Friday's Financial Winners & Losers

Updated from 1:29 p.m. EDT

A number of financial stocks were hit with downgrades Friday as the sector slid downward in near synchronization with the broad indices.

Blackstone (BX Quote) was an exception, however, launching with a bang today in its initial public offering. The asset manager priced some 133.3 million shares at $31 apiece -- the high end of its expected range -- and closed up 13.1% to $35.06.

New York investment bank Greenhill (GHL Quote) was upped to outperform from market perform at Wachovia, boosting shares by 4.7% to $68.48, and Corus Bankshares (CORS Quote) added 5.4% on word of a special $1-per-share cash dividend to holders of record as of July 18. Shares of the Chicago-based bank closed up 89 cents to $17.25. ...