BlackRock Struggles For Brand Recognition.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)

Best's Review, July, 2000 by Panko, Ron

BlackRock Inc., the asset-management arm of PNC Bank, has seen its assets under management grow to $172.6 billion from $69.1 billion in 1995, mostly on the strength of its fixed-income businesses. Now, the New York-based company is focusing on its equity-management businesses, in which assets recently hit $24 billion, said Laurence Fink, chairman and chief executive officer.

BlackRock's domestic fixed and equity mutual funds are struggling for brand recognition. "People just don't know who we are," he said. "It tells us we have a lot of opportunities."