Blackstone Inc. $BX Shares Acquired by Q Global Advisors LLC

Key Points

• Q Global Advisors increased its Blackstone stake by 378.7% in the first quarter, acquiring 48,256 additional shares for a total holding of 61,000 shares valued at approximately $7 million. Institutional investors collectively own about 70% of Blackstone.
• Blackstone reported a strong quarter, with EPS of $1.52 and revenue of $5.04 billion, surpassing analyst estimates and marking 35.9% year-over-year revenue growth. Assets under management reached a record $1.35 trillion, supported by nearly $70 billion in quarterly inflows.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $1.29 per share, equivalent to a 4.0% annualized yield. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus, with an average price target of $147.76 versus the reported share price of $129.72.

Q Global Advisors LLC raised its stake in Blackstone Inc. (NYSE:BX - Free Report) by 378.7% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 61,000 shares of the asset manager's stock after buying an additional 48,256 shares during the period. Blackstone accounts for 6.2% of Q Global Advisors LLC's holdings, making the stock its 6th largest holding. Q Global Advisors LLC's holdings in Blackstone were worth $7,014,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC lifted its stake in Blackstone by 9.0% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 100,951 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $15,561,000 after purchasing an additional 8,321 shares during the last quarter. Greenup Street Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Blackstone by 1,034.3% during the 4th quarter. Greenup Street Wealth Management LLC now owns 13,940 shares of the asset manager's stock valued at $2,149,000 after buying an additional 12,711 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC lifted its position in Blackstone by 8.5% in the 4th quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 249,009 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $39,543,000 after buying an additional 19,603 shares during the last quarter. Benson Investment Management Company Inc. bought a new position in Blackstone during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $5,856,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Blackstone by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 71,667,695 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $11,046,859,000 after acquiring an additional 840,258 shares in the last quarter. 70.00% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Blackstone Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of Blackstone stock opened at $129.72 on Monday. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $120.33 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $124.58. Blackstone Inc. has a 12-month low of $101.73 and a 12-month high of $190.09. The company has a current ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63. The company has a market cap of $96.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.02, a PEG ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 1.58.

Blackstone (NYSE:BX - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The asset manager reported $1.52 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.34 by $0.18. Blackstone had a net margin of 21.84% and a return on equity of 23.77%. The firm had revenue of $5.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.42 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.98 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 35.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Blackstone Inc. will post 5.87 EPS for the current year.

Blackstone Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 3rd will be given a $1.29 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 3rd. This represents a $5.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.0%. This is an increase from Blackstone's previous quarterly dividend of $1.16. Blackstone's dividend payout ratio is currently 103.80%.

Key Headlines Impacting Blackstone

Here are the key news stories impacting Blackstone this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Blackstone beat Q2 earnings and revenue estimates, with EPS of $1.52 versus expectations around $1.33-$1.34 and revenue of $5.04 billion versus $3.42 billion expected, signaling better-than-expected operating performance. Blackstone Inc. (BX) Surpasses Q2 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Assets under management hit a record $1.35 trillion, helped by nearly $70 billion in quarterly inflows, which suggests Blackstone continues to attract capital even in a tougher fundraising environment. Blackstone's quarterly profit gets boost from asset pile, AI investment gains
• Positive Sentiment: Management highlighted that AI-related investments are starting to pay off, with gains across data centers, infrastructure, credit, and private markets boosting profit and growth prospects. BX Q2 Earnings Call Highlights AI Strategy & Fundraising Strength
• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada raised its price target on Blackstone to $169 from $161 and kept an outperform rating, underscoring improved analyst confidence in the stock. Analyst price target update
• Neutral Sentiment: Blackstone is also in the final bidding for yacht retailer MarineMax, a potential acquisition that could expand its deal flow, though the impact on earnings is still uncertain. Blackstone, Donerail among final bidders for yacht retailer MarineMax, sources say
• Neutral Sentiment: The company also announced a higher quarterly dividend, which is supportive for income-focused investors, but this is a smaller near-term driver than the earnings beat and AI-related growth narrative. Dividend announcement

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, major shareholder Bx Buzz Ml-1 Gp Llc sold 7,477,500 shares of Blackstone stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3.78, for a total transaction of $28,264,950.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 19,374 shares in the company, valued at $73,233.72. The trade was a 99.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Ruth Porat purchased 355 shares of Blackstone stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 11th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $123.04 per share, for a total transaction of $43,679.20. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 41,818 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,145,286.72. This trade represents a 0.86% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have bought a total of 10,252,345 shares of company stock worth $209,789,893 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 1.00% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Blackstone from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Friday. Evercore reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $150.00 price objective on shares of Blackstone in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Rothschild & Co Redburn decreased their price objective on Blackstone from $134.00 to $130.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, June 9th. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on Blackstone from $126.00 to $132.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on Blackstone in a research note on Monday, June 8th. They issued a "buy" rating on the stock. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Blackstone has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $147.76.

Blackstone Company Profile

Blackstone Inc NYSE: BX is a global investment firm focused on alternative asset management. Founded in 1985 by Stephen A. Schwarzman and Peter G. Peterson and headquartered in New York City, the firm organizes and manages investment vehicles that acquire and operate businesses, real estate and credit investments, as well as provide hedge fund solutions and other alternative strategies for institutional and individual investors.

Blackstone's business is organized around several principal investment platforms.

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