BlackRock $BLK Shares Sold by Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc.

Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. reduced its holdings in shares of BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) by 77.7% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 255 shares of the asset manager’s stock after selling 889 shares during the period. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc.’s holdings in BlackRock were worth $268,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Advisors Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in BlackRock during the second quarter worth $33,847,000. Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co purchased a new stake in BlackRock in the 2nd quarter valued at $28,185,000. Haverford Trust Co bought a new position in BlackRock during the 2nd quarter valued at $264,500,000. Liberty One Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in BlackRock by 30.7% during the 1st quarter. Liberty One Investment Management LLC now owns 4,861 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $4,675,000 after acquiring an additional 1,141 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Basswood Capital Management L.L.C. bought a new position in BlackRock during the 2nd quarter valued at $23,122,000. 80.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

BlackRock Stock Performance

Shares of BlackRock stock traded up $2.27 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $1,068.39. 623,466 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 735,909. The stock has a market capitalization of $165.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.51, a PEG ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 1.41. BlackRock has a 12-month low of $917.39 and a 12-month high of $1,219.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 3.59 and a quick ratio of 3.59. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $1,107.58 and a 200-day simple moving average of $1,060.27.

BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 14th. The asset manager reported $15.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $14.32 by $1.61. The company had revenue of $7.75 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.42 billion. BlackRock had a net margin of 24.09% and a return on equity of 14.90%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 19.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $8.43 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that BlackRock will post 55.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

BlackRock Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 22nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 8th were given a $5.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 8th. This represents a $22.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. BlackRock’s payout ratio is currently 54.78%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently commented on the stock. BNP Paribas Exane increased their target price on shares of BlackRock from $1,300.00 to $1,350.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Zacks Research lowered shares of BlackRock from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $1,389.00 price target on shares of BlackRock in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of BlackRock from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $1,258.00 price objective on shares of BlackRock in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,309.88.

Key Stories Impacting BlackRock

Here are the key news stories impacting BlackRock this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Broad earnings beat: BlackRock reported adjusted EPS of $15.93, well above the $14.32 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 19.1% year over year to $7.75 billion versus expectations of $7.42 billion. Adjusted earnings increased approximately 38% from the prior year. BlackRock profit jumps as resilient markets boost fees
• Positive Sentiment: Record assets and strong inflows: Assets under management reached approximately $15.49 trillion, up from $13.46 trillion a year earlier, supported by $205 billion in quarterly net inflows, including $135 billion into ETFs. The scale of asset growth should support recurring management fees. BlackRock stock rises as Q3 earnings beat estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Fee-growth opportunities are broadening: Strong performance fees, technology revenue and continued expansion in private markets—including a reported $68 billion private-markets raise—could diversify BlackRock beyond traditional ETF fees. Crypto ETF assets also reportedly rose 63% to roughly $80 billion during the quarter. BlackRock Q3 earnings top consensus
• Neutral Sentiment: Investment stance changed: BlackRock is reducing its U.S. stock exposure and favoring short-term Treasuries, arguing that markets have priced in too many Federal Reserve rate hikes. This may benefit fixed-income products and future bond inflows, but it also signals caution about equity valuations. BlackRock cools on US stocks
• Negative Sentiment: Inflation and yields remain a near-term headwind: A hotter September CPI report pushed Treasury yields higher and pressured market futures, potentially weighing on equity valuations and investor risk appetite. Higher rates can also reduce market-driven AUM gains and make active and alternative investments more challenging. Hotter CPI Sends Futures Lower as Yields Jump

BlackRock Profile

BlackRock, Inc is a global investment management and financial technology company serving individual investors, institutions, governments and financial professionals. The company provides investment management, risk management and advisory services across a broad range of asset classes, including equities, fixed income, multi-asset strategies, alternatives and cash management.

BlackRock offers investment products through mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and other vehicles. Its iShares brand is one of the company’s principal platforms for exchange-traded funds, providing access to domestic and international markets, industry sectors, bonds, commodities and specialized investment strategies.

The company also provides technology and analytical solutions through its Aladdin platform, which is used by asset managers, institutional investors and other financial organizations for portfolio management, risk analysis, trading and operational support.