goldman Sachs, which is called the GSTrUE system. These shares will now be registered for sale in the public markets.

Now that private equity is no longer producing monster returns, it's time to assess its value. By using debt, buyout shops have taken over struggling companies and enriched investors. But critics say the practice leads to more layoffs and the "flipping" of companies.