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MAY 1, 2023 (AS AMENDED JULY 28, 2023) |
Summary Prospectus
BlackRock Variable Series Funds, Inc.
| BlackRock Global Allocation V.I. Fund (Class I, Class II, Class III) |
Before you invest, you may want to review the Funds prospectus, which contains more information about the Fund and its risks. You can find the Funds prospectus (including amendments and supplements), reports to shareholders and other information about the Fund, including the Funds statement of additional information, online at http://www.blackrock.com/prospectus/insurance. You can also get this information at no cost by calling (800) 537-4942 or by sending an e-mail request to prospectus.request@blackrock.com, or from your financial professional. The Funds prospectus, dated May 1, 2023 (as amended July 28, 2023), and statement of additional information, dated May 1, 2023, as either may be amended and supplemented from time to time, are incorporated by reference into (legally made a part of) this Summary Prospectus.
This Summary Prospectus contains information you should know before investing, including information about risks. Please read it before you invest and keep it for future reference.
The Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this Summary Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Not FDIC Insured May Lose Value No Bank Guarantee |
Summary Prospectus
Key Facts About BlackRock Global Allocation V.I. Fund
Investment Objective
The investment objective of BlackRock Global Allocation V.I. Fund (the Fund) is to seek high total investment return.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund. The table and example below do not include separate account fees and expenses, and expenses would be higher if these fees and expenses were included. Please refer to your variable annuity or insurance contract (the Contract) prospectus for information on the separate account fees and expenses associated with your Contract.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
The Fund is not subject to any shareholder fees.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) |
Class I Shares |
Class II Shares |
Class III Shares | ||||||||||||
Management Fees1 |
0.65% | 0.65% | 0.65% | ||||||||||||
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees |
None | 0.15% | 0.25% | ||||||||||||
Other Expenses2 |
0.14% | 0.24% | 0.23% | ||||||||||||
Dividend Expense |
0.01% | 0.01% | 0.01% | ||||||||||||
Miscellaneous Other Expenses |
0.13% | 0.23% | 0.22% | ||||||||||||
Other Expenses of the Subsidiary2 |
| | | ||||||||||||
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses3 |
0.02% | 0.02% | 0.02% | ||||||||||||
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses3 |
0.81% | 1.06% | 1.15% | ||||||||||||
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements1,4 |
(0.04)% | (0.14)% | (0.14)% | ||||||||||||
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements1,4 |
0.77% | 0.92% | 1.01% |
1 | As described in the Management of the Funds section of the Funds prospectus, BlackRock Advisors, LLC (BlackRock) has contractually agreed to waive the management fee with respect to any portion of the Funds assets estimated to be attributable to investments in other equity and fixed-income mutual funds and exchange-traded funds managed by BlackRock or its affiliates that have a contractual management fee, through June 30, 2024. In addition, BlackRock has contractually agreed to waive its management fees by the amount of investment advisory fees the Fund pays to BlackRock indirectly through its investment in money market funds managed by BlackRock or its affiliates, through June 30, 2024. The contractual agreements may be terminated upon 90 days notice by a majority of the non-interested directors of BlackRock Variable Series Funds, Inc. (the Company) or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. |
2 | Other Expenses of BlackRock Cayman Global Allocation V.I. Fund I, Ltd. were less than 0.01% for the Funds most recent fiscal year. |
3 | The Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses do not correlate to the ratios of expenses to average net assets given in the Funds most recent annual report, which do not include Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses. |
4 | As described in the Management of the Funds section of the Funds prospectus, BlackRock has contractually agreed to waive and/or reimburse fees or expenses in order to limit Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements (excluding Dividend Expense, Interest Expense, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and certain other Fund expenses) to 1.25% (for Class I Shares), 1.40% (for Class II Shares) and 1.50% (for Class III Shares) of average daily net assets through June 30, 2024. BlackRock has also contractually agreed to reimburse fees in order to limit certain operational and recordkeeping fees to 0.07% (for Class I Shares), 0.07% (for Class II Shares) and 0.07% (for Class III Shares) of average daily net assets through June 30, 2024. Each of these contractual agreements may be terminated upon 90 days notice by a majority of the non-interested directors of the Company or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. |
Example:
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Funds operating expenses remain the same. The Example does not reflect charges imposed by the Contract. See the Contract prospectus for information on such charges. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions and the net expenses shown in the fee table, your costs would be:
1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years | |||||||||||||
Class I Shares |
$ | 79 | $ | 255 | $ | 446 | $ | 998 | ||||||||
Class II Shares |
$ | 94 | $ | 323 | $ | 571 | $ | 1,281 | ||||||||
Class III Shares |
$ | 103 | $ | 351 | $ | 619 | $ | 1,385 |
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Portfolio Turnover:
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or turns over its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Funds performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Funds portfolio turnover rate was 110% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund
The Fund invests in a portfolio of equity, debt and money market securities. Generally, the Funds portfolio will include both equity and debt securities. Equity securities include common stock, preferred stock, securities convertible into common stock, rights and warrants or securities or other instruments whose price is linked to the value of common stock. At any given time, however, the Fund may emphasize either debt securities or equity securities. In selecting equity investments, the Fund mainly seeks securities that Fund management believes are undervalued. The Fund may buy debt securities of varying maturities, debt securities paying a fixed or fluctuating rate of interest, and debt securities of any kind, including, by way of example, securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies or instrumentalities, by foreign governments or international agencies or supranational entities, or by domestic or foreign private issuers, debt securities convertible into equity securities, inflation-indexed bonds, structured notes, credit-linked notes, loan assignments and loan participations. In addition, the Fund may invest up to 35% of its total assets in junk bonds, corporate loans and distressed securities. The Fund may also invest in Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and securities related to real assets (like real estate- or precious metals-related securities) such as stock, bonds or convertible bonds issued by REITs or companies that mine precious metals.
When choosing investments, Fund management considers various factors, including opportunities for equity or debt investments to increase in value, expected dividends and interest rates. The Fund generally seeks diversification across markets, industries and issuers as one of its strategies to reduce volatility. The Fund has no geographic limits on where it may invest. This flexibility allows Fund management to look for investments in markets around the world, including emerging markets, that it believes will provide the best asset allocation to meet the Funds objective. The Fund may invest in the securities of companies of any market capitalization.
Generally, the Fund may invest in the securities of corporate and governmental issuers located anywhere in the world. The Fund may emphasize foreign securities when Fund management expects these investments to outperform U.S. securities. When choosing investment markets, Fund management considers various factors, including economic and political conditions, potential for economic growth and possible changes in currency exchange rates. In addition to investing in foreign securities, the Fund actively manages its exposure to foreign currencies through the use of forward currency contracts and other currency derivatives. The Fund may own foreign cash equivalents or foreign bank deposits as part of the Funds investment strategy. The Fund will also invest in non-U.S. currencies. The Fund may underweight or overweight a currency based on the Fund management teams outlook.
The Funds composite Reference Benchmark has at all times since the Funds formation included a 40% weighting in non-U.S. securities. The Reference Benchmark is an unmanaged weighted index comprised as follows: 36% of the S&P 500® Index; 24% FTSE World (ex U.S.) Index; 24% ICE BofA Current 5-Year U.S. Treasury Index; and 16% FTSE Non-U.S. Dollar World Government Bond Index. Throughout its history, the Fund has maintained a weighting in non-U.S. securities, often exceeding the 40% Reference Benchmark weighting and rarely falling below this allocation. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will continue to allocate a substantial amount (approximately 40% or more unless market conditions are not deemed favorable by BlackRock, in which case the Fund would invest at least 30%) of its total assets in securities of (i) foreign government issuers, (ii) issuers organized or located outside the United States, (iii) issuers which primarily trade in a market located outside the United States, or (iv) issuers doing a substantial amount of business outside the United States, which the Fund considers to be companies that derive at least 50% of their revenue or profits from business outside the United States or have at least 50% of their sales or assets outside the United States. The Fund will allocate its assets among various regions and countries including the United States (but in no less than three different countries). For temporary defensive purposes the Fund may deviate very substantially from the allocation described above.
The Fund may use derivatives, including options, futures, swaps (including, but not limited to, total return swaps that may be referred to as contracts for difference) and forward contracts both to seek to increase the return of the Fund and to hedge (or protect) the value of its assets against adverse movements in currency exchange rates, interest rates and movements in the securities markets.
The Fund may invest in indexed securities and inverse securities.
The Fund may seek to provide exposure to the investment returns of real assets that trade in the commodity markets through investment in commodity-linked derivative instruments and investment vehicles such as exchange traded funds that invest exclusively in commodities and are designed to provide this exposure without direct investment in physical commodities. The Fund may also gain exposure to commodity markets by investing up to 25% of its total assets in BlackRock Cayman Global Allocation V.I. Fund I, Ltd. (the Subsidiary), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Fund formed
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in the Cayman Islands, which invests primarily in commodity-related instruments. The Subsidiary may also hold cash and invest in other instruments, including fixed income securities, either as investments or to serve as margin or collateral for the Subsidiarys derivative positions. The Subsidiary (unlike the Fund) may invest without limitation in commodity-related instruments.
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
Risk is inherent in all investing. The value of your investment in the Fund, as well as the amount of return you receive on your investment, may fluctuate significantly from day to day and over time. You may lose part or all of your investment in the Fund or your investment may not perform as well as other similar investments. The following is a summary description of principal risks of investing in the Fund. The relative significance of each risk factor below may change over time and you should review each risk factor carefully.
∎ | Equity Securities Risk Stock markets are volatile. The price of equity securities fluctuates based on changes in a companys financial condition and overall market and economic conditions. |
∎ | Risk of Investing in the United States Certain changes in the U.S. economy, such as when the U.S. economy weakens or when its financial markets decline, may have an adverse effect on the securities to which the Fund has exposure. |
∎ | Foreign Securities Risk Foreign investments often involve special risks not present in U.S. investments that can increase the chances that the Fund will lose money. These risks include: |
∎ | The Fund generally holds its foreign securities and cash in foreign banks and securities depositories, which may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business and may be subject to only limited or no regulatory oversight. |
∎ | Changes in foreign currency exchange rates can affect the value of the Funds portfolio. |
∎ | The economies of certain foreign markets may not compare favorably with the economy of the United States with respect to such issues as growth of gross national product, reinvestment of capital, resources and balance of payments position. |
∎ | The governments of certain countries, or the U.S. Government with respect to certain countries, may prohibit or impose substantial restrictions through capital controls and/or sanctions on foreign investments in the capital markets or certain industries in those countries, which may prohibit or restrict the ability to own or transfer currency, securities, derivatives or other assets. |
∎ | Many foreign governments do not supervise and regulate stock exchanges, brokers and the sale of securities to the same extent as does the United States and may not have laws to protect investors that are comparable to U.S. securities laws. |
∎ | Settlement and clearance procedures in certain foreign markets may result in delays in payment for or delivery of securities not typically associated with settlement and clearance of U.S. investments. |
∎ | The Funds claims to recover foreign withholding taxes may not be successful, and if the likelihood of recovery of foreign withholding taxes materially decreases, due to, for example, a change in tax regulation or approach in the foreign country, accruals in the Funds net asset value for such refunds may be written down partially or in full, which will adversely affect the Funds net asset value. |
∎ | The European financial markets have recently experienced volatility and adverse trends due to concerns about economic downturns in, or rising government debt levels of, several European countries as well as acts of war in the region. These events may spread to other countries in Europe and may affect the value and liquidity of certain of the Funds investments. |
∎ | Debt Securities Risk Debt securities, such as bonds, involve interest rate risk, credit risk, extension risk, and prepayment risk, among other things. |
Interest Rate Risk The market value of bonds and other fixed-income securities changes in response to interest rate changes and other factors. Interest rate risk is the risk that prices of bonds and other fixed-income securities will increase as interest rates fall and decrease as interest rates rise. The Fund may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates due to the recent period of historically low interest rates. For example, if interest rates increase by 1%, assuming a current portfolio duration of ten years, and all other factors being equal, the value of the Funds investments would be expected to decrease by 10%. (Duration is a measure of the price sensitivity of a debt security or portfolio of debt securities to relative changes in interest rates.) The magnitude of these fluctuations in the market price of bonds and other fixed-income securities is generally greater for those securities with longer maturities. Fluctuations in the market price of the Funds investments will not affect interest income derived from instruments already owned by the Fund, but will be reflected in the Funds net asset value. The Fund may lose money if short-term or long-term interest rates rise sharply in a manner not anticipated by Fund management. To the extent the Fund invests in debt securities that may be prepaid at the option of the obligor (such as mortgage-backed securities), the sensitivity of such securities to changes in interest rates may increase (to the detriment of the Fund) when interest rates rise. Moreover, because rates on certain floating rate debt securities typically reset only periodically, changes in prevailing interest rates (and particularly sudden and significant changes) can be expected
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to cause some fluctuations in the net asset value of the Fund to the extent that it invests in floating rate debt securities. These basic principles of bond prices also apply to U.S. Government securities. A security backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government is guaranteed only as to its stated interest rate and face value at maturity, not its current market price. Just like other fixed-income securities, government-guaranteed securities will fluctuate in value when interest rates change. A general rise in interest rates has the potential to cause investors to move out of fixed-income securities on a large scale, which may increase redemptions from funds that hold large amounts of fixed-income securities. Heavy redemptions could cause the Fund to sell assets at inopportune times or at a loss or depressed value and could hurt the Funds performance.
Credit Risk Credit risk refers to the possibility that the issuer of a debt security (i.e., the borrower) will not be able to make payments of interest and principal when due. Changes in an issuers credit rating or the markets perception of an issuers creditworthiness may also affect the value of the Funds investment in that issuer. The degree of credit risk depends on both the financial condition of the issuer and the terms of the obligation.
Extension Risk When interest rates rise, certain obligations will be paid off by the obligor more slowly than anticipated, causing the value of these obligations to fall.
Prepayment Risk When interest rates fall, certain obligations will be paid off by the obligor more quickly than originally anticipated, and the Fund may have to invest the proceeds in securities with lower yields.
∎ | Commodities Related Investments Risk Exposure to the commodities markets may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. The value of commodity-linked derivative investments may be affected by changes in overall market movements, commodity index volatility, changes in interest rates, or factors affecting a particular industry or commodity, such as drought, floods, weather, embargoes, tariffs and international economic, political and regulatory developments. |
∎ | Convertible Securities Risk The market value of a convertible security performs like that of a regular debt security; that is, if market interest rates rise, the value of a convertible security usually falls. In addition, convertible securities are subject to the risk that the issuer will not be able to pay interest or dividends when due, and their market value may change based on changes in the issuers credit rating or the markets perception of the issuers creditworthiness. Since it derives a portion of its value from the common stock into which it may be converted, a convertible security is also subject to the same types of market and issuer risks that apply to the underlying common stock. |
∎ | Corporate Loans Risk Commercial banks and other financial institutions or institutional investors make corporate loans to companies that need capital to grow or restructure. Borrowers generally pay interest on corporate loans at rates that change in response to changes in market interest rates such as the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) or the prime rates of U.S. banks. As a result, the value of corporate loan investments is generally less exposed to the adverse effects of shifts in market interest rates than investments that pay a fixed rate of interest. The market for corporate loans may be subject to irregular trading activity and wide bid/ask spreads. In addition, transactions in corporate loans may settle on a delayed basis. As a result, the proceeds from the sale of corporate loans may not be readily available to make additional investments or to meet the Funds redemption obligations. To the extent the extended settlement process gives rise to short-term liquidity needs, the Fund may hold additional cash, sell investments or temporarily borrow from banks and other lenders. |
∎ | Derivatives Risk The Funds use of derivatives may increase its costs, reduce the Funds returns and/or increase volatility. Derivatives involve significant risks, including: |
Leverage Risk The Funds use of derivatives can magnify the Funds gains and losses. Relatively small market movements may result in large changes in the value of a derivatives position and can result in losses that greatly exceed the amount originally invested.
Market Risk Some derivatives are more sensitive to interest rate changes and market price fluctuations than other securities. The Fund could also suffer losses related to its derivatives positions as a result of unanticipated market movements, which losses are potentially unlimited. Finally, BlackRock may not be able to predict correctly the direction of securities prices, interest rates and other economic factors, which could cause the Funds derivatives positions to lose value.
Counterparty Risk Derivatives are also subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the other party in the transaction will be unable or unwilling to fulfill its contractual obligation, and the related risks of having concentrated exposure to such a counterparty.
Illiquidity Risk The possible lack of a liquid secondary market for derivatives and the resulting inability of the Fund to sell or otherwise close a derivatives position could expose the Fund to losses and could make derivatives more difficult for the Fund to value accurately.
Operational Risk The use of derivatives includes the risk of potential operational issues, including documentation issues, settlement issues, systems failures, inadequate controls and human error.
Legal Risk The risk of insufficient documentation, insufficient capacity or authority of counterparty, or legality or enforceability of a contract.
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Volatility and Correlation Risk Volatility is defined as the characteristic of a security, an index or a market to fluctuate significantly in price within a short time period. A risk of the Funds use of derivatives is that the fluctuations in their values may not correlate with the overall securities markets.
Valuation Risk Valuation for derivatives may not be readily available in the market. Valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil since many investors and market makers may be reluctant to purchase complex instruments or quote prices for them.
Hedging Risk Hedges are sometimes subject to imperfect matching between the derivative and the underlying security, and there can be no assurance that the Funds hedging transactions will be effective. The use of hedging may result in certain adverse tax consequences.
Tax Risk Certain aspects of the tax treatment of derivative instruments, including swap agreements and commodity-linked derivative instruments, are currently unclear and may be affected by changes in legislation, regulations or other legally binding authority. Such treatment may be less favorable than that given to a direct investment in an underlying asset and may adversely affect the timing, character and amount of income the Fund realizes from its investments.
Regulatory Risk Derivative contracts are subject to regulation under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the Dodd-Frank Act) in the United States and under comparable regimes in Europe, Asia and other non-U.S. jurisdictions. Under the Dodd-Frank Act, with respect to uncleared swaps, swap dealers are required to collect variation margin from the Fund and may be required by applicable regulations to collect initial margin from the Fund. Both initial and variation margin may be comprised of cash and/or securities, subject to applicable regulatory haircuts. Shares of investment companies (other than certain money market funds) may not be posted as collateral under applicable regulations. In addition, regulations adopted by global prudential regulators that are now in effect require certain bank-regulated counterparties and certain of their affiliates to include in certain financial contracts, including many derivatives contracts, terms that delay or restrict the rights of counterparties, such as the Fund, to terminate such contracts, foreclose upon collateral, exercise other default rights or restrict transfers of credit support in the event that the counterparty and/or its affiliates are subject to certain types of resolution or insolvency proceedings. The implementation of these requirements with respect to derivatives, as well as regulations under the Dodd-Frank Act regarding clearing, mandatory trading and margining of other derivatives, may increase the costs and risks to the Fund of trading in these instruments and, as a result, may affect returns to investors in the Fund.
∎ | Distressed Securities Risk Distressed securities are speculative and involve substantial risks in addition to the risks of investing in junk bonds. The Fund will generally not receive interest payments on the distressed securities and may incur costs to protect its investment. In addition, distressed securities involve the substantial risk that principal will not be repaid. These securities may present a substantial risk of default or may be in default at the time of investment. The Fund may incur additional expenses to the extent it is required to seek recovery upon a default in the payment of principal of or interest on its portfolio holdings. In any reorganization or liquidation proceeding relating to a portfolio company, the Fund may lose its entire investment or may be required to accept cash or securities with a value less than its original investment. Distressed securities and any securities received in an exchange for such securities may be subject to restrictions on resale. |
∎ | Emerging Markets Risk Emerging markets are riskier than more developed markets because they tend to develop unevenly and may never fully develop. Investments in emerging markets may be considered speculative. Emerging markets are more likely to experience hyperinflation and currency devaluations, which adversely affect returns to U.S. investors. In addition, many emerging securities markets have far lower trading volumes and less liquidity than developed markets. |
∎ | High Portfolio Turnover Risk The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading of its portfolio securities. High portfolio turnover (more than 100%) may result in increased transaction costs to the Fund, including brokerage commissions, dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs on the sale of the securities and on reinvestment in other securities. The sale of Fund portfolio securities may result in the realization and/or distribution to shareholders of higher capital gains or losses as compared to a fund with less active trading policies. These effects of higher than normal portfolio turnover may adversely affect Fund performance. |
∎ | Indexed and Inverse Securities Risk Indexed and inverse securities provide a potential return based on a particular index of value or interest rates. The Funds return on these securities will be subject to risk with respect to the value of the particular index. These securities are subject to leverage risk and correlation risk. Certain indexed and inverse securities have greater sensitivity to changes in interest rates or index levels than other securities, and the Funds investment in such instruments may decline significantly in value if interest rates or index levels move in a way Fund management does not anticipate. |
∎ | Junk Bonds Risk Although junk bonds generally pay higher rates of interest than investment grade bonds, junk bonds are high risk investments that are considered speculative and may cause income and principal losses for the Fund. |
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∎ | Leverage Risk Some transactions may give rise to a form of economic leverage. These transactions may include, among others, derivatives, and may expose the Fund to greater risk and increase its costs. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet the applicable requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the Investment Company Act), and the rules thereunder. Increases and decreases in the value of the Funds portfolio will be magnified when the Fund uses leverage. |
∎ | Market Risk and Selection Risk Market risk is the risk that one or more markets in which the Fund invests will go down in value, including the possibility that the markets will go down sharply and unpredictably. The value of a security or other asset may decline due to changes in general market conditions, economic trends or events that are not specifically related to the issuer of the security or other asset, or factors that affect a particular issuer or issuers, exchange, country, group of countries, region, market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class. Local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues like pandemics or epidemics, recessions, or other events could have a significant impact on the Fund and its investments. Selection risk is the risk that the securities selected by Fund management will underperform the markets, the relevant indices or the securities selected by other funds with similar investment objectives and investment strategies. This means you may lose money. |
An outbreak of an infectious coronavirus (COVID-19) that was first detected in December 2019 developed into a global pandemic that has resulted in numerous disruptions in the market and has had significant economic impact leaving general concern and uncertainty. Although vaccines have been developed and approved for use by various governments, the duration of the pandemic and its effects cannot be predicted with certainty. The impact of this coronavirus, and other epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future, could affect the economies of many nations, individual companies and the market in general ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen at the present time.
∎ | Mid Cap Securities Risk The securities of mid cap companies generally trade in lower volumes and are generally subject to greater and less predictable price changes than the securities of larger capitalization companies. |
∎ | Mortgage- and Asset-Backed Securities Risks Mortgage- and asset-backed securities represent interests in pools of mortgages or other assets, including consumer loans or receivables held in trust. Mortgage- and asset-backed securities are subject to credit, interest rate, prepayment and extension risks. These securities also are subject to risk of default on the underlying mortgage or asset, particularly during periods of economic downturn. Small movements in interest rates (both increases and decreases) may quickly and significantly reduce the value of certain mortgage-backed securities. |
∎ | Precious Metal and Related Securities Risk Prices of precious metals and of precious metal related securities historically have been very volatile. The high volatility of precious metal prices may adversely affect the financial condition of companies involved with precious metals. The production and sale of precious metals by governments or central banks or other larger holders can be affected by various economic, financial, social and political factors, which may be unpredictable and may have a significant impact on the prices of precious metals. Other factors that may affect the prices of precious metals and securities related to them include changes in inflation, the outlook for inflation and changes in industrial and commercial demand for precious metals. |
∎ | Preferred Securities Risk Preferred securities may pay fixed or adjustable rates of return. Preferred securities are subject to issuer-specific and market risks applicable generally to equity securities. In addition, a companys preferred securities generally pay dividends only after the company makes required payments to holders of its bonds and other debt. For this reason, the value of preferred securities will usually react more strongly than bonds and other debt to actual or perceived changes in the companys financial condition or prospects. Preferred securities of smaller companies may be more vulnerable to adverse developments than preferred securities of larger companies. |
∎ | Real Estate-Related Securities Risk The main risk of real estate-related securities is that the value of the underlying real estate may go down. Many factors may affect real estate values. These factors include both the general and local economies, vacancy rates, tenant bankruptcies, the ability to re-lease space under expiring leases on attractive terms, the amount of new construction in a particular area, the laws and regulations (including zoning, environmental and tax laws) affecting real estate and the costs of owning, maintaining and improving real estate. The availability of mortgage financing and changes in interest rates may also affect real estate values. If the Funds real estate-related investments are concentrated in one geographic area or in one property type, the Fund will be particularly subject to the risks associated with that area or property type. Many issuers of real estate-related securities are highly leveraged, which increases the risk to holders of such securities. The value of the securities the Fund buys will not necessarily track the value of the underlying investments of the issuers of such securities. |
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∎ | REIT Investment Risk Investments in REITs involve unique risks. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in limited volume, may engage in dilutive offerings of securities and may be more volatile than other securities. REIT issuers may also fail to maintain their exemptions from investment company registration or fail to qualify for the dividends paid deduction under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, which allows REITs to reduce their corporate taxable income for dividends paid to their shareholders. |
∎ | Risks of Loan Assignments and Participations As the purchaser of an assignment, the Fund typically succeeds to all the rights and obligations of the assigning institution and becomes a lender under the credit agreement with respect to the debt obligation; however, the Fund may not be able unilaterally to enforce all rights and remedies under the loan and with regard to any associated collateral. Because assignments may be arranged through private negotiations between potential assignees and potential assignors, the rights and obligations acquired by the Fund as the purchaser of an assignment may differ from, and be more limited than, those held by the assigning lender. In addition, if the loan is foreclosed, the Fund could become part owner of any collateral and could bear the costs and liabilities of owning and disposing of the collateral. The Fund may be required to pass along to a purchaser that buys a loan from the Fund by way of assignment a portion of any fees to which the Fund is entitled under the loan. In connection with purchasing participations, the Fund generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement relating to the loan, nor any rights of set-off against the borrower, and the Fund may not directly benefit from any collateral supporting the loan in which it has purchased the participation. As a result, the Fund will be subject to the credit risk of both the borrower and the lender that is selling the participation. In the event of the insolvency of the lender selling a participation, the Fund may be treated as a general creditor of the lender and may not benefit from any set-off between the lender and the borrower. |
∎ | Small Cap and Emerging Growth Securities Risk Small cap or emerging growth companies may have limited product lines or markets. They may be less financially secure than larger, more established companies. They may depend on a more limited management group than larger capitalized companies. |
∎ | Sovereign Debt Risk Sovereign debt instruments are subject to the risk that a governmental entity may delay or refuse to pay interest or repay principal on its sovereign debt, due, for example, to cash flow problems, insufficient foreign currency reserves, political considerations, the relative size of the governmental entitys debt position in relation to the economy or the failure to put in place economic reforms required by the International Monetary Fund or other multilateral agencies. |
∎ | Structured Notes Risk Structured notes and other related instruments purchased by the Fund are generally privately negotiated debt obligations where the principal and/or interest is determined by reference to the performance of a specific asset, benchmark asset, market or interest rate (reference measure). The purchase of structured notes exposes the Fund to the credit risk of the issuer of the structured product. Structured notes may be leveraged, increasing the volatility of each structured notes value relative to the change in the reference measure. Structured notes may also be less liquid and more difficult to price accurately than less complex securities and instruments or more traditional debt securities. |
∎ | Subsidiary Risk By investing in the Subsidiary, the Fund is indirectly exposed to the risks associated with the Subsidiarys investments. The commodity-related instruments held by the Subsidiary are generally similar to those that are permitted to be held by the Fund and are subject to the same risks that apply to similar investments if held directly by the Fund (see Commodities Related Investments Risk above). There can be no assurance that the investment objective of the Subsidiary will be achieved. The Subsidiary is not registered under the Investment Company Act, and, unless otherwise noted in this prospectus, is not subject to all the investor protections of the Investment Company Act. However, the Fund wholly owns and controls the Subsidiary, and the Fund and the Subsidiary are both managed by BlackRock, making it unlikely that the Subsidiary will take action contrary to the interests of the Fund and its shareholders. The Board has oversight responsibility for the investment activities of the Fund, including its investment in the Subsidiary, and the Funds role as sole shareholder of the Subsidiary. The Subsidiary is subject to the same investment restrictions and limitations, and follows the same compliance policies and procedures, as the Fund, except that the Subsidiary may invest without limitation in commodity-related instruments. Changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands could result in the inability of the Fund and/or the Subsidiary to operate as described in this prospectus and the Statement of Additional Information and could adversely affect the Fund. |
∎ | Warrants Risk If the price of the underlying stock does not rise above the exercise price before the warrant expires, the warrant generally expires without any value and the Fund will lose any amount it paid for the warrant. Thus, investments in warrants may involve substantially more risk than investments in common stock. Warrants may trade in the same markets as their underlying stock; however, the price of the warrant does not necessarily move with the price of the underlying stock. |
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Performance Information
The information shows you how the Funds performance has varied year by year and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The table compares the Funds performance to that of the FTSE World Index, the S&P 500® Index, the FTSE World (ex U.S.) Index, the ICE BofA Current 5-Year U.S. Treasury Index, the FTSE Non-U.S. Dollar World Government Bond Index and the Reference Benchmark, which are relevant to the Fund because they have characteristics similar to the Funds investment strategies. As with all such investments, past performance is not an indication of future results. The bar chart and table do not reflect separate account fees and expenses. If they did, returns would be less than those shown. To the extent that dividends and distributions have been paid by the Fund, the performance information for the Fund in the chart and table assumes reinvestment of the dividends and distributions. If the Funds investment manager and its affiliates had not waived or reimbursed certain Fund expenses during these periods, the Funds returns would have been lower.
Class I Shares
ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS
BlackRock Global Allocation V.I. Fund
As of 12/31
During the ten-year period shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 14.74% (quarter ended June 30, 2020) and the lowest return for a quarter was -12.44% (quarter ended March 31, 2020).
For the periods ended 12/31/22 Average Annual Total Returns |
1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years | |||||||||
BlackRock Global Allocation V.I. Fund: Class I Shares |
(15.86 | )% | 3.50 | % | 5.06 | % | ||||||
BlackRock Global Allocation V.I. Fund: Class II Shares |
(16.04 | )% | 3.32 | % | 4.89 | % | ||||||
BlackRock Global Allocation V.I. Fund: Class III Shares |
(16.07 | )% | 3.25 | % | 4.81 | % | ||||||
FTSE World Index (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
(17.54 | )% | 6.22 | % | 8.91 | % | ||||||
S&P 500® Index (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
(18.11 | )% | 9.42 | % | 12.56 | % | ||||||
FTSE World (ex U.S.) Index (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
(14.34 | )% | 2.16 | % | 4.81 | % | ||||||
ICE BofA Current 5-Year U.S. Treasury Index (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
(9.77 | )% | 0.20 | % | 0.42 | % | ||||||
FTSE Non-U.S. Dollar World Government Bond Index (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
(22.07 | )% | (4.21 | )% | (2.27 | )% | ||||||
Reference Benchmark (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
(15.59 | )% | 3.59 | % | 5.57 | % |
Investment Manager
The Funds investment manager is BlackRock Advisors, LLC (previously defined as BlackRock). The Funds sub-adviser is BlackRock (Singapore) Limited (the Sub-Adviser). Where applicable, BlackRock refers also to the Sub-Adviser.
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Portfolio Managers
Name |
Portfolio Manager of the Fund Since | Title | ||
Rick Rieder |
2019 | Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc., BlackRocks Chief Investment Officer of Global Fixed Income, Head of Global Allocation Investment Team, member of the Global Executive Committee, Global Operating Committee and Chairman of the BlackRock, Inc. firmwide Investment Council. | ||
Russ Koesterich, CFA, JD |
2017 | Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. | ||
David Clayton, CFA, JD |
2017 | Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. |
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
Shares of the Fund currently are sold either directly or indirectly (through other variable insurance funds) to separate accounts of insurance companies (the Insurance Companies) and certain accounts administered by the Insurance Companies (the Accounts) to fund benefits under the Contracts issued by the Insurance Companies. Shares of the Fund may be purchased or sold each day the New York Stock Exchange is open.
The Fund does not have any initial or subsequent investment minimums. However, your Contract may require certain investment minimums. See your Contract prospectus for more information.
Tax Information
Distributions made by the Fund to an Account, and exchanges and redemptions of Fund shares made by an Account, ordinarily do not cause the corresponding Contract holder to recognize income or gain for U.S. federal income tax purposes. See the Contract prospectus for information regarding the U.S. federal income tax treatment of the distributions to Accounts and the holders of the Contracts.
Payments to Broker/Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
BlackRock and its affiliates may make payments relating to distribution and sales support activities to the Insurance Companies and other financial intermediaries for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the Insurance Company or other financial intermediary and your individual financial professional to recommend the Fund over another investment. Visit your Insurance Companys website, which may have more information.
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INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT FILE # 811-03290
SPRO-VAR-GA-0523R
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