CGABL vs MS vs GS vs KKR vs BX

For growth investors, The Carlyle Group Inc.

4. 625% Subordinated Notes due 2061 (CGABL) is the stronger pick with 83. 1% revenue growth year-over-year, versus -11. 0% for KKR & Co. Inc. (KKR). The Carlyle Group Inc. 4. 625% Subordinated Notes due 2061 (CGABL) offers the better valuation at 6. 1x trailing P/E, making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Morgan Stanley (MS) a "Buy" — based on 52 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, The Carlyle Group Inc.

4. 625% Subordinated Notes due 2061 (CGABL) is the cheapest at 6. 1x versus KKR & Co. Inc. at 42. 9x. On forward P/E, The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is actually cheaper at 15. 6x — 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: Blackstone Inc. wins at 0. 98x versus Morgan Stanley's 1. 80x — a PEG below 1. 0 traditionally signals the market is underpricing earnings growth.

Over the past 5 years, The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.

(GS) delivered a total return of +164. 4%, compared to -9. 1% for The Carlyle Group Inc. 4. 625% Subordinated Notes due 2061 (CGABL). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: MS returned +732. 3% versus CGABL's -9. 1%. 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), The Carlyle Group Inc.

4. 625% Subordinated Notes due 2061 (CGABL) is the lower-risk stock at 0. 71β versus KKR & Co. Inc. 's 1. 70β — meaning KKR is approximately 140% more volatile than CGABL relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Blackstone Inc. (BX) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 61% versus 5% for The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), The Carlyle Group Inc.

4. 625% Subordinated Notes due 2061 (CGABL) is pulling ahead at 83. 1% versus -11. 0% for KKR & Co. Inc. (KKR). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: The Carlyle Group Inc. 4. 625% Subordinated Notes due 2061 grew EPS 264. 9% 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 11. 3% for The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. — 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 — BX leads at 86. 0%, 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, Blackstone Inc. (BX) is the more undervalued stock at a PEG of 0. 98x versus Morgan Stanley's 1. 80x. A PEG below 1. 0 is traditionally considered the threshold for growth-adjusted undervaluation. On forward earnings alone, The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (GS) trades at 15. 6x forward P/E versus 20. 5x for Blackstone Inc. — 4. 9x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for KKR: 42. 5% to $143. 00.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

The Carlyle Group Inc. 4. 625% Subordinated Notes due 2061 (CGABL) offers the highest yield at 8. 1%, versus 0. 8% for KKR & Co. Inc. (KKR).

For long-horizon retirement investors, The Carlyle Group Inc.

4. 625% Subordinated Notes due 2061 (CGABL) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0. 71), 8. 1% yield). Blackstone Inc. (BX) carries a higher beta of 1. 53 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (CGABL: -9. 1%, BX: +476. 1%), 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.

Both stocks operate in the Financial Services sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both.

In terms of investment character: CGABL is a small-cap high-growth stock; MS is a large-cap high-growth stock; GS is a large-cap high-growth stock; KKR is a mid-cap quality compounder stock; BX 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.