BlackRock surged more than 6% Thursday after the asset manager sweetened returns for shareholders and posted a blowout quarter — with its growing crypto business adding extra momentum. Key moves for investors - Dividend hike and buybacks: BlackRock will raise its quarterly cash dividend 10% to $5.73 per share (up from $5.22) and authorized the repurchase of an additional seven million shares under its ongoing buyback program. - Stock reaction: The announcements helped push the stock higher as investors digested the capital-return boost. Quarterly results that beat expectations - Q4 2025 results: EPS rose 10% to $13.16, and revenue climbed 23% to $7.01 billion — both topping Wall Street’s consensus of $12.24 a share on $6.76 billion in revenue. - AUM milestone: Assets under management jumped 22% year-over-year in the quarter to a record $14.04 trillion. Crypto flows and balance-sheet buying - ETF inflows: BlackRock’s crypto ETFs have seen robust inflows recently. The firm’s funds reportedly acquired about $102.9 million worth of ETH and over $287 million worth of BTC in the latest period, increasing its crypto holdings as it leans into the space heading into 2026. - Broader impact: As issuer of the iShares Bitcoin ETF and now managing over $14 trillion in assets, BlackRock’s growing crypto exposure is an important catalyst for both the firm and the broader digital-asset market. Macro headline that could matter - Fed speculation: BlackRock CIO Rick Rieder is reportedly one of four finalists for the U.S. Federal Reserve chair position and was interviewed Thursday by former President Trump and other administration figures. If tapped, Rieder’s departure would create uncertainty about his role at BlackRock — but the prospect of his nomination has been viewed by investors as a potential bullish signal for BLK. Street view - Analyst ratings: Among eight recent Wall Street recommendations, BlackRock carries a consensus Strong Buy (six Buys, two Holds). The average price target of $1,321.25 implies roughly 14% upside from the current share price near $1,156.65. Why crypto investors should care - The dividend and buybacks underscore BlackRock’s confidence in capital returns, but the bigger story for crypto markets is its escalating ETF flows and on‑balance-sheet crypto buys. Continued accumulation by a heavyweight asset manager like BlackRock could amplify demand dynamics for BTC and ETH if inflows persist. What to watch next: follow further ETF flows, execution of the buyback program, and any Fed Chair developments around Rick Rieder — each could be a near-term catalyst for BLK and for crypto markets tied to institutional demand. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

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