Birch Financial Group LLC Buys New Position in BlackRock $BLK

Birch Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 487 shares of the asset manager’s stock, valued at approximately $567,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Norges Bank acquired a new position in BlackRock in the second quarter valued at $2,644,007,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in BlackRock by 105,267.4% in the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,705,899 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $1,789,915,000 after acquiring an additional 1,704,280 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. raised its stake in BlackRock by 72.5% during the 2nd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 2,005,358 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $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 lifted its position in BlackRock by 1,962.0% during the 2nd quarter. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main now owns 792,494 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $831,524,000 after acquiring an additional 754,060 shares during the period. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust grew its stake in shares of BlackRock by 29,043.2% in the 3rd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 245,094 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $285,748,000 after purchasing an additional 244,253 shares during the last quarter. 80.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Martin Small sold 27,047 shares of BlackRock stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 16th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at approximately $12,363,724.98. This trade represents a 71.93% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director J. Richard Kushel sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the director owned 61,894 shares in the company, valued at approximately $69,630,750. This trade represents a 24.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 48,305 shares of company stock worth $55,488,396. Corporate insiders own 1.98% of the company’s stock.

BlackRock News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting BlackRock this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Rick Rieder, BlackRock’s CIO of Global Fixed Income, is being talked about as a frontrunner for U.S. Federal Reserve chair after public praise from President Trump — a nomination would raise BlackRock’s influence on policy and could benefit business lines sensitive to rates and Fed guidance. BlackRock’s Rick Rieder surges ahead in race to chair Federal Reserve
• Positive Sentiment: CEO Larry Fink’s Davos push for rapid tokenization and a “common blockchain” reinforces BlackRock’s product roadmap (e.g., BUIDL money-market token on Ethereum with >$2B TVL), supporting potential new fee-bearing AUM and competitive crypto custody flows. Ethereum Emerges As Likely Candidate In BlackRock Tokenization Vision – Here’s Why
• Positive Sentiment: On-chain activity consistent with institutional crypto adoption: BlackRock-linked wallets transferred large amounts of bitcoin and ether into Coinbase Prime, signaling operational movement toward custody and trading channels for crypto products. This supports potential inflows to related ETFs and products over time. BlackRock-linked wallets move over $430 million in bitcoin, ether to Coinbase Prime
• Positive Sentiment: BlackRock increased its stake in AngloGold Ashanti to just over 10% — a material equity position that signals active portfolio deployment and could deliver strategic or performance upside in commodities exposure. BlackRock Lifts Stake in AngloGold Ashanti to Just Over 10%
• Neutral Sentiment: Larry Fink’s broader Davos commentary (AI, inequality and markets) sets strategic narrative for the firm but is more about reputation and long-term positioning than an immediate earnings catalyst. BlackRock CEO Larry Fink: ‘What Happens to Everyone Else’ If AI Fuels Inequality?
• Neutral Sentiment: Routine portfolio disclosures: BlackRock adjusted holdings (e.g., BAWAG voting rights), reflecting normal active positioning rather than a direct AUM driver. Investors should treat these as portfolio-management signals. BlackRock Adjusts Stake in BAWAG Group to 5.83% of Voting Rights
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: CFO Martin Small sold ~27,000 shares (~$31.7M) in mid-January; while insider sales aren’t uncommon, the size of the transaction can spook short-term investors. SEC Form 4 — Martin Small sale
• Negative Sentiment: Short-term headwinds in crypto products: U.S. bitcoin ETFs posted net outflows recently, a drag on fee revenue tied to IBIT and other crypto strategies. Bitcoin ETFs Log Off — Outflows
• Negative Sentiment: Unconfirmed reports of a large BlackRock XRP purchase circulated in crypto media — a speculative noise item that could invite regulatory scrutiny or investor overreaction until verified. Unverified BlackRock XRP purchase reports

BlackRock Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of NYSE BLK opened at $1,130.09 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $1,077.56 and its two-hundred day moving average is $1,106.88. The company has a market capitalization of $175.33 billion, a PE ratio of 31.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 1.47. BlackRock has a 12-month low of $773.74 and a 12-month high of $1,219.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 3.33 and a quick ratio of 3.33.

BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 15th. The asset manager reported $13.16 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 analysts’ expectations of $6.80 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $11.93 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 23.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that BlackRock will post 47.41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

BlackRock Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 24th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be given a $5.73 dividend. This is an increase from BlackRock’s previous quarterly dividend of $5.21. This represents a $22.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. BlackRock’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 58.84%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price target on BlackRock from $1,296.00 to $1,380.00 in a report on Thursday, January 15th. BMO Capital Markets dropped 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 note on Tuesday, January 13th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $1,351.00 price target on shares of BlackRock in a report on Friday, January 16th. Argus boosted their target price on BlackRock from $1,165.00 to $1,330.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 15th. Finally, 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. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,314.71.

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.