Blackstone Inc. $BX Shares Sold by Janus Henderson Group PLC

Key Points

• Janus Henderson Group cut its Blackstone stake by 45.9% in the first quarter, selling 3.79 million shares and retaining 4.47 million shares valued at approximately $509 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 70% of Blackstone.
• Blackstone reported quarterly EPS of $1.52, beating estimates of $1.34, while revenue rose 35.9% year over year to $5.04 billion. The company also raised its quarterly dividend to $1.29 per share, representing a 4.0% yield.
• Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $147.76 versus the stock’s reported opening price of $129.40, although some valuation analysis suggests the shares may be fully priced after a strong multiyear gain.

Janus Henderson Group PLC trimmed its holdings in Blackstone Inc. (NYSE:BX - Free Report) by 45.9% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 4,466,274 shares of the asset manager's stock after selling 3,786,019 shares during the period. Janus Henderson Group PLC owned 0.60% of Blackstone worth $509,074,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Family CFO Inc acquired a new position in Blackstone during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Ares Financial Consulting LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Blackstone during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Blackstone in the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Strive Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Blackstone during the 3rd quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Palladiem LLC acquired a new position in Blackstone in the 4th quarter worth $31,000. 70.00% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Blackstone

Here are the key news stories impacting Blackstone this week:

• Positive Sentiment: A major shareholder, Private Multi-Asset Blackstone, purchased 573,614 shares for approximately $15 million, increasing its position by 7.28%. The purchase follows another $20 million acquisition in June and may signal insider confidence. Blackstone Major Shareholder Acquires Shares
• Positive Sentiment: Blackstone is leading a consortium in a 20.5-year lease-and-leaseback agreement covering Kuwait’s domestic and export pipeline network. As Kuwait’s largest-ever foreign direct investment, the deal demonstrates Blackstone’s ability to deploy capital into large-scale infrastructure assets. Blackstone Leads Kuwait Pipeline Deal
• Positive Sentiment: The firm’s involvement in Jersey Mike’s planned IPO highlights its ability to improve portfolio companies and monetize investments. The sandwich chain is reportedly targeting an $8 billion valuation after Blackstone reduced expenses. Blackstone and Jersey Mike’s IPO
• Positive Sentiment: Blackstone recently reported quarterly EPS of $1.52 versus the $1.34 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 35.9% year over year to $5.04 billion. The quarterly dividend was also increased to $1.29 per share from $1.16, supporting the income appeal.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains moderately bullish, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average target of $147.76. However, recent target changes were mixed, including RBC’s increase to $169 and lower targets from JPMorgan and Citizens JMP.
• Negative Sentiment: A valuation-focused analysis argues that BX may be fully priced after a 37.4% three-year gain. Premium earnings multiples and intrinsic-value estimates leave less margin of safety, even as AI-related investments and new products could support long-term growth. Blackstone Stock May Be Fully Priced

Blackstone Stock Down 3.4%

BX stock opened at $129.40 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 0.72 and a quick ratio of 0.76. Blackstone Inc. has a 1-year low of $101.73 and a 1-year high of $190.09. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $121.28 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $124.05. The firm has a market cap of $96.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.95, a PEG ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 1.58.

Blackstone (NYSE:BX - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The asset manager reported $1.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.34 by $0.18. The business had revenue of $5.04 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.42 billion. Blackstone had a return on equity of 23.77% and a net margin of 21.84%.The business's revenue was up 35.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.98 EPS. Research analysts predict that Blackstone Inc. will post 5.99 EPS for the current year.

Blackstone Increases Dividend

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BX has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein initiated coverage on Blackstone in a research report on Monday, June 8th. They set an "outperform" rating on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on Blackstone from $143.00 to $152.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft assumed coverage on Blackstone in a research report on Monday, June 8th. They issued a "buy" rating on the stock. Dbs Bank raised shares of Blackstone to a "moderate buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of Blackstone from $215.00 to $184.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $147.76.

Insider Transactions at Blackstone

In other news, major shareholder Treasury Holdings I. Blackstone purchased 9,486,795 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 15th. The shares were bought at an average price of $20.00 per share, for a total transaction of $189,735,900.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the insider owned 9,111,800 shares of the company's stock, valued at $182,236,000. This trade represents a -2,529.85% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, major shareholder Bx Buzz Ml-1 Gp Llc sold 7,477,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3.78, for a total value of $28,264,950.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 19,374 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $73,233.72. This represents a 99.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have purchased 10,825,959 shares of company stock worth $224,789,900 in the last quarter. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Blackstone 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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.