NEW YORK (Reuters) - Private equity firm Carlyle Group LP (O:CG) posted better-than-expected first-quarter earnings on Wednesday as gains in its buyout and real estate investments offset losses in other areas including the energy market.
Carlyle earned an economic net income ( ENI (MI:ENI)) of $89 million before taxes, down 68 percent compared with a year earlier but still beating market expectations.
That translated into 18 cents of ENI per share after taxes, compared with analyst forecasts for 12 cents per share.
ENI is a crucial performance measure for U.S. private equity firms as it accounts for unrealized gains or losses in investments.
Known for multi-billion-dollar corporate takeovers that were all the rage before the 2008 global financial crisis, the U.S. private equity industry has had a slow start this year as investor aversion to risk reduced financing for buyouts.