New York, Feb 26, 2026, 07:35 EST — Premarket
Blue Owl Capital Inc hovered near $11.35 before the bell Thursday, barely budging after a 5.8% rally the day before. Shares have carved out big moves this month, still a long way down from the 52-week high of $22.25. (Investing)
Blue Owl’s position has drawn attention as jitters build over private credit—those loans that don’t go through banks—and questions swirl about just how reliable liquidity will be for funds pitched to affluent investors. The firm manages upwards of $307 billion in assets, much of it fee-generating, and that pile is widely seen by investors as the earnings driver. (Blue Owl Capital)
Deutsche Bank downgraded Blue Owl to “Hold” from “Buy” on Tuesday, trimming its price target down to $10 from $15. Analyst Brian Bedell pointed to a tougher environment for “net flows”—that is, how much new money is actually coming into retail credit funds. According to Bedell, this drag could hang around for “one to two quarters,” with heightened investor nerves likely fueling redemption requests and tamping down fresh sales. (Investing)
Fitch Ratings said in a separate note Wednesday that its ratings for Blue Owl Capital Corp. II remain unchanged after the company’s announced asset sale. (Fitch Ratings)
Traders can’t seem to move past those fund changes. Earlier this month, Blue Owl stated it was “not halting investor liquidity” in its non-traded private debt fund OBDC II, yet the firm scrapped its quarterly tender offers and announced plans to distribute 30% of the fund’s net asset value to all investors within 45 days. (Reuters)
Wednesday’s rebound in the stock left a bigger issue unresolved: private-credit managers still face scrutiny over whether they can keep raising capital while changing the terms and timing on investor payouts. If inflows start looking choppy, valuations typically react in a hurry.
Blue Owl released an investor presentation dated Feb. 25, giving investors fresh material as they sort out what portion of the business qualifies as “permanent” capital, and what’s more exposed to rates or headlines. (Blue Owl Capital)
The downside? Still pretty clear. If redemption requests start piling up again, or if it turns out loans are getting markdowns just to clear the books, that old volatility dogging the shares could flare right back up.
The immediate focus for investors shifts to the company’s upcoming quarterly dividend, scheduled for distribution on March 2. After that, traders will be watching closely for any fresh filings or disclosures relating to the fund’s payout schedule in the following weeks. (PR Newswire)
