BlackRock $BLK Shares Sold by Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC

Key Points

• Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC cut its stake in BlackRock by 16.2% in Q4, selling 2,235 shares and leaving 11,577 shares valued at about $12.39 million.
• BlackRock beat quarterly EPS (reported $12.53 vs. $12.40 expected) and saw revenue rise 27% YoY to $6.70 billion, while analysts remain broadly positive with an average target near $1,269.
• There was significant insider and institutional activity—insiders sold 64,272 shares (~$69.8M) last quarter—and recent bitcoin ETF inflows and large BTC purchases are boosting AUM but add mark‑to‑market volatility risk.

Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC cut its stake in shares of BlackRock (NYSE:BLK - Free Report) by 16.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 11,577 shares of the asset manager's stock after selling 2,235 shares during the quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC's holdings in BlackRock were worth $12,392,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in BLK. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its holdings in BlackRock by 23.1% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 1,575 shares of the asset manager's stock valued at $1,615,000 after purchasing an additional 296 shares in the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in BlackRock by 1.6% in the fourth quarter. Bison Wealth LLC now owns 1,052 shares of the asset manager's stock valued at $1,078,000 after purchasing an additional 17 shares in the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. acquired a new position in BlackRock in the second quarter valued at approximately $259,000. Nebula Research & Development LLC acquired a new position in BlackRock in the second quarter valued at approximately $548,000. Finally, Osterweis Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in BlackRock in the second quarter valued at approximately $98,000. 80.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

BlackRock Price Performance

BlackRock stock opened at $1,045.12 on Monday. BlackRock has a 12 month low of $893.93 and a 12 month high of $1,219.94. 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 business has a 50 day simple moving average of $1,010.07 and a 200-day simple moving average of $1,062.44. The stock has a market capitalization of $162.56 billion, a PE ratio of 26.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 1.48.

BlackRock (NYSE:BLK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 14th. The asset manager reported $12.53 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $12.40 by $0.13. BlackRock had a return on equity of 14.96% and a net margin of 24.40%.The business had revenue of $6.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.56 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $9.64 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 27.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that BlackRock will post 52.77 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on BlackRock from $1,368.00 to $1,393.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price objective on BlackRock from $1,296.00 to $1,380.00 in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on BlackRock from $1,269.00 to $1,128.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price objective on BlackRock from $1,351.00 to $1,199.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on BlackRock from $1,181.00 to $1,313.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,269.06.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other BlackRock news, Director J. Richard Kushel sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,083.05, for a total value of $2,166,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 61,980 shares in the company, valued at approximately $67,127,439. This represents a 3.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Stephen Cohen sold 2,179 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,073.87, for a total value of $2,339,962.73. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 6,543 shares of the company's stock, valued at $7,026,331.41. The trade was a 24.98% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 64,272 shares of company stock worth $69,823,426. 1.92% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting BlackRock

Here are the key news stories impacting BlackRock this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Spot bitcoin ETF inflows have accelerated this month, with BlackRock’s IBIT among the leaders — stronger ETF flows boost AUM and recurring fee revenue for BlackRock’s iShares platform. Bitcoin ETFs Just Turned Positive Across Every Timeframe
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple reports show recent sizeable purchases of BTC tied to BlackRock/its products (e.g., IBIT buying activity), which can lift AUM and future management fees if inflows persist. BlackRock buys $900M in Bitcoin
• Neutral Sentiment: BlackRock’s recent April earnings beat and strong quarterly revenue/AUM growth remain a positive backdrop for the stock but may already be priced in after the post‑earnings move. BLK Earnings Summary
• Neutral Sentiment: Media pieces highlighting popular BlackRock ETFs and income/dividend ETF ideas may drive retail interest but are unlikely to change fundamentals near-term. TipRanks: BlackRock ETFs
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that BlackRock’s bitcoin exposure corresponds with a multibillion-dollar unrealized loss (and press coverage of a large BTC purchase amid that loss) raise concerns about mark‑to‑market volatility and potential near‑term earnings noise. BlackRock buys 30,000 BTC amid $6.3B unrealized loss
• Negative Sentiment: Wider market pressures — bond-market weakness and geopolitical jitters (US‑Iran tensions) — are causing risk‑off flows that typically weigh on asset‑manager multiples and can reduce new inflows. Global Bonds Set for Worst Week

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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