Blackstone Inc (NYSE:BX) is one of the best NYSE stocks to buy for the long term. Blackstone Inc (NYSE:BX) led a $10 billion debt investment in the Australian AI infrastructure company Firmus, Reuters reported on February 9. Blackstone Inc (BX) Strikes Big Deal in Women’s Healthcare Space Pixabay/Public Domain Confirming the deal, Firmus said in a press release on February 9 that it would use the financing to bankroll the next phase of its Project Southgate to meet the increasing demand for high-perform ...

Core Viewpoint - Ares Management Corp is positioned as a strong long-term investment opportunity, with significant growth potential highlighted by its recent performance and strategic initiatives [1][4]. Financial Performance - For Q4 2025, Ares Management reported an EPS of $1.45 and revenue of $1.5 billion, which were below analyst expectations of $1.70 EPS and $1.52 billion in revenue [3]. - The company achieved a 27% year-over-year increase in management fees and surpassed $100 billion in fundraising for the year, raising its assets under management to over $600 billion [3]. Growth Strategy - CEO Michael Arougheti outlined growth priorities including expansion in private credit, digital infrastructure, and real estate, with a focus on AI integration to enhance efficiency [2]. - The company has set ambitious targets of 16%–20% annual growth in fee-related earnings (FRE) and over 20% growth in revenue [2]. Market Position and Outlook - Ares Management has $150 billion in dry powder and a strong deal pipeline, indicating confidence in capitalizing on favorable market conditions [2]. - Raymond James upgraded ARES stock to a Strong Buy with a price target of $157, citing a robust outlook for fee-related earnings growth through 2028 [4]. Dividend and Investment Case - Ares Management offers a 4.1% common dividend yield, which supports the investment case for ARES stock, especially considering that over $100 billion of its assets under management are not yet earning fees [5]. Company Overview - Ares Management Corp is a global alternative investment manager with nearly $623 billion in assets under management, operating across private equity, credit, and real estate markets [6].

Core Insights - OKX Ventures has made a strategic investment in STBL, a next-generation stablecoin and yield infrastructure provider, co-founded by Reeve Collins and Avtar Sehra [1] - STBL has announced a partnership with Hamilton Lane and Securitize to develop a stablecoin backed by real-world assets on OKX's Ethereum-compatible layer-2 blockchain X Layer [2] Group 1: Investment and Partnerships - The investment by OKX Ventures aims to enhance the development of a stablecoin that utilizes real-world assets [1] - STBL's partnership with Hamilton Lane involves a feeder fund to Hamilton Lane's Senior Credit Opportunities Fund, which will be tokenized via Securitize [2] Group 2: Tokenization and Utility - Avtar Sehra emphasized that RWA markets are evolving, and tokenization must provide real utility rather than mere representation [3] - The collaboration between STBL and Securitize highlights how tokenization can enhance asset utility when combined with regulated issuance and programmable settlement [3] Group 3: Functional Applications - Securitize CEO Carlos Domingo stated that embedding institutional private credit into on-chain money flows transforms tokenized assets into functional building blocks for various financial applications [4]

Core Viewpoint - Ares Management Corporation is experiencing significant growth in assets under management and fundraising, positioning itself strongly in the alternative investment sector, with a favorable price target set by Deutsche Bank indicating potential upside for investors [1][2][6]. Group 1: Financial Performance - Ares Management's assets under management (AUM) surpassed $622 billion, reflecting a 29% increase year over year [2][6]. - The company achieved a record $113 billion in fundraising, showcasing its ability to attract significant capital [2]. - The wealth management division saw AUM rise by 69% year over year to over $66 billion, driven by the acquisition of GCP [3][6]. - Ares Management reported a 20% year-over-year increase in its first-quarter 2026 common dividend, indicating robust financial health [4]. Group 2: Market Position and Stock Performance - Ares Management competes with major firms like Blackstone and KKR, highlighting its strong market position [1]. - Deutsche Bank set a price target of $155 for ARES, suggesting a potential upside of 27.18% from its current trading price of $121.87 [1][6]. - Despite a recent decrease of $15.35, or approximately -11.19%, ARES stock has fluctuated between a low of $119.47 and a high of $132.93 during the trading day [5].

Core Viewpoint - The stock prices of Blackstone and other alternative investment managers are declining due to concerns over artificial intelligence impacting private credit markets, particularly those lending to technology companies [1]. Group 1: Company Impact - Blackstone, which operates the largest private credit fund, Blackstone Private Credit, has seen its stock drop by 7.2% [1]. - Business development companies (BDCs) that provide high-rate private credit loans to software and technology firms are also experiencing significant stock declines [1]. Group 2: Industry Trends - The fears surrounding artificial intelligence are negatively affecting the valuations of alternative investment managers with exposure to private credit [1].

Ares Management Corporation (NYSE: ARES) is a leading global alternative investment manager offering clients complementary primary and secondary investment solutions across the credit, real estate, private equity and infrastructure asset classes. We seek to advance our stakeholders' long-term goals by providing flexible capital that supports businesses and creates value for our investors and within our communities. By collaborating across our investment groups, we aim to generate consistent and attractive i ...

Core Insights - Bridge Investment Group Holdings Inc. has appointed Dugan Fife as Head of Wealth Solutions and Senior Managing Director, effective January 19, 2026, to enhance its wealth solutions platform [1] - Fife brings over 20 years of experience from Hines Private Wealth Solutions, where he led distribution efforts across key markets [2] - The strategic hire aims to expand access to innovative investment opportunities for private wealth clients, leveraging Bridge's partnership with Apollo, which manages approximately $120 billion in real estate assets [3] Company Overview - Bridge Investment Group is an affiliate of Apollo and operates as a leading alternative investment manager, focusing on specialized asset classes [4]

Group 1 - Ares Management Corporation has raised approximately $7.1 billion for its Credit Secondaries strategy, including the final closing of its inaugural Ares Credit Secondaries Fund (ACS) [1] - The ACS Fund achieved approximately $4 billion in LP equity commitments, doubling its initial target of $2 billion, marking Ares' largest inaugural institutional fundraise [1] - The Ares Credit Secondaries strategy aims to build a diversified portfolio primarily consisting of senior secured, private equity-backed, and floating-rate private credit portfolios [2] Group 2 - The success of the ACS fundraise highlights Ares' early-mover advantage in credit secondaries and the strength of its investment platform [3] - Ares' Credit Secondaries strategy is supported by a large, dedicated team and combines decades of credit and secondaries experience with a disciplined investment approach focused on diversification and downside protection [3] - As of September 30, 2025, Ares managed over $38 billion in assets across various sectors, including private equity, real estate, infrastructure, and credit [3]

Core Insights - Ares Management Corporation is expanding its data center exposure through significant transactions in the U.S., highlighting collaboration across its digital infrastructure and real estate investment capabilities [1][2] Group 1: Data Center Investments - Ares Digital Infrastructure has secured a 314-acre site in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, along the I-95 South data center corridor for development [2] - The first phase of the development will include two data center buildings with a total IT load capacity of 200 MW, utilizing Ada Infrastructure's design capabilities [2] - Ares Real Estate fund has acquired two hyperscale data centers in Leesburg, Virginia, totaling 745,000 square feet and 165 MW of IT load capacity, fully leased under long-term agreements [2] Group 2: Strategic Positioning - Ares Management is reinforcing its role in fast-growing sectors like logistics and data centers, benefiting from digital technology acceleration and global supply chain shifts [2] - The company aims to provide flexible capital to support businesses and create value for investors, generating consistent investment returns throughout market cycles [2] - As of September 30, 2025, Ares Management had over $595 billion in assets under management, with operations across multiple regions including North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific [2] Group 3: Ada Infrastructure - Ada Infrastructure serves as Ares' data center platform, catering to hyperscale and enterprise customers with scalable capacity [2] - The platform is vertically integrated within Ares' digital infrastructure business and has nine in-flight campuses with a pipeline across Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Americas [2]

Core Insights - Associated Capital Group, Inc. reported its financial results for Q3 2025, showing a slight increase in revenues and a significant rise in net income compared to the previous year [1][2]. Financial Performance - Total revenues for Q3 2025 were $2.478 million, up from $2.415 million in Q3 2024 [2][4]. - Net income for Q3 2025 was $15.611 million, compared to $23.242 million in Q3 2024, reflecting a decrease [2][33]. - The net income per share for Q3 2025 was $0.74, down from $1.09 in Q3 2024 [2][33]. - Operating loss before management fee (Non-GAAP) was $(4.546) million for Q3 2025, compared to $(3.604) million in Q3 2024 [2][28]. Assets Under Management (AUM) - AUM at the end of Q3 2025 was $1.409 billion, an increase from $1.340 billion at the end of Q2 2025 [2][10]. - The average AUM for Q3 2025 was $1.373 billion, compared to $1.349 billion in Q3 2024 [2][10]. Investment Strategy and Performance - The merger arbitrage strategy returned +4.0% before expenses (+3.0% net) in Q3 2025 and +13.8% before expenses (+10.4% net) for the first nine months of the year [5][14]. - Global M&A activity reached $3.0 trillion in the first nine months of 2025, a 33% increase compared to 2024 [15]. Shareholder Actions - The Board of Directors approved a 100% increase in the regular cash dividend, setting the quarterly rate at $0.10 per share starting in 2026 [23]. - During Q3 2025, the company repurchased 361,301 Class A shares for $11.9 million at an average price of $32.83 per share [24][25]. Corporate Developments - The company moved its shares to OTCQX under the new symbol "ACGP" after delisting from the NYSE [3]. - A private foundation, the Associated Capital Foundation, was created with an initial contribution of $4 million authorized by the Board of Directors [21].