StepStone Group (NASDAQ:STEP) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume Following Dividend Announcement

Posted by Geri Gentry on Aug 9th, 2026

Shares of StepStone Group Inc. (NASDAQ:STEP – Get Free Report) saw an uptick in trading volume on Friday after the company announced a dividend. Approximately 2,720,186 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 114% from the previous session’s volume of 1,268,895 shares.The stock last traded at $47.7190 and had previously closed at $50.33.

The newly announced dividend which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Investors of record on Monday, August 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.33 per share. This is an increase from StepStone Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.28. This represents a $1.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 31st. StepStone Group’s dividend payout ratio is -16.47%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently commented on STEP shares. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of StepStone Group in a research report on Monday, July 20th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $58.00 target price on shares of StepStone Group in a research report on Friday. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of StepStone Group from $60.00 to $62.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on shares of StepStone Group from $72.00 to $63.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Finally, Oppenheimer reduced their price objective 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. Seven 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.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $70.88.

View Our Latest Report on STEP

StepStone Group Stock Performance

The firm has a market cap of $5.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -6.01 and a beta of 1.27. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $43.92 and its 200-day moving average is $50.37.

StepStone Group (NASDAQ:STEP – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported $0.48 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.50 by ($0.02). StepStone Group had a positive return on equity of 52.55% and a negative net margin of 30.53%.The company had revenue of $300.60 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $309.32 million. As a group, research analysts predict that StepStone Group Inc. will post 2.54 EPS for the current year.

Trending Headlines about StepStone Group

Here are the key news stories impacting StepStone Group this week:

Positive Sentiment: StepStone increased its quarterly dividend by 17.9% to $0.33 per share, implying an annualized yield of approximately 2.8%. The dividend is payable September 15 to shareholders of record August 31. StepStone Group Reports First Quarter Fiscal Year 2027 Results
Positive Sentiment: A separate earnings analysis highlighted sales growth that exceeded estimates for the reported period, providing a constructive sign for the firm’s operating momentum. StepStone Group sales report
Neutral Sentiment: Management’s first-quarter fiscal 2027 earnings call provided additional commentary on results and business conditions, but the available report does not specify new guidance or major strategic changes. StepStone Group Q1 2027 Earnings Call Transcript
Negative Sentiment: StepStone reported quarterly EPS of $0.48, below consensus estimates of roughly $0.50–$0.51, although earnings improved from $0.40 a year earlier. Revenue of $300.6 million also fell short of the approximately $309.3 million consensus estimate. The dual miss likely drove the negative reaction. StepStone Group misses Q1 earnings and revenue estimates

Insider Transactions at StepStone Group

In other StepStone Group news, insider Michael I. Mccabe purchased 120,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $41.85 per share, for a total transaction of $5,022,000.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider directly owned 433,178 shares in the company, valued at $18,128,499.30. This represents a 38.32% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, COO Jose A. Fernandez sold 100,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.60, for a total transaction of $4,860,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 102,290 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,971,294. The trade was a 49.43% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 15.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of StepStone Group

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of STEP. Salomon & Ludwin LLC lifted its stake in shares of StepStone Group by 105.0% in the fourth quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 414 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 212 shares during the period. Quarry LP increased its stake in StepStone Group by 155.7% during the third 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. Fifth Third Bancorp increased its stake in StepStone Group by 58.6% during the fourth quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 544 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 201 shares during the period. Essential Partners LLC raised its holdings in StepStone Group by 17,350.0% in the 1st quarter. Essential Partners LLC now owns 698 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 694 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in StepStone Group in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $46,000. 55.54% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

StepStone Group Company Profile

(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.