StepStone Group authorized a $100 million stock repurchase program to enhance capital allocation and shareholder returns.
Quiver AI Summary
StepStone Group Inc. has announced a stock repurchase program authorized by its Board of Directors, allowing for the buyback of up to $100 million of Class A common stock. The company’s Head of Strategy, Mike McCabe, emphasized that StepStone's capital-efficient business model generates substantial free cash flow, supporting a consistent and growing dividend. The share repurchases may occur through various methods in compliance with securities laws, and decisions regarding the timing and quantity will depend on market conditions and available capital. The company remains flexible in balancing dividend payments and potential capital uses without committing to any specific repurchase level or price.
Potential Positives
- StepStone Group Inc. has implemented a stock repurchase program worth up to $100 million, indicating strong confidence in the company's financial health and prospects.
- The program adds a flexible tool for capital allocation, allowing the company to return value to shareholders while also considering other investment opportunities.
- StepStone's capital-efficient business model generates significant free cash flow, supporting consistent and growing dividends, which can enhance shareholder confidence.
Potential Negatives
- The press release does not provide specific details on how many shares will be repurchased or the timing of these repurchases, leading to uncertainties about the effectiveness of the stock repurchase program.
- There is a disclaimer indicating that forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, which may raise concerns about the company's ability to meet its projected goals or financial health.
- The flexibility mentioned regarding the annual supplemental dividend may create apprehension about the continuity of shareholder returns, signaling potential uncertainty in future dividend payouts.
FAQ
What is the amount of the stock repurchase program authorized by StepStone Group?
The Board of Directors authorized a stock repurchase program of up to $100 million.
How will StepStone execute the stock repurchase program?
StepStone may repurchase shares through open market purchases, private transactions, or trading plans under applicable laws.
What factors influence the timing and amount of stock repurchases?
Repurchases will depend on business conditions, capital availability, and stock prices, among other considerations.
Is there a commitment for StepStone to repurchase a specific number of shares?
No, the stock repurchase program may be modified, suspended, or discontinued at any time without obligation to acquire shares.
What types of clients does StepStone Group serve?
StepStone serves large pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, insurance companies, endowments, and high-net-worth individuals.
Disclaimer: This is an AI-generated summary of a press release distributed by GlobeNewswire. The model used to summarize this release may make mistakes. See the full release here.
$STEP Insider Trading Activity
$STEP insiders have traded $STEP stock on the open market 21 times in the past 6 months. Of those trades, 3 have been purchases and 18 have been sales.
Here’s a breakdown of recent trading of $STEP stock by insiders over the last 6 months:
- JOSE A FERNANDEZ (Co-Chief Operating Officer) has made 0 purchases and 7 sales selling 211,210 shares for an estimated $13,120,535.
- MICHAEL I MCCABE (Head of Strategy) has made 0 purchases and 3 sales selling 192,052 shares for an estimated $12,709,728.
- SCOTT W HART (Chief Executive Officer) has made 0 purchases and 7 sales selling 50,000 shares for an estimated $3,294,266.
- STEVEN R MITCHELL has made 3 purchases buying 12,793 shares for an estimated $565,771 and 0 sales.
- DAVID Y PARK (Chief Financial Officer) sold 1,000 shares for an estimated $63,260
To track insider transactions, check out Quiver Quantitative's insider trading dashboard.
$STEP Revenue
$STEP had revenues of $586.5M in Q3 2026.
You can track STEP financials on Quiver Quantitative's STEP stock page.
$STEP Hedge Fund Activity
We have seen 143 institutional investors add shares of $STEP stock to their portfolio, and 143 decrease their positions in their most recent quarter.
Here are some of the largest recent moves:
- T. ROWE PRICE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, INC. removed 1,590,868 shares (-88.9%) from their portfolio in Q4 2025, for an estimated $102,085,999
- FMR LLC removed 801,515 shares (-43.7%) from their portfolio in Q4 2025, for an estimated $51,433,217
- VANGUARD GROUP INC added 728,410 shares (+9.4%) to their portfolio in Q4 2025, for an estimated $46,742,069
- PRICE T ROWE ASSOCIATES INC /MD/ added 724,201 shares (+16.5%) to their portfolio in Q4 2025, for an estimated $46,471,978
- MILLENNIUM MANAGEMENT LLC added 561,176 shares (+14.4%) to their portfolio in Q4 2025, for an estimated $36,010,663
- HOLOCENE ADVISORS, LP added 529,327 shares (+2659.7%) to their portfolio in Q4 2025, for an estimated $33,966,913
- MASSACHUSETTS FINANCIAL SERVICES CO /MA/ removed 506,763 shares (-52.4%) from their portfolio in Q4 2025, for an estimated $32,518,981
To track hedge funds' stock portfolios, check out Quiver Quantitative's institutional holdings dashboard.
$STEP Analyst Ratings
Wall Street analysts have issued reports on $STEP in the last several months. We have seen 2 firms issue buy ratings on the stock, and 0 firms issue sell ratings.
Here are some recent analyst ratings:
- Oppenheimer issued a "Outperform" rating on 10/14/2025
- Goldman Sachs issued a "Buy" rating on 09/18/2025
To track analyst ratings and price targets for $STEP, check out Quiver Quantitative's $STEP forecast page.
$STEP Price Targets
Multiple analysts have issued price targets for $STEP recently. We have seen 8 analysts offer price targets for $STEP in the last 6 months, with a median target of $75.0.
Here are some recent targets:
- Benjamin Budish from Barclays set a target price of $55.0 on 03/02/2026
- Chris Kotowski from Oppenheimer set a target price of $104.0 on 02/09/2026
- Kenneth Worthington from JP Morgan set a target price of $91.0 on 02/06/2026
- John Dunn from Evercore ISI Group set a target price of $76.0 on 01/22/2026
- Michael Cyprys from Morgan Stanley set a target price of $66.0 on 10/21/2025
- Brennan Hawken from BMO Capital set a target price of $74.0 on 10/03/2025
- Keith Mackey from RBC Capital set a target price of $5.5 on 09/29/2025
Full Release
NEW YORK, March 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- StepStone Group Inc. (Nasdaq: STEP) today announced that its Board of Directors authorized a stock repurchase program of up to $100 million of the company’s Class A common stock.
“Our capital‑efficient business model generates significant free cash flow, which underpins our consistent and growing quarterly dividend” said Mike McCabe, Head of Strategy of StepStone Group. “In addition to our normal quarterly dividend, we intend to balance paying a recurring annual supplemental dividend with retaining flexibility to adjust that supplemental payout as we evaluate the most compelling uses of capital. The authorization of a share repurchase program adds another attractive and opportunistic lever to our capital‑allocation framework.”
Under the repurchase program, StepStone may repurchase shares of its Class A common stock from time to time through open market purchases, in privately negotiated transactions, or by other means, including through the use of trading plans intended to qualify under Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”), in accordance with applicable securities laws, stock exchange requirements and other restrictions. The timing and amount of any repurchases will be determined at the discretion of the company's management based on business, economic and market conditions, including the availability of capital, other capital allocation alternatives and prevailing stock prices, as well as applicable legal requirements and other considerations. The stock repurchase program may be modified, suspended or discontinued at any time, and does not obligate the company to acquire any amount of stock. There can be no assurances how many shares of common stock the company will repurchase, if any, or at what prices any purchases will be made.
About StepStone Group
StepStone Group Inc. (Nasdaq: STEP) is a global private markets investment firm focused on providing customized investment solutions and advisory and data services to its clients. As of December 31, 2025, StepStone was responsible for approximately $811 billion of total capital, including $220 billion of assets under management. StepStone’s clients include some of the world’s largest public and private defined benefit and defined contribution pension funds, sovereign wealth funds and insurance companies, as well as prominent endowments, foundations, family offices and private wealth clients, which include high-net-worth and mass affluent individuals. StepStone partners with its clients to develop and build private markets portfolios designed to meet their specific objectives across the private equity, infrastructure, private debt and real estate asset classes.
Forward-Looking Statements
Some of the statements in this release may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Exchange Act and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements in this release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: the stock repurchase program, including the amount of Class A common stock purchased and the method of such repurchases; future payment of dividends, including quarterly dividends and our annual supplemental dividend; and the company’s capital allocation plans. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking. Words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “estimate,” “expect,” “future,” “intend,” “may,” “plan” and “will” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements reflect management’s current plans, estimates and expectations and are inherently uncertain. The inclusion of any forward-looking information in this release should not be regarded as a representation that the future plans, estimates or expectations contemplated will be achieved. Forward-looking statements are subject to various risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, global and domestic market and business conditions, our successful execution of business and growth strategies, the favorability of the private markets fundraising environment, successful integration of acquired businesses and regulatory factors relevant to our business, as well as assumptions relating to our operations, financial results, financial condition, business prospects, growth strategy and liquidity and the risks and uncertainties described in greater detail under the “Risk Factors” section of our annual report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on May 23, 2025, and in our subsequent reports filed with the SEC, as such factors may be updated from time to time. We undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law.
Contacts
Shareholder Relations:
Seth Weiss
[email protected]
1-212-351-6106
Media:
Brian Ruby / Chris Gillick / Matt Lettiero, ICR
[email protected]
1-203-682-8268