This article analyses short-term and long-term wealth effects of private equity investments in target companies which are already listed on a stock exchange. It also examines the importance of geography on both stock returns and accounting returns. In general, risk-adjusted short-term and long-term stock returns of target companies are positive. Also, changes in accounting returns are greater for target companies than for companies of the same industry. With respect to geography it is found that almost all of the positive returns result from private equity investments in target companies from the same country.