Vanguard Group Inc. Boosts Position in BlackRock $BLK

Key Points

• Vanguard increased its stake in BlackRock by 1.6% in Q4 to 14,062,677 shares, representing about 9.06% of the company and valued at roughly $15.05 billion.
• BlackRock reported a quarterly earnings beat (EPS $12.53 vs. $12.40) with revenue up 27% year‑over‑year, and accelerating inflows into its spot bitcoin ETF (IBIT) are boosting AUM — though bitcoin exposure and broader market/geopolitical pressures could add volatility.
• Insiders have been net sellers (64,272 shares, about $69.8M in the last 90 days) even as sell‑side analysts remain generally positive (average target ~$1,269, "Moderate Buy"), leaving mixed signals on near‑term sentiment.

Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of BlackRock (NYSE:BLK - Free Report) by 1.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 14,062,677 shares of the asset manager's stock after buying an additional 221,123 shares during the quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. owned about 9.06% of BlackRock worth $15,051,846,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in BLK. Investment Research & Advisory Group Inc. bought a new stake in BlackRock during the 3rd quarter valued at $6,201,000. Lingohr Asset Management GmbH bought a new stake in BlackRock during the 3rd quarter valued at $700,000. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board raised its holdings in BlackRock by 6,347.9% during the 3rd quarter. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board now owns 42,234 shares of the asset manager's stock valued at $49,239,000 after buying an additional 41,579 shares during the last quarter. Sienna Gestion raised its holdings in BlackRock by 51.5% during the 3rd quarter. Sienna Gestion now owns 22,859 shares of the asset manager's stock valued at $24,299,000 after buying an additional 7,773 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Tandem Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in BlackRock during the 3rd quarter valued at $83,247,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.69% of the company's stock.

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

Insider Buying and Selling at BlackRock

In other BlackRock news, Director Stephen Cohen sold 2,179 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,073.87, for a total transaction of $2,339,962.73. Following the transaction, the director owned 6,543 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,026,331.41. This represents a 24.98% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director J. Richard Kushel sold 2,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,083.05, for a total transaction of $2,166,100.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 61,980 shares in the company, valued at $67,127,439. This represents a 3.13% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 64,272 shares of company stock worth $69,823,426. Company insiders own 1.92% of the company's stock.

BlackRock Stock Performance

Shares of BLK stock opened at $1,045.12 on Friday. BlackRock has a one year low of $893.93 and a one year high of $1,219.94. The company's 50-day moving average is $1,010.07 and its 200 day moving average is $1,063.15. The company has a market capitalization of $162.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 1.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a quick ratio of 2.98 and a current ratio of 2.98.

BlackRock (NYSE:BLK - Get Free Report) last announced 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 company had revenue of $6.70 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.56 billion. BlackRock had a net margin of 24.40% and a return on equity of 14.96%. BlackRock's revenue for the quarter was up 27.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $9.64 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that BlackRock will post 52.77 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

BLK has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of BlackRock in a report on Friday, March 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered 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 report on Monday, April 13th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of BlackRock from $1,368.00 to $1,393.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. CICC Research upped their price target on shares of BlackRock from $1,000.00 to $1,250.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Evercore reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $1,220.00 price objective on shares of BlackRock in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to 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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