PBU The Pension Fund of Early Childhood & Youth Educators Buys New Stake in BlackRock $BLK

PBU The Pension Fund of Early Childhood & Youth Educators bought a new stake in BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund bought 20,061 shares of the asset manager’s stock, valued at approximately $21,472,000. BlackRock accounts for 0.8% of PBU The Pension Fund of Early Childhood & Youth Educators’ investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st largest holding.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of BlackRock in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Birchbrook Inc. acquired a new position in BlackRock during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA acquired a new position in BlackRock during the fourth quarter worth $32,000. Basepoint Wealth LLC acquired a new position in BlackRock during the fourth quarter worth $32,000. Finally, Hopwood Financial Services Inc. raised its position in BlackRock by 866.7% during the third quarter. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. now owns 29 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 26 shares during the period. 80.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

BlackRock Price Performance

Shares of NYSE BLK opened at $996.54 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 4.09, a current ratio of 4.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. BlackRock has a 52 week low of $917.39 and a 52 week high of $1,219.94. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $1,033.61 and a 200-day simple moving average of $1,051.36. The stock has a market capitalization of $154.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 1.42.

BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 14th. The asset manager reported $12.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $12.40 by $0.13. BlackRock had a net margin of 24.40% and a return on equity of 14.74%. The firm had revenue of $6.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.56 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $9.64 earnings per share. BlackRock’s quarterly revenue was up 27.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that BlackRock will post 52.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

BlackRock Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Investors of record on Friday, June 5th will be issued a $5.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 5th. This represents a $22.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. BlackRock’s dividend payout ratio is currently 57.53%.

Insider Transactions at BlackRock

In related news, CEO Laurence Fink sold 33,900 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,050.55, for a total value of $35,613,645.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 230,516 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $242,168,583.80. This represents a 12.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, President Robert Kapito sold 8,739 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,056.60, for a total transaction of $9,233,627.40. Following the completion of the sale, the president directly owned 210,186 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $222,082,527.60. This represents a 3.99% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 1.92% of the company’s stock.

Key BlackRock News

Here are the key news stories impacting BlackRock this week:

• Positive Sentiment: BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) reported its first daily inflow in 13 days, bringing in $47.66 million and ending a recent streak of outflows. That suggests at least some stabilization in one of BlackRock’s most-watched ETF products. BlackRock Records First Bitcoin ETF Inflow in 13 Days
• Positive Sentiment: BlackRock executives sounded constructive on the macro backdrop, with commentary on a solid U.S. jobs report, AI-driven market trends, and the Fed’s likely patience on rates. Softer rate-hike expectations can support risk assets and asset-manager sentiment. BlackRock’s Rieder Talks Jobs Report, AI and Markets
• Positive Sentiment: BlackRock disclosed that its combined stake in Orion Corporation rose above 5%, highlighting ongoing portfolio activity and continued influence as a major global shareholder. Orion Corporation Disclosure Under Chapter 9 Section 10 of the Securities Market Act (BlackRock, Inc.)
• Neutral Sentiment: One analyst write-up said BlackRock’s fair value estimate was trimmed only slightly, pointing to mixed Street views rather than a major shift in fundamentals. Why The Narrative Around BlackRock (BLK) Is Shifting After Mixed Analyst Target Resets
• Neutral Sentiment: BlackRock’s portfolio manager Jeffrey Rosenberg said the Fed is not in a hurry to raise rates, reinforcing the view that policy may remain supportive for markets, though the comment itself is not company-specific. Fed Is In No Hurry To Raise Rates, BlackRock’s Rosenberg Says
• Negative Sentiment: BlackRock was also included in a sector-wide selloff tied to redemption concerns around Cliffwater’s Corporate Lending Fund, which raised fresh worries about liquidity in alternative credit products. Alternative Managers Shares Slip as Cliffwater Redemption Fears Mount
• Negative Sentiment: Broader crypto headlines remain a headwind: Bitcoin ETFs saw large outflows over the prior 13 days, and BlackRock’s IBIT was cited as a major contributor to the pressure, which can weigh on sentiment toward BLK’s ETF growth story. Bitcoin ETFs Lose $4.4B as Outflows Hit 13-Day Record Run

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on BLK shares. Evercore restated an “outperform” rating and set a $1,220.00 price objective on shares of BlackRock in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of BlackRock from $1,290.00 to $1,310.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of BlackRock from $1,269.00 to $1,128.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on shares of BlackRock from $1,150.00 to $1,240.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price objective on shares of BlackRock from $1,351.00 to $1,199.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,269.06.

BlackRock Company 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.