Carlyle Group Initiates $2 Billion Share Buyback Program
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Feb 26 2026
0mins
Should l Buy CG?
Source: NASDAQ.COM
Carlyle Group's stock fell 5.99% as it crossed below the 5-day SMA, reflecting broader market weakness with the Nasdaq-100 down 0.45% and the S&P 500 down 0.73%.
The catalyst for Carlyle's stock movement is the announcement of a $2 billion share buyback program aimed at enhancing earnings per share and boosting investor confidence. The firm has set ambitious financial targets, including over $1.9 billion in free cash flow and earnings per share exceeding $6 by 2028, indicating strong growth prospects despite the current market conditions.
This buyback program is expected to attract more investor attention and strengthen Carlyle's position in the competitive investment landscape, potentially reversing the recent downward trend in its stock price.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Stop guessing "Should I Buy CG?" and start using high-conviction signals backed by rigorous historical data.
Sign up today to access powerful investing tools and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
Analyst Views on CG
Wall Street analysts forecast CG stock price to rise
12 Analyst Rating
7 Buy
4 Hold
1 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 48.820
Low
53.00
Averages
67.91
High
83.00
Current: 48.820
Low
53.00
Averages
67.91
High
83.00
About CG
The Carlyle Group Inc. is a global investment company. The Company's segments include Global Private Equity, Global Credit and Carlyle AlpInvest. The Global Private Equity segment advises the Company's buyout, growth, real estate, infrastructure, and natural resources funds. The segment also includes the NGP Carry Funds advised by NGP Energy Capital Management (NGP). The Global Credit segment advises funds and vehicles that pursue investment strategies including insurance solutions, liquid credit, opportunistic credit, direct lending, asset-backed finance, aviation finance, infrastructure credit, cross-platform credit products, and global capital markets. The Carlyle AlpInvest segment advises global private equity programs that pursue secondary purchases and financing of existing portfolios, managed co-investment programs, and primary fund investments. The Carlyle AlpInvest segment helps investors meet their objectives through tailored portfolio construction and investment selection.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Carlyle Group Launches New Flagship Fund Initiative
- Project Background: Carlyle Group is utilizing structured financing to create a new flagship fund known as 'Project Potomac,' aiming to raise funds and repay investors from older funds amid slower deal activity.
- Financing Structure: The initiative will resemble a collateralized fund obligation and is expected to be the largest of its kind, combining senior debt, preferred shares, and common equity, with Carlyle holding a significant minority stake in the common equity.
- Investor Transition: Investors from previous funds will transfer their holdings into a newly established special purpose vehicle in exchange for equity and cash, which will be invested in the new buyout fund.
- Future Goals: Carlyle aims to raise over $200 billion by 2028, indicating a proactive financing strategy and confidence in future growth despite current market conditions.
See More
Liquidity Crisis in Private Credit Intensifies
- Liquidity Issues Escalate: Boaz Weinstein of Saba Capital highlights that liquidity problems in private credit are worsening during the bull market, leading to dividend cuts for investors and increasing market focus on redemption requests, reflecting potential risks and uncertainties within the industry.
- Surge in Redemption Requests: Blue Owl Capital Corp. II halted quarterly redemptions and sold $1.4 billion in direct lending investments to provide liquidity, becoming one of the first non-traded private credit funds affected by redemption requests, indicating urgent market demand for liquidity.
- Investment Opportunities Arise: Despite market challenges, Weinstein remains optimistic about major private credit managers like Ares, Apollo, and Blackstone, believing these firms will emerge as winners after market fluctuations, demonstrating confidence in the industry's future.
- Cliffwater Monitoring: Weinstein is closely watching Cliffwater's redemption rate, expected to be between 10% and 20%, indicating potential difficulties in meeting redemption requests, further reflecting the fragility of the private credit market.
See More
Market Update: Oil Price Drop and Tech Stock Upgrades
- Oil Price Fluctuations: U.S. benchmark WTI crude prices have fallen below $90 a barrel, despite being up over 50% year-to-date, indicating market optimism regarding improved U.S.-Iran relations, yet geopolitical risks continue to loom over oil prices.
- Tech Stock Rating Changes: Intuit was upgraded to buy from hold by Rothschild & Co Redburn, with its stock rising over 30% since late February, although it remains down 28.5% for the year, reflecting a recovery in market confidence in its software products.
- Cybersecurity Stock Bounce: Morgan Stanley upgraded CrowdStrike from hold to buy, with its stock up over 20% from last month's low, highlighting the positive impact of AI technology on the cybersecurity sector and indicating optimistic market expectations for future growth.
- Hewlett Packard Enterprise's Positive Outlook: Despite memory cost pressures, the company raised its full-year earnings outlook, with reported quarterly revenues slightly below expectations but gross margins and adjusted EPS exceeding forecasts, demonstrating strong demand in the data center buildout.
See More
Blackstone Faces Surge in Private Credit Redemptions
- Surge in Redemption Requests: Blackstone's BCRED private credit fund is experiencing record redemption requests, with investors seeking to withdraw approximately $3.8 billion, or 7.9% of total assets, posing a significant challenge to the firm's liquidity management.
- Liquidity Structure Scrutiny: The expansion of private credit into retail investors has intensified scrutiny over its liquidity structures, with Moody's warning that balancing high returns with retail-like liquidity will continue to be tested as the sector evolves.
- Asset Management Strategy Adjustment: Blackstone plans to increase its share buyback to 7% to meet redemption requests, demonstrating its response strategy under liquidity pressure while also reflecting a commitment to maintaining market confidence.
- Market Risk Intensification: Concerns over loan quality and AI-related risks have led to declines in stock prices for Blackstone and other alternative asset managers, indicating a weakening market confidence in the private credit industry.
See More
Trump's Global Tariff Set for Implementation This Week
- Market Rebound: Trump's announcement that the U.S. will insure Gulf shipping and escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz led to a market rebound after significant losses, with the S&P 500 closing down about 1%, well off its session lows of roughly 2.5%, indicating market sensitivity to geopolitical risks.
- Oil Price Impact: The assurances regarding oil trade not only boosted stock prices but also eased crude oil price pressures, highlighting that fluctuations in the oil market could have broader macroeconomic implications that investors need to monitor closely.
- Private Credit Concerns: Blackstone's Jon Gray defended the quality of loans from its main private credit fund, despite allowing investors to withdraw nearly 8% of their investments, which caused Blackstone shares to fall nearly 4%, reflecting growing market concerns about the health of the private credit sector.
- Congressional Hearing Pressure: Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick voluntarily agreed to testify before the House Oversight Committee regarding his ties to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which has drawn bipartisan scrutiny, although he has not been accused of wrongdoing, potentially impacting his political future.
See More
Blackstone Defends Quality of Private Credit Fund Amid Investor Withdrawals
- Investor Redemption Situation: In the last quarter, Blackstone's flagship private credit fund BCRED allowed investors to withdraw 7.9% of their capital, approximately $650 million, leading to an 8.5% drop in the company's stock price on Tuesday morning, indicating heightened market concerns about private credit.
- Loan Quality Defense: Blackstone President Jon Gray highlighted that over 400 borrowers in BCRED achieved 10% EBITDA growth last year, expressing optimism about loan quality despite the bearish market sentiment, which he believes will help stabilize investor confidence.
- Market Reaction Analysis: Although Blackstone's measures to allow investor redemptions aimed to address liquidity needs, this move did not alleviate market tensions but instead sparked broader concerns about the private credit sector, particularly regarding loans in the software industry.
- Fund Performance Data: BCRED has delivered an annualized return of 9.8% since inception for Class I shares, with a Blackstone spokesperson emphasizing the firm's commitment to meeting redemption requests, showcasing confidence in the fund and alignment with investors.
See More
Carlyle Group Launches New Flagship Fund Initiative
- Project Background: Carlyle Group is utilizing structured financing to create a new flagship fund known as 'Project Potomac,' aiming to raise funds and repay investors from older funds amid slower deal activity.
- Financing Structure: The initiative will resemble a collateralized fund obligation and is expected to be the largest of its kind, combining senior debt, preferred shares, and common equity, with Carlyle holding a significant minority stake in the common equity.
- Investor Transition: Investors from previous funds will transfer their holdings into a newly established special purpose vehicle in exchange for equity and cash, which will be invested in the new buyout fund.
- Future Goals: Carlyle aims to raise over $200 billion by 2028, indicating a proactive financing strategy and confidence in future growth despite current market conditions.
See More
Liquidity Crisis in Private Credit Intensifies
- Liquidity Issues Escalate: Boaz Weinstein of Saba Capital highlights that liquidity problems in private credit are worsening during the bull market, leading to dividend cuts for investors and increasing market focus on redemption requests, reflecting potential risks and uncertainties within the industry.
- Surge in Redemption Requests: Blue Owl Capital Corp. II halted quarterly redemptions and sold $1.4 billion in direct lending investments to provide liquidity, becoming one of the first non-traded private credit funds affected by redemption requests, indicating urgent market demand for liquidity.
- Investment Opportunities Arise: Despite market challenges, Weinstein remains optimistic about major private credit managers like Ares, Apollo, and Blackstone, believing these firms will emerge as winners after market fluctuations, demonstrating confidence in the industry's future.
- Cliffwater Monitoring: Weinstein is closely watching Cliffwater's redemption rate, expected to be between 10% and 20%, indicating potential difficulties in meeting redemption requests, further reflecting the fragility of the private credit market.
See More
Market Update: Oil Price Drop and Tech Stock Upgrades
- Oil Price Fluctuations: U.S. benchmark WTI crude prices have fallen below $90 a barrel, despite being up over 50% year-to-date, indicating market optimism regarding improved U.S.-Iran relations, yet geopolitical risks continue to loom over oil prices.
- Tech Stock Rating Changes: Intuit was upgraded to buy from hold by Rothschild & Co Redburn, with its stock rising over 30% since late February, although it remains down 28.5% for the year, reflecting a recovery in market confidence in its software products.
- Cybersecurity Stock Bounce: Morgan Stanley upgraded CrowdStrike from hold to buy, with its stock up over 20% from last month's low, highlighting the positive impact of AI technology on the cybersecurity sector and indicating optimistic market expectations for future growth.
- Hewlett Packard Enterprise's Positive Outlook: Despite memory cost pressures, the company raised its full-year earnings outlook, with reported quarterly revenues slightly below expectations but gross margins and adjusted EPS exceeding forecasts, demonstrating strong demand in the data center buildout.
See More
Blackstone Faces Surge in Private Credit Redemptions
- Surge in Redemption Requests: Blackstone's BCRED private credit fund is experiencing record redemption requests, with investors seeking to withdraw approximately $3.8 billion, or 7.9% of total assets, posing a significant challenge to the firm's liquidity management.
- Liquidity Structure Scrutiny: The expansion of private credit into retail investors has intensified scrutiny over its liquidity structures, with Moody's warning that balancing high returns with retail-like liquidity will continue to be tested as the sector evolves.
- Asset Management Strategy Adjustment: Blackstone plans to increase its share buyback to 7% to meet redemption requests, demonstrating its response strategy under liquidity pressure while also reflecting a commitment to maintaining market confidence.
- Market Risk Intensification: Concerns over loan quality and AI-related risks have led to declines in stock prices for Blackstone and other alternative asset managers, indicating a weakening market confidence in the private credit industry.
See More
Trump's Global Tariff Set for Implementation This Week
- Market Rebound: Trump's announcement that the U.S. will insure Gulf shipping and escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz led to a market rebound after significant losses, with the S&P 500 closing down about 1%, well off its session lows of roughly 2.5%, indicating market sensitivity to geopolitical risks.
- Oil Price Impact: The assurances regarding oil trade not only boosted stock prices but also eased crude oil price pressures, highlighting that fluctuations in the oil market could have broader macroeconomic implications that investors need to monitor closely.
- Private Credit Concerns: Blackstone's Jon Gray defended the quality of loans from its main private credit fund, despite allowing investors to withdraw nearly 8% of their investments, which caused Blackstone shares to fall nearly 4%, reflecting growing market concerns about the health of the private credit sector.
- Congressional Hearing Pressure: Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick voluntarily agreed to testify before the House Oversight Committee regarding his ties to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which has drawn bipartisan scrutiny, although he has not been accused of wrongdoing, potentially impacting his political future.
See More
Blackstone Defends Quality of Private Credit Fund Amid Investor Withdrawals
- Investor Redemption Situation: In the last quarter, Blackstone's flagship private credit fund BCRED allowed investors to withdraw 7.9% of their capital, approximately $650 million, leading to an 8.5% drop in the company's stock price on Tuesday morning, indicating heightened market concerns about private credit.
- Loan Quality Defense: Blackstone President Jon Gray highlighted that over 400 borrowers in BCRED achieved 10% EBITDA growth last year, expressing optimism about loan quality despite the bearish market sentiment, which he believes will help stabilize investor confidence.
- Market Reaction Analysis: Although Blackstone's measures to allow investor redemptions aimed to address liquidity needs, this move did not alleviate market tensions but instead sparked broader concerns about the private credit sector, particularly regarding loans in the software industry.
- Fund Performance Data: BCRED has delivered an annualized return of 9.8% since inception for Class I shares, with a Blackstone spokesperson emphasizing the firm's commitment to meeting redemption requests, showcasing confidence in the fund and alignment with investors.
See More
