Since going public, the Carlyle Group has emphasized the breadth of its investment activities. But in the third quarter, its traditional business of buying and selling companies generated the most growth among its many funds.
Carlyle said on Monday that its leveraged buyout funds, along with its real estate funds, were its best performers, growing about 5 percent in the quarter each. Its global market strategies platform rose just 2 percent, while growth capital was unchanged.
The firm's energy funds shrank about 3 percent, in the worst showing among Carlyle's investment businesses for the quarter. (All the numbers are based on paper gains or losses, the firm cautioned.)
Over all, private equity has remained a strong performer for Carlyle. The firm has been busy conducting deals this year, which have ranged from the $3.3 billion takeover of Getty Images to an investment in the railroad operator Genesee & Wyoming.
For the last 12 months, leveraged bu yout funds ranked second overall among Carlyle's operations, posting a 21 percent gain. That trails only global market strategies, which jumped 23 percent. The worst performer was the growth capital business, which rose only 6 percent during the same time period.
By contrast, the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index grew nearly 27 percent during the same time period. And the MSCI All Country World Index rose 18 percent.
Shares in Carlyle have risen 16 percent since the firm went public in early May.
