BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) Receives Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages

Key Points

• Analysts give BlackRock a consensus rating of Moderate Buy from 20 firms (16 buys, 3 holds, 1 strong buy) with an average 12‑month price target of about $1,269.
• Insiders have been net sellers recently: CFO Martin Small sold 27,047 shares (~$31.7M) and a director sold 20,000 shares (~$22.5M), with insiders offloading 111,319 shares (~$124M) in the last quarter (insiders now own 1.98%).
• Key catalysts are mixed — BlackRock filed for an iShares Nasdaq‑100 ETF (IQQ) and posted an earnings beat (QEPS $13.16 vs. $12.55) and raised its dividend to $5.73 quarterly, while risks include a >$20B decline in its on‑chain crypto portfolio, regional ETF outflows, and a new investor investigation.

Shares of BlackRock (NYSE:BLK - Get Free Report) have been given a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by the twenty ratings firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, sixteen have given a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $1,269.1111.

BLK has been the subject of several recent research reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their price target on BlackRock from $1,340.00 to $1,150.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Bank of America upped their price target on BlackRock from $1,456.00 to $1,464.00 in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. TD Cowen cut BlackRock from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Freedom Capital raised BlackRock from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, UBS Group raised BlackRock from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $1,280.00 price target for the company in a report on Monday, February 23rd.

Insider Transactions at BlackRock

In other news, CFO Martin Small sold 27,047 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,171.14, for a total value of $31,675,823.58. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 10,557 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $12,363,724.98. This represents a 71.93% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director J. Richard Kushel sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,125.00, for a total value of $22,500,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 61,894 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $69,630,750. The trade was a 24.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders sold 111,319 shares of company stock worth $123,999,249. Insiders own 1.98% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On BlackRock

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. FAS Wealth Partners Inc. raised its holdings in shares of BlackRock by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. FAS Wealth Partners Inc. now owns 817 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $857,000 after buying an additional 9 shares in the last quarter. First Financial Bank Trust Division raised its holdings in shares of BlackRock by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. First Financial Bank Trust Division now owns 1,794 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $2,092,000 after buying an additional 9 shares in the last quarter. HM Payson & Co. raised its holdings in shares of BlackRock by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. HM Payson & Co. now owns 1,444 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $1,683,000 after buying an additional 9 shares in the last quarter. PUREfi Wealth LLC raised its holdings in shares of BlackRock by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter. PUREfi Wealth LLC now owns 460 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $536,000 after buying an additional 9 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Shum Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of BlackRock by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Shum Financial Group Inc. now owns 2,183 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $2,336,000 after buying an additional 9 shares in the last quarter. 80.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting BlackRock

Here are the key news stories impacting BlackRock this week:

• Positive Sentiment: BlackRock filed for an iShares Nasdaq‑100 ETF (ticker IQQ), joining State Street in directly challenging Invesco’s QQQ — a move that could win large passive flows if BlackRock competes on fees and brand, and reshape ETF market share in a $300B+ segment. BLK & STT Enter Nasdaq 100 Index ETFs, Challenge Invesco QQQ Fund
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts have revised Q1 estimates ahead of BlackRock’s April 14 earnings call with several firms expecting higher Q1 earnings — a catalyst that can help validate management’s growth narrative and support the stock into the print. BlackRock Likely To Report Higher Q1 Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Spot crypto ETFs and institutional buying (including BlackRock) continue to see meaningful inflows (recent single‑day Bitcoin ETF inflows and ETH ETF momentum) — supporting fee income and AUM growth in BlackRock’s digital products. Bitcoin ETFs See Strongest Single-Day Inflow Since February
• Neutral Sentiment: Several brokers trimmed BlackRock price targets (Barclays, Keefe Bruyette & Woods, Jefferies, Goldman) but largely kept buy/overweight ratings — suggests modest near‑term valuation downtick expectations while sentiment from analysts remains constructive. Barclays Adjusts Price Target on BlackRock
• Neutral Sentiment: The SEC’s approval of dual‑class fund share structures and BlackRock’s related moves create structural flexibility (mutual fund + ETF share classes) — may change product packaging but impact on near‑term revenue is uncertain. BlackRock Moves On Dual Class Funds And Nasdaq 100 ETF Competition
• Neutral Sentiment: Regulatory/holding notices: BlackRock reduced its stake in WPP and ceased being a substantial holder in Technology One — routine portfolio moves that have limited direct impact on BLK’s operating results. BlackRock Ceases to Be Substantial Holder in Technology One
• Negative Sentiment: BlackRock reported over $20B of decline in the value of its on‑chain crypto portfolio in Q1 (price declines offset BTC accumulation and ETH outflows) — a headline that can weigh on fee growth and investor sentiment around digital asset strategies. BlackRock Sees Over $20 Billion in Cryptocurrency Outflows in Q1 2026
• Negative Sentiment: Large outflows from BlackRock’s India ETF amid geopolitical concerns (Iran war) highlight regional AUM sensitivity and can pressure fees tied to EM product lines. Billions Flow Out of BlackRock’s India ETF as Iran War Escalates
• Negative Sentiment: Pomerantz has opened an investor investigation into BlackRock — potential litigation headlines can create episodic downside risk even if outcomes are uncertain. Pomerantz Law Firm Investigates Claims On Behalf of Investors of BlackRock

BlackRock Price Performance

NYSE BLK opened at $1,001.44 on Thursday. BlackRock has a twelve month low of $799.15 and a twelve month high of $1,219.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a quick ratio of 2.98 and a current ratio of 2.98. The stock has a market capitalization of $155.76 billion, a PE ratio of 28.27, a P/E/G ratio of 1.24 and a beta of 1.48. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $1,020.84 and a 200 day simple moving average of $1,072.88.

BlackRock (NYSE:BLK - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 15th. The asset manager reported $13.16 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $12.55 by $0.61. The business had revenue of $7.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.80 billion. BlackRock had a return on equity of 14.78% and a net margin of 22.93%.The firm's revenue was up 23.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $11.93 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that BlackRock will post 47.41 EPS for the current year.

BlackRock Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 24th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 6th were issued a $5.73 dividend. This is a positive change from BlackRock's previous quarterly dividend of $5.21. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 6th. This represents a $22.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. BlackRock's payout ratio is currently 64.71%.

BlackRock Company Profile

BlackRock, Inc is a global investment management firm that provides a broad range of products and services to institutional, intermediary and individual investors. Its core activities include portfolio management across active and index strategies, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) under the iShares brand, fixed income, equity and multi-asset solutions, as well as alternatives such as private equity, real estate and infrastructure. The firm also offers cash management and liquidity solutions and retirement-focused products designed for defined contribution and defined benefit investors.

In addition to traditional investment management, BlackRock is known for its technology and risk management capabilities, most prominently its Aladdin platform, which combines portfolio management, trading and risk analytics and is used both internally and licensed to external clients.

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