Stock Market Today, March 17: Blue Owl Capital Rises Though Private Credit Fears Linger

By Emma Newbery – Mar 17, 2026 at 6:32PM ESTExpandNYSE: OWLBlue Owl CapitalToday's Change(4.62%) $0.41Current Price$9.16Key Data PointsMarket Cap$5.8BDay's Range$8.94 - $9.3852wk Range$8.55 - $21.88Volume1.8MAvg Vol26MGross Margin86.68%Dividend Yield10.27%Blue Owl Capital (OWL +4.62%), a specialty finance firm that’s struggled as private-credit funds have come under scrutiny, closed Tuesday at $9.15, up 4.45%. There was no clear driver for today’s gains, though wider sector gains could reflect a shift in sentiment.Trading volume reached 41.8 million shares, coming in about 57% above its three-month average of 26.6 million shares.

Blue Owl Capital IPO'd in 2020 and has fallen 15% since going public.How the markets moved todayThe S&P 500 (^GSPC +0.25%) added 0.25% to finish Tuesday at 6,716, while the Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC +0.47%) climbed 0.47% to close at 22,480. Within alternative asset management, industry peers Ares Management (ARES +6.68%) closed up 6.57% at $105.67 Blackstone (BX +4.56%) gained 4.56% to finish at $112.00, reflecting broad strength across the group.What this means for investorsBlue Owl Capital pared some of its gains today, but the stock has still dropped over 50% in the past year. A combination of intensifying private credit fears and the firm’s focus on software stocks has weighed heavily on its price. Today’s shift comes alongside peer gains, suggesting investors may think the sector is oversold. Other drivers could include the firm’s push into other sectors -- Blue Owl Capital recently lent $550 million to life-sciences firm, Scholar Rock (SRRK +0.99%). Plus, earlier this month, Oppenheimer reiterated its “outperform” rating on the stock.Even so, investors remain cautious. As private credit comes under stress and fund managers, including Blue Owl, restrict redemptions on certain funds, this storm may not be over.Read NextMar 3, 2026 •By Eric TrieStock Market Today, March 3: Blue Owl Falls Amid Rising Private Credit Redemption ActivityFeb 24, 2026 •By Howard SmithStock Market Today, Feb. 24: Blue Owl Capital Rises After Tightening Withdrawals at Private Credit FundJun 11, 2021 •By Bram BerkowitzWhy Shares of Blue Owl Capital Are Falling Heading Into the WeekendAbout the AuthorEmma Newberry is a contributing Motley Fool cryptocurrency analyst covering digital currencies and blockchain trends. She previously wrote for Motley Fool Money (formerly The Ascent) on personal finance, investing, retirement readiness, and crypto. Earlier in her career, Emma founded an English-language newspaper in Colombia and contributed to Olympic city bid campaigns. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature with creative writing from the University of East Anglia in the UK.TMFemmanewberyStocks MentionedBlue Owl CapitalNYSE: OWL$9.17(+4.62%)+$0.41Ares ManagementNYSE: ARES$105.78(+6.68%)+$6.62BlackstoneNYSE: BX$111.86(+4.42%)+$4.74*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.