BlackRock, Inc. is a publicly owned investment manager. The firm primarily provides its services to institutional, intermediary, and individual investors including corporate, public, union, and industry pension plans, insurance companies, third-party mutual funds, endowments, public institutions, governments, foundations, charities, sovereign wealth funds, corporations, official institutions, and banks. It also provides global risk management and advisory services. The firm manages separate client-focused equity, fixed income, and balanced portfolios. It also launches and manages open-end and closed-end mutual funds, offshore funds, unit trusts, and alternative investment vehicles including structured funds. The firm launches equity, fixed income, balanced, and real estate mutual funds. It also launches equity, fixed income, balanced, currency, commodity, and multi-asset exchange traded funds. The firm also launches and manages hedge funds. It invests in the public equity, fixed income, real estate, currency, commodity, and alternative markets across the globe. The firm primarily invests in growth and value stocks of small-cap, mid-cap, SMID-cap, large-cap, and multi-cap companies. It also invests in dividend-paying equity securities. The firm invests in investment grade municipal securities, government securities including securities issued or guaranteed by a government or a government agency or instrumentality, corporate bonds, and asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities. It employs fundamental and quantitative analysis with a focus on bottom-up and top-down approach to make its investments. The firm employs liquidity, asset allocation, balanced, real estate, and alternative strategies to make its investments. In real estate sector, it seeks to invest in Poland and Germany. The firm benchmarks the performance of its portfolios against various S&P, Russell, Barclays, MSCI, Citigroup, and Merrill Lynch indices. BlackRock, Inc. was founded in 1988 and is based in New York City with additional offices in Boston, Massachusetts; London, United Kingdom; Gurgaon, India; Hong Kong; Greenwich, Connecticut; Princeton, New Jersey; Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Sydney, Australia; Taipei, Taiwan; Singapore; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Washington, District of Columbia; Toronto, Canada; Wilmington, Delaware; and San Francisco, California.

BlackRock, Inc.

Looking today at week-over-week shares outstanding changes among the universe of ETFs covered at ETF Channel, one standout is the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (Symbol: VTI) where we have detected an approximate $1.9 billion dollar inflow -- that's a 0.4% increase week over week in outstanding units (from 1,652,741,306 to 1,658,611,637). Among the largest underlying components of VTI, in trading today Blackrock Inc (Symbol: BLK) is off about 0.1%, American Express Co. (Symbol: AXP) is off about 0.1%, and Progressive Corp. (Symbol: PGR) is lower by about 1%. For a complete list of holdings, visit the VTI Holdings page » The chart below shows the one year price performance of VTI, versus its 200 day moving average:
Looking at the chart above, VTI's low point in its 52 week range is $236.42 per share, with $322.055 as the 52 week high point — that compares with a last trade of $320.28. Comparing the most recent share price to the 200 day moving average can also be a useful technical analysis technique -- learn more about the 200 day moving average ».
Exchange traded funds (ETFs) trade just like stocks, but instead of ''shares'' investors are actually buying and selling ''units''. These ''units'' can be traded back and forth just like stocks, but can also be created or destroyed to accommodate investor demand. Each week we monitor the week-over-week change in shares outstanding data, to keep a lookout for those ETFs experiencing notable inflows (many new units created) or outflows (many old units destroyed). Creation of new units will mean the underlying holdings of the ETF need to be purchased, while destruction of units involves selling underlying holdings, so large flows can also impact the individual components held within ETFs.
Also see:
Technology Stocks Hedge Funds Are Buying
PETQ Videos
Hain Celestial Group Historical PE Ratio
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Noteworthy ETF Inflows: VTI, BLK, AXP, PGR

For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – September 8, 2025 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Goldman Sachs GS, T. Rowe Price TROW, BlackRock Inc. BLK and JPMorgan JPM.
Here are highlights from Friday’s Analyst Blog:
Private Markets Push: How Goldman Can Profit from T. Rowe Price Tie-Up
Goldman Sachs has partnered with T. Rowe Price to offer a diversified suite of public and private market solutions tailored for retirement and wealth investors. As part of the collaboration, Goldman will invest roughly $1 billion in T. Rowe Price, acquiring a stake of about 3.5%.
The alliance will focus on expanding private market access for individuals, advisors and plan sponsors, offering Target-Date Strategies (mid-2026), model portfolios, multi-asset offerings, personalized advice and advisor-managed accounts. It will also give Goldman Sachs access to T. Rowe Price's retirement-focused clients, combining stable income with growth potential.
David Solomon, chairman and CEO of Goldman, stated, "With Goldman Sachs' decades of leadership innovating across public and private markets and T. Rowe Price's expertise in active investing, clients can invest confidently in the new opportunities for retirement savings and wealth creation."
This partnership between GS and TROW follows an executive order signed last month, aimed at expanding access to alternative assets for 401(k) participants, paving the way for broader participation in private market investments and enhanced retirement diversification.
This allows GS and TROW to leverage their expertise in private markets, grow assets under management, strengthen their position in the growing retirement solutions market and generate higher fee income through an expanded client base.
Private Market Ventures by Other Major Finance Firms
Other major financial firms such as BlackRock Inc. and JPMorgan have been enhancing their private markets capabilities to capitalize on rising demand and attract new clients.
Over the past year, BlackRock has invested more than $28 billion to strengthen its position in the high-growth private markets space. Further, BlackRock is targeting $400 billion in private markets fundraising by 2030, with an aim to double its operating income and market capitalization by 2030.
Likewise, in February 2025, JPMorgan announced an additional $50 billion allocation toward direct lending, solidifying its presence in the lucrative private credit market. Since 2021, JPMorgan has deployed more than $10 billion across 100+ private credit transactions, leveraging its extensive client base and vast origination platform.
Goldman's Price Performance, Valuation & Estimates
Shares of GS have gained 30.8% year to date compared with the industry's growth of 23.6%.
From a valuation standpoint, Goldman trades at a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 14.91X, above the industry's average of 14.65X.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Goldman's 2025 and 2026 earnings implies year-over-year growth of 12.6% and 14.9%, respectively. The estimates for both years have remained unchanged over the past 30 days.
Goldman currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
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Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.
Zacks Names #1 Semiconductor Stock
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights Goldman Sachs, T. Rowe Price, BlackRock and JPMorgan

Key Points
UnitedHealth shares are up 14% as of Sept. 4 since a mid-August filing revealed that Berkshire Hathaway had bought 5 million shares.
The health insurer giant faces several problems, from rising medical costs to a Justice Department investigation.
The company just hiked its dividend by 5.2% and grew Q2 revenues by 13%.
For decades, UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) could do no wrong. The company raised its dividend by an exceptional 7,266% from 2010 to 2025, while shares rose as much as 1,700% during this run.
But shares have fallen roughly 40% year to date as the company faces a host of problems, from the murder of Brian Thompson, CEO of major business segment UnitedHealthcare, to federal investigations into allegedly fraudulent Medicare billing practices.
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Nonetheless, shares surged 12% on Aug. 14 after filings revealed Berkshire Hathaway had bought over 5 million shares.
Berkshire's move was seen as a major vote of confidence in the stock -- and investors joined a stampede to follow Warren Buffett into the trade. Should you?
Big growth potential for all segments
UnitedHealth operates through four segments. Its UnitedHealthcare segment provides consumer-oriented health benefit plans and services for employers. Optum Health provides healthcare management and financial services, while Optum Insight offers data analysis tools, consulting, and tech solutions to healthcare providers. Optum Rx is a direct-to-consumer platform offering pharmacy services and 190 million prescriptions per year to U.S. homes.
In its second-quarter report on July 29, the company reported quarterly revenue of $111.6 billion, up roughly 13% from the year-ago period. The trouble is with margins. For UnitedHealthcare, the biggest segment, operating margin fell from 6.2% in Q1 2025 to 2.4% last quarter. Combined, margin for the three Optum segments fell from 6.1% in Q1 2025 to 4.6% in Q2.
These declines are steep enough that, even with revenue on the upswing, earnings fell from $9.1 billion in Q1 2025 to $5.2 billion last quarter.
Rising medical costs are the chief headwind. In the July earnings report, new CEO Stephen Hensley acknowledged that UNH "significantly underestimated the accelerating medical trend," and medical costs totaled $6.5 billion more than anticipated.
But management is under no such illusions now. They're taking actions to boost efficiency and cut waste, from stepping up audits of clinical policy and payment integrity tools, to scaling artificial intelligence (AI) efforts to improve provider and patient experiences while driving down costs. Implementation of AI technologies is part of initiatives the company hopes can deliver almost $1 billion in cost reductions. Perhaps most significantly, the company is raising premiums after saying it underpriced Medicare Advantage plans in 2025.
In the meantime, each of these segments could grow significantly in the years ahead. UnitedHealthcare Employer & Individual just rolled out services in its 30th state, while Optum Rx's growth outlook is 5%-8% annually. Optum Insight is targeting operating margin of 18%-22%, while the 4.7 million patients receiving value-based care from OptumHealth represent only a fraction of the nearly 340 million Americans who could fall under its 100-plus health plans.
It's not just Berkshire buying
Berkshire Hathaway's move in UnitedHealth is getting headlines. But billionaire David Tepper also scooped up 2.3 million shares, while Michael Burry of The Big Short fame bought 350,000 call options on the stock in a bet that shares would rise.
In addition, BlackRock, the world's biggest asset manager, bought over 1 million shares last quarter. Goldman Sachs bought over 1.1 million shares, while Renaissance Technologies (the fabled fund that achieved an average annual return of 66% for decades) bought over 1.35 million.
As for management, Stephen Hensley invested $25 million just days after becoming CEO, while the company's CFO bought another $5 million worth in shares. All told, the insider buying of UNH stock outweighed insider selling by a nearly 4:1 margin last quarter.
As the investing legend Peter Lynch observed, insiders can sell for many reasons unrelated to a stock. But they buy for only one: They think shares will go up.
Why UnitedHealth is a buy for retail investors, too
Berkshire officials haven't commented publicly on their rationale for buying UnitedHealthcare, but it's possible to speculate on their reasons.
Warren Buffett has called cash flow the most important metric in assessing a business's potential. In a 2000 letter to shareholders, he wrote that dividend yield, the price-to-earnings ratio, book value, and even growth rates "have nothing to do with valuation except to the extent they provide clues to the amount and timing of cash flows into and from the business."
Positive cash flow shows the company can cover its obligations, return money to shareholders, and potentially pursue growth and expansion. After floundering in 2024, UnitedHealth's trailing-12-month operating cash flow has rebounded to $29 billion compared to $24.2 billion at the end of last year.
And if price-to-earnings, dividend yield, and growth rates are only background clues to cash flow, these metrics seem to bode well for UnitedHealth, too.
The company's price-to-earnings ratio of 13.7 is cheap compared to the S&P 500,
with its average P/E ratio of around 26, while revenue growth of 13% year over year further fuels the bull case. Meanwhile, the company's recent 5.2% dividend increase -- its 15th consecutive annual payout hike -- brings its yield to 2.8% as I write this, nearly triple the S&P 500 average.
For investors willing to take a long-term approach and be rewarded with rising income in the meantime, UnitedHealth is a buy.
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William Dahl has no positions in the stocks mentioned in this article. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Berkshire Hathaway and Goldman Sachs Group. The Motley Fool recommends UnitedHealth Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Berkshire Hathaway Buys UnitedHealth Shares: Should You Follow Suit?

Citigroup Inc. C has announced a new customized portfolio offering for its global wealth clients, appointing BlackRock, Inc. BLK to manage approximately $80 billion in assets. The offering, Citigroup Portfolio Solutions powered by BlackRock, is expected to be launched in the fourth quarter of 2025, subject to customary approvals and conditions. The agreement is not expected to affect Citigroup’s previously disclosed revenue or return targets materially.
Details of Citigroup’s Agreement
BlackRock will oversee a broad set of investment strategies, including Equities, Fixed Income, Multi-Asset Class, and, over time, Private Markets. The firm’s Aladdin Wealth technology platform, offering advanced risk management, portfolio oversight, and data insights, will be deployed to C’s private bankers and investment professionals.
Citigroup’s Wealth clients, whose assets will be managed by BLK, are domiciled in nearly 100 countries, reflecting the offering’s broad global reach. The clients will continue to maintain a primary relationship with their Citigroup Private Banker, who will guide strategic asset allocation, long-term financial goals, and the selection of investment strategies. Subject to ongoing review and monitoring by Citigroup Wealth, BlackRock will manage and implement specific investment strategies tailored to meet clients’ objectives.
Andy Sieg, head of Wealth at Citigroup, stated, “We want to bring best-in-class advice, solutions and service to our clients, and we want to serve more of the world’s changemakers. With this offering, we can accomplish both.” Sieg further added, “It brings together the sophisticated relationship-driven and market-based advice of our bankers, backed by the insights of our own Chief Investment Office, with the renowned investment expertise and innovative technology capabilities of BlackRock.”
Further, certain members of Citigroup Investment Management will transition to BlackRock to continue serving as portfolio managers for existing strategies. Over time, Citigroup and BlackRock plan to develop new investment products and solutions that will further benefit clients, leveraging BlackRock’s scale, infrastructure, and capabilities.
Rationale Behind C’s Partnership With BLK
The initiative brings together Citigroup’s strategic advisory strengths and BlackRock’s expertise in investment management and technology to deliver a more sophisticated client experience. It aims to provide clients with access to customized portfolio solutions spanning public and private markets, improve investment outcomes through advanced portfolio construction, and streamline operations while expanding the range of global investment options.
Our Take on C-BLK Agreement
The deal reflects a broader trend in wealth management, where banks are increasingly collaborating with asset managers to enhance client offerings without building in-house capabilities. By combining Citigroup’s advisory services with BlackRock’s technology and investment prowess, both firms are positioned to scale globally while improving client outcomes.
Price Performance & Zacks Rank of Citigroup
Over the past six months, shares of Citigroup have risen 34% compared with the industry’s growth of 25.4%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
At present, the company carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Similar Steps by Other Finance Firms
In June 2025, U.S. Bancorp USB has entered a partnership with Fiserv to integrate its Elan Financial Services credit card program into Fiserv’s Credit Choice solution. The collaboration aims to enhance digital card issuance capabilities, providing financial institutions with a seamless, integrated experience.
The integration of Elan’s credit card program into Fiserv’s Credit Choice solution strengthens USB’s digital-first strategy. This integration will enable consumers and small businesses to access both debit and credit card account details within a unified digital platform. This will create a better user experience, allowing customers to manage both types of cards in one place.
#1 Semiconductor Stock to Buy (Not NVDA)
The incredible demand for data is fueling the market's next digital gold rush. As data centers continue to be built and constantly upgraded, the companies that provide the hardware for these behemoths will become the NVIDIAs of tomorrow.
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BlackRock (BLK) : Free Stock Analysis Report
U.S. Bancorp (USB) : Free Stock Analysis Report
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Citigroup to Launch $80B Portfolio Offering With BlackRock

Goldman Sachs GS has partnered with T. Rowe Price TROW to offer a diversified suite of public and private market solutions tailored for retirement and wealth investors. As part of the collaboration, Goldman will invest roughly $1 billion in T. Rowe Price, acquiring a stake of about 3.5%.
The alliance will focus on expanding private market access for individuals, advisors and plan sponsors, offering Target-Date Strategies (mid-2026), model portfolios, multi-asset offerings, personalized advice and advisor-managed accounts. It will also give Goldman Sachs access to T. Rowe Price’s retirement-focused clients, combining stable income with growth potential.
David Solomon, chairman and CEO of Goldman, stated, “With Goldman Sachs' decades of leadership innovating across public and private markets and T. Rowe Price's expertise in active investing, clients can invest confidently in the new opportunities for retirement savings and wealth creation.”
This partnership between GS and TROW follows an executive order signed last month, aimed at expanding access to alternative assets for 401(k) participants, paving the way for broader participation in private market investments and enhanced retirement diversification.
This allows GS and TROW to leverage their expertise in private markets, grow assets under management, strengthen their position in the growing retirement solutions market and generate higher fee income through an expanded client base.
Private Market Ventures by Other Major Finance Firms
Other major financial firms such as BlackRock Inc. BLK and JPMorgan JPM have been enhancing their private markets capabilities to capitalize on rising demand and attract new clients.
Over the past year, BlackRock has invested more than $28 billion to strengthen its position in the high-growth private markets space. Further, BlackRock is targeting $400 billion in private markets fundraising by 2030, with an aim to double its operating income and market capitalization by 2030.
Likewise, in February 2025, JPMorgan announced an additional $50 billion allocation toward direct lending, solidifying its presence in the lucrative private credit market. Since 2021, JPMorgan has deployed more than $10 billion across 100+ private credit transactions, leveraging its extensive client base and vast origination platform.
Goldman’s Price Performance, Valuation & Estimates
Shares of GS have gained 30.8% year to date compared with the industry’s growth of 23.6%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, Goldman trades at a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 14.91X, above the industry’s average of 14.65X.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Goldman’s 2025 and 2026 earnings implies year-over-year growth of 12.6% and 14.9%, respectively. The estimates for both years have remained unchanged over the past 30 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Goldman currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
#1 Semiconductor Stock to Buy (Not NVDA)
The incredible demand for data is fueling the market's next digital gold rush. As data centers continue to be built and constantly upgraded, the companies that provide the hardware for these behemoths will become the NVIDIAs of tomorrow.
One under-the-radar chipmaker is uniquely positioned to take advantage of the next growth stage of this market. It specializes in semiconductor products that titans like NVIDIA don't build. It's just beginning to enter the spotlight, which is exactly where you want to be.
See This Stock Now for Free >>
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Private Markets Push: Can Goldman Profit From T. Rowe Price Tie-Up?

Looking at options trading activity among components of the Russell 3000 index, there is noteworthy activity today in Ciena Corp (Symbol: CIEN), where a total volume of 20,356 contracts has been traded thus far today, a contract volume which is representative of approximately 2.0 million underlying shares (given that every 1 contract represents 100 underlying shares). That number works out to 104% of CIEN's average daily trading volume over the past month, of 2.0 million shares. Especially high volume was seen for the $125 strike call option expiring September 19, 2025, with 5,049 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 504,900 underlying shares of CIEN. Below is a chart showing CIEN's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $125 strike highlighted in orange:
Brighthouse Financial Inc (Symbol: BHF) options are showing a volume of 6,451 contracts thus far today. That number of contracts represents approximately 645,100 underlying shares, working out to a sizeable 99.4% of BHF's average daily trading volume over the past month, of 649,125 shares. Particularly high volume was seen for the $45 strike put option expiring October 17, 2025, with 4,999 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 499,900 underlying shares of BHF. Below is a chart showing BHF's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $45 strike highlighted in orange:
And Blackrock Inc (Symbol: BLK) saw options trading volume of 4,211 contracts, representing approximately 421,100 underlying shares or approximately 91% of BLK's average daily trading volume over the past month, of 462,970 shares. Especially high volume was seen for the $910 strike call option expiring September 19, 2025, with 320 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 32,000 underlying shares of BLK. Below is a chart showing BLK's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $910 strike highlighted in orange:
For the various different available expirations for CIEN options, BHF options, or BLK options, visit StockOptionsChannel.com.
Also see:
Top Ten Hedge Funds Holding OMEX
Institutional Holders of FNA
GIFT Historical Stock Prices
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Notable Thursday Option Activity: CIEN, BHF, BLK

State Street Corporation STT is teaming up with Apex Fintech Solutions in a move that signals its ambition to transform the wealth management infrastructure. The partnership includes a minority investment by State Street into Apex and aims to deliver a fully digital, globally scalable custody and clearing platform for wealth advisors and self-directed investing platforms.
Apex powers above 200 clients and 22 million brokerage accounts holding more than $200 billion in assets worldwide. Its modular, API-driven platform provides the flexibility to build and scale innovative wealth offerings quickly, whether for high-net-worth advisory businesses or mass-market self-directed platforms.
State Street’s Scale Meets Apex’s Innovation
Through this collaboration, STT will integrate Apex’s custody and clearing technology with its institutional-grade infrastructure and global client network. The result will be a differentiated solution that allows wealth managers, fintech platforms and advisors to launch and scale wealth services more efficiently while providing a seamless end-client experience.
State Street brings significant scale to the partnership, with more than $3 trillion of assets reported on its Charles River Development Wealth platform and $1 trillion in wealth-related assets under management.
John Plansky, the executive vice president and head of State Street Wealth Services, said, “At State Street, our institutional investor clients look to us as an essential partner to deliver leading investment services, platforms, data, and solutions. This partnership with Apex augments our wealth services capabilities and positions us to provide technology and services that meet the needs of the growing global wealth market.”
Bill Capuzzi, CEO of Apex, stated, “For over a decade, Apex has fueled the fintech revolution by solving the hard challenges needed to expand and improve investing for everyone. We look forward to working with State Street to drive the future of wealth management.”
Strategic Implication of STT-Apex Partnership
This alliance marks a significant step for State Street as it seeks to deepen its presence in the rapidly evolving wealth sector.
Notably, executives from both firms emphasized that the wealth management industry is undergoing a period of rapid change, driven by innovation and shifting investor expectations.
Thus, by combining STT’s institutional scale with Apex’s digital agility, the two firms are positioning themselves to deliver the first global, end-to-end, digital wealth custody solution — an offering that may redefine how advisors and platforms serve investors worldwide.
STT’s Other Business Expansion/Restructuring Moves
State Street has been expanding its scale by undertaking acquisitions, business expansion and restructuring efforts. In May 2025, it collaborated with smallcase to cater to investors in India seeking global exposure. In April, STT partnered with Ethic Inc. to offer customized investment solutions to institutional and financial intermediary clients.
In February, it announced a deal to acquire global custody and related businesses outside of Japan from Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. Last year, State Street Global Advisors joined forces with Bridgewater Associates to boost its core alternative investment strategies.
State Street announced the acquisition of a 5% stake in Australia-based Raiz Invest Limited, a strategic partnership with Taurus and the completion of the buyout of CF Global Trading.
As part of its consolidation efforts, the company announced the restructuring of the nearly 20-year-old European component of the International Financial Data Services LP joint venture (JV) arrangement in Luxembourg and Ireland, consolidated its India-based operations and assumed the full ownership of its two JVs.
These, along with past buyouts and expansion initiatives, are expected to result in revenue and cost benefits, and help State Street expand its footprint globally.
STT’s Price Performance & Zacks Rank
So far this year, State Street’s shares have rallied 15.1%, outperforming the industry’s 11% growth.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Currently, STT carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Business Expansion Efforts by Other Finance Firms
BlackRock BLK acquired ElmTree Funds, LLC, a St. Louis–based real estate investment firm specializing in net-lease assets, to expand its private markets platform, giving clients broader access to alternative investments beyond traditional stocks and bonds.
The deal is part of BlackRock’s long-term goal to raise $400 billion for private markets by 2030.
Over the past year, BlackRock has invested more than $28 billion to strengthen its position in the high-growth private markets space. In addition to acquiring HPS Investment Partners, it purchased Preqin, a leading private markets data provider, and Global Infrastructure Partners, the largest independent infrastructure manager.
Fifth Third Bancorp FITB acquired DTS Connex to enhance its capabilities in cash logistics, infrastructure and risk management within its Commercial Payments business.
DTS Connex’s advanced technology caters to the needs of businesses seeking more efficient, transparent and controlled cash logistics management. By acquiring DTS Connex, Fifth Third will streamline cash operations and foster deeper collaboration across the cash ecosystem through advanced data sharing. The move reinforces FITB’s broader strategy to leverage technology and innovation, offering more integrated and advanced service solutions for clients.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

STT Teams Up With Apex to Build Digital Wealth Infrastructure

Looking at the universe of stocks we cover at Dividend Channel, on 9/5/25, Flagstar Financial Inc (Symbol: FLG), Navient Corp (Symbol: NAVI), and Blackrock Inc (Symbol: BLK) will all trade ex-dividend for their respective upcoming dividends. Flagstar Financial Inc will pay its quarterly dividend of $0.01 on 9/17/25, Navient Corp will pay its quarterly dividend of $0.16 on 9/19/25, and Blackrock Inc will pay its quarterly dividend of $5.21 on 9/23/25. As a percentage of FLG's recent stock price of $12.81, this dividend works out to approximately 0.08%, so look for shares of Flagstar Financial Inc to trade 0.08% lower — all else being equal — when FLG shares open for trading on 9/5/25. Similarly, investors should look for NAVI to open 1.17% lower in price and for BLK to open 0.47% lower, all else being equal.
Below are dividend history charts for FLG, NAVI, and BLK, showing historical dividends prior to the most recent ones declared.
Flagstar Financial Inc (Symbol: FLG):
Navient Corp (Symbol: NAVI):
Blackrock Inc (Symbol: BLK):
In general, dividends are not always predictable, following the ups and downs of company profits over time. Therefore, a good first due diligence step in forming an expectation of annual yield going forward, is looking at the history above, for a sense of stability over time. This can help in judging whether the most recent dividends from these companies are likely to continue. If they do continue, the current estimated yields on annualized basis would be 0.31% for Flagstar Financial Inc, 4.66% for Navient Corp, and 1.87% for Blackrock Inc.
In Wednesday trading, Flagstar Financial Inc shares are currently trading flat, Navient Corp shares are up about 0.1%, and Blackrock Inc shares are off about 1.2% on the day.
Click here to learn which 25 S.A.F.E. dividend stocks should be on your radar screen »
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Ex-Dividend Reminder: Flagstar Financial, Navient and Blackrock

BlackRock BLK has completed the acquisition of ElmTree Funds, LLC, a St. Louis–based real estate investment firm specializing in net-lease assets. As of March 31, 2025, ElmTree managed $7.3 billion in assets.
The deal is part of BLK’s long-term goal to raise $400 billion for private markets by 2030. The acquisition expands BlackRock’s private markets platform, giving clients broader access to alternative investments beyond traditional stocks and bonds.
The ElmTree buyout builds on the company’s acquisition of HPS Investment Partners (“HPS”), reinforcing its push into private credit and real estate assets. The addition of ElmTree strengthens BlackRock’s Private Financing Solutions (PFS) platform, reinforcing its position as a leading provider for companies and investors. As a commercial net-lease leader, ElmTree will help PFS expand its investment offerings, delivering long-term income opportunities for clients while supporting corporate growth across the United States.
Scott Kapnick, Chairman of PFS Executive Office and Founding Partner and CEO of HPS Investment Partners, said, “Combining ElmTree’s expertise in the commercial net-lease sector with our leading capabilities and scale further augments our ability to provide diverse investment solutions for our clients as we continue to capture the immense opportunities created by structural shifts in the capital markets.”
Over the past year, BlackRock has invested more than $28 billion to strengthen its position in the high-growth private markets space. In addition to acquiring HPS in July 2025, it purchased Preqin, a leading private markets data provider, in March, and Global Infrastructure Partners, the largest independent infrastructure manager, in October 2024.
BlackRock’s Efforts to Expand Alternative Assets Offerings
In his April shareholder letter, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink emphasized the company’s pivot toward private markets, suggesting the traditional 60/40 portfolio could evolve into a 50/30/20 mix of stocks, bonds and private assets to deliver stronger returns.
Reflecting this shift, in June, BLK unveiled plans to launch a target-date fund, offered through Great Gray Trust, that will incorporate private equity, private credit and other alternative investments. The company has also collaborated with Partners Group to combine a varied pool of private assets into a single portfolio of alternatives for retail clients.
Further, BlackRock is integrating private equity and credit investments into pre-built portfolios to meet the rising demand among individual investors. It designed model portfolios that combine publicly traded stocks and bonds alongside more sophisticated private equity and credit funds, with plans to add other alternatives over time. The company claims the offering to be the first of its kind in the asset management industry.
BlackRock's competitors in the alternative asset management business, like Apollo Global Management APO and Blackstone BX, continue to make substantial strides in private markets, scaling multi-strategy platforms, securing large third-party mandates and expanding into asset-backed and infrastructure credit as the market broadens globally.
Both APO and BX are leaning into evergreen and private wealth channels, while originating larger, bespoke financings that were once dominated by banks.
BLK’s Price Performance & Zacks Rank
Shares of BlackRock have risen 8.7% this year against the industry’s fall of 1.6%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
BLK currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

BLK Deepens Private Markets Footprint, Completes ElmTree Buyout

BlackRock (BLK) closed the most recent trading day at $1,114.77, moving -1.1% from the previous trading session. The stock's change was less than the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.69%. Elsewhere, the Dow saw a downswing of 0.55%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq depreciated by 0.82%.
The investment firm's stock has climbed by 0.99% in the past month, falling short of the Finance sector's gain of 4.76% and the S&P 500's gain of 3.79%.
The investment community will be paying close attention to the earnings performance of BlackRock in its upcoming release. In that report, analysts expect BlackRock to post earnings of $11.78 per share. This would mark year-over-year growth of 2.79%. At the same time, our most recent consensus estimate is projecting a revenue of $6.26 billion, reflecting a 20.39% rise from the equivalent quarter last year.
For the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $47.57 per share and a revenue of $23.47 billion, representing changes of +9.08% and +15%, respectively, from the prior year.
Investors should also pay attention to any latest changes in analyst estimates for BlackRock. These revisions help to show the ever-changing nature of near-term business trends. As a result, we can interpret positive estimate revisions as a good sign for the business outlook.
Our research demonstrates that these adjustments in estimates directly associate with imminent stock price performance. To benefit from this, we have developed the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model which takes these estimate changes into account and provides an actionable rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, running from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), holds an admirable track record of superior performance, independently audited, with #1 stocks contributing an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.91% higher. Right now, BlackRock possesses a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).
Looking at its valuation, BlackRock is holding a Forward P/E ratio of 23.7. This represents a premium compared to its industry average Forward P/E of 12.21.
It is also worth noting that BLK currently has a PEG ratio of 2.16. 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 1.31 at yesterday's closing price.
The Financial - Investment Management industry is part of the Finance sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 83, putting it in the top 34% of all 250+ industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Be sure to use Zacks.com to monitor all these stock-influencing metrics, and more, throughout the forthcoming trading sessions.
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BlackRock (BLK) : Free Stock Analysis Report
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

BlackRock, Inc.

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