BlackRock $BLK Shares Acquired by Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc.

Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. lifted its holdings in BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) by 52.6% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 7,114 shares of the asset manager’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,453 shares during the quarter. Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc.’s holdings in BlackRock were worth $8,293,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Pacifica Partners Inc. raised its position in shares of BlackRock by 450.0% in the 3rd quarter. Pacifica Partners Inc. now owns 22 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of BlackRock by 1,000.0% in the third quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC now owns 22 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Traub Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of BlackRock during the second quarter valued at $28,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of BlackRock by 107.1% in the 2nd quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 29 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 15 shares during the period. Finally, Creekmur Asset Management LLC raised its stake in BlackRock by 87.5% in the 2nd quarter. Creekmur Asset Management LLC now owns 30 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 14 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.69% of the company’s stock.

BlackRock News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting BlackRock this week:

• Positive Sentiment: ValueAct (Morfit) announced a position in BlackRock and suggested the firm can become “more powerful” by leaning into technology—an activist investor endorsement that can be a catalyst for strategic change and a re-rating. ValueAct’s Morfit announces BlackRock position, says technology can make the company ‘more powerful’
• Positive Sentiment: An analyst price target was raised to $1,340, signaling bullish analyst sentiment that supports the stock’s upward momentum. BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) Price Target Raised to $1,340.00
• Positive Sentiment: BlackRock proposed combining two UK smaller‑company trusts (Throgmorton and Smaller Companies Trust); shareholders and an activist (Saba) have reacted favorably — the deal would create the largest growth‑focused trust in the UK smaller companies sector, which can boost AUM and stewardship fees. BlackRock Smaller Companies Trust jumps 4% on merger plan with Throgmorton
• Neutral Sentiment: Regulatory disclosures show BlackRock building stakes in other companies (WPP hitting a 10% voting threshold; a ~10.7% capital interest in Qiagen). These moves reflect portfolio positioning and potential engagement but are mixed for BLK’s stock direction. WPP Discloses BlackRock’s Voting Stake Reaching 10% on 18 February 2026 BlackRock Discloses 10.68% Capital Interest and 11.8% Voting Stake in Qiagen
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage and estimate pages refreshed this week show continued bullish long‑term outlooks even as BLK has underperformed recently—important context but not an immediate driver. BlackRock Stock: Analyst Estimates & Ratings
• Negative Sentiment: Crypto flow and trading activity tied to BlackRock’s crypto ETFs are a near-term headwind: Arkham data shows BlackRock moved about $270M in BTC/ETH to Coinbase as $2.4B in crypto options expire — this looks like selling pressure that can reduce AUM and fee momentum in crypto products. BlackRock Signals $270M Bitcoin, Ethereum Sell-Off as $2.4B in Crypto Options Expire
• Negative Sentiment: Reports show BlackRock has trimmed exposure to a Bitcoin proxy strategy and IBIT/Fbtc ETF flows/absorption that helped during prior selloffs are weakening — this increases volatility risk for BlackRock’s crypto product revenue. BlackRock trims stake in Bitcoin proxy Strategy but keeps top shareholder spot Bitcoin Bottom Call On Ice: Fear Is Extreme, Whales Aren’t Buying
• Negative Sentiment: Rosen Law Firm announced an investigation into potential breaches of fiduciary duties by BlackRock directors/officers—this raises governance/legal risk that can pressure sentiment until resolved. BLK Investor News: Rosen Law Firm Announces Investigation of Breaches of Fiduciary Duties by the Directors and Officers of BlackRock, Inc. – BLK

BlackRock Trading Up 1.1%

Shares of BlackRock stock opened at $1,093.57 on Monday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $1,093.67 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $1,104.77. The company has a market cap of $169.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 1.47. BlackRock has a fifty-two week low of $773.74 and a fifty-two week high of $1,219.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 3.33 and a current ratio of 3.33.

BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 15th. The asset manager reported $13.16 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $12.55 by $0.61. The firm had revenue of $6.33 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.80 billion. BlackRock had a return on equity of 15.14% 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 previous year, the business earned $11.93 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that BlackRock will post 47.41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

BlackRock Increases Dividend

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on BlackRock from $1,244.00 to $1,267.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, January 9th. 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. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on shares of BlackRock from $1,296.00 to $1,380.00 in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of BlackRock from $1,456.00 to $1,464.00 in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, TD Cowen lowered BlackRock from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,311.11.

Insider Activity at BlackRock

In related news, COO Robert L. Goldstein sold 5,293 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,084.22, for a total transaction of $5,738,776.46. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 46,185 shares in the company, valued at $50,074,700.70. This represents a 10.28% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director J. Richard Kushel sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,125.00, for a total value of $22,500,000.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 61,894 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $69,630,750. The trade was a 24.42% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 109,967 shares of company stock worth $122,487,380 in the last quarter. 1.98% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.