BlackRock Retains Top Spot in the U.S. 2026 Broadridge Fund Brand 50 Report

Rhea-AI Summary

Broadridge (NYSE:BR) released the 2026 U.S. Fund Brand 50 report on March 31, 2026, ranking BlackRock first for a second consecutive year while Capital Group rose to second and Vanguard fell to third.

Key findings highlight top valued attributes—Solidity, Client-oriented thinking, and Appealing investment strategy—and major product shifts: nearly 1,000 new active ETFs versus only 95 mutual fund launches (a 52% decline from 2024).

Positive

• BlackRock retained #1 position for a second consecutive year
• Capital Group climbed to #2, Vanguard moved to #3
• Nearly 1,000 new active ETFs launched in 2025

Negative

• Mutual fund launches fell to 95 in 2025, down 52% YoY
• 262 more mutual fund closures than launches in 2025

News Market Reaction – BR

-0.59%

2 alerts

-0.59% News Effect

-$108M Valuation Impact

$18.20B Market Cap

0.0x Rel. Volume

On the day this news was published, BR declined 0.59%, reflecting a mild negative market reaction. Our momentum scanner triggered 2 alerts that day, indicating moderate trading interest and price volatility. This price movement removed approximately $108M from the company's valuation, bringing the market cap to $18.20B at that time.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Key Figures

Quarterly dividend: $0.975 per share CEO share purchase: 5,300 shares at $194.4895 Active ETF launches: Nearly 1,000 funds +5 more

8 metrics

Quarterly dividend $0.975 per share Declared for payment on April 8, 2026

CEO share purchase 5,300 shares at $194.4895 Open-market purchase on March 6, 2026

Active ETF launches Nearly 1,000 funds New active ETFs entering the market in 2025

New mutual funds 95 funds Mutual fund launches in same period

Mutual fund launch decline 52% decline Drop from 2024 mutual fund launch levels

Net fund closures 262 more closures Closures exceeded launches during period

Pass-Through coverage >600 funds, >$8 trillion Funds and assets covered by Pass-Through Voting

NYFIX network size >2,200 participants Participants on Broadridge NYFIX network

Market Reality Check

Price: $152.67 Vol: Volume 1,920,091 is close...

normal vol

$152.67 Last Close

Volume Volume 1,920,091 is close to its 20-day average of 1,823,912 (relative volume 1.05x). normal

Technical Shares trade below the 200-day MA of 224.16, and near the 52-week low of 156.94 versus a high of 271.91.

Peers on Argus

BR gained 3.82% while peers were mixed: WIT +0.49%, CTSH +1.53%, FIS +1.24%, GIB...

BR gained 3.82% while peers were mixed: WIT +0.49%, CTSH +1.53%, FIS +1.24%, GIB +1.43%, and LDOS -1.85%, suggesting a stock-specific move around the branding news.

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Mar 09 (Positive)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Mar 09	Crypto connectivity	Positive	-4.0%	NYFIX’s first Asia crypto integration with Crypto.com for global order routing.
Mar 06	Dividend declaration	Positive	+3.1%	Board declared quarterly cash dividend of $0.975 per share.
Mar 05	Executive appointment	Positive	+1.1%	Appointment of Chief Growth and Strategy Officer to drive expansion.
Mar 04	Voting innovation	Positive	+0.7%	Pass-Through Voting embedded in ProxyVote with Vanguard as first adopter.
Feb 25	Tech study release	Positive	-0.3%	Study highlighting GenAI and tokenization adoption across financial services.

Pattern Detected

Recent news has generally been positive or strategic, with mostly modest positive price reactions and occasional negative moves even on constructive announcements.

Recent Company History

Over the past months, Broadridge has released a series of strategic and innovation-focused updates. These include a crypto connectivity integration with Crypto.com via NYFIX reaching over 2,200 participants, a quarterly dividend of $0.975 per share payable on April 8, 2026, and leadership changes with a new Chief Growth and Strategy Officer. Broadridge also advanced Pass-Through Voting covering over 600 funds and $8 trillion in assets, and published a GenAI and tokenization study. The current Fund Brand 50 recognition fits this pattern of reinforcing industry positioning and capabilities.

Regulatory & Risk Context

Active S-3 Shelf

Shelf Active

Active S-3 Shelf Registration 2025-08-05

The company has an effective S-3ASR shelf registration filed on 2025-08-05 and expiring on 2028-08-05, with 0 recorded usage events to date in the provided context.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement highlights Broadridge’s role in measuring asset manager brand strength through its...

Analysis

This announcement highlights Broadridge’s role in measuring asset manager brand strength through its Fund Brand 50 study, underscoring demand for insights into fund selector behavior and attributes like solidity and client-oriented thinking. It complements earlier updates on digital transformation, voting technology, and crypto connectivity. Investors may focus on how these data and analytics offerings support Broadridge’s position while monitoring longer-term price trends relative to the 200-day moving average and the 52-week trading range.

Key Terms

active etf, mutual funds, stock options, deferred stock units, +4 more

8 terms

active etf financial

"The industry witnessed an explosive surge in active ETF development, with nearly 1,000 new funds"

An active ETF is an investment fund traded like a stock that is managed by professionals who choose and adjust the fund’s holdings instead of automatically following a fixed index. It matters to investors because it aims to beat a market benchmark or manage risk through hands-on decisions, much like a driver steering around potholes instead of following a preset route, but it can bring higher costs and greater manager-driven variability in returns.

mutual funds financial

"only 95 new mutual funds launched — a 52% decline from 2024"

A mutual fund is a pooled investment where many people combine their money so a professional manager can buy a mix of stocks, bonds or other assets on their behalf. Think of it as a shared basket that spreads risk across many holdings while offering easier access and ongoing management; it matters to investors because it provides diversification, professional oversight and simple buy/sell access, though returns and fees vary.

stock options financial

"He received stock options covering 10,039 shares of the company’s stock as a grant"

Stock options are agreements that give a person the right to buy or sell a company's stock at a specific price within a certain time frame. They are often used as a reward or incentive, similar to a coupon that can be used later if the stock price rises, allowing the holder to make a profit.

deferred stock units financial

"The common stock reflects Deferred Stock Units granted under Broadridge's 2018 Omnibus Award Plan"

Deferred stock units are promises from a company to give an employee shares of stock at a future date, often after certain conditions are met or after leaving the company. They function like a form of delayed compensation, allowing employees to earn shares over time. For investors, they represent potential future ownership in the company, but do not provide immediate voting rights or dividends until the shares are actually received.

schedule 13g/a regulatory

"[SCHEDULE 13G/A] BROADRIDGE FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS, INC. Amended Passive Investment Disclosure"

A Schedule 13G/A is an amended public filing with the U.S. securities regulator that updates a previous Schedule 13G, disclosing when an individual or group holds a substantial (typically over 5%) stake in a company and is claiming a passive, non‑controlling intent. Investors monitor these updates because rising or falling holdings can signal changing confidence, potential future moves, or shifts in voting power — like watching a public ledger where large shareholders quietly adjust their positions.

form 4 regulatory

""[Form 4] BROADRIDGE FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS, INC. Insider Trading Activity""

Form 4 is a official document that company insiders, such as executives or major shareholders, file with regulators whenever they buy or sell company shares. It provides transparency about how those with inside knowledge are trading, helping investors see if insiders are confident in the company's prospects or may be selling for personal reasons. This information can influence investor decisions by revealing insiders' perspectives on the company's value.

pass-through voting regulatory

"Broadridge Advancing Pass-Through Voting Across the Asset Management Industry"

Pass-through voting is a process where the right to cast a shareholder vote is forwarded from an intermediary (like a broker, custodian, or fund manager) to the actual beneficial owner so that the underlying investor decides how their shares are voted. It matters to investors because it determines whether your voice directly influences corporate decisions—board elections, mergers, and pay plans—or whether those choices are made by an intermediary; think of it like having a forwarded letter that lets the real recipient sign it rather than the mailroom.

s-3asr regulatory

"shelf_form_type": "S-3ASR""

A Form S-3ASR is a pre-approved registration that lets an eligible public company load a shelf of securities it may sell later without repeating a full regulatory review each time. Think of it like a pre-authorized credit line for issuing stocks or bonds: it gives the company fast, flexible access to raise money, which matters to investors because it can signal financial readiness but also means potential share dilution or swift changes in capital structure.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

Top three attributes U.S. fund selectors value in partnering with asset managers: 'Solidity', 'Client-oriented thinking', and 'Appealing investment strategy'

NEW YORK, March 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The latest edition of Broadridge's Fund Brand 50 (FB50), an annual research study by global Fintech leader Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:BR), was released today, highlighting the world's best-performing third-party asset management brands. BlackRock retains first place for a second successive year; however its lead was cut and this year saw the further ascendance of relatively recent entrants into the broader FB50 list. BlackRock's prominence is not merely a reflection of scale but also of its sophisticated alignment between product innovation and brand trust that continues to resonate with professional fund buyers.

"While solidity and client-oriented thinking are still high priorities, our inquiries into brand perception uncovered that fund gatekeepers—such as wealth management 'home office' teams and investment committees—also strongly prioritize investment team stability," said Jeff Tjornehoj, Broadridge's US Senior Director of Fund Insights. "In their eyes, it serves as a proxy for the repeatability of performance and the mitigation of transition risk."

Fund Brand 50 is powered by insights from Broadridge's Global Fund Buyer Focus Intelligence  — a comprehensive, continuously updated intelligence and analytics dataset capturing fund selector preferences, behaviors, and market trends across global markets. FB50 measures and ranks asset managers' relative brand attractiveness based on fund selector perceptions: considering 10 brand attributes to reveal the top U.S. and global brands. Broadridge also issues FB50 reports on brand leaders in Europe and APAC. This is the latest study from Broadridge's Data and Analytics business and highlights the depth and breadth of the firm's global market insights.

Top-10 U.S. Asset Management Brands

Rank	Fund Group	Change
1	BlackRock	0
2	Capital Group	+1
3	Vanguard	-1
4	JPMorgan AM	0
5	Fidelity	0
6	PIMCO	+1
7	First Trust	+1
8	Franklin Templeton	0
9	T. Rowe Price	+1
10	Goldman Sachs	+1

Key insights

• Capital Group had an impressive run up the league table to finish in second place. Vanguard dropped to third and JPMorgan and Fidelity rounded out the top-five spots. Professional buyers often prioritize Capital Group as a 'safe harbor' associating the brand with long-term reliability and a client-centric partnership model.
• Reflecting on the report from one year ago, it is worth noting that steady performance and lower volatility had primed fund selectors to explore new institutional engagements. This trend intensified in 2025, as reflected by modest shifts among the top-10 brands.
• PIMCO took advantage of swapping places with First Trust for sixth and seventh, respectively. Franklin held fast to eighth place for the fourth consecutive year, while T. Rowe Price made steady progress from tenth to ninth, and Goldman Sachs proved its fall outside the top 10 last year was short-lived as it finished in tenth place this year.

Valued attributes

• 'Solidity', 'Client-oriented thinking', and 'Appealing investment strategy' took the top-three spots in the rankings once again this year. U.S. selectors favor large, global brands with a wide and varied product offering, and the security of a well-established name.
• 'Appealing investment strategy' remains a 'magnet' for new capital. Investors prioritize managers who demonstrate a repeatable process for generating risk-adjusted returns and once again, BlackRock continues to set the pace.
• The top-four brand attributes remained unchanged in 2025, while 'Stability of invest­ment management team' moved from sev­enth place last year to complete the top five in fifth place in 2025, knocking 'Understanding of the markets in which they operate' out of the top five to place seventh. 'Social responsibility/sustainability' once again placed 10th.

Additional findings from this year's study include:

• Capital Group is predominantly perceived as the gold standard of institutional stability, anchored by its signature 'Capital System' of multi-manager oversight. By eschewing the 'star manager' model in favor of a collaborative investment process, the firm signals a repeatable, high-conviction approach to active management that outlasts individual tenures.
• In a 'sea of sameness' where many firms offer similar investment strategies, a strong brand acts as the primary differentiator. In summary, a truly effective brand transcends logos and slogans; it is the embodiment of an identity that builds trust, drives loyalty, and provides the strategic foundation for future expansion.
• For product managers, 2025 was a watershed year for the evolution of investment vehicles. The industry witnessed an explosive surge in active ETF development, with nearly 1,000 new funds entering the market. This shift signifies a structural migration of capital; during the same period, only 95 new mutual funds launched — a 52% decline from 2024 and the lowest level since 1983 — as the industry saw 262 more closures than launches.

A webinar is scheduled for Tuesday, 14 April 2026 at 2:00pm BST | 9:00am EST | 9:00pm CST to reveal the top asset management brands in each region. Registration is available to all https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/5270343/9C55A720DB344CF0E2D572C76AB46728

About the report

Broadridge Fund Brand 50 is an annual study derived from Broadridge's Global Fund Buyer Focus Intelligence, which equips asset managers with critical analytics on their fund selector preferences, brand tracking, and quality scores. The analytics are driven by intensive interviews with more than 1,300 of the most significant fund selectors in Europe, APAC and the US. Fund selectors name their top-three suppliers across the following 10 brand attributes.

• Solidity
• Client-oriented thinking
• Appealing investment strategy
• Expert in what they do
• Stability of investment management team
• Thinks and acts globally
• Understanding of the markets in which they operate
• Keeping best informed
• Innovation/adaptation to market
• Social responsibility/sustainability

These answers, as well as commentary from other preference questions, are collated using statistical analysis and transformed into a 'Total Brand Score', on which groups are ranked.

Asset managers, consultants, and other industry stakeholders interested in receiving more detail about Fund  Buyer Focus Intelligence can visit this website page. To inquire about Broadridge's Fund Brand 50 report, please visit the Fund Brand 50 information page.

Broadridge helps asset managers streamline investment operations, comply with changing regulations, and drive revenue and profitability with advanced data, analytics, and global market intelligence. Broadridge's fund solutions business serves nearly 500 asset managers, and tracks $110 trillion of assets under management, providing fund clients with an unparalleled global view into investor and asset trends.

About Broadridge
Broadridge Financial Solutions (NYSE: BR) is a global technology leader with trusted expertise and transformative technology, helping clients and the financial services industry operate, innovate, and grow. We power investing, governance, and communications for our clients – driving operational resiliency, elevating business performance, and transforming investor experiences.

Our technology and operations platforms process and generate over 7 billion communications annually and underpin the daily average trading of over $15 trillion in tokenized and traditional securities globally. A certified Great Place to Work®, Broadridge is part of the S&P 500® Index, employing over 15,000 associates in 21 countries.

For more information, visit www.broadridge.com.

Media Contact:

Caroline Wolf
Prosek Partners
cwolf@prosek.com

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SOURCE Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc.

FAQ

What did Broadridge (BR) announce in the March 31, 2026 FB50 U.S. rankings?

BlackRock retained #1 and Capital Group rose to #2. According to Broadridge, the report ranks U.S. asset management brands by selector perceptions across 10 attributes and notes modest top-10 shifts in 2025.

How did asset manager rankings change in the 2026 FB50 U.S. report for BR?

Several modest moves occurred: Capital Group to #2, Vanguard to #3, and Goldman Sachs re-entered the top 10 at #10. According to Broadridge, shifts reflect selector interest in stability and repeatable performance.

What brand attributes did U.S. fund selectors prioritize in the March 31, 2026 BR report?

Top attributes were Solidity, Client-oriented thinking, and Appealing investment strategy. According to Broadridge, 'Stability of investment management team' moved into the top five in 2025.

What product development trends did Broadridge highlight in the March 31, 2026 FB50 U.S. report?

Active ETFs surged with nearly 1,000 new launches while mutual fund launches dropped to 95. According to Broadridge, 2025 saw structural capital migration toward active ETFs.

When is the Broadridge webinar to reveal regional FB50 brand leaders and how to register?

A webinar is scheduled for April 14, 2026 at 2:00pm BST / 9:00am EST. According to Broadridge, registration is available via the event's online registration link.