Cantillon Capital Management LLC Has $550.42 Million Stock Position in BlackRock $BLK

Key Points

• Cantillon Capital Management increased its BlackRock stake by 0.8% in the fourth quarter, ending with 514,252 shares valued at about $550.4 million. BlackRock now represents roughly 3% of the fund’s portfolio.
• BlackRock reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $12.53 and revenue of $6.70 billion, while revenue rose 27% year over year. The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $5.73 per share.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive overall, with multiple firms maintaining or raising targets and the stock carrying a Moderate Buy consensus. However, CEO Laurence Fink and President Robert Kapito both recently sold shares.

Cantillon Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of BlackRock (NYSE:BLK - Free Report) by 0.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 514,252 shares of the asset manager's stock after purchasing an additional 3,850 shares during the period. BlackRock makes up approximately 3.0% of Cantillon Capital Management LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 11th biggest position. Cantillon Capital Management LLC owned 0.33% of BlackRock worth $550,424,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of BlackRock during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Birchbrook Inc. acquired a new position in shares of BlackRock during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA acquired a new position in shares of BlackRock during the fourth quarter worth $32,000. Basepoint Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of BlackRock during the fourth quarter worth $32,000. Finally, Hopwood Financial Services Inc. increased its holdings in shares of BlackRock by 866.7% during the third quarter. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. now owns 29 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 26 shares in the last quarter. 80.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

BlackRock Trading Up 0.1%

BLK opened at $996.54 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 4.09 and a quick ratio of 4.09. BlackRock has a fifty-two week low of $917.39 and a fifty-two week high of $1,219.94. The firm has a market capitalization of $154.69 billion, a PE ratio of 25.01, a P/E/G ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 1.42. The company's 50-day moving average is $1,033.61 and its 200 day moving average is $1,051.55.

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

BlackRock Announces Dividend

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently weighed in on BLK. UBS Group increased their price objective on BlackRock from $1,235.00 to $1,270.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. TD Cowen decreased their price objective on BlackRock from $1,238.00 to $1,105.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective on BlackRock from $1,351.00 to $1,199.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on BlackRock from $1,200.00 to $1,250.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded BlackRock from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, BlackRock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,269.06.

Insider Activity

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

Key Stories Impacting BlackRock

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

BlackRock 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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