In the latest trading session, BlackRock (BLK) closed at $990.87, marking a -2.76% move from the previous day. This change lagged the S&P 500's 0.74% loss on the day. Meanwhile, the Dow lost 1.21%, and the Nasdaq, a tech-heavy index, lost 0.89%.

Shares of the investment firm witnessed a loss of 2.86% over the previous month, trailing the performance of the Finance sector with its gain of 1.17%, and the S&P 500's gain of 5.39%.

The investment community will be paying close attention to the earnings performance of BlackRock in its upcoming release. The company is forecasted to report an EPS of $12.53, showcasing a 3.98% upward movement from the corresponding quarter of the prior year. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenue is projecting net sales of $6.67 billion, up 23.03% from the year-ago period.

For the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $52.8 per share and a revenue of $27.65 billion, representing changes of +9.79% and +14.19%, respectively, from the prior year.

Investors should also take note of any recent adjustments to analyst estimates for BlackRock. Recent revisions tend to reflect the latest near-term business trends. Consequently, upward revisions in estimates express analysts' positivity towards the business operations and its ability to generate profits.

Our research suggests that these changes in estimates have a direct relationship with upcoming stock price performance. We developed the Zacks Rank to capitalize on this phenomenon. Our system takes these estimate changes into account and delivers a clear, actionable rating model.

Ranging from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), the Zacks Rank system has a proven, outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks returning an average of +25% annually since 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.06% higher. BlackRock is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

Digging into valuation, BlackRock currently has a Forward P/E ratio of 19.3. This indicates a premium in contrast to its industry's Forward P/E of 11.39.

Investors should also note that BLK has a PEG ratio of 1.33 right now. Comparable to the widely accepted P/E ratio, the PEG ratio also accounts for the company's projected earnings growth. The average PEG ratio for the Financial - Investment Management industry stood at 1.09 at the close of the market yesterday.

The Financial - Investment Management industry is part of the Finance sector. Currently, this industry holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 200, positioning it in the bottom 19% of all 250+ industries.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.

Blackstone (NYSE:BX) fell 5.14%, KKR (NYSE:KKR) dropped 5.24%, and Blue Owl Capital (NYSE:OWL) dropped 4.67% after reports that Partners Group capped withdrawals on its $8.6 billion Global Value SICAV fund, limiting redemptions to 5% of net asset value per quarter after requests surged to an estimated 9.8% in Q2. Partners Group CEO David Layton said most redemptions are coming from Asia and Australia, and acknowledged the Grizzly Research short-seller report "certainly doesn't help." Partners Group shares fell 17.25% in Zurich, their biggest intraday loss on record.

The broader concern is contagion. Private wealth clients, who make up about a fifth of Partners Group's AUM, are driving the bulk of the pressure and are moving faster than institutional investors typically would. Private credit funds have absorbed large outflows for several quarters amid debt quality worries and AI disruption fears, and Bloomberg reported that Apollo Global Management (NYSE:APO) and BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) are among managers that have also capped redemptions recently. Partners Group said in its investor letter that "these flow dynamics have recently accelerated," with macroeconomic shifts and geopolitical uncertainty compounding the pressure.

"The disease is spreading across private markets asset classes," said Pierre-Yves Gauthier, CEO of AlphaValue.

Getting big returns from financial portfolios, whether through stocks, bonds, ETFs, other securities, or a combination of all, is an investor's dream. However, when you're an income investor, your primary focus is generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments.

Cash flow can come from bond interest, interest from other types of investments, and, of course, dividends. A dividend is that coveted distribution of a company's earnings paid out to shareholders, and investors often view it by its dividend yield, a metric that measures the dividend as a percent of the current stock price. Many academic studies show that dividends account for significant portions of long-term returns, with dividend contributions exceeding one-third of total returns in many cases.

Based in New York, BlackRock (BLK) is in the Finance sector, and so far this year, shares have seen a price change of -2.23%. Currently paying a dividend of $5.73 per share, the company has a dividend yield of 2.19%. In comparison, the Financial - Investment Management industry's yield is 2.93%, while the S&P 500's yield is 1.44%.

Looking at dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $22.92 is up 10% from last year. Over the last 5 years, BlackRock has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 7.33%. Looking ahead, future dividend growth will be dependent on earnings growth and payout ratio, which is the proportion of a company's annual earnings per share that it pays out as a dividend. BlackRock's current payout ratio is 47%, meaning it paid out 47% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.

Earnings growth looks solid for BLK for this fiscal year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 is $52.80 per share, which represents a year-over-year growth rate of 9.79%.

Investors like dividends for a variety of different reasons, from tax advantages and decreasing overall portfolio risk to considerably improving stock investing profits. But, not every company offers a quarterly payout.

Big, established firms that have more secure profits are often seen as the best dividend options, but it's fairly uncommon to see high-growth businesses or tech start-ups offer their stockholders a dividend. During periods of rising interest rates, income investors must be mindful that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle. With that in mind, BLK is a compelling investment opportunity. Not only is it a strong dividend play, but the stock currently sits at a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

(Bloomberg) -- BlackRock Inc. is trimming its bet on stocks across its $220 billion model-portfolio business as US equities surge to record highs following a strong earnings season.

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The world’s largest asset manager cut its overweight position in equities from 3% to 1%, according to an investment outlook viewed by Bloomberg. The shift triggered billions of dollars of flows between BlackRock’s exchange-traded funds on Thursday, data compiled by Bloomberg showed.

The move follows a “generational earnings season” for US companies, wrote Michael Gates, lead portfolio manager for BlackRock’s Target Allocation ETF model portfolio suite. The strong results, booming productivity and a stable economy has pushed the S&P 500 to records highs in recent weeks, offsetting the impact of the war with Iran and growing doubts that the Federal Reserve will lower interest rates this year, he said.

But it’s becoming harder to expect over performance from equities, he cautioned. The markets have already priced the positive indicators, and “we see a narrower path ahead to avoiding potential risks,” he said.

Gates said the firm remains confident in equities, and will maintain positions that bet on growing corporate profits, artificial intelligence and government spending.

Model portfolios, which package together funds into ready-made strategies to be sold to financial advisers, have soared in popularity in recent years. Bloomberg Intelligence estimates that $3 trillion sits in model portfolios, roughly 22% of all ETF assets. BlackRock controls more than $220 billion in these models, up from $150 billion last year.

As a result of this week’s adjustment, more than $12 billion flowed into the iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (ticker IVV) in the latest session, Bloomberg data show. Meanwhile, a record haul flooded into the iShares International Country Rotation Active ETF (CORO) to capture regions that are the most advanced in adopting AI, according to the outlook.

Those inflows came at the expense of factor-focused and thematic funds, with a combined $10 billion exiting from the likes of the iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (QUAL), the iShares S&P 500 Value ETF (IVE), the iShares US Thematic Rotation Active ETF (THRO) and the iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF (MTUM) in the most recent trading session, Bloomberg data show.

BlackRock (BLK) closed at $1,046.49 in the latest trading session, marking a -2.23% move from the prior day. The stock's performance was behind the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.58%. Meanwhile, the Dow gained 0.05%, and the Nasdaq, a tech-heavy index, added 0.91%.

Prior to today's trading, shares of the investment firm had gained 2.98% outpaced the Finance sector's gain of 1.37% and lagged the S&P 500's gain of 4.96%.

Market participants will be closely following the financial results of BlackRock in its upcoming release. The company is forecasted to report an EPS of $12.53, showcasing a 3.98% upward movement from the corresponding quarter of the prior year. In the meantime, our current consensus estimate forecasts the revenue to be $6.67 billion, indicating a 23.03% growth compared to the corresponding quarter of the prior year.

For the annual period, the Zacks Consensus Estimates anticipate earnings of $52.8 per share and a revenue of $27.65 billion, signifying shifts of +9.79% and +14.19%, respectively, from the last year.

Investors should also take note of any recent adjustments to analyst estimates for BlackRock. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. Therefore, positive revisions in estimates convey analysts' confidence in the business performance and profit potential.

Research indicates that these estimate revisions are directly correlated with near-term share price momentum. To take advantage of this, we've established the Zacks Rank, an exclusive model that considers these estimated changes and delivers an operational rating system.

The Zacks Rank system ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell). It has a remarkable, outside-audited track record of success, with #1 stocks delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Within the past 30 days, our consensus EPS projection has moved 0.06% higher. At present, BlackRock boasts a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

Looking at its valuation, BlackRock is holding a Forward P/E ratio of 20.27. For comparison, its industry has an average Forward P/E of 11.16, which means BlackRock is trading at a premium to the group.

It's also important to note that BLK currently trades at a PEG ratio of 1.39. The PEG ratio bears resemblance to the frequently used P/E ratio, but this parameter also includes the company's expected earnings growth trajectory. The Financial - Investment Management was holding an average PEG ratio of 1.07 at yesterday's closing price.

The Financial - Investment Management industry is part of the Finance sector. At present, this industry carries a Zacks Industry Rank of 202, placing it within the bottom 18% of over 250 industries.

Key Takeaways

• BlackRock’s $1.01 billion Bitcoin sale was driven by investor redemptions from its IBIT ETF, not by the firm abandoning Bitcoin.

• A record $1.29 billion IBIT dark pool block trade intensified fears of institutional de-risking in the crypto market.

• Around 15,000 BTC were transferred to Coinbase Prime in daily batches to settle ETF withdrawals.

BlackRock’s $1 billion Bitcoin sell-off last week sparked panic across crypto markets, prompting traders to question whether the world’s largest asset manager was turning bearish on Bitcoin.

However, blockchain data and ETF flow figures suggest the reality is far less dramatic: the selling largely reflected investor withdrawals from BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), not a strategic retreat from crypto by the firm itself.

The wave of redemptions came during the heaviest week of US spot Bitcoin ETF outflows in 2026, with investors pulling roughly $1.26 billion from the market between May 18 and 22.

At the same time, BlackRock continued expanding its digital asset footprint, with its tokenized fund business surpassing $2.5 billion in assets, underscoring the company’s long-term commitment to blockchain-based finance despite short-term turbulence in Bitcoin markets.

Bitcoin ETF Outflows Trigger Market Jitters

BlackRock’s IBIT accounted for the majority of last week’s ETF withdrawals, with approximately $1.01 billion worth of Bitcoin sold to settle investor redemptions.

On-chain tracker Arkham reported that nearly 15,000 BTC were transferred in daily batches to Coinbase Prime, the institutional trading platform commonly used for ETF settlements.

The transactions fueled speculation on crypto social media after Arkham posted that BlackRock had sold Bitcoin every day during the week.

However, analysts noted that the sales were not initiated by BlackRock itself. Instead, the firm was carrying out routine ETF redemption processes as investors exited the fund.

The broader ETF market also experienced significant pressure. US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded eight consecutive trading days of net outflows, with Tuesday alone seeing net outflows of more than $333 million. IBIT represented nearly $192 million of that figure.

Bitcoin briefly dropped to around $74,300 during the sell-off before recovering toward the $77,000 level. Analysts said the rebound appeared to be driven more by speculative futures activity than by long-term spot-buying demand.

Despite the heavy selling, ETF markets remained orderly, with liquidity holding up across major products. Spot Bitcoin ETFs collectively still hold roughly 1.3 million BTC, equivalent to nearly 7% of Bitcoin’s circulating supply.