Retirement Systems of Alabama Cuts Stake in BlackRock $BLK

Retirement Systems of Alabama decreased its stake in BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) by 1.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 30,722 shares of the asset manager’s stock after selling 527 shares during the period. Retirement Systems of Alabama’s holdings in BlackRock were worth $35,818,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Pacifica Partners Inc. lifted its position in BlackRock by 450.0% during the 3rd quarter. Pacifica Partners Inc. now owns 22 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of BlackRock by 1,000.0% during the third quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC now owns 22 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the period. Traub Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of BlackRock during the second quarter worth $28,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of BlackRock by 107.1% in the second quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 29 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 15 shares during the period. Finally, Creekmur Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in BlackRock by 87.5% during the 2nd quarter. Creekmur Asset Management LLC now owns 30 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares in the last quarter. 80.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

BlackRock Trading Down 0.8%

Shares of NYSE BLK opened at $1,130.09 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 3.33, a current ratio of 3.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $1,077.56 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $1,107.24. BlackRock has a 52-week low of $773.74 and a 52-week high of $1,219.94. The stock has a market capitalization of $175.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.91, a PEG ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 1.47.

BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 15th. The asset manager reported $13.16 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $12.55 by $0.61. The company had revenue of $6.33 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.80 billion. BlackRock had a return on equity of 15.14% and a net margin of 22.93%.The business’s revenue was up 23.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $11.93 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that BlackRock will post 47.41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

BlackRock Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 24th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be paid a dividend of $5.73 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. This is a positive change from BlackRock’s previous quarterly dividend of $5.21. This represents a $22.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.0%. BlackRock’s payout ratio is presently 58.84%.

Key BlackRock News

Here are the key news stories impacting BlackRock this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Rick Rieder, BlackRock’s CIO of Global Fixed Income, is being talked about as a frontrunner for U.S. Federal Reserve chair after public praise from President Trump — a nomination would raise BlackRock’s influence on policy and could benefit business lines sensitive to rates and Fed guidance. BlackRock’s Rick Rieder surges ahead in race to chair Federal Reserve
• Positive Sentiment: CEO Larry Fink’s Davos push for rapid tokenization and a “common blockchain” reinforces BlackRock’s product roadmap (e.g., BUIDL money-market token on Ethereum with >$2B TVL), supporting potential new fee-bearing AUM and competitive crypto custody flows. Ethereum Emerges As Likely Candidate In BlackRock Tokenization Vision – Here’s Why
• Positive Sentiment: On-chain activity consistent with institutional crypto adoption: BlackRock-linked wallets transferred large amounts of bitcoin and ether into Coinbase Prime, signaling operational movement toward custody and trading channels for crypto products. This supports potential inflows to related ETFs and products over time. BlackRock-linked wallets move over $430 million in bitcoin, ether to Coinbase Prime
• Positive Sentiment: BlackRock increased its stake in AngloGold Ashanti to just over 10% — a material equity position that signals active portfolio deployment and could deliver strategic or performance upside in commodities exposure. BlackRock Lifts Stake in AngloGold Ashanti to Just Over 10%
• Neutral Sentiment: Larry Fink’s broader Davos commentary (AI, inequality and markets) sets strategic narrative for the firm but is more about reputation and long-term positioning than an immediate earnings catalyst. BlackRock CEO Larry Fink: ‘What Happens to Everyone Else’ If AI Fuels Inequality?
• Neutral Sentiment: Routine portfolio disclosures: BlackRock adjusted holdings (e.g., BAWAG voting rights), reflecting normal active positioning rather than a direct AUM driver. Investors should treat these as portfolio-management signals. BlackRock Adjusts Stake in BAWAG Group to 5.83% of Voting Rights
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: CFO Martin Small sold ~27,000 shares (~$31.7M) in mid-January; while insider sales aren’t uncommon, the size of the transaction can spook short-term investors. SEC Form 4 — Martin Small sale
• Negative Sentiment: Short-term headwinds in crypto products: U.S. bitcoin ETFs posted net outflows recently, a drag on fee revenue tied to IBIT and other crypto strategies. Bitcoin ETFs Log Off — Outflows
• Negative Sentiment: Unconfirmed reports of a large BlackRock XRP purchase circulated in crypto media — a speculative noise item that could invite regulatory scrutiny or investor overreaction until verified. Unverified BlackRock XRP purchase reports

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have commented on BLK shares. BNP Paribas Exane boosted their price objective on shares of BlackRock from $1,290.00 to $1,300.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, January 15th. TD Cowen lowered BlackRock from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $1,351.00 price target on shares of BlackRock in a report on Friday, January 16th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price objective on BlackRock from $1,296.00 to $1,380.00 in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, Evercore ISI cut their target price on BlackRock from $1,300.00 to $1,275.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,314.71.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Martin Small sold 27,047 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,171.14, for a total transaction of $31,675,823.58. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 10,557 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $12,363,724.98. This represents a 71.93% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director J. Richard Kushel sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,125.00, for a total transaction of $22,500,000.00. Following the sale, the director owned 61,894 shares in the company, valued at approximately $69,630,750. This trade represents a 24.42% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 48,305 shares of company stock worth $55,488,396 over the last three months. 1.98% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.