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BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE: BLK) reported its financial results for the second quarter of 2024, revealing a strong performance across various metrics. The company’s diluted earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter stood at $9.99, or $10.36 on an adjusted basis. This represents a notable year-over-year increase from the $9.06 EPS reported in the same period last year. The company also saw an 8% increase in revenue, reaching $4.805 billion, compared to $4.463 billion in the second quarter of 2023. Operating income for the quarter was $1.8 billion, an 11% rise from the previous year.
BlackRock’s assets under management (AUM) surged to $10.6 trillion, a significant increase from the $9.4 trillion reported a year ago. This growth was driven by consistent organic growth and positive market movements. The company also reported $82 billion in quarterly total net inflows, highlighting the continued strength of its broad-based platform. Notably, BlackRock’s ETFs had a record start to the year, contributing significantly to the overall inflows.
BlackRock Beats EPS Expectations in Q2
Despite the robust performance, BlackRock’s results fell slightly short of market expectations. Analysts had anticipated an EPS of $10.04 and revenue of $4.85 billion for the quarter. The actual EPS of $9.99 and revenue of $4.805 billion were marginally below these expectations. However, when adjusted, the EPS of $10.36 surpassed the expected $10.04, indicating strong underlying performance.
The company’s revenue growth, driven by market impacts on average AUM, organic base fee growth, and higher performance fees, was commendable but slightly below the $4.85 billion forecast. BlackRock’s operating margin also saw an improvement, rising to 37.5% from 36.2% in the same quarter last year. On an adjusted basis, the operating margin was even higher at 44.1%, compared to 42.5% in the previous year, reflecting efficient cost management and operational scalability.
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BlackRock on Track to Acquire Global Infrastructure Partners
Looking ahead, BlackRock has provided optimistic guidance, underpinned by its strategic initiatives and market positioning. The company is on track to close its acquisition of Global Infrastructure Partners in the third quarter of 2024, which is expected to double its private markets base fees and add approximately $100 billion in infrastructure AUM. Additionally, the recent agreement to acquire Preqin, a leading private markets data provider, is set to enhance BlackRock’s capabilities in delivering integrated investments, technology, and data solutions.
Laurence D. Fink, Chairman and CEO of BlackRock, emphasized the company’s execution on a broad opportunity set, including private markets, Aladdin, and whole portfolio solutions across both ETFs and active strategies. Fink highlighted the nearly $140 billion of total net inflows in the first half of 2024, driven by private markets, retail active fixed income, and surging ETF flows. He expressed confidence in BlackRock’s momentum with clients and its potential to drive differentiated growth for shareholders.
Disclaimer: The author does not hold or have a position in any securities discussed in the article.
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