Empowered Funds LLC Increases Stock Holdings in BlackRock $BLK

Empowered Funds LLC boosted its holdings in BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) by 11.8% in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 10,825 shares of the asset manager’s stock after buying an additional 1,146 shares during the quarter. Empowered Funds LLC’s holdings in BlackRock were worth $10,411,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. RMG Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in BlackRock during the first quarter worth approximately $25,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of BlackRock in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Birchbrook Inc. acquired a new position in shares of BlackRock in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA purchased a new stake in shares of BlackRock during the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, Basepoint Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of BlackRock during the 4th quarter worth $32,000. 80.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

BlackRock Stock Performance

NYSE:BLK opened at $1,098.96 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 4.09 and a quick ratio of 4.09. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $1,031.62 and a two-hundred day moving average of $1,041.37. The stock has a market cap of $170.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.27, a PEG ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 1.43. BlackRock has a 1-year low of $917.39 and a 1-year high of $1,219.94.

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, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $12.69 by $1.22. BlackRock had a return on equity of 15.01% and a net margin of 24.09%.The business had revenue of $7.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.73 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $12.05 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 30.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that BlackRock will post 55.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

BlackRock Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 22nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 8th will be issued a dividend of $5.73 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 8th. This represents a $22.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. BlackRock’s payout ratio is currently 54.78%.

BlackRock News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting BlackRock this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Meta AI data-center venture: BlackRock and Meta Platforms announced a roughly $14 billion, 1-gigawatt data-center campus in El Paso, Texas. BlackRock-managed funds will hold about 80% of the venture, with Meta contributing assets and leasing capacity. The deal highlights BlackRock’s ability to deploy capital into large private-infrastructure projects and could generate management, financing and investment fees. Meta Launches $14 Billion Texas AI Data Center Campus With BlackRock
• Positive Sentiment: Strong quarterly results remain a tailwind: BlackRock recently reported adjusted earnings of $13.91 per share versus the $12.69 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 30.6% year over year to $7.08 billion. The results reinforce investor confidence in its operating momentum and diversified asset-gathering model.
• Positive Sentiment: Broader technology and alternative-asset exposure: Recent disclosures show BlackRock-managed funds holding significant stakes in companies including Keel Infrastructure and IonQ. While these are generally portfolio holdings rather than direct corporate investments, they reinforce the firm’s exposure to fast-growing AI, data-center and quantum-computing themes. KEEL BlackRock Stake Filing
• Neutral Sentiment: Expansion into alternative assets: BlackRock-affiliated funds are collaborating on the more-than-$600 million purchase of Anthem Entertainment’s music catalogs, adding another example of the firm’s push into specialized private assets. The transaction is strategically consistent with that expansion, but its near-term earnings impact is unclear. Influence Media Anthem Catalog Acquisition
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory and market risks remain: A law firm announced an investigation involving BlackRock mutual funds, although the notice contains allegations rather than established wrongdoing. Separately, pressure in U.S. private credit and uncertainty about Federal Reserve policy could weigh on fundraising, valuations and investor sentiment. Rosen BlackRock Mutual Fund Investigation

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

BLK has been the topic of several research reports. TD Cowen cut their target price on BlackRock from $1,238.00 to $1,105.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Barclays boosted their price target 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. BNP Paribas Exane raised their price objective on BlackRock from $1,300.00 to $1,350.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on BlackRock from $1,383.00 to $1,488.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded BlackRock from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 20th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $1,304.29.

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.