Blackstone(US:BX) Zhi Tong Cai Jing·2026-02-17 22:10Group 1 - Blackstone Group is in advanced talks to acquire residential service provider Champions Group for approximately $2.5 billion [2] - The acquisition is expected to be announced as early as Tuesday, pending any last-minute obstacles [2] - This transaction indicates that private equity firms are seeking safe havens in industries less susceptible to disruption from artificial intelligence [2] Group 2 - Champions Group, headquartered in Orange County, California, focuses on essential home services such as heating, air conditioning, plumbing, and electrical services [2] - Odyssey Investment Partners invested in the company, then known as Service Champions, in 2021, although specific terms were not disclosed [2] - Residential service providers like Champions generate resilient cash flows, even during economic downturns, as consumers rely on them for essential repairs and maintenance [2] Group 3 - Recent weeks have seen investor sentiment fluctuate due to concerns that tools like Anthropic and ChatGPT may lead to the decline of many software-related businesses under alternative asset management firms [3]