Street View: BlackRock set to weather headwinds as growth initiatives take hold

** BlackRock's BLK assets under management hit a new high in the second quarter as global markets rallied

** Long-term net inflows fell 9.8% to $46 billion in the quarter from a year earlier, the world's largest asset manager said on Tuesday, also below the average analyst expectation of $53.5 billion

EYES ON MARGIN GROWTH

** Morgan Stanley ("overweight," PT: $1224) sees scope for BLK to continue to capture a large share of money in motion as uncertainty abates

** Citigroup ("buy," PT: $1200) says BLK is well-positioned, given its scaled iShares franchise and market-leading FICC business

** KBW ("outperform," PT: $1215) says BlackRock remains in the early stages of its transformation story, and despite the Q2 results remain constructive on its growth initiatives

** Jefferies ("buy," PT: $1196) says BLK's margin profile is set to improve in H2 2025 and 2026, supported by the continued integration of recent acquisitions and elevated AUM levels

** Morningstar (fair value: $1050) expects the second half of the year to pose more headwinds for BlackRock as the impacts of the U.S. government's fiscal, tariff, and immigration policies become apparent