Larry Fink gives Keir Starmer credit for prioritising economic growth Business Sign up for our email featuring expert insight and funding opportunities for entrepreneurs and SMEs I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice The world’s largest investor BlackRock has embarked on a buying spree of “undervalued” British assets in an apparent vote of confidence in the UK economy the new administration is trying to tackle some of the hard issues...I think the prime minister is articulating the needs of what we have to do." He added that he was more confident about the investment prospects for the UK than this time last year, toward’s the end of Rishi Sunak's premiership "I have more confidence in the UK economy today than I did a year ago," he said BlackRock manages a total of $11.6 trillion on behalf of pension funds, retail clients and sovereign wealth funds. It has about £570 billion of UK assets, including in shares, bonds and infrastructure such as Gatwick Airport said he was reassured by what he said was "a capitulation moment" across Europe - including in the UK - where governments finally recognised that their problems were so severe that there had to be a change of path and more emphasis on growth He said: "It just resonated with me - that there are so many fundamentally strong attributes about the UK and Europe and they've been so smothered by over-regulation He cited the increased speed of decision-making at the Competition and Markets Authority as an example of a more pro-growth agenda in Whitehall He also said many UK assets were hugely undervalued He added:"So many of the UK stocks' discounts were too deep, especially like in the banking system. Look at the rebound in the valuations of NatWest and Lloyds and how they bounced." He acknowledged that while many British business leaders were critical on issues such as higher employers' national insurance payments the “bigger picture” for the UK looked more upbeat NatWest vows not to forget ‘lessons’ on bankers’ bonuses Lloyds and NatWest biggest ‘winners’ from account switching service NatWest ‘grateful’ to UK taxpayers as Government prepares to offload stake Meet the entrepreneur turning plastic waste into something wonderful but I'm looking at the bigger macro picture and there are so many opportunities investing in infrastructure here in this country." Prince Louis steals the show at VE Day parade as he keeps dad William looking sharp and mimics brother George Prince Louis steals show with sweet antics at VE parade VE Day 2025 fashion: best looks from the day VE Day 2025 fashion: Princess of Wales to Lady Victoria Starmer Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in major blow for Putin ahead of Victory Day celebrations Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in blow for Putin David Beckham extends olive branch to son Brooklyn amid 'family feud' Pregnant Jesy Nelson reveals plans for future in message from her hospital bed after surgery Pregnant Jesy Nelson reveals plans for future in message from hospital The new “DLT Shares,” short for distributed ledger technology, won’t hold crypto. BNY Mellon, the fund’s exclusive distributor, intends to use blockchain to mirror share ownership records an incremental step that could pave the way for broader adoption of tokenized cash or blockchain-based settlement infrastructure in traditional finance BlackRock's Liquidity Treasury Trust Fund is part of the firm’s Liquidity Funds suite and managed over $150 billion in assets as of April 29 The DLT share class has a minimum investment requirement of $3 million for institutional buyers The SEC filing is preliminary and subject to approval The move isn’t BlackRock’s first into tokenization. Its blockchain-native BUIDL fund, created in partnership with Securitize, now manages over $1.7 billion in assets and recently expanded onto Solana CEO Larry Fink has consistently emphasized his belief in the long-term potential of tokenization and decentralized finance. In his 2025 annual letter to shareholders, Fink warned that the U.S. risks ceding its financial dominance if it fails to control its debt, a vulnerability that could accelerate investor interest in alternatives like bitcoin (BTC). “If the U.S. doesn’t get its debt under control … America risks losing [its reserve currency status] to digital assets like Bitcoin,” Fink wrote. “Decentralized finance is an extraordinary innovation. It makes markets faster, cheaper, and more transparent. Yet that same innovation could undermine America’s economic advantage.” UPDATE (March 1, 17:20 UTC): Rewrites, lead headline to clarify that BNY and BlackRock are partnering to bring the fund onchain. UPDATE (April 30, 7:29 UTC): Adds third paragraph on tokenization trends, rewrites headline. Sam Reynolds is a senior reporter based in Asia. Sam was part of the CoinDesk team that won the 2023 Gerald Loeb award in the breaking news category for coverage of FTX's collapse. Prior to CoinDesk, he was a reporter with Blockworks and a semiconductor analyst with IDC. 2025 Geopolitical tensions fuel central bank shift toward gold crypto — BlackRock exec Bitcoin’s growing decoupling from US equities is fueling its appeal as a safe-haven asset alongside gold News COINTELEGRAPH IN YOUR SOCIAL FEEDUpdate April 26 4:28 am UTC: This article has been updated to correct the attribution of comments made during the CNBC Asia interview References to China’s potential shift from US Treasurys toward gold and crypto were made by the CNBC anchor Central banks worldwide are accelerating their diversification strategies amid rising geopolitical uncertainty increasingly turning to assets like gold and Bitcoin BlackRock’s head of thematics and active ETFs In a recent interview with CNBC, Jacobs pointed to a long-term trend where countries have been reducing their reliance on dollar-based reserves in favor of assets like gold and, increasingly, Bitcoin (BTC) “This whole diversification away from traditional assets and into things like gold and also crypto [...] probably began three He said that recent geopolitical fragmentation has intensified the push toward alternative stores of value CNBC anchor Martin Soong also referenced growing concerns about the freezing of $300 billion in Russian central bank assets amid its war against Ukraine suggesting that such events have prompted countries like China to rethink their reserve strategies BlackRock executive Jay Jacobs on CNBC. Source: YouTubeRelated: Crypto, stocks enter ‘new phase of trade war’ as US-China tensions rise has identified geopolitical fragmentation as a defining force for global markets over the coming decades: He noted that this environment is fueling demand for uncorrelated assets with Bitcoin increasingly viewed alongside gold as a safe-haven asset “We’ve seen significant inflows into gold ETFs We’ve seen significant inflows into Bitcoin And this is all because people are looking for those assets that will behave differently,” Jacobs said Related: Bitcoin ‘decouples,’ stocks lose $3.5T amid Trump tariff war and Fed warning of ‘higher inflation’ Jacobs is not alone in stressing Bitcoin’s declining correlation with US equities Several analysts have also observed that Bitcoin is beginning to decouple from the US stock market On April 22, Alex Svanevik, co-founder and CEO of the Nansen crypto intelligence platform, said Bitcoin’s price is showcasing its growing maturity as a global asset He added that Bitcoin was “surprisingly resilient” amid the trade war compared to altcoins and indexes like the S&P 500 but remains vulnerable to economic recession concerns Echoing this sentiment, QCP Capital said in an April 21 Telegram note that Bitcoin seemed to be sharing some of gold’s limelight as a hedge against macroeconomic uncertainty “With equities finishing last week in the red and extending an April drawdown the narrative of BTC as a safe haven or inflation hedge is once again gaining traction it could provide a fresh tailwind for institutional BTC allocation,” it wrote Magazine: Ethereum is destroying the competition in the $16.1T TradFi tokenization race Brown University has joined Emory and the University of Austin in adding Bitcoin to their balance sheet “In a 13F filing this morning, Brown University reported owning 105,000 shares of the IBIT Bitcoin ETF as of March 31, valued at $4.9 million,” MacroScope posted to X The total value of all 14 positions in the filing is $216 million A growing number of U.S. universities are signaling confidence in Bitcoin’s long-term potential by adding the digital asset to their endowment portfolios or academic programs and the University of Austin (UATX) have each disclosed Bitcoin-related initiatives further validating the cryptocurrency’s institutional appeal.  Emory University was the first to disclose its Bitcoin holdings, revealed in an October 25 SEC filing that it owned nearly 2.7 million shares of the Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust ETF With Bitcoin reaching all-time highs since purchasing Emory’s holdings may now exceed $21 million Emory Investment Management (EIM) CIO Srinivas Pulavarti noted that the ETF conversion led to the public disclosure of their position.  “There are some risks with doing it yourself,” said Emory’s Associate Professor of Accounting Matthew Lyle on buying the Bitcoin ETFs vs purchasing and holding the Bitcoin themselves “Whereas if you use a company like Grayscale or BlackRock to do it for you… it’s unlikely that they’re going to steal your money because they’re well known.”  “University endowments are about serving students,” added Thomas Hogan “And bitcoin provides a unique opportunity for advancing UATX’s commitment to cultivating future generations of leaders and innovators.”  Bitcoin Magazine is the oldest and most established source of trustworthy news information and thought leadership on Bitcoin BlackRock has just been approved by the UK’s top financial markets regulator as a crypto asset firm which has about $12 trillion of assets under management can operate its new European Bitcoin exchange-traded product as a UK entity The roll-out of the new iShares Bitcoin ETP comes after BlackRock debuted its spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund in the US in January 2024 which has since become the largest US ETF with over $47 billion of assets It and other US spot Bitcoin ETFs raked in over $107 billion during their first year of trading BlackRock became the 51st company to be registered as a crypto asset firm with the Financial Conduct Authority on April 1, according to the regulator’s website It joins a list that includes the likes of Coinbase, PayPal, and Revolut. The agency has been criticised in the past for only approving some 14% of all firms that have applied to be registered “We have rejected submissions that didn’t include key components necessary for us to carry out an assessment or the poor quality of key components meant the submission was invalid,” the FCA says on its website The FCA didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment The iShares Bitcoin ETP listed on the Euronext stock markets in Paris and Amsterdam last week It launched with a fee waiver of 10 basis points which reduces its expense ratio to 0.15% until the end of the year That will make it one of the cheapest on the market until the waiver ends and it reverts to 0.25% which will put it on par with rival products like that listed by CoinShares The ETP is available to both institutional and informed retail investors, according to Bloomberg “It reflects what really could be seen as a tipping point in the industry — the combination of established demand from retail investors with more professionals now really getting into the fold,” Manuela Sperandeo BlackRock’s head of Europe & Middle East iShares Product Eric Johansson is DL News’ News Editor. Got a tip? Email at eric@dlnews.com Essential digital access to quality FT journalism on any device Complete digital access to quality FT journalism with expert analysis from industry leaders Complete digital access to quality analysis and expert insights complemented with our award-winning Weekend Print edition Terms & Conditions apply Discover all the plans currently available in your country See why over a million readers pay to read the Financial Times Blackrock's John Cashman breaks past Douglas' Alan Cadogan Douglas got the better of Blackrock in their Red FM Hurling League clash at Douglas on Thursday night Both sides had some of their Cork players released to play with Shane Kingston starting for Douglas and Robbie Cotter playing for Blackrock The win means that Douglas now go level on points with Blackrock at the top of the table with two second-half goals the crucial scores in their win with the latter’s coming late on after a mistake by the Blackrock defence left him with an empty target to strike at Douglas' Andy O'Connell tries to get away from Blackrock's Kevin O'Keeffe Picture: David Keane.Kevin O’Keeffe put the Rockies in front with Cian Baldwin replying at the other end to level it and over the course of the first half they were level on eight occasions O’Keeffe put his side back in front with Kingston replying from a free to make it 0-2 each after five minutes Andy O’Connell put Douglas in front for the first time with Kingston adding another from a 65 to put them two up before another from the former put them back in front but scores from Fionn Coleman and Ian O’Keeffe made it 0-7 to 0-5 in the visitors' favour with Kevin O’Keeffe and Ciaran Cormack replying for the Rockies to put them one to the good before Blackrock pushed on with points from Coleman Kevin O’Keeffe and O’Sullivan to stretch their lead Douglas' Cathal Hallahan wins possession ahead of Blackrock's Alan O'Callaghan Picture: David Keane.Conor Kingston replied for Douglas but late scores from O’Sullivan and PJ Linehan saw Blackrock in front by 0-16 to 0-13 at half time Kevin O’Keeffe hit two early points for the Rockies with Baldwin on target at the other end Douglas' Shane Kingston battles with Blackrock's Alan O'Callaghan Picture: David Keane.Cadogan and Cotter were on target again before Cotter found the back of the net Shane Kingston and Baldwin replied before David Kelly got Douglas’ first goal to level it at 1-21 apiece after 49 minutes With time running out Conor Kingston latched on to a defensive mistake by Blackrock to get his side’s second goal Cotter and Shane Kingston both pointed late as Douglas ran out deserving winners more Cork GAA articles Keep up-to-date with the top stories in Cork with our daily newsletter straight to your inbox Please click here for our privacy statement. Join Éamonn Murphy, Denis Hurley and Barry O'Mahony on the new season of The Echo Sport Podcast where they'll be analysing Cork GAA. Add Echolive.ie to your home screen - easy access to Cork news Join us on Saturday 19 April for a whimsical wonderland adventure at the Easter Eggscapade hosted by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and taking place at the picturesque Blackrock Park from 1pm to 5pm Celebrating Easter with an enchanting Alice in Wonderland theme and a traditional Easter Egg Hunt the event promises a day of family-friendly fun and excitement Characters in costume such as the White Rabbit and Alice will be there to welcome guests to their very special tea party get creative with ‘Make & Do’ or have fun on the bouncing castles The highlight of the day will be the traditional Easter Egg Hunt Get curious and solve the clues on the Easter Egg Trail to win one of the hundreds of Easter treats The event will also feature a festive "Create an Easter Bonnet" station where children can design and decorate their very own Easter Hat An exciting "Hat Walk" fashion show will then give children the chance to strut their stuff with their stylish Easter bonnets in a delightful display of fashion and creativity  The Sensory Express Bus will bring a sensory room on wheels to Easter Eggscapade The bus is fully equipped with sensory products including bubble tubes "We're thrilled to invite families and friends to join us for the Easter Eggscapade!” said Councillor Jim O’Leary “This free event is a delightful celebration of community bringing the magic of Alice in Wonderland to life as we celebrate the joy and renewal of Easter” Easter Eggscapade will boast inflatable bouncing castles a teacup carousel and giant props and games providing hours of energetic delight and entertainment face painters will be ready to adorn children's faces with vibrant and playful designs The Easter Eggscapade event will take place on 19 April from 1-5pm in Blackrock Park promising an immersive experience that will delight visitors of all ages Families are encouraged to gather and partake in this enchanting celebration to create unforgettable memories and embrace the spirit of Easter in a whimsical wonderland setting Report a problem with the Council E-mail: info@dlrcoco.ie 1) 0ms,border-color 250ms cubic-bezier(0.4 1) 0ms;transition:background-color 250ms cubic-bezier(0.4 1) 0ms;color:#1976d2;padding:0px;min-width:0;}.css-1sgza6o:hover{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;background-color:rgba(25 0.04);}@media (hover: none){.css-1sgza6o:hover{background-color:transparent;}}.css-1sgza6o.Mui-disabled{color:rgba(0 1) 0ms;color:#1976d2;padding:0px;min-width:0;}.css-w5p45x::-moz-focus-inner{border-style:none;}.css-w5p45x.Mui-disabled{pointer-events:none;cursor:default;}@media print{.css-w5p45x{-webkit-print-color-adjust:exact;color-adjust:exact;}}.css-w5p45x:hover{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;background-color:rgba(25 0.04);}@media (hover: none){.css-w5p45x:hover{background-color:transparent;}}.css-w5p45x.Mui-disabled{color:rgba(0 0.26);}PrintShareSaveThe death has occurred of Marie-Therese (Terry) Sweetman (née Whelan) surrounded by her loving family after a short illness in the gentle care of the staff at the Beacon Hospital Beloved wife of the late Larry and adored mother to Lorcán niece Anne-Marie and all the Whelan family Predeceased by her parents Elizabeth and Patrick Funeral Service.css-h76uj{display:inherit;margin-right:-4px;margin-left:8px;}Date Published: If you would like to make a donation to the chosen charity please click on the button below. Rip.ie, The Irish Times Building, 24-28 Tara Street, Dublin 2, Ireland Address: Bellevue, Cross Avenue, Blackrock, Co DublinPrice: €2,150,000 Agent: Sherry FitzGerald View this property on MyHome.ie Bunreacht na hÉireann was drafted in one of the oldest houses in south Co Dublin by legal adviser John Hearne and Éamon de Valera Bellevue on Cross Avenue in Blackrock was home to de Valera from 1933 until 1940 noted these days by a plaque on the wall of the Georgian house politician and patriot was reputed to have said that his years at Bellevue were his happiest and due to that he moved back to Cross Avenue after serving a term as resident The house, built in 1770 for Ellis, countess of Brandon, had later additions to designs by John Loftus Robinson in about 1874, according to an entry on the Directory of Irish Architects website. Robinson was also responsible for designs for the local presbytery and school in Blackrock, and died of typhoid aged 46. After de Valera’s time here, the house was subdivided into three sections some time around 1959, when it had a west wing, an east wing and the central part of the residence was and is referred to as Bellevue. West and east wings sold in 2013 and 2014 for €960,000 and €900,000 respectively, and now Bellevue, which has been home to the same family for the past 50 years, has just launched to the market through Sherry FitzGerald seeking €2.15 million. It’s a considerable space extending to a generous 321sq m (3,455sq ft) over three floors, with two rooms at attic level. Inside the front porch you become immediately aware of the fantastic period details of this remarkable home. Ceilings are outstanding and have survived for more than a quarter of a century, from a time when stuccodores would have completed everything by hand. At basement level are two bedrooms, a bathroom, a livingroom and a separate, fully fitted kitchen that has the benefit of a self-contained entrance, so this level could generate an income if needed. On the ground floor, a set of pillars marks the entrance to a diningroom, which, like the porch has exceptional ceiling details, along with sash windows and access to a second kitchen and breakfastroom. Running opposite is a large drawingroom centred by a period fireplace. It is a great space, measuring about 35sq m in total and running the entire width of the house. Parquet flooring laid about 40 years ago has developed a lovely patina over time, and is now bang on with current trends. Upstairs are two further bedrooms, bringing the number to four in total. The main bedroom has almost the same dimensions as the drawingroom, occupying the entire width of the house, so enjoys dual aspect. Also on this floor are a shower room and family bathroom. Interesting details such as a balcony over the main entrance, accessed from the first floor landing, add to the charm of this elegant Georgian home. Out front, approached by a wide gravelled driveway, there is parking for five or more cars, while there’s also private vehicular and pedestrian access to a laneway behind. Though the pile would have once stood on 1,000 acres, it retains a good size rear garden today, with lots of mature shrubs and trees giving privacy. There are a host of shops and restaurants nearby and it is close to sporting facilities, including four yacht clubs up the road in Dún Laoghaire. Local schools include Blackrock College and St Andrew’s College in addition to Coláiste Íosagáin and Coláiste Eoin, while UCD and Smurfit Business School are also nearby. Elizabeth Birdthistle, a contributor to The Irish Times, writes about property, fine arts, antiques and collectables Facebook pageTwitter feed© 2025 The Irish Times DAC BlackRock recently filed a registration statement about plans for the issuance of DLT shares in its $143 billion Treasury Trust Fund (TTF) The shares will only be available via Bank of New York Mellon (BNY) which will use blockchain to mirror the share ownership on-chain Institutional investors are the primary target with a minimum investment of $3 million While BlackRock has leaned into tokenization with its BUIDL tokenized treasury fund issued on permissionless blockchains via Securitize the target market (for now) is primarily crypto institutions Stablecoin and tokenized money market fund (MMF) issuers are the primary BUIDL token holders By contrast, BNY Mellon primarily services mainstream traditional finance (TradFI) institutions as the world’s largest global custodian and a major tri-party agent. However, it also provides custody and cash management solutions for stablecoin issuer Circle, which is also now in the tokenized money market fund business following the acquisition of Hashnote A high profile institutional application is the use of tokenized collateral for margin and other purposes Conventional collateral has several drawbacks including slow settlement times and friction in moving assets because collateral is usually siloed with specific custodians Tokenized collateral transfers can settle instantly Several other industry tokenized collateral initiatives are currently on the cards. The CME recently announced plans to trial tokenization. Plus, Euroclear announced a pilot using the Canton Network Earlier this month the DTCC unveiled a tokenized collateral management platform and last week ran a demonstration showing how blockchain-based collateral could move across continents and 24/7 a subsidiary in one jurisdiction might be short of collateral and another elsewhere might have too much This can be costly because of the need to borrow to cover the shortfall In a future where tokenized collateral enables a global pool of assets ORION CORPORATION STOCK EXCHANGE RELEASE / MAJOR SHAREHOLDER ANNOUNCEMENTS5 May 2025 at 17:00 EEST                        Orion Corporation: Disclosure Under Chapter 9 Section 10 of the Securities Market Act (BlackRock Orion Corporation has received a disclosure under Chapter 9 according to which the total number of Orion shares owned directly indirectly and through financial instruments by BlackRock and its funds increased on 2 May 2025 above five (5) per cent of Orion Corporation’s total shares Notified details of the resulting situation on the date on which the threshold was crossed: Point B: Financial instruments according to SMA 9:6a:                                                   Contact person:Tuukka Hirvonen Publisher:Orion CorporationCommunicationsOrionintie 1A, FI-02200 Espoo, Finlandwww.orionpharma.com Orion is a globally operating Finnish pharmaceutical company – a builder of well-being for over a hundred years manufacture and market human and veterinary pharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical ingredients Orion has an extensive portfolio of proprietary and generic medicines and consumer health products The core therapy areas of our pharmaceutical R&D are oncology and pain Proprietary products developed by Orion are used to treat cancer neurological diseases and respiratory diseases Orion's net sales in 2024 amounted to EUR 1,542 million and the company had about 3,700 employees at the end of the year Orion's A and B shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki BlackRock’s latest 13F filing for Q1 2025 reveals a significant uptick in its Bitcoin exposure The report shows a total of $5.43 billion invested across Bitcoin spot ETFs and stocks tied to Bitcoin treasuries and mining operations These latest figures represent a major increase from Q4 2024 amid growing institutional confidence in crypto saw its holdings grow from 2.6 million shares to 5.85 million shares BlackRock also opened a new position in Fidelity’s FBTC It now holds 70,971 FBTC shares worth $5.1 million it initiated smaller positions in Grayscale’s GBTC and GBTC Mini BlackRock’s largest allocation remains in MicroStrategy (MSTR), the business intelligence firm now known as Strategy, which holds over 555,000 BTC. Specifically BlackRock now owns 14.4 million Class A shares an increase of 3.15 million shares from Q4 2024 the asset manager holds 623,648 Series A Preferred shares—newly added this quarter—worth $52.3 million another new addition in Q1 2025 includes 8.5 million convertible notes (0.625%) and 6.4 million notes (0.875%) BlackRock’s stake in Strategy-related securities now exceeds $4.23 billion accounting for nearly 78% of its total Bitcoin-focused exposure The asset manager also expanded its footprint in Bitcoin mining firms Its holdings in Marathon Digital (MARA) surged from 50 million to 53.9 million shares BlackRock’s position in Riot Platforms (RIOT) increased by 2.5 million shares bringing the total value to $192.3 million Bitdeer Technologies (BTDR) grew more than 150% Other miners like TeraWulf (WULF) and Bit Digital (BTBT) also saw modest increases bringing BlackRock’s total mining allocation to over $950 million The Q1 2025 13F filing reflects BlackRock’s growing conviction in Bitcoin’s long-term value proposition. With over $5.4 billion in strategic Bitcoin-related positions, the world’s largest asset manager is clearly not fading the ongoing institutional FOMO surrounding Bitcoin BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) now holds 607,685.5 BTC the ETF has attracted $43.68 billion in investment DisClamier: This content is informational and should not be considered financial advice The views expressed in this article may include the author's personal opinions and do not reflect The Crypto Basic opinion Readers are encouraged to do thorough research before making any investment decisions The Crypto Basic is not responsible for any financial losses Copyright ©The Crypto Basic BlackRock revealed its Bitcoin-related holdings primarily tied to its multi-billion-dollar investments in Strategy Major financial institutions are steadily building their Bitcoin (BTC) positions. According to BlackRock’s form 13F filing detailing its institutional holdings for the first quarter of 2025 the asset manager held $5.4 billion in Bitcoin-related equities in the United States The vast majority of these assets come from BlackRock’s exposure to Michael Saylor’s Strategy which is currently the biggest Bitcoin holder The company makes leveraged Bitcoin buying the core of its business model and often outperforms Bitcoin itself BlackRock holds over $4.23 billion in Strategy stocks where its holdings amount to $4.16 billion This accounts for the majority of its Bitcoin asset exposure BlackRock also has over $1.02 billion in various Bitcoin mining stocks These companies don’t make holding Bitcoin their business model but because Bitcoin is the main source of their revenue they correlate significantly with BTC’s price Finally, BlackRock has $279 million exposure to various Bitcoin exchange-traded funds and trusts. Most of these funds are in the iShares Bitcoin Trust, where BlackRock has invested $274 million. The iShares ETF is one that BlackRock itself owns and operates, and currently has $47.78 billion in net assets BlackRock also has a smaller $5 million exposure to Fidelity’s Bitcoin ETF and very small positions in the Grayscale BTC Trust and GBTC Mini Form 13F is a quarterly report by investment managers specifically those with over $100 million in assets under management This means that BlackRock’s exposure to Bitcoin-related assets might be even larger Additional exposure could come from private companies and publicly traded firms in other countries Asking the better questions that unlock new answers to the working world's most complex issues AI Case Studies CFO agenda EY Center for Board Matters C-suite podcast series Operations leaders Technology leaders EY helps clients create long-term value for all stakeholders our services and solutions provide trust through assurance and help clients transform EY.ai - A unifying platform Technology consulting Tax function operations Sustainability services EY Ecosystems How enhanced state support can recharge electric vehicle adoption in Ireland Why Hospitals Who Wait to Adopt AI May Never Catch-up How AI is shaping the future of DCC plc’s energy business How artificial intelligence can unlock a new future for infrastructure Experienced professionals EY-Parthenon careers Student and entry level programs Talent community our purpose is building a better working world The insights and services we provide help to create long-term value for clients Meet the New EY Partners Are you ready for NIS2 - How will it impact your organisation, are you prepared? Transformation Sponsorships and Industry Awards Irish consumers prioritise price and trust amid rising costs Understanding their evolving preferences is crucial for businesses to thrive Discover how CEOs are driving agility and innovation in uncertain times Learn about talent retention and ethical AI strategies Artificial Intelligence - The Future Won't Wait In this episode of The EY CEO Outlook Podcast Series Enda McMahon of Blackrock Asset Management Ireland joins host Richard Curran to talk about his journey from the public sector where he worked with Ireland’s C&AG and Financial Regulator to his current leadership position with the world’s largest asset manager and the valuable lessons he has learned along the way Apple | Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts Multidisciplinary professional services organisation of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited 2025 (peacefully in his 89th year) in the loving care of the staff of the Royal Hospital predeceased by his loving wife Maeve (nee Fogarty) and much-loved father of Josephine (Jo) Predeceased by his brothers Ernest (Australia) and Timothy (US) Deeply regretted and sadly missed by his loving brother Stephen and sisters Bunty (Australia) and Elizabeth (Flannery) Family flowers only please. Donations, if desired in Memory of Michael to Royal Hospital, Donnybrook (Oaks Ward). The world’s largest asset manager BlackRock has reported a slowdown in inflows after two record quarters, as the sell-off in financial markets weighed on investor confidence. The New York-headquartered group said it attracted $84 billion (€74 billion) in the three months to March, down from $281 billion (€248 billion) in the final quarter of 2024 and lower than Wall Street estimates. The new money boosted its assets under management to $11.6 trillion. Full-year profits fell 4 per cent on the previous year to $1.5 billion, or $9.64 per share, both short of analysts’ expectations. The company said the decline was linked to expenses from its acquisition spree last year, when BlackRock struck $30 billion of deals as chief executive Larry Fink pushed the group deeper into private markets. Revenues rose 12 per cent from a year ago to $5.3 billion, bolstered by its takeover of infrastructure investment firm Global Infrastructure Partners and growth in its exchange traded fund business. “Uncertainty and anxiety about the future of markets and the economy are dominating client conversations,” Mr Fink said. “We’ve seen periods like this before when there were large, structural shifts in policy and markets — like the financial crisis, Covid and surging inflation in 2022.” He added: “Some of BlackRock’s biggest leaps in growth followed.” – Copyright The Financial Times Limited Larry Fink, chief executive of BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, said the US faces the risk of tipping into a brief recession in the coming months, after its president, Donald Trump, unleashed a range of tariffs on the world this week. However, he said in an interview with The Irish Times in Dublin on Thursday that the new administration’s policy of cutting government costs and red tape would boost growth over the longer term. The possibility of a downturn in the US is “not insignificant” in the next few months, said Mr Fink, who has led the growth of BlackRock into an institution with $11.6 trillion (€10.5 trillion) of assets under management since he co-founded it in 1988. “At the same time, as the president’s policies kick in in relation to deregulation and streamlining permitting [for various projects], we could see a real growth agenda that offsets some of the recessionary short-term pressures,” he added. The US president outlined on Wednesday a raft of tariffs being phased in over the next week, including a baseline charge of 10 per cent on imports, rising to 20 per cent for the EU, 30 per cent on China and 46 per cent on Vietnam. Stock market indices across Asia, Europe and Wall Street fell on Thursday – wiping $1.7 trillion off the value of companies listed on the S&P 500 index by midday in the US alone – as investors digested the sweeping tariff announcements and potential for retaliation. Gold, seen as a safe haven in times of turbulence, reached a fresh record of almost $3,168 an ounce. US government bond yields – or market interest rates – also fell as investors bet the US Federal Reserve will accelerate interest rate cuts this year to prop up the economy. Yields on European government bonds also dipped. Mr Fink said a US trade war with Europe and other trading partners does not need to follow, as Mr Trump is merely seeking to reciprocate part of what other countries are imposing on imports from the US. He added that Europe must work now to become more competitive. “There does not need to be a true trade war,” he said. “The question is: is there any validity to what the US is doing and saying? Should we have more symmetry in our trading agreements? That’s all. That’s what the reasoning is.” When asked if he agreed with Mr Trump’s approach, he answered: “It’s not for me to agree. But I understand the logic behind it.” Mr Trump said that the new tariffs were “approximately half” of what its trading partners “have been charging us”. That halved figure includes “the combined rate of all their tariffs, non-monetary barriers and other forms of cheating,” he added. Ireland’s pharmaceutical sector which accounts for 60 per cent of exports from the State to the US, has so far avoided the new EU duty. However, Tánaiste Simon Harris said in the Dáil on Thursday that “we shouldn’t fool ourselves that there aren’t further plans in relation to sector specific measures, including pharma”. The EU is “preparing for further countermeasures” to protect its interest, but focused, for now, on trying to negotiate with the Trump administration, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said. Taoiseach Micheál Martin said Ireland said: “It is important that our response is considered and measured. Any action should be proportionate, aimed at defending the interests of our businesses, workers and citizens.” “A confrontation is in no one’s interests,” he added. Joe Brennan is Markets Correspondent of The Irish Times in the presence of his loving family and under the tender care of the staff at Marymount University Hospital and Hospice Lovingly remembered by his sisters Thelma (Barry) and Verona (Molloy) particularly those in the MMC&CC and Cork Motor Club O’Connor Ltd; On Thursday (May 1st) from 4.00pm to 5.00pm A Committal Service will take place at 11.00am on (May 2nd) in St Break Through Cancer Research Marymount Hospice Please leave your personal message for Denis’s family on the condolence section below. Familiar to generations living locally, Bennett’s Bakery shop on Blackrock’s main street garnered a huge amount of attention when it first came to market in 2021 with an AMV of €375,000 Its conversion needed a knowledgeable approach who then realised that the project was too large to undertake from afar The 68sq m (732sq ft) property went back on the market and it was at this stage a retiree living on his own in a four-bedroom semi off Mount Merrion Avenue spotted it with the knowledge and experience to tackle the job the new owner also had a bulging contacts book of talented tradesmen to execute the refurbishment “I had considered downsizing to an apartment but couldn’t find anything nice,” he says I knew I could get a second space in for the grandchildren to come and stay.” And he has found it in spades here; that is He paid €470,00 for the former bakery in May 2022 and ploughed in about the same amount again to do it up Its warm red brick facade is now expertly repointed with everything the village of Blackrock has to offer on his doorstep rather than being on his own in a semi in suburbia “By making the move I have freed up a family home,” he says The one-way glass in the front room window allows him to watch what is going on outside without being seen [ How to establish your own interior design styleOpens in new window ] “Being able to look out and watch the world go by is a beautiful experience,” he says remains intrigued enough to literally cup their hands against the glass to try to peer in It’s happened enough times that he is now considering putting a discreet sign up to say it is a private residence He rejigged the layout in favour of an open-plan approach downstairs Large format porcelain tiles are warmed by underfloor heating but says the insulation levels in the walls which he puts on for two hours in the morning and he doesn’t need to switch it on again An electric flame-effect fire from Buckley’s Fireplaces brings in visual warmth the window box that surrounds the triple-glazing and on the full-height cabinet doors that conceal kitchen units to the rear of the room There’s bold floral wallpaper on two of the walls with a double height mirror wall reflecting the room into antiqued mirror-back shelving which feels a lot more solid underfoot than it looks He first spotted this design at a building exhibition The space is youthful and fun and very much suited to his personality “Being able to put a lift in was important,” he says [ How to plan home improvement projects to avoid delays and keep your timeline on trackOpens in new window ] adjacent to the stairs is a pod housing a pneumatic vacuum lift that can transport him to the principal bedroom above and on up to the attic space on the second floor in a jiffy It’s an innovative self-supporting structure that requires no excavation to accommodate it or the hoist way and machine room that help it function Installation is directly on to the existing floor the moving car automatically descends to the lowest level He says it cost about €50,000 to import and install and he has it serviced twice a year While the interior is bold and contemporary homage is paid to the property’s Victorian origins The most obvious example is the very decorative cornice actually three different cornices layered together Living over the shop or in a converted shop is a way of life on mainland Europe it could help repopulate our town and village centres This restoration should become a model for shops and buildings lying derelict in towns and villages across the country We need mavericks willing to spend both to demonstrate the different ways it can be done There are lots of people willing to give it a go but finding the pockets deep enough to execute the dream is more difficult Would he recommend it as an option to others trading down “I was able to do it because it was my job but for ordinary buyers you need architects and engineers Fire regulations also need to be considered But the upside far outweighs the difficulties “You’re in the heart of it once you go out your front door “This restoration should become a model for shops and buildings lying derelict in towns and villages across the country acquiring a building that was formerly in commercial use is one that appeals to those looking for something a little different – but oftentimes The key issue is access to adequate funds to purchase the property and do the work [ Luxury apartment life above the shop in the heart of Dún Laoghaire for €675,000Opens in new window ] “The problem for home hunters hoping to buy a commercial property that you want to use for residential is that the bank won’t lend to you,” Orla McMorrow, deputy chief executive of the DNG Group, the agency that sold the bakery property, explains. “It won’t issue a residential mortgage.” As such, vendors of such properties should go for change of use planning permission before bringing the property to the market, she says. “Otherwise, you will restrict your buyer profile to cash buyers.” O’NEILL (Old Blackrock Road, Cork): On April 29th, 2025, peacefully, surrounded by his loving family at the Cork University Hospital PAT, beloved brother of Daniel, Renie and Aileen. Sadly missed by his loving family, brother-in-law Denis, nephews Eoghan, Colm, Jerry and D.J, grandnephews, grandnieces, extended family, neighbours, friends and business associates. Reposing at the Temple Hill Funeral Home, Boreenmanna Road of Jerh. O’Connor Ltd; On Wednesday (April 30th) from 5.00pm to 6.00pm. Requiem Mass at 2.00pm on Thursday (May 1st) in the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, Ballinlough. Funeral afterwards to the Island Crematorium, Rocky Island, Ringaskiddy, Co. Cork. Please leave your personal message for Pat’s family on the condolence section below. memorial mass or anniversary for a Loved One?You can now create a family notice on RIP.ie to remember your loved one PADDY'S DAY: Blackrock College’s Paddy Clancy celebrates with the Leinster Senior Cup The out-half kicked nine points in the final against Terenure College adding to the 21 which he had scored across the previous three games It is a school that has produced a plethora of provincial and international stars in the past and Blackrock College once again offered a glimpse into the future as they claimed their 72nd Leinster Schools Senior Cup title on St Patrick’s Day Playing in the novel venue of the Tallaght Stadium due to the ongoing redevelopment of the RDS Arena defending champions ‘Rock had to fight tooth and nail for their latest success in this competition 6-5 adrift at the interval after Terenure College’s Gareth Morgan had slotted over a brace of penalties in response to an early Harry O’Neill try out-half Paddy Clancy kicked nine points off the kicking tee to ensure Blackrock came through a titanic battle with their fellow south Dubliners Clancy had already showcased his qualities en route to Monday’s showpiece as he accumulated a combined total of 21 points across games against St Mary’s College St Michael’s College and Cistercian College Roscrea With the Ireland U20s having completed an underwhelming Six Nations Championship on Friday with just one win from five games played he is someone who could very well feature at that particular age grade in the near future his ambitions may well extend beyond the underage provincial and international ranks and for an indication of how quickly a player can progress from this level up to the professional game you need look no further than one of Blackrock’s more recent Senior Cup winning captains Gus McCarthy led the Dublin school to an impressive final victory against Gonzaga College at the RDS After playing an integral role for the Ireland U20s on their march towards a Six Nations Grand Slam in the spring of 2023 McCarthy made his Irish senior debut in an Autumn Nations Series clash against Fiji in November of the following year and he also enjoyed a short cameo for Ireland in their Championship clash with Italy in Rome on Saturday Blackrock’s current starting hooker Harry O’Neill will likely have a desire to follow in his footsteps and while not all of his line-out deliveries were inch perfect the Blackrock number two rounded off a maul move for the game’s breakthrough try on seven minutes Given there are 18 former students of Blackrock College between the senior and academy squads in Leinster a number of players from this success will be hoping to take giant strides in their careers over the next 12 months or so Terenure College graduates have been few and far between since their last appearance in a senior cup showpiece in 2009 but ‘Nure captain Ben Blaney ultimately exerted a strong influence from the back-row for the 10-time champions Inside centre Alvaro Swords was also prominent throughout with some powerful carries into enemy territory and thanks to fly-half Morgan’s place-kick accuracy they were within sight of a first senior title in 22 years at the midway stage Yet the history of Blackrock in this competition meant that a one-point advantage was always going to be precarious and Clancy penalties in the 42nd and 50th minutes had the title holders very much back in the driving seat Terenure were perhaps unfortunate not to be awarded a try heading towards the final-quarter – referee Robbie Jenkinson ruled out a potential five-pointer for Swords following consultation with his match officials – but the play was brought back for Morgan to knock over his third penalty of the tie but even though they came under severe pressure after another Clancy place-kick had restored their five-point cushion Blackrock ultimately held out for another memorable Senior Cup triumph Although try-scoring opportunities were largely at a premium on Whitestown Way the defensive displays produced by both teams were extremely impressive and ‘Rock had to withstand a series of Terenure attacks before the final whistle was blown almost four minutes into stoppage-time Conor Murray and Peter O’Mahony from international duty over the weekend – and with a number of others in the Ireland squad now in their 30s – there might well be a need to inject some fresh blood into the provincial and international systems over the next few years It remains to be seen what kinds of careers the players in Tallaght on Monday will end up having but finals like these have often served as launchpads for some of Leinster and Ireland’s brightest prospects of recent times Scorers for Blackrock College: Tries: H O’Neill Cons: Pens: P Clancy 3  TERENURE COLLEGE: G O’Sullivan; E Balamash From as little as €1 a week with our digital introductory offer Already a subscriber? Sign in more leinster rugby articles By clicking on 'Sign Up' you will be the first to know about our latest and best sporting content on this browser You have accepted push notifications for this content. If you would like to manage your push notification preferences, you can do so here https://www.dundalkdemocrat.ie/section/1234/advertise-with-us All the latest breaking local news from Dundalk and Louth County Keep up to date with the latest sports news Read the latest crime and court news from Dundalk Read all the latest Irish news and updates from around Ireland Find whats happening in and around Dundalk and Louth Enjoy our award winning photos and picture galleries taken in Dundalk and Louth Read about the latest properties available in Dundalk and Louth Enjoy our latest and up to date motoring review and news in Dundalk and Louth Dundalk and Louth Met Eireann Weather Forecast Recent death notices and obituaries from Dundalk and Louth Latest environmental and climate change news in County Louth Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter Support our mission and join our community now you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism Dundalk South Councillor Robert Nash has welcomed the recent decision by Louth County Council's planning department not to grant an extension on a 2019 planning application for a proposed new development on the outskirts of Blackrock which he said would have seen nearly 500 units built I’m only too well aware of the need for more houses and I am also conscious that the thousands of people trying to purchase a home might disagree with me” “but the reality is that Blackrock's infrastructure at present is not fit to cater for its present population “there is a real concern among residents presently that building in Blackrock has got out of control over the last number of years without any investment in vital infrastructure such as roads not to mention the lack of early childcare places school places and vital services such as GP care Read next: House prices in Louth are soaring – find out how much your home is worth now the sewerage system in Blackrock is full to capacity with Uisce Éireann (formerly known as Irish Water) recently confirming that it would be 2029/2030 before the completion of works to address this issue which have been proposed for number of sites in Blackrock/ Haggardstown who explained that 2.2 million litres of sewerage arrive daily at Blackrock wastewater treatment plant Uisce Eireann removed 6.693,000 litres of sludge from the Blackrock WWTP (wastewater treatment plant) to the treatment plant on the Point Road for processing. It is simply unacceptable in this day and age for tankers to be drawing sewerage to a plant on the point road because the sewerage system in Blackrock is not fit for purpose.” was that he has recently seen sea water samples taken on Blackrock beach in close proximity to storm water outlets which have shown raised levels of E coli and bacteria in the bathing water. This “is another sign that during heavy rain and floods the combined sewer/storm water system is under pressure and releasing untreated water into storm water outlets on to nearby beaches “For too long capital investment in our infrastructure has been neglected and all the while we allowed for more and more houses to be built. I have raised this issue recently with Deputy Paula Butterly and also plan to speak to Tánaiste Simon Harris in the next weeks regarding the need for serious investment in infrastructure in Blackrock and the surrounding areas.” Cllr Nash went on to say that “unfortunately sewerage capacity is only one of a number of issues that Blackrock village is experiencing at present states. I suppose you could say that Blackrock has become a victim of its own success he comments albeit a benefit to the growing number of businesses in the area has also proved to be a stumbling block for other reasons.” lack of parking on the Main Street has been the topic of conversation but the Dundalk South councillor goes on to say that he believes other issues must take priority. “When I think of Blackrock I think of no speed ramps on the old golf links road I think of lack of school crossings for children I think of lack of school places and lack of playing pitches for sports clubs “Other councillors and I recently met with Chairman of Rock Celtic and committee members who have exhausted all avenues in the search for much needed additional playing spaces to cater for their ever-increasing numbers in the club. Rock Celtics membership currently stands at nearly 800 catering for in excess of 25 teams from U8 up to Seniors. The weekly struggle for pitch time for every team is a logistical nightmare.” Cllr Nash went on to say that the lack of green space in the village is “not surprising considering the amount of houses built in the last 20 years. “For now Rock Celtic's search continues but as a councillor I will do my best to support them and hopefully find a solution soon “As a councillor and with the support of other councillors I believe that there are a lot of issues that we have the power to address but also other issues which are way above our capabilities and that will need assistance and funding from central government. It's also about learning from mistakes and not allowing what has happened in Blackrock “the daily calls about early childcare places doctors and lack of footpaths in Blackrock will continue for now” but he hopes with the help of new Louth County Councill CEO David Conway the issues he speaks about can be addressed over the next number of years " + $(".testo_articolo").html().replace(//g please subscribe and support local journalism Subscribing will allow you access to all of our premium content and archived articles To continue reading this article for FREE,please kindly register and/or log in Registration is absolutely 100% FREE and will help us personalise your experience on our sites You can also sign up to our carefully curated newsletter(s) to keep up to date with your latest local news Ronan Brennan with his wife Siobhan and son Kai at Breathe Sauna in Magheroarty ALERT: Irish homeowners warned renovation jobs could lead to €10,000 fine or jail A day in the life of a children’s residential care worker at Ashdale Care Did you know you can save up to 75% on your electricity bills with Activ8 Solar Energies Arthur's Sporting Archives | Take a trip down memory lane GALLERY: Louth advance to Leinster MFC semi-final with victory over Westmeath There’s something for everyone in Louth Life - on sale now The Spring issue of Louth's number one glossy magazine is on sale now Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie Blackrock Health has announced a major investment of €500 million across its Group of hospitals incorporating Blackrock Clinic The Group said the expansion would create 1,000 new jobs in the Dublin and Galway areas Speaking at the announcement of the investment, Dr “As our population continues to grow and age with more people living longer we must always focus on their future healthcare needs To continue delivering against our commitment to provide world-class clinical care we are investing a further €500 million into Blackrock Clinic Hermitage Clinic and Galway Clinic to future proof the changing healthcare landscape We will hire 1,000 people to ensure that we can continue to serve our patients in-line with their evolving and growing health needs.” At Blackrock Clinic this expansion will mean an additional 47 in-patient beds and 63 ambulatory care beds located within the existing site.  five new operating theatres and two new cardiac cath labs will also be located in the hospital.  Blackrock Clinic will also be the home of the new cancer centre for the group This will include 2 radiation suites and an expanded medical oncology unit to support cancer surgeries Hermitage Clinic will see an increase of 25 ambulatory care beds two refurbished cardiac cath labs and one new cardiac cath lab located on the site.  A new dedicated eye health clinic will also be opened at the Hermitage Clinic The Galway Clinic expansion will include 30 new in-patient beds seven new ambulatory care beds for cardiology patients.  A further 15 ambulatory care beds will be opened along with five new operating theatres one new cardiac cath lab and a new cardiac CT scanner increasing its capacity to provide cardiology services in the west Dr. Whelan continued, “Our plans for each hospital in the group are aligned to best practice thinking on the delivery of healthcare services in the future and respond to the needs of patients that we treat across each location.  This includes expansion on ambulatory care beds by utilising the latest in medical advancements and as a result Our continued investment in technology will enable our teams to continue to deliver world-class care whilst leveraging the very latest innovations in healthcare technology.” will employ over 4,000 staff providing world-class care in 495 inpatient beds 36 operating theatres and ten cardiac cath labs All facets of new developments will be interrogated to evolve the most sustainable design solution to minimise carbon emissions It is Blackrock Health’s medium-term ambition to upgrade its entire building portfolio towards Net Zero Building Standards employs more than 3,000 staff  and 600 consultants in 50 medical specialties the hospitals have a total of 418 inpatient beds including 28 ICU beds and 22 operating theatres they cared for more than 360,000 patients last year  Blackrock Health is part of Parma Health The HMI is the professional body for healthcare managers across all sectors of the health services in Ireland Its overall aim is the development of standards of management competence and practice educate and involve members and stakeholders in professional development and networking activities © Health Management Institute of Ireland (HMI) 2025 | Digital content by The Learning Rooms, Dublin Leinster Schools Rugby: Blackrock College 34 St Mary’s College 13Scorelines can be so deceiving as Blackrock College were given a severe test by St Mary’s in the Leinster Schools Senior Cup first round at Energia Park on Tuesday. The holders were rocked back on their heels from the start as St Mary’s flowed forward to establish a lineout. Joseph Christle burst through the first tackle to go close and Eoghan Brady was on hand to complete the mission. Paul Neary converted in the fourth minute to make it 7-0 to the Rathmines school. Blackrock spurned all chances to kick at goal, preferring to use the maul to cause chaos, not before Brady bundled James Browne into touch at the corner flag. Listen | 26:34It came as no surprise to see hooker Harry O’Neill rise to claim a try from a powerful drive in the 15th minute. A simple, clever throw to the front of another Blackrock lineout put Conal Power through one-on-one, but O’Neill couldn’t take the pass. It was a thing of beauty to see frontrowers Patrick Tuite and Christle handling like backs in the lead-up to a penalty for offside. Neary knocked it over to put St Mary’s 10-5 ahead in the 25th minute. Another penalty led to a lineout and after Power plucked the throw from the air, O’Neill was in the van to deliver the try for to level the scores at 10-10 in the 28th minute. But Blackrock would take a 15-10 advantage into half-time after Bernard White bolted into the clear to score. There was an extended stalemate brokered before a case of obstruction allowed Mary’s outhalf Neary to split the posts from distance to make it 15-13 in the 50th minute. It would be their last score as soon after Paddy Clancy grubbered and gathered to find Johnny O’Sullivan on his inside shoulder for a stunning try, converted by Clancy to put Rock 22-13 up in the 59th minute. It was appropriate Michael O’Sullivan should have the decisive say with the fifth try, converted by Clancy, before Browne cut loose from inside his half to give the scoreboard a very flattering complexion. SCORERS − Blackrock College: H O’Neill 2 tries; B White, J O’Sullivan, M O’Sullivan, J Browne try each; P Clancy 2 cons. St Mary’s College: E Brady try; P Neary 2 pens, con. BLACKROCK COLLEGE: J Reddan; J Browne, J O’Sullivan, B White, R Keogh; P Clancy, L Coffey; B Guerin, H O’Neill, S Bishti (capt); C Power, A Smykovskiy; G Wall, M O’Sullivan, B Walsh. Replacements: L Golden for Power (50 mins); C Power for Walsh (55); R Savage for Guerin (67); G Eggers for O’Neill, M Cullen for Bishti, T Keaveney for M O’Sullivan, B Crowley for Coffey, D Cadden for Clancy, A Doorly for Reddan (all 69). ST MARY’S COLLEGE: J Kelly; C Maguire, C Cantwell, D Tourish, M Morrissey; P Neary, A Crawley; G Ewing, J Christle, P Tuite (capt); M Egan, D Kenny; E Farrell, A McGauran, E Brady. Replacements: T Quigley for Tuite (42 mins); A Stronge for Crawley, S Thornton for Brady (both 48); D O’Shea for McGauran (54); A Crawley for Tourish (60); B Harmon for Christle (67); J Whitty for Kenny (68); L Keogan for Ewing, N Sheehan for Maguire (both 68). NesteNeste Corporation, Stock Exchange Release, 5 May 2025 at 7 p.m. (EET) Total positions of entities referred to in the notification: Notified details of the resulting situation on the date on which the threshold was crossed or reached: B: Financial Instruments according to FSMA 9:6a Full chain of controlled undertakings through which the voting rights and/or the financial instruments are effectively held starting with the ultimate controlling natural person or legal entity:  Senior Vice President, Communications, Marketing, Sustainability and Public Affairs Further information: Please contact Neste's media service, tel. +358 800 94025 / media@neste.com (weekdays from 8.30 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. EET). Please subscribe to Neste's releases at https://www.neste.com/media/subscribe Neste has high standards for sustainability and the company has consistently been recognized by several leading sustainability indices. In 2024, Neste's revenue stood at EUR 20.6 billion. Read more: neste.com https://news.cision.com/neste/r/notification-under-chapter-9--section-10-of-the-finnish-securities-market-act%2Cc4145399 Copyright © 2025 FactSet Research Systems Inc.© 2025 TradingView I consult or invest on behalf of a financial institution To reach a different BlackRock site directly, please update your user type See how iBonds ETFs fit into your portfolio with our bond ladder tool Higher volatility alongside unreliable stock/bond correlation demands that investors think critically about diversification “while persistent uncertainty can cause economic damage we are seeing hard economic rules binding U.S trade policy changes.” The administration’s responsiveness to market moves and a recent de-escalation in rhetoric should bolster sentiment but we believe a resolution will be needed to curb volatility proposed tax cut extensions and a deregulatory agenda could prove stimulative to growth but are likely to further increase the budget deficit we see the Fed on hold at least through the June meeting and likely beyond Policy cross currents complicate the outlook immigration policy has the potential to reduce labor supply the resulting wage pressure from a tighter labor market combined with price pressure from ongoing tariffs could combine to delay or deter the cuts to the policy rate that slower growth would otherwise imply The Fed may be able to reduce rates in the second half of the year - so long as longer-term inflation expectations remain contained with possible tension between the two sides of their dual mandate it may be that only a sharp slowdown would prompt the Fed to act So far, economic data has proven resilient and broadly consistent with our year-ahead outlook nonfarm payrolls all have continued to exhibit the same strong-but-gradually-moderating trend as they have over the past year.1 Corporate earnings growth likewise entered Q2 from a position of strength the Q1 earnings season is on track to beat consensus earnings expectations though forward earnings forecasts have consistently been revised lower since tariffs were announced.2 a whiff of recession has crept into ‘soft data’ consumer sentiment readings from the University of Michigan survey and the Conference Board both showed consumer sentiment hitting multi-year lows.3 The NFIB and AAII sentiment readings showed a similar decline in confidence for small business owners and investors respectively.4 Our own proprietary sentiment indicator - based on cash holdings credit spreads and breadth - was also steadily declining before diving in the week of the tariff announcements.5 Further instability of policy measures may continue to chip away at sentiment Figure 1: Sentiment declined before the global tariff announcement and plummeted after Sentiment index equally weighted standardized scores of cash holdings we see merit in defending against ongoing equity volatility while finding attractive entry points for enduring themes We prioritize diversification in a structurally higher volatility environment in which U.S Treasuries may not be the reliable diversifier they once were We have been increasing our weighting in software and applications for months as that is where the value of the ecosystem is starting to be captured Our pre-tariff estimates point towards S&P 500 earnings growth of 8-10% for the full-year 2025 alongside a broadening out of earnings expectations away from the top of the index.6 However we acknowledge that many earnings forecasts have yet to reflect the reality of a world newly defined by shifting trade policies Our expectation for slower gross domestic product (GDP) growth could also translate to slower earnings growth potentially exacerbated by price pressures on household real income This could put further pressure on revenue expectations and corporate margins if businesses struggle to pass on costs in a slowing growth environment The near-term equity outlook remains unclear Top-down analysis is complicated by high macro uncertainty while bottom-up estimates are hampered by companies withdrawing forward guidance we consider a range of earnings growth estimates against the backdrop of historically supported multiples The wide range of earnings per share (EPS) forecasts makes an exact approximation of the current forward price to earnings ratio (P/E) difficult though we feel that the current multiple is likely modestly above the long-term average combined with slower growth expectations warrant a precise approach to equity allocations we caution against extrapolating too much from valuations as we find they are often a poor predictor of near-term returns systematic strategies that seek to respond quickly to changes in earnings expectations Figure 2: Earnings estimates and multiples remain near 10yr averages EPS range based on IBES 12-month forward EPS growth estimates for the S&P 500 with +/-1 standard deviation band defining the “Typical Earnings Growth” range based on 10-year earnings growth history “Bearish” and “bullish” earnings growth estimates defined by less than (greater than) -1 standard deviation (+1sd) “Typical Market Multiple” range based on +/-1 standard deviation of 10-year market multiples “Bear market” and “bull market” multiple defined by less than (greater than) -1 standard deviation (+1sd) Given the uncertainty and volatility of this backdrop we believe investors may be well served to modestly add to defensive exposures and look for attractive entry points to enduring themes Playing defense: Winning more by losing less The policy driven sell-off in April saw volatility spike dramatically Although equities have partially recovered on subsequent policy changes we don’t see volatility dissipating in a headline driven market Regardless of the near-term direction of U.S structurally higher equity volatility has tended to make for lower risk-adjusted returns we believe investors – particularly those with shorter time horizons or lower risk tolerances – may be best suited looking to the low volatility factor Because the factor offers an asymmetric up/down capture – participating to a greater degree on the upside than on the downside - it has historically been able to deliver performance similar to the broad market with lower overall risk.1 In previous periods of low growth and higher inflation the Low Vol factor was able to meaningfully outperform other equity factors as well as the broad market Figure 3: The low volatility factor outperformed during the stagflationary period of the 1970-80s the equity market is a value-weighted portfolio of all U.S and NASDAQ used to calculate the market excess return over the risk-free rate Quality by RMW and Momentum by MOM in the Fama and French data set Low Volatility represented by BAB in the AQR data set HML represents high book-to-market minus low book-to-market companies RMW represents robust operating profitability minus weak operating profitability companies MOM represents high price momentum minus low price momentum companies Performance does not reflect any management fees Past performance does not guarantee future results we evaluate historical correlations across both economic growth and inflation to find defensive industries that may help position equity portfolios from these shocks We find that utilities and consumer staples have provided the least sensitivity to changes in both variables while energy and technology were more exposed.8 Figure 4: Historical sensitivity to growth and inflation Historical correlations based on daily correlations over the last 1-year period ending March 31 growth proxied by S&P 500 forward growth Sector groupings determined by MSCI GICS Levels 1 groupings and Rusell 1000 Value & Growth indexes Index performance is for illustrative purposes only Index performance does not reflect any management fees Indexes are unmanaged and one cannot invest directly in an index We extend this analysis beyond historical correlations by overlaying current valuations While consumer staples have historically served as a defensive exposure we find that the sector is currently trading at 21x earnings above the broad market and its historical average a more demanding setup that may represent already crowded positioning.9 Healthcare similarly trades at a premium to history.10 However we find defensive opportunities in Healthcare Providers which trade at 13x forward earnings estimates below the industry’s long-term average of 14x.11 Utilities also have screened relatively well and represent a sector overweight in many minimum volatility factor strategies.12 The administration’s evolving trade policy continues to inject volatility into markets we see selective opportunities for investors positioned to navigate near-term risk Highly profitable companies with strong balance sheets and stable earnings are well positioned to weather near-term volatility we believe the long-term secular growth proposition of the AI theme responsible for driving equity market leadership in 2023 and 2024 AI equities were hit hard during recent selloffs largely due to their reliance on a globally integrated chip and hardware supply chain administration is focused on maintaining its AI lead including export controls and additional trade measures in an effort to protect and extend that lead physical-economy sectors remain vulnerable source 87% of their cost of goods sold from abroad—nearly half from China alone.13 In a trade-fragmented world these firms may face significant input cost risk falling AI compute costs are creating a margin tailwind for software companies as we think that lower infrastructure expenses translate to higher profitability combined with its resilience to potential tariffs makes it one of the more compelling areas of the equity market A small handful of mega-cap companies have fuelled the early stages of the AI buildout through the construction of large-scale AI datacenters The primary beneficiaries of the buildout are the designers and manufacturers of AI chips & hardware Figure 5: Top capex spenders significantly outpace the rest of the S&P Sector groupings determined by MSCI GICS Level 1 groupings Specific companies or issuers are mentioned for educational purposes only and should not be deemed as a recommendation to buy or sell any securities Any companies mentioned do not necessarily represent current or future holdings of any BlackRock products please visit the respective fund product pages and Meta) have plans to deploy over $315billion of capex most of which is slated for expanding AI infrastructure.14 Investors should closely monitor any shifts in those plans: commentary from any of these mega-cap companies may solidify (or question) the dominance of AI equities We believe this wave of capex is likely to continue supported by structural demand for AI compute even amid trade tensions or macroeconomic uncertainty a slowdown or plateau in spending would present a near-term risk to parts of the AI trade we believe a bottom-up fundamental active management approach from technology specialist investors is critical Active managers with AI investment experience can take intentional bets across different layers of the AI stack research-driven framework can help identify the beneficiaries of each new phase of adoption tariffs will accelerate the rewiring of globalization stand poised to benefit relative to others from greater export competitiveness trade diversification and increased investment flows international equities sharply outperformed with the largest relative performance difference between European and U.S indexes in two decades.15 International investments benefited from both strong local returns and a declining dollar While we still believe in the U.S.’s centrality in global capital markets and its track record of creating strong have shown a renewed focus on their own growth trajectories From Europe’s push towards meaningful infrastructure and defense spending or Japan’s focus on creating shareholder value the geopolitical fragmentation of today is accelerating this trend BII stays positive on developed market (DM) stocks yet see more near-term volatility We believe increased uncertainty in the U.S will continue to drive regional asset allocation decisions for foreign investors The first months of 2025 brought some evidence that foreign investors had begun to repatriate investments away from the U.S a trend that could be a further tailwind to international performance should it continue.16 we believe a bottom-up fundamental active management approach A weaker or rangebound U.S dollar further adds to the favorable backdrop Finding value (and income) in developed markets The U.S. has long benefited from its tilt to growth, one reason why it often supports higher valuations. Developed markets outside of the U.S. often offer higher exposure to the value factor – with higher dividend and earnings yield than their U.S. counterparts.17 By incorporating international equities into a diversified portfolio investors may benefit from structural geopolitical trends while also balancing out the inherent growth bias within their U.S We also see opportunity in actively managed international developed market strategies with diverging tariff impacts and central bank bifurcation in some cases favoring selectivity Figure 6: International equities offer a different factor profile than their U.S Style factor chart using equity risk model The numbers represent standardized scores on how many standard deviations away an exposure is from the estimation universe We maintain a neutral outlook on emerging markets broadly – we watch for tailwinds from under-owned positioning and potential stimulus but acknowledge uncertainty will be the dominant catalyst of price action ahead We believe China will continue to face the highest risk of trade volatility as a deliberate decoupling strategy currently remains central to the administration’s stated goals Q1 equity outperformance masked potential cracks in China’s macro backdrop even before the administration’s tariff announcements Growth in high-frequency indicators softened in late March including steel demand and freight volume of departing ships at major ports while consumer confidence remained at still-depressed levels.18 Rapidly changing policy and the continuation of the trade war are likely to weigh on China’s growth: we estimate U.S tariffs covering 70% of Chinese exports add up to an estimated 2% drag on GDP The trade war shows few signs of abating in the near-term as details remain unclear and uncertainty continues to metastasize We therefore lean into emerging market minimum volatility strategies which have seen a sizably lower downside capture relative to the broad index over the last 10 years.19 We believe Latin America may continue to grow its role as a strategically important trade partner as both the U.S and China jockey for influence in the region Latin American countries are critical producers and exporters of raw materials and agricultural products ranging from copper and lithium to soybeans and beef The strategic importance of the region is underscored by both the U.S still dominates in terms of bilateral trade China is now the region’s second-largest trading partner having grown bilateral trade to over $500billion in recent years.20 As both the U.S and China continue to push for influence in the region – particularly through strategic investments – we believe that Latin America may stand to benefit valuations across LatAm equity markets are trading at substantial discounts relative to historical averages: Figure 7: LatAm equities trade at relative discounts to historical averages P/E and P/B country data from MSCI country indexes: MSCI Brazil iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Min Vol Factor ETF We continue to prioritize income in corporate credit and given the solid starting point of fundamentals Rate volatility remains a key focus for financial markets Rates on the long-end of the yield curve have risen steadily since the April 2nd tariff announcement with 30-year nominal rates climbing 27bps and real 30-year rates popping 36bps.21 The dramatic move in the long-end of the curve has seen 10-year term premium push up to 10-year highs Some of the move may be attributable to positioning and other temporary factors - the notable plunge in prime brokerage leverage data and the sharp move towards even more deeply negative swap spreads are consistent with the unwind of levered curve bets by hedge funds and other speculative actors there are reasons to believe that long rates may continue to be volatile or even move higher including a continued deterioration in the fiscal outlook we continue to favor exposure through the front-end and belly of the curve: maturities in the 3- to 7-year range Short-duration bonds remain a compelling tactical allocation While the unwind of leveraged curve trades has sparked a sell-off on the long-end and a steepening of the yield curve the front-end of the curve (0 to 5 years) has stayed elevated and relatively flat We believe that income and carry look attractive on the front end of the Treasury curve as well as in select corporate credits and plus sectors Elevated interest rate volatility often leads to pricing dislocations in the short end of the curve which can be opportunistically exploited through active management Figure 8: The yield curve is struggling to steepen in the front-end Party presidency period determined by party presidency inauguration to next opposing party presidency inauguration Stock market represented by the S&P 500 Index from 1/1/54 to 12/31/23 Past performance does not guarantee or indicate future results We believe duration may be unreliable as a traditional ballast in the case of a growth shock it is our view that the FOMC won’t speedily cut rates with inflation above trend and tariffs shocking prices higher we believe that rising term premia and funding market dynamics will continue to fuel rate volatility in longer-duration assets the fiscal uncertainty introduced by tax cuts may call the long-term creditworthiness of the US into further question Global supply chains can evolve over time but cannot be rewired at speed without major disruption Tariffs not only raise costs but can cut access to key inputs and potentially halt production inflation expectations have drifted higher 2-year inflation breakevens (breakevens are market-implied inflation compensation over a particular period in this case 2 years) are at some of the highest levels since the post-pandemic inflationary shock.2 Although we expect real yields to stay high we think recent repricing higher in real rates have been overdone particularly in the front-end of the curve Figure 9: Inflation expectations have moved higher given risk of tariffs which reflects the market’s inflation expectations over the next two years by measuring the yield difference between 2 year Treasuries and 2 year TIPS the need couldn't be greater for a better diversifier than traditional fixed income as stagflation and global uncertainty pose an unprecedented challenge to the role of the dollar and US Treasuries as portfolio diversifiers In our 2025 Year Ahead Investment Directions we discussed how risk factors such as broad tariff implementations and mounting deficit concerns could impede the trajectory of solid economic growth in the U.S The levels of extreme uncertainty that have battered the market since have demonstrated the importance of portfolio diversification amid unpredictable market swings we believe investors can benefit from a more deliberate diversification strategy where traditional asset classes may not meet the moment Diversify a portfolio with alternative exposures elevated interest rates and low equity risk premiums had eroded the negative equity-bond correlation that benefited a 60-40 portfolio for decades This challenge could linger in a world of rising macro uncertainty reinforcing the importance of alternative sources for portfolio diversification We see value in diversifying within and across asset classes and see a strong case for using market-neutral and other alternative strategies to serve as additional diversifiers beyond a traditional 60/40 portfolio each of the following strategies delivered better annualized return and lower annualized risk compared to benchmark aggregate bond index in the past three years (Figure 10) a combined alternative of all three strategies demonstrates the true power of additional diversification gained with lower correlation among themselves alternatives strategies have delivered compelling returns with lower volatility than the U.S with data from Morningstar using monthly observations from January 1 Alternatives allocation is equal weighted across BDMIX Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares may be worth more or less than the original cost Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted Performance data current to the most recent month end may be obtained by visiting the products’ respective overview pages Diversify a portfolio with gold and infrastructure In an environment of continued macro uncertainty we believe gold could function as a viable alternative in investor portfolios Our analysis shows that a small addition of gold in a portfolio could boost its Sharpe ratio for 1- year which own nearly 20% of all physical gold ever mined have significant influence on gold demand.25 Rising geopolitical uncertainty has prompted these institutions to bolster reserves with Asian countries being particularly strong net buyers.26 We expect this trend to continue given the potential for them to diversify away from the U.S dollar given more aggressive trade policies Besides gold, public and private infrastructure can also potentially bring portfolios diversification benefits. Over the past 17 years, public infrastructure has offered investors stable returns and a low correlation to other traditional asset classes, with added liquidity benefits compared to private infrastructure.27 In addition long-term mega forces such as AI datacenter and sustainable transitions speak to the attractiveness of infrastructure as a strategic allocation for investors Diversify a portfolio with cash alternatives Cash can be another alternative asset class to consider in a highly volatile environment have typically been less sensitive to changes in interest rates and equity market uncertainty – consider Cash-like strategies diversify portfolios away from near-term ups and downs by seeking to preserve investment investors can later deploy it in places that may be attractive when market conditions support Figure 11: Cash-like exposures help bring down overall portfolio beta relative to the S&P 50029 Stocks as represented by S&P 500 Index; Min Vol as represented by MSCI USA Minimum Volatility Index; Buffered as represented by CBOE S&P 500 95-110 Collar Index; HY as represented by ICE BofA U.S HY Index; IG as represented by ICE BofA U.S Corporate Index; Gold as represented by LBMA Gold Price Index; Bonds as represented by Bloomberg US Aggregate Bond Index; Equity Market Neutral represented by the average performance across 40 funds in the U.S Fund Equity Market Neutral Morningstar Category shows how much a strategy tends to rise when the market goes up and how much it tends to fall when the market goes down Index performance is shown for illustrative purposes only It is not possible to invest directly in an index The iShares Trusts are not investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and therefore are not subject to the same regulatory requirements as mutual funds or ETFs registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 Investments in these products are speculative and involve a high degree of risk model allocations and portfolio analytics powered by Aladdin® technology Get access now Short-term bonds as represented by ICE BofA US 3-Month Treasury Bill Index stocks as represented by S&P 500 Index Correlation based on the last 10 years (3/31/2015 – 3/31/2025) Beta is a measure of the tendency of securities to move with the market as a whole A beta of 1 indicates that the security's price will move with the market A beta less than 1 indicates the security tends to be less volatile than the market while a beta greater than 1 indicates the security is more volatile than the market This information must be preceded or accompanied by a current prospectus for the iShares Gold Trust. Investors should read it carefully before investing. Carefully consider the Funds' investment objectives, risk factors, and charges and expenses before investing. This and other information can be found in the Funds' prospectuses or, if available, the summary prospectuses which may be obtained by visiting www.iShares.com or www.blackrock.com. Read the prospectus carefully before investing. Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. The iShares Trusts are not investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, and therefore are not subject to the same regulatory requirements as mutual funds or ETFs registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Investments in these products are speculative and involve a high degree of risk. No proprietary technology or asset allocation model is a guarantee against loss of principal. There can be no assurance that an investment strategy based on the tools will be successful. The information presented does not take into consideration commissions, tax implications, or other transactions costs, which may significantly affect the economic consequences of a given strategy or investment decision. Diversification and asset allocation may not protect against market risk or loss of principal. Fixed income risks include interest-rate and credit risk. Typically, when interest rates rise, there is a corresponding decline in the value of debt securities. Credit risk refers to the possibility that the debt issuer will not be able to make principal and interest payments. Non-investment-grade debt securities (high-yield/junk bonds) may be subject to greater market fluctuations, risk of default or loss of income and principal than higher-rated securities. An investment in the Fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency and its return and yield will fluctuate with market conditions. Small-capitalization companies may be less stable and more susceptible to adverse developments, and their securities may be more volatile and less liquid than larger capitalization companies. International investing involves risks, including risks related to foreign currency, limited liquidity, less government regulation and the possibility of substantial volatility due to adverse political, economic or other developments. These risks often are heightened for investments in emerging/ developing markets or in concentrations of single countries. Companies in the healthcare sector may be affected by government regulations and programs, changes in the cost of medical products and services, changes in the demand for medical products and services among other factors. Healthcare companies are subject to competitive forces that may result in product obsolescence. Funds that concentrate investments in specific industries, sectors, markets or asset classes may underperform or be more volatile than other industries, sectors, markets or asset classes and than the general securities market. AI technology relies on large data sets, which can lead to inaccuracies. Companies in AI face competition, rapid obsolescence, and depend on demand from various industries. Regulatory scrutiny could limit AI development, with data collection facing closer examination and potential fines. Country-specific regulations could also impact AI and big data companies. The iShares Minimum Volatility Funds may experience more than minimum volatility as there is no guarantee that the underlying index's strategy of seeking to lower volatility will be successful. There can be no assurance that performance will be enhanced or risk will be reduced for funds that seek to provide exposure to certain quantitative investment characteristics ("factors"). Exposure to such investment factors may detract from performance in some market environments, perhaps for extended periods. In such circumstances, a fund may seek to maintain exposure to the targeted investment factors and not adjust to target different factors, which could result in losses. Alternative investments present the opportunity for significant losses and some alternative investments have experienced periods of extreme volatility. Alternative investments may be less liquid than investments in traditional securities. Commodities' prices may be highly volatile. Prices may be affected by various economic, financial, social and political factors, which may be unpredictable and may have a significant impact on the prices of commodities. The Funds are distributed by BlackRock Investments, LLC (together with its affiliates, "BlackRock"). Neither FTSE, LSEG, nor NAREIT makes any warranty regarding the FTSE Nareit Equity REITS Index, FTSE Nareit All Residential Capped Index or FTSE Nareit All Mortgage Capped Index. Neither FTSE, EPRA, LSEG, nor NAREIT makes any warranty regarding the FTSE EPRA Nareit Developed ex-U.S. Index, FTSE EPRA Nareit Developed Green Target Index or FTSE EPRA Nareit Global REITs Index. “FTSE®” is a trademark of London Stock Exchange Group companies and is used by FTSE under license. ©2025 BlackRock, Inc or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved. BLACKROCK, iSHARES, iBONDS, LIFEPATH, ALADDIN and the iShares Core Graphic are trademarks of BlackRock, Inc. or its affiliates. All other trademarks are those of their respective owners. James Browne of Blackrock College dives over to score his side a try despite the efforts of Jack Deegan, left, and Ronan Sullivan of Cistercian College Roscrea The traditionalists wouldn’t have it any other way. Brian Walsh and James Browne put down for doubles as Blackrock qualified to meet Terenure in the Leinster Schools Senior Cup final at Tallaght Stadium on St Patrick’s Day. Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the world filing to launch a new share class of its $150 billion money market fund that is registered on a blockchain an acronym for distributed ledger technology — for its BlackRock’s BLF Treasury Trust Fund BlackRock has purchased 10,900 ETH valued at $18.7 million through Coinbase signaling strong institutional interest in Ethereum over Bitcoin for the day indicating a strategic focus on ETH’s perceived undervaluation and future upside potential This transaction highlights a notable shift in institutional capital flows which could impact Ethereum price action and short-term trading strategies Traders may consider increased volatility and possible bullish sentiment for ETH following BlackRock's significant acquisition (Source: Cas Abbé on Twitter Binance COY 2024 winner and Web3 Growth Manager combining trading expertise with a vast network of 1000+ crypto KOLs Welcome to your premier source for the latest in AI and AI search tools—driving tomorrow's innovations today The resurgence in demand for Bitcoin investment products saw the BlackRock Bitcoin ETF IBIT pull in heavy inflows the previous week Bloomberg’s senior ETF analyst Eric Balchunas highlighted this detail in an X post today, stressing the shift in market sentiments. Per the tweet the BlackRock iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) had a stellar outing the previous week outperformed only by Vanguard’s S&P 500 ETF (VOO) The IBIT saw a net inflow of $2.48 billion, about 19% of the total positive flows between 28th April and 4th May. Only the VOO saw a better inflow ($3.93 billion) than the BlackRock Bitcoin-focused product This renewed traction indicates a changing narrative from earlier sentiments at the beginning of the year Balchunas noted that this shift tilted towards market users’ “beta with a side of bitcoin” bias last year For context, in 2024, ETF investors sought exposure to funds that track the general performance of the market with a touch of Bitcoin evident in the $117 billion VOO and $37 billion IBIT net inflows The Bloomberg ETF expert highlighted that recent inflow data suggest that this mentality seems to be crawling back into the market the BlackRock Bitcoin product has rebounded from earlier setbacks to record a year-to-date inflow of $6.4 billion The investment product languished below the top 50 in YTD performance across all ETFs before recent momentum pushed it to 8th on the log While bearing the torch for Bitcoin in the global ETF markets IBIT has also been schooling other investment products tracking the performance of Bitcoin The Monday data identified that it has all been about the BlackRock Bitcoin product with 96% of all inflows to the US Bitcoin spot ETFs moving into IBIT the funds have a one-month net inflow of $4 billion with the BlackRock product accounting for a staggering $3.85 billion Balchunas noted that the massive traction despite the Bitcoin ETF decoupling from the actual BTC price could be due to hedge funds leveraging the variation Meanwhile, the IBIT has recorded a cumulative net inflow of $43.64 billion since its market debut last year and ranks as the most successful ETF launch in history The US Bitcoin spot ETF generally holds a net asset of $113.15 billion Copyright ©The Crypto Basic. Having come to the market at a guide price of €10.25 million in April of this year, Block 2 at Blackrock Business Park in south Dublin has been sold to a private Irish investor for €8.75 million. The purchase price will provide the new owner with a net initial yield of 9.5 per cent based on the property’s contracted rent of €919,999 per annum. Block 2 briefly comprises a standalone three-storey office building extending to 2,571sq m (27,678sq ft) with 71 car-parking spaces. The property has strong sustainability credentials, with a Ber rating within the B1 to B3 range with scope for further improvement. The tenant line-up comprises Identigen and Becton Dickinson, with a weighted average unexpired lease term of about four years to break and 10 years to lease expiry. Identigen occupies the ground and second floors of the building and recently completed a full fit-out of the second floor, while Becton Dickinson occupies the first floor and has also recently completed a new fit-out of their space. Identigen is an Irish food safety and traceability company with operations in Ireland, Britain, continental Europe and the United States. In 2020, the company was acquired by Merck subsidiary MSD Animal Health in a multimillion-euro deal. Becton Dickinson, meanwhile, is one of the largest medical-technology companies in the world. The sale of Block 2 was handled by Conor Whelan and David O’Malley of QRE Real Estate Advisers on behalf of joint receivers Sharon Barrett and Declan Taite of Kroll Advisory. News of the transaction follows last year’s €13 million acquisition by Remake Asset Management of the neighbouring Blocks 3, 4 and 5 from US real-estate investment firm Kennedy Wilson. Outside of the latest deal activity at Blackrock Business Park, the wider Blackrock area has seen significant rejuvenation over recent years. Aviva recently completed a comprehensive refurbishment and repositioning of the Blackrock Village Centre, which now comprises more than 7,400sq m (80,000sq ft) of retail and office space, while the nearby Frascati Shopping Centre has also undergone a significant redevelopment. Ronald Quinlan is Property Editor of The Irish Times RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences has announced Blackrock Health as the Lead Partner for Ireland’s first public health gallery.  RCSI said this innovative gallery would be a cornerstone of RCSI’s €95 million campus transformation project which would provide essential infrastructure for cutting-edge health sciences research the new public health gallery will offer a diverse range of programmes workshops and exhibitions aimed at enhancing public understanding of health sciences and medical research “The gallery underscores RCSI’s commitment to delivering on the third UN Sustainable Development Goal to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all ages   Located at the new building’s entrance it will serve as a dynamic hub to foster meaningful dialogue on health and well-being making medical knowledge accessible and engaging.   “This gallery is an extension of RCSI’s longstanding commitment to public health education building on the success of the RCSI MyHealth series a flagship public engagement initiative launched over a decade ago which transitioned online during the COVID-19 pandemic has played a crucial role in addressing public health concerns and empowering individuals to take control of their health and well-being.” “We are delighted to welcome Blackrock Health as the Lead Partner for our forthcoming public health gallery This collaboration is a testament to our shared commitment to advancing health education and enhancing public health across Ireland scientists and clinicians will pioneer new forms of health-related public engagement empowering individuals and communities to lead longer CEO of Blackrock Health said: “We are proud to support RCSI on this hugely important initiative The healthcare landscape in Ireland is changing and it is more important than ever for education and engagement with the public to empower them to take ownership of their health and well-being we bring decades of experience in delivering patient care and medical excellence and this partnership reflects our commitment to promoting conversations about how to improve health outcomes in Ireland.” It is with immense sadness that we are announcing the passing of our much-loved Andrew Andrew passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his family leaving a void that will never be filled a charming personality and an infectious smile remarkable courage and determination Andrew had a huge impact wherever he went Andrew leaves behind an amazing legacy of love and will be deeply missed forever by his parents Audrey (Palmer) and Joe granddads Noel (Palmer) and Joe (Quinn) and large extended family who will forever hold him in their hearts His memory will also be cherished by numerous friends from Carysfort National School Kilmacud Crokes GAA and Lakelands Football Club and all others who had the privilege of knowing him CondolencesDonate to CharityWould you like to mark a birthday View client article to share Risk-assets struggled amidst extremely volatile price action as investors weighed the probabilities of tariffs hitting profits and valuations This drawdown in risk-assets happened alongside a weaker USD and sharply higher US Rates a sign of de-dollarization trades going through the market which have likely been exasperated by levered position unwinds & positioning reversals University of Michigan and Conference Board Past performance is no guarantee of future results To obtain more information on the fund(s) including the Morningstar time period ratings and standardized average annual total returns as of the most recent calendar quarter and current month end is calculated for managed products (including mutual funds variable annuity and variable life subaccounts and separate accounts) with at least a three-year history Exchange-traded funds and open-ended mutual funds are considered a single population for comparative purposes It is calculated based on a Morningstar Risk-Adjusted Return measure (excluding any applicable sales charges) that accounts for variation in a managed product's monthly excess performance placing more emphasis on downward variations and rewarding consistent performance The top 10% of products in each product category receive 5 stars The Overall Morningstar Rating for a managed product is derived from a weighted average of the performance figures associated with its three- and 10-year 60-119 months of total returns and 50% 10-year rating/30% five-year rating/20% three-year rating for 120 or more months of total returns While the 10-year overall star rating formula seems to give the most weight to the 10-year period the most recent three-year period actually has the greatest impact because it is included in all three rating periods Get access now Read the prospectus carefully before investing Fixed income risks include interest-rate and credit risk there is a corresponding decline in bond values Credit risk refers to the possibility that the bond issuer will not be able to make principal and interest payments including risks related to foreign currency and the possibility of substantial volatility due to adverse political These risks may be heightened for investments in emerging markets less government regulation and the possibility of substantial volatility due to adverse political This material is not intended to be relied upon as a forecast offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities or to adopt any investment strategy The opinions expressed are as of February 28 and may change as subsequent conditions vary The information and opinions contained in this material are derived from proprietary and nonproprietary sources deemed by BlackRock to be reliable are not necessarily all-inclusive and are not guaranteed as to accuracy no warranty of accuracy or reliability is given and no responsibility arising in any other way for errors and omissions (including responsibility to any person by reason of negligence) is accepted by BlackRock This commentary may contain “forward-looking” information that is not purely historical in nature There is no guarantee that any forecasts made will come to pass Reliance upon information in this post is at the sole discretion of the reader All other marks are the property of their respective owners Welcome to IPE. 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Read our policy IPE magazine July/August 2023 By 2025-01-24T13:27:00+00:00 The Dutch technology industry scheme PME is considering ditching BlackRock as its asset manager because of the firm’s “retreat from responsible and sustainable investing,” it said in an internal document seen by IPE PME noted that it has grown increasingly uncomfortable by BlackRock moving “in the opposite direction […] as evidenced by the withdrawal of its main entity from the Climate Action 100+ initiative and its recent exit from the Net Zero Asset Manager initiative (NZAM)” relies on the efforts of organisations like Climate Action 100+ and Net Zero initiatives The departure of major players like BlackRock from these organisations severely weakens them and could potentially lead to the termination of these initiatives,” PME added “This also undermines our engagement leverage on the energy transition.” PME sent a letter to BlackRock’s Netherlands branch inviting it to enter “a dialogue to understand BlackRock’s perspective” Depending on the outcome of this conversation PME will decide whether to ditch BlackRock a decision which it believes can be implemented in a “cost-neutral way” and would not affect returns BlackRock said its departure from climate initiatives does not impact the way BlackRock manages portfolios for its clients Similarly, AP7, the largest of Sweden’s hefty national pension funds, has indicated that implications of BlackRock’s decision to quit the NZAM initiative could affect whether it renews the estimated €28bn of its investment mandates the world’s largest asset manager currently runs Fossil Free Netherlands organised a protest against the financing of fossil fuel activities in Amsterdam’s financial district in May last year PME’s public criticism of BlackRock coincides with the start of a campaign by the Dutch branch of Fossil Free asking pension funds to ditch BlackRock Fossil Free NL said it started the campaign because BlackRock remains a very large investor in fossil fuels According to a survey by German NGO Urgewald the firm’s fossil investments total $400bn (€385bn) This would make it the second-largest investor in fossil fuels globally with only Vanguard Fossil Free NL’s campaign (#BreakWithBlackRock) is initially aimed at BlackRock because it is the manager most pension funds work with “But our call also extends to Vanguard and State Street,” Arts told IPE we want pension funds to come up with stricter criteria for their cooperation with asset managers If you have decided to stop investing in fossil it is not logical to still work with asset managers who continue allowing money to flow into fossil fuels.” other BlackRock clients that no longer invest in fossil include ABP hospitality sector fund Horeca & Catering and the pension fund for doctors These funds are disappointed that BlackRock has left the NZAM initiative but do not as yet attach any direct consequences to this “We are convinced that cooperation by financial entities contributes to solutions for the climate problem and leaving NZAM obviously does not help,” said a spokesperson for PFZW She added that PFZW is “obviously having discussions” with BlackRock on the matter Horeca & Catering also has contacted BlackRock following its departure from NZAM BlackRock invests 16% of the hospitality fund’s total invested assets (around €15bn) not currently considering terminating its contract with BlackRock “This is because the investments BlackRock makes on our behalf fit into our climate policy votes and engagements,” the spokesperson said our fund continues to implement its own climate policy.” The latest digital edition of IPE’s magazine is now available  Copyright © 1997–2025 IPE International Publishers Limited Site powered by Webvision Cloud Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox and more info about our products and services © 2025 CNBC LLC. All Rights Reserved. A Division of NBCUniversal Data also provided by EventsSIGN UPSIGN INbullishEtoro GroupWatchlistEToro Group Ltd (ETOR): Retail Trading Platform Eyeing $4b Valuation; BlackRock in on the IPOEquity Capital Markets319 Views06 May 2025 00:25​Company sets terms for IPO BlackRock invests 20% as cornerstone investor key to successful IPO during current climate.What is covered in the Full Insight:Introduction to EToro Group IPOIPO Details and ValuationFinancial Performance and ExpectationsMarket and Investor DynamicsRisks and OpportunitiesSUMMARY(Sign Up to Access)Try NowBegin exploring Smartkarma's AI-augmented investing intelligence platform with a complimentary Preview Pass to: Unlock research summaries Follow top independent analysts Receive personalised alerts Access Analytics including top global asset managers overseeing $13+ trillion Upgrade later to our paid plans for full-access surrounded by her family and in the exceptional and loving care of the staff at Maryborough Nursing Home beloved wife of the late Dan and cherished mother of Ken Requiem Mass at 11.00am on Tuesday (April 29th) in St Here Ringaskiddy for a cremation service at 1.00pm which will be live streamed Here Family flowers only please, donations in lieu to a charity of your choice. Please leave your personal message for Mary’s family on the condolence section below. Funeral Service.css-h76uj{display:inherit;margin-right:-4px;margin-left:8px;}Cremation / BurialDate Published: we look upon the development of Blackrock Castle from its origins of being a watch tower for pirates in the late 16th century to the present usage of it as an astronomical observatory for the Munster Technical University MTU https://vimeo/com/710303875 +353 21 4924000 Submit a query, service request, or complaint online Take a short survey to help improve this site +353 21 4966512 Powered by pTools Blackrock Health Group has announced it is to create 1,000 in Dublin and Galway over the next five years The roles will result from a €500m investment by the group in the expansion of its operations The cash injections will be in the Blackrock and Hermitage Clinics in Dublin and the Galway Clinic 77 of which will be in-patient with the other 110 ambulatory care There will also be the addition of 14 new operating theatres six new cardiac cath labs and a cancer centre "As our population continues to grow and age with more people living longer we must always focus on their future healthcare needs," said Dr Caroline Whelan "To continue delivering against our commitment to provide world-class clinical care "We will hire 1,000 people to ensure that we can continue to serve our patients in-line with their evolving and growing health needs." 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Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences Once complete the growth will bring to 4,000 the number of people employed by the organisation including 495 for in-patients and 313 for day cases It will also have 36 operating theatres and 10 cardiac cath labs Blackrock Clinic is to get 47 new in-patient beds and 63 ambulatory care beds two new cardiac cath labs and the new cancer centre with two radiation suites and a larger medical oncology unit Twenty-five new ambulatory care beds will be added to the Hermitage Clinic two refurbished cardiac cath labs and one new one the Galway Clinic will receive 30 new in-patient beds and seven new ambulatory care beds for cardiology patients a new cardiac cath lab and a cardiac CT scanner will also be added The Blackrock Health Group is controlled by businessman Larry Goodman Last year the private hospitals cared for more than 360,000 patients RTÉ.ie is the website of Raidió Teilifís Éireann RTÉ is not responsible for the content of external internet sites BlackRock says Bitcoin will soon be risky not to own the price of the top cryptocurrency truly manages to break free of its tight correlation to riskier assets like US technology stocks “The correlation between bitcoin and tech stocks is going to be an absolutely critical driver,” Robbie Mitchnick it is not very interesting to institutions.” But if Bitcoin trades with low or even negative correlation to what he calls “left tail” events “then it becomes potentially a very important portfolio asset to all manner of institutional portfolios.” who wrote the comments following his appearance at the Token2049 crypto conference: “Then the conversation goes from Bitcoin backers are optimistic as the coin’s performance continues to “decouple” from equities and begins to stand on its own as a relatively low-volatility asset The disconnect is a signal to some that the cryptocurrency is starting to behave like a safe haven Mitchnick’s comments came during Token2049 the cryptocurrency conference in Dubai this week where he appeared on a panel hosted by Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas Balchunas later spoke more about the discussion with Mitchnick they’re looking for digital gold,” Balchunas told an interviewer on the sidelines of the conference something that can hedge inflation and the market.” Balchunas recounted the panel conversation with Mitchnick where the BlackRock executive said that when Bitcoin first started decoupling from stocks institutions called the firm to find out more not just for the ETF but Bitcoin in general,” Balchunas said BlackRock is the world’s biggest investment firm CEO Larry Fink has long touted Bitcoin as digital gold in a bid to lure more investors to the firm’s record-breaking Bitcoin exchange-traded fund. The ETF has lured about $57 billion since its debut in January 2024 The firm runs the $2.7 billion onchain BUIDL fund the iShares Bitcoin Trust and the iShares Ethereum Trust ETFs BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF, IBIT, dominates the Bitcoin ETF space with about $37 billion more in assets than its closest competitor, Fidelity’s FBTC ETF, according to DefiLlama “IBIT is probably the one used by the large institutions themselves,” Balchunas said Andrew Flanagan is a markets correspondent for DL News Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker UBS Group lowered their price target on BlackRock from $1,045.00 to $1,010.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Friday Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price objective on BlackRock from $1,215.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of BlackRock from $1,200.00 to $1,100.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on BlackRock from $1,065.00 to $1,035.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday cut their target price on BlackRock from $1,046.00 to $988.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Monday Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company's stock BlackRock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,077.08 The stock had a trading volume of 822,497 shares The firm has a market cap of $144.15 billion BlackRock has a twelve month low of $752.30 and a twelve month high of $1,084.22 a current ratio of 5.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45 The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $916.68 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $981.38 This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. 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