BlackRock, Inc. Sets First Quarter 2005 Earnings Release and Teleconfe

    Business Editors

    NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 24, 2005--BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE: BLK) will report results for the first quarter of 2005 prior to the market open on Tuesday, April 19, 2005. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Laurence D. Fink, and Chief Financial Officer, Paul L. Audet, will host a teleconference call for investors and analysts at 9:00 a.m. (eastern time). BlackRock's first quarter earnings release will be available on the "News" section of the Company's website, www.blackrock.com, prior to the beginning of the teleconference call.
    If you are interested in participating in the teleconference, please dial (800) 374-0176 (domestic) or (706) 679-4634 (international) shortly before 9:00 a.m. (eastern time) and reference the BlackRock Conference Call. The teleconference will commence promptly at 9:00 a.m. Please note that the teleconference will be available for re-play beginning at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 19, 2005 and ending at midnight on Tuesday, April 26, 2005. To access the replay, please dial (800) 642-1687 (domestic) or (706) 645-9291 (international) and enter the Conference ID Number 5049852.
    The teleconference may include discussions of non-GAAP financial measure items which would be qualified by GAAP reconciliation information included on the "Investor Relations" section of the Company's website.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release, and other statements that BlackRock may make, may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, with respect to BlackRock's future financial or business performance, strategies or expectations. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words or phrases such as "trend," "potential," "opportunity," "pipeline," "believe," "comfortable," "expect," "anticipate," "current," "intention," "estimate," "position," "assume," "outlook," "continue," "remain," "maintain," "sustain," "seek," "achieve," and similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as "will," "would," "should," "could," "may" or similar expressions.
    BlackRock cautions that forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which change over time. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and BlackRock assumes no duty to and does not undertake to update forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements and future results could differ materially from historical performance.
    In addition to factors previously disclosed in BlackRock's Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reports and those identified elsewhere in this press release, the following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking statements or historical performance: (1) the introduction, withdrawal, success and timing of business initiatives and strategies; (2) changes in political, economic or industry conditions, the interest rate environment or financial and capital markets, which could result in changes in demand for products or services or in the value of assets under management; (3) the relative and absolute investment performance of BlackRock's advised or sponsored investment products and separately managed accounts; (4) the impact of increased competition; (5) the impact of capital improvement projects; (6) the impact of future acquisitions or divestitures; (7) the unfavorable resolution of legal proceedings; (8) the extent and timing of any share repurchases; (9) the impact, extent and timing of technological changes and the adequacy of intellectual property protection; (10) the impact of legislative and regulatory actions and reforms and regulatory, supervisory or enforcement actions of government agencies relating to BlackRock or PNC; (11) terrorist activities and international hostilities, which may adversely affect the general economy, financial and capital markets, specific industries, and BlackRock; (12) the ability to attract and retain highly talented professionals; (13) fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, which may adversely affect the value of advisory fees earned by BlackRock; (14) the impact of changes to tax legislation and, generally, the tax position of the Company; (15) changes in circumstances affecting the expense recognition of BlackRock's 2002 Long-Term Retention and Incentive Plan; and (16) the integration of the business of SSRM Holdings, Inc. into the business of BlackRock.

    BlackRock's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004 and BlackRock's subsequent reports filed with the SEC, accessible on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov and on BlackRock's website at http://www.blackrock.com, discuss these factors in more detail and identify additional factors that can affect forward-looking statements.

--30--RG/ny*

CONTACT: BlackRock, Inc. Brian Beades, 212-810-5596 invrel@blackrock.com

KEYWORD: NEW YORK INDUSTRY KEYWORD: BANKING CONFERENCE CALLS SOURCE: BlackRock, Inc.

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