Erste Asset Management GmbH Has $38.05 Million Stake in BlackRock $BLK

Erste Asset Management GmbH boosted its holdings in shares of BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) by 10.0% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 35,231 shares of the asset manager’s stock after buying an additional 3,197 shares during the period. Erste Asset Management GmbH’s holdings in BlackRock were worth $38,054,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in BlackRock during the fourth quarter worth $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. increased 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 buying an additional 26 shares during the last quarter. 80.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

BlackRock Stock Up 0.1%

NYSE BLK opened at $996.54 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 4.09 and a current ratio of 4.09. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $1,033.61 and a 200 day simple moving average of $1,051.55. BlackRock has a twelve month low of $917.39 and a twelve month high of $1,219.94. The stock has a market cap of $154.69 billion, a PE ratio of 25.01, a PEG ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 1.42.

BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 14th. The asset manager reported $12.53 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $12.40 by $0.13. BlackRock had a net margin of 24.40% and a return on equity of 14.74%. The business had revenue of $6.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.56 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $9.64 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 27.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts forecast that BlackRock will post 52.8 EPS for the current year.

BlackRock Dividend Announcement

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

Trending Headlines about BlackRock

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

Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of BlackRock from $1,269.00 to $1,128.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Barclays raised their price target on BlackRock from $1,290.00 to $1,310.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on BlackRock from $1,150.00 to $1,240.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,220.00 price target on shares of BlackRock in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on BlackRock from $1,200.00 to $1,250.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, April 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,269.06.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other BlackRock news, President Robert Kapito sold 8,739 shares of BlackRock stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,056.60, for a total transaction of $9,233,627.40. Following the sale, the president directly owned 210,186 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $222,082,527.60. The trade was a 3.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Laurence Fink sold 33,900 shares of BlackRock stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 230,516 shares in the company, valued at $242,168,583.80. The trade was a 12.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 1.92% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.