Go Pro

StepStone Group (STEP) Competitors

StepStone Group logo
$42.96 -0.72 (-1.65%)
Closing price 07/10/2026 04:00 PM Eastern
Extended Trading
$43.00 +0.05 (+0.10%)
As of 07/10/2026 07:15 PM Eastern
Extended trading is trading that happens on electronic markets outside of regular trading hours. This is a fair market value extended hours price provided by Massive. Learn more.

STEP vs. CG, HLNE, TPG, APO, and ARES

Should you buy StepStone Group stock or one of its competitors? MarketBeat compares StepStone Group with other companies and stocks that may be similar based on industry, sector, market capitalization, business model, investor interest, or shared news coverage. Companies and stocks commonly compared with StepStone Group include Carlyle Group (CG), Hamilton Lane (HLNE), TPG (TPG), Apollo Global Management (APO), and Ares Management (ARES). These companies are all part of the "trading" industry.

How does StepStone Group compare to Carlyle Group?

Carlyle Group (NASDAQ:CG) and StepStone Group (NASDAQ:STEP) are both finance companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, earnings, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, profitability, dividends, media sentiment and valuation.

Carlyle Group has a beta of 1.84, suggesting that its share price is 84% more volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, StepStone Group has a beta of 1.31, suggesting that its share price is 31% more volatile than the broader market.

55.9% of Carlyle Group shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 55.5% of StepStone Group shares are held by institutional investors. 25.4% of Carlyle Group shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 16.5% of StepStone Group shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Carlyle Group pays an annual dividend of $1.40 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.1%. StepStone Group pays an annual dividend of $1.12 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.6%. Carlyle Group pays out 95.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. StepStone Group pays out -16.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Carlyle Group has increased its dividend for 4 consecutive years and StepStone Group has increased its dividend for 3 consecutive years. Carlyle Group is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

In the previous week, Carlyle Group had 2 more articles in the media than StepStone Group. MarketBeat recorded 9 mentions for Carlyle Group and 7 mentions for StepStone Group. StepStone Group's average media sentiment score of 0.04 beat Carlyle Group's score of -0.47 indicating that StepStone Group is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment
Carlyle Group
0 Very Positive mention(s)
0 Positive mention(s)
4 Neutral mention(s)
1 Negative mention(s)
1 Very Negative mention(s)
Neutral
StepStone Group
0 Very Positive mention(s)
2 Positive mention(s)
2 Neutral mention(s)
1 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Neutral

Carlyle Group presently has a consensus price target of $61.29, suggesting a potential upside of 37.07%. StepStone Group has a consensus price target of $71.63, suggesting a potential upside of 66.72%. Given StepStone Group's stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe StepStone Group is more favorable than Carlyle Group.

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
Carlyle Group
1 Sell rating(s)
8 Hold rating(s)
7 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.38
StepStone Group
1 Sell rating(s)
2 Hold rating(s)
7 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.60

Carlyle Group has a net margin of 13.46% compared to StepStone Group's net margin of -26.88%. StepStone Group's return on equity of 37.69% beat Carlyle Group's return on equity.

Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets
Carlyle Group13.46% 20.95% 5.28%
StepStone Group -26.88%37.69%4.78%

Carlyle Group has higher revenue and earnings than StepStone Group. StepStone Group is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Carlyle Group, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

CompanyGross RevenuePrice/Sales RatioNet IncomeEarnings Per SharePrice/Earnings Ratio
Carlyle Group$2.90B5.55$808.70M$1.4630.62
StepStone Group$1.99B2.57-$535.81M-$6.80N/A

Summary

Carlyle Group beats StepStone Group on 13 of the 18 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does StepStone Group compare to Hamilton Lane?

Hamilton Lane (NASDAQ:HLNE) and StepStone Group (NASDAQ:STEP) are both mid-cap finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their risk, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, media sentiment, earnings, profitability, valuation and dividends.

Hamilton Lane pays an annual dividend of $2.40 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.0%. StepStone Group pays an annual dividend of $1.12 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.6%. Hamilton Lane pays out 40.6% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. StepStone Group pays out -16.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Hamilton Lane has increased its dividend for 8 consecutive years and StepStone Group has increased its dividend for 3 consecutive years. Hamilton Lane is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Hamilton Lane has a beta of 1.16, meaning that its stock price is 16% more volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, StepStone Group has a beta of 1.31, meaning that its stock price is 31% more volatile than the broader market.

Hamilton Lane presently has a consensus price target of $135.71, suggesting a potential upside of 67.36%. StepStone Group has a consensus price target of $71.63, suggesting a potential upside of 66.72%. Given Hamilton Lane's stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities research analysts plainly believe Hamilton Lane is more favorable than StepStone Group.

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
Hamilton Lane
0 Sell rating(s)
3 Hold rating(s)
6 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.67
StepStone Group
1 Sell rating(s)
2 Hold rating(s)
7 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.60

97.4% of Hamilton Lane shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 55.5% of StepStone Group shares are owned by institutional investors. 22.2% of Hamilton Lane shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 16.5% of StepStone Group shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Hamilton Lane has a net margin of 32.83% compared to StepStone Group's net margin of -26.88%. StepStone Group's return on equity of 37.69% beat Hamilton Lane's return on equity.

Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets
Hamilton Lane32.83% 25.98% 15.56%
StepStone Group -26.88%37.69%4.78%

In the previous week, Hamilton Lane and Hamilton Lane both had 7 articles in the media. Hamilton Lane's average media sentiment score of 0.15 beat StepStone Group's score of 0.04 indicating that Hamilton Lane is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment
Hamilton Lane
1 Very Positive mention(s)
0 Positive mention(s)
3 Neutral mention(s)
1 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Neutral
StepStone Group
0 Very Positive mention(s)
2 Positive mention(s)
2 Neutral mention(s)
1 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Neutral

Hamilton Lane has higher earnings, but lower revenue than StepStone Group. StepStone Group is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Hamilton Lane, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

CompanyGross RevenuePrice/Sales RatioNet IncomeEarnings Per SharePrice/Earnings Ratio
Hamilton Lane$758.99M5.93$249.18M$5.9113.72
StepStone Group$1.99B2.57-$535.81M-$6.80N/A

Summary

Hamilton Lane beats StepStone Group on 13 of the 18 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does StepStone Group compare to TPG?

StepStone Group (NASDAQ:STEP) and TPG (NASDAQ:TPG) are both finance companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their media sentiment, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, profitability, risk, earnings, dividends and valuation.

55.5% of StepStone Group shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 94.0% of TPG shares are owned by institutional investors. 16.5% of StepStone Group shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 70.0% of TPG shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

StepStone Group presently has a consensus price target of $71.63, indicating a potential upside of 66.72%. TPG has a consensus price target of $61.27, indicating a potential upside of 43.58%. Given StepStone Group's higher possible upside, equities analysts clearly believe StepStone Group is more favorable than TPG.

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
StepStone Group
1 Sell rating(s)
2 Hold rating(s)
7 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.60
TPG
1 Sell rating(s)
4 Hold rating(s)
11 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.63

TPG has a net margin of 3.81% compared to StepStone Group's net margin of -26.88%. StepStone Group's return on equity of 37.69% beat TPG's return on equity.

Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets
StepStone Group-26.88% 37.69% 4.78%
TPG 3.81%28.13%8.25%

TPG has higher revenue and earnings than StepStone Group. StepStone Group is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than TPG, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

CompanyGross RevenuePrice/Sales RatioNet IncomeEarnings Per SharePrice/Earnings Ratio
StepStone Group$1.99B2.57-$535.81M-$6.80N/A
TPG$4.67B3.51$184.59M$0.22193.95

StepStone Group pays an annual dividend of $1.12 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.6%. TPG pays an annual dividend of $2.36 per share and has a dividend yield of 5.5%. StepStone Group pays out -16.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. TPG pays out 1,072.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. StepStone Group has increased its dividend for 3 consecutive years.

In the previous week, TPG had 5 more articles in the media than StepStone Group. MarketBeat recorded 12 mentions for TPG and 7 mentions for StepStone Group. TPG's average media sentiment score of 0.07 beat StepStone Group's score of 0.04 indicating that TPG is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment
StepStone Group
0 Very Positive mention(s)
2 Positive mention(s)
2 Neutral mention(s)
1 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Neutral
TPG
2 Very Positive mention(s)
0 Positive mention(s)
6 Neutral mention(s)
2 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Neutral

StepStone Group has a beta of 1.31, indicating that its share price is 31% more volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, TPG has a beta of 1.45, indicating that its share price is 45% more volatile than the broader market.

Summary

TPG beats StepStone Group on 15 of the 19 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does StepStone Group compare to Apollo Global Management?

StepStone Group (NASDAQ:STEP) and Apollo Global Management (NYSE:APO) are both finance companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, analyst recommendations, risk, valuation, media sentiment, institutional ownership, earnings and profitability.

StepStone Group currently has a consensus target price of $71.63, suggesting a potential upside of 66.72%. Apollo Global Management has a consensus target price of $149.50, suggesting a potential upside of 24.11%. Given StepStone Group's higher probable upside, research analysts clearly believe StepStone Group is more favorable than Apollo Global Management.

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
StepStone Group
1 Sell rating(s)
2 Hold rating(s)
7 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.60
Apollo Global Management
0 Sell rating(s)
3 Hold rating(s)
12 Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.88

In the previous week, Apollo Global Management had 14 more articles in the media than StepStone Group. MarketBeat recorded 21 mentions for Apollo Global Management and 7 mentions for StepStone Group. Apollo Global Management's average media sentiment score of 0.48 beat StepStone Group's score of 0.04 indicating that Apollo Global Management is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment
StepStone Group
0 Very Positive mention(s)
2 Positive mention(s)
2 Neutral mention(s)
1 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Neutral
Apollo Global Management
8 Very Positive mention(s)
3 Positive mention(s)
5 Neutral mention(s)
3 Negative mention(s)
1 Very Negative mention(s)
Neutral

Apollo Global Management has higher revenue and earnings than StepStone Group. StepStone Group is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Apollo Global Management, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

CompanyGross RevenuePrice/Sales RatioNet IncomeEarnings Per SharePrice/Earnings Ratio
StepStone Group$1.99B2.57-$535.81M-$6.80N/A
Apollo Global Management$32.05B2.17$3.49B$1.5776.73

Apollo Global Management has a net margin of 3.62% compared to StepStone Group's net margin of -26.88%. StepStone Group's return on equity of 37.69% beat Apollo Global Management's return on equity.

Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets
StepStone Group-26.88% 37.69% 4.78%
Apollo Global Management 3.62%14.43%1.21%

StepStone Group pays an annual dividend of $1.12 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.6%. Apollo Global Management pays an annual dividend of $2.25 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.9%. StepStone Group pays out -16.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Apollo Global Management pays out 143.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. StepStone Group has raised its dividend for 3 consecutive years and Apollo Global Management has raised its dividend for 3 consecutive years. StepStone Group is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

55.5% of StepStone Group shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 77.1% of Apollo Global Management shares are held by institutional investors. 16.5% of StepStone Group shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 8.3% of Apollo Global Management shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

StepStone Group has a beta of 1.31, meaning that its stock price is 31% more volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Apollo Global Management has a beta of 1.5, meaning that its stock price is 50% more volatile than the broader market.

Summary

Apollo Global Management beats StepStone Group on 12 of the 19 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does StepStone Group compare to Ares Management?

Ares Management (NYSE:ARES) and StepStone Group (NASDAQ:STEP) are both finance companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, valuation, profitability, earnings, media sentiment, dividends, analyst recommendations and institutional ownership.

In the previous week, Ares Management had 6 more articles in the media than StepStone Group. MarketBeat recorded 13 mentions for Ares Management and 7 mentions for StepStone Group. Ares Management's average media sentiment score of 0.22 beat StepStone Group's score of 0.04 indicating that Ares Management is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment
Ares Management
2 Very Positive mention(s)
1 Positive mention(s)
4 Neutral mention(s)
4 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Neutral
StepStone Group
0 Very Positive mention(s)
2 Positive mention(s)
2 Neutral mention(s)
1 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Neutral

50.0% of Ares Management shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 55.5% of StepStone Group shares are held by institutional investors. 36.9% of Ares Management shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 16.5% of StepStone Group shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Ares Management pays an annual dividend of $5.40 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.4%. StepStone Group pays an annual dividend of $1.12 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.6%. Ares Management pays out 251.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. StepStone Group pays out -16.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Ares Management has increased its dividend for 7 consecutive years and StepStone Group has increased its dividend for 3 consecutive years. Ares Management is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Ares Management has higher revenue and earnings than StepStone Group. StepStone Group is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Ares Management, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

CompanyGross RevenuePrice/Sales RatioNet IncomeEarnings Per SharePrice/Earnings Ratio
Ares Management$5.60B7.19$527.36M$2.1556.78
StepStone Group$1.99B2.57-$535.81M-$6.80N/A

Ares Management has a beta of 1.51, indicating that its share price is 51% more volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, StepStone Group has a beta of 1.31, indicating that its share price is 31% more volatile than the broader market.

Ares Management presently has a consensus price target of $158.47, indicating a potential upside of 29.82%. StepStone Group has a consensus price target of $71.63, indicating a potential upside of 66.72%. Given StepStone Group's higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe StepStone Group is more favorable than Ares Management.

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
Ares Management
0 Sell rating(s)
5 Hold rating(s)
12 Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.78
StepStone Group
1 Sell rating(s)
2 Hold rating(s)
7 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.60

Ares Management has a net margin of 10.54% compared to StepStone Group's net margin of -26.88%. StepStone Group's return on equity of 37.69% beat Ares Management's return on equity.

Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets
Ares Management10.54% 22.14% 5.58%
StepStone Group -26.88%37.69%4.78%

Summary

Ares Management beats StepStone Group on 16 of the 20 factors compared between the two stocks.

Get StepStone Group News Delivered to You Automatically

Sign up to receive the latest news and ratings for STEP and its competitors with MarketBeat's FREE daily newsletter.

Subscribe Now
SMS is currently available in Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. By entering your phone number and clicking the sign-up button, you agree to receive periodic text messages from MarketBeat at the phone number you submitted, including texts that may be sent using an automatic telephone dialing system. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency will vary. Messages will consist of stock alerts, news stories, and partner advertisements/offers. Consent is not a condition of the purchase of any goods or services. Text HELP for help/customer support. Unsubscribe at any time by replying "STOP" to any text message that you receive from MarketBeat or by visiting our mailing preferences page. Read our full terms of service and privacy policy.

New MarketBeat Followers Over Time

This chart shows the number of new MarketBeat users adding STEP and its top 5 competitors to their watchlist. Each company is represented with a line over a 90 day period.
Skip Chart

Media Sentiment Over Time

This chart shows the average media sentiment of NASDAQ and its competitors over the past 90 days as caculated by MarketBeat. The averaged score is equivalent to the following: Very Negative Sentiment <= -1.5, Negative Sentiment > -1.5 and <= -0.5, Neutral Sentiment > -0.5 and < 0.5, Positive Sentiment >= 0.5 and < 1.5, and Very Positive Sentiment >= 1.5.
Skip Chart

STEP vs. The Competition

MetricStepStone GroupFIN IndustryFinance SectorNASDAQ Exchange
Market Cap$5.21B$7.09B$14.19B$12.61B
Dividend Yield2.56%5.03%5.71%7.83%
P/E Ratio-6.3217.1420.4924.56
Price / Sales2.5711.1544.78121.71
Price / Cash16.7349.7619.3060.04
Price / Book7.423.322.266.39
Net Income-$535.81M$300.93M$1.14B$331.44M
7 Day Performance4.45%6.99%0.21%0.37%
1 Month Performance1.03%-0.99%1.63%2.17%
1 Year Performance-28.12%-3.00%12.10%20.90%

StepStone Group Competitors List

CompanyMarketRankShare PriceAnalysts' Price Target1Y Price PerformanceMarket CapRevenueP/E RatioEmployee CountIndicator(s)
STEP
StepStone Group
4.8456 of 5 stars
$42.96
-1.6%
$71.63
+66.7%
-28.6%$5.21B$1.99BN/A1,310
CG
Carlyle Group
4.3677 of 5 stars
$44.04
+2.8%
$62.00
+40.8%
-23.6%$15.42B$4.78B30.162,500
HLNE
Hamilton Lane
4.9987 of 5 stars
$82.46
+3.4%
$147.13
+78.4%
-47.1%$4.43B$758.99M13.95530
TPG
TPG
4.6587 of 5 stars
$42.59
+2.8%
$61.75
+45.0%
-23.8%$16.37B$3.04B193.601,900
APO
Apollo Global Management
4.5426 of 5 stars
$122.30
+3.1%
$151.23
+23.7%
-18.8%$68.38B$32.05B77.906,140

Related Companies and Tools


This page (NASDAQ:STEP) was last updated on 7/11/2026 by MarketBeat.com Staff.
From Our Partners