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BlackRock (BLK) Stock Near 52-Week High: What Should You Do?
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Shares of BlackRock (BLK - Free Report) , a well-known global asset manager, are trading just 2.5% off its 52-week high of $885.10 hit on Jul 31.
Yet, the BLK stock’s performance has not been impressive this year. The stock has gained only 6.3% compared with the industry and the S&P 500 Index rally of 11.7% and 17.9%, respectively. On the other hand, it has outperformed its peers – T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. (TROW - Free Report) and Invesco (IVZ - Free Report) – in the same timeframe.
Year-to-Date Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Technical indicators suggest strength for BLK. The stock is trading above its 50-day and 200-day moving averages.
50-Day & 200-Day Moving Averages
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
This signals robust upward momentum and price stability for BlackRock. It also underscores positive market sentiments and confidence in the company's financial health and prospects, which is expected to be driven by pending acquisitions.
Acquisitions to Enhance BlackRock’s Private Markets Capabilities
BlackRock has been on a buyout spree since the beginning of the year.
In January, the company agreed to acquire Global Infrastructure Partners (“GIP”) for $3 billion in cash and around 12 million shares of BlackRock common stock. GIP is the leading global independent infrastructure manager.
After that, to complement the GIP deal, in June, BLK signed an agreement to acquire London-based Preqin, a premier provider of private markets data, for almost $3.2 billion (£2.55 billion) in cash. Preqin is expected to generate approximately $240 million in highly recurring revenues in 2024, reflecting a solid growth trajectory of around 20% annually over the past three years.
BLK Price and Consensus
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The impending GIP and Preqin acquisitions represent a strategic expansion of BlackRock’s Aladdin technology business into the rapidly growing private markets data segment. This segment, which includes private equity, real estate, infrastructure and hedge funds, is projected to reach a total addressable market of $8 billion.
By tapping into this market, BLK intends to unlock significant growth potential and provide unparalleled data and analytics solutions. The integration is expected to generate revenue synergies as the company combines Preqin and GIP data with its alternative asset management platform, eFront, which facilitates the creation, management and monitoring of alternative asset portfolios.
Nonetheless, following the announcement of the Preqin deal, Moody’s Investors Service lowered its outlook on BlackRock’s ratings to negative from stable as this and the GIP buyout are set to elevate the company's adjusted debt by more than $6 billion, taking it to approximately $14.7 billion.
Separately, in May, BlackRock acquired SpiderRock Advisors LLC, a leading provider of option overlay-based strategies for separately managed accounts (SMAs). This strengthened the company’s capabilities to provide a robust platform to its clients with customized SMA solutions.
The SpiderRock buyout is an extension of BLK’s minority investment of 25% in the firm in 2021. It complements the Aperio acquisition, executed in 2021, thus further expanding the SMA offerings to fulfill unique client requirements.
Blackrock’s Efforts to Strengthen iShares and ETF Operations
BlackRock’s broad product diversification, revenue mix and steadily improving assets under management (AUM) balance are expected to continue boosting the top line. The company’s inorganic growth strategy has contributed to AUM's growth. AUM witnessed a five-year (2018-2023) CAGR of 10.9%.
Over the same period, the company’s revenues (on a GAAP basis) witnessed a CAGR of 4.7%. The uptrend will likely continue in the future as the company’s efforts to strengthen iShares and ETF operations (it received approval for spot bitcoin and ether ETFs) and increased focus on the active equity business are expected to offer support.
Bullish Analyst Sentiments
Analysts seem to be bullish about BlackRock’s prospects. Over the past 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2024 and 2025 earnings has moved upward.
Estimate Revision Trend
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
This upward annual adjustment, though small, reflects a positive sentiment among analysts and suggests encouraging prospects.
BlackRock Stock Overvalued
Blackrock stock is currently trading at the price-to-book (P/B) of 3.18X. This is above the industry’s 2.80X and higher than the median of 2.83X, reflecting a stretched valuation.
Further, the Value Score of D suggests that BLK is overvalued at the moment.
Price-to-Book Ratio
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Also, BlackRock is trading at a premium compared with TROW and IVZ, which have the P/B of 2.41X and 0.67X, respectively, at present.
Investors could face downside risks if the company's future performance does not meet expectations.
What to Do With the BLK Stock?
BlackRock's global presence, diversified revenues and strategic expansion efforts provide a solid base for organic growth. Yet, rising debt levels make us apprehensive.
Further, BLK’s lofty valuation raises concerns about sustainability, especially amid economic uncertainties and other challenges. Investors should consider these factors carefully and evaluate their risk tolerance before buying this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Those who already have the BLK stock in their portfolio can hold on to it because it is less likely to disappoint over the long term.
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BlackRock (BLK) Stock Near 52-Week High: What Should You Do?
Shares of BlackRock (BLK - Free Report) , a well-known global asset manager, are trading just 2.5% off its 52-week high of $885.10 hit on Jul 31.
Yet, the BLK stock’s performance has not been impressive this year. The stock has gained only 6.3% compared with the industry and the S&P 500 Index rally of 11.7% and 17.9%, respectively. On the other hand, it has outperformed its peers – T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. (TROW - Free Report) and Invesco (IVZ - Free Report) – in the same timeframe.
Year-to-Date Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Technical indicators suggest strength for BLK. The stock is trading above its 50-day and 200-day moving averages.
50-Day & 200-Day Moving Averages
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
This signals robust upward momentum and price stability for BlackRock. It also underscores positive market sentiments and confidence in the company's financial health and prospects, which is expected to be driven by pending acquisitions.
Acquisitions to Enhance BlackRock’s Private Markets Capabilities
BlackRock has been on a buyout spree since the beginning of the year.
In January, the company agreed to acquire Global Infrastructure Partners (“GIP”) for $3 billion in cash and around 12 million shares of BlackRock common stock. GIP is the leading global independent infrastructure manager.
After that, to complement the GIP deal, in June, BLK signed an agreement to acquire London-based Preqin, a premier provider of private markets data, for almost $3.2 billion (£2.55 billion) in cash. Preqin is expected to generate approximately $240 million in highly recurring revenues in 2024, reflecting a solid growth trajectory of around 20% annually over the past three years.
BLK Price and Consensus
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The impending GIP and Preqin acquisitions represent a strategic expansion of BlackRock’s Aladdin technology business into the rapidly growing private markets data segment. This segment, which includes private equity, real estate, infrastructure and hedge funds, is projected to reach a total addressable market of $8 billion.
By tapping into this market, BLK intends to unlock significant growth potential and provide unparalleled data and analytics solutions. The integration is expected to generate revenue synergies as the company combines Preqin and GIP data with its alternative asset management platform, eFront, which facilitates the creation, management and monitoring of alternative asset portfolios.
Nonetheless, following the announcement of the Preqin deal, Moody’s Investors Service lowered its outlook on BlackRock’s ratings to negative from stable as this and the GIP buyout are set to elevate the company's adjusted debt by more than $6 billion, taking it to approximately $14.7 billion.
Separately, in May, BlackRock acquired SpiderRock Advisors LLC, a leading provider of option overlay-based strategies for separately managed accounts (SMAs). This strengthened the company’s capabilities to provide a robust platform to its clients with customized SMA solutions.
The SpiderRock buyout is an extension of BLK’s minority investment of 25% in the firm in 2021. It complements the Aperio acquisition, executed in 2021, thus further expanding the SMA offerings to fulfill unique client requirements.
Blackrock’s Efforts to Strengthen iShares and ETF Operations
BlackRock’s broad product diversification, revenue mix and steadily improving assets under management (AUM) balance are expected to continue boosting the top line. The company’s inorganic growth strategy has contributed to AUM's growth. AUM witnessed a five-year (2018-2023) CAGR of 10.9%.
Over the same period, the company’s revenues (on a GAAP basis) witnessed a CAGR of 4.7%. The uptrend will likely continue in the future as the company’s efforts to strengthen iShares and ETF operations (it received approval for spot bitcoin and ether ETFs) and increased focus on the active equity business are expected to offer support.
Bullish Analyst Sentiments
Analysts seem to be bullish about BlackRock’s prospects. Over the past 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2024 and 2025 earnings has moved upward.
Estimate Revision Trend
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
This upward annual adjustment, though small, reflects a positive sentiment among analysts and suggests encouraging prospects.
BlackRock Stock Overvalued
Blackrock stock is currently trading at the price-to-book (P/B) of 3.18X. This is above the industry’s 2.80X and higher than the median of 2.83X, reflecting a stretched valuation.
Further, the Value Score of D suggests that BLK is overvalued at the moment.
Price-to-Book Ratio
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Also, BlackRock is trading at a premium compared with TROW and IVZ, which have the P/B of 2.41X and 0.67X, respectively, at present.
Investors could face downside risks if the company's future performance does not meet expectations.
What to Do With the BLK Stock?
BlackRock's global presence, diversified revenues and strategic expansion efforts provide a solid base for organic growth. Yet, rising debt levels make us apprehensive.
Further, BLK’s lofty valuation raises concerns about sustainability, especially amid economic uncertainties and other challenges. Investors should consider these factors carefully and evaluate their risk tolerance before buying this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Those who already have the BLK stock in their portfolio can hold on to it because it is less likely to disappoint over the long term.