"Blackstone Inc. (NYSE:BX): Alternative asset manager Blackstone was our top contributor in the quarter. In July, the company reported 2Q23 EPS that were slightly ahead of investors' expectations despite management fees and fundraising that were marginally weaker than expected. The stock's recent strength is more likely the result of lower than anticipated redemption requests for the company's private real estate fund, BREIT. Recent high-profile IPO's also increased the likelihood of a better environment for realizations.