BlackRock mistakenly publishes shareholder notices, quickly backtracks

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BlackRock is the world’s largest asset manager.
Photo: ANDREW BURTON / AFP

US investment giant BlackRock has hastily withdrawn a series of substantial shareholder notices on the NZX after they were mistakenly published.

BlackRock is the world’s largest asset manager with US$9.4 trillion (NZ$15.5t) in assets under management, and announced a $2b climate investment fund with the New Zealand Government on Tuesday.

But on Thursday morning, BlackRock disclosed substantial product holder notices relating to 11 NZX-listed companies.

The companies were A2 Milk, Auckland Airport, Contact Energy, Goodman Property, Oceania Healthcare, Pacific Edge, Property for Industry, Ryman Healthcare, Stride Property, Summerset and Vital Healthcare.

However, at about lunch time, BlackRock withdrew all 11 of its substantial shareholder notices from the NZX, with the market operator confirming the retractions.

No explanation was given to the sharemarket, but in a statement to RNZ a BlackRock spokesperson confirmed the notices were published in error.

“There has been an administrative error which has resulted in substantial holder notices being incorrectly lodged with the NZX. BlackRock has worked with the exchange to rectify the matter now.”