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Blackstone says private equity’s two-year ‘hibernation’ could be ending

Firm’s first-quarter profit rises as dealmaking picks up after a roughly two-year slump

Blackstone leader Stephen Schwarzman says now is the time to plant ‘the seeds of future value’ for the giant private-equity firm.
Blackstone leader Stephen Schwarzman says now is the time to plant ‘the seeds of future value’ for the giant private-equity firm. Photo: Chris Ratcliffe/pool/Shutterstock

Blackstone executives see signs of spring for private equity’s deal environment, as a market rebound boosted the firm’s earnings in the first quarter.

Leaders of the New York asset manager told analysts 18 April that the slump in private-equity dealmaking that began two years ago is showing signs of receding. The firm deployed $24.5bn in the first quarter, more than twice the $10.8bn it invested in the same period a year ago.

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