BlackRock Expands Private Markets Push as Investors Boost Stakes

BlackRock is shifting focus from its low‑margin ETF business toward higher‑fee private‑market investments, including debt, real estate, infrastructure and private‑company assets. The firm reported an 8% year‑over‑year rise in organic net fee growth, marking its seventh consecutive quarter above 5% and the strongest first‑quarter performance in five years. Management is also exploring ways to bring private‑market products into retirement accounts and to embed them in ETFs.

Institutional investors are increasing their holdings in BlackRock. Elevation Point Wealth Partners raised its stake by 159.9% to 9,631 shares valued at about $9.3 million, while other firms such as Shum Financial Group, First Bancorp, Rather & Kittrell, Oakworth Capital and Tortoise Investment Management also added shares. Institutions now own roughly 80.7% of BlackRock’s stock. Positive market sentiment has been reinforced by the U.S. Treasury’s selection of BlackRock ETFs for the Trump Accounts program and the growth of the firm’s tokenized treasury product.