ClearBridge Investments, a global equity manager, recently published first-quarter 2026 commentary for its “Clearbridge Dividend Strategy”. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. The market has witnessed two significant developments over the past three months: the war in Iran and the growing displacements of software engineers and the software industry. Amid this context, the strategy outperformed the S&P 500 Index, which dropped by 4.3%. This outperformance was attributed to a strategic underweight in information technology, which fell by 9.2% during the quarter, and an overweight in energy, which rose by 38.2%. The strategy focused on investing in high-quality industrial companies and alternative asset managers, while also sharpening energy investments on its top convictions. The firm anticipates that a slowdown in the global economy, driven by higher inflation and interest rates, will pose challenges to the market in 2026. The strategy continues to pursue broader diversification while navigating the challenges of war and AI disruption. In addition, please check the Strategy’s top five holdings to know its best picks in 2026.
In its first-quarter 2026 investor letter, Clearbridge Dividend Strategy highlighted Blackstone Inc. (NYSE:BX). Headquartered in New York, Blackstone Inc. (NYSE:BX) is a leading alternative asset manager. On April 7, 2026, Blackstone Inc. (NYSE:BX) closed at $112.73 per share. One-month return of Blackstone Inc. (NYSE:BX) was -10.79%, and its shares lost 13.93% over the past 52 weeks. Blackstone Inc. (NYSE:BX) has a market capitalization of $137.79 billion.
Clearbridge Dividend Strategy stated the following regarding Blackstone Inc. (NYSE:BX) in its Q1 2026 investor letter:
“In a choppy first quarter, we took advantage of market volatility to reduce some positions on strength and add others on weakness, upgrading our holdings and further diversifying the portfolio. We bought four “new” holdings in the quarter. Two of the four — Blackstone Inc. (NYSE:BX) and Otis — we have owned before. While we sometimes sell great businesses because the valuations are extended or fundamentals deteriorate substantially, we never stop following great companies. Blackstone and Otis both sold off in the quarter, and we took advantage of those declines to welcome these old friends back into the portfolio.
Alongside our purchase of Blackstone, we significantly increased our exposure to Apollo Global Management, as concerns around private credit markets improved risk-reward profiles for both. While losses in credit will inevitably rise from current low levels, both companies are well-positioned to navigate the cycle. Their long-duration capital enables them to weather the ups and downs, while their copious dry powder positions them to play offense. Alternative asset management remains a growth industry, and we believe we are acquiring these two best-in-class franchises at attractive prices.”
Blackstone Inc. (NYSE:BX) is not on our list of 40 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds Heading Into 2026. According to our database, 84 hedge fund portfolios held Blackstone Inc. (NYSE:BX) at the end of the fourth quarter, up from 80 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the risk and potential of Blackstone Inc. (NYSE:BX) as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than Blackstone Inc. (NYSE:BX) and that has 10,000% upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.
In another article, we covered Blackstone Inc. (NYSE:BX) and shared the list of stocks Jim Cramer discussed. In addition, please check out our hedge fund investor letters Q4 2025 page for more investor letters from hedge funds and other leading investors.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
