Is BlackRock the biggest company you've never heard of?
After both 2008 and 2020, BlackRock solidified their dominance in the market. BlackRock is now the largest asset manager in the world. These assets arise in the form of pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, other central banks, college endowment, and millions of individual investors.
Most people have heard of major tech companies like Apple, Google, and Amazon. But what about BlackRock, a name often left out of mainstream conversations, yet with a vast influence that arguably surpasses these tech giants?
Founded just 34 years ago in 1988, BlackRock has quickly become the world's largest asset manager with over $9 trillion in assets under management (AUM). Given this status, BlackRock's equity portfolio may provide useful insights to investors.
BlackRock, Inc. is an American multinational investment company. It is the world's largest asset manager, with $9.42 trillion in assets as of June 30, 2023. Headquartered in New York City, Blackrock has 70 offices in 30 countries, and clients in 100 countries.
In the passive investing world, three asset managers reign supreme: Vanguard, BlackRock (which operates iShares ETFs) and State Street, which manages the SPDR line of index funds.
Saudi Aramco, a petroleum and natural gas company, is the world's most profitable company, and it earned $105.37 billion during the most recent fiscal year.
Apple Inc. is the biggest company in the world by market cap. The company is renowned for its groundbreaking products, such as the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, and they consistently push the boundaries of technology innovation.
BlackRock is the world's largest asset manager, with over $10 trillion in assets under management. This gives it a significant amount of power and influence over the global economy. BlackRock can influence world leaders in a number of ways.
BlackRock and Vanguard significantly influence major media houses globally, essentially choreographing the narratives that reach millions of homes daily. Adding another dimension to their influence, these firms have woven complex networks with political corridors and non-profits.
BlackRock has grown from a start-up to a market leader by attracting clients and employees, and by acquiring several other asset management companies. BlackRock's mission is to create a better financial future for our clients, by building the most respected investment and risk manager in the world.
What is the BlackRock controversy?
The backstory: BlackRock's bullish outlook on responsible environmental, social and governance investing is being blasted by conservatives as "woke capitalism" and has drawn boycotts from Florida and Texas.
BlackRock is publicly owned, with its shares held by various shareholders, including institutional investors like Vanguard Group and State Street Corporation and individual shareholders.
We're an asset manager and one of the world's leading providers of investment, advisory, and risk management solutions. We're a fiduciary to our clients, and by investing on their behalf, we help millions of hardworking Americans experience financial well-being.
BlackRock is not owned by a single individual or company. Instead, its shares are owned by a large number of individual and institutional investors. The biggest institutional shareholders such as The Vanguard Group and State Street are merely custodians of the stock for their clients.
The main competitors of BlackRock include FS Credit Opportunities (FSCO), Sculptor Capital Management (SCU), Oxford Lane Capital (OXLC), Nuveen Select Tax-Free Income Portfolio (NXP), Western Asset Emerging Markets Debt Fund (EMD), BNY Mellon High Yield Strategies Fund (DHF), Nuveen Select Maturities Municipal Fund ( ...
Just Vanguard 500 Index ETF (VOO) alone owns more than 81 million shares of Amazon.com, says ETF.com. Then comes iShares operator BlackRock (BLK) and SPDR operator State Street Global Advisors. Those two investors own 613.4 million and 332.4 million shares, respectively, of Amazon.com stock.
Apple once again leads the charge as the most valuable company in the world, ahead of Microsoft and Saudi Aramco.
Apple. Apple is the world's most valuable company, with over $2.7 trillion market capitalisation.
Apple is the largest company in the world, with a market cap of $2.97 trillion. It's followed by Microsoft ($2.78 trillion), Saudi Arabian Oil ($2.14 trillion), Alphabet ($1.66 trillion), and Amazon ($1.51 trillion).
As of the latest reports, BlackRock's AUM stands at a staggering $9.5 trillion, a figure that surpasses Apple's market capitalization of approximately $2.5 trillion. To put this into perspective, BlackRock's AUM is equivalent to managing the combined GDPs of Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
What is the most expensive company?
Apple is the largest company in the world by total market capitalisation. It's worth over $USD 2.8 trillion.
According to Statista, the top five most profitable businesses in the world are Saudi Aramco (valued at $156.4 billion), Apple (valued at $94.3 billion), Microsoft (valued at $69 billion), Exxon Mobil (valued at $61.7 billion) and Alphabet (valued at $58.6 billion).
BlackRock is the largest money-management firm in the world with more than US$10 trillion in assets under management. In April 2022, Fink's net worth was estimated at US$1 billion according to Forbes Magazine. He sits on the boards of the Council on Foreign Relations and World Economic Forum.
BlackRock is widely considered to be one of the most prestigious and successful investment management companies in the world.
| Stockholder | Stake | Shares owned |
|---|---|---|
| The Vanguard Group, Inc. | 8.23% | 12,248,448 |
| BlackRock Fund Advisors | 4.52% | 6,723,306 |
| SSgA Funds Management, Inc. | 3.85% | 5,728,624 |
| Temasek Holdings Pte Ltd. (Invest... | 3.43% | 5,096,739 |
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