BLACKROCK INC

International Assets Investment Management LLC significantly increased its stake in Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA) by over 512,509% in the third quarter, making ULTA its largest portfolio position. This institutional investor now owns 6.464 million shares valued at approximately $3.53 billion, representing 15.12% of the company. Ulta Beauty recently reported strong quarterly earnings, beating analyst estimates, and has a "Moderate Buy" consensus rating despite recent insider share sales.

Partners Wealth Management LLC recently acquired 21,738 shares of Truist Financial Corporation, valued at approximately $1.006 million. Institutional investors now own 71.28% of the company, while CEO Michael Lyons increased his direct ownership by 119.05% through a recent purchase. Truist Financial reported quarterly EPS slightly below estimates and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.52.

Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. has acquired 40,863 shares of Sempra Energy, valued at approximately $3.19 million, marking a new position for the firm in the utilities provider. Sempra Energy exceeded earnings estimates with $1.16 per share and pays an annualized dividend of $2.63, reflecting a 3.1% yield. Analysts maintain a "Moderate Buy" consensus rating with an average price target of $100.53.

Symrise AG has released a notification of major holdings under Article 40, Section 1 of the German Securities Trading Act. The notification indicates an acquisition/disposal of shares with voting rights and other reasons for notification, specifically a voluntary group notification with a triggered threshold at the subsidiary level. BlackRock, Inc. is identified as the legal entity subject to the notification obligation, with a total voting rights position of 9.85% in Symrise AG as of October 23, 2026.

StrikePoint Gold Inc. has commenced a 15,000-meter drill program at its Northumberland Gold Project in Nevada, fulfilling its promise to start drilling within a month of acquiring the project from Newmont. The program aims to expand and infill the existing 4.4 million ounces of gold equivalent resources and collect metallurgical samples, with plans for additional rigs and exploration of untested targets in the new year. Technical analyst Stewart Thomson suggests this marks a transition to funded, near-term development for StrikePoint, with potential for a new bull run if the stock breaks out of its downtrend.

Twenty sell-side brokerages have assigned Citizens Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:CFG) a "Moderate Buy" consensus rating, with an average 12-month price target of $77.28. The bank recently reported adjusted earnings of $1.41 per share, exceeding consensus estimates, and increased its quarterly dividend to $0.52 per share, resulting in a 3.3% annualized yield. Institutional investors hold a significant 94.9% of CFG stock, with major increases in positions from BlackRock, Robeco Institutional Asset Management, and Assenagon Asset Management.

State Street EVP W. Hu sold 7,099 shares of the company's stock for a total of $1,197,104.37, reducing his holdings by 14.26%. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Following the sale, State Street's shares rose 1.5% to $173.39, and the company reported adjusted earnings of $3.69 per share, slightly exceeding estimates, with revenue growth of 12.9% year over year.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. has raised its price target for American Express (NYSE:AXP) from $360 to $365, maintaining an "overweight" rating and suggesting a 16.21% potential upside. Despite some varying analyst opinions, including UBS lowering its target, the overall sentiment is a "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $365. American Express also surpassed quarterly earnings expectations, reporting $4.68 EPS against a $4.50 consensus, with revenue growing 8.9% year-over-year.