Understanding the holdings of major institutional investors like BlackRock can provide valuable insights into the market and the strategies of these financial giants. So, are you ready to dive deep into BlackRock's ownership of Amazon stock? Let's get started!
How Much Amazon Stock Does BlackRock Own? A Deep Dive into Institutional Holdings
BlackRock, as one of the world's largest asset managers, holds substantial stakes in numerous companies, including tech behemoth Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN). Their holdings are dynamic and change with market conditions and investment strategies, but we can look at the latest publicly available data to get a clear picture.
Step 1: Identify the Primary Data Sources
To understand BlackRock's ownership of Amazon stock, the first crucial step is to know where to find reliable information. Financial regulatory filings are your best friend here.
Sub-heading: Understanding SEC Filings (13F, 13D, 13G)
- Form 13F (Institutional Investment Manager Report): This form is filed quarterly by institutional investment managers with at least $100 million in assets under management. It provides a snapshot of their equity holdings at the end of each quarter. This is the most common and frequently updated source for BlackRock's holdings.
- Form 13D (Beneficial Ownership Report): Filed when an entity acquires beneficial ownership of more than 5% of a class of a company's voting equity securities, and has the intent to influence or change the control of the company. BlackRock typically files 13G rather than 13D for their passive investments.
- Form 13G (Beneficial Ownership Report - Passive Investor): Similar to 13D, but for passive investors who own more than 5% but do not intend to influence the company's control. BlackRock, being a large institutional investor with diverse funds, often falls into this category for their significant holdings.
Step 2: Locating the Latest Information on BlackRock's Amazon Holdings
Now that we know what to look for, let's find the most recent data.
Sub-heading: Analyzing Recent Filings
Based on the most recent available data, which generally comes from 13F filings (typically reflecting holdings as of the end of the prior quarter), BlackRock's ownership of Amazon stock is substantial.
As of March 31, 2025, BlackRock, Inc. disclosed ownership of 703,411,133 shares of Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN). This represents approximately 6.63% of the company's total shares outstanding.
- It's important to note that these figures can fluctuate slightly day-to-day due to trading activities within BlackRock's various funds and ETFs. However, the quarterly 13F filings provide the most comprehensive official update.
Sub-heading: Historical Context and Trends
Looking back, BlackRock has consistently maintained a significant stake in Amazon. Their holdings have generally shown an increasing trend over time, reflecting Amazon's growth and its prominent position in major market indices that BlackRock's passive funds track (like the S&P 500).
For instance, looking at historical filings:
- As of December 31, 2024, BlackRock held around 688,589,448 shares.
- As of December 31, 2023, they held approximately 627,171,762 shares.
This shows a consistent increase in their Amazon holdings, demonstrating BlackRock's long-term conviction in the company.
Step 3: Understanding the "Why" Behind BlackRock's Holdings
BlackRock isn't just buying Amazon stock arbitrarily. Their investments are driven by a complex interplay of factors.
Sub-heading: Index Tracking and Passive Investing
A significant portion of BlackRock's Amazon holdings comes from its vast array of index funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). BlackRock is the parent company of iShares, one of the largest ETF providers globally. Many of these funds track broad market indices like the S&P 500, Nasdaq 100, and various total market indices.
- Since Amazon is a major component of these indices (due to its large market capitalization), any fund tracking these indices must hold Amazon shares in proportion to its weighting. This is a primary driver of BlackRock's substantial ownership.
Sub-heading: Active Management and Strategic Allocations
While passive investing accounts for a large chunk, BlackRock also has actively managed funds that make strategic investment decisions. These fund managers might choose to overweight or underweight Amazon based on their research, outlook on the e-commerce and cloud computing sectors, and overall market conditions.
Sub-heading: Diversification and Portfolio Construction
For a massive asset manager like BlackRock, holding a significant position in a company like Amazon is also part of building diversified portfolios for its clients. Amazon's role as a leader in e-commerce, cloud computing (AWS), and digital advertising makes it a key holding for exposure to the technology and consumer discretionary sectors.
Step 4: The Impact of BlackRock's Ownership
BlackRock's large stake in Amazon, and other major corporations, comes with significant influence.
Sub-heading: Shareholder Engagement and Governance
As a major shareholder, BlackRock engages with company management on various issues, including:
- Corporate Governance: Promoting best practices in board composition, executive compensation, and shareholder rights.
- Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Factors: BlackRock has been increasingly vocal about ESG considerations, pushing companies to address climate change, diversity, and social impact. Their stance can significantly influence Amazon's corporate policies.
Sub-heading: Market Influence
While BlackRock doesn't actively trade its entire Amazon position frequently, their sheer size means any major adjustments to their holdings could send signals to the market. Other institutional and retail investors often pay attention to the holdings of such large players.
Step 5: Accessing Information Yourself (A Step-by-Step Guide)
Want to verify this information or look up other companies? Here's how you can do it:
Sub-heading: Using the SEC EDGAR Database
- Go to the SEC EDGAR Database: Open your web browser and navigate to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) EDGAR database. You can usually find it by searching for "SEC EDGAR" on Google.
- Search for Company Filings: On the EDGAR search page, you'll see a search bar. Enter the ticker symbol for the company you're interested in (e.g., AMZN for Amazon.com, Inc.) or the name of the institutional investor (e.g., BlackRock, Inc.).
- Filter by Form Type: Once you get the search results, you can filter them by "Form Type." Look for:
- 13F-HR: This is the primary quarterly report filed by institutional investment managers.
- 13G/A: An amendment to a 13G filing.
- 13D/A: An amendment to a 13D filing.
- Open the Latest Filing: Click on the most recent 13F-HR filing by "BlackRock, Inc." (or "BlackRock Fund Advisors," which is a subsidiary that files on behalf of many BlackRock funds).
- Navigate to the Holdings Table: Inside the 13F-HR document, you'll find a table (often in XML or HTML format) that lists all the equity holdings of BlackRock as of the reporting date. You can typically search within the document (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) for "AMZN" to quickly find Amazon's entry.
- Extract the Data: Look for the number of shares held, their market value, and the percentage of the portfolio they represent. Be mindful of the "effective date" or "period ended" on the filing to understand which quarter the data pertains to.
Step 6: Interpreting the Data with Caution
While SEC filings are authoritative, there are nuances to consider.
Sub-heading: The Lag Effect
Remember that 13F filings are submitted after the end of the quarter. For example, a 13F filed in mid-May will reflect holdings as of March 31st. This means the data is always slightly dated by the time you see it.
Sub-heading: Multiple BlackRock Entities
BlackRock is a vast organization. Holdings might be reported under different BlackRock entities (e.g., "BlackRock Fund Advisors," "BlackRock, Inc."). For a comprehensive view, it's best to look at the consolidated reports or aggregate data from financial data providers.
Sub-heading: Dynamic Nature of Portfolios
Institutional portfolios are not static. BlackRock's funds are constantly buying and selling shares based on market conditions, inflows/outflows from their funds, rebalancing, and strategic decisions. The numbers you see are a snapshot in time.
10 Related FAQ Questions
Here are some quick answers to frequently asked questions about institutional ownership and Amazon stock:
How to Check BlackRock's other major holdings?
To check BlackRock's other major holdings, follow Step 5 using the SEC EDGAR database, but instead of searching for "AMZN," simply browse through the entire 13F-HR filing. You'll see their largest positions listed in descending order of value. Alternatively, financial data platforms like Fintel.io or WallStreetZen often summarize these holdings.
How to Determine the total institutional ownership of Amazon?
To determine the total institutional ownership of Amazon, you can use financial data websites like Nasdaq.com, WallStreetZen, or Fintel.io. These sites aggregate data from numerous 13F filings to provide a percentage of Amazon shares held by all institutional investors.
How to Understand the difference between passive and active investing by BlackRock?
Passive investing by BlackRock involves funds (like index funds and many ETFs) that simply aim to replicate the performance of a specific market index by holding its constituent stocks in the same proportions. Active investing involves fund managers making discretionary decisions to buy, sell, or hold stocks with the aim of outperforming a benchmark.
How to Find out if BlackRock is buying or selling Amazon stock?
To find out if BlackRock is generally increasing or decreasing its Amazon holdings, look at successive 13F filings. Compare the "Latest Shares" number for Amazon in their current filing with the "Prev Shares" (previous shares) or the "Reported Shares" from the prior quarter's filing. Data platforms often show the percentage change directly.
How to Access information on other major Amazon shareholders?
To access information on other major Amazon shareholders (like Vanguard, State Street, Fidelity), use the same SEC EDGAR database method described in Step 5, but search for their respective company names in the "Filer" section for 13F filings. Financial news websites also frequently publish lists of top institutional holders for major stocks.
How to Interpret the meaning of a "beneficial ownership" filing (13D vs. 13G)?
A 13D filing indicates that the investor holds over 5% of a company's shares and intends to actively influence management or control. A 13G filing, on the other hand, also indicates over 5% ownership but signifies a passive investment, meaning the investor does not intend to influence or change control of the company. BlackRock typically files 13G for its substantial holdings.
How to Understand the impact of index rebalancing on BlackRock's holdings?
Index rebalancing (e.g., for the S&P 500) occurs periodically (often quarterly or annually) to adjust the weighting of companies within the index or add/remove companies. When an index rebalances, BlackRock's passive funds tracking that index will adjust their holdings of Amazon (or any other stock) to match the new index composition, leading to buying or selling activity.
How to Determine the value of BlackRock's Amazon holdings?
The value of BlackRock's Amazon holdings is calculated by multiplying the number of shares they own by Amazon's current stock price. 13F filings will also report the market value of the holdings as of the filing date.
How to See if BlackRock has derivatives positions on Amazon?
Yes, BlackRock often takes positions in derivatives like stock options on underlying securities. You can sometimes find this information within their 13F filings, though it might be less prominently displayed than their direct equity holdings. Some financial data platforms also break down institutional options holdings.
How to Learn more about BlackRock's overall investment philosophy?
To learn more about BlackRock's overall investment philosophy, visit their official website (
