Blackstone Inc. hired Joseph Cassanelli, a banker who drove major Wall Street deals, as the private equity firm prepares to invest more in banks and insurers.

Private equity firms are trying to regain some control after investors took advantage of one of the toughest fundraising environments in years.

The $5 trillion industry is embarking on a campaign to change the way taxes for indebted businesses are tallied. Leading lobbyists want to tack two letters — DA — back to an earnings formula used to help calculate tax deductions, a change potentially worth billions.

Blackstone Inc.’s real estate arm weighed on the investment giant’s second-quarter results, as high interest rates crimped property valuations and investors pumped less money into the business.

Blackstone Inc.’s $69 billion real estate trust hit a monthly redemption limit in January, as the firm’s crown jewel continues to wrestle with a line of investors seeking to get money out.

The California Public Employees’ Retirement System is making a $1 billion wager that small private equity firms without the heft of the biggest buyout institutions can boost the pension giant’s returns and clout.

Blackstone Inc., the world’s largest alternative-asset manager, cashed out of big deals in the second quarter, mitigating the sting from writedowns on investments and the tumult rippling through markets.

The California Public Employees’ Retirement System sold about $6 billion of its stakes in private equity funds to second-hand buyers, severing ties with a slew of past managers and freeing up cash for new wagers.