BlackRock, the largest asset manager in the world, on Monday reported second-quarter earnings and revenue that surpassed analyst expectations. The company also reported, however, a slowdown in inflows amid increasing market uncertainty.
Here is how the company's results fared compared with Wall Street estimates:
- Earnings: Adjusted $6.66 per share, vs $6.55 expected by Thomson Reuters
- Revenue: $3.605 billion, vs $3.594 billion forecast
- Assets under management: $6.299 trillion, vs $6.372 trillion forecast by StreetAccount
BlackRock said its stronger-than-expected revenue was driven in part by base fees, performance fees and "technology services revenue," while its higher-than-forecast profit got a boost from a lower corporate tax rate. The company's adjusted earnings per share grew by 28 percent on a year-over-year basis, while revenue increased by 11 percent. BlackRock's effective tax rate fell to 23.7 percent in the second quarter from 30.4 percent in the year-earlier period on an adjusted basis.
The company's assets under management rose by 11 percent on a year-over-year basis, but still missed analyst expectations.
CEO Larry Fink said the asset management industry has been hit with a slowdown in flows "associated with investor uncertainty in the current market environment." Fink added in a statement, however, that "our dialogue with clients and opportunities to provide long-term solutions are more robust than ever before."
BlackRock shares fell 0.6 percent.
Investors have been on edge recently as a trade war between some of the largest economies in the world heats up. Last week, the Trump administration unveiled a list Chinese goods it will potentially target with a 10 percent tariff. The list added up to $200 billion worth of items. The announcement came just days after both nations imposed $34 billion worth of tariffs on each other.
Long-term net inflows at BlackRock totaled $14.5 billion, well below a StreetAccount estimate of $38 billion. Institutional investors had an outflow of $8.8 billion in the second quarter, while retail investors and BlackRock's iShares business raked in $5.5 billion and $17.8 billion, respectively, in long-term inflows. Overall net inflows amounted to $20 billion.
The company's stock has fallen more than 1 percent this year, lagging the broader which is up nearly 5 percent.
BlackRock's earnings report follows mixed results from some of the largest U.S. banks. Last week, J.P. Morgan Chase reported better-than-expected earnings and revenue for the second quarter on a surge in trade revenue. Citigroup, however, reported weaker-than-expected sales for the quarter as deposits and trading revenue disappointed.
Earlier this year, BlackRock said it launched two exchange-traded funds that excluded gun manufacturers and retailers who sell guns to civilians. The move came in the aftermath of a horrific shooting at a school in Florida, which left 17 dead.
The asset manager had also said it would use its voting power to influence how some civilian gun makers are run. BlackRock is the largest shareholder in Sturm Ruger and Smith & Wesson-parent American Outdoor Brands.