Then and Now – BlackRock

Then and Now – BlackRock

Hey Everyone,

Welcome to another Then and Now post, a continuation of my series where I revisit some older blogposts and either rip them to shreds (because my thinking has totally changed on such subjects, including key stocks) or I’ll confirm my position on some specific stocks or ETF investments.

You can read about my previous Then and Now posts on certain stocks (the good, and the not-so-good!) during this post. Some DIY stock selection comes with risks. It can also come with large gains too.

Today’s post is/was about my ownership in a significant multinational investment company: BlackRock.

Read on for the history!

Then and Now – BlackRock

Unlike some other stocks in my portfolio, I started buying BlackRock (BLK) in 2016, which was a relatively recent purchase.

Compare that to Enbridge (ENB) which was my very first individual stock – I’ve owned that company for over 15 years now.

Since that ENB purchase, I’ve loaded up on Canadian bank stocks, telco companies and utilities over the years. I’ve also purchased lower-yielding, higher-dividend growers like Waste Connections (WCN) and some U.S. stocks like BlackRock that deliver some appreciation.

I’m glad I did. 

Dividends are great, don’t get me wrong, but growth is good too!

To simplify and diversify my portfolio, I’ve kicked a few of my former favourite U.S. stocks to the curb in favour of a low-cost indexing approach beyond Canada.

Some examples include:

My 10-year+ ownership in Procter & Gamble (PG:US)

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ:US) – my longest running U.S. stock in my portfolio.

And, today’s stock. 

Then – BLK

I started writing about my ownership in BlackRock many years ago.

For those that don’t know, BlackRock (BLK:US) is the world’s largest asset manager but they’ve had up and downs like most stocks do over the years. I was fortunate with this investment selection and holding period.

In 2022 when I posted this original Then and Now article, BlackRock’s stock price was down a bundle just like the broader S&P 500 index was at the same time. 

From 2022 to late-2024, it caught fire, and I held. 

Until recently. 

Source: Google Finance. 

Now – BLK

I started buying BLK stock around $300 USD per share.

I sold all my BLK stock at over $1,000 USD per share in January 2025.

In 2023, I wrote: 

“I own BLK for some stability inside my RRSP that should help me fund future semi-retirement income needs as I slowly drawdown that account.”

Well, those days have come.

In our Financial Independence Update in the summer of 2024, to help prepare for retirement funding, established readers will know I’ve been allocating a higher position to cash/cash equivalents for near-term RRSP withdrawals. 

Financial Independence Update

2026 is likely the start of that retirement spending year.

The sale of all BlackRock stock and stopping all Dividend Reinvestment Plans (DRIPs) has put that retirement spending plan into motion.

Then and Now – BlackRock summary

When it comes to longer-term returns, it was always my hope that BLK would largely keep pace with the broader index, like the S&P 500 returns, and deliver some dividend income I could reinvest or redeploy as I please along the way.

For many years, mission accomplished.

BlackRock served me well to help fund some retirement plans. 

The sale of more U.S. stocks will likely occur in the coming years too – as I keep low-cost ETFs like XAW and QQQ as my primary equity ETFs for long-term growth.

Thanks for reading!

Mark

Check out more selected Then and Now posts and stock ownership decisions below:

I posted my update with TD Bank here.

This was my update about owning Telus. 

Check out my fall 2022 update with Waste Connections (WCN). 

I’ve owned Fortis (FTS) stock for many years, and still do at the time of this post in early 2025. 

I bought Walmart (WMT) stock for many years….do I still own it? Read on!

Do you own BLK, now? Have you ever considered owning it? Did you sell it? Why or why not?