BlackRock (NYSE:BLK), Inc. is the world's largest publicly traded investment management and financial service firm.^[1] BlackRock's main source of revenue comes from its investment advisory fees generated by managing financial asset types including fixed income, equity, real estate, and alternative investments as well as fees generated from "BlackRock Solutions".^[2] Blackrock does not engage in proprietary trading since it may represent a potential conflict of interest with its clients.^[3] In 2010, BlackRock earned a total of $2.1 billion in net income from its total revenues of $8.6 billion.^[4]

BlackRock's financial performance depends heavily upon the stock and bond markets. It also depends on the risk appetite of its clients, as higher risk investments generally earn much more advisory and performance fees for BlackRock than less risky ones. Also, how successfully BlackRock is able to integrate its operations with Barclays Global Investors, which it acquired in the past may play a big role in its future success.

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