StepStone Group (STEP) Moves 6.6% Higher: Will This Strength Last?

Company Overview - StepStone Group is expected to report quarterly earnings of $0.35 per share, reflecting a year-over-year increase of +34.6% [2] - Revenues for StepStone Group are anticipated to reach $183.5 million, which is a 3.1% increase from the same quarter last year [2] - The stock has recently seen a price increase of 6.6%, closing at $44.18, with a notable 9.2% gain over the past four weeks [4] Market Trends - The consensus EPS estimate for StepStone Group has remained unchanged over the last 30 days, indicating stability in earnings expectations [3] - The stock's price typically does not continue to rise without trends in earnings estimate revisions, suggesting that monitoring future revisions is crucial [3] - There is growing optimism regarding StepStone's inclusion in the S&P SmallCap 600 index, which is expected to drive further price appreciation [5] Industry Context - StepStone Group operates within the Zacks Financial - Miscellaneous Services industry, alongside Blackstone Inc. [3] - Blackstone Inc. has a consensus EPS estimate of $1.04, reflecting a year-over-year change of +11.8%, but has seen a slight decrease of -0.6% in estimates over the past month [6] - Blackstone Inc. currently holds a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold), indicating a more cautious outlook compared to StepStone's strong buy rating [3][6] Investment Activity - StepStone Group has raised $3.3 billion for a new secondary venture fund, driven by increased demand for its venture-capital secondary services [5] - The recent price movements and volume of shares traded for StepStone suggest heightened investor interest and potential for continued growth [4]