StepStone Group (NASDAQ:STEP) Shares Gap Down – What’s Next?

Posted by Stanley Muller on Jun 3rd, 2026

StepStone Group Inc. (NASDAQ:STEP – Get Free Report)’s share price gapped down prior to trading on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $46.07, but opened at $42.64. StepStone Group shares last traded at $42.81, with a volume of 474,484 shares.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have issued reports on the company. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on StepStone Group from $54.00 to $62.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $60.00 price objective on shares of StepStone Group in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Barclays boosted their price target on StepStone Group from $61.00 to $62.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Oppenheimer lowered their price target on StepStone Group from $90.00 to $85.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut StepStone Group from a “sell (d)” rating to a “sell (d-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, StepStone Group currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $71.88.

Get Our Latest Research Report on StepStone Group

StepStone Group Trading Down 8.3%

The company has a market cap of $5.03 billion, a PE ratio of -6.21 and a beta of 1.29. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $51.28 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $57.65.

StepStone Group (NASDAQ:STEP – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, May 20th. The company reported $0.57 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.51 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $305.84 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $292.11 million. StepStone Group had a positive return on equity of 37.69% and a negative net margin of 26.88%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.68 EPS. Equities analysts expect that StepStone Group Inc. will post 2.57 EPS for the current year.

StepStone Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a $0.28 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $1.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. StepStone Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently -16.47%.

StepStone Group declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase program on Monday, March 9th that allows the company to repurchase $100.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to repurchase up to 1.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are typically a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On StepStone Group

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Salomon & Ludwin LLC boosted its position in shares of StepStone Group by 105.0% during the fourth quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 414 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 212 shares during the period. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd increased its stake in StepStone Group by 2,285.7% in the third quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd now owns 501 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 480 shares during the last quarter. Essential Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of StepStone Group by 17,350.0% during the first quarter. Essential Partners LLC now owns 698 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 694 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP increased its holdings in shares of StepStone Group by 155.7% in the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 514 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 313 shares during the period. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its stake in shares of StepStone Group by 58.6% in the fourth quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 544 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 201 shares in the last quarter. 55.54% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About StepStone Group

(Get Free Report)

StepStone Group is a global private markets investment firm that provides specialized investment solutions across private equity, private credit and real assets. The firm offers customized portfolios, secondary interests, direct co-investments and tailored advisory services to institutional investors worldwide. StepStone’s integrated research and data analytics platform supports its investment teams in sourcing opportunities and monitoring portfolio companies.

Founded in 2007 as an independent private markets specialist, the company has grown its presence through both organic expansion and strategic partnerships.