BlackRock boss remains bullish on Saudi Arabian market

NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 09: Larry Fink speaks onstage at The New York Times 2017 DealBook Conference at Jazz at Lincoln Center on November 9, 2017 in New York City. Michael Cohen/Getty Images for The New York Times/AFP

LONDON: Larry Fink, the head of the world’s biggest asset manager, is confident about the future of the Saudi Arabian market following a visit to the
Kingdom.
Fink, CEO of BlackRock, said that he was “more excited about the opportunity” in Saudi Arabia following his visit.
He added that he would not be surprised to see an initial public offering of Saudi Aramco in some form next year, perhaps on the Saudi stock market, known as the Tadawul.
He was speaking on the day Black Rock reported smaller demand for its funds on Monday, and its stock dropped despite a better-than-expected quarterly profit. Net income attributable to the company rose to $1.07 billion in the second quarter, up more than 25 percent from $854 million a year earlier, Reuters reported.
The company faced a difficult market during the quarter, reporting an industrywide slowdown in the demand for exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
The BlackRock CEO said he would not be surprised to see an initial public offering of Saudi Aramco in some form next year.