Office address: 50 Hudson Yards New York, NY 10001
Website: www.blackrock.com
Year established: 1988
Company type: investment company
Employees: 19,800+
Expertise: asset management, risk management, ETFs (iShares), fixed income, alternative investments, wealth management, retirement solutions, private equity, infrastructure, real estate, sustainable investing, financial technology
Parent company: N/A
Key people: Larry Fink (CEO), Rob Kapito (president), Joud Abdel Majeid (global head), Stephen Cohen (CPO), Ed Fishwick (CRO), Rob Goldstein (COO), Martin Small (CFO), Chris Meade (CLO)
Financing status: N/A
BlackRock is a global investment company from New York, offering asset management, advisory, and risk management services. The firm manages $11.5 trillion in assets as of October 2024 and operates in over 38 countries. With over 19,800 employees, the company serves clients in more than 100 countries, helping them achieve long-term financial well-being through innovative financial solutions.
BlackRock was founded in 1988 by Laurence Fink and seven partners, driven by a desire to manage assets with a focus on risk management and client interests. The company quickly grew, and in 1999, it launched Aladdin, its proprietary technology that transformed the risk management industry. During the 2008 financial crisis, the company was tapped by the Federal Reserve to assess Bear Stearns' assets, playing a crucial advisory role.
In 2009, it acquired Barclays Global Investors, becoming the world's largest asset manager and integrating both active and index strategies. In 2017, the company deepened its focus on investment stewardship, emphasizing the long-term value of purpose in profitability. By 2024, it partnered with Vestmark to boost model portfolios, further expanding its offerings for registered investment advisors.
BlackRock offers a wide range of investment products and services designed to meet the diverse needs of its clients. Below are the some of their key offerings:
BlackRock’s global team provides insights on markets, economies, and long-term strategies, helping clients navigate the complexities of investing. Whether it is a professional or a new investor, their services aim to support financial success while also empowering employees and giving back to communities.
BlackRock’s culture is built on a commitment to its clients, employees, and core principles. The company focuses on employee growth, offering benefits that support physical, emotional, and financial well-being. The firm provides various resources and benefits to keep employees engaged and balanced, some of which include:
The firm’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is central to its success, fostering an environment where employees feel a sense of belonging. The company’s global platform thrives by incorporating diverse perspectives to deliver the best outcomes for clients. By embracing unique skills and experiences, they empower employees to collaborate effectively and contribute to a shared mission:
The company’s social impact focuses on making financial prosperity accessible to more people and communities. The BlackRock Foundation supports low- to moderate-income households by helping them save, invest, and build wealth. Initiatives include:
BlackRock’s approach to corporate sustainability focuses on long-term value for shareholders, employees, communities, and clients. The company is committed to transparency, providing stakeholders with meaningful sustainability-related information.
Laurence Fink is company’s chairman, CEO, and founder, also serving on the boards of NYU and the World Economic Forum. Before founding BlackRock in 1988, he was a managing director at The First Boston Corporation. Fink earned a BA in political science and an MBA in real estate from UCLA.
The company’s key leadership team includes notable figures who lead the firm’s operations across global markets:
To prepare for potential market volatility, BlackRock advises financial professionals to reduce risk and shift toward safer investment options. With uncertainty ahead, particularly due to macroeconomic concerns and the upcoming elections, the firm highlights the importance of defensive strategies like the BlackRock Flexible Income ETF (BINC). This strategic adjustment also reflects their broader move toward active management, signaling its belief in a more hands-on approach during turbulent times.
The company recently reached an $11.5 trillion milestone in assets under management by the third quarter of 2024. This growth was driven by strong client inflows, notably into ETFs, fixed income, and private assets. BlackRock is accelerating its push into private assets, following acquisitions like Global Infrastructure Partners, and continues to lead in both public and private markets.
Bearish stock-picker Jeremy Grantham believes corporate margins are freakishly high. The legendary bubble-spotter believes those margins will soon revert to the mean. Meaning? 'A lot of profit disappointment is coming our way.'
The biggest bond gains in almost a decade have pushed the 30-year returns on long-term Treasuries above those of stocks — the first time that's happened since before the Civil War
Investing in equities these days should come with a warning for those who suffer from motion sickness
Predict S&P 500 will end the year at 1,300; investors being 'swayed by macro variables'
Nearly 60 positions to be eliminated by asset manager; 'challenging markets'
BlackRock boss Larry Fink has once again slammed synthetic ETFs, which are sold mainly in Europe. His point? The funds make investors counterparties in swaps. But the head of Societe General's Lyxor unit, which sells such exchange traded funds, has fired back. | <a href=http://www.investmentnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Site=CI&Date=20110921&Category=FREE&ArtNo=921009998&Ref=PH>The ETFs with the biggest outflows &raquo;</a> | <a href=http://www.investmentnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Site=CI&Date=20111110&Category=FREE&ArtNo=111009917&Ref=PH>Top 10 dividend-paying ETFs &raquo;</a>
Bill Miller's decision to relinquish the reigns of Legg Mason Capital Management Value Trust in April is unlikely to herald big changes in how the $2.8 billion fund is being run, according to the fund's incoming lead manager, Sam Peters
Regions Financial Corp. is offering as much as $200 million to help finance the sale of its Morgan Keegan brokerage unit, said people with knowledge of the matter.
Franklin Resources Inc., whose global brand is Franklin Templeton Investments, is beating every money manager in the S&P 500 this year
Fee fiefdom losing ground to passively managed funds; low yields brings high scrutiny
Raymond James executives are taking steps to boost the profile of the firm's small custody unit, and they are hinting at bigger things to come
First, and most important, a large part of the late summer sell-off was precipitated by a growing belief that the United States and the global economy were about to enter another recession.
Junk bonds are becoming as attractive as stocks as relative yields on the debt soar to a two-year high and a U.S. recession becomes likelier, according to JPMorgan Chase & Co.
As Congress begins to assess the possible role of exchange-traded funds in recent market volatility, two ETF providers are clashing over the best way to help investors navigate the increasingly complex products
BlackRock Inc., which controls 42% of the exchange-traded-fund market, is calling on its peers and regulators to raise their standards in terms of transparency and oversight of ETFs
