In this article, we will list the 5 Best Asset Management Stocks to Buy Right Now. Please visit 10 Best Asset Management Stocks to Buy Right Now if you’d like to see an extended list and how we came up with the list of asset management stocks.
5. Affiliated Managers Group, Inc. (NYSE:AMG)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 48
Affiliated Managers Group, Inc. (NYSE:AMG) is one of the 10 best asset management stocks to buy right now.
On February 23, 2026, Bank of America revised its price target on Affiliated Managers Group, Inc. (NYSE:AMG), moving it up from $443 to $479, while maintaining a Buy rating on the company’s stock. The review is part of the firm’s reassessment of EPS forecasts for various brokers, asset managers, and exchanges following their recent financial reports, to reflect the latest performance data and address changes in market trends.
Prior to this, Affiliated Managers Group, Inc. (NYSE:AMG) reported its fourth quarter and full year 2025 earnings results on February 12, 2026, highlighting a 22% increase year over year increase in annual economic earnings per share, reaching $26.05. On the same day, the firm announced plans to expand its global private markets presence through investments. It acquired a minority stake in HighBrook Investors, a real estate manager focused on U.S. data centers and European logistics, and increased its investment in Garda Capital Partners, a fixed-income relative-value specialist. With these transactions, the company intends to strengthen its partnerships with independent firms and capture a range of alternative returns.
Founded in 1993, Affiliated Managers Group, Inc. (NYSE:AMG) is a strategic partner to independent investment firms. Its headquarters is in Florida.
4. Ares Management Corporation (NYSE:ARES)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 51
Ares Management Corporation (NYSE:ARES) is one of the 10 best asset management stocks to buy right now.
Barclays reduced its price target on Ares Management Corporation (NYSE:ARES) by $52, from $190 to $138, on March 2, 2026. The firm’s analyst kept an Overweight rating on the company’s stock. The update was part of the revision of estimates on the alternative asset manager group. Citing reduced flow assumptions and weaker realization trends, the firm sets downward estimates for business development companies.
Prior to this, on February 24, 2026, RBC Capital also revised its price target on Ares Management Corporation (NYSE:ARES), lowering it from $180 to $173. The firm maintained an Outperform rating on the stock. According to the firm’s analyst, Bart Dziarski, 65% of the company’s managed assets are allocated to private credit, which exposes Ares Management Corporation (NYSE:ARES) to the negative sentiment surrounding private credit across the alternatives. However, the research note also addressed de-rating as excessive.
As of March 11, 2026, CNN recorded a Buy rating on Ares Management Corporation (NYSE:ARES) from 74% of 19 analysts. The 1-year average upside potential stands at 63.27%.
Founded in 1997, Ares Management Corporation (NYSE:ARES) is a global alternative investment manager with a focus on assets across credit, private equity, and real estate. Its headquarters is in California.
3. Apollo Global Management, Inc. (NYSE:APO)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 74
Apollo Global Management, Inc. (NYSE:APO) is one of the 10 best asset management stocks to buy right now.
On March 2, 2026, Apollo Global Management, Inc. (NYSE:APO) saw its price target from Barclays lowered by analyst Benjamin Budish from $158 to $131. Benjamin kept an Overweight rating on the stock. In the research note, the analyst told the investors that the firm is revising its estimates across the alternative asset manager space. Though the firm acknowledges the difficulty in evaluating the long-term impacts of AI on portfolio companies, it lowered its earnings estimates for business development companies, citing lower flow assumptions and realization.
In another development, on March 9, 2026, Siris, a leading private equity firm focused on critical technology infrastructure, has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Takkion from funds affiliated with Apollo Global Management, Inc. (NYSE:APO). Founded in 2019, Takkion is a renewable energy services leader with $600 Million in 2025 revenue. The deal, expected to close in the second quarter of 2026, will potentially allow Siris to capitalize on surging power demand from AI data centers.
Founded in 1990, the New York-based company, Apollo Global Management, Inc. (NYSE:APO), is a global alternative asset manager specializing in high-yield credit, private equity, and retirement services.
2. KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 76
KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR) is one of the 10 best asset management stocks to buy right now.
KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR) was reportedly exploring a multibillion-dollar sale of CoolIT Systems, in a transaction value exceeding $3 billion. An article in the Financial Times reported on March 8, 2026, that the company is targeting a potential 10-fold return on its 2023 investment, driven by rapid growth in AI infrastructure. Post its transition from gaming to liquid cooling for data centers, there has been a surge in value as hyperscalers expand global capacity. Nearly 3,000 new data centers under construction or planned in the U.S. increase the stakes for the industrial cooling industry, with it the demand for CoolIT, the report says.
Separately, on March 2, 2026, Barclays analyst Benjamin Budish lowered the firm’s price target on KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR) from $136 to $127. The firm maintained an Overweight rating on the stock. The adjustment follows the firm’s sector-wide revision for alternative asset managers. The analyst further noted in the research note that it cannot quantify the long-term impact of AI on portfolio companies, but it has lowered earnings estimates for business development companies based on lower flow assumptions and realizations.
Founded in 1976, KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR) is a global investment leader pioneering the leveraged buyout industry. The company has its headquarters in New York.
1. Blackstone Inc. (NYSE:BX)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 84
Blackstone Inc. (NYSE:BX) is one of the 10 best asset management stocks to buy right now.
On March 3, 2026, Blackstone Life Sciences, a specialized life sciences investment platform of Blackstone Inc. (NYSE:BX), entered a $400 million strategic funding agreement with Teva Pharmaceuticals. The agreement aimed at accelerating the clinical development of duvakitug, a monoclonal antibody targeting TL1A. It is currently in Phase 3 trials for ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, following the success of Phase 2b data. Blackstone Inc. (NYSE:BX)’s investment is spread over four years, and the firm will receive regulatory milestones and low single-digit global royalties upon FDA approval. Paris Panayiotopoulos, Senior Managing Director at Blackstone Life Sciences, gave the following statement.
Duvakitug has the potential to be a best-in-class therapy in a large and growing space, and the Teva and Sanofi teams are well positioned to develop and commercialize this important medicine.
In a more recent development, on March 5, 2026, Barclays analyst Benjamin Budish reinstated coverage of Blackstone with an Equal Weight rating and a $126 price target. Following a brief restriction period, the firm is covering the stock with unchanged ratings and earnings estimates.
Founded in 1985, Blackstone Inc. (NYSE:BX) is the world’s largest alternative asset manager operating from its headquarters in New York.
While we acknowledge the potential of BX to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than BX and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.
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