Latest news with #RobBarnett
Globe and Mail
8 hours ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
BLK Seeks to Provide Access to Private Markets to Retirement Savers
BlackRock, Inc. BLK aims to expand private market investments to retirement plans, marking a shift in how retirement products are structured. Great Gray Trust Company, LLC has chosen BlackRock to provide a custom glidepath that allocates across public and private markets for the former's first target date retirement solution that features private equity and private credit exposures. Great Gray, which provides trustee and administrative services to collective investment trusts, has had a commercial relationship with BlackRock since 2013. The firms are at the forefront of expanding access to innovative solutions for retirement professionals and their clients. Rob Barnett, CEO of Great Gray, stated, 'For too long, access to private markets has been limited to institutions, leaving many retirement savers behind as capital markets have evolved. By strategically allocating across public and private markets, BlackRock's glidepath, systems and people are helping modernize the traditional target date solution.' Jaime Magyera, BlackRock's senior retirement sponsor, said, 'BlackRock has been working with institutional investors and financial advisors to help them access private markets for years and we continue to evolve our platform in response to our clients' changing needs. Innovating ways to thoughtfully incorporate private markets exposures into defined contribution plans underscores our commitment to providing them with the choices necessary to meet their investment objectives.' Rationale Behind BlackRock's Move The demand for private assets is on the rise, as they have become an important driver of economic growth and a source of returns for many institutional and high-net-worth investors. BlackRock's decision to include private assets in retirement accounts come as the firm is seeing increased demand for exposure to private assets in defined contribution retirement plans. Per BlackRock, adding private markets exposure to target-dated funds would increase returns by an additional 50 basis points each year. According to a research paper released yesterday, BlackRock's approach will include a 5-20% allocation to private assets in the retirement plans, depending on the investor's age. BLK's Other Efforts to Expand Private Asset Offerings This March, Magyera revealed in an interview with Bloomberg that BlackRock is integrating private equity and credit investments into pre-built portfolios. In a first of its kind in the asset management industry, the firm designed model portfolios that combine publicly traded stocks and bonds alongside more sophisticated private equity and credit funds, with plans to add other alternatives over time. Private markets would contribute roughly 15% to the total investments in the portfolios on average, which will be customizable. The fee to be charged was kept under wraps. BlackRock Forays Deep Into the Private Markets Earlier this month, in its investor presentation, BLK predicted that the private credit market could expand to $4.5 trillion in 2030, and hence, the firm is targeting $400 billion in private markets fundraising by 2030. In fact, over the past year, BlackRock has committed nearly $28 billion to acquiring private asset firms. In October 2024, it acquired Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) for $12.5 billion. In December, it announced an agreement to acquire HPS Investment Partners for $12 billion. In May 2025, BlackRock acquired Preqin, a premier provider of private markets data, for $3.2 billion. BlackRock has also collaborated with Partners Group to combine a varied pool of private assets into a single portfolio of alternatives for retail clients. BLK's inorganic expansion strategy to boost its presence in alternatives and private equity assets, alongside its product diversification efforts, will likely aid top-line and assets under management growth. BLK's Price Performance & Zacks Rank Over the past year, BLK shares have gained 30.9%, outperforming the industry 's 17.6% growth. Currently, BlackRock carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Like BLK, Other Firms Expanding in the Private Credit Market This February, JPMorgan JPM announced an additional $50 billion allocation toward direct lending, solidifying its presence in the credit market. The move, unveiled at its 30th annual Global Leveraged Finance Conference, signals the company's intent to become a dominant force in private credit. Since 2021, JPMorgan has deployed more than $10 billion across 100+ private credit transactions, leveraging its extensive client base and vast origination platform. The bank's partnerships with multiple co-lenders have further strengthened its position, bringing in an additional $15 billion in capital. In 2024, Citigroup C inked a deal with Apollo for its subsidiary and certain affiliates of Apollo to establish a revolutionary $25-billion private credit, direct lending program. Both Citigroup and Apollo expect the program to finance approximately $25 billion of debt opportunities over the next several years, including corporate and financial sponsor transactions. Zacks' Research Chief Picks Stock Most Likely to "At Least Double" Our experts have revealed their Top 5 recommendations with money-doubling potential – and Director of Research Sheraz Mian believes one is superior to the others. Of course, all our picks aren't winners but this one could far surpass earlier recommendations like Hims & Hers Health, which shot up +209%. See Our Top Stock to Double (Plus 4 Runners Up) >> JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM): Free Stock Analysis Report BlackRock (BLK): Free Stock Analysis Report
Associated Press
a day ago
- Business
- Associated Press
BlackRock's Custom Glidepath to Power Great Gray Trust Company's New Target Date Retirement Solution with Access to Private Markets
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 26, 2025-- BlackRock has been selected by Great Gray Trust Company, LLC ('Great Gray') to provide a custom glidepath that strategically allocates across public and private markets for Great Gray's first target date retirement solution featuring private equity and private credit exposures. BlackRock's index equity, index fixed income, and private equity offerings have also been selected to underpin the solution. BlackRock believes solutions that incorporate private market allocations in a target date glidepath provide opportunities to generate value while managing risk. Great Gray is a leading provider of trustee and administrative services to Collective Investment Trusts, managing over $210 billion (as of March 31, 2025). BlackRock is the largest defined contribution (DC) investment-only firm with approximately $1.7 trillion in DC assets under management (as of March 31, 2025), including the LifePath ® franchise which manages more than $500 billion on behalf of clients across active, index, and income implementations. BlackRock and Great Gray have had a commercial relationship since 2013 and are at the forefront of expanding access to innovative solutions for retirement professionals and their clients. As part of the solution, Wilshire Advisors LLC, a leading provider of investment and advisory services, will oversee implementation of the strategy, including liquidity management. 'Blending public and private markets exposures requires a thoughtful approach to asset allocation and the ability to actively manage risk across the whole portfolio. That's especially true for defined contribution plans,' said Nick Nefouse, BlackRock Global Head of Retirement Solutions and Head of LifePath. 'Great Gray has a clear vision of what it wants to bring to the retirement industry and has been great to collaborate with to develop this innovative approach. Together, we are going to help more working Americans meet their retirement goals.' Private assets are becoming an increasingly important driver of economic growth and source of return for many institutional and high-net worth investors. BlackRock is already seeing demand for exposure to private assets in DC plans. In a recent survey 1, 21% of retirement plan advisors said they plan to include private markets investments in the defined contribution plans that they manage. 'For too long, access to private markets has been limited to institutions, leaving many retirement savers behind as capital markets have evolved. Great Gray's mission is to drive innovation in the U.S. retirement market, and for us to be true to that mission, we needed to create something that allows Americans to capitalize on private markets growth,' said Rob Barnett, CEO of Great Gray Trust Company. 'By strategically allocating across public and private markets, BlackRock's glidepath, systems and people are helping modernize the traditional target date solution.' There are multiple ways plan sponsors and their advisors can incorporate private markets into DC plans. BlackRock's retirement clients have a variety of needs and preferences, and the firm is creating solutions that deliver specific private market allocations as well as fully integrated, whole portfolio solutions. In a new research paper, entitled 'The power of private markets: Unlocking the benefits of private assets in defined contribution plans,' BlackRock outlines how incorporating purpose-built private market solutions into a target date solution can add 50 basis points in portfolio returns annually over the lifecycle of a target date solution. The outperformance associated with having private markets exposures compounded over 40 years can translate into approximately 15% more money for a retiree. 'BlackRock has been working with institutional investors and financial advisors to help them access private markets for years and we continue to evolve our platform in response to our clients' changing needs. Innovating ways to thoughtfully incorporate private markets exposures into defined contribution plans underscores our commitment to providing them with the choices necessary to meet their investment objectives,' said Jaime Magyera, Co-Head of BlackRock's U.S. Wealth Advisory business and BlackRock's Senior Retirement Sponsor. 'Private assets play an increasingly important role in the global economy and today's announcement builds on our ongoing efforts to give investors more ways to access the capital markets so that they can retire better and live better.' BlackRock believes the portfolio of the future will comprise 50% public equities, 30% public fixed income, and 20% private markets. BlackRock has taken a number of steps to help clients navigate this evolving landscape, with an established track record of bringing public-private offerings to the wealth channel, including this year's launch of a first-of-its-kind public-private model portfolio. About BlackRock (NYSE: BLK) BlackRock's purpose is to help more and more people experience financial well-being. As a fiduciary to our clients and a provider of financial technology, we help millions of people build savings that serve them throughout their lives by making investing easier and more affordable. For additional information on BlackRock, please visit Great Gray Trust Company, LLC serves as Trustee for its bank collective investment trusts ('CITs' or 'Funds') and maintains ultimate fiduciary authority over the management of, and investments made in, the Funds. The Trustee has hired Wilshire Advisors, LLC as sub-advisor to assist it in managing the Funds, and has hired BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. as Glidepath Manager to provide strategic asset allocation guidance for the Funds. The Funds are not mutual funds as the Funds and their units are exempt from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Securities Act of 1933, respectively. Investments in the Funds are not bank deposits or obligations of and are not insured or guaranteed by Great Gray Trust Company, LLC, any bank, the FDIC, the Federal Reserve, or any other governmental agency. The Funds are commingled investment vehicles, and as such, the values of the underlying investments will rise and fall according to market activity; it is possible to lose money by investing in the Funds. The Funds are not guaranteed at any time including at and after the target date; they do not guarantee sufficient income in retirement. Asset allocation and diversification do not promise performance or guarantee against loss of principal. Great Gray ® and Great Gray Trust Company are service marks used in connection with various fiduciary and non-fiduciary services offered by Great Gray Trust Company, LLC. More information about Great Gray can be found at Additional Risk Disclosure: Private investments may not trade or be subject to the same regulations or reporting requirements as public investments, which may lead to less timely or accurate information about them, thereby impacting valuation, volatility and liquidity. View source version on CONTACT: Media Contact Ed Sweeney [email protected] +1 (646) 856-4968Christa Zipf [email protected] +1-347-814-3447 KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA NEW YORK INDUSTRY KEYWORD: FINANCE CONSULTING ACCOUNTING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES ASSET MANAGEMENT SOURCE: BlackRock Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 06/26/2025 06:00 AM/DISC: 06/26/2025 05:59 AM
Business Wire
a day ago
- Business
- Business Wire
BlackRock's Custom Glidepath to Power Great Gray Trust Company's New Target Date Retirement Solution with Access to Private Markets
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BlackRock has been selected by Great Gray Trust Company, LLC ('Great Gray') to provide a custom glidepath that strategically allocates across public and private markets for Great Gray's first target date retirement solution featuring private equity and private credit exposures. BlackRock's index equity, index fixed income, and private equity offerings have also been selected to underpin the solution. BlackRock believes solutions that incorporate private market allocations in a target date glidepath provide opportunities to generate value while managing risk. Great Gray is a leading provider of trustee and administrative services to Collective Investment Trusts, managing over $210 billion (as of March 31, 2025). BlackRock is the largest defined contribution (DC) investment-only firm with approximately $1.7 trillion in DC assets under management (as of March 31, 2025), including the LifePath ® franchise which manages more than $500 billion on behalf of clients across active, index, and income implementations. BlackRock and Great Gray have had a commercial relationship since 2013 and are at the forefront of expanding access to innovative solutions for retirement professionals and their clients. As part of the solution, Wilshire Advisors LLC, a leading provider of investment and advisory services, will oversee implementation of the strategy, including liquidity management. 'Blending public and private markets exposures requires a thoughtful approach to asset allocation and the ability to actively manage risk across the whole portfolio. That's especially true for defined contribution plans,' said Nick Nefouse, BlackRock Global Head of Retirement Solutions and Head of LifePath. 'Great Gray has a clear vision of what it wants to bring to the retirement industry and has been great to collaborate with to develop this innovative approach. Together, we are going to help more working Americans meet their retirement goals.' Private assets are becoming an increasingly important driver of economic growth and source of return for many institutional and high-net worth investors. BlackRock is already seeing demand for exposure to private assets in DC plans. In a recent survey 1, 21% of retirement plan advisors said they plan to include private markets investments in the defined contribution plans that they manage. 'For too long, access to private markets has been limited to institutions, leaving many retirement savers behind as capital markets have evolved. Great Gray's mission is to drive innovation in the U.S. retirement market, and for us to be true to that mission, we needed to create something that allows Americans to capitalize on private markets growth,' said Rob Barnett, CEO of Great Gray Trust Company. 'By strategically allocating across public and private markets, BlackRock's glidepath, systems and people are helping modernize the traditional target date solution.' There are multiple ways plan sponsors and their advisors can incorporate private markets into DC plans. BlackRock's retirement clients have a variety of needs and preferences, and the firm is creating solutions that deliver specific private market allocations as well as fully integrated, whole portfolio solutions. In a new research paper, entitled 'The power of private markets: Unlocking the benefits of private assets in defined contribution plans,' BlackRock outlines how incorporating purpose-built private market solutions into a target date solution can add 50 basis points in portfolio returns annually over the lifecycle of a target date solution. The outperformance associated with having private markets exposures compounded over 40 years can translate into approximately 15% more money for a retiree. 'BlackRock has been working with institutional investors and financial advisors to help them access private markets for years and we continue to evolve our platform in response to our clients' changing needs. Innovating ways to thoughtfully incorporate private markets exposures into defined contribution plans underscores our commitment to providing them with the choices necessary to meet their investment objectives,' said Jaime Magyera, Co-Head of BlackRock's U.S. Wealth Advisory business and BlackRock's Senior Retirement Sponsor. 'Private assets play an increasingly important role in the global economy and today's announcement builds on our ongoing efforts to give investors more ways to access the capital markets so that they can retire better and live better.' BlackRock believes the portfolio of the future will comprise 50% public equities, 30% public fixed income, and 20% private markets. BlackRock has taken a number of steps to help clients navigate this evolving landscape, with an established track record of bringing public-private offerings to the wealth channel, including this year's launch of a first-of-its-kind public-private model portfolio. About BlackRock (NYSE: BLK) BlackRock's purpose is to help more and more people experience financial well-being. As a fiduciary to our clients and a provider of financial technology, we help millions of people build savings that serve them throughout their lives by making investing easier and more affordable. For additional information on BlackRock, please visit About Great Gray Trust Company Gray Trust Company, LLC, a leading provider of trustee and administrative services to Collective Investment Trusts (CITs), managing over $210 billion across more than 770 funds. Great Gray is committed to innovation and growth in the retirement planning sector, delivering solutions that offer efficiency, value, and growth opportunities to retirement professionals and their clients. Disclosures This material is intended for information purposes only, and does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any securities, funds or strategies to any person in any jurisdiction in which an offer, solicitation, purchase or sale would be unlawful under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. The opinions expressed are subject to change without notice. Reliance upon information in this material is at the sole discretion of the reader. Investing involves risks, including loss of principal. Great Gray Trust Company, LLC serves as Trustee for its bank collective investment trusts ('CITs' or 'Funds') and maintains ultimate fiduciary authority over the management of, and investments made in, the Funds. The Trustee has hired Wilshire Advisors, LLC as sub-advisor to assist it in managing the Funds, and has hired BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. as Glidepath Manager to provide strategic asset allocation guidance for the Funds. The Funds are not mutual funds as the Funds and their units are exempt from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Securities Act of 1933, respectively. Investments in the Funds are not bank deposits or obligations of and are not insured or guaranteed by Great Gray Trust Company, LLC, any bank, the FDIC, the Federal Reserve, or any other governmental agency. The Funds are commingled investment vehicles, and as such, the values of the underlying investments will rise and fall according to market activity; it is possible to lose money by investing in the Funds. The Funds are not guaranteed at any time including at and after the target date; they do not guarantee sufficient income in retirement. Asset allocation and diversification do not promise performance or guarantee against loss of principal. Great Gray ® and Great Gray Trust Company are service marks used in connection with various fiduciary and non-fiduciary services offered by Great Gray Trust Company, LLC. More information about Great Gray can be found at Additional Risk Disclosure: Private investments may not trade or be subject to the same regulations or reporting requirements as public investments, which may lead to less timely or accurate information about them, thereby impacting valuation, volatility and liquidity.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
From GPUs to Gigawatts: The Race to Power AI
Rob Barnett, Senior Energy Analyst, Bloomberg Intelligence explores the global hunt for cheap power to fuel the era of AI at the 2025 Qatar Economic Forum, Powered by Bloomberg.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSM) Maintains Growth Plans Amid U.S. Expansion and Investment Uncertainty
We recently compiled a list of the . In this article, we are going to take a look at where Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) stands against the other AI stocks. As AI data centers expand, the need for reliable and scalable power sources is becoming a significant focus. Some of the major industries, including solar, natural gas, and battery storage, are expected to benefit from this transformation, with projections from experts showing that AI could significantly impact U.S. power consumption by 2030. At Bloomberg Invest 2025, Rob Barnett, Senior Energy Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, explored how solar, natural gas and battery storage could benefit from the $500 billion Stargate AI infrastructure proposal. He highlighted the growing energy demands of AI data centers, which could account for 8% to 19% of U.S. electricity consumption by 2030, depending on efficiency improvements in chips and algorithms. Barnett was initially skeptical of these projections, but his analysis ultimately confirmed that AI's energy needs are significant and will be an important factor in shaping future power demand. Other than AI, other factors driving electricity consumption include the resurgence of U.S. manufacturing, supported by the Inflation Reduction Act and CHIPS Act, and the continued adoption of electric vehicles. To meet this rising demand, solar power is expected to expand quickly due to its short construction timelines, which makes it an attractive option for AI-driven data centers that require quick deployment. However, because solar is intermittent, battery storage and natural gas will also play critical roles in balancing the grid. Barnett estimates that AI-related power demand alone could increase natural gas consumption by 3 to 10 billion cubic feet per day by 2030. He added that nuclear energy has gained interest, with companies like Microsoft and Amazon securing agreements related to existing nuclear plants. However, large-scale new nuclear projects, including small modular reactors, are unlikely to contribute significantly before 2035. In the near term, the primary sources meeting the surge in electricity demand will be solar, battery storage, and natural gas, with wind energy playing a smaller role due to current policy and market dynamics. For this article, we selected AI stocks by reviewing news articles, stock analysis, and press releases. We listed the stocks in ascending order of their hedge fund sentiment taken from Insider Monkey's Q4 database of over 1000 hedge funds. At Insider Monkey we are obsessed with the stocks that hedge funds pile into. The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter's strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here). A close-up of a complex network of integrated circuits used in logic semiconductors. Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 186 Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) is a global semiconductor company specializing in manufacturing, packaging, and testing integrated circuits for various industries. On March 4, TipRanks reported that TD Cowen's Krish Sankar maintained a Hold rating on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) with a $215 price target. The rating considers TSMC's $100 billion investment in U.S. semiconductor production, which is viewed as a relatively low-risk move. While the expansion supports U.S. semiconductor goals, uncertainty around the timeline adds unpredictability. Capital spending is expected to stay manageable due to long-term growth and potential cost offsets in Taiwan. Positive yields from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM)'s first Arizona fab suggest smooth progress, but concerns over equipment installation and funding sources like the CHIPS Act contribute to the cautious outlook. Overall TSM ranks 1st on our list of the AI stocks that are gaining investor attention. While we acknowledge the potential of TSM as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than TSM but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and Complete List of 59 AI Companies Under $2 Billion in Market Cap Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Sign in to access your portfolio
