TORONTO, Jan. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, RBC iShares expands access to BlackRock’s digital asset investment platform with the launch of the iShares Bitcoin ETF (IBIT) (the iShares Fund) in Canada. The iShares Fund seeks to reflect generally the performance of the price of bitcoin, before payment of the iShares Fund’s expenses and liabilities. The iShares Bitcoin ETF will also be available in a U.S.-dollar denominated class (IBIT.U). The iShares Fund invests in the U.S.-listed iShares Bitcoin Trust ...

BlackRock and FDIC Dispute - BlackRock missed the Jan 10 deadline set by the FDIC and requested an extension until March 31 to review a proposed pact that could impact its ability to serve clients [1] - The FDIC denied BlackRock's extension request and made additional demands related to the company's decision-making and documents about its bank holdings [1] - BlackRock argues that the FDIC's plans would harm index funds, which dominate many of its investors' portfolios, and increase the cost for banks to raise capital [2] - BlackRock wants the FDIC to coordinate its new oversight with the Federal Reserve, which already has a passivity agreement with BlackRock [2] Regulatory Concerns and Potential Actions - The FDIC could open an investigation into BlackRock and seek more information if the company does not make sufficient progress in resolving the issue by the new Feb 10 deadline [4][5] - Potential actions by the FDIC could include issuing a subpoena and taking other "more compulsory actions" against BlackRock [5] - Rohit Chopra, a member of the FDIC board, praised measures to ensure fund managers like BlackRock and Vanguard are not improperly influencing FDIC-supervised banks [3] - Chopra noted that large companies closely monitor the policy pronouncements of major asset owners, and if these firms are not truly "passive," they may violate longstanding banking statutes [3] BlackRock's Strategy - BlackRock pushed to delay talks until after the new administration takes office later in January [5]

BlackRock and iShares Russell 2000 ETF Overview - BlackRock is the parent company of iShares, which manages $3.3 trillion in assets across more than 1,400 ETFs [1] - The iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) tracks the performance of the Russell 2000 index, which includes approximately 2,000 of the smallest companies listed on U S stock exchanges [4] - The Russell 2000 index has not yet closed above its previous record level from 2021, despite recent highs in major market indexes like the S&P 500 [4] Russell 2000 Composition and Sector Weighting - The Russell 2000 is more balanced compared to the S&P 500, with industrials being the largest sector at 18 9%, followed by healthcare at 17 4%, and financials at 17 2% [5] - The top 10 holdings in the iShares Russell 2000 ETF account for just 4 06% of its total value, with no single stock having a weighting of 1% or more [9] - Companies in the Russell 2000 typically conduct most of their business inside the U S, such as Sprouts Farmers Market, which operates 410 grocery stores across the country [9] Interest Rate Sensitivity and Debt Structure - 38% of the debt held by Russell 2000 companies has a floating interest rate, compared to just 6% for S&P 500 companies, making smaller companies more sensitive to interest rate changes [6] - Falling interest rates and potential further cuts in 2025 could provide significant tailwinds for the Russell 2000, as smaller companies often rely on debt financing for growth [2][10] Potential Catalysts for Russell 2000 Performance - The iShares Russell 2000 ETF delivered a return of 13 1% in 2017, the first year of Trump's previous term, significantly higher than its average annual return of 7 9% since its inception in 2000 [7] - Business-friendly policies from the incoming Trump administration, including potential deregulation and a proposed corporate tax rate of 15% for domestic manufacturers, could benefit small U S companies [3][10] - A gain of 8 9% would be enough for the Russell 2000 to close at a record high, potentially triggering a new bull market [8][11] Outlook for 2025 - With a similar policy agenda to Trump's previous term and potential further interest rate cuts, the iShares Russell 2000 ETF has a strong opportunity to outperform in 2025 [11] - A 13 1% gain in 2025 would be sufficient to propel the Russell 2000 into a new bull market [11]

BlackRock Inc. (BLK) intends to trim its workforce by roughly 1% as part of a strategic restructuring. This was reported by Bloomberg on Wednesday.Rationale Behind BLK’s MoveBlackRock’s decision follows investments of more than $25 billion last year in acquisitions aimed at broadening its expertise in private-market assets and data.The cuts are part of BlackRock’s efforts to realign its resources with its growth strategy. The company expects to accelerate strategic investments in acquisitions in 2025 and bu ...

Wall Street analysts expect BlackRock Finance (BLK) to post quarterly earnings of $11.49 per share in its upcoming report, which indicates a year-over-year increase of 18.9%. Revenues are expected to be $5.6 billion, up 20.9% from the year-ago quarter.Over the last 30 days, there has been an upward revision of 0.9% in the consensus EPS estimate for the quarter, leading to its current level. This signifies the covering analysts' collective reconsideration of their initial forecasts over the course of this ti ...

BlackRock Finance (BLK) closed the most recent trading day at $986.10, moving +0.54% from the previous trading session. The stock's change was more than the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.16%. Meanwhile, the Dow experienced a rise of 0.25%, and the technology-dominated Nasdaq saw a decrease of 0.06%.The the stock of investment firm has fallen by 7.22% in the past month, lagging the Finance sector's loss of 4.35% and the S&P 500's loss of 2.8%.The investment community will be closely monitoring the performance of ...

BofA Securities analyst Craig Siegenthaler forecasts the major earnings beats for brokers this earnings season, steered by accelerating retail engagement.Siegenthaler also sees broad-based beats for traditional firms, supported by strong markets, foreign exchange, and higher management fees and non-operating income.Here are a few of the most considerable companies, along with the analyst’s insights on them:Virtu Financial, Inc. VIRT: The analyst reiterated a Buy rating on the stock, lowering the price forec ...

BlackRock Finance (BLK) is expected to deliver a year-over-year increase in earnings on higher revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended December 2024. This widely-known consensus outlook gives a good sense of the company's earnings picture, but how the actual results compare to these estimates is a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price.The earnings report, which is expected to be released on January 15, 2025, might help the stock move higher if these key numbers are bette ...

BlackRock, Inc. BLK will release earnings results for its fourth quarter, before the opening bell on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025.Analysts expect the company to report quarterly earnings at $11.38 per share, up from $9.66 per share in the year-ago period. BlackRock projects to report revenue of $5.63 billion for the recent quarter, compared to $4.63 billion a year earlier, according to data from Benzinga Pro.On Dec. 3, the company disclosed a definitive agreement to acquire HPS Investment Partners for around $1 ...

BlackRock is the world's largest asset manager, with $11.5 trillion in client money under its supervision. Around $3.3 trillion of that is sitting in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that are operated by the company's iShares subsidiary. Investors can passively own hundreds or even thousands of stocks by purchasing just a handful of different ETFs. They can be especially useful when investors want exposure to a new industry like artificial intelligence (AI) because it's challenging to determine which individual ...