Blackstone (NYSE:BX) Rating Increased to Outperform at Oppenheimer

Oppenheimer upgraded shares of Blackstone (NYSE:BX) from a market perform rating to an outperform rating in a report issued on Monday, Marketbeat.com reports. They currently have $154.00 price target on the asset manager’s stock.

BX has been the topic of a number of other research reports. BMO Capital Markets cut their price objective on shares of Blackstone from $165.00 to $126.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Blackstone from $126.00 to $124.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Evercore cut their price target on shares of Blackstone from $175.00 to $170.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 30th. BNP Paribas Exane cut their price target on shares of Blackstone from $167.00 to $156.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price target on shares of Blackstone from $164.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $155.55.

Blackstone Price Performance

Shares of NYSE BX opened at $121.72 on Monday. Blackstone has a 1 year low of $101.73 and a 1 year high of $190.09. 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 company’s 50-day moving average is $117.36 and its 200 day moving average is $140.62. The stock has a market capitalization of $90.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.37, a P/E/G ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 1.74.

Blackstone (NYSE:BX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The asset manager reported $1.75 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.54 by $0.21. The business 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%. The business’s revenue was up 41.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.69 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Blackstone will post 5.87 earnings per share for the current year.

Blackstone Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 17th. Investors of record on Monday, February 9th were given a dividend of $1.49 per share. This represents a $5.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.9%. This is a positive change from Blackstone’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.29. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 9th. Blackstone’s payout ratio is currently 153.61%.

Insider Activity at Blackstone

In other Blackstone news, major shareholder Bx Buzz Ml-1 Gp Llc sold 7,477,504 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $3.51, for a total value of $26,246,039.04. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 25,832 shares in the company, valued at approximately $90,670.32. This trade represents a 99.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder Tactical Opportunit Blackstone sold 1,596,142 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $10.00, for a total transaction of $15,961,420.00. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 1.00% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. REAP Financial Group LLC bought a new position in Blackstone in the third quarter worth approximately $26,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Blackstone during the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Strive Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Blackstone during the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Family CFO Inc bought a new stake in shares of Blackstone during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Ares Financial Consulting LLC bought a new stake in shares of Blackstone during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. 70.00% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Blackstone

Here are the key news stories impacting Blackstone this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Oppenheimer upgraded BX from Market Perform to Outperform and set a $154 price target, calling Blackstone a “premier franchise at a very attractive valuation” — a catalyst for buying interest. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: BMO Capital Markets raised its price target to $132 and kept an Outperform rating, reinforcing the bullish analyst tone. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Blackstone filed for an IPO of Blackstone Digital Infrastructure Trust targeting roughly $2B to invest in hyperscale data centers, and is expanding in aircraft leasing (Equator JV) — strategic growth initiatives that support higher long‑term earnings potential. Read More. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlighted BX among finance names with positive earnings momentum, which can attract momentum traders ahead of reporting cycles. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary and analysis pieces are prompting re-evaluations of BX’s valuation after recent share weakness; these discussions can add volatility but aren’t direct catalysts. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: BX’s listing/weight in indexes and tracking of asset allocation strategies is being reported — informative for passive flows but not an immediate price driver. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Several brokers trimmed price targets recently (HSBC to $131, TD Cowen to $141, Rothschild & Co Redburn to $138), which can cap upside and contribute to mixed sentiment. Read More. Read More. Read More.

About Blackstone

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.