BlackRock beats Q1 forecasts on ETF inflows

BlackRock Inc. (BLK) reported a rise in first-quarter 2026 profit, with earnings per share of $14.06. Trading Economics data indicated this exceeded market expectations of $12.44 per share. The company said on April 14, 2026, that its financial results and supplemental materials for the quarter were available via its investor relations website.

According to Seeking Alpha, BlackRock’s (BLK) first-quarter earnings and revenue exceeded Wall Street consensus, supported by 8% year-over-year organic fee growth. Adjusted margins increased by more than 100 basis points compared with the prior year period.

The company reported net profit of $2.21 billion for the three months ended March 31, 2026, up from $1.51 billion a year earlier, The Globe and Mail reported, reflecting higher fee-based revenues and performance-related income.

BlackRock’s first-quarter performance was driven by strong inflows into its exchange traded funds. The Globe and Mail reported total net inflows of $130 billion in the period, with the majority directed into its iShares ETFs. The firm’s active ETFs attracted investors seeking low-cost exposure amid market dispersion and macroeconomic pressures.

Seeking Alpha cited long-term net quarterly inflows of $136 billion for the first quarter, highlighting continued demand for BlackRock’s investment products. The firm’s assets under management reached $13.89 trillion, up from $11.58 trillion in the year-ago quarter, supported by sustained inflows that helped offset the impact of a weaker market.

Despite the rise in profit and assets, The Globe and Mail noted that BlackRock shares were down 4.4% so far in 2026, underperforming smaller peer State Street, while the S&P 500 (SPX) index fell 4.6% in the first three months of the year.

BlackRock’s expansion in private markets and alternative strategies contributed meaningfully to results. The Globe and Mail reported that private markets business inflows reached $9 billion in the quarter. These vehicles were described as generating higher yields and performance payouts, even during periods of broader market volatility.

Investment advisory performance fees totaled $272 million for the first quarter of 2026, significantly higher than $60 million in the same period a year earlier, according to The Globe and Mail. Combined with growth in active ETFs, these alternative strategies helped diversify BlackRock’s revenue sources and supported earnings growth.

On April 14, 2026, BlackRock announced that Chairman and CEO Laurence D. Fink, President Robert S. Kapito, and Chief Financial Officer Martin S. Small would host a teleconference for investors and analysts at 7:30 a.m. ET to discuss the first-quarter results. Dial-in details and a conference ID were provided for participants inside and outside the United States.

The company also made a live, listen-only webcast available through the investor relations section of its website, with a replay scheduled to be accessible by 10:30 a.m. ET the same day. Contact information for investor relations and media relations was shared in the Business Wire and Yahoo releases.