1,497 BlackRock $BLK Shares Purchased by Balefire LLC

Balefire LLC grew its holdings in shares of BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) by 689.9% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,714 shares of the asset manager’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,497 shares during the period. Balefire LLC’s holdings in BlackRock were worth $1,814,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of BLK. RMG Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of BlackRock during the 1st quarter valued at about $25,000. Addison Advisors LLC bought a new position in BlackRock in the second quarter worth about $25,000. Kelly Lawrence W & Associates Inc. CA acquired a new position in BlackRock in the second quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of BlackRock during the second quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new position in shares of BlackRock during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $36,000. 80.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

BlackRock Price Performance

BLK stock traded up $15.92 during trading on Friday, hitting $1,081.27. The company had a trading volume of 376,865 shares, compared to its average volume of 739,104. The business has a 50 day moving average of $1,110.01 and a 200 day moving average of $1,058.13. The firm has a market capitalization of $167.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.84, a P/E/G ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 1.41. The company has a current ratio of 3.59, a quick ratio of 3.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. BlackRock has a fifty-two week low of $917.39 and a fifty-two week high of $1,219.94.

BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 15th. The asset manager reported $13.91 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $12.69 by $1.22. The firm had revenue of $7.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.73 billion. BlackRock had a net margin of 24.09% and a return on equity of 14.90%. BlackRock’s quarterly revenue was up 30.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $12.05 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that BlackRock will post 55.73 earnings per share for the current year.

BlackRock Dividend Announcement

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

BlackRock News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting BlackRock this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upgraded BlackRock from “hold” to “moderate buy,” providing a fresh positive analyst signal. The upgrade likely reflects confidence in BlackRock’s earnings outlook and long-term asset-management growth. BlackRock analyst upgrade reference
• Positive Sentiment: Expectations for the upcoming third-quarter report are constructive. Analysts anticipate higher revenue, earnings and assets under management, while BlackRock’s strong earnings-surprise history and favorable Earnings ESP support the possibility of another consensus beat. BlackRock earnings beat outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Record assets under management, strategic acquisitions and demand for BlackRock’s products continue to support the growth narrative. The company’s recent earnings also showed substantial year-over-year revenue growth and a sizable EPS beat, reinforcing fundamental momentum. BlackRock growth and valuation analysis
• Neutral Sentiment: BlackRock disclosed a substantial voting stake in Qiagen (QGEN). The filing confirms an ownership position but does not, by itself, indicate a material change to BlackRock’s operating outlook. BlackRock voting stake in Qiagen
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation is a key risk after BlackRock’s multiyear share-price advance. Commentary describes the stock as fairly valued or trading at a premium, meaning additional gains may require continued improvement in returns, AUM and earnings. BlackRock valuation analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Expected increases in operating expenses and potentially lower performance fees could offset some of the benefit from higher revenue, earnings and AUM. Separately, substantial outflows from U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs, including BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust, may weigh on sentiment toward its digital-assets franchise. BlackRock third-quarter earnings risks

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the company. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on BlackRock from $1,250.00 to $1,300.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on BlackRock from $1,245.00 to $1,230.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of BlackRock from $1,488.00 to $1,479.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, September 25th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of BlackRock from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered shares of BlackRock from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 25th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,304.24.

BlackRock Company 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.