Blackstone (NYSE:BX) Stock Sees Heavy Put Option Buying

Blackstone Inc. (NYSE:BX) saw unusually large options trading on Friday. Stock investors bought 22,725 put options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 20% compared to the average daily volume of 18,950 put options.

Key Headlines Impacting Blackstone

Here are the key news stories impacting Blackstone this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Blackstone funds are reportedly set to exit ZO Skin Health through a $1.5 billion sale to Galderma. The transaction could provide a meaningful realization for Blackstone and demonstrate progress monetizing portfolio investments. Blackstone funds set to exit ZO Skin Health in $1.5 billion Galderma deal
• Neutral Sentiment: Director Joseph Baratta plans to resign from Blackstone’s board at the end of 2026, resulting in a planned board reduction. The announcement does not indicate an operational change but may draw some investor attention because of Baratta’s senior role at the firm. Joseph Baratta to resign from Blackstone board at year-end
• Neutral Sentiment: Blackstone is scheduled to report third-quarter 2026 results on Oct. 22 before the market opens. Investors will focus on assets under management, fundraising, capital deployment, realizations and the effect of market volatility on performance fees. Blackstone’s Q3 Earnings on the Deck: What’s in Store for BX?
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts expect third-quarter earnings to decline despite growth in assets under management. Higher expenses, muted deal exits and weaker revenue could reduce the likelihood of an earnings beat, making the upcoming report a near-term risk for BX. Earnings Preview: Blackstone Inc. Q3 Earnings Expected to Decline
• Negative Sentiment: Blackstone’s fair-value assessment edged lower as analysts weighed softer realizations, while UBS Group also cut its price target. These revisions suggest concerns that slower exits and monetization could pressure near-term returns. Blackstone Stock Fair Value Edges Lower
• Negative Sentiment: Options activity was unusually elevated, with traders purchasing 22,725 BX put contracts, approximately 20% above typical put volume. While this is not definitive evidence of future performance, it reflects increased demand for downside protection or bearish exposure.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on BX. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Blackstone from $136.00 to $132.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. HSBC reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $135.00 price objective on shares of Blackstone in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Barclays dropped their price objective on shares of Blackstone from $128.00 to $124.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on shares of Blackstone from $161.00 to $169.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, TD Cowen lowered their target price on Blackstone from $154.00 to $144.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, October 12th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Blackstone has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $143.70.

Blackstone Stock Performance

Shares of Blackstone stock traded down $2.73 during trading on Friday, hitting $106.47. 7,104,740 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,335,282. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 0.72. Blackstone has a 12 month low of $101.73 and a 12 month high of $165.14. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $128.21 and its 200 day moving average is $124.13. The stock has a market cap of $79.92 billion, a PE ratio of 23.82, a P/E/G ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 1.59.

Blackstone (NYSE:BX) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The asset manager reported $1.52 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.34 by $0.18. Blackstone had a net margin of 21.84% and a return on equity of 23.77%. The firm had revenue of $5.04 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.42 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.98 EPS. Blackstone’s quarterly revenue was up 35.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Blackstone will post 5.91 EPS for the current year.

Blackstone Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 3rd were given a dividend of $1.29 per share. This is a boost from Blackstone’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.16. This represents a $5.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.8%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 3rd. Blackstone’s payout ratio is presently 115.44%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, major shareholder Holdings I. L.P. Blackstone sold 124,600 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.40, for a total transaction of $2,043,440.00. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Joseph Baratta sold 100,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, September 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.80, for a total value of $12,380,000.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 771,599 shares in the company, valued at $95,523,956.20. This trade represents a 11.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have acquired 1,038,406 shares of company stock worth $27,205,951 and have sold 4,077,276 shares worth $37,573,644. Insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of BX. Cravens & Co Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Blackstone by 3.3% in the third quarter. Cravens & Co Advisors LLC now owns 8,478 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $950,000 after buying an additional 268 shares during the period. RKL Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Blackstone by 2.1% during the third quarter. RKL Wealth Management LLC now owns 25,814 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $2,894,000 after acquiring an additional 542 shares in the last quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Blackstone by 48.2% in the third quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 18,204 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $2,040,000 after buying an additional 5,922 shares during the last quarter. Cyndeo Wealth Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Blackstone by 7.3% during the 3rd quarter. Cyndeo Wealth Partners LLC now owns 32,514 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $3,644,000 after buying an additional 2,218 shares during the period. Finally, Eagle Bay Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Blackstone in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $201,000. Institutional investors own 70.00% of the company’s stock.

About Blackstone

Blackstone Inc is a global alternative asset management firm that provides investment solutions to institutional investors, companies, financial advisers and individual investors. Founded in 1985 by Stephen A. Schwarzman and Peter G. Peterson, the company has developed a broad platform spanning private markets and other alternative investments.

Blackstone’s businesses include private equity, real estate, credit and insurance, infrastructure, secondaries and hedge fund solutions. Its investment activities may involve acquiring and managing companies, commercial and residential properties, infrastructure assets, private credit and other investments on behalf of its clients.

The firm serves clients and invests across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and other international markets.