Morgan Stanley Has Lowered Expectations for Blackstone (NYSE:BX) Stock Price

Key Points

• Morgan Stanley cut its target on Blackstone from $215 to $184 while maintaining an "overweight" rating, implying about 39.4% upside from the current share price.
• Analyst views are mixed—some firms raised or reaffirmed ratings while others trimmed targets—leaving a consensus of Moderate Buy with an average target of $154.91.
• Blackstone recently beat quarterly expectations (EPS $1.75 vs. $1.54) with revenue up 41.4% year‑over‑year, and it trades near $131.98 with a market cap of about $97.95 billion and a P/E of 34.1.

Blackstone (NYSE:BX - Get Free Report) had its target price decreased by research analysts at Morgan Stanley from $215.00 to $184.00 in a note issued to investors on Tuesday,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage presently has an "overweight" rating on the asset manager's stock. Morgan Stanley's price target would indicate a potential upside of 39.42% from the stock's current price.

A number of other brokerages have also weighed in on BX. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price target on Blackstone from $179.00 to $176.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday. Oppenheimer upgraded Blackstone from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $154.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Monday, April 13th. Evercore reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Blackstone in a research report on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Blackstone from $122.00 to $142.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Argus decreased their price target on shares of Blackstone from $195.00 to $163.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $154.91.

Blackstone Stock Performance

NYSE:BX opened at $131.98 on Tuesday. The business's fifty day moving average price is $117.09 and its 200 day moving average price is $139.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 0.76 and a quick ratio of 0.76. The firm has a market capitalization of $97.95 billion, a PE ratio of 34.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 1.74. Blackstone has a 12 month low of $101.73 and a 12 month high of $190.09.

Blackstone (NYSE:BX - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The asset manager reported $1.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.54 by $0.21. The company had revenue of $4.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.69 billion. Blackstone had a net margin of 20.89% and a return on equity of 22.17%. Blackstone's revenue was up 41.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.69 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Blackstone will post 6.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Blackstone news, major shareholder Tactical Opportunit Blackstone sold 1,596,142 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $10.00, for a total transaction of $15,961,420.00. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, major shareholder Bx Buzz Ml-1 Gp Llc sold 7,477,504 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3.51, for a total value of $26,246,039.04. Following the sale, the insider owned 25,832 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $90,670.32. The trade was a 99.66% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. REAP Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in Blackstone during the third quarter worth $26,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Blackstone in the third quarter valued at about $30,000. Strive Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Blackstone in the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. Family CFO Inc bought a new position in shares of Blackstone during the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Ares Financial Consulting LLC bought a new stake in shares of Blackstone in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. 70.00% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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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