The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company reduced its position in BlackRock (NYSE:BLK – Free Report) by 6.3% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 80,113 shares of the asset manager’s stock after selling 5,370 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company’s holdings in BlackRock were worth $77,045,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. RMG Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in BlackRock in the 1st quarter worth $25,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in BlackRock during the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Birchbrook Inc. bought a new stake in BlackRock during the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA purchased a new position in shares of BlackRock in the fourth quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, Basepoint Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of BlackRock in the fourth quarter worth about $32,000. 80.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
BlackRock News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting BlackRock this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Major AI infrastructure venture expands BlackRock’s growth profile. BlackRock-managed funds will own an 80% stake in a roughly $14 billion, 1-gigawatt data-center campus in El Paso, Texas, while Meta retains 20% and leases the facility. BlackRock is contributing approximately $4.9 billion in cash and arranged about $12.3 billion to $12.5 billion of project debt. The deal strengthens BlackRock’s Global Infrastructure Partners and HPS platforms and could generate long-duration management, financing and infrastructure-related fees. Reuters Meta BlackRock data center article
- Positive Sentiment: Alternative assets continue to broaden beyond traditional funds. Influence Media Partners agreed to acquire substantially all of Anthem Entertainment’s music publishing, film and television assets, and master recordings for more than $600 million in collaboration with funds and accounts managed by BlackRock affiliates. The transaction highlights BlackRock’s push into intellectual-property and private-market investments. Influence Media Anthem acquisition article
- Neutral Sentiment: Regulatory filings disclosed BlackRock’s 11.61% capital interest and 13.04% voting stake in QIAGEN, along with a 5.3% position in IonQ and indirect holdings in Stora Enso. These disclosures may attract attention but generally reflect portfolio or client-account activity rather than a direct change to BlackRock’s earnings outlook. BlackRock QIAGEN stake article
- Negative Sentiment: Investors remain concerned about valuation and deal-related risks. BlackRock’s shares appear fully valued after strong multiyear gains and record inflows. The Meta transaction also exposes the company to substantial project-financing, data-center obsolescence and residual-value risks, even though much of the debt sits at the venture level. Broader anxiety over aggressive AI spending and weaker technology stocks may be weighing on sentiment toward the partnership.
BlackRock Stock Performance
BlackRock (NYSE:BLK – Get Free Report) last posted its 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 return on equity of 15.01% and a net margin of 24.09%.The firm had revenue of $7.08 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.73 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $12.05 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 30.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that BlackRock will post 55.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
BlackRock Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 22nd. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 8th will be paid a dividend of $5.73 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 8th. This represents a $22.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. BlackRock’s dividend payout ratio is presently 54.78%.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
BLK has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. BNP Paribas Exane lifted their target price on BlackRock from $1,300.00 to $1,350.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $1,258.00 price objective on shares of BlackRock in a report on Thursday, July 16th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $1,389.00 target price on shares of BlackRock in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on shares of BlackRock from $1,275.00 to $1,300.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Finally, Barclays raised their target price on shares of BlackRock from $1,340.00 to $1,450.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, BlackRock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $1,304.29.
Read Our Latest Analysis on BlackRock
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.
Featured Stories
- Five stocks we like better than BlackRock
- Why SK hynix Could Be the Best AI Chip Stock to Buy Now
- Seagate Technology Stock Surges as Earnings Beat Silences AI Doubters
- Alphabet Is Down 18% From Its High After a Stellar Quarter—Overdone, or More Downside Ahead?
- Why Bloom Energy May Be the Most Important AI Infrastructure Stock
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BLK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for BlackRock (NYSE:BLK – Free Report).
Receive News & Ratings for BlackRock Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BlackRock and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
