Bear Stearns' acquisition of the private equity fund placement business of Crane Capital Associates raises an apt question: Should other Wall Street firms tap in? Well, that can be tricky. On the one hand, the private equity investing business is in growth mode and may be for a long time. Pensions and endowments need a lot of help in identifying the right opportunities beyond the big names--the Blackstone's and KKRs of the universe. At the same time, it could seem like a conflict-of-interest minefield. How would the placement unit handle the private equity arm of the parent company? And what about fee disclosure. If all these questions could be answered, then it might work--and work well. The issue may be moot if fund raising levels off.

For more:
- here's an article from Investment Dealers' Digest (For FierceFinance readers)