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Blackstone Inc.: Q2 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 23 July 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 2 raised. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • GAAP net income reached $2.4 billion: Net income for the quarter was $2.4 billion; net income attributable to Blackstone Inc. was $1.2 billion, against $764 million in 2Q’25. Year-to-date net income was $3.6 billion. Source
  • Fee Related Earnings rose to $1.8 billion: FRE was $1.8 billion, or $1.43 per share, for the quarter, and $6.3 billion, or $5.14 per share, over the last twelve months. Source
  • Appreciation lifted accrued performance revenues: Net accrued performance revenues reached $7.5 billion, or $6.00 per share, up from $7.0 billion in the first quarter, on appreciation across strategies. Source
  • Direct lending led credit inflows: Credit & Insurance inflows included $13.3 billion for global direct lending, including $1.0 billion of equity raised for BCRED. Infrastructure and asset-based credit added $9.9 billion. Source
  • Inflows reached $68.3 billion: Inflows were $68.3 billion in the quarter and $262.5 billion over the LTM; Credit & Insurance was the largest contributor at $31.0 billion. Source
  • Performance compensation rose faster than fee offset: In 2Q’26, the rise in realized performance compensation exceeded the cut in fee-related compensation, which reduced DE in the quarter, year-to-date and prior-year periods. Source
  • Cash and net investments of $22.7 billion: At June 30, 2026, Blackstone held $12.2 billion of cash, cash equivalents, corporate treasury and other investments, and $22.7 billion of cash and net investments, or $18.23 per share. Source

“Blackstone delivered an outstanding second quarter, highlighted by strong growth in earnings and nearly $70 billion of inflows.”

Stephen A. Schwarzman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Quarterly dividend per common share SourcePayable August 10, 2026; record date August 3, 2026$1.29Raised from $1.16
Capital distributed to shareholders SourceSecond quarter 2026$1.7 billionRaised from $1.5 billion
Dividend as share of Distributable Earnings SourceOngoing dividend policyapproximately 85%

What changed from last quarter

  • New: From 2Q’26, capital markets advisory revenue on certain infrastructure and asset-based credit financings is reported in Credit & Insurance rather than Private Equity. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • GAAP net income reached $2.4 billion: Net income for the quarter was $2.4 billion; net income attributable to Blackstone Inc. was $1.2 billion, against $764 million in 2Q’25. Year-to-date net income was $3.6 billion. Source
  • Fee Related Earnings rose to $1.8 billion: FRE was $1.8 billion, or $1.43 per share, for the quarter, and $6.3 billion, or $5.14 per share, over the last twelve months. Source
  • Distributable Earnings per share: DE was $2.0 billion, or $1.52 per common share, for the quarter; year-to-date DE was $2.88 per common share. Source
  • Total AUM rose to $1,346.3 billion: Total AUM was $1,346.3 billion, up 11% year over year; fee-earning AUM was $961.6 billion, up 8%. Source

Investment performance and accrued carry

  • Appreciation lifted accrued performance revenues: Net accrued performance revenues reached $7.5 billion, or $6.00 per share, up from $7.0 billion in the first quarter, on appreciation across strategies. Source
  • Infrastructure led private equity returns: Infrastructure funds appreciated 7.2% in the quarter and 28.6% over the LTM; Corporate Private Equity appreciated 3.7% and 14.4% over the same periods. Source
  • Real estate funds were mixed: Opportunistic funds appreciated 0.4% in the quarter but declined 1.4% over the LTM; Core+ funds appreciated 0.2% in the quarter and 3.2% over the LTM. Source
  • Credit and hedge fund returns: Private Credit gross return was 1.0% (0.4% net) and Liquid Credit 2.2% (2.1% net) in the quarter. Absolute Return Composite gross return was 5.8% (5.4% net). Source

“Our decision to lean into the artificial intelligence megatrend is leading to standout investment performance across numerous strategies and creating extraordinary opportunities for growth.”

Stephen A. Schwarzman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Segments and products

  • Real estate data center joint venture: Real Estate deployed $5.8 billion in the quarter, including a BREP joint venture with Related Digital to build a Michigan data center campus, and a French logistics platform. Source
  • Energy transition fund drew inflows: Private Equity inflows included $5.7 billion for the fifth energy transition fund and $5.7 billion in Secondaries, mainly from the tenth flagship Secondaries strategy. Source
  • Direct lending led credit inflows: Credit & Insurance inflows included $13.3 billion for global direct lending, including $1.0 billion of equity raised for BCRED. Infrastructure and asset-based credit added $9.9 billion. Source
  • Multi-Asset Investing AUM grew 21%: Multi-Asset Investing AUM rose 21% to $108.6 billion, with $4.6 billion of inflows in the quarter and $16.4 billion over the LTM. Source

Capital raised, deployed and realized

  • Inflows reached $68.3 billion: Inflows were $68.3 billion in the quarter and $262.5 billion over the LTM; Credit & Insurance was the largest contributor at $31.0 billion. Source
  • Deployment totaled $34.2 billion: Blackstone deployed $34.2 billion in the quarter and $138.5 billion over the LTM. Source
  • Realizations totaled $31.8 billion: Realizations were $31.8 billion in the quarter and $144.5 billion over the LTM. Source
  • Perpetual Capital AUM up 15%: Perpetual Capital AUM reached $555.6 billion, up 15% year over year; fee-earning perpetual capital was 48% of fee-earning AUM. Source

“We’ve become a trusted partner at scale to many of the key innovators in this ecosystem, which positions our firm extremely well for the future.”

Stephen A. Schwarzman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Costs, margins and compensation

  • Performance compensation rose faster than fee offset: In 2Q’26, the rise in realized performance compensation exceeded the cut in fee-related compensation, which reduced DE in the quarter, year-to-date and prior-year periods. Source
  • Segment results exclude equity-based awards: Segment results deconsolidate Blackstone Funds and exclude amortization of intangibles and equity-based award expense, plus transaction-related and non-recurring items. Source
  • Accrued revenues shown net of compensation: Net accrued performance revenues are shown net of performance compensation and exclude performance revenues realized but not yet distributed at the reporting date. Source

Cash, capital and shareholder returns

  • Cash and net investments of $22.7 billion: At June 30, 2026, Blackstone held $12.2 billion of cash, cash equivalents, corporate treasury and other investments, and $22.7 billion of cash and net investments, or $18.23 per share. Source
  • Credit revolver and ratings: A $4.3 billion credit revolver had $3.5 billion undrawn; the company is rated A+ by S&P and A+ by Fitch. Source
  • Share repurchases and remaining authorization: Blackstone repurchased 0.2 million common shares in the quarter and 0.8 million over the LTM, with $1.6 billion of authorization remaining at quarter end. Source
  • Dividends over the last twelve months: Dividends totaled $5.23 per common share over the LTM. Source

Coming up, as management said on 23 July 2026

  • Dividend payment date: The $1.29 dividend is paid August 10, 2026, to holders of record on August 3, 2026. Source
  • Committed capital still to be deployed: A further $17.1 billion committed in the quarter had not yet been deployed at quarter end. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Total AUM Source$1,346.3 billion
Fee-earning AUM Source$961.6 billion
Perpetual Capital AUM Source$555.6 billion
Inflows, quarter Source$68.3 billion
Capital deployed, quarter Source$34.2 billion
Realizations, quarter Source$31.8 billion
Total dry powder Source$228.1 billion
Invested performance eligible AUM Source$653.4 billion

Risks management discussed

  • Financial: The board may change the dividend policy at any time, including reducing or eliminating quarterly dividends, and dividend declaration rests at its sole discretion. Source
  • External: Strategic Partners results lag by three months, so current market activity will affect reported results in later quarters. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: Management expects full-year Fee Related Compensation to fall by the additional Performance Compensation awarded for 2026. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.