????黑石集團 (Blackstone Group) 日前公布了上市四年以來業績最好的一份季報。這已是該公司連續第二個季度有如此出色的表現。

????2011年第1季度實現“經濟凈利潤”總量5.68億美元，較2010年第4季度的5.13億美元和2010年第1季度的3.60億美元分別增長10.7%和58%。調整后每股經濟凈利潤為0.51美元，高于分析師預測的0.41美元。管理資產規模從2010年第4季度的1,095 億美元增至1,240億美元。

????2011年第1季度，黑石集團私募股權部門的資產規模增長4.9%。第五期私募股權基金BCP的正式投資期已于1月份結束，但關于第六期私募股權基金BCP是否已最終完成投資仍未有確切說法(兩個月前時還未結束)。截至3月31日，私募股權部門有169億美元可投資資金。

????房地產部門的表現強于私募股權部門，但其可投資資金相對較少。預計這種情況將很快得到改變，因為黑石正在募集一支100億美元的房地產基金。

????根據另外一份黑石集團報告，集團慈善基金會將在美國北卡羅來納州研究三角園(Research Triangle Park)資助一個新的創業計劃。目前尚不知細節，但本周會在北卡羅來納州達勒姆的一個大活動上正式宣布。這對于北卡羅來納州是一大好消息，但我懷疑黑石集團這樣做是否會讓研究三角園的初創企業在獲取風險資本的過程中遇到障礙：從舊金山到北卡羅來納州首府羅利根本就沒有直航航班……

????The Blackstone Group (BX) this morning reported its best quarterly earnings since going public four years ago. Second straight quarter they've done that.

????The headline number is $568 million in "economic net income," up 10.7% from $513 million in Q4 2010 and 58% from $360 million in Q1 2010. Adjusted ENI was 51 cents per share, above analyst forecasts of 41 cents per share. Fee-earning assets under management grew from $109.5 billion in Q4 to $124 billion.

????In the private equity group, underlying assets appreciated 4.9% during the quarter. The official investment period for BCP V closed in January, although still no word on if BCP VI has held a final close (it hadn't as of two months ago). Overall, the PE group had $16.9 billion in dry powder as of March 31.

????Real estate outperformed private equity, but its dry powder is lower. Expect that to be rectified soon, since Blackstone is out raising a $10 billion real estate fund.

????In an unrelated Blackstone note, the firm's charitable foundation is underwriting a new entrepreneurship initiative in Research Triangle Park. Don't know details yet, but a formal announcement is being made at a big event next week in Durham. Great news for North Carolina, although I wonder if Blackstone can manage to create one of the major impediments to RTP startups from getting VC funding: The total lack of nonstop flights from SFO to RDU...