Because of the complexities of its business, it can be difficult to decipher whether the Blackstone Group (

) has posted a profit. In its latest earnings report, there was a net loss of $11 million, or $0.03 per share, up from a loss of $143.3 million in the same period a year ago. But private equity firms highlight another metric: economic net income. It's supposed to be a better reflection of the earnings. According to this, Blackstone saw a 46% rise to $0.29 per share in profits.

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