New York, Jan 24, 2026, 17:38 EST — Market closed
- Shares of BlackRock closed Friday 0.9% lower, settling at $1,129.91
- A filing revealed that senior managing director J. Richard Kushel exercised options before offloading 20,000 shares
- Markets reopen Monday, with a fresh Fed decision and a packed earnings calendar on deck
BlackRock shares dipped on Friday, finishing down 0.9% at $1,129.91 as U.S. markets wrapped up ahead of the weekend.
Heading into Monday, the stock carries new insider-trading filings amid a week where macro moves may overshadow the usual company news. For BlackRock, market trends aren’t just background noise — fee revenue tracks assets under management and client activity closely.
Investors are turning their focus to next week’s Federal Reserve announcement and a packed schedule of quarterly earnings. “It’s been a short, sharp roller-coaster ride,” said Yung-Yu Ma, chief investment strategist at PNC Financial Services Group. Franklin Templeton’s Chris Galipeau added, “earnings are the driver.” 1
On Friday, the Dow slipped 0.58%, while the S&P 500 barely moved and the Nasdaq gained 0.28%, following Intel’s forecast that shook investor confidence after a volatile week, Reuters reported. “We’re feeling pretty good, but mindful we might have some significant twists and turns,” Jason Blackwell, chief investment strategist at Focus Partners Wealth, told Reuters. In trading, State Street dropped 1.9%, Franklin Resources lost 1.7%, and Invesco slid 2.9%. 2
The company-specific filing revealed Kushel exercised 20,000 employee stock options at $513.50 each and sold 20,000 BlackRock shares at $1,125 apiece, according to a Form 4 submission. After these moves, the filing showed Kushel holding roughly 61,894 shares directly. 3
Form 4s are mandatory reports from insiders, often showing routine option exercises, tax moves, or scheduled selling plans. But they draw notice when trading gets volatile and positions are crowded.
BlackRock reported a strong quarter earlier this month, hitting a record $14.04 trillion in assets under management for Q4. Full-year net inflows also set a new high at $698.3 billion, driven largely by solid ETF demand. CEO Larry Fink said the company is entering 2026 with “accelerating momentum,” following a raise in its quarterly dividend and buyback authorization. 4
That context is crucial since BlackRock’s flagship iShares unit is smack in the thick of the ETF flow cycle. ETFs, which trade like stocks, often experience quicker inflows and outflows as investors shift between risk-on and risk-off stances.
The main short-term risk lies in next week’s policy moves and earnings reports jolting the markets. The Fed’s two-day meeting is set for Jan. 27–28, with both the policy statement and press conference planned for Wednesday afternoon. 5
Markets resume Monday, with traders eyeing if Friday’s cautious mood spills into trading and financial-sector activity. The next major drivers come Wednesday: the Fed’s decision and earnings from key tech companies later in the week — both capable of shifting broad indexes and, in turn, BlackRock’s fee revenue.
