UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp Purchases Shares of 18,503 BlackRock $BLK

UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp purchased a new stake in shares of BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 18,503 shares of the asset manager’s stock, valued at approximately $17,791,000. BlackRock comprises about 0.9% of UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 22nd largest holding.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of BlackRock in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $9,747,857,000. Corient Private Wealth LLC grew its position in shares of BlackRock by 5,190.3% in the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 5,490,422 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $5,876,618,000 after acquiring an additional 5,386,640 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of BlackRock during the 4th quarter worth about $2,742,680,000. Auto Owners Insurance Co increased its stake in shares of BlackRock by 106,934.0% during the 4th quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 1,284,408 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $128,441,000 after purchasing an additional 1,283,208 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP raised its holdings in shares of BlackRock by 200.5% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,451,122 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $1,553,194,000 after purchasing an additional 968,245 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.69% of the company’s stock.

BlackRock Stock Performance

BLK opened at $1,148.91 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $177.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 1.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 3.59 and a current ratio of 3.59. BlackRock has a 52-week low of $917.39 and a 52-week high of $1,219.94. The business’s fifty day moving average is $1,056.94 and its 200-day moving average is $1,042.81.

BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) last issued 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 company had revenue of $7.08 billion during 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%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 30.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $12.05 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that BlackRock will post 55.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

BlackRock Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 22nd. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 8th will be given 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 currently 54.78%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently commented on BLK shares. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $1,389.00 price target on shares of BlackRock in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Barclays raised their price objective on BlackRock from $1,340.00 to $1,450.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Bank of America lifted their target price on BlackRock from $1,298.00 to $1,320.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on BlackRock from $1,250.00 to $1,300.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded BlackRock from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,311.06.

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

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.