Blackstone

BX

Market cap $98.1B

CNBC Wealth Editor Robert Frank speaks exclusively with Blackstone Private Wealth's global head Joan Solotar about private credit concerns and Blackstone's growth and market opportunities.

While some investors and commentators have criticized the lack of transparency and disclosure in private credit funds, Global Head of Blackstone Private Wealth Joan Solotar, says the funds often disclose more loan information than banks.

Joan Solotar, global head of Blackstone Private Wealth, said the capital flight from private credit isn't justified by the likely returns and potential losses in individual funds.

Joan Solotar, global head of Blackstone Private Wealth, said the capital flight from private credit isn't justified by the likely returns and potential losses in individual funds. Solotar said investors and clients are asking important questions about transparency, loan losses, portfolio exposure to software and liquidity.

Private equity is circling REITs as discounts to asset value remain unusually wide. Some beaten-down infrastructure names may still have meaningful upside despite recent rebounds. We think two REIT targets stand out as especially likely takeover candidates.

Blackstone (NYSE:BX | BX Price Prediction) stock is up roughly 2% in early Monday trading after Oppenheimer upgraded shares to Outperform, calling the world's largest alternative asset manager a “premier franchise at a very attractive valuation.

Finding stocks expected to beat quarterly earnings estimates becomes an easier task with our Zacks Earnings ESP.

Seven high-yield fixed income CEFs—ARDC, BGH, BIT, GHY, KIO, OPP, WDI—currently trade at wider-than-average discounts, offering yields from 10% to 14%. Market fears over private credit and macroeconomic uncertainty have pressured prices, creating potential buying opportunities for long-term income investors. These funds diversify across senior loans, high-yield bonds, CLOs, and MBS, balancing floating and fixed-rate exposure to manage interest rate risk.

REIT headwinds are finally fading after years of pressure. Valuations remain deeply discounted despite improving fundamentals. Three powerful catalysts could now drive a REIT recovery.

U.S. equity markets extended their rebound this week as investors welcomed tentative progress toward de-escalation in the Middle East following several days of dramatic threats of significant escalation. The fragile pause in hostilities temporarily eased fears of a prolonged disruption to global energy supplies and fueled a sharp retreat in oil prices after a surge to four-year highs. Markets also found support from lukewarm inflation data and signs that the U.S. labor market continues to demonstrate resilience despite elevated energy costs and geopolitical uncertainty.