Blue Owl Capital Halts Redemptions for Retail Private Credit Fund
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 1 hour ago
0mins
Should l Buy OWL?
Source: seekingalpha
- Redemption Halt: Blue Owl Capital (OWL) announced that its retail-focused private credit fund will permanently halt redemptions, opting instead to return capital gradually as assets are sold, raising concerns about risks in the private credit market.
- Asset Sale: Blue Owl agreed to sell approximately $1.4 billion in debt investments to institutional buyers, aiming to manage outflows and demonstrating proactive measures in response to liquidity pressures.
- Management Clarification: During a conference call on Thursday, Blue Owl's management described the Financial Times report as a 'complete mischaracterization,' emphasizing that they are not halting redemptions but rather changing the redemption method to stabilize investor confidence.
- Market Reaction: The private credit market has come under scrutiny recently due to potential mismatches between investor redemption terms and the illiquid loans held by some funds, leading to a general decline in stock prices among related asset management companies.
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Analyst Views on OWL
Wall Street analysts forecast OWL stock price to rise
15 Analyst Rating
12 Buy
3 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 12.310
Low
18.00
Averages
21.13
High
28.00
Current: 12.310
Low
18.00
Averages
21.13
High
28.00
About OWL
Blue Owl Capital Inc. is an alternative asset management company. The Company deploys private capital across Credit, GP Strategic Capital and Real Estate platforms on behalf of institutional and private wealth clients. Its product platforms include Credit, GP Strategic Capital and Real Estate. Its credit products offer private financing solutions primarily to upper-middle-market companies. Its credit products are offered through a mix of business development companies, long-dated private funds, managed accounts and collateralized loan obligations. It is focused on acquiring equity stakes in or providing debt financing to private capital firms. Its Real Estate products are focused on acquiring triple net lease real estate occupied by investment-grade or creditworthy tenants. Its Real Estate products are offered through Permanent Capital vehicles, including its real estate investment trusts, and long-dated private funds. It offers asset management services to the insurance industry.
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.
- Redemption Suspension: Blue Owl Capital announced the permanent halt of redemptions for its retail private credit fund, with investors set to receive capital through episodic payments as assets are sold, involving a $1.4 billion asset sale, including $600 million from OBDC II, which constitutes 30% of its total assets.
- Market Reaction: Following this announcement, Blue Owl's stock closed up 1.90% on Wednesday, but fell 4.22% in premarket trading on Thursday, indicating market concerns regarding its liquidity issues.
- Short Interest Dynamics: Short interest in Blue Owl Capital slightly decreased from 78.84 million to 78.61 million shares, representing 14.42% of publicly available shares, and with an average daily trading volume of 14.01 million shares, short sellers would require approximately 5.61 days to cover their positions without materially impacting the stock price.
- Economist's Warning: Economist Mohamed El-Erian remarked on social media that this event could be a 'canary-in-the-coalmine' moment, noting that while systemic risks are not at the level of the 2008 financial crisis, a significant valuation hit for specific assets is imminent.
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- Redemption Freeze Impact: Blue Owl Capital's decision to halt quarterly redemptions at its retail-focused private credit fund has rattled major alternative investment firms, including Blackstone, indicating market concerns over private credit exposure.
- Severe Market Reaction: Blackstone shares fell 5.58% to $125.48 on Thursday, reflecting investor unease regarding its significant exposure to private credit, contributing to a 25.06% decline over the past year.
- Technical Weakness: Blackstone's stock is trading significantly below key moving averages, with current prices 10.1%, 16.1%, and 19.4% below the 20-day, 50-day, and 200-day SMAs respectively, suggesting a bearish market sentiment with limited short-term recovery potential.
- Support and Resistance Analysis: Key support is at $118.50, and breaching this level could signal further downside risk, while resistance at $149.00 indicates a potential shift in momentum if surpassed.
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- Redemption Method Change: CEO Packer announced that Blue Owl Capital will return 30% of capital at book value to investors within 45 days, significantly increasing the cash return from the anticipated 5% to six times, aiming to enhance investor satisfaction and liquidity.
- Merger Plan Cancellation: The firm has called off the merger with its non-traded private credit fund OBDC II, which was initially expected to provide scale benefits; however, due to adverse market reactions, management decided to terminate the plan, demonstrating sensitivity to market dynamics.
- Asset Sale Strategy: Blue Owl plans to sell $1.4 billion in assets, including $400 million from OBDC, with the intention of distributing most proceeds to OBDC II shareholders, reflecting the firm's flexibility in asset management and commitment to capital return.
- Strong Software Investment Performance: Borrowers in the software sector within Blue Owl's portfolio reported 10% revenue and 16% EVIDAC growth in Q4, indicating robust performance despite software being a small percentage of the overall fund, as the company adopts a cautious investment strategy to ensure competitiveness in the AI era.
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- Redemption Halt: Blue Owl Capital (OWL) announced that its retail-focused private credit fund will permanently halt redemptions, opting instead to return capital gradually as assets are sold, raising concerns about risks in the private credit market.
- Asset Sale: Blue Owl agreed to sell approximately $1.4 billion in debt investments to institutional buyers, aiming to manage outflows and demonstrating proactive measures in response to liquidity pressures.
- Management Clarification: During a conference call on Thursday, Blue Owl's management described the Financial Times report as a 'complete mischaracterization,' emphasizing that they are not halting redemptions but rather changing the redemption method to stabilize investor confidence.
- Market Reaction: The private credit market has come under scrutiny recently due to potential mismatches between investor redemption terms and the illiquid loans held by some funds, leading to a general decline in stock prices among related asset management companies.
See More
- Klarna Guidance Miss: Klarna's shares plummeted about 25% as its first-quarter operating income guidance of $5 million to $35 million fell significantly short of Wall Street's expectation of $61.9 million, indicating potential challenges in future financing capabilities.
- Blue Owl Loan Sale: Blue Owl Capital's stock dropped nearly 10% after announcing the sale of $1.4 billion in loans at 99.7% of par value, with proceeds aimed at debt repayment and capital return, highlighting liquidity pressures and a halt on redemptions for retail investors.
- Omnicom Buyback Plan: Omnicom's shares surged 13% after reporting fourth-quarter revenue of $5.5 billion, a nearly 28% year-over-year increase, alongside a $5 billion share buyback authorization, reflecting strong financial performance and confidence in future growth.
- Deere Earnings Beat: Deere's stock rose 13% as it reported first-quarter earnings of $2.42 per share on $8 billion in revenue, both exceeding analyst expectations, indicating robust demand for agricultural equipment and potential market share growth ahead.
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Blue Owl Capital's Decision: Blue Owl Capital has decided to halt quarterly redemptions at one of its private-credit funds, impacting its share prices.
Market Reaction: The move has negatively affected the shares of other alternative asset managers, including Blackstone, Ares Management, and Apollo Global Management, who are also involved in private credit.
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