44 Wealth Management LLC Boosts Stock Position in BlackRock $BLK

Key Points

• 44 Wealth Management raised its stake in BlackRock by 454.7% in Q3 to 2,008 shares valued at $2,341,000, while institutional and hedge funds collectively own about 80.69% of the stock.
• Company insiders sold a total of 111,319 shares worth roughly $123.999 million over the last quarter, leaving insiders with about 1.98% ownership.
• BlackRock beat Q results with $13.16 EPS versus $12.55 expected and revenue of $7.01 billion (+23.4% YoY), and raised its quarterly dividend to $5.73 (annualized $22.92, ~2.5% yield).

44 Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of BlackRock (NYSE:BLK - Free Report) by 454.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 2,008 shares of the asset manager's stock after buying an additional 1,646 shares during the quarter. 44 Wealth Management LLC's holdings in BlackRock were worth $2,341,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in BlackRock by 1.7% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 13,991,264 shares of the asset manager's stock valued at $14,680,334,000 after acquiring an additional 227,192 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of BlackRock during the second quarter worth $2,644,007,000. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of BlackRock by 72.5% during the 2nd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 2,005,358 shares of the asset manager's stock valued at $2,104,122,000 after purchasing an additional 842,901 shares during the last quarter. Capital International Investors boosted its position in shares of BlackRock by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 1,841,088 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $2,146,663,000 after purchasing an additional 10,591 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of BlackRock by 105,267.4% in the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,705,899 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $1,789,915,000 after purchasing an additional 1,704,280 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.69% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director J. Richard Kushel sold 385 shares of BlackRock stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,084.91, for a total value of $417,690.35. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 3,335 shares in the company, valued at $3,618,174.85. The trade was a 10.35% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Stephen Cohen sold 225 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,069.56, for a total value of $240,651.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 5,661 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,054,779.16. The trade was a 3.82% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 111,319 shares of company stock valued at $123,999,249 over the last quarter. Insiders own 1.98% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently issued reports on BLK shares. Evercore reduced their target price on BlackRock from $1,275.00 to $1,235.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 6th. UBS Group upgraded BlackRock from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $1,280.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. BMO Capital Markets cut their price objective on shares of BlackRock from $1,300.00 to $1,250.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price objective on shares of BlackRock from $1,296.00 to $1,380.00 in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, Barclays lifted their target price on shares of BlackRock from $1,300.00 to $1,350.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, January 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $1,308.89.

BlackRock Price Performance

NYSE:BLK opened at $922.79 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 2.98 and a quick ratio of 2.98. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $1,075.75 and a 200-day moving average price of $1,092.52. BlackRock has a 1-year low of $773.74 and a 1-year high of $1,219.94. The firm has a market cap of $143.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 1.48.

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

BlackRock Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 24th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be given a dividend of $5.73 per share. This is a boost from BlackRock's previous quarterly dividend of $5.21. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. This represents a $22.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. BlackRock's payout ratio is 64.71%.

Key Headlines Impacting BlackRock

Here are the key news stories impacting BlackRock this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Launch of iShares Staked Ethereum Trust (ETHB) expands BlackRock’s crypto product lineup and produced a solid debut (~$15.5M day‑one volume), a positive revenue/flows catalyst if assets scale. BlackRock’s New Staked Ethereum ETF (ETHB) Sees ‘Very, Very Solid’ $15.5 Million Debut, Says Analyst
• Positive Sentiment: Crypto market coverage notes whale ETH accumulation alongside the ETHB launch — bullish for BlackRock’s digital asset distribution and potential fee/flow growth. Ethereum (ETH) Sees Major Whale Buying as BlackRock Launches Staked ETF Product
• Positive Sentiment: Market reaction to BlackRock CIO calls (and related portfolio positioning) has helped lift some sector indices (clean energy) — indicative of the firm’s market influence and potential to drive ETF flows. Clean Energy Index Jumps 61% After BlackRock CIO's Contrarian Call
• Neutral Sentiment: Regulatory disclosures show BlackRock holds ~10–11% capital/voting stakes in Qiagen — a standard large‑holder filing that is notable but not an immediate company revenue driver. BlackRock Reports 10.6% Capital and 11.8% Voting Stake in Qiagen
• Neutral Sentiment: BlackRock Canada announced index/methodology changes to three CAD‑hedged iShares funds — routine product updates with limited near‑term impact on BLK’s consolidated results. BlackRock® Canada Announces Product Changes
• Negative Sentiment: Private‑credit stress: reporting that Morgan Stanley and BlackRock capped/limited withdrawals in some private‑credit vehicles has pressured asset managers and sparked concerns about redemptions, markdowns and fee revenue risk. This is a near‑term negative for BLK if private‑credit flows and valuations deteriorate. Exclusive: Morgan Stanley and BlackRock limit withdrawals—is private credit gating a crisis or market 'stabilizer'?
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction: coverage highlights a BLK share pullback alongside weakness in private‑credit peers, signaling investor concern about the sector’s spillover to large asset managers. BlackRock Stock Slide As Private Credit Firms Tumble
• Negative Sentiment: Investor litigation alert: Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of BlackRock investors — potential legal/PR risk that could distract management and create uncertainty. INVESTOR ALERT: Pomerantz Law Firm Investigates Claims On Behalf of Investors of BlackRock, Inc. - BLK

About BlackRock

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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