BlackRock CEO: Positioning and connectivity with clients are stronger than ever

Laurence D. Fink, Chairman and CEO: “BlackRock’s (BLK) positioning and connectivity with clients are stronger than ever, and it’s clear in our results. We delivered 6% organic base fee growth in the first quarter, representing our best start to a year since 2021 and secular strength against a complex market backdrop. We are helping clients navigate market and policy changes, while also providing insights on long-term structural growth opportunities. BlackRock is a global firm, but one that operates hyper-locally. Our nearly 23,000 employees work across over 30 countries to serve clients in more than 100. Today, we’re better prepared than ever to advise and deliver on each of our clients’ unique tactical and strategic objectives. The goal for us is to keep our clients focused on the long-term, and help them achieve any near-term allocation or liquidity changes they need within the BlackRock platform. Uncertainty and anxiety about the future of markets and the economy are dominating client conversations. We’ve seen periods like this before when there were large, structural shifts in policy and markets – like the financial crisis, COVID, and surging inflation in 2022. We always stayed connected with clients, and some of BlackRock’s biggest leaps in growth followed. We’ve intentionally shaped our platform to serve clients in all market environments, building a premier global public-private markets investment and technology firm. We have leading franchises in categories that we expect to benefit from capital flows and investment even against volatile public markets. These include our newly enriched private markets platform, ETFs, and Aladdin risk management and technology. Our consistent growth is a reflection of the role BlackRock plays as a convener, providing both stability and optimism for clients. In markets like these, clients put an even greater premium on the differentiated value proposition that BlackRock offers. We look forward to unlocking opportunities for clients, and delivering value for our shareholders.”