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December 30, 2024 |
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(as revised June 30, 2025) |
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Summary Prospectus |
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iShares ESG Aware MSCI EM
ETF | ESGE |
Nasdaq
Before you invest, you may want to review the Fund’s prospectus, which contains more information about the Fund and its risks. You can find the Fund’s prospectus (including amendments and supplements) and other information about the Fund, including the Fund’s statement of additional information and shareholder reports, online at https://www.blackrock.com/prospectus. You can also get this information at no cost by calling 1-800-iShares (1-800-474-2737) or by sending an e-mail request to
iSharesETFs@blackrock.com, or from your financial professional. The Fund’s prospectus and statement of additional information, both dated December 30, 2024, as amended and supplemented from time to time, are incorporated by reference into (legally made a part of) this Summary Prospectus. Information on the Fund’s net asset value, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads can be found at https://www.iShares.com.
The Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
iSHARES® ESG AWARE MSCI EM ETF
Ticker: ESGEStock Exchange: Nasdaq
Investment Objective
The iShares ESG Aware MSCI EM ETF (the
“Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of large- and mid-capitalization emerging market equities
that have positive environmental, social and governance characteristics as identified by the index provider while exhibiting risk and return characteristics similar to those of
the parent index.
Fees and Expenses
The following table describes the fees and expenses that you will incur if you buy,
hold and sell shares of the Fund. The investment advisory agreement between iShares, Inc. (the
“Company”) and BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BFA”) (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”) provides that BFA will pay all operating expenses of the Fund, except: (i) the management fees, (ii) interest expenses, (iii) taxes, (iv) expenses incurred with respect to the acquisition and disposition of portfolio securities and the execution of portfolio transactions, including brokerage commissions, (v) distribution fees or expenses, and (vi) litigation expenses and any extraordinary expenses.
You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below.
| Annual Fund
Operating Expenses (ongoing expenses that you pay each year as a
percentage of the value of your investments)1 | |||
| Management
Fees |
Distribution and Service (12b-1)
Fees |
Other
Expenses |
Total
Annual Fund
Operating
Expenses |
| 0.25% |
None |
0.01% |
0.26% |
1Operating expenses paid by BFA under the Investment Advisory Agreement exclude acquired fund fees and expenses, if any.
Example. This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of owning shares of the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell 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 Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
| 1
Year |
3
Years |
5
Years |
10
Years |
| $27 |
$84 |
$146 |
$331 |
Portfolio Turnover. The Fund may pay 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 and may result in higher taxes when
Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in the Annual Fund
Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal
year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 32% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund seeks to track the investment results of the MSCI Emerging Markets Extended
ESG Focus Index (the “Underlying
Index”), which has been
developed by MSCI Inc. (the “Index Provider” or “MSCI”). The Underlying Index is an optimized equity index designed to reflect the equity performance of companies that have favorable environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) characteristics (as determined by the Index Provider), while exhibiting risk and return characteristics similar to those
of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index (the “Parent Index”). The Index Provider begins with the Parent Index and excludes securities of companies involved in the business of tobacco,
companies
involved with controversial weapons, producers and retailers of
civilian firearms, companies involved in certain fossil fuels-related activity such as the production of
thermal coal, thermal coal-based power generation and extraction of oil sands based on revenue or
percentage of revenue thresholds for certain categories (e.g. $20 million or 5%) and categorical exclusions for others (e.g. controversial weapons). The Index Provider also excludes companies that are directly involved in very severe, ongoing business controversies (in each case as determined
by the Index Provider), and then follows a quantitative process that is designed to determine optimal
weights for securities to maximize exposure to securities of companies with higher ESG ratings and requires
a minimum ESG score improvement of 10% or greater relative to the Parent index, subject to maintaining risk and return characteristics similar to the Parent Index.
For each industry, the Index Provider identifies key ESG issues that can lead to unexpected costs for companies in the
medium to long term. The Index Provider then calculates the size of each company’s exposure to each
key issue based on the company’s business segment and geographic risk, and analyzes the extent to
which companies have developed robust strategies and programs to manage ESG risks and opportunities. Using
a sector-specific
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key issue weighting model, companies are
rated and ranked in comparison to their industry peers. As of August 31, 2024, the Underlying Index
consisted of securities from the following 22 countries: Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Poland, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan,
Thailand, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. The Underlying Index includes large- and mid-capitalization
companies and may change over time. As of August 31, 2024, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is
represented by securities of companies in the financials and technology industries or sectors. The components
of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time.
BFA uses an indexing approach to try to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. The Fund does not try to “beat” the index it tracks and does not seek temporary defensive positions when markets decline or appear overvalued.
Indexing may eliminate the chance that the Fund will substantially outperform the Underlying Index but also may reduce
some of the risks of active management, such as poor security selection. Indexing seeks to achieve lower
costs and better after-tax performance by aiming to keep portfolio turnover low in comparison to actively
managed investment companies.
BFA uses a representative sampling
indexing strategy to manage the Fund. “Representative sampling” is an indexing
strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively has an
investment profile similar to that of an applicable underlying index. The securities selected are expected
to have, in the aggregate, investment characteristics (based on factors such as market capitalization and
industry weightings), fundamental characteristics (such as return variability and yield) and liquidity
measures similar to those of an applicable underlying index. The Fund may or may not hold all of the securities in the Underlying Index.
The Fund generally will invest at least 90% of its assets in the component securities of the Underlying Index and in
investments that have economic characteristics that are substantially identical to the component securities
of the Underlying Index (i.e., depositary receipts representing securities of the Underlying Index) and may invest up to 10% of its assets in certain
futures, options and swap contracts, cash and cash equivalents, including shares of money market funds
advised by BFA or its affiliates, as well as in securities not included in the Underlying Index, but which
BFA believes will help the Fund track the Underlying Index. Cash and cash equivalent investments associated with a derivative position will be treated as part of that position for the purposes of calculating the percentage of
investments included in the Underlying Index. The Fund seeks to track the investment results of the
Underlying Index before fees and expenses of the Fund.
The Fund may lend securities representing up to one-third of the value of the Fund's total assets (including the value
of any collateral received).
The Underlying Index is sponsored by MSCI, which is independent of the Fund and BFA. The Index Provider determines the composition and relative weightings of the securities in the Underlying Index and publishes information regarding the
market value of the Underlying Index.
Industry Concentration Policy. The Fund
will concentrate its investments (i.e., hold 25% or more of its total assets) in a particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent that the Underlying Index is concentrated. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S.
government (including its agencies and instrumentalities) and repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S.
government securities are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.
Summary of Principal Risks
As with any investment, you could lose all or part of your investment in the Fund,
and the Fund's performance could trail that of other investments. The Fund is subject to certain risks,
including the principal risks noted below, any of which may adversely affect the Fund's net asset value per
share (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and ability to meet its investment objective. Certain key risks are prioritized below (with others following in alphabetical order), but the relative
significance of any risk is difficult to predict and may change over time. You should review each risk
factor carefully.
Risk of Investing
in Emerging Markets. Investments in emerging market issuers may be subject to a greater risk of loss than investments in issuers located or operating in more
developed markets. Emerging markets may be more likely to experience inflation, social instability,
political turmoil or rapid changes in economic conditions than more developed markets. Companies in many
emerging markets are not subject to the same degree of regulatory requirements, accounting standards or auditor oversight as companies in more developed countries, and as a result, information about the securities in which the
Fund invests may be less reliable or complete. Emerging markets often have less reliable securities
valuations and greater risk associated with custody of securities than developed markets. There may be
significant obstacles to obtaining information necessary for investigations into or litigation against
companies and shareholders may have limited legal remedies. The Fund does not select investments based on
investor protection considerations.
ESG Risk. To the extent that the Underlying Index
uses criteria related to the ESG characteristics of issuers, this may limit the types and number of
investment opportunities available to the Fund and, as a result, the Fund may underperform other funds
whose underlying index does not use ESG criteria. The Underlying Index’s use of ESG criteria may
result in the Fund investing in, or allocating greater weight to, securities or market sectors that
underperform the market as a whole or underperform other funds that use ESG criteria. In addition, the use
of representative sampling may result in divergence of the Fund’s overall ESG characteristics or ESG
risk from those of the Underlying Index. The Index Provider may evaluate security-level ESG data and, if
applicable, ESG objectives or constraints that are relevant to the Underlying Index only at index reviews
or rebalances. Securities included in the Underlying Index may cease to meet the relevant ESG criteria but
may nevertheless remain in the Underlying Index and the Fund until the next review or rebalance by the Index
Provider. As a result, certain securities in the Underlying Index, or the Underlying Index as a whole, may
not meet the relevant ESG objectives or constraints at all times.
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Equity
Securities Risk. Equity securities are subject to changes in value, and their values may be more volatile than those of other asset classes. The value of a security may decline
for a number of reasons that may directly relate to the issuer as well as due to general industry or market
conditions. Common stock is subordinated to preferred securities and debt in a company’s capital
structure. Common stock has the lowest priority, and the greatest risk, with respect to dividends and any liquidation payments in the event of an issuer’s bankruptcy.
Market Risk. The Fund could lose money over short periods due to short-term market movements and over longer periods during more prolonged market downturns. Local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, pandemics or other
public health issues, recessions, the prospect or occurrence of a sovereign default or other financial
crisis, or other events could have a significant impact on the Fund and its investments and could
result in increased premiums or discounts to the Fund’s NAV.
Index-Related Risk. The Index Provider may rely on
various sources of information to assess the criteria of components of the Underlying Index, including
information that may be based on assumptions and estimates. Neither the Fund nor BFA can offer assurances
that the Index Provider’s methodology or sources of information will provide an accurate assessment of included components or will result in the Fund meeting its investment objective. Errors in index data, index computations or the
construction of the Underlying Index in accordance with its methodology may occur, and the Index Provider
may not identify or correct them promptly or at all, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund and its
shareholders. Unusual market conditions or other unforeseen circumstances (such as natural disasters,
political unrest or war) may impact the Index Provider or a third-party data provider and could cause the Index Provider to postpone a scheduled rebalance. This could cause the Underlying Index to vary from its normal or expected
composition.
Asset Class
Risk. The securities and other assets in the Underlying Index or in the Fund’s portfolio may
underperform in comparison to financial markets generally, a particular financial market, another index, or
other asset classes.
Authorized
Participant Concentration Risk. An “Authorized Participant” is a member or participant of a clearing agency registered with the SEC, which has a written agreement with the Fund or one of its service providers that allows the Authorized Participant to place orders for the purchase and
redemption of creation units
(“Creation Units”). Only an Authorized Participant may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. There are a limited number of institutions that may act as Authorized Participants for the Fund, including on
an agency basis on behalf of other market participants. No Authorized Participant is obligated to engage in
creation or redemption transactions. To the extent that Authorized Participants exit the business or do not
place creation or redemption orders for the Fund and no other Authorized Participant places orders, Fund
shares are more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or
delisting.
Commodity Risk. The Fund invests in companies that are susceptible to fluctuations in certain commodity markets and to price changes due to trade relations. Any negative changes in
commodity markets that may be due to changes in supply and
demand for commodities, market events, war, regulatory developments, other catastrophic events, or other
factors that the Fund cannot control could have an adverse impact on those companies.
Concentration Risk. The Fund may be susceptible to an increased risk of loss, including losses due to adverse events that affect the Fund’s investments more than the market as a whole, to the extent that the Fund’s investments are
concentrated in the securities or other assets of one or more issuers, countries or other geographic units,
markets, industries, project types, or asset classes.
Currency Risk. Because the Fund’s NAV is determined in U.S. dollars, the NAV could decline if the currency of a non-U.S. market
in which the Fund invests depreciates against the U.S. dollar or if there are delays or limits on the
repatriation of foreign currency. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and
unpredictably. As a result, the Fund’s NAV may change quickly and without warning. In addition, the Fund may incur costs in connection with conversions between U.S. dollars and foreign currencies.
Custody Risk. Less developed securities markets are more likely to experience problems with the clearing and settlement of trades, as well as the custody of securities and other assets
by local banks, agents and depositories. These issues may have an adverse impact on the Fund, including
losses or delays in payments, delivery or recovery of money or other assets.
Cybersecurity Risk. Failures or breaches of the electronic systems of the Fund, its adviser, distributor, Index Provider, other
service providers, counterparties, or issuers of assets in which the Fund invests may cause disruptions
that negatively impact the Fund and its shareholders. While the Fund has established business continuity
plans and risk management systems seeking to address system breaches or failures, there are inherent
limitations in such plans and systems. The Fund cannot control the cybersecurity plans and systems of its
service providers, counterparties, and other third parties whose activities affect the Fund. In addition,
cyber incidents may adversely impact the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, which may cause
such investments to lose value.
Financial Companies Risk. Financial services companies are subject to extensive governmental regulation and intervention, which may adversely affect their profitability, the scope of their activities, the prices they can charge, the amount of
capital and liquid assets they must maintain and their size, among other things. Financial services
companies also may be significantly affected by, among other things, interest rates, economic conditions,
volatility in financial markets, credit rating downgrades, adverse public perception, exposure concentration
and counterparty risk.
Issuer Risk. The performance of the Fund depends on the performance of individual securities or other assets to which the Fund has exposure. The value of securities or other assets may decline, or perform differently from the market as a
whole, due to changes in the financial condition or credit rating of the issuer or
counterparty.
S-3
Large-Capitalization Companies Risk. Large-capitalization companies may be less able than smaller-capitalization companies to adapt to changing market conditions and competitive challenges. Large-capitalization companies may be
more mature and subject to more limited growth potential compared with smaller-capitalization companies.
The performance of large-capitalization companies could trail the overall performance of the broader
securities markets.
Large Shareholder and
Large-Scale Redemption Risk. Certain shareholders of the Fund, including an Authorized Participant, a
third-party investor, the Fund’s adviser, an affiliate of the Fund’s adviser, a market maker,
or another entity, may from time to time own or manage a substantial amount of Fund shares, or may hold
their investment in the Fund for a limited period of time. There can be no assurance that any large
shareholder or large group of shareholders would not redeem their investment. Redemptions of a large number
of Fund shares could require the Fund to dispose of assets to meet the redemption requests, which can accelerate the realization of taxable income and/or capital gains and cause the Fund to make taxable distributions to its
shareholders earlier than the Fund otherwise would have. In addition, under certain circumstances,
non-redeeming shareholders may be treated as receiving a disproportionately large taxable distribution during or with respect to such year. In some circumstances, the Fund may hold a relatively large proportion of its assets in cash
in anticipation of large redemptions, diluting its investment returns. These large redemptions may also
force the Fund to sell portfolio securities or other assets when it might not otherwise do so, which may
negatively impact the Fund’s NAV, increase the Fund’s brokerage costs and/or have a material effect on the market price of Fund shares.
Management Risk. The Fund generally does not attempt to take defensive positions under any market conditions, including declining markets. As the Fund will not fully replicate the Underlying Index and may hold securities or other assets not
included in the Underlying Index, it is subject to the risk that the investment strategy of BFA may not
produce the intended results. There is no guarantee that the Fund’s investment results will have a
high degree of correlation to those of the Underlying Index or that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.
Market Trading Risk. The Fund faces numerous market trading risks, including the potential lack of an active market for Fund shares (including through a trading halt), losses from
trading in secondary markets, periods of high volatility, and disruptions in the process of creating and
redeeming Fund shares. Any of these factors, among others, may lead to the Fund’s shares trading in
the secondary market at a premium or discount to NAV or to the intraday value of the Fund’s portfolio
holdings. If you buy Fund shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to NAV or sell Fund shares
at a time when the market price is at a discount to NAV, you may pay significantly more or receive significantly less than the underlying value of the Fund shares.
Mid-Capitalization Companies Risk. Compared to large-capitalization companies, mid-capitalization companies may be less stable and more susceptible to adverse developments. The securities of mid-capitalization companies may be more
volatile and less liquid than those of large-capitalization companies. As a
result, the Fund’s share price may be
more volatile than that of a fund with a greater investment in large-capitalization stocks.
National Closed Market Trading Risk. To the extent
that securities or other assets held by the Fund trade on foreign exchanges or in foreign markets that may
be closed when the securities exchange on which the Fund’s shares trade is open, there are likely to
be deviations between such asset’s current price and its last quoted price
(i.e., the quote from the closed foreign market to the Fund). The impact of a closed foreign market on the Fund is likely to be greater where a
large portion of the Fund’s holdings trade on a closed foreign market or when a foreign market is
closed for unscheduled reasons. These deviations could result in premiums or discounts to the Fund’s
NAV that may be greater than those experienced by other funds.
Non-U.S. Securities Risk. Securities issued by non-U.S. issuers (including depositary receipts) are subject to different legal, regulatory, political, economic, and market risks than securities issued by U.S. issuers. These risks include greater
market volatility, less market liquidity, higher transaction costs, expropriation, confiscatory taxation,
adverse changes in foreign investment or currency control regulations, restrictions on the repatriation of
capital, and political instability. Non-U.S. issuers may be subject to different accounting, audit and financial reporting standards than U.S. issuers, and there may be less publicly available information about non-U.S. issuers.
Foreign market trading hours, different clearing and settlement procedures, and holiday schedules may limit
the Fund's ability to engage in portfolio transactions. To the extent that investments are made in a
limited number of countries, events in those countries will have a more significant impact on the Fund. The
Fund is specifically exposed to Asian Economic Risk.
Operational Risk. The Fund is exposed to operational risks arising from a number of factors, including, but not limited to, human error, processing and communication errors, errors of the Fund’s service providers, counterparties or other third
parties, failed or inadequate processes and technology or systems failures. The Fund and BFA seek to reduce
these operational risks through controls and procedures. However, these measures do not address every
possible risk and may be inadequate to address significant operational risks.
Reliance on Trading Partners
Risk. The Fund invests in countries or regions whose economies are heavily dependent upon trading with key partners. Any reduction in this trading may have
an adverse impact on the Fund's investments. Through its holdings of securities of certain issuers, the
Fund is specifically exposed to Asian Economic Risk and U.S. Economic Risk.
Risk of Investing in China. Investments in Chinese securities, including certain Hong Kong-listed and U.S.-listed securities, subject the Fund to risks specific to China. China may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and
social instability. China is an emerging market and demonstrates significantly higher volatility from time
to time in comparison to developed markets. Over the last few decades, the Chinese government has
undertaken reform of economic and market practices and has expanded the sphere of private ownership of
property in China. However, Chinese markets generally continue to experience inefficiency, volatility and
pricing anomalies
S-4
resulting from governmental influence, a lack
of publicly available information and/or political and social instability.
Chinese companies are also subject to the risk that Chinese authorities can intervene
in their operations and structure. Internal social unrest or confrontations with neighboring countries,
including military conflicts in response to such events, may also disrupt economic development in China and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency non-convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher rates of
inflation.
China has experienced security concerns, such as
terrorism and strained international relations. Additionally, China is alleged to have participated in
state-sponsored cyberattacks against foreign companies and foreign governments. Actual and threatened
responses to such activity and strained international relations, including purchasing restrictions,
sanctions, tariffs or cyberattacks on the Chinese government or Chinese companies, may impact China’s
economy and Chinese issuers of securities in which the Fund invests. Incidents involving China's or the region's security may cause uncertainty in Chinese markets and may adversely affect the Chinese economy and the Fund's investments. Export growth continues to be a major driver of China's rapid economic growth. Reduction in spending on
Chinese products and services, supply chain diversification, institution of additional tariffs or other
trade barriers (including as a result of heightened trade tensions or a trade war between China and the
U.S. or in response to actual or alleged Chinese cyber activity) or a downturn in any of the economies of
China's key trading partners may have an adverse impact on the Chinese economy. The Underlying Index may
include companies that are subject to economic or trade restrictions (but not investment restrictions)
imposed by the U.S. or other governments due to national security, human rights or other concerns of such
government. So long as these restrictions do not include restrictions on investments, the Fund is generally
expected to invest in such companies, consistent with its objective to track the performance of the
Underlying Index.
Chinese companies, including Chinese companies that
are listed on U.S. exchanges, are not subject to the same degree of regulatory requirements, accounting
standards or auditor oversight as companies in more developed countries. As a result, information about the
Chinese securities in which the Fund invests may be less reliable or complete. Chinese companies with
securities listed on U.S. exchanges may be delisted if they do not meet U.S. accounting standards and
auditor oversight requirements, which would significantly decrease the liquidity and value of the
securities. There may be significant obstacles to obtaining information necessary for investigations into or
litigation against Chinese companies, and shareholders may have limited legal remedies. The Fund does not
select investments based on investor protection considerations.
Risk of Investing in Russia. Investing in Russian
securities involves significant risks, including legal, regulatory, currency and economic risks that are
specific to Russia. In addition, investing in Russian securities involves risks associated with the settlement of portfolio transactions and loss of the Fund’s ownership rights in its portfolio securities as a result of the
system of share registration and custody in Russia. Governments, including the U.S., the U.K., the E.U.,
and many other countries have imposed economic sanctions on certain Russian individuals and Russian
corporate and banking entities, and
jurisdictions may also institute broader sanctions on Russia. Russia has issued a number of
countersanctions, some of which restrict the distribution of profits by limited liability companies (e.g., dividends), and prohibit Russian persons from entering into transactions with designated persons from “unfriendly states” as well as the export of raw materials or other products from Russia to certain sanctioned persons.
Russia
launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The extent and duration of the military action, resulting sanctions and resulting future market disruptions, including declines in its stock markets and the value of the ruble
against the U.S. dollar, are impossible to predict, but could be significant. Disruptions caused by Russian
military action or other actions (including cyberattacks and espionage) or resulting actual and threatened
responses to such activity, including purchasing and financing restrictions, boycotts or changes in consumer or purchaser preferences, sanctions, import and export restrictions, tariffs or cyberattacks on the Russian government,
Russian companies, or Russian individuals, including politicians, may impact Russia’s economy and
Russian companies in which the Fund invests. Actual and threatened responses to Russian military action may
also impact the markets for certain Russian commodities, such as oil and natural gas, as well as other sectors of the Russian economy, and are likely to have collateral impacts on such sectors globally. Russian companies may be
unable to pay dividends and, if they pay dividends, the Fund may be unable to receive them. As a result of
sanctions, the Fund is currently restricted from trading in Russian securities, including those in its
portfolio, and the Underlying Index has removed Russian securities. It is unknown when, or if, sanctions
may be lifted or the Fund’s ability to trade in Russian securities will resume.
Risk of Investing in Saudi
Arabia. Investing in Saudi Arabian issuers subjects the Fund to legal, regulatory, political, currency, security, and economic risks that are specific to
Saudi Arabia. The economy of Saudi Arabia is dominated by petroleum exports. A sustained decrease in
petroleum prices could have a negative impact on all aspects of the economy. Investments in the securities
of Saudi Arabian issuers involve risks not typically associated with investments in securities of issuers in more developed countries, which may negatively affect the value of the Fund’s investments. Such heightened risks may
include, among others, the expropriation and/or nationalization of assets, restrictions on and government
intervention in international trade, confiscatory taxation, political instability, including authoritarian
and/or military involvement in governmental decision-making, armed conflict, crime and instability as a
result of religious, ethnic and/or socioeconomic unrest. Instability in the Middle East region could
adversely impact the economy of Saudi Arabia, and there is no assurance of political stability in Saudi Arabia.
The ability of foreign investors to invest in the securities of Saudi Arabian companies could be restricted by the Saudi Arabian government at any time, and unforeseen risks could
materialize with respect to foreign ownership of such securities. There are a number of ways to conduct
transactions in equity securities in the Saudi Arabian market. The Fund generally expects to transact in a
manner so that it is not limited by Saudi Arabian regulations to a single broker. However, there may be a
limited number of brokers
S-5
who can provide services to the Fund, which
may have an adverse impact on the prices, quantity or timing of Fund transactions.
Risk of Investing in
Taiwan. Investments in Taiwanese issuers involve risks that are specific to Taiwan, including legal, regulatory, political, currency and economic risks.
Political and economic developments of Taiwan’s neighbors may have an adverse effect on
Taiwan’s economy. Specifically, Taiwan’s geographic proximity and history of political contention with China have resulted in ongoing tensions, which may materially affect the Taiwanese economy and its securities
market.
Securities Lending Risk.
The Fund may engage in securities lending. Securities lending involves the risk that the Fund may lose money because the borrower of the loaned securities fails to return the securities in a timely manner or at all.
The Fund could also lose money in the event of a decline in the value of collateral provided for loaned
securities or a decline in the value of any investments made with cash collateral. These events could also
trigger adverse tax consequences for the Fund.
Technology Companies Risk. Technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technological advances may have limited product lines, markets, financial resources, supply chains and personnel. These companies typically face intense
competition, potentially rapid product obsolescence and changes in product cycles and customer preferences.
They may face unexpected risks and costs associated with technological developments, such as artificial
intelligence and machine learning. Technology companies also depend heavily on intellectual property rights
and may be adversely affected by the loss or impairment of those rights. Technology companies may face
increased government scrutiny and may be subject to adverse government or legal action.
Tracking Error Risk. The Fund may be subject to
“tracking error,” which is the divergence of the Fund’s performance from that of the Underlying Index. Tracking error may occur due to a number of factors, including differences between the securities
and other
assets held in the Fund’s portfolio and those included in the Underlying Index; differences in the timing and methodologies used to value securities and other assets; transaction
costs and other expenses incurred by the Fund that the Underlying Index does not incur; the Fund’s
holding of uninvested cash; differences in the timing of the accrual or the valuation of dividends or
interest received by the Fund or distributions paid to Fund shareholders; tax gains or losses; the
requirements for the Fund to maintain pass-through tax treatment; portfolio transactions carried out to
minimize the distribution of capital gains to shareholders; the acceptance of custom baskets; changes to the
Underlying Index; and impacts to the Fund of complying with certain regulatory requirements or limits.
Tracking error risk may be heightened during times of increased market volatility or other unusual market
conditions. A Fund that tracks an index with exposure to non-U.S. issuers may experience higher tracking
error than ETFs that do not track such indexes.
Valuation Risk. The price that the Fund could receive upon the sale (or other disposition) of a security or other asset may differ
from the Fund’s valuation of the security or other asset, particularly for securities or other assets
that trade in low volume or volatile markets or that are valued using a fair value methodology. The price
received by the Fund also may differ from the value used by the Underlying Index. In addition, the value of
the securities or other assets in the Fund’s portfolio may change on days or during time periods when
investors are not able to purchase or sell Fund shares. Authorized Participants that create or redeem Fund
shares on days when the Fund is holding fair-valued securities or other assets may receive fewer or more
shares, or lower or higher redemption proceeds, than they would have received had the securities or other
assets not been fair valued or been valued using a different methodology. The ability to value investments
may be impacted by technological issues or errors by pricing services or other third-party service providers.
S-6
Performance
Information
The performance information below illustrates how the
Fund’s performance has varied over different periods and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the performance of the Fund
has varied from one calendar year to another over the periods shown. The table compares the Fund’s performance to that of an appropriate broad-based securities market
index and
the Underlying Index. Fund returns assume the reinvestment of any dividends and distributions. The Fund’s returns reflect the impact of any agreements to waive or reimburse expenses, which would reduce performance if not in effect. Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information, including the Fund’s current NAV, may be obtained by visiting www.iShares.com or by calling 1-800-iShares (1-800-474-2737) (toll free).
Calendar Year-by-Year Returns
| |
Return (%) |
Period Ended |
| Calendar Year-to-Date Return |
14.28% |
September 30, 2024 |
| During the periods shown in the chart:
| ||
| Best Quarter |
19.99% |
December 31, 2020 |
| Worst Quarter |
-23.44% |
March 31, 2020 |
Average Annual Total Returns
(for the periods ended December 31, 2023)
(for the periods ended December 31, 2023)
| |
One Year |
Five Years |
Since Fund
Inception |
| (Inception Date: 6/28/2016) |
|
|
|
| Return Before Taxes |
9.41% |
3.24% |
5.57% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions |
8.78% |
2.71% |
5.08% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares |
6.10% |
2.57% |
4.45% |
| MSCI Emerging Markets Index1 (Returns do not reflect deductions for
fees, expenses or taxes) |
9.83% |
3.68% |
5.77% |
| MSCI Emerging Markets Extended ESG Focus Index2 (Returns do not reflect deductions for
fees, expenses or taxes) |
9.98% |
3.69% |
6.09% |
1The Fund has added this broad-based index in response to new regulatory requirements.
2Index returns through May 31, 2018 reflect the
performance of the MSCI Emerging Markets ESG Focus Index. Index returns beginning on June 1, 2018 reflect the performance of the MSCI Emerging Markets Extended ESG Focus Index,
which, effective as of June 1, 2018, replaced the MSCI Emerging Markets ESG Focus Index as the Underlying Index of the Fund. This return reflects the net total return version of
the Index, which is calculated including dividends but withholds taxes based on the maximum withholding tax rates applicable to dividends received by non-resident investors. The
Index returns shown above assume dividends are reinvested after the deduction of withholding taxes using tax rates that may be higher than actually incurred by the Fund.
After-tax returns in the table above are calculated using the historical highest individual U.S. federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state or local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to tax-exempt investors or investors who hold shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts (“IRAs”). Fund returns after taxes on
distributions and sales of Fund shares are calculated assuming that an investor has sufficient capital gains of the same character from other investments to offset any capital
losses from the sales of Fund shares. As a result, Fund returns after taxes on distributions and sales of Fund shares may exceed Fund returns before taxes and/or returns after taxes on distributions.
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Management
Investment Adviser. BlackRock Fund Advisors.
Portfolio Managers. Jennifer Hsui, Matt Waldron, Peter Sietsema and Steven White (the “Portfolio
Managers”) are primarily
responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. Each Portfolio Manager supervises a portfolio
management team. Ms. Hsui has been a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 2016. Mr. Waldron, Mr. Sietsema
and Mr. White have been Portfolio Managers of the Fund since 2025.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is an ETF. Individual shares of the Fund may only be bought and sold in the
secondary market through a broker-dealer. Because ETF shares trade at market prices rather than at NAV,
shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (a premium) or less than NAV (a discount). An investor may
incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase
shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the
“bid-ask spread”).
Tax Information
The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxable to you as ordinary income
or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement such as a 401(k) plan or an
IRA, in which case, your distributions generally will be taxed when withdrawn.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), BFA or
other related companies may pay the intermediary for marketing activities and presentations, educational
training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems or other
services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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