BlackRock $BLK Shares Sold by Comerica Bank

Comerica Bank lessened its position in BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) by 4.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 50,125 shares of the asset manager’s stock after selling 2,509 shares during the quarter. Comerica Bank’s holdings in BlackRock were worth $58,439,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. FAS Wealth Partners Inc. grew its position in BlackRock by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. FAS Wealth Partners Inc. now owns 817 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $857,000 after acquiring an additional 9 shares in the last quarter. First Financial Bank Trust Division lifted its position in shares of BlackRock by 0.5% during the third quarter. First Financial Bank Trust Division now owns 1,794 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $2,092,000 after purchasing an additional 9 shares in the last quarter. HM Payson & Co. boosted its stake in shares of BlackRock by 0.6% in the third quarter. HM Payson & Co. now owns 1,444 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $1,683,000 after purchasing an additional 9 shares during the period. PUREfi Wealth LLC grew its holdings in shares of BlackRock by 2.0% in the third quarter. PUREfi Wealth LLC now owns 460 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $536,000 after purchasing an additional 9 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Nova Scotia Trust Co. grew its holdings in shares of BlackRock by 1.1% in the second quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia Trust Co. now owns 938 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $984,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.69% of the company’s stock.

BlackRock Trading Down 0.0%

Shares of NYSE:BLK opened at $922.79 on Friday. BlackRock has a 52 week low of $773.74 and a 52 week high of $1,219.94. The company’s 50 day moving average is $1,075.75 and its two-hundred day moving average is $1,092.85. The company has a market cap of $143.53 billion, a PE ratio of 26.05, a P/E/G ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 1.48. The company has a current ratio of 2.98, a quick ratio of 2.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37.

BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 15th. The asset manager reported $13.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $12.55 by $0.61. The business had revenue of $7.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.80 billion. BlackRock had a net margin of 22.93% and a return on equity of 14.78%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 23.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $11.93 EPS. Equities analysts predict that BlackRock will post 47.41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

BlackRock Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 24th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be issued a dividend of $5.73 per share. This is a positive change from BlackRock’s previous quarterly dividend of $5.21. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 6th. This represents a $22.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. BlackRock’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 64.71%.

BlackRock News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting BlackRock this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Launch of iShares Staked Ethereum Trust (ETHB) expands BlackRock’s crypto product lineup and produced a solid debut (~$15.5M day‑one volume), a positive revenue/flows catalyst if assets scale. BlackRock’s New Staked Ethereum ETF (ETHB) Sees ‘Very, Very Solid’ $15.5 Million Debut, Says Analyst
• Positive Sentiment: Crypto market coverage notes whale ETH accumulation alongside the ETHB launch — bullish for BlackRock’s digital asset distribution and potential fee/flow growth. Ethereum (ETH) Sees Major Whale Buying as BlackRock Launches Staked ETF Product
• Positive Sentiment: Market reaction to BlackRock CIO calls (and related portfolio positioning) has helped lift some sector indices (clean energy) — indicative of the firm’s market influence and potential to drive ETF flows. Clean Energy Index Jumps 61% After BlackRock CIO’s Contrarian Call
• Neutral Sentiment: Regulatory disclosures show BlackRock holds ~10–11% capital/voting stakes in Qiagen — a standard large‑holder filing that is notable but not an immediate company revenue driver. BlackRock Reports 10.6% Capital and 11.8% Voting Stake in Qiagen
• Neutral Sentiment: BlackRock Canada announced index/methodology changes to three CAD‑hedged iShares funds — routine product updates with limited near‑term impact on BLK’s consolidated results. BlackRock® Canada Announces Product Changes
• Negative Sentiment: Private‑credit stress: reporting that Morgan Stanley and BlackRock capped/limited withdrawals in some private‑credit vehicles has pressured asset managers and sparked concerns about redemptions, markdowns and fee revenue risk. This is a near‑term negative for BLK if private‑credit flows and valuations deteriorate. Exclusive: Morgan Stanley and BlackRock limit withdrawals—is private credit gating a crisis or market ‘stabilizer’?
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction: coverage highlights a BLK share pullback alongside weakness in private‑credit peers, signaling investor concern about the sector’s spillover to large asset managers. BlackRock Stock Slide As Private Credit Firms Tumble
• Negative Sentiment: Investor litigation alert: Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of BlackRock investors — potential legal/PR risk that could distract management and create uncertainty. INVESTOR ALERT: Pomerantz Law Firm Investigates Claims On Behalf of Investors of BlackRock, Inc. – BLK

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have issued reports on BLK. Barclays increased their target price on shares of BlackRock from $1,300.00 to $1,350.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, January 16th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods downgraded shares of BlackRock from a “moderate buy” rating to a “moderate sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $1,351.00 price objective on shares of BlackRock in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on BlackRock from $1,296.00 to $1,380.00 in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, Bank of America boosted their target price on BlackRock from $1,456.00 to $1,464.00 in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,308.89.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director J. Richard Kushel sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 completion of the sale, the director owned 61,894 shares in the company, valued at $69,630,750. The trade was a 24.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Stephen Cohen sold 2,179 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,073.87, for a total value of $2,339,962.73. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 6,543 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,026,331.41. This trade represents a 24.98% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 111,319 shares of company stock valued at $123,999,249. 1.98% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.