27,677 Shares in BlackRock $BLK Bought by Trust Co. of Vermont

Trust Co. of Vermont purchased a new stake in BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 27,677 shares of the asset manager’s stock, valued at approximately $26,613,000. BlackRock makes up about 1.0% of Trust Co. of Vermont’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 22nd largest holding.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Principle Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of BlackRock in the second quarter worth about $5,293,000. UP Strategic Wealth Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of BlackRock in the second quarter valued at about $270,000. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of BlackRock during the 2nd quarter valued at about $355,958,000. Beverly Hills Private Wealth LLC acquired a new position in BlackRock during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,747,000. Finally, OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in BlackRock during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $3,165,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.69% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting BlackRock

Here are the key news stories impacting BlackRock this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Technical momentum remains favorable. BlackRock’s 50-day moving average recently moved above its 200-day average, creating a “golden cross,” which technical analysts view as a bullish signal. After Golden Cross, BlackRock Technical Outlook Is Bright
• Positive Sentiment: Income-investor appeal remains intact. BlackRock is highlighted among dividend-paying financial stocks with favorable analyst ratings and potential price-target upside, which could support demand from yield-focused investors. These 5 Dividend Stocks Show Why Income Investing Still Matters
• Positive Sentiment: Bitcoin ETF demand is a modest supportive factor. Tudor Investment reportedly increased its position in BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin ETF to $22.9 million, reinforcing institutional interest in the product and potentially supporting fee-related asset growth. Tudor Investment Boosts Bitcoin ETF Holdings
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation comparisons offer no decisive catalyst. A Zacks comparison of BlackRock and Affiliated Managers Group examines which asset manager provides better value, but the article does not establish a clear near-term reason for investors to favor BLK. AMG vs. BLK: Which Stock Should Value Investors Buy Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Insurance and financing risks are the main overhang. A roughly $14 billion Texas data-center campus owned by Meta and BlackRock may be significantly underinsured against catastrophic events because insurers are reluctant to provide full coverage. The potential for large uncovered losses could increase lender and investment risk concerns, likely contributing to pressure on BLK. Meta and BlackRock’s Data Centre Exposes Lenders to Insurance Gap

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

BLK has been the subject of several recent research reports. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on shares of BlackRock from $1,250.00 to $1,300.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of BlackRock from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods downgraded shares of BlackRock from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, August 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $1,389.00 price target on shares of BlackRock in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Finally, Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $1,260.00 price target on shares of BlackRock in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $1,311.06.

BlackRock Price Performance

BLK stock opened at $1,148.91 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 3.59, a current ratio of 3.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. BlackRock has a 52-week low of $917.39 and a 52-week high of $1,219.94. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $1,056.94 and its two-hundred day moving average is $1,042.81. The company has a market capitalization of $177.93 billion, a PE ratio of 27.46, a P/E/G ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 1.42.

BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 15th. The asset manager reported $13.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $12.69 by $1.22. BlackRock had a return on equity of 14.90% and a net margin of 24.09%.The company had revenue of $7.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.73 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $12.05 EPS. BlackRock’s quarterly revenue was up 30.6% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts predict that BlackRock will post 55.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

BlackRock Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 22nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 8th will be paid a dividend of $5.73 per share. This represents a $22.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 8th. BlackRock’s dividend payout ratio is 54.78%.

About BlackRock

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.