BlackRock $BLK Shares Sold by GAM Holding AG

GAM Holding AG reduced its position in shares of BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) by 78.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 321 shares of the asset manager’s stock after selling 1,191 shares during the period. GAM Holding AG’s holdings in BlackRock were worth $374,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of BLK. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of BlackRock during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $2,644,007,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in BlackRock by 105,267.4% during the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,705,899 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $1,789,915,000 after acquiring an additional 1,704,280 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its stake in BlackRock by 72.5% during the second quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 2,005,358 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $2,104,122,000 after acquiring an additional 842,901 shares during the last quarter. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main raised its position in BlackRock by 1,962.0% in the second quarter. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main now owns 792,494 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $831,524,000 after purchasing an additional 754,060 shares during the period. Finally, McElhenny Sheffield Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of BlackRock in the 2nd quarter valued at $231,000. 80.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

BlackRock Trading Up 1.3%

Shares of BLK stock opened at $1,084.27 on Monday. BlackRock has a fifty-two week low of $773.74 and a fifty-two week high of $1,219.94. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $1,068.14 and a 200 day moving average price of $1,099.25. The stock has a market capitalization of $168.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 3.33 and a current ratio of 3.33.

BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 14th. The asset manager reported $11.55 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $11.78 by ($0.23). BlackRock had a net margin of 26.64% and a return on equity of 14.80%. The business had revenue of $6.51 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.22 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $11.46 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 25.2% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that BlackRock will post 47.41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

BlackRock Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 23rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 5th were issued a dividend of $5.21 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 5th. This represents a $20.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. BlackRock’s dividend payout ratio is 53.59%.

Key Headlines Impacting BlackRock

Here are the key news stories impacting BlackRock this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Institutional hiring and crypto build-out — Articles highlight that large institutions (including BlackRock) are scaling crypto teams and capabilities, supporting long-term growth prospects for crypto-related AUM and fee revenue. From Revolut to BlackRock: How Institutions Are Hiring for Crypto at Scale
• Positive Sentiment: Bullish ETF thesis — Commentary predicting a top BlackRock ETF will outperform the S&P 500 in 2026 (driven by heavyweight tech holdings) supports investor optimism about fee growth and product strength. Prediction: This Unstoppable BlackRock ETF Will Beat the S&P 500 Again in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Tokenization participation — Reports that BlackRock joined industry moves around RWA/tokenized asset platforms (e.g., Ondo ecosystem) suggest new product channels for institutional clients and potential future AUM expansion. Ondo Finance Leads RWA Tokenization Revolution with $2 Billion Trading Volume in 2025
• Neutral Sentiment: Quarterly fund commentaries — BlackRock fund commentaries for Q3 2025 outline positioning and performance but contain no immediate market-moving announcements; useful context for portfolio strategy. BlackRock Capital Appreciation V.I. Fund Q3 2025 Commentary BlackRock Mid-Cap Growth Equity Fund Q3 2025 Commentary
• Neutral Sentiment: Minor portfolio adjustments — BlackRock trimming its stake in OMV below a voting threshold and ceasing to be a substantial holder in Genesis Minerals are routine rebalancings with limited direct impact on BLK’s business. BlackRock Trims Stake in OMV Below 4% Voting Rights Threshold BlackRock Ceases to Be Substantial Shareholder in Genesis Minerals
• Negative Sentiment: Large crypto transfers ahead of options expiry — BlackRock moved over $120M of Bitcoin and Ethereum to Coinbase Prime ahead of a roughly $2.2B options expiry, triggering market concern about forced selling and short-term volatility in crypto ETFs. This heightened volatility can hurt ETF flows and fee revenue. BlackRock Moves Bitcoin and Ethereum, Stirring Sell-Off Fears Ahead of $2.2B Options Expiry BlackRock moves over $120M in Bitcoin and Ethereum to Coinbase Prime
• Negative Sentiment: Year-end crypto ETF outflows — Recent reports show net outflows from US Bitcoin and Ethereum spot ETFs (IBIT and ETHA among the largest moves), which can reduce AUM and fees if the trend persists. Bitcoin ETFs Close the Year with $348M Outflow Ethereum Spot ETFs Update: $72M Withdrawn
• Negative Sentiment: Legal/regulatory pressure — A multi-state lawsuit alleging that asset managers (including BlackRock) influenced coal prices introduces legal and reputational risk that could draw investor scrutiny. Red States Sue BlackRock, State Street And Vanguard Over Coal Prices

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Argus boosted their price objective on shares of BlackRock from $1,165.00 to $1,330.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 15th. Loop Capital set a $1,255.00 price target on shares of BlackRock in a research report on Tuesday, October 21st. Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of BlackRock from $1,200.00 to $1,350.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, September 29th. BNP Paribas Exane increased their price objective on shares of BlackRock from $1,160.00 to $1,265.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their target price on shares of BlackRock from $1,390.00 to $1,322.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Seventeen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,316.18.

Insider Transactions at BlackRock

In related news, CFO Martin Small sold 1,258 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,043.38, for a total transaction of $1,312,572.04. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 6,209 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,478,346.42. This represents a 16.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Rachel Lord sold 12,000 shares of BlackRock stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,165.04, for a total transaction of $13,980,480.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 7,205 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,394,113.20. This represents a 62.48% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 1.98% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.