Insider Trading January 28, 2026

StepStone CEO Disposes $725,176 in Class A Stock; Multiple Corporate Developments Noted

Scott W. Hart sells 10,000 shares as StepStone heads into an earnings report and navigates rating changes and strategic moves

By Avery Klein STEP
StepStone CEO Disposes $725,176 in Class A Stock; Multiple Corporate Developments Noted
STEP

StepStone Group Inc. CEO Scott W. Hart sold 10,000 shares of Class A common stock on January 26, 2026, generating proceeds of $725,176. The sale was completed in two tranches and leaves Hart with direct and indirect holdings across Class A and Class B shares. The transaction comes ahead of an upcoming earnings release and amid a string of corporate items including a real estate deal, a Fitch downgrade, an approved acquisition of STEP Energy Services, leadership succession in private equity, and a new Madrid office opening.

Key Points

  • CEO Scott W. Hart sold 10,000 Class A shares on January 26, 2026, raising $725,176 through two transactions with weighted average prices of $71.99 and $72.97.
  • Post-transaction ownership: Hart directly holds 50,883 Class A shares and indirectly (By Trust) owns 3,061,782 Class B shares; STEP has a market cap of roughly $8.7 billion and reports earnings on February 5.
  • Recent corporate items include a $250 million continuation vehicle for five senior housing communities, a Fitch downgrade of related entities, an approved acquisition of STEP Energy Services for $5.50/share, a private equity leadership change effective January 1, 2026, and a new Madrid office.

StepStone Group Inc. (NASDAQ: STEP) reported an insider sale on January 26, 2026, when Chief Executive Officer Scott W. Hart relinquished 10,000 shares of Class A common stock for total proceeds of $725,176. The shares changed hands in two separate transactions, each executed at slightly different price bands.

In the first trade, Hart sold 4,616 shares at a weighted average price of $71.99, with individual execution prices spanning from $71.47 to $72.45. The second trade comprised 5,384 shares sold at a weighted average price of $72.97, with prices ranging between $72.47 and $73.37.

After these dispositions, Hart's reported holdings include 50,883 shares of Class A common stock owned directly, plus an indirect interest of 3,061,782 shares of Class B common stock held by trust. Market participants tracking the roughly $8.7 billion market capitalization company should note that StepStone is scheduled to report quarterly results on February 5, eight days after the sale.

At the time of the transaction, STEP shares were trading near $73.19. The share price has advanced more than 16% over the prior 12 months and is identified as slightly undervalued by InvestingPro Fair Value analysis.

Analysts' consensus in public reports indicates the company was not profitable over the most recent twelve-month period but is forecast to return to profitability during the current year. Additional in-depth research and proprietary insights on StepStone are available to InvestingPro subscribers, who can access further key data points and a comprehensive Pro Research Report on the company.


Several other corporate developments related to StepStone were disclosed alongside the insider activity:

  • StepStone Real Estate and Blue Moon Capital Partners completed a $250 million transaction to operate five senior housing communities. The arrangement is structured as a continuation vehicle that will manage assets originally developed by Blue Moon and intends to pursue further property acquisitions.
  • Fitch Ratings reduced the Long-Term Issuer Default Rating for StepStone Group Holding GmbH from 'B+' to 'B', citing a decline in revenue. Alongside this, the issuance ratings for StepStone Group Midco2 GmbH and The StepStone Group US Co-Borrower LLC were lowered to 'B+'.
  • Shareholders of STEP Energy Services approved a sale in which ARC Energy Fund 8 and 2659160 Alberta Ltd. will acquire all outstanding shares for $5.50 per share.
  • StepStone announced a leadership appointment effective January 1, 2026: Lindsay Creedon will assume the role of Head of Private Equity, succeeding current CEO Scott Hart in that position.
  • The firm has also expanded in Europe by opening a new office in Madrid, its ninth continental location. The Madrid office will serve clients in Spain, Portugal, and Andorra.

The timing of the insider sale ahead of an imminent earnings release, the recent credit-rating actions, and the series of strategic transactions and organizational moves collectively frame a busy near-term period for StepStone. Investors and observers focused on the asset management and alternative investments sector will likely weigh these items as they assess the company's operating outlook and near-term catalysts.

Risks

  • Credit rating downgrade - Fitch reduced StepStone Group Holding GmbH’s long-term issuer default rating to 'B' and lowered issuance ratings for related entities to 'B+', reflecting revenue weakness. This rating action may affect capital costs and counterparty perceptions in financial services and asset management.
  • Profitability uncertainty - The company was not profitable over the last twelve months, although analysts expect it to return to profitability in the current year; this creates operational and valuation risk for investors in the asset management sector.
  • Near-term earnings event - The insider sale occurred eight days before StepStone's earnings report on February 5, introducing potential volatility in the short term for stakeholders evaluating the company’s upcoming results.

More from Insider Trading

Stifel Financial President Sells Small Stake, Exercises Options in Separate Transactions Feb 2, 2026 Corning Executive Sells $558,231 in Stock as Company Posts Slight Q4 Beat Feb 2, 2026 Mentor Capital CEO Makes Small Direct Purchases; Audit Firm Change Announced Feb 2, 2026 RENN Fund President Murray Stahl Purchases 1,154 Shares Valued at $2,971 Feb 2, 2026 Graco Director Disposes $1.25M in Stock After Exercising Options; Q4 Results Align with Expectations Feb 2, 2026