14 Stocks on the Verge of Becoming Dividend Aristocrats

11. BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE:BLK)

Consecutive Years of Dividend Growth: 16 Years

On March 6, Evercore ISI lowered its price recommendation on BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE:BLK) to $1,235 from $1,275. It reiterated an Outperform rating on the shares. The firm said it adjusted price targets across the group after taking an “early look” at February and Q1 traditional asset manager flows.

Earlier in the week, on March 3, Reuters reported that BlackRock sold its remaining 11.4% stake in Spanish energy company Naturgy. The sale raised about 2.79 billion euros, or roughly $3.25 billion, according to a market filing. The investment firm sold 110,753,554 shares at 25.20 euros each. Naturgy’s closing price on March 2 was 26.76 euros.

BlackRock appointed J.P. Morgan and Goldman Sachs to manage the sale through an accelerated bookbuild. The move follows an earlier transaction in December, when BlackRock sold about a 7% stake in Naturgy for roughly $2 billion. BlackRock originally became a shareholder in the utility after acquiring Global Infrastructure Partners in 2024. The infrastructure investor previously held a stake in Naturgy.

BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE:BLK) is an investment management firm that provides investment and technology services to institutional and retail clients. Its platform includes active strategies, private markets, index investing, and cash management solutions across asset classes, allowing clients to build portfolios and tailor asset allocation strategies.