CI Investments Inc. Cuts Position in BlackRock $BLK

CI Investments Inc. trimmed its holdings in shares of BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) by 22.4% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 88,988 shares of the asset manager’s stock after selling 25,724 shares during the quarter. CI Investments Inc.’s holdings in BlackRock were worth $103,748,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Pacifica Partners Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of BlackRock by 450.0% during the 3rd quarter. Pacifica Partners Inc. now owns 22 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC raised its position in BlackRock by 1,000.0% in the third quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC now owns 22 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the period. Traub Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of BlackRock during the second quarter worth about $28,000. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. boosted its position in shares of BlackRock by 866.7% in 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 period. Finally, Howard Hughes Medical Institute acquired a new stake in shares of BlackRock in the second quarter valued at about $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.69% of the company’s stock.

BlackRock Stock Performance

Shares of BLK stock opened at $1,068.53 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a quick ratio of 2.98 and a current ratio of 2.98. The stock has a market capitalization of $165.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.17, a PEG ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 1.48. BlackRock has a one year low of $773.74 and a one year high of $1,219.94. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $1,094.50 and its 200-day simple moving average is $1,102.10.

BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 15th. The asset manager reported $13.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $12.55 by $0.61. The firm had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.80 billion. BlackRock had a return on equity of 14.78% and a net margin of 22.93%.BlackRock’s revenue for the quarter was up 23.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $11.93 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that BlackRock will post 47.41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

BlackRock Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 24th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be issued a $5.73 dividend. This is a boost from BlackRock’s previous quarterly dividend of $5.21. This represents a $22.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 6th. BlackRock’s dividend payout ratio is presently 58.84%.

Key BlackRock News

Here are the key news stories impacting BlackRock this week:

• Positive Sentiment: BlackRock‑linked consortium to buy AES — Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), which is owned by BlackRock, is part of a consortium paying $15/share in an all‑cash, ~$33.4B enterprise‑value take‑private of AES. The deal highlights continued private‑infrastructure deal flow that can drive placement fees, fundraising and AUM growth in BlackRock’s private markets franchises. BlackRock‑led consortium to buy AES for $33.4B
• Positive Sentiment: Stakebuilding in BAWAG — BlackRock increased its stake in Austria’s BAWAG Group to 5.49%, crossing a regulatory threshold. Active equity stakes can signal strategic allocation and may lead to engagement or higher voting influence—both signs of an opportunistic portfolio posture. BlackRock Raises Stake in Austria’s BAWAG Group to 5.49%
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend confirmation — BlackRock announced a cash dividend payable March 24, continuing a long track record of payouts; that supports income investors and reduces concern about near‑term cash returns. BlackRock to pay dividends on March 24; Here’s how much 100 BLK shares will earn
• Positive Sentiment: iShares ETF flows/relative strength — Some BlackRock iShares ETFs have rallied while the S&P 500 is mixed, underscoring continued demand for passive products that are core to BlackRock’s recurring‑revenue base. 2 BlackRock iShares ETFs Rise While the S&P 500 Struggles
• Neutral Sentiment: Planned sale of Naturgy stake — BlackRock has appointed banks to sell its 11.4% stake in Spanish energy firm Naturgy. A managed exit can free capital or crystallize gains/losses; market impact depends on execution size/timing. BlackRock to sell its 11.4% stake in Spanish energy firm Naturgy
• Neutral Sentiment: BlackRock Foundation report — New research shows rising investor participation among low‑ and moderate‑income Americans. Useful for long‑term retail adoption narrative but limited immediate earnings impact. New Report from The BlackRock Foundation and Commonwealth Confirms Surging Investor Participation
• Neutral Sentiment: BlackRock‑managed closed‑end funds: TCP Capital NAV pressure — A sharp NAV hit at BlackRock TCP Capital (TCPC) is a fund‑specific development that highlights credit/market stress in some strategies but is not the same as BLK’s corporate earnings. BlackRock TCP Capital Confronts Sharp NAV Hit
• Negative Sentiment: Market volatility, higher yields and inflation worries — Geopolitical tensions (Iran/Strait of Hormuz reports) have pushed Treasury yields up and revived inflation concerns. Rising rates and volatility can pressure fixed‑income AUM performance, influence flows between passive/active products, and add near‑term uncertainty to asset manager revenue. Treasuries Rout Shows Iran Conflict Reigniting Inflation Worry
• Negative Sentiment: Indexes mixed on geopolitical headlines — US equity indexes closed mixed amid oil and geopolitical headlines; weaker equity markets can reduce equity AUM and fee pressure if sustained. US Equity Indexes Mixed, Treasury Yields Surge as Iran War Continues

Analyst Ratings Changes

BLK has been the topic of several recent research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $1,313.00 price target on shares of BlackRock in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of BlackRock from $1,244.00 to $1,267.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,351.00 target price on shares of BlackRock in a research note on Friday, January 16th. CICC Research lifted their price target on shares of BlackRock from $1,000.00 to $1,250.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Evercore decreased their price objective on shares of BlackRock from $1,300.00 to $1,275.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 12th. One equities research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, BlackRock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,311.11.

Insider Buying and Selling at BlackRock

In other news, Director J. Richard Kushel sold 385 shares of BlackRock stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,084.91, for a total value of $417,690.35. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 3,335 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,618,174.85. The trade was a 10.35% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Stephen Cohen sold 225 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,069.56, for a total transaction of $240,651.00. Following the sale, the director owned 5,661 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,054,779.16. This trade represents a 3.82% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 111,319 shares of company stock worth $123,999,249 in the last ninety days. 1.98% of the stock is currently owned by company 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.