Western Wealth Management LLC Buys 2,064 Shares of BlackRock $BLK

Key Points

• Western Wealth Management increased its BlackRock position by 65.6% in the first quarter, purchasing 2,064 additional shares for a total holding valued at approximately $5.01 million. Institutional investors collectively own 80.69% of BlackRock’s stock.
• BlackRock reported strong quarterly results, with adjusted earnings of $13.91 per share and revenue of $7.08 billion, up 30.6% year over year. The firm also announced a quarterly dividend of $5.73 per share, equivalent to a 2.1% annualized yield.
• Analysts maintain a broadly positive outlook, with BlackRock carrying a consensus “Buy” rating and an average price target of $1,304.29. Its planned roughly $14 billion data-center venture with Meta further highlights the firm’s expansion into private infrastructure and alternative assets.

Western Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of BlackRock (NYSE:BLK - Free Report) by 65.6% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 5,211 shares of the asset manager's stock after purchasing an additional 2,064 shares during the quarter. Western Wealth Management LLC's holdings in BlackRock were worth $5,011,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. bought a new position in BlackRock during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. RMG Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in BlackRock during the first quarter valued at $25,000. Birchbrook Inc. bought a new stake in BlackRock during the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. Basepoint Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in BlackRock during the 4th quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA bought a new position in shares of BlackRock in the 4th quarter worth about $32,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.69% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting BlackRock

Here are the key news stories impacting BlackRock this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Meta AI data-center venture: BlackRock and Meta Platforms announced a roughly $14 billion, 1-gigawatt data-center campus in El Paso, Texas. BlackRock-managed funds will hold about 80% of the venture, with Meta contributing assets and leasing capacity. The deal highlights BlackRock’s ability to deploy capital into large private-infrastructure projects and could generate management, financing and investment fees. Meta Launches $14 Billion Texas AI Data Center Campus With BlackRock
• Positive Sentiment: Strong quarterly results remain a tailwind: BlackRock recently reported adjusted earnings of $13.91 per share versus the $12.69 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 30.6% year over year to $7.08 billion. The results reinforce investor confidence in its operating momentum and diversified asset-gathering model.
• Positive Sentiment: Broader technology and alternative-asset exposure: Recent disclosures show BlackRock-managed funds holding significant stakes in companies including Keel Infrastructure and IonQ. While these are generally portfolio holdings rather than direct corporate investments, they reinforce the firm’s exposure to fast-growing AI, data-center and quantum-computing themes. KEEL BlackRock Stake Filing
• Neutral Sentiment: Expansion into alternative assets: BlackRock-affiliated funds are collaborating on the more-than-$600 million purchase of Anthem Entertainment’s music catalogs, adding another example of the firm’s push into specialized private assets. The transaction is strategically consistent with that expansion, but its near-term earnings impact is unclear. Influence Media Anthem Catalog Acquisition
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory and market risks remain: A law firm announced an investigation involving BlackRock mutual funds, although the notice contains allegations rather than established wrongdoing. Separately, pressure in U.S. private credit and uncertainty about Federal Reserve policy could weigh on fundraising, valuations and investor sentiment. Rosen BlackRock Mutual Fund Investigation

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently commented on BLK. Jefferies Financial Group cut their target price on BlackRock from $1,351.00 to $1,199.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. UBS Group increased their price target on BlackRock from $1,270.00 to $1,320.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of BlackRock from $1,383.00 to $1,488.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. BNP Paribas Exane increased their target price on shares of BlackRock from $1,300.00 to $1,350.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Finally, Evercore reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $1,145.00 price target on shares of BlackRock in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $1,304.29.

BlackRock Price Performance

Shares of BLK opened at $1,098.96 on Friday. The business's fifty day moving average is $1,031.62 and its 200 day moving average is $1,041.37. BlackRock has a 12-month low of $917.39 and a 12-month high of $1,219.94. The company has a quick ratio of 4.09, a current ratio of 4.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. The stock has a market cap of $170.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.27, a P/E/G ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 1.43.

BlackRock (NYSE:BLK - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 15th. The asset manager reported $13.91 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $12.69 by $1.22. BlackRock had a net margin of 24.09% and a return on equity of 15.01%. The business had revenue of $7.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.73 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $12.05 EPS. BlackRock's quarterly revenue was up 30.6% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that BlackRock will post 55.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

BlackRock Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 22nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 8th will be paid a dividend of $5.73 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 8th. This represents a $22.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. BlackRock's payout ratio is 54.78%.

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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