BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty research firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, fifteen have issued a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $1,311.1111.

Several brokerages have commented on BLK. Freedom Capital raised shares of BlackRock from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Barclays increased their price objective on BlackRock from $1,300.00 to $1,350.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 16th. UBS Group set a $1,280.00 target price on BlackRock in a research report on Friday, January 16th. BNP Paribas Exane raised their price target on BlackRock from $1,290.00 to $1,300.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on BlackRock from $1,296.00 to $1,380.00 in a research report on Thursday, January 15th.

BlackRock News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting BlackRock this week:

• Positive Sentiment: BlackRock’s iShares staked Ether ETF launch (low 0.25% fee) broadens its crypto product lineup and should help attract AUM and fee revenue from institutional and retail investors. Ether bulls target $2.5K as staking ETF launch, RWA market cap reflect growth
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional demand shows up in filings: Harvard’s endowment added exposure to BlackRock’s Ether ETF while trimming Bitcoin ETF holdings — a sign larger allocators are rotating into BLK’s crypto products. Harvard endowment reduces stake in Bitcoin ETF, adds Ether exposure
• Positive Sentiment: BlackRock’s amended S‑1 shows its Ethereum ETF will capture roughly 18% of staking rewards — a new revenue stream from crypto products that could boost ETF economics. BlackRock’s Ethereum ETF Will Take 18% Of Staking Rewards—Here’s The Breakdown
• Positive Sentiment: BlackRock’s growing activity in crypto infrastructure — e.g., acquiring a stake in Bitmine — signals a push into upstream crypto assets and services that can expand product capability and market share. BlackRock Acquires Bitmine Stake: A Stronger Institutional Crypto Push
• Positive Sentiment: BlackRock’s large accumulation of Nebius Group shares highlights active portfolio deployment into AI infrastructure — a sign BLK’s asset-management strategies are capturing thematic growth opportunities that could support future performance. Whale Watching: BlackRock’s Massive Bet on Nebius Group (BLK)
• Neutral Sentiment: BlackRock Canada announced February cash distributions for many iShares ETFs — routine fund operations that support investor income expectations but are unlikely to move BLK materially. BlackRock® Canada Announces February Cash Distributions for the iShares® ETFs
• Neutral Sentiment: Growth in tokenized real‑world assets and institutional participation (with firms like BlackRock involved) is a market tailwind that could expand product opportunities over time. Tokenized Real-World Assets See 13.5% Growth Amid Crypto Market Slump
• Neutral Sentiment: Several law firms and notice services are flagging class actions related to BlackRock TCP Capital (TCPC) — this concerns the TCPC vehicle (different ticker) and can create headline noise but does not directly implicate BLK’s corporate balance sheet. Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. Reminds Investors That Class Action Lawsuits Have Been Filed Against BlackRock TCP and Plug Power
• Negative Sentiment: Rosen Law (and similar firms) has opened an investigation into potential breaches of fiduciary duty by BlackRock’s directors/officers — this could weigh on sentiment if it develops into a formal suit or regulatory inquiry. BlackRock Investor News: Rosen Law Firm Announces Investigation
• Negative Sentiment: Recent insider selling by a BlackRock director was reported — such disclosures can create short‑term selling pressure or raise governance questions for some investors. Insider Selling: BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) Director Sells $2,339,962.73 in Stock

Insider Activity at BlackRock

In related news, 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 value of $22,500,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 61,894 shares in the company, valued at approximately $69,630,750. The trade was a 24.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CFO Martin Small sold 27,047 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,171.14, for a total value of $31,675,823.58. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 10,557 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,363,724.98. This represents a 71.93% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 109,967 shares of company stock worth $122,487,380. Corporate insiders own 1.98% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On BlackRock

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in BlackRock by 23.1% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 1,575 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $1,615,000 after purchasing an additional 296 shares during the period. Bison Wealth LLC grew its stake in shares of BlackRock by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. Bison Wealth LLC now owns 1,052 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $1,078,000 after buying an additional 17 shares during the last quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of BlackRock by 3.9% in the second quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC now owns 773 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $866,000 after buying an additional 29 shares during the period. Stephens Inc. AR lifted its stake in shares of BlackRock by 2.4% in the 2nd quarter. Stephens Inc. AR now owns 6,765 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $7,098,000 after acquiring an additional 158 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. purchased a new stake in BlackRock during the 2nd quarter valued at about $259,000. 80.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

BlackRock Stock Up 0.3%

BLK stock opened at $1,074.80 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $1,093.81 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $1,105.31. BlackRock has a twelve month low of $773.74 and a twelve month high of $1,219.94. The firm has a market capitalization of $166.76 billion, a PE ratio of 30.34, a PEG ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 1.47. The company has a quick ratio of 3.33, a current ratio of 3.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34.

BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 15th. The asset manager reported $13.16 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $12.55 by $0.61. The company had revenue of $6.33 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.80 billion. BlackRock had a net margin of 22.93% and a return on equity of 15.14%. BlackRock’s revenue was up 23.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $11.93 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that BlackRock will post 47.41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

BlackRock Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 24th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be paid a $5.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 6th. This represents a $22.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. This is a boost from BlackRock’s previous quarterly dividend of $5.21. BlackRock’s dividend payout ratio is presently 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.