BlackRock $BLK Position Increased by Vise Technologies Inc.

Key Points

• Vise Technologies Inc. increased its BlackRock stake by 49.6% in the fourth quarter, ending with 5,246 shares valued at about $5.6 million.
• BlackRock insiders were active sellers: CEO Laurence Fink sold 33,900 shares and President Robert Kapito sold 8,739 shares in late April.
• The company reported solid quarterly results, with EPS of $12.53 and revenue of $6.70 billion, both beating expectations, while also announcing a quarterly dividend of $5.73 per share.

Vise Technologies Inc. raised its position in shares of BlackRock (NYSE:BLK - Free Report) by 49.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 5,246 shares of the asset manager's stock after buying an additional 1,739 shares during the quarter. Vise Technologies Inc.'s holdings in BlackRock were worth $5,615,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of BlackRock in the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Birchbrook Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of BlackRock in the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA purchased a new stake in shares of BlackRock in the fourth quarter worth approximately $32,000. Basepoint Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of BlackRock in the fourth quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Hopwood Financial Services Inc. lifted its position in shares of BlackRock by 866.7% in the third quarter. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. now owns 29 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 26 shares in the last quarter. 80.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Laurence Fink sold 33,900 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,050.55, for a total value of $35,613,645.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 230,516 shares in the company, valued at approximately $242,168,583.80. This represents a 12.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, President Robert Kapito sold 8,739 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,056.60, for a total value of $9,233,627.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the president owned 210,186 shares in the company, valued at $222,082,527.60. This represents a 3.99% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 1.92% of the company's stock.

BlackRock Trading Down 2.5%

NYSE:BLK opened at $996.54 on Friday. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $1,033.61 and its 200 day moving average price is $1,051.36. BlackRock has a 52 week low of $917.39 and a 52 week high of $1,219.94. The company has a market capitalization of $154.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.01, a P/E/G ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 1.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 4.09 and a current ratio of 4.09.

BlackRock (NYSE:BLK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 14th. The asset manager reported $12.53 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $12.40 by $0.13. BlackRock had a return on equity of 14.74% and a net margin of 24.40%.The firm had revenue of $6.70 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.56 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $9.64 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 27.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts forecast that BlackRock will post 52.8 EPS for the current fiscal year.

BlackRock Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Investors of record on Friday, June 5th will be issued a $5.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 5th. This represents a $22.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. BlackRock's dividend payout ratio is currently 57.53%.

More BlackRock News

Here are the key news stories impacting BlackRock this week:

• Positive Sentiment: BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) reported its first daily inflow in 13 days, bringing in $47.66 million and ending a recent streak of outflows. That suggests at least some stabilization in one of BlackRock’s most-watched ETF products. BlackRock Records First Bitcoin ETF Inflow in 13 Days
• Positive Sentiment: BlackRock executives sounded constructive on the macro backdrop, with commentary on a solid U.S. jobs report, AI-driven market trends, and the Fed’s likely patience on rates. Softer rate-hike expectations can support risk assets and asset-manager sentiment. BlackRock's Rieder Talks Jobs Report, AI and Markets
• Positive Sentiment: BlackRock disclosed that its combined stake in Orion Corporation rose above 5%, highlighting ongoing portfolio activity and continued influence as a major global shareholder. Orion Corporation Disclosure Under Chapter 9 Section 10 of the Securities Market Act (BlackRock, Inc.)
• Neutral Sentiment: One analyst write-up said BlackRock’s fair value estimate was trimmed only slightly, pointing to mixed Street views rather than a major shift in fundamentals. Why The Narrative Around BlackRock (BLK) Is Shifting After Mixed Analyst Target Resets
• Neutral Sentiment: BlackRock’s portfolio manager Jeffrey Rosenberg said the Fed is not in a hurry to raise rates, reinforcing the view that policy may remain supportive for markets, though the comment itself is not company-specific. Fed Is In No Hurry To Raise Rates, BlackRock's Rosenberg Says
• Negative Sentiment: BlackRock was also included in a sector-wide selloff tied to redemption concerns around Cliffwater’s Corporate Lending Fund, which raised fresh worries about liquidity in alternative credit products. Alternative Managers Shares Slip as Cliffwater Redemption Fears Mount
• Negative Sentiment: Broader crypto headlines remain a headwind: Bitcoin ETFs saw large outflows over the prior 13 days, and BlackRock’s IBIT was cited as a major contributor to the pressure, which can weigh on sentiment toward BLK’s ETF growth story. Bitcoin ETFs Lose $4.4B as Outflows Hit 13-Day Record Run

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on BLK. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on shares of BlackRock from $1,200.00 to $1,250.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, April 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of BlackRock from $1,269.00 to $1,128.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 13th. TD Cowen reduced their price target on shares of BlackRock from $1,238.00 to $1,105.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price target on shares of BlackRock from $1,351.00 to $1,199.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, Barclays increased their price target on shares of BlackRock from $1,290.00 to $1,310.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,269.06.

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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