As the Q4 earnings season comes to a close, it’s time to take stock of this quarter’s best and worst performers in the asset management industry, including Blackstone (NYSE: BX) and its peers.

Asset management firms oversee investment portfolios for institutions and individuals. The industry benefits from the growing global wealth pool, retirement savings needs, and expansion into alternative investments (private equity, real estate, etc.). However, firms face significant pressure from the shift to lower-cost passive investment products, regulatory requirements for fee transparency, and increasing technology costs to stay competitive in portfolio management and client service.

The 5 asset management stocks we track reported a strong Q4. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 3.8%.

Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 12.9% since the latest earnings results.

Best Q4: Blackstone (NYSE: BX)

With over $1 trillion in assets under management and investments spanning real estate, private equity, credit, and hedge funds, Blackstone (NYSE: BX) is a global alternative asset manager that invests capital on behalf of pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, and other institutional investors.

Blackstone reported revenues of $3.97 billion, down 5.1% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 6.7%. Overall, it was an exceptional quarter for the company with a solid beat of analysts’ revenue estimates and a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

Blackstone delivered the slowest revenue growth of the whole group. The stock is down 12% since reporting and currently trades at $129.20.

We think Blackstone is a good business, but is it a buy today? Read our full report here, it’s free.

TPG (NASDAQ: TPG)

Founded in 1992 and managing over 300 active portfolio companies across more than 30 countries, TPG (NASDAQ: TPG) is a global alternative asset management firm that invests across private equity, credit, real estate, and public market strategies.

TPG reported revenues of $614.8 million, up 33.8% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 12%. The business had an exceptional quarter with an impressive beat of analysts’ revenue and AUM estimates.

TPG scored the biggest analyst estimates beat and fastest revenue growth among its peers. Although it had a fine quarter compared its peers, the market seems unhappy with the results as the stock is down 20.4% since reporting. It currently trades at $44.67.

Is now the time to buy TPG? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q4: Ares (NYSE: ARES)

With roots in the leveraged finance group of Apollo Management, Ares Management (NYSE: ARES) is an alternative investment firm that manages private equity, credit, real estate, and infrastructure assets for institutional and high-net-worth clients.

Ares reported revenues of $1.52 billion, up 23.4% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 7%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ revenue and EPS estimates.

Ares delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates in the group. As expected, the stock is down 14.4% since the results and currently trades at $117.47.

Read our full analysis of Ares’s results here.

Artisan Partners (NYSE: APAM)

Founded in 1994 with a focus on autonomous investment teams and a "high-value-added" approach, Artisan Partners (NYSE: APAM) is an investment management firm that offers actively managed equity and fixed income strategies to institutional and individual investors.

Artisan Partners reported revenues of $335.5 million, up 13% year on year. This result topped analysts’ expectations by 3.7%. Overall, it was an exceptional quarter as it also put up a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ revenue estimates.

The stock is down 13.1% since reporting and currently trades at $38.71.

Read our full, actionable report on Artisan Partners here, it’s free.

Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG)

Founded in 1987 with just $5 million in capital and named after the iconic New York hotel where the founders first met, The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG) is a global investment firm that raises, manages, and deploys capital across private equity, credit, and investment solutions.

Carlyle reported revenues of $1.09 billion, up 15.1% year on year. This number beat analysts’ expectations by 3.7%. It was a strong quarter as it also produced an impressive beat of analysts’ revenue estimates and a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

The stock is down 4.5% since reporting and currently trades at $52.93.

Read our full, actionable report on Carlyle here, it’s free.

Market Update

Late in 2025 into early 2026, there was hand wringing around artificial intelligence. For software companies, the fear was that AI would erode pricing power and compress margins as new tools made it easier to replicate what once required expensive enterprise platforms. Crypto investors had their own version of the same anxiety: if AI agents could trade, allocate capital, and manage wallets autonomously, what exactly was the long-term value of today’s crypto infrastructure?

These concerns triggered a noticeable rotation away from these sectors and into safer havens. But markets rarely dwell on one narrative for long. Spring 2026 came, and the focus shifted abruptly from technological disruption to geopolitical risk. The US’ conflict with Iran became the dominant driver of market psychology, and when geopolitics takes center stage, the script changes quickly. Investors stop debating growth rates and start worrying about oil supply, inflation, and global stability.

Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Strong Momentum Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.