BlackRock's $420M Volume Ranks 298th as First IGB Trade via MarketAxess Expands Emerging Market Access

On July 30, 2025, BlackRock (BLK) closed with a 0.61% decline, trading at a volume of $0.42 billion, ranking 298th in market activity. A key development emerged as the firm executed its first fully electronic trade of Indian Government Bonds (IGBs) with Standard Chartered via MarketAxess’ platform. This milestone highlights BlackRock’s expanding role in facilitating access to India’s onshore bond market, a growing hub for foreign investors. Jatin Vara, BlackRock’s Head of International Trading, emphasized the efficiency and scalability of such transactions, noting India’s strong appeal due to its inclusion in global indices and growing institutional interest.

The trade underscores BlackRock’s strategic alignment with emerging markets and its commitment to leveraging technology to enhance liquidity solutions. MarketAxess’ tailored platform for FPIs and market makers positions BlackRock to capitalize on India’s deepening bond market, which could attract further institutional participation. Analysts suggest this move may strengthen BlackRock’s competitive edge in fixed-income trading, particularly as global investors seek diversified portfolios amid shifting macroeconomic conditions.

The strategy of buying the top 500 stocks by daily trading volume and holding them for one day yielded a 166.71% return from 2022 to the present, significantly outperforming the benchmark return of 29.18%. The strategy's excess return was 137.53%, and it achieved a CAGR of 31.89%. This indicates that the strategy has been highly effective, providing substantial returns relative to the market benchmark.