Ruth Porat Buys 371 Shares of Blackstone (NYSE:BX) Stock

Key Points

• Director Ruth Porat purchased 371 Blackstone shares at an average price of $137.17, investing approximately $50,890 and increasing her direct holdings to 42,189 shares. Including a separate 84-share purchase, she acquired 455 shares for roughly $62,400.
• Blackstone reported a strong quarter, with earnings of $1.52 per share beating estimates of $1.34 and revenue rising 35.9% year over year to $5.04 billion. The company also increased its quarterly dividend to $1.29, equivalent to a 3.5% annualized yield.
• Shares recently traded at $146.71, while analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $147.95. Key growth initiatives include investments in Aeroplan, real estate, and Nvidia-backed AI infrastructure financing, though potential changes to debt-funded cash returns and recent insider sales present risks.

Blackstone Inc. (NYSE:BX - Get Free Report) Director Ruth Porat purchased 371 shares of Blackstone stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 10th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $137.17 per share, with a total value of $50,890.07. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 42,189 shares in the company, valued at $5,787,065.13. This trade represents a 0.89% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website.

Ruth Porat also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Monday, August 10th, Ruth Porat acquired 84 shares of Blackstone stock. The stock was acquired at an average price of $137.32 per share, with a total value of $11,534.88.

Blackstone Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:BX traded down $0.46 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $146.71. 4,177,123 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,627,463. The company has a market cap of $108.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.82, a PEG ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 1.55. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $125.33 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $122.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a current ratio of 0.72. Blackstone Inc. has a 1 year low of $101.73 and a 1 year high of $190.09.

Blackstone (NYSE:BX - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The asset manager reported $1.52 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 company had revenue of $5.04 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.42 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.98 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 35.9% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that Blackstone Inc. will post 6 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Blackstone Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 10th. Investors of record on Monday, August 3rd were issued a $1.29 dividend. This represents a $5.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.5%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 3rd. This is a positive change from Blackstone's previous quarterly dividend of $1.16. Blackstone's payout ratio is presently 115.44%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently weighed in on BX. Evercore restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $150.00 target price on shares of Blackstone in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Oppenheimer increased their price objective on Blackstone from $139.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Dbs Bank raised shares of Blackstone to a "moderate buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. BNP Paribas Exane reduced their target price on shares of Blackstone from $126.00 to $125.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein started coverage on shares of Blackstone in a research report on Monday, June 8th. They set an "outperform" rating on the stock. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Blackstone currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $147.95.

Key Headlines Impacting Blackstone

Here are the key news stories impacting Blackstone this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Blackstone and Quebec pension fund La Caisse agreed to acquire a 25% stake in Air Canada’s Aeroplan loyalty program for nearly $2 billion. The transaction expands Blackstone’s exposure to consumer and alternative-asset investments and could support future fee-related earnings. Blackstone, La Caisse to Buy 25% of Air Canada's Aeroplan Loyalty Program
• Positive Sentiment: A Blackstone-backed consortium is reportedly set to acquire 27 properties from H&R REIT, adding to the firm’s real-estate portfolio and creating potential management and investment-fee revenue. Blackstone Real Estate-Backed Consortium to Acquire 27 Properties From H&R REIT
• Positive Sentiment: Blackstone is one of six financial firms partnering with Nvidia to help mobilize more than $500 billion for AI-infrastructure financing. The initiative could provide long-term origination, asset-management and financing opportunities, although returns will depend on execution and demand for AI capacity. Nvidia Targets Over $500 Billion for AI Infrastructure Financing
• Neutral Sentiment: Director Ruth Porat purchased a combined 455 BX shares for roughly $62,400, modestly increasing her holdings. The purchases may signal confidence but are small relative to Blackstone’s market capitalization. Blackstone Insider Purchase Filing
• Negative Sentiment: Reports indicate Blackstone is considering abandoning a plan to raise approximately $3 billion of debt to fund cash returns. Scrapping the proposal could reduce near-term financial flexibility for distributions and has added uncertainty around capital allocation. Blackstone Considers Scrapping $3B Stakes-for-Cash Deal
• Negative Sentiment: Two insiders sold a combined 54,500 shares for about $8 million. Chief Accounting Officer David Payne reduced his position by 12.85%, while John G. Finley cut his holdings by 8.02%; the sales may weigh on sentiment, though insider transactions can reflect personal financial planning. Blackstone Insider Sale Filing

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Redwood Financial Network Corp grew its stake in shares of Blackstone by 1.8% in the 2nd quarter. Redwood Financial Network Corp now owns 3,588 shares of the asset manager's stock valued at $537,000 after buying an additional 65 shares during the period. Benchmark Financial Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Blackstone by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Benchmark Financial Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 7,748 shares of the asset manager's stock valued at $1,194,000 after acquiring an additional 69 shares during the last quarter. Parcion Private Wealth LLC grew its position in Blackstone by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Parcion Private Wealth LLC now owns 10,935 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $1,686,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares during the period. Trivium Point Advisory LLC increased its stake in Blackstone by 2.6% during the fourth quarter. Trivium Point Advisory LLC now owns 2,713 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $418,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Zacks Investment Management lifted its stake in shares of Blackstone by 2.1% in the 3rd quarter. Zacks Investment Management now owns 3,453 shares of the asset manager's stock valued at $590,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.00% of the company's stock.

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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