Blackrock shares undervalued: Barrons

Shares of BlackRock , the world's largest investment manager, have had a tepid go of it. They are up only 4 percent this year, versus the nearly 14 percent gained by the S&P 500.

But the stock is poised to rally in the next year, possibly handing investors a 16 percent return, according to a story in Barron's on Sunday.

Shares have underperformed, Barron's says, in part because of the way Vanguard and Charles Schwab charge lower fees. There is also the rampant speculation that BlackRock founder and Chief Executive Laurence Fink may become the next U.S. Treasury secretary if President Barack Obama wins a second term.

Barron's said BlackRock has been improving its equity-fund performance and it is working on a new strategy that could involve fee cuts in ETFs, which are poised to grow 12 percent annually to 2025.

(Reporting By Michelle Conlin; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)