Wesbanco Bank Inc. Increases Stock Holdings in BlackRock $BLK

Wesbanco Bank Inc. lifted its stake in shares of BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) by 63.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 13,193 shares of the asset manager’s stock after buying an additional 5,104 shares during the quarter. Wesbanco Bank Inc.’s holdings in BlackRock were worth $15,381,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Westerkirk Capital Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of BlackRock in the second quarter worth approximately $2,877,000. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey raised its stake in BlackRock by 7.9% during the second quarter. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey now owns 23,167 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $24,308,000 after purchasing an additional 1,693 shares during the period. Investment Research & Advisory Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of BlackRock in the 3rd quarter valued at $6,201,000. Lingohr Asset Management GmbH acquired a new position in shares of BlackRock in the 3rd quarter valued at $700,000. Finally, California Public Employees Retirement System grew its stake in shares of BlackRock by 8.2% during the 2nd quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 256,937 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $269,591,000 after buying an additional 19,404 shares during the period. 80.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on BLK shares. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,351.00 target price on shares of BlackRock in a report on Friday, January 16th. UBS Group set a $1,280.00 price objective on BlackRock in a report on Friday, January 16th. Bank of America boosted their target price on BlackRock from $1,456.00 to $1,464.00 in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Loop Capital set a $1,255.00 target price on shares of BlackRock in a research report on Tuesday, October 21st. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reduced their price target on shares of BlackRock from $1,300.00 to $1,250.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,311.11.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CFO Martin Small sold 27,047 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,171.14, for a total transaction of $31,675,823.58. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 10,557 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,363,724.98. This trade represents a 71.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director J. Richard Kushel sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,125.00, for a total transaction of $22,500,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 61,894 shares in the company, valued at $69,630,750. This represents a 24.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 48,305 shares of company stock valued at $55,488,396. 1.98% of the stock is owned by insiders.

BlackRock News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting BlackRock this week:

• Positive Sentiment: IBIT pulled in meaningful capital last week, with reports noting a $231M inflow into BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF — a direct revenue and AUM positive for BlackRock’s ETF franchise. BlackRock’s IBIT Draws In $231M As Bitcoin ETFs Close Week Positively — Details
• Positive Sentiment: Bitcoin reclaimed $70k in another report, which tends to lift demand and flows into spot BTC products like IBIT — a supportive macro/drivers-of-fees read-through for BLK. Bitcoin At $70K Again – Is the Bear Market Over and Will $HYPER Follow?
• Positive Sentiment: Analysis comparing iShares ETFs (IVV/ITOT/IWM) highlights BlackRock’s ETF product strength and choice for investors, underscoring recurring-fee businesses that support BLK’s valuation. IVV vs. ITOT vs. IWM: Which iShares ETF Could Deliver the Best Returns in 2026?
• Neutral Sentiment: Nasdaq kept IBIT’s position-limit regime intact while leveling limits for some rivals — a regulatory/market-structure note that preserves BlackRock’s existing trading framework without an immediate upside shock. IBIT Position Limits Stay Put as Nasdaq Levels Bitcoin ETF Playing Field
• Neutral Sentiment: Company filings show BlackRock trimming or ceasing to be a substantial holder in small international names (SiteMinder, BAWAG stake trimmed, sub‑5% disclosure in Stora Enso) — routine portfolio/holding adjustments with limited direct impact on BLK’s core business. BlackRock Ceases to Be Substantial Holder in SiteMinder BlackRock Trims Stake in BAWAG Group to 5.44% of Voting Rights BlackRock Discloses Sub-5% Indirect Holdings in Stora Enso
• Negative Sentiment: Reports show renewed ETF outflows helped drive a crypto pullback below $70k at times; coverage cites IBIT as the lone stabilizer, implying that net negative flows elsewhere can still create volatility that pressures short-term fee growth. ETF Outflows Fuel Bitcoin’s Crash Below $70K as BMIC Makes Consistent Gains
• Negative Sentiment: Commentary suggests institutional hedging tied to structured BTC products can amplify selloffs — a reminder that BlackRock’s large ETF footprint links it to systemic crypto market moves and potential short-term volatility in AUM. Bitcoin Selloff Sparks Fresh Debate Over Institutional Market Forces

BlackRock Trading Up 2.3%

BLK opened at $1,080.22 on Tuesday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $1,092.90 and its 200-day moving average is $1,106.93. BlackRock has a 52-week low of $773.74 and a 52-week high of $1,219.94. The company has a quick ratio of 3.33, a current ratio of 3.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. The firm has a market capitalization of $167.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.50, a P/E/G ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 1.47.

BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 15th. The asset manager reported $13.16 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 $6.33 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.80 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $11.93 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 23.4% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that BlackRock will post 47.41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

BlackRock Increases Dividend

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

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.