Nasdaq, Inc. (NASDAQ:NDAQ) stock is trading lower on Tuesday. The company launched the Nasdaq Private Capital Indexes to enhance its private capital solutions platform. This move comes as broader markets are experiencing mixed performance, with major indices showing slight gains.Potential Impact of Nasdaq’s Indexes on Private MarketsThe Nasdaq Private Capital Indexes are designed to provide transparency and robust data for institutional investors navigating private markets. This new suite of benchmarks is c ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company generated record combined fee-related earnings (FRE) and spread-related earnings (SRE) of $5.9 billion, driving adjusted net income of $5.2 billion, which is up 14% year-over-year, equating to $8.38 per share [4][6] - FRE for the year was $2.5 billion, reflecting a 23% increase year-over-year, while SRE was $3.4 billion, normalized to a 9% increase year-over-year [6][34] - The company achieved record inflows of $228 billion, marking the third consecutive record year for both Athene and Asset Management [6][7] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The origination volume crossed the $300 billion mark, with a robust consistent spread of 350 basis points over treasuries [6][7] - In the individual market, inflows exceeded $18 billion, with nine strategies raising over $500 million annually [9] - Athene's net invested assets grew by 18% year-over-year to $292 billion, with record inflows of $83 billion driven by retail and funding agreements [31][36] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported that all buckets of credit increased by 8%-12%, with hybrid value up 16% for the year [8] - The global wealth business raised $18 billion, up nearly 50% year-over-year, indicating strong demand across multiple client types and geographies [30] - The institutional business had a record year, with $15 billion in new mandates from third-party insurance [28] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is transitioning from serving one market to six markets, including individuals, insurance, and traditional asset managers, requiring different products and investments in technology [8][9] - The focus is on a total portfolio approach, which opens up debt and equity buckets to private assets, enhancing competition with public assets [10][11] - The company aims for 20%+ FRE growth in 2026, with a strong emphasis on maintaining quality alongside scale [11][40] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management highlighted the increasing demand for retirement income and the global retirement crisis, expecting approximately $85 billion of inflows in 2026 [11][12] - The outlook for SRE growth remains durable, with a reaffirmed expectation of 10% growth on average through 2029 [12][41] - Management emphasized the importance of a principal mindset in investing, focusing on long-term ownership rather than short-term market trends [13][14] Other Important Information - The company plans to increase the annual per-share dividend by 10% from $2.04 to $2.25 starting in Q1 2026, reflecting a commitment to returning capital to shareholders [40] - The company has returned approximately $1.5 billion to shareholders through dividends and repurchases during the year [39] Q&A Session Summary Question: Implications of the ARI transaction on SRE - Management indicated that the ARI transaction helps de-risk the year and supports the goal of 10% SRE growth, but it should not be assumed to be additive [46][50] Question: Dynamics in the non-traded BDC space and ADS - Management noted that the philosophy of portfolio construction in ADS has resonated well, with net new assets increasing over $5 billion last year despite market turbulence [52][53] Question: Interaction with LPs regarding private allocations - Management expects increased dispersion among managers and a shift in institutional allocations towards private assets, driven by public market volatility [57][60] Question: Origination opportunities and margin profile - Management highlighted the globalization of origination strategies and the focus on quality and scale, with expectations for continued growth in FRE margins [73][75]

Markets are “missing the point” that loans are safe, Arougheti said in a Bloomberg Television interview Thursday. “That’s why I work in private markets, the markets trade on momentum, there’s a lot of forces in the public markets that are not tethered to fundamentals.”Panelists including Ares’ head of investment strategy, Brendan McCurdy, discussed how to make alternatives a more central part of portfolios at the IPEM event on Feb. 5. At the same time, McCurdy’s boss and Ares Chief Executive Officer Michael ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Assets under management (AUM) decreased to $159 billion from $169 billion due to net outflows and market performance [6][14] - Total sales were $5.3 billion, down from $6.3 billion in the previous quarter [6][15] - Net outflows totaled $8.1 billion, significantly higher than $3.9 billion in the prior quarter [7][16] - Earnings per share, as adjusted, declined to $6.50 from $6.69 in the third quarter [9][21] - Operating margin decreased to 32.4% from 33% in the previous quarter [9][20] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Equity net outflows were primarily driven by quality-oriented strategies, with institutional net outflows of $3 billion [7][16] - Fixed income strategies experienced modestly negative net flows of $0.1 billion, while alternative strategies were essentially break-even [7][16] - ETFs generated $0.6 billion of positive net flows, sustaining strong organic growth [16] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The market environment favored momentum-driven stocks, leading to underperformance in quality-oriented equity strategies [3][10] - January sales showed improvement, reaching the highest level since June, indicating a potential shift in investor sentiment [8] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on broadening its product offerings, including the launch of new actively managed ETFs and expansion into private markets [4][5] - The acquisition of Keystone National Group aims to enhance private market offerings and provide differentiated strategies [12][13] - The company is also exploring opportunities for diversification, particularly in non-U.S. markets and growth equity strategies [30][32] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged the challenging environment for quality-oriented equity strategies but expressed confidence in their long-term performance [3][10] - There are encouraging signs of broadening investor sentiment, with hopes for improved flows in the upcoming quarters [8][42] - The company remains committed to balancing capital priorities, including investments in growth and returning capital to shareholders [54] Other Important Information - The company repurchased approximately 60,000 shares for $10 million during the quarter, with a total of $60 million used for share repurchases over the year [11][22] - The effective tax rate was 25.3%, with expectations to decrease to 23%-24% in the second quarter due to the addition of Keystone [21] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you elaborate on the fee rate compression in the quarter? - The fee rate was impacted by discrete expenses, particularly on the ETF side, but remained relatively stable quarter-over-quarter [25][26] Question: What are the future transaction opportunities for diversification? - The company is considering both private markets and growth equity strategies for future transactions, focusing on broadening distribution channels [29][30] Question: What is the software exposure across AUM? - The company is generally underweight in technology, which has affected the performance of quality-oriented equities [39][40] Question: What drove the acceleration in negative flows in Q4? - The negative flows were primarily due to the underperformance of quality-oriented strategies and seasonal tax loss harvesting [41][42] Question: Can you discuss the growth opportunities from the Keystone transaction? - There is significant potential to leverage Keystone's existing capabilities in wealth management and institutional channels for growth [48][49]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Assets under management (AUM) decreased to $159 billion from $169 billion due to net outflows and market performance [6][14] - Total sales were $5.3 billion, down from $6.3 billion in the previous quarter [6][15] - Net outflows totaled $8.1 billion, significantly higher than $3.9 billion in the prior quarter [7][16] - Earnings per share (EPS) adjusted was $6.50, a decline from $6.69 in the previous quarter [9][21] - Operating margin decreased to 32.4% from 33% in the prior quarter [9][20] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Equity net outflows were primarily driven by quality-oriented strategies, with institutional net outflows of $3 billion [7][16] - Fixed income net flows were modestly negative at $0.1 billion, but certain strategies saw positive flows [7] - ETFs generated $0.6 billion of positive net flows, continuing strong momentum [16] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The market environment favored momentum-driven stocks, leading to underperformance in quality-oriented equity strategies [3] - January sales showed improvement, reaching the highest level since June, indicating a potential shift in investor sentiment [8] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on broadening product offerings, including the introduction of new actively managed ETFs and expansion into private markets [4][5] - The acquisition of Keystone National Group aims to enhance private market offerings and provide differentiated strategies [12][13] - The company is also exploring opportunities for growth in non-U.S. markets and other distribution channels [29][50] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged the challenging environment for quality-oriented equity strategies but expressed confidence in their long-term performance [3][10] - There are encouraging signs of broadening investor sentiment, with hopes for a recovery in quality strategies [8][41] - The company remains committed to balancing capital priorities, including investments in the business and returning capital to shareholders [11][54] Other Important Information - The company repurchased approximately 60,000 shares for $10 million in the quarter, totaling $60 million for the year [11][22] - The effective tax rate was 25.3%, expected to decrease to 23%-24% with the addition of Keystone [21] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you elaborate on the fee rate compression in the quarter? - The fee rate was impacted by discrete expenses, particularly on the ETF side, but remained relatively stable [25][26] Question: What are the future transaction opportunities for diversification? - The company is considering both private markets and growth equity strategies for future transactions [28][29] Question: What is the software exposure across AUM? - The company is generally underweight in technology, which has affected the performance of quality-oriented equities [38][39] Question: What drove the acceleration in negative flows quarter to quarter? - The underperformance of quality-oriented strategies and seasonal tax loss harvesting contributed to increased outflows [40][41] Question: Can you discuss the growth opportunities with the Keystone transaction? - There is significant potential to leverage Keystone's capabilities in wealth management and institutional channels [48][50] Question: How will capital deployment priorities shift with recent transactions? - The company will maintain a balanced approach to capital allocation, emphasizing repurchases and dividends while considering new investments [52][54]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Assets under management (AUM) decreased to $159 billion from $169 billion due to net outflows and market performance [5][6] - Total sales were $5.3 billion, down from $6.3 billion in the previous quarter [5][15] - Net outflows totaled $8.1 billion, significantly higher than $3.9 billion in the prior quarter [6][16] - Earnings per share (EPS) declined to $6.50 from $6.69 in the previous quarter [9][20] - Operating margin decreased to 32.4% from 33% in the prior quarter [9][18] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Quality-oriented equity strategies, which represent half of AUM, faced increased net outflows due to market preference for momentum-driven stocks [3][6] - Fixed income strategies experienced modestly negative net flows of $0.1 billion, while certain fixed income strategies saw positive net flows [6][9] - ETFs generated $0.6 billion of positive net flows, continuing strong momentum with a 72% year-over-year increase in AUM [14][15] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The U.S. retail funds faced headwinds, but January sales were the highest since June, indicating a potential recovery in investor sentiment [8] - Institutional net outflows were primarily driven by redemptions in quality domestic and global large cap growth strategies [16] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on broadening its product offerings, including the introduction of new actively managed ETFs and expansion into private markets [4][5] - The acquisition of Keystone National Group aims to enhance private market offerings and provide differentiated strategies [12][13] - The company is also exploring opportunities for growth in non-U.S. markets and other distribution channels [29][30] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged the challenging environment for quality-oriented equity strategies but expressed confidence in their long-term performance [3][10] - There are encouraging signs of broadening investor sentiment, with hopes for a recovery in quality-oriented strategies [8][41] - The company remains committed to maintaining financial flexibility while balancing capital priorities [10][11] Other Important Information - The company repurchased approximately 60,000 shares for $10 million in the quarter, totaling $60 million for the year [11][22] - The effective tax rate was 25.3%, expected to decrease to 23%-24% with the addition of Keystone [20][21] Q&A Session Summary Question: What was the driver of the fee rate compression in the quarter? - The fee rate was impacted by discrete expenses, particularly on the ETF side, but remained relatively stable [25][26] Question: Do you see future transactions as an avenue for additional diversification? - The company is focused on diversifying offerings and distribution channels, including potential M&A opportunities [28][29] Question: What is the software exposure across AUM? - The company is generally underweight in technology, which has affected the performance of some quality-oriented equities [36][37] Question: What drove the acceleration in negative flows quarter to quarter? - The underperformance of quality-oriented strategies and seasonal tax loss harvesting contributed to increased outflows [40][41] Question: Can you discuss the go-to-market opportunity with Keystone? - There is significant potential to leverage Keystone's existing capabilities in the wealth management channel and expand into institutional markets [47][49] Question: How might capital deployment priorities shift with recent transactions? - The company will maintain a balanced approach to capital allocation, emphasizing repurchases and dividends while considering strategic M&A opportunities [52][53]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Ares Management achieved a record $994 million in management fees for Q4 2025, totaling $3.7 billion for the full year, reflecting a 27% and 25% year-over-year growth respectively [30] - Fee-related earnings (FRE) for the full year increased by 30%, with a record $528 million in Q4, and FRE margins improved to 41.7% [32] - Realized income for Q4 reached a record $589 million, exceeding $1.8 billion for the full year, marking a 26% increase from 2024 [34] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The wealth management business saw AUM grow to over $66 billion, a 69% increase year-over-year, driven by strong performance across various strategies [9] - The real estate group raised more than $16 billion for the year, including over $7 billion in Q4, with significant commitments in various funds [19] - The secondaries group raised $12.9 billion for the full year, with AUM increasing by 45%, nearly doubling in size since the acquisition of Landmark [23] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Ares Management's total AUM reached over $622 billion, a 29% increase year-over-year, with significant fundraising activities contributing to this growth [7] - The company reported a record $36 billion in fundraising for Q4, contributing to a total of $113 billion for the year [6] - Deployment across real assets more than doubled from approximately $10 billion in 2024 to over $23 billion in 2025 [11] Company Strategy and Development Direction - Ares Management is focused on expanding its investment platform and geographic reach, with strategic enhancements including new products and operational efficiencies [9] - The acquisition of GCP has positioned Ares as a top three global owner and operator of industrial real estate, enhancing its real estate and digital infrastructure offerings [9] - The company aims to leverage its diversified product suite to capture growth opportunities across various asset classes and geographies [14] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed optimism about the improving transaction environment and pent-up demand for private equity sponsors seeking liquidity solutions [12] - The company anticipates strong demand for its investment strategies in 2026, supported by a substantial dry powder of $156 billion [29] - Management highlighted the resilience of its credit portfolios, with strong fundamentals and improving metrics across various strategies [46] Other Important Information - Ares Management plans to launch its fourth U.S. Senior Direct Lending Fund later in 2026 and its seventh European Direct Lending Fund in early 2027 [18] - The company has initiated over 25 AI projects aimed at enhancing investment decision-making and operational efficiency [9] - Ares has been added to the S&P 500 Index, reflecting its growth and market position [9] Q&A Session Summary Question: Impact of software AI disruption on deployment efforts - Management expressed confidence in their software investments, emphasizing the differentiation between various software companies and their resilience against disruption [49][51] Question: Wealth channel performance and sentiment - Management noted strong flows in January and February, with broad-based demand across private credit and core infrastructure products, indicating a positive sentiment despite market volatility [56][62] Question: Outlook for fundraising and deployment in real assets and secondaries - Management confirmed plans for significant fundraising in their flagship credit vehicles, with expectations for strong deployment opportunities in real estate and secondaries [68][70]

Bond Markets: The journal was introduced today at a joint S&P Global-Vanguard event at the New York Stock Exchange, where insights from the research were highlighted through panel discussions exploring structural trends across indexing, fixed income and private markets. The event was informational in nature and did not include any discussion of S&P Global's business performance or disclose any material non-public information. Research highlights: Indexing: NEW YORK, Feb. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- S&P Global ( ...

AllianceBernstein (NYSE:AB) Q4 2025 Earnings call February 05, 2026 08:30 AM ET Company ParticipantsIoanis Jorgali - Head of Investor RelationsOnur Erzan - PresidentSeth Bernstein - CEOTom Simeone - CFOConference Call ParticipantsBenjamin Budish - Senior Equity AnalystJohn Dunn - Managing Director and Senior Equity Research AnalystNone - AnalystOperatorThank you for standing by, and welcome to the AllianceBernstein Fourth Quarter 2025 Earnings Review. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode ...

This stemmed primarily from market value growth of the portfolio and the addition of a variety of technology solutions and back-office mandates. Total management and advisory fees for the year-to-date period were up 11% year over year. Total fee-related revenue for the period, which is the sum of management fees and fee-related performance revenues, was $57 million and represents 31% growth year over year. Fee-related earnings were $254.6 million year to date and represent 37% growth year over year. We gene ...