UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp Acquires New Shares in BlackRock $BLK

UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp acquired a new position in shares of BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) during the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor acquired 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 holdings, making the stock its 22nd biggest holding.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of BLK. RMG Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of BlackRock during the first quarter valued at about $25,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of BlackRock during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Birchbrook Inc. acquired a new position in shares of BlackRock in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA bought a new position in BlackRock in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Finally, Basepoint Wealth LLC bought a new position in BlackRock in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.69% of the company’s stock.

BlackRock Stock Down 2.1%

BlackRock stock opened at $1,148.91 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $177.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.46, a PEG ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 1.42. BlackRock has a 52-week low of $917.39 and a 52-week high of $1,219.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 3.59 and a current ratio of 3.59. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $1,056.94 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $1,042.81.

BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 15th. The asset manager reported $13.91 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $12.69 by $1.22. The business had revenue of $7.08 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.73 billion. BlackRock had a net margin of 24.09% and a return on equity of 14.90%. BlackRock’s quarterly revenue was up 30.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $12.05 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that BlackRock will post 55.63 EPS for the current year.

BlackRock Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared 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. 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 (DPR) is presently 54.78%.

Trending Headlines about 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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on BLK shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “buy” rating and set a $1,258.00 target price on shares of BlackRock in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered shares of BlackRock from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. Bank of America boosted their price objective on shares of BlackRock from $1,298.00 to $1,320.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. UBS Group increased their price objective on BlackRock from $1,270.00 to $1,320.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised BlackRock from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their target price for the stock from $1,165.00 to $1,364.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $1,311.06.

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.