New York, January 15, 2026, 7:24 PM (EST) — Trading after the bell
- BlackRock shares jumped roughly 5.9% in after-hours trading, building on gains following the company’s quarterly earnings report
- BlackRock reported a record $14.04 trillion in assets under management, with inflows for 2025 totaling $698 billion
- The company raised its quarterly dividend by 10% and increased its share buyback authorization
Shares of BlackRock, Inc. jumped almost 6% in after-hours trading on Thursday, closing up 5.9% at $1,156.65. The world’s biggest asset manager reported a quarterly earnings beat alongside record assets under management.
BlackRock reported assets under management rising to $14.04 trillion by the close of 2025, boosted by $342 billion in net inflows during Q4 and $698 billion over the full year. The firm posted adjusted earnings of $13.16 per share for the quarter, excluding certain one-off items. It also announced a 10% increase in its quarterly dividend to $5.73 and approved an extra 7 million shares for buyback. CEO Larry Fink described BlackRock as entering 2026 with “accelerating momentum.”
The numbers matter because BlackRock often serves as a bellwether for investor risk appetite and fee pressure in asset management, particularly in exchange-traded funds, or ETFs — which trade like stocks. BlackRock’s profit beat arrives as U.S. markets debate whether last year’s rally, driven by AI enthusiasm and hopes for easier interest rates, can extend into 2026. The stock had been trailing the S&P 500 in 2025 before Thursday’s surge. 1
Goldman Sachs analyst Alexander Blostein noted the “mix of flows skewed towards higher fee rate products” and maintained a Buy rating with a $1,234 price target, according to a note referenced by Benzinga. 2
On Thursday, BlackRock filed a Form 8-K that included its earnings release along with supplemental investor materials tied to the report. 3
When regular trading picks up again on Friday, traders will watch closely for follow-through. The focus will be on whether early-2026 inflows continue favoring higher-fee strategies like private markets, and if management can keep costs under control while integrating recent platform additions.
BlackRock’s business is tightly linked to market moves: as stocks and bonds climb, so do its assets under management and fee income. But that exposure works both ways, which is why investors track BlackRock closely alongside peers like State Street and Invesco when ETF demand fluctuates.
Still, the upside hinges on the tape. A sudden market drop can slash fee revenue fast. Private-market fees tend to be more stable but tougher to grow when conditions get rocky. Plus, any missteps in integration could keep costs high.
Shareholders can expect the next quarterly dividend, set for March 24, payable to those on record by March 6. Updates on the speed of share buybacks under the expanded authorization should follow in the coming weeks. 4
