Blackstone Group, the world’s largest alternative asset manager, has announced a new wave of deals in the United Kingdom as it expands its real estate footprint across Europe.

The firm said on Monday it would sell about £1 billion ($1.3 billion) worth of logistics assets to Tritax Big Box REIT in a cash-and-stock transaction that also gives Blackstone a 9% stake in Tritax. The U.S. private equity powerhouse also revealed it is considering a bid for UK self-storage operator Big Yellow Group, a move that sent the company’s shares soaring.

The announcements underscore Blackstone’s accelerating push into European property and logistics, even as rising borrowing costs and softer valuations continue to reshape the region’s real estate sector.

Under the logistics deal, Tritax Big Box will acquire around 41 assets from Blackstone’s portfolio of British warehouses. The transaction — comprising £632 million in cash and the issuance of new Tritax shares — will make Blackstone one of Tritax’s largest shareholders, owning roughly 9% of the company after completion.

Shares in Tritax rose 3% in early London trading following the announcement, reflecting investor optimism that the deal would strengthen the logistics company’s position in one of Europe’s most sought-after real estate sectors.

The sale is part of Blackstone’s ongoing strategy to rebalance and scale its European logistics holdings, which have grown rapidly since the e-commerce boom accelerated during the pandemic. Demand for high-quality warehouses and last-mile delivery facilities has continued to climb as retailers and logistics operators expand their online fulfillment networks.

The U.S. investment firm, which manages more than $1 trillion in assets globally, has become one of Europe’s biggest logistics landlords through subsidiaries like Mileway, its pan-European logistics platform, and Warehouse REIT, a UK logistics specialist it acquired in July 2025 for nearly £500 million after outbidding Tritax in a competitive auction.

Blackstone’s latest sale to Tritax effectively turns its former rival into a partner. Some analysts see strong long-term fundamentals in UK logistics and believe this transaction will allow the company to retain strategic exposure through our new stake in Tritax.

Blackstone Eyes Big Yellow Takeover

In a separate development, Blackstone confirmed it is weighing a potential cash offer for Big Yellow Group, one of Britain’s largest self-storage operators. The London-listed company, which has a market capitalization of about £1.9 billion, saw its shares jump as much as 22% on Monday following Blackstone’s disclosure.

Big Yellow later acknowledged that it had met with several potential suitors in recent weeks to discuss strategic options, including a possible sale, but said no formal approach or offer had yet been received.

The interest in Big Yellow highlights Blackstone’s renewed appetite for UK property assets, particularly those in resilient, high-demand sectors like logistics and self-storage. Analysts believe that while traditional office and retail properties have struggled with rising interest rates, storage and industrial assets have performed relatively well due to strong occupancy rates and stable cash flows.

A potential acquisition of Big Yellow would add another dimension to Blackstone’s UK real estate empire. The firm already owns stakes in major infrastructure, logistics, and residential projects across the country — part of its pledge to invest £100 billion in Britain over the next decade.

A Broader European Bet

Blackstone’s twin announcements come as the UK real estate market undergoes one of its biggest reshuffles in years. The rise in borrowing costs since 2022 has reduced property valuations and triggered a wave of consolidation among listed real estate investment trusts (REITs) and private equity-backed landlords.

Among the latest moves, Assura, a healthcare property investor and major NHS landlord, recently agreed to be acquired by rival Primary Health Properties following a months-long bidding battle with KKR, another major U.S. private equity group.

Analysts note that Blackstone’s actions reflect a broader strategy of buying into cyclical weakness — capitalizing on reduced valuations while positioning for long-term growth once interest rates ease.

The renewed focus on the UK forms part of Blackstone’s broader €100 billion expansion plan across Europe, which includes logistics, housing, and data centers. Despite concerns about inflation and tighter monetary policy, the firm has been deploying capital aggressively into “new economy” assets that benefit from digitalization and demographic shifts.

Its Mileway subsidiary — the largest owner of last-mile logistics properties in Europe — operates more than 1,700 assets across 10 countries, while Blackstone’s European housing platform has grown rapidly in markets like Spain and Germany.

Veteran investor Howard Marks, co-founder of Oaktree Capital Management, says the artificial intelligence (AI) boom dominating global stock markets does not yet meet the conditions of a speculative bubble, even though valuations have soared to unprecedented levels.

Speaking Monday in an interview with CNBC’s Sara Eisen, Marks said his response to growing speculation about an AI-driven market bubble is simple: valuations are “high but not crazy.”

“Expensive and going down tomorrow are not synonymous,” he said.

Marks, widely regarded for his decades of writing on market cycles, risk perception, and investor psychology, explained that while enthusiasm for AI stocks is clearly intense, it has not yet crossed the threshold into irrational mania.

“To me, the main ingredient in bubbles is psychological excess — some kind of temporary mania,” he said. “For a company in this sector or industry, there’s no such thing as a price too high. And I don’t detect that level of mania at this time, so I have not put the bubble label on this incident. It just hasn’t reached that critical mass of mania.”

Cautious Optimism Amid Soaring Valuations

Investors have poured billions into AI-linked companies this year — from chipmakers like Nvidia and AMD to software firms building large-scale generative AI systems — pushing valuations to historic highs.

The rapid rally has sparked debate among market analysts about whether the boom is sustainable or driven by fear of missing out (FOMO). But Marks insists that optimism alone doesn’t equal irrational exuberance.

“People are counting on AI for a lot,” he said. “I think that it’s probably going to deliver a lot. We have no idea what it’s going to deliver, when, or in what form. And I’ve made the judgment that it’s not manic behavior.”

Lessons from the Dot-Com Era

Marks drew parallels between today’s AI surge and the late 1990s internet boom, which transformed the world but also left behind a trail of failed startups and investor losses.

“Back in ’99, people said the internet will change the world. And it certainly did,” he said. “But the vast majority of the companies that went public for the internet and e-commerce in ’98, ’99, early 2000 ended up worthless.”

He said that period offers a valuable lesson about investor psychology — particularly the assumption that every company in a transformative industry will succeed.

Marks implied that investors assume that the current leaders will remain dominant, that even the laggards will prosper, and that any company with a small chance of massive success is worth backing.

“A company with a 2% chance of going up 100x is still a winner. And I think that’s a reach too far. That’s bubble psychology.”

AI’s Promise Still Outweighs Fear

For now, Marks said, AI’s transformative potential is undeniable, and unlike the speculative excesses of the dot-com bubble, most investors seem to be channeling their capital toward companies with genuine products, earnings, and technological relevance.

He credited the fundamental advances in computing power, machine learning models, and enterprise adoption of AI tools for supporting much of the current optimism, though he warned that expectations for “instant results” could still lead to market overreactions.

Analysts say Marks’ remarks carry particular weight because of his track record predicting market turning points, including warnings about the excesses that led to the 2008 financial crisis.

His perspective contrasts with that of some market commentators who have begun drawing sharper comparisons between the current AI rally and past speculative frenzies. But Marks’ restraint underlines his belief that the market has not yet tipped into mania.

The Bottom Line

Howard Marks’ take on the AI market boom is that valuations are stretched, but not detached from reality. While investor excitement is intense, he does not yet see the unanchored euphoria or “it can only go up” mindset that defines a classic bubble.

In his words, “It’s not manic behavior.”

The longtime market watcher’s conclusion offers a tempered reminder that AI may indeed reshape industries — but history shows that even revolutions take time to price in.

China Renaissance Holdings Ltd. often referred to as China Renaissance, a Beijing-based investment bank listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, is in advanced talks to raise approximately $600 million for a new U.S.-listed public vehicle dedicated to accumulating and holding BNB, the native token of the BNB Chain ecosystem tied to Binance.

This move builds on the firm’s earlier commitment and signals growing institutional interest in crypto treasuries, particularly amid BNB’s recent surge to new all-time highs around $1,235–$1,300.

The vehicle would function as a “crypto treasury company,” modeled after similar entities like bitcoin-focused funds that have attracted billions in capital this year.

Funds would primarily be deployed to acquire and hold BNB, positioning it as a core balance-sheet asset for yield generation, ecosystem participation, and potential staking rewards within the BNB Chain. Leading the effort, with an initial $100 million already allocated to BNB from an August 2025 strategic partnership.

The rebranded family office and venture arm of Binance co-founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao—YZi Labs, committing alongside China Renaissance for a combined $200 million seed investment. The remaining ~$400 million would come from institutional investors and public markets via the U.S. listing.

Talks are ongoing, with no final close announced yet. This follows the August 22, 2025, memorandum of understanding (MoU) between China Renaissance and YZi Labs, which aimed to promote BNB adoption, including potential listings on regulated Hong Kong exchanges.

The bank’s former chairman, Bao Fan, was released from detention in August 2025, potentially stabilizing operations for this pivot to Web3. In August 2025, the firm became the first Hong Kong-listed company to hold BNB directly on its balance sheet, earmarking $100 million for the token as part of a broader $200 million Web3 strategy.

This includes advisory from YZi Labs on vetted BNB Chain projects in DeFi, AI, and real-world asset (RWA) tokenization. Once dubbed China’s “M&A King” for tech deals, China Renaissance is shifting toward digital assets amid regulatory thawing in Hong Kong as a crypto hub.

BNB’s utility—powering the BNB Chain for low-cost transactions, dApps, and ecosystem incentives—aligns with the bank’s goal of “sustainable participation opportunities” beyond price speculation.

While Hong Kong has approved BNB listings on platforms like OSL Exchange, broader mainland China crypto restrictions remain tight. The U.S. listing could bypass some hurdles but would need to navigate SEC scrutiny on tokenized assets.

This announcement has sparked bullish reactions across crypto circles, with BNB’s price jumping ~5% intraday on October 13, 2025, amid $606 million in broader market liquidations mostly shorts. On X (formerly Twitter), Cz_binance (CZ) simply posted “#BNB” in response to the news, amplifying hype.

Analysts point to volume profile indicators suggesting further upside, potentially toward a new ATH, driven by institutional inflows. Mirrors $5.5B+ in BTC/ETH treasuries; could boost BNB liquidity by 0.5–1% of circulating supply.

BNB Holdings Potential ~460,000–480,000 BNB at current ~$1,250 price. Comparable to recent disclosures by firms like CEA Industries; enhances staking yields ~3–5% APY. Supports builders via YZi Labs; could accelerate listings and adoption in Asia.

Regulatory hurdles in U.S./HK; crypto volatility Deal not finalized; BNB down 20% from peaks in bear scenarios. This rare institutional bet from a Chinese firm underscores crypto’s maturation, bridging TradFi with Web3. If completed, it could catalyze similar BNB treasuries and solidify the token’s role in global finance.