UK-listed SVG Capital, the largest investor in buyout fund Permira, has said its move to hold off making new commitments to third-party private equity funds will last for up to 18 months.

Lynn Fordham, SVG Capital's chief executive, said its decision earlier in the year to halt new commitments to third-party funds was an effort to improve its balance sheet. This rebuilding would probably last for 12 to 18 months, she said.