For Stephen A. Schwarzman, the co-founder of the private equity giant Blackstone Group, an accounting rule partly explains why the American financial system looks so wobbly these days.

Holding an investment for ten years is an unusually long time in the private equity world.

Under the terms of the deal, shareholders of the Apria Healthcare Group will receive $21 in cash for each common share outstanding.

NBC confirmed on Friday, hours after Time Warner withdrew its bid, that it was in exclusive negotiations to buy the Weather Channel.

Expertise can be more important than cash when it comes to winning investments in China, managers of four of the world’s biggest buyout firms said.

An investor group led by NBC Universal and two private equity firms appeared to be leading the bidding for the Weather Channel.

An investor group led by NBC Universal and two private equity firms appeared to be leading the bidding for the Weather Channel.

Money managers have traditionally made profits buying distressed debt on the cheap, but individual investors can get into the game directly as well.

The Blackstone Group posted a $66.5 million quarterly loss on Thursday, and its executives warned that the turmoil in the financial markets may not be over.

Alliance Data Systems, the credit card processor, sued the Blackstone Group in New York State court late Friday, accusing the private equity firm of breaching its agreement to buy the company for $6.4 billion.