The most recent trading session ended with BlackRock (BLK - Free Report) standing at $787.32, reflecting a +0.79% shift from the previous trading day's closing. This move outpaced the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.41%. Elsewhere, the Dow lost 0.12%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.71%.

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Prior to today's trading, shares of the investment firm had gained 2.53% over the past month. This has outpaced the Finance sector's loss of 0.28% and lagged the S&P 500's gain of 3.53% in that time.

The investment community will be paying close attention to the earnings performance of BlackRock in its upcoming release. The company is forecasted to report an EPS of $9.88, showcasing a 6.47% upward movement from the corresponding quarter of the prior year. Our most recent consensus estimate is calling for quarterly revenue of $4.87 billion, up 9.16% from the year-ago period.

For the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $41.25 per share and a revenue of $20.2 billion, representing changes of +9.21% and +13.11%, respectively, from the prior year.

It's also important for investors to be aware of any recent modifications to analyst estimates for BlackRock. Recent revisions tend to reflect the latest near-term business trends. As such, positive estimate revisions reflect analyst optimism about the company's business and profitability.

Empirical research indicates that these revisions in estimates have a direct correlation with impending stock price performance. To capitalize on this, we've crafted the Zacks Rank, a unique model that incorporates these estimate changes and offers a practical rating system.

The Zacks Rank system ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell). It has a remarkable, outside-audited track record of success, with #1 stocks delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate remained stagnant. Right now, BlackRock possesses a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

Investors should also note BlackRock's current valuation metrics, including its Forward P/E ratio of 18.94. Its industry sports an average Forward P/E of 10.23, so one might conclude that BlackRock is trading at a premium comparatively.

One should further note that BLK currently holds a PEG ratio of 1.61. The PEG ratio bears resemblance to the frequently used P/E ratio, but this parameter also includes the company's expected earnings growth trajectory. By the end of yesterday's trading, the Financial - Investment Management industry had an average PEG ratio of 0.96.

The Financial - Investment Management industry is part of the Finance sector. At present, this industry carries a Zacks Industry Rank of 179, placing it within the bottom 29% of over 250 industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our individual industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

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