Buyout firm Blackstone third-quarter earnings beat estimates

Blackstone Group LP , the world's biggest alternative asset manager, posted stronger-than-expected third-quarter earnings on Thursday as its real estate, private equity and credit investments posted sharp turnarounds. Performances across all of Blackstone's main businesses -- buyouts, real estate, hedge funds and credit -- improved markedly compared with year ago, when a plunging U.S. stock market pushed investments into the red.