QRG Capital Management Inc. Sells 5,556 Shares of BlackRock $BLK

QRG Capital Management Inc. decreased its holdings in shares of BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) by 34.0% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 10,790 shares of the asset manager’s stock after selling 5,556 shares during the quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in BlackRock were worth $12,579,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of BLK. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of BlackRock in the 2nd quarter valued at $2,644,007,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in BlackRock by 105,267.4% in the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,705,899 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $1,789,915,000 after acquiring an additional 1,704,280 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its holdings in shares of BlackRock by 72.5% in the second quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 2,005,358 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $2,104,122,000 after acquiring an additional 842,901 shares in the last quarter. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main lifted its holdings in shares of BlackRock by 1,962.0% during the 2nd quarter. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main now owns 792,494 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $831,524,000 after purchasing an additional 754,060 shares in the last quarter. Finally, McElhenny Sheffield Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of BlackRock in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $231,000. 80.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting BlackRock

Here are the key news stories impacting BlackRock this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and shareholder returns — BlackRock reported Q4 revenue and EPS above estimates, reached a record $14.04T AUM, raised the quarterly dividend 10% and authorized new buybacks, which supports cash returns and long‑term fee growth. BlackRock Reports Fourth Quarter 2025 Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Record inflows driven by ETFs and cash products — Strong ETF and money‑market inflows pushed AUM higher and boosted fee revenue, underpinning near‑term growth momentum. BlackRock Earnings: Company Hits Record $14 Trillion in Assets Behind Strong ETF Flows
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic AI/Microsoft partnership funding — BlackRock said its AI‑infrastructure partnership with Microsoft has raised ~$12.5B toward a $30B target, highlighting new product and infrastructure initiatives that could produce fee opportunities. BlackRock Says AI Partnership Raises $12.5 Billion Toward $30 Billion Goal
• Positive Sentiment: Bullish analyst stance — Several firms reiterated or raised targets after the results, including Morgan Stanley’s Overweight view with a high price target that signals substantial upside from current levels. BlackRock: Compounding Secular Growth at a Discounted Valuation Supports Overweight Rating and 34% Upside
• Neutral Sentiment: Operational change: ETF listings move — BlackRock will move four iShares money‑market/short‑duration ETFs to the NYSE in February; operationally minor but relevant for ETF market structure and liquidity. BlackRock to Change Primary Listing Venue for Four iShares ETFs
• Neutral Sentiment: Strategic investments and private markets push — BlackRock outlined an ambitious plan to raise large private‑market pools and is pursuing deals (including a reported $333.6M commitment in India’s Aditya Birla renewables), signaling long‑term diversification but with longer realization timelines. Building ‘The Machine’: How BlackRock Plans To Raise $400B And Democratize Private Market Investing
• Negative Sentiment: Profit and margin pressure — Despite EPS and revenue beats, reported net income fell significantly year‑over‑year and operating profit showed pressure (per coverage), a reminder that earnings quality and cash generation face near‑term headwinds. BlackRock’s Profit Fell, Assets Hit Record $14 Trillion, in Fourth Quarter
• Negative Sentiment: Mixed analyst moves and a few downgrades — Some shops trimmed targets (Evercore, BMO) and TD Cowen issued a downgrade, creating short‑term analyst chatter and potential volatility despite overall constructive sentiment from other firms. Evercore ISI Lowers Price Target on BlackRock to $1,275

BlackRock Stock Performance

BLK opened at $1,164.72 on Friday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $1,071.82 and its 200 day simple moving average is $1,105.02. BlackRock has a 52-week low of $773.74 and a 52-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. The firm has a market capitalization of $180.71 billion, a PE ratio of 32.88, a PEG ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 1.47.

BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) last released its 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. BlackRock had a net margin of 22.93% and a return on equity of 15.14%. The business had revenue of $7.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.80 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $11.93 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 23.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that BlackRock will post 47.41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

BlackRock Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced 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. This is an increase from BlackRock’s previous quarterly dividend of $5.21. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. This represents a $22.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.0%. BlackRock’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 58.84%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

BLK has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their target price on shares of BlackRock from $1,310.00 to $1,340.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday. Loop Capital set a $1,255.00 price objective on shares of BlackRock in a report on Tuesday, October 21st. Cowen lowered shares of BlackRock from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of BlackRock in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $1,313.00 price objective on shares of BlackRock in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,314.71.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other BlackRock news, CFO Martin Small sold 1,258 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,043.38, for a total value of $1,312,572.04. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 6,209 shares in the company, valued at $6,478,346.42. This represents a 16.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Rachel Lord sold 12,000 shares of BlackRock stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,165.04, for a total value of $13,980,480.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 7,205 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,394,113.20. This represents a 62.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 1.98% of the stock is owned by insiders.

BlackRock 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.