BBU vs CG vs BX vs KKR vs APO

For growth investors, Blackstone Inc.

(BX) is the stronger pick with 21. 6% revenue growth year-over-year, versus -31. 2% for Brookfield Business Partners L. P. (BBU). Apollo Global Management, Inc. (APO) offers the better valuation at 17. 6x trailing P/E (14. 9x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Brookfield Business Partners L. P. (BBU) a "Buy" — based on 8 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.

On trailing P/E, Apollo Global Management, Inc.

(APO) is the cheapest at 17. 6x versus KKR & Co. Inc. at 42. 9x. On forward P/E, The Carlyle Group Inc. is actually cheaper at 12. 3x — notably different from the trailing picture, reflecting expected earnings growth. The PEG ratio (P/E divided by earnings growth rate) is the most growth-adjusted single valuation metric: Apollo Global Management, Inc. wins at 0. 20x versus Blackstone Inc. 's 0. 99x — a PEG below 1. 0 traditionally signals the market is underpricing earnings growth.

Over the past 5 years, Apollo Global Management, Inc.

(APO) delivered a total return of +135. 1%, compared to +5. 0% for Brookfield Business Partners L. P. (BBU). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: APO returned +790. 9% versus BBU's +108. 2%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.

By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Brookfield Business Partners L.

P. (BBU) is the lower-risk stock at 1. 30β versus The Carlyle Group Inc. 's 1. 85β — meaning CG is approximately 42% more volatile than BBU relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Apollo Global Management, Inc. (APO) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 31% versus 3% for Brookfield Business Partners L. P. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Blackstone Inc.

(BX) is pulling ahead at 21. 6% versus -31. 2% for Brookfield Business Partners L. P. (BBU). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Brookfield Business Partners L. P. grew EPS 38. 0% year-over-year, compared to -28. 7% for KKR & Co. Inc.. Higher growth typically commands a higher valuation multiple — check whether the premium P/E or P/S is justified by the growth rate using the PEG ratio.

Blackstone Inc.

(BX) is the more profitable company, earning 21. 8% net margin versus -0. 1% for Brookfield Business Partners L. P. — meaning it keeps 21. 8% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: BX leads at 51. 9% versus 2. 4% for KKR. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — APO leads at 88. 5%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.

The PEG ratio (forward P/E divided by expected earnings growth rate) is the most precise measure of undervaluation relative to growth potential.

By this metric, Apollo Global Management, Inc. (APO) is the more undervalued stock at a PEG of 0. 20x versus Blackstone Inc. 's 0. 99x. A PEG below 1. 0 is traditionally considered the threshold for growth-adjusted undervaluation. On forward earnings alone, The Carlyle Group Inc. (CG) trades at 12. 3x forward P/E versus 20. 7x for Blackstone Inc. — 8. 4x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for KKR: 40. 7% to $141. 14.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

Blackstone Inc. (BX) offers the highest yield at 6. 3%, versus 0. 8% for KKR & Co. Inc. (KKR).

For long-horizon retirement investors, Apollo Global Management, Inc.

(APO) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (1. 7% yield, +790. 9% 10Y return). The Carlyle Group Inc. (CG) carries a higher beta of 1. 85 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (APO: +790. 9%, CG: +291. 0%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.

These companies operate in different sectors (BBU (Industrials) and CG (Financial Services) and BX (Financial Services) and KKR (Financial Services) and APO (Financial Services)), which means they face different economic cycles, regulatory environments, and macro sensitivities — making direct comparison nuanced.

In terms of investment character: BBU is a small-cap quality compounder stock; CG is a mid-cap high-growth stock; BX is a mid-cap high-growth stock; KKR is a mid-cap quality compounder stock; APO is a mid-cap high-growth stock. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.