As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 21, 2024
Securities Act File No. 333-142592
Investment Company Act File No. 811-22061
Investment Company Act File No. 811-22061
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM N-1A
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
☒
Pre-Effective Amendment No.
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Post-Effective Amendment No. 377
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and/or
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE
INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940
☒
Amendment No. 379
☒
(Check appropriate box or boxes)
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
100 Bellevue Parkway, Wilmington, Delaware 19809
United States of America
United States of America
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code: (800) 441-7762
John M. Perlowski
BLACKROCK FUNDS II
50 Hudson Yards
New York, New York 10001
United States of America
BLACKROCK FUNDS II
50 Hudson Yards
New York, New York 10001
United States of America
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)
Copies to:
| Counsel for the Fund: |
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| Jesse C. Kean, Esq. Sidley Austin LLP 787 Seventh Avenue New York, New York 10019 |
Janey Ahn, Esq. BlackRock Advisors, LLC 50 Hudson Yards New York, New York 10001 |
It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box)
☐ Immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
☒ On November 27, 2024 pursuant to paragraph (b)
☐ 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
☐ On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
☐ 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)
☐ On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485
If appropriate, check the following box:
☐ This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment.
Title of Securities Being Registered: Shares of beneficial interest, par value $0.001 per share.
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Prospectus |
BlackRock Funds II | Investor and Institutional Shares
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BlackRock Dynamic High Income Portfolio
Investor A: BDHAX • Investor C: BDHCX • Institutional: BDHIX
This 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 Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Not FDIC Insured ● May Lose Value ● No Bank Guarantee
| Key facts and details about the Fund, including investment objective, principal investment strategies, principal risk factors, fee and expense information and historical performance information |
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| Information about how the Fund invests, including investment objective, investment process, principal strategies and risk factors |
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| Information about account services, sales charges and waivers, shareholder transactions, and distribution and other payments |
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| Information about BlackRock and the Portfolio Managers |
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| Financial Performance of the Fund |
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| Glossary of Investment Terms |
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| Inside Back Cover | ||
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Back Cover |
The investment objective of BlackRock Dynamic High Income Portfolio (the “Fund”), a series of BlackRock Funds II (the “Trust”), is to seek high current income with consideration for capital appreciation.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to your financial professional or your selected securities dealer, broker, investment adviser, service provider or industry professional (including BlackRock Advisors, LLC (“BlackRock”) and its affiliates) (each, a “Financial Intermediary”), which are not reflected in the table and example below. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $25,000 in the fund complex advised by BlackRock or its affiliates. More information about these and other discounts is available from your Financial Intermediary and in the “Details About the Share Classes” and the “Intermediary-Defined Sales Charge Waiver Policies” sections on pages 65 and A-1, respectively, of the Fund’s prospectus and in the “Purchase of Shares” section on page II-93 of Part II of the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information.
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| Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) |
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| Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements3,5 |
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As described in the “Management of the Fund” section of the Fund’s prospectus beginning on page 81, 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 0.90% (for Investor A Shares), 1.65% (for Investor C Shares) and 0.65% (for Institutional Shares) of average daily net assets through June 30, 2026 .
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The contractual agreement may be terminated upon 90 days’ notice by a majority of the non-interested trustees of the Trust 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 Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
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| Investor C Shares |
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| Institutional Shares |
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You would pay the following expenses if you did not redeem your shares:
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| Investor C Shares |
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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 and may result in higher taxes when shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in 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 109 % of the average value of its portfolio.
The Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in equity securities and up to 100% of its assets in fixed-income securities. The Fund may also gain exposure to such equity securities and fixed-income securities by investing in BlackRock equity and/or fixed-income mutual funds (“underlying funds”) and affiliated and unaffiliated ETFs. The Fund may also invest up to 50% of its assets in structured notes that provide exposure to covered call options or other types of financial instruments.
With respect to the Fund’s equity investments, the Fund may invest in common stock and preferred stock. From time to time, the Fund may invest in shares of companies through initial public offerings (“IPOs”). The Fund may invest in equity securities of both U.S. or non-U.S. issuers without limit, including in securities of issuers located in emerging markets. The Fund’s investments in non-dollar denominated equity securities may be on a currency hedged or unhedged basis. The Fund may invest in securities of companies of any market capitalization. The Fund may also purchase securities convertible into common and preferred stock.
With respect to the Fund’s fixed-income investments, the Fund may invest in a portfolio of fixed-income securities, such as corporate bonds and notes, mortgage-backed securities (including commercial mortgage-backed securities and collateralized mortgage obligations), asset-backed securities (including collateralized debt obligations (“CDOs”) and collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”)), convertible securities, preferred securities and government obligations. Convertible debt securities have features of both fixed-income and equity securities and often are issued by companies that have lower credit ratings but higher potential for long-term growth. The Fund may invest in fixed-income securities of both U.S. or non-U.S. issuers without limit, including in securities of issuers located in emerging markets. The Fund may also invest significantly in non-investment grade bonds (high yield, junk bonds or distressed securities), including non-investment grade bonds of issuers located in emerging markets, non-investment grade bank loans and non-dollar denominated bonds. The Fund’s investments in non-dollar denominated bonds may be on a currency hedged or unhedged basis. Non-investment grade bonds or bank loans acquired by the Fund will generally be in the lower categories of the major rating agencies at the time of purchase (BB or lower by S&P Global Ratings, a division of S&P Global Inc., or Ba or lower by Moody’s Investors Services, Inc.) or will be determined by the management team to be of similar quality. The average portfolio duration of the Fund will vary based on the management team’s forecast of interest rates and there are no limits regarding portfolio duration or average maturity.
The Fund intends to invest in certain income-producing instruments, including master limited partnerships (“MLPs”) (which are generally in energy-related industries), U.S. and non-U.S. real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), preferred stock, structured products, structured notes that provide exposure to covered call options or other types of financial
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instruments, floating rate securities (such as bank loans), dividend stocks and fixed-income securities. The Fund may also invest in closed-end investment companies.
The Fund may invest significantly in derivatives, including, but not limited to, interest rate swaps, total return swaps, credit default swaps, variance swaps, options (including covered call options), futures, options on futures and swaps and foreign currency transactions (including swaps), for hedging purposes, as well as to increase the return on its portfolio investments. The Fund may seek to obtain market exposure to the securities in which it primarily invests by entering into a series of purchase and sale contracts or by using other investment techniques (such as reverse repurchase agreements or dollar rolls). The underlying funds and ETFs in which the Fund invests may, to varying degrees, also invest in derivatives.
The Fund may invest in indexed and inverse floating rate securities.
The Fund may also incur leverage (within the limits of applicable law) for investment purposes. The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading of portfolio securities to achieve its primary investment strategies.
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 the principal risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund is subject to the same risks as the underlying funds and ETFs in which it invests. The relative significance of each risk factor below may change over time and you should review each risk factor carefully.
The Fund is also subject to the risks associated with the securities in which it invests directly. The Fund may invest in underlying funds and ETFs which invest in fixed-income and equity securities. The principal risks set forth below are the principal risks of investing in the Fund, the underlying funds and/or the ETFs. In the following discussion, references to the “Fund” shall mean the Fund and any one or more of the relevant underlying funds and/or ETFs, where applicable.
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund, the Underlying Funds and/or the ETFs
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Allocation Risk — The Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective depends upon BlackRock’s skill in determining the Fund’s strategic asset class allocation and in selecting the best mix of underlying funds and direct investments. There is a risk that BlackRock’s evaluations and assumptions regarding asset classes or underlying funds and/or ETFs may be incorrect in view of actual market conditions.
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Equity Securities Risk — Stock markets are volatile. The price of equity securities fluctuates based on changes in a company’s financial condition and overall market and economic conditions.
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Debt Securities Risk — Debt securities, such as bonds, involve risks, such as credit risk, interest rate risk, extension risk, and prepayment risk, each of which are described in further detail below:
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 issuer’s credit rating or the market’s perception of an issuer’s creditworthiness may also affect the value of the Fund’s investment in that issuer. The degree of credit risk depends on both the financial condition of the issuer and the terms of the obligation.
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 during a 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 Fund’s 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 Fund’s investments will not affect interest income derived from instruments already owned by the Fund, but will be reflected in the Fund’s 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
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only periodically, changes in prevailing interest rates (and particularly sudden and significant changes) can be expected 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 Fund’s performance.
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.
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Asset Class Risk — Securities and other assets or financial instruments in an underlying fund’s underlying index or in the Fund’s portfolio may underperform in comparison to the general financial markets, a particular financial market or other asset classes.
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Derivatives Risk — The Fund’s use of derivatives may increase its costs, reduce the Fund’s returns and/or increase volatility. Derivatives involve significant risks, including:
Leverage Risk — The Fund’s use of derivatives can magnify the Fund’s 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 Fund’s 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.
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 Fund’s 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 Fund’s 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.
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Affiliated Fund Risk — In managing the Fund, BlackRock will have authority to select and substitute underlying funds and ETFs. BlackRock may be subject to potential conflicts of interest in selecting underlying funds and ETFs because the fees paid to BlackRock by some underlying funds and ETFs are higher than the fees paid by other underlying funds and ETFs. However, BlackRock is a fiduciary to the Fund and is legally obligated to act in the Fund’s best interests when selecting underlying funds and ETFs. If an underlying fund or ETF holds interests in an affiliated fund, the Fund may be prohibited from purchasing shares of that underlying fund or ETF.
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Collateralized Debt Obligations Risk — In addition to the typical risks associated with fixed-income securities and asset-backed securities, CDOs, including CLOs, carry additional risks including, but not limited to: (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the risk that the collateral may default or decline in value or be downgraded, if rated by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization; (iii) the Fund may invest in tranches of CDOs that are subordinate to other tranches; (iv) the structure and complexity of the transaction and the legal documents could lead to disputes among investors regarding the characterization of proceeds; (v) the investment return achieved by the Fund could be significantly different than those predicted by financial models; (vi) the lack of a readily available secondary market for CDOs; (vii) the risk of forced “fire sale” liquidation due to technical defaults such as coverage test failures; and (viii) the CDO’s manager may perform poorly.
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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, principal or dividends when due, and their market value may change based on changes in the issuer’s credit rating or the market’s perception of the issuer’s 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, including the potential for increased volatility in the price of the convertible security.
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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 Secured Overnight Financing Rate, 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 Fund’s 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.
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Covered Call Risk — The Fund intends to invest in covered call options and structured notes that provide exposure to covered call options. Covered call risk is the risk that the issuer of the call option will forgo any profit from increases in the market value of the underlying security covering the call option above the sum of the premium and the strike price of the call but retain the risk of loss if the underlying security declines in value. The Fund will have no control over the exercise of the option by the option holder and may lose the benefit from any capital appreciation on the underlying security. A number of factors may influence the option holder’s decision to exercise the option, including the value of the underlying security, price volatility, dividend yield and interest rates. To the extent that these factors increase the value of the call option, the option holder is more likely to exercise the option, which may negatively affect the Fund.
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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.
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Dollar Rolls Risk — Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities that the Fund is committed to buy may decline below the price of the securities the Fund has sold. These transactions may involve leverage.
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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
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returns to U.S. investors. In addition, many emerging securities markets have far lower trading volumes and less liquidity than developed markets.
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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:
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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.
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Changes in foreign currency exchange rates can affect the value of the Fund’s portfolio.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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The Fund’s 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 Fund’s net asset value for such refunds may be written down partially or in full, which will adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value.
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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 Fund’s investments.
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Geographic Risk — A natural or manmade disaster could occur in a geographic region in which the Fund invests, which could adversely affect the economy or the business operations of companies located there, causing an adverse impact on the Fund’s investments in the affected region.
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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. In addition, investment in mortgage dollar rolls and participation in to-be-announced (“TBA”) transactions may significantly increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. A TBA transaction is a method of trading mortgage-backed securities where the buyer and seller agree upon general trade parameters such as agency, settlement date, par amount, and price at the time the contract is entered into but the mortgage-backed securities are delivered in the future, generally 30 days later.
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High Yield 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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Illiquid Investments Risk — The Fund may not acquire any illiquid investment if, immediately after the acquisition, the Fund would have invested more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments. An illiquid investment is any investment that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. Liquid investments may become illiquid after purchase by the Fund, particularly during periods of market turmoil. There can be no assurance that a security or instrument that is deemed to be liquid when purchased will continue to be liquid for as long as it is held by the Fund, and any security or instrument held by the Fund may be deemed an illiquid investment pursuant to the Fund’s liquidity risk management program. The Fund’s illiquid investments may reduce the returns of the Fund because it may be difficult to sell the illiquid investments at an advantageous time or price. In addition, if the Fund is limited in its ability to sell illiquid investments during periods when shareholders are redeeming their shares, the Fund will need to sell liquid securities to meet redemption requests and illiquid
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securities will become a larger portion of the Fund’s holdings. An investment may be illiquid due to, among other things, the reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants to make a market in fixed-income securities or the lack of an active trading market. To the extent that the Fund’s principal investment strategies involve derivatives or securities with substantial market and/or credit risk, the Fund will tend to have the greatest exposure to the risks associated with illiquid investments. Illiquid investments may be harder to value, especially in changing markets, and if the Fund is forced to sell these investments to meet redemption requests or for other cash needs, the Fund may suffer a loss. This may be magnified in a rising interest rate environment or other circumstances where investor redemptions from fixed-income mutual funds may be higher than normal. In addition, when there is illiquidity in the market for certain securities, the Fund, due to limitations on illiquid investments, may be subject to purchase and sale restrictions.
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Income Risk — Income risk is the risk that the Fund’s yield will vary as short-term securities in its portfolio mature and the proceeds are reinvested in securities with different interest rates.
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Indexed and Inverse Securities Risk — Indexed and inverse securities provide a potential return based on a particular index of value or interest rates. The Fund’s 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 Fund’s investment in such instruments may decline significantly in value if interest rates or index levels move in a way Fund management does not anticipate.
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Investment in Other Investment Companies Risk — As with other investments, investments in other investment companies, including the underlying funds and/or ETFs, are subject to market and selection risk. In addition, if the Fund acquires shares of investment companies, including ones affiliated with the Fund, which may include underlying funds and ETFs advised by BlackRock or other investment advisers, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of expenses in the Fund (including management and advisory fees) and, indirectly, the expenses of the investment companies (to the extent not offset by BlackRock through waivers). To the extent the Fund is held by an affiliated fund, the ability of the Fund itself to hold other investment companies may be limited.
Investing in an ETF will give the Fund exposure to the securities comprising the index on which the ETF is based. Shares of ETFs are traded on an exchange throughout a trading day, and bought and sold based on market values and not at the ETF’s net asset value. For this reason shares of an ETF could trade at either a premium or discount to its net asset value. However, the trading prices of index-based ETFs tend to closely track the actual net asset value of the ETF. The Fund will pay brokerage commissions in connection with the purchase and sale of shares of ETFs, in addition to a spread (i.e., the difference between what professional investors are willing to pay for ETF shares (the “bid” price) and the price at which they are willing to sell ETF shares (the “ask” price)).
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Issuer Risk — Fund performance depends on the performance of individual securities to which the Fund has exposure. Changes in the financial condition or credit rating of an issuer of those securities may cause the value of the securities to decline.
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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 Fund’s portfolio will be magnified when the Fund uses leverage.
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Loans Risk — An economic downturn generally leads to a higher non-payment rate, and a loan may lose significant value before a default occurs. Moreover, any specific collateral used to secure a loan may decline in value or become illiquid, which would adversely affect the loan’s value. No active trading market may exist for certain loans, which may impair the ability of the Fund to realize full value in the event of the need to sell a loan and which may make it difficult to value loans. Although loans in which the Fund will invest generally will be secured by specific collateral, there can be no assurance that liquidation of such collateral would satisfy the borrower’s obligation in the event of non-payment of scheduled interest or principal or that such collateral could be readily liquidated. To the extent that a loan is collateralized by stock in the borrower or its subsidiaries, such stock may lose all of its value in the event of the bankruptcy of the borrower. Uncollateralized senior loans involve a greater risk of loss.
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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
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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.
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Master Limited Partnerships Risk — The common units of an MLP are listed and traded on U.S. securities exchanges and their value fluctuates predominantly based on prevailing market conditions and the success of the MLP. Unlike owners of common stock of a corporation, owners of common units have limited voting rights and have no ability to annually elect directors. In the event of liquidation, common units have preference over subordinated units, but not over debt or preferred units, to the remaining assets of the MLP.
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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.
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“New Issues” Risk — “New issues” are IPOs of equity securities. Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods. In addition, the prices of securities sold in IPOs may be highly volatile or may decline shortly after the IPO.
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Non-Agency Securities Risk — There are no direct or indirect government or agency guarantees of payments in mortgage pools created by non-government issuers. Non-agency securities are also not subject to the same underwriting requirements for the underlying mortgages that are applicable to those mortgage-related securities that have a government or government-sponsored entity guarantee. Non-agency securities with payments not guaranteed by a government agency generally involve greater credit risk than securities guaranteed by government agencies. In addition, a substantial portion of the non-agency securities in which the Fund invests may be rated below investment grade (commonly known as “junk bonds”).
Non-agency mortgage-related securities are not traded on an exchange and there may be a limited market for the securities, especially when there is a perceived weakness in the mortgage and real estate market sectors. Without an active trading market, the non-agency mortgage-related securities held in the Fund’s portfolio may be particularly difficult to value because of the complexities involved in assessing the value of the underlying mortgage loans.
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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 company’s 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 company’s financial condition or prospects. Preferred securities of smaller companies may be more vulnerable to adverse developments than preferred securities of larger companies.
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Privatization Risk — Some countries in which the Fund invests have privatized, or have begun the process of privatizing, certain entities and industries. Privatized entities may lose money or be re-nationalized.
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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 (the “Internal Revenue Code”), which allows REITs to reduce their corporate taxable income for dividends paid to their shareholders.
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Repurchase Agreements and Purchase and Sale Contracts Risk — If the other party to a repurchase agreement or purchase and sale contract defaults on its obligation under the agreement, the Fund may suffer delays and incur costs or lose money in exercising its rights under the agreement. If the seller fails to repurchase the security in either situation and the market value of the security declines, the Fund may lose money.
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Restricted Securities Risk — Limitations on the resale of restricted securities may have an adverse effect on their marketability, and may prevent the Fund from disposing of them promptly at advantageous prices. Restricted
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securities may not be listed on an exchange and may have no active trading market. In order to sell such securities, the Fund may have to bear the expense of registering the securities for resale and the risk of substantial delays in effecting the registration. Other transaction costs may be higher for restricted securities than unrestricted securities. Restricted securities may be difficult to value because market quotations may not be readily available, and the securities may have significant volatility. Also, the Fund may get only limited information about the issuer of a given restricted security, and therefore may be less able to predict a loss. Certain restricted securities may involve a high degree of business and financial risk and may result in substantial losses to the Fund.
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Reverse Repurchase Agreements Risk — Reverse repurchase agreements involve the sale of securities held by the Fund with an agreement to repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon price, date and interest payment. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the other party may fail to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. The Fund could lose money if it is unable to recover the securities and the value of the collateral held by the Fund, including the value of the investments made with cash collateral, is less than the value of the securities. These events could also trigger adverse tax consequences for the Fund. In addition, reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the interest income earned in the investment of the proceeds will be less than the interest expense.
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Risks of Investing in Closed-End Funds — The shares of closed-end funds may trade at a price below (discount) or above (premium), or at, their net asset value. To the extent that the Fund invests a portion of its assets in closed-end funds, those assets will be subject to the risks of the closed-end fund’s portfolio securities, and a shareholder in the Fund will bear not only his or her proportionate share of the expenses of the Fund, but also, indirectly, the expenses of the closed-end fund. The securities of closed-end funds in which the Fund may invest may be leveraged. As a result, the Fund may be indirectly exposed to leverage through an investment in such securities. An investment in securities of closed-end funds that use leverage may expose the Fund to higher volatility in the market value of such securities and the possibility that the Fund’s long-term returns on such securities (and, indirectly, the long-term returns of the shares) will be diminished.
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Senior Loans Risk — There is less readily available, reliable information about most senior loans than is the case for many other types of securities. An economic downturn generally leads to a higher non-payment rate, and a senior loan may lose significant value before a default occurs. Moreover, any specific collateral used to secure a senior loan may decline in value or become illiquid, which would adversely affect the senior loan’s value. No active trading market may exist for certain senior loans, which may impair the ability of the Fund to realize full value in the event of the need to sell a senior loan and which may make it difficult to value senior loans. Although senior loans in which the Fund will invest generally will be secured by specific collateral, there can be no assurance that liquidation of such collateral would satisfy the borrower’s obligation in the event of non-payment of scheduled interest or principal or that such collateral could be readily liquidated. To the extent that a senior loan is collateralized by stock in the borrower or its subsidiaries, such stock may lose all of its value in the event of the bankruptcy of the borrower. Uncollateralized senior loans involve a greater risk of loss.
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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 note’s 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.
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U.S. Government Issuer Risk — Treasury obligations may differ in their interest rates, maturities, times of issuance and other characteristics. Obligations of U.S. Government agencies and authorities are supported by varying degrees of credit but generally are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. No assurance can be given that the U.S. Government will provide financial support to its agencies and authorities if it is not obligated by law to do so.
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Variable and Floating Rate Instrument Risk — Variable and floating rate securities provide for periodic adjustment in the interest rate paid on the securities. These securities may be subject to greater illiquidity risk than other fixed income securities, meaning the absence of an active market for these securities could make it difficult for the Fund to dispose of them at any given time.
Principal ETF-Specific Risks
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Authorized Participant Concentration Risk — Only an Authorized Participant may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with an ETF. There are a limited number of institutions that may act as Authorized Participants for an ETF, including on an agency basis on behalf of other market participants.
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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 an ETF and no other Authorized Participant places orders, ETF shares are more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting.
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Management Risk — If a passively managed ETF does not fully replicate the underlying index, it is subject to the risk that the manager’s investment management strategy may not produce the intended results.
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Passive Investment Risk — The portfolios of certain ETFs are not actively managed and may be affected by a general decline in market segments relating to their respective indices. Such ETFs typically invest in securities included in, or representative of, their respective indices regardless of their investment merits and do not attempt to take defensive positions in declining markets.
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Representative Sampling Risk — Representative sampling is a method of indexing that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively have a similar investment profile to the index and resemble the index in terms of risk factors and other key characteristics. A passively managed ETF may or may not hold every security in the index. When an ETF deviates from a full replication indexing strategy to utilize a representative sampling strategy, the ETF is subject to an increased risk of tracking error, in that the securities selected in the aggregate for the ETF may not have an investment profile similar to those of its index.
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Shares of an ETF May Trade at Prices Other Than Net Asset Value — Shares of an ETF trade on exchanges at prices at, above or below their most recent net asset value. The per share net asset value of an ETF is calculated at the end of each business day and fluctuates with changes in the market value of the ETF’s holdings since the most recent calculation. The trading prices of an ETF’s shares fluctuate continuously throughout trading hours based on market supply and demand rather than net asset value. The trading prices of an ETF’s shares may deviate significantly from net asset value during periods of market volatility. Any of these factors may lead to an ETF’s shares trading at a premium or discount to net asset value. However, because shares can be created and redeemed in creation units, which are aggregated blocks of shares that authorized participants who have entered into agreements with the ETF’s distributor can purchase or redeem directly from the ETF, at net asset value (unlike shares of many closed-end funds, which frequently trade at appreciable discounts from, and sometimes at premiums to, their net asset values), large discounts or premiums to the net asset value of an ETF are not likely to be sustained over the long-term. While the creation/redemption feature is designed to make it likely that an ETF’s shares normally trade on exchanges at prices close to the ETF’s next calculated net asset value, exchange prices are not expected to correlate exactly with an ETF’s net asset value due to timing reasons as well as market supply and demand factors. In addition, disruptions to creations and redemptions or the existence of extreme market volatility may result in trading prices that differ significantly from net asset value. If a shareholder purchases at a time when the market price is at a premium to the net asset value or sells at a time when the market price is at a discount to the net asset value, the shareholder may sustain losses. The use of cash creations and redemptions may also cause the ETFs’ shares to trade in the market at greater bid-ask spreads or greater premiums or discounts to the ETFs’ NAV.
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Tracking Error Risk — Imperfect correlation between a passively managed ETF’s portfolio securities and those in its index, rounding of prices, the timing of cash flows, the ETF’s size, changes to the index and regulatory requirements may cause tracking error, which is the divergence of an ETF’s performance from that of its underlying index. This risk may be heightened during times of increased market volatility or other unusual market conditions. Tracking error also may result because an ETF incurs fees and expenses while its underlying index does not.
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Fund’s returns would have been lower. Updated information on the Fund’s performance, including its current net asset value, can be obtained by visiting www.blackrock.com or can be obtained by phone at (800) 882-0052 .
Investor A Shares
ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS
BlackRock Dynamic High Income Portfolio
As of 12/31
ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS
BlackRock Dynamic High Income Portfolio
As of 12/31
During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 12.93 % (quarter ended June 30, 2020 ) and the lowest return for a quarter was -19.19 % (quarter ended March 31, 2020 ). The year-to-date return as of September 30, 2024 was 11.39 %.
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1 Year |
5 Years |
Since Inception ( |
| BlackRock Dynamic High Income Portfolio — Investor A Shares |
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| Return Before Taxes |
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% |
% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions |
% |
% |
% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares |
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% |
| BlackRock Dynamic High Income Portfolio — Investor C Shares |
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| Return Before Taxes |
% |
% |
% |
| BlackRock Dynamic High Income Portfolio — Institutional Shares |
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| Return Before Taxes |
% |
% |
% |
| MSCI World Index (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
% |
% |
% |
| Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
% |
% |
% |
| 70% MSCI World Index/30% Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
% |
% |
% |
| 50% MSCI World High Dividend Index/50% Bloomberg U.S. High Yield 2% Issuer Capped Index (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
% |
% |
% |
Investment Manager
The Fund’s investment manager is BlackRock Advisors, LLC (previously defined as “BlackRock”). The Fund’s sub-advisers are BlackRock International Limited, BlackRock Asset Management North Asia Limited and BlackRock (Singapore) Limited. Where applicable, the use of the term BlackRock also refers to the Fund’s sub-advisers.
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Portfolio Managers
| Portfolio Manager |
Portfolio Manager of the Fund Since |
Title |
| Justin Christofel, CFA |
2014 |
Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. |
| Alex Shingler, CFA |
2015 |
Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. |
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund each day the New York Stock Exchange is open. To purchase or sell shares you should contact your Financial Intermediary, or, if you hold your shares through the Fund, you should contact the Fund by phone at (800) 441-7762, by mail (c/o BlackRock Funds, P.O. Box 534429, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15253-4429), or by the Internet at www.blackrock.com. The Fund’s initial and subsequent investment minimums generally are as follows, although the Fund may reduce or waive the minimums in some cases:
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Investor A and Investor C Shares |
Institutional Shares |
| Minimum Initial Investment |
$1,000 for all accounts except: •$50, if establishing an Automatic Investment Plan. •There is no investment minimum for employer- sponsored retirement plans (not including SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs or SARSEPs). •There is no investment minimum for certain fee- based programs. |
There is no minimum initial investment for: •Employer-sponsored retirement plans (not including SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs or SARSEPs), state sponsored 529 college savings plans, collective trust funds, investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles, unaffiliated thrifts and unaffiliated banks and trust companies, each of which may purchase shares of the Fund through a Financial Intermediary that has entered into an agreement with the Fund’s distributor to purchase such shares. •Clients of Financial Intermediaries that: (i) charge such clients a fee for advisory, investment consulting, or similar services or (ii) have entered into an agreement with the Fund’s distributor to offer Institutional Shares through a no-load program or investment platform. •Clients investing through a self-directed IRA brokerage account program sponsored by a retirement plan record-keeper, provided that such program offers only mutual fund options and that the program maintains an account with the Fund on an omnibus basis. $2 million for individuals and “Institutional Investors,” which include, but are not limited to, endowments, foundations, family offices, local, city, and state governmental institutions, corporations and insurance company separate accounts who may purchase shares of the Fund through a Financial Intermediary that has entered into an agreement with the Fund’s distributor to purchase such shares. $1,000 for: •Clients investing through Financial Intermediaries that offer such shares on a platform that charges a transaction based sales commission outside of the Fund. •Tax-qualified accounts for insurance agents that are registered representatives of an insurance company’s broker-dealer that has entered into an agreement with the Fund’s distributor to offer Institutional Shares, and the family members of such persons. |
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| |
Investor A and Investor C Shares |
Institutional Shares |
| Minimum Additional Investment |
$50 for all accounts (with the exception of certain employer-sponsored retirement plans which may have a lower minimum). |
No subsequent minimum. |
Tax Information
The Fund’s dividends and distributions may be subject to U.S. federal income taxes and may be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are a tax-exempt investor or are investing through a qualified tax-exempt plan described in section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code, in which case you may be subject to U.S. federal income tax when distributions are received from such tax-deferred arrangements.
Payments to Broker/Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a Financial Intermediary, the Fund and BlackRock Investments, LLC, the Fund’s distributor, or its affiliates may pay the Financial Intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services.
These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the Financial Intermediary and your individual financial professional to recommend the Fund over another investment.
Ask your individual financial professional or visit your Financial Intermediary’s website for more information.
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Details About the Fund
Included in this prospectus are sections that tell you about buying and selling shares, management information, shareholder features of BlackRock Dynamic High Income Portfolio (the “Fund”), a series of BlackRock Funds II (the “Trust”), and your rights as a shareholder.
How the Fund Invests
Investment Objective
The investment objective of the Fund is to seek high current income with consideration for capital appreciation.
This investment objective is a non-fundamental policy of the Fund. Should the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of the Trust determine that the investment objective of the Fund should be changed, shareholders will be given at least 30 days’ notice before any such change is made. However, such change can be effected without shareholder approval.
Investment Process
The management team will tactically allocate to asset classes around the world that are deemed to offer high levels of income and total return relative to the level of expected risk.
The Fund will invest in securities and other investments that the management team believes offer attractive returns through long-term capital appreciation, high income or both. The management team will select underlying funds, exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), securities and other investments primarily to achieve the target sector allocations set by the management team on an ongoing basis. Factors such as fund classification, historical risk and performance, and the relationship to other underlying funds and ETFs are considered in the top-down selection process.
In selecting equity investments, the management team will generally use a bottom-up approach, with an emphasis on dividend yield, in addition to standard analysis of earnings growth and valuation. In selecting underlying funds, ETFs and fixed-income investments, the management team evaluates sectors of the bond market including, but not limited to, U.S. Treasuries and agency securities, commercial and residential mortgage-backed securities, collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”), asset-backed securities and corporate bonds. The management team may shift the Fund’s assets among these various sectors based upon changing market conditions. Securities, underlying funds and ETFs are purchased for the Fund when the management team believes that they have the potential for above-average total return.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in equity securities and up to 100% of its assets in fixed-income securities. The Fund may also gain exposure to such equity securities and fixed-income securities by investing in BlackRock Advisors, LLC (“BlackRock”) equity and/or fixed-income mutual funds (“underlying funds”) and affiliated and unaffiliated ETFs. See “Information about Underlying Funds and ETFs.” The Fund may also invest up to 50% of its assets in structured notes that provide exposure to covered call options or other types of financial instruments.
With respect to the Fund’s equity investments, the Fund may invest in common stock and preferred stock. From time to time, the Fund may invest in shares of companies through initial public offerings (“IPOs”). The Fund may invest in equity securities of both U.S. or non-U.S. issuers without limit, including in securities of issuers located in emerging markets. The Fund’s, underlying funds’ and ETFs’ investments in non-dollar denominated equity securities may be on a currency hedged or unhedged basis. The Fund may invest in securities of companies of any market capitalization. The Fund may also purchase securities convertible into common and preferred stock.
With respect to the Fund’s fixed-income investments, the Fund may invest in a portfolio of fixed-income securities, such as corporate bonds and notes, mortgage-backed securities (including commercial mortgage-backed securities and CMOs), asset-backed securities (including collateralized debt obligations (“CDOs”) and collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”)), convertible securities, preferred securities and government obligations. Convertible debt securities have features of both fixed-income and equity securities and often are issued by companies that have lower credit ratings but higher potential for long-term growth. The Fund may invest in fixed-income securities of both U.S. or non-U.S. issuers without limit, including in securities of issuers located in emerging markets. The Fund may also invest significantly in non-investment grade bonds (high yield, junk bonds or distressed securities), including non-investment
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grade bonds of issuers located in emerging markets, non-investment grade bank loans and non-dollar denominated bonds. The Fund’s investments in non-dollar denominated bonds may be on a currency hedged or unhedged basis.
Non-investment grade bonds or bank loans acquired by the Fund will generally be in the lower categories of the major rating agencies at the time of purchase (BB or lower by S&P Global Ratings, a division of S&P Global Inc., or Ba or lower by Moody’s Investors Services, Inc.) or will be determined by the management team to be of similar quality. The average portfolio duration of the Fund will vary based on the management team’s forecast of interest rates and there are no limits regarding portfolio duration or average maturity.
The Fund intends to invest in certain income-producing instruments, including master limited partnerships (“MLPs”) (which are generally in energy-related industries), U.S. and non-U.S. real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), preferred stock, structured products, structured notes that provide exposure to covered call options or other types of financial instruments, floating rate securities (such as bank loans), dividend stocks and fixed-income securities. The Fund may also invest in closed-end investment companies.
MLPs are limited partnerships or limited liability companies taxable as partnerships. MLPs may derive income and gains from the exploration, development, mining or production, processing, refining, transportation (including pipelines transporting gas, oil, or products thereof), or the marketing of any mineral or natural resources. MLPs generally have two classes of owners, the general partner and limited partners. When investing in an MLP, the Fund intends to purchase publicly traded common units issued to limited partners of the MLP. The general partner is typically owned by a major energy company, an investment fund, the direct management of the MLP or is an entity owned by one or more of such parties. The general partner may be structured as a private or publicly traded corporation or other entity.
REITs are companies that own interests in real estate or in real estate related loans or other interests, and have revenue primarily consisting of rent derived from owned, income producing real estate properties and capital gains from the sale of such properties. REITs can generally be classified as equity REITs, mortgage REITs and hybrid REITs. Equity REITs invest the majority of their assets directly in real property and derive their income primarily from rents. Equity REITs can also realize capital gains by selling properties that have appreciated in value. Mortgage REITs invest the majority of their assets in real estate mortgages and derive their income primarily from interest payments. Hybrid REITs combine the characteristics of both equity REITs and mortgage REITs. REITs are not taxed on income distributed to shareholders provided they comply with the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”).
The Fund may invest significantly in derivatives, including, but not limited to, interest rate swaps, total return swaps, credit default swaps, variance swaps, options (including covered call options), futures, options on futures and swaps and foreign currency transactions (including swaps), for hedging purposes, as well as to increase the return on its portfolio investments. An option is the right to buy or sell a security or an index of securities at a specific price on or before a specific date. A future is an agreement to buy or sell a security or an index of securities at a specific price on a specific date. A swap is an agreement whereby one party exchanges its right to receive or its obligation to pay one type of interest or currency for another party’s obligation to pay or its right to receive another type of interest or currency in the future or for a period of time. The Fund may seek to obtain market exposure to the securities in which it primarily invests by entering into a series of purchase and sale contracts or by using other investment techniques (such as reverse repurchase agreements or dollar rolls). A dollar roll transaction involves a sale by the Fund of a mortgage-backed or other security concurrently with an agreement by the Fund to repurchase a similar security at a later date at an agreed-upon price. The securities that are repurchased will bear the same interest rate and stated maturity as those sold, but pools of mortgages collateralizing those securities may have different prepayment histories than those sold. The underlying funds and ETFs in which the Fund invests may, to varying degrees, also invest in derivatives.
The Fund may invest in indexed and inverse floating rate securities.
The Fund may also incur leverage (within the limits of applicable law) for investment purposes. The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading of portfolio securities to achieve its primary investment strategies.
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ABOUT THE PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT TEAM OF THE FUND
The Fund is managed by a team of financial professionals. Justin Christofel, CFA, and Alex Shingler, CFA, are the portfolio managers and are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. Please see “Management of the Fund — Portfolio Manager Information” for additional information about the portfolio management team.
Investment Risks
This section contains a discussion of the general risks of investing in the Fund. The “Investment Objective and Policies” section in the Statement of Additional Information (the “SAI”) also includes more information about the Fund, its investments and the related risks. As with any fund, there can be no guarantee that the Fund will meet its investment objective or that the Fund’s performance will be positive for any period of time. An investment in the Fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or by any bank or governmental agency. The Fund is subject to the same risks as the underlying funds and ETFs in which it invests. The order of the below risk factors does not indicate the significance of any particular risk factor.
The Fund is also subject to the risks associated with the securities in which it invests directly. The Fund may invest in underlying funds and ETFs which invest in fixed-income and equity securities. The principal risks set forth below are the principal risks of investing in the Fund, the underlying funds and/or the ETFs. In the following discussion, references to the “Fund” shall mean the Fund and any one or more of the relevant underlying funds and/or ETFs, where applicable.
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund, the Underlying Funds and/or the ETFs
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Affiliated Fund Risk — In managing the Fund, BlackRock will have authority to select and substitute underlying funds and ETFs. BlackRock may be subject to potential conflicts of interest in selecting underlying funds and ETFs because the fees paid to BlackRock by some underlying funds and ETFs are higher than the fees paid by other underlying funds and ETFs. However, BlackRock is a fiduciary to the Fund and is legally obligated to act in the Fund’s best interests when selecting underlying funds and ETFs. If an underlying fund or ETF holds interests in an affiliated fund, the Fund may be prohibited from purchasing shares of that underlying fund or ETF.
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Allocation Risk — The Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective depends upon BlackRock’s skill in determining the Fund’s strategic asset class allocation and in selecting the best mix of underlying funds and/or ETFs and direct investments. There is a risk that BlackRock’s evaluations and assumptions regarding asset classes or underlying funds and/or ETFs may be incorrect in view of actual market conditions. In addition, there is no guarantee that the underlying funds and/or ETFs will achieve their investment objectives, and the underlying funds’ and/or ETFs’ performance may be lower than the performance of the asset class which they were selected to represent. The underlying funds and/or ETFs may change their investment objectives or policies without the approval of the Fund. If an underlying fund or ETF were to change its investment objective or policies, the Fund might be forced to withdraw its investment from the underlying fund or ETF at a disadvantageous time and price.
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Asset Class Risk — The securities or other assets in an underlying fund’s underlying index or in the Fund’s portfolio may underperform in comparison to other securities or indexes that track other countries, groups of countries, regions, industries, groups of industries, markets, asset classes or sectors. Various types of securities, currencies and indexes or assets may experience cycles of outperformance and underperformance in comparison to the general financial markets depending upon a number of factors including, among other things, inflation, interest rates, productivity, global demand for local products or resources, and regulation and governmental controls. This may cause the Fund to underperform other investment vehicles that invest in different asset classes.
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Calculation Methodology Risk — An underlying fund’s underlying index relies on various sources of information to assess the criteria of issuers included in the underlying fund’s underlying index (or its parent index), including information that may be based on assumptions and estimates. Neither the Fund nor BlackRock can offer assurances that an underlying fund’s underlying index calculation methodology or sources of information will provide an accurate assessment of included issuers.
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Collateralized Debt Obligations Risk — In addition to the typical risks associated with fixed-income securities and asset-backed securities, CDOs, including CLOs, carry additional risks including, but not limited to: (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the risk that the collateral may default or decline in value or be downgraded, if rated by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization; (iii) the Fund may invest in tranches of CDOs that are subordinate to other tranches; (iv) the structure and complexity of the transaction and the legal documents could lead to disputes among investors regarding the characterization of proceeds; (v) the investment return achieved by the Fund could be significantly different than
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those predicted by financial models; (vi) the lack of a readily available secondary market for CDOs; (vii) the risk of forced “fire sale” liquidation due to technical defaults such as coverage test failures; and (viii) the CDO’s manager may perform poorly.
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Concentration Risk — To the extent that the Fund’s portfolio reflects concentration in the securities of issuers in a particular region, market, industry, group of industries, country, group of countries, sector or asset class, the Fund may be adversely affected by the performance of those securities, may be subject to increased price volatility and may be more susceptible to adverse economic, market, political or regulatory occurrences affecting that region, market, industry, group of industries, country, group of countries, sector or asset class.
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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, principal or dividends when due, and their market value may change based on changes in the issuer’s credit rating or the market’s perception of the issuer’s 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, including the potential for increased volatility in the price of the convertible security.
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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 Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”), 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. However, because the trading market for certain corporate loans may be less developed than the secondary market for bonds and notes, the Fund may experience difficulties in selling its corporate loans. 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 Fund’s 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. Leading financial institutions often act as agent for a broader group of lenders, generally referred to as a syndicate. The syndicate’s agent arranges the corporate loans, holds collateral and accepts payments of principal and interest. If the agent develops financial problems, the Fund may not recover its investment or recovery may be delayed. By investing in a corporate loan, the Fund may become a member of the syndicate.
The market for corporate loans may be subject to irregular trading activity and wide bid/ask spreads.
The corporate loans in which the Fund invests are subject to the risk of loss of principal and income. Although borrowers frequently provide collateral to secure repayment of these obligations they do not always do so. If they do provide collateral, the value of the collateral may not completely cover the borrower’s obligations at the time of a default. If a borrower files for protection from its creditors under the U.S. bankruptcy laws, these laws may limit the Fund’s rights to its collateral. In addition, the value of collateral may erode during a bankruptcy case. In the event of a bankruptcy, the holder of a corporate loan may not recover its principal, may experience a long delay in recovering its investment and may not receive interest during the delay.
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Counterparty Risk — The counterparty to an over-the-counter derivatives contract or a borrower of the Fund’s securities may be unable or unwilling to make timely principal, interest or settlement payments, or otherwise to honor its obligations. Any such failure to honor its obligations may cause significant losses to the Fund.
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Covered Call Risk — The Fund intends to invest in covered call options and structured notes that provide exposure to covered call options. Covered call risk is the risk that the issuer of the call option will forgo any profit from increases in the market value of the underlying security covering the call option above the sum of the premium and the strike price of the call but retain the risk of loss if the underlying security declines in value. The Fund will have no control over the exercise of the option by the option holder and may lose the benefit from any capital appreciation on the underlying security. A number of factors may influence the option holder’s decision to exercise the option, including the value of the underlying security, price volatility, dividend yield and interest rates. To the extent that these factors increase the value of the call option, the option holder is more likely to exercise the option, which may negatively affect the Fund.
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Debt Securities Risk — Debt securities, such as bonds, involve risks, such as credit risk, interest rate risk, extension risk, and prepayment risk, each of which are described in further detail below:
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 issuer’s credit rating or the market’s perception of an issuer’s creditworthiness may also affect the value of the Fund’s investment in that issuer. The degree of credit risk depends on both the financial condition of the issuer and the terms of the obligation.
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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 during a 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 Fund’s 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 Fund’s investments will not affect interest income derived from instruments already owned by the Fund, but will be reflected in the Fund’s 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 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.
The Federal Reserve raised and maintained higher interest rates as part of its efforts to address rising inflation. In September 2024, the Federal Reserve lowered the federal funds rate and may announce additional rate cuts in the near future. Changing interest rates may have unpredictable effects on markets, may result in heightened market volatility, and could negatively impact the Fund’s performance. 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 mutual 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 Fund’s performance.
During periods of very low or negative interest rates, the Fund may be unable to maintain positive returns. Certain countries have recently experienced negative interest rates on certain fixed-income instruments. Very low or negative interest rates may magnify interest rate risk. Changing interest rates, including rates that fall below zero, may have unpredictable effects on markets, may result in heightened market volatility and may detract from Fund performance to the extent the Fund is exposed to such interest rates.
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. Rising interest rates tend to extend the duration of securities, making them more sensitive to changes in interest rates. The value of longer-term securities generally changes more in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term securities. As a result, in a period of rising interest rates, securities may exhibit additional volatility and may lose value.
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. In periods of falling interest rates, the rate of prepayments tends to increase (as does price fluctuation) as borrowers are motivated to pay off debt and refinance at new lower rates. During such periods, reinvestment of the prepayment proceeds by the management team will generally be at lower rates of return than the return on the assets that were prepaid. Prepayment reduces the yield to maturity and the average life of the security.
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Deflation Risk — Deflation risk is the possibility that prices throughout the economy decline over time — the opposite of inflation. If inflation is negative, the principal and income of an inflation-protected bond will decline and could result in losses for the Fund.
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Derivatives Risk — The Fund’s use of derivatives may increase its costs, reduce the Fund’s returns and/or increase volatility. Derivatives involve significant risks, including:
Leverage Risk — The Fund’s use of derivatives can magnify the Fund’s 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
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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 Fund’s 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.
Volatility and Correlation Risk — The Fund’s use of derivatives may reduce the Fund’s returns and/or increase volatility. 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 Fund’s 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. Derivatives may also expose the Fund to greater risk and increase its costs. Certain transactions in derivatives involve substantial leverage risk and may expose the Fund to potential losses that exceed the amount originally invested by the Fund.
Hedging Risk — When a derivative is used as a hedge against a position that the Fund holds, any loss generated by the derivative generally should be substantially offset by gains on the hedged investment, and vice versa. While hedging can reduce or eliminate losses, it can also reduce or eliminate gains. Hedges are sometimes subject to imperfect matching between the derivative and the underlying security, and there can be no assurance that the Fund’s hedging transactions will be effective. The use of hedging may result in certain adverse tax consequences noted below.
Tax Risk — The federal income tax treatment of a derivative may not be as favorable as a direct investment in an underlying asset and may adversely affect the timing, character and amount of income the Fund realizes from its investments. As a result, a larger portion of the Fund’s distributions may be treated as ordinary income rather than capital gains. In addition, certain derivatives are subject to mark-to-market or straddle provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”). If such provisions are applicable, there could be an increase (or decrease) in the amount of taxable dividends paid by the Fund. In addition, the tax treatment of certain derivatives, such as swaps, is unsettled and may be subject to future legislation, regulation or administrative pronouncements issued by the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”).
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.
Future regulatory developments may impact the Fund’s ability to invest or remain invested in certain derivatives. Legislation or regulation may also change the way in which the Fund itself is regulated. BlackRock cannot predict the effects of any new governmental regulation that may be implemented on the ability of the Fund to use swaps or any other financial derivative product, and there can be no assurance that any new governmental regulation will not adversely affect the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective.
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Risks Specific to Certain Derivatives Used by the Fund
Swaps — Swap agreements, including total return swaps that may be referred to as contracts for difference, are two-party contracts entered into for periods ranging from a few days to more than one year. In a standard “swap” transaction, two parties agree to exchange the value(s) or cash flow(s) of one asset for another over a certain period of time. Swap agreements involve the risk that the party with whom the Fund has entered into the swap will default on its obligation to pay the Fund and the risk that the Fund will not be able to meet its obligations to pay the other party to the agreement. Swap agreements may also involve the risk that there is an imperfect correlation between the return on the Fund’s obligation to its counterparty and the return on the referenced asset. In addition, swap agreements are subject to market and illiquidity risk, leverage risk and hedging risk.
Credit Default Swaps — Credit default swaps may have as reference obligations one or more securities that are not currently held by the Fund. The protection “buyer” may be obligated to pay the protection “seller” an up-front payment or a periodic stream of payments over the term of the contract, provided generally that no credit event on a reference obligation has occurred. Credit default swaps involve special risks in addition to those mentioned above because they are difficult to value, are highly susceptible to illiquid investments risk and credit risk, and generally pay a return to the party that has paid the premium only in the event of an actual default by the issuer of the underlying obligation (as opposed to a credit downgrade or other indication of financial difficulty).
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts — Forward foreign currency exchange transactions are OTC contracts to purchase or sell a specified amount of a specified currency or multinational currency unit at a price and future date set at the time of the contract. Forward foreign currency exchange contracts do not eliminate fluctuations in the value of non-U.S. securities but rather allow the Fund to establish a fixed rate of exchange for a future point in time. This strategy can have the effect of reducing returns and minimizing opportunities for gain.
Futures — Futures are standardized, exchange-traded contracts that obligate a purchaser to take delivery, and a seller to make delivery, of a specific amount of an asset at a specified future date at a specified price. The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts and options are: (a) the imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the instruments held by the Fund and the price of the futures contract or option; (b) the possible lack of a liquid secondary market for a futures contract and the resulting inability to close a futures contract when desired; (c) losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which are potentially unlimited; (d) the investment adviser’s inability to predict correctly the direction of securities prices, interest rates, currency exchange rates and other economic factors; and (e) the possibility that the counterparty will default in the performance of its obligations.
Options — An option is an agreement that, for a premium payment or fee, gives the option holder (the purchaser) the right but not the obligation to buy (a “call option”) or sell (a “put option”) the underlying asset (or settle for cash in an amount based on an underlying asset, rate, or index) at a specified price (the “exercise price”) during a period of time or on a specified date. Investments in options are considered speculative. When the Fund purchases an option, it may lose the total premium paid for it if the price of the underlying security or other assets decreased, remained the same or failed to increase to a level at or beyond the exercise price (in the case of a call option) or increased, remained the same or failed to decrease to a level at or below the exercise price (in the case of a put option). If a put or call option purchased by the Fund were permitted to expire without being sold or exercised, its premium would represent a loss to the Fund. To the extent that the Fund writes or sells an option, if the decline or increase in the underlying asset is significantly below or above the exercise price of the written option, the Fund could experience a substantial loss.
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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.
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Dividend Risk — Because certain of the corporate loans held by the Fund will have floating or variable interest rates, the amounts of the Fund’s monthly distributions to its stockholders are expected to vary with fluctuations in market interest rates. Generally, when market interest rates fall, the amount of the distributions to stockholders will likewise decrease.
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Dividend-Paying Stock Risk — Investing in dividend-paying stocks involves the risk that such stocks may fall out of favor with investors and underperform the broader market. Companies that issue dividend-paying stocks are not required to pay or continue paying dividends on such stocks. It is possible that issuers of the stocks held by the
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Fund will not declare dividends in the future or will reduce or eliminate the payment of dividends (including reducing or eliminating anticipated accelerations or increases in the payment of dividends) in the future.
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Dollar Rolls Risk — A dollar roll transaction involves a sale by the Fund of a mortgage-backed, U.S. Treasury or other security (as permitted by the Fund’s investment strategies) concurrently with an agreement by the Fund to repurchase a similar security at a later date at an agreed-upon price. The market value of the securities the Fund is required to purchase may decline below the agreed upon repurchase price of those securities. If the broker/dealer to whom the Fund sells securities becomes insolvent, the Fund’s right to purchase or repurchase securities may be restricted. Successful use of dollar rolls may depend upon the adviser’s ability to correctly predict interest rates and prepayments, depending on the underlying security. There is no assurance that dollar rolls can be successfully employed.
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Emerging Markets Risk — The risks of foreign investments are usually much greater for emerging markets. Investments in emerging markets may be considered speculative. Emerging markets may include those in countries considered emerging or developing by the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation or the United Nations. Emerging markets are riskier than more developed markets because they tend to develop unevenly and may never fully develop. They are more likely to experience hyperinflation and currency devaluations, which adversely affect returns to U.S. investors. In addition, many emerging markets have far lower trading volumes and less liquidity than developed markets. Since these markets are often small, they may be more likely to suffer sharp and frequent price changes or long-term price depression because of adverse publicity, investor perceptions or the actions of a few large investors. In addition, traditional measures of investment value used in the United States, such as price to earnings ratios, may not apply to certain small markets. Also, there may be less publicly available information about issuers in emerging markets than would be available about issuers in more developed capital markets, and such issuers may not be subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and requirements comparable to those to which U.S. companies are subject.
Many emerging markets have histories of political instability and abrupt changes in policies. As a result, their governments are more likely to take actions that are hostile or detrimental to private enterprise or foreign investment than those of more developed countries, including expropriation of assets, confiscatory taxation, high rates of inflation or unfavorable diplomatic developments. In the past, governments of such nations have expropriated substantial amounts of private property, and most claims of the property owners have never been fully settled. There is no assurance that such expropriations will not reoccur. In such an event, it is possible that the Fund could lose the entire value of its investments in the affected market. Some countries have pervasive corruption and crime that may hinder investments. Certain emerging markets may also face other significant internal or external risks, including the risk of war, and ethnic, religious and racial conflicts. In addition, governments in many emerging market countries participate to a significant degree in their economies and securities markets, which may impair investment and economic growth. National policies that may limit the Fund’s investment opportunities include restrictions on investment in issuers or industries deemed sensitive to national interests.
Emerging markets may also have differing legal systems and the existence or possible imposition of exchange controls, custodial restrictions or other foreign or U.S. governmental laws or restrictions applicable to such investments. Sometimes, they may lack or be in the relatively early development of legal structures governing private and foreign investments and private property. Many emerging markets do not have income tax treaties with the United States, and as a result, investments by the Fund may be subject to higher withholding taxes in such countries. In addition, some countries with emerging markets may impose differential capital gains taxes on foreign investors. Foreign 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 may significantly decrease the liquidity and value of the securities.
Practices in relation to settlement of securities transactions in emerging markets involve higher risks than those in developed markets, in part because the Fund will need to use brokers and counterparties that are less well capitalized, and custody and registration of assets in some countries may be unreliable. The possibility of fraud, negligence, undue influence being exerted by the issuer or refusal to recognize ownership exists in some emerging markets, and, along with other factors, could result in ownership registration being completely lost. The Fund would absorb any loss resulting from such registration problems and may have no successful claim for compensation. In addition, communications between the United States and emerging market countries may be unreliable, increasing the risk of delayed settlements or losses of security certificates.
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Equity Securities Risk — Common and preferred stocks represent equity ownership in a company. Stock markets are volatile. The price of equity securities will fluctuate and can decline and reduce the value of a portfolio investing in equities. The value of equity securities purchased by the Fund could decline if the financial condition of the companies the Fund invests in declines or if overall market and economic conditions deteriorate. The value of equity
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securities may also decline due to factors that affect a particular industry or industries, such as labor shortages or an increase in production costs and competitive conditions within an industry. In addition, the value may decline due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to a company or industry, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in inflation, interest or currency rates or generally adverse investor sentiment.
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Event Risk — Event risk is the risk that corporate issuers may undergo restructurings, such as mergers, leveraged buyouts, takeovers, or similar events financed by increased debt. As a result of the added debt, the credit quality and market value of a company’s bonds and/or other debt securities may decline significantly.
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Foreign Securities Risk — Securities traded in foreign markets have often (though not always) performed differently from securities traded in the United States. However, such investments often involve special risks not present in U.S. investments that can increase the chances that the Fund will lose money. In particular, the Fund is subject to the risk that because there may be fewer investors on foreign exchanges and a smaller number of securities traded each day, it may be more difficult for the Fund to buy and sell securities on those exchanges. In addition, prices of foreign securities may go up and down more than prices of securities traded in the United States.
Certain Risks of Holding Fund Assets Outside the United States — The Fund generally holds its foreign securities and cash in foreign banks and securities depositories. Some foreign banks and securities depositories may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. In addition, there may be limited or no regulatory oversight of their operations. Also, the laws of certain countries limit the Fund’s ability to recover its assets if a foreign bank, depository or issuer of a security, or any of their agents, goes bankrupt. In addition, it is often more expensive for the Fund to buy, sell and hold securities in certain foreign markets than in the United States. The increased expense of investing in foreign markets reduces the amount the Fund can earn on its investments and typically results in a higher operating expense ratio for the Fund than for investment companies invested only in the United States.
Currency Risk — Securities and other instruments in which the Fund invests may be denominated or quoted in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. For this reason, changes in foreign currency exchange rates can affect the value of the Fund’s portfolio.
Generally, when the U.S. dollar rises in value against a foreign currency, a security denominated in that currency loses value because the currency is worth fewer U.S. dollars. Conversely, when the U.S. dollar decreases in value against a foreign currency, a security denominated in that currency gains value because the currency is worth more U.S. dollars. This risk, generally known as “currency risk,” means that a strong U.S. dollar will reduce returns for U.S. investors while a weak U.S. dollar will increase those returns.
Should the Fund invest in a debt security denominated in U.S. dollars and issued by an issuer whose functional currency is a currency other than the U.S. dollar, and such currency decreases in value against the U.S. dollar, such issuer’s ability to repay its obligation under the U.S. dollar-denominated security may be negatively impacted.
Foreign Economy Risk — 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. Certain foreign economies may rely heavily on particular industries or foreign capital and are more vulnerable to diplomatic developments, the imposition of economic sanctions against a particular country or countries, changes in international trading patterns, trade barriers and other protectionist or retaliatory measures. Investments in foreign markets may also be adversely affected by governmental actions such as the imposition of capital controls, nationalization of companies or industries, expropriation of assets or the imposition of punitive taxes. In addition, economic conditions, such as volatile currency exchange rates and interest rates, political events, military action and other conditions may, without prior warning, lead to the governments of certain countries, or the U.S. Government with respect to certain countries, prohibiting or imposing substantial restrictions through capital controls and/or sanctions on foreign investments in the capital markets or certain industries in those countries. Capital controls and/or sanctions may include the prohibition of, or restrictions on, the ability to own or transfer currency, securities, derivatives or other assets and may also include retaliatory actions of one government against another government, such as seizure of assets. Any of these actions could severely impair the Fund’s ability to purchase, sell, transfer, receive, deliver or otherwise obtain exposure to foreign securities and assets, including the ability to transfer the Fund’s assets or income back into the United States, and could negatively impact the value and/or liquidity of such assets or otherwise adversely affect the Fund’s operations, causing the Fund to decline in value.
Other potential foreign market risks include foreign exchange controls, difficulties in pricing securities, defaults on foreign government securities, difficulties in enforcing legal judgments in foreign courts and political and social instability. Diplomatic and political developments, including rapid and adverse political changes, social instability, regional conflicts, terrorism and war, could affect the economies, industries and securities and currency markets,
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and the value of the Fund’s investments, in non-U.S. countries. These factors are extremely difficult, if not impossible, to predict and take into account with respect to the Fund’s investments.
Governmental Supervision and Regulation/Accounting Standards — Many foreign governments do not supervise and regulate stock exchanges, brokers and the sale of securities to the same extent as such regulations exist in the United States. They also may not have laws to protect investors that are comparable to U.S. securities laws. For example, some foreign countries may have no laws or rules against insider trading. Insider trading occurs when a person buys or sells a company’s securities based on material non-public information about that company. In addition, some countries may have legal systems that may make it difficult for the Fund to vote proxies, exercise shareholder rights, and pursue legal remedies with respect to its foreign investments. Accounting standards in other countries are not necessarily the same as in the United States. If the accounting standards in another country do not require as much detail as U.S. accounting standards, it may be harder for Fund management to completely and accurately determine a company’s financial condition.
Settlement Risk — Settlement and clearance procedures in certain foreign markets differ significantly from those in the United States. Foreign settlement and clearance procedures and trade regulations also may involve certain risks (such as delays in payment for or delivery of securities) not typically associated with the settlement of U.S. investments.
At times, settlements in certain foreign countries have not kept pace with the number of securities transactions. These problems may make it difficult for the Fund to carry out transactions. If the Fund cannot settle or is delayed in settling a purchase of securities, it may miss attractive investment opportunities and certain of its assets may be uninvested with no return earned thereon for some period. If the Fund cannot settle or is delayed in settling a sale of securities, it may lose money if the value of the security then declines or, if it has contracted to sell the security to another party, the Fund could be liable for any losses incurred.
Withholding Tax Reclaims Risk — The Fund may file claims to recover foreign withholding taxes on dividend and interest income (if any) received from issuers in certain countries and capital gains on the disposition of stocks or securities where such withholding tax reclaim is possible. Whether or when the Fund will receive a withholding tax refund is within the control of the tax authorities in such countries. Where the Fund expects to recover withholding taxes, the net asset value of the Fund generally includes accruals for such tax refunds. The Fund regularly evaluates the probability of recovery. If the likelihood of recovery materially decreases, due to, for example, a change in tax regulation or approach in the foreign country, accruals in the Fund’s net asset value for such refunds may be written down partially or in full, which will adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value. Shareholders in the Fund at the time an accrual is written down will bear the impact of the resulting reduction in net asset value regardless of whether they were shareholders during the accrual period. Conversely, if the Fund receives a tax refund that has not been previously accrued, shareholders in the Fund at the time of the successful recovery will benefit from the resulting increase in the Fund’s net asset value. Shareholders who sold their shares prior to such time will not benefit from such increase in the Fund’s net asset value.
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Geographic Risk — Some of the companies in which the Fund invests are located in parts of the world that have historically been prone to natural disasters, such as earthquakes, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, droughts, floods, hurricanes or tsunamis, and are economically sensitive to environmental events. Any such event may adversely impact the economies of these geographic areas or business operations of companies in these geographic areas, causing an adverse impact on the value of the Fund.
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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. In addition, investment in mortgage dollar rolls and participation in to-be-announced (“TBA”) transactions may significantly increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. A TBA transaction is a method of trading mortgage-backed securities where the buyer and seller agree upon general trade parameters such as agency, settlement date, par amount, and price at the time the contract is entered into but the mortgage-backed securities are delivered in the future, generally 30 days later.
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High Yield 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. The major risks of junk bond investments include:
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Junk bonds may be issued by less creditworthy issuers. Issuers of junk bonds may have a larger amount of outstanding debt relative to their assets than issuers of investment grade bonds. In the event of an issuer’s bankruptcy, claims of other creditors may have priority over the claims of junk bond holders, leaving few or no assets available to repay junk bond holders.
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Prices of junk bonds are subject to extreme price fluctuations. Adverse changes in an issuer’s industry and general economic conditions may have a greater impact on the prices of junk bonds than on other higher rated fixed-income securities.
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Issuers of junk bonds may be unable to meet their interest or principal payment obligations because of an economic downturn, specific issuer developments, or the unavailability of additional financing.
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Junk bonds frequently have redemption features that permit an issuer to repurchase the security from the Fund before it matures. If the issuer redeems junk bonds, the Fund may have to invest the proceeds in bonds with lower yields and may lose income.
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Junk bonds may be less liquid than higher rated fixed-income securities, even under normal economic conditions. There are fewer dealers in the junk bond market, and there may be significant differences in the prices quoted for junk bonds by the dealers. Because they are less liquid than higher rated fixed-income securities, judgment may play a greater role in valuing junk bonds than is the case with securities trading in a more liquid market.
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The Fund may incur expenses to the extent necessary to seek recovery upon default or to negotiate new terms with a defaulting issuer.
The credit rating of a high yield security does not necessarily address its market value risk. Ratings and market value may change from time to time, positively or negatively, to reflect new developments regarding the issuer.
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Illiquid Investments Risk — The Fund may not acquire any illiquid investment if, immediately after the acquisition, the Fund would have invested more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments. An illiquid investment is any investment that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. Liquid investments may become illiquid after purchase by the Fund, particularly during periods of market turmoil. There can be no assurance that a security or instrument that is deemed to be liquid when purchased will continue to be liquid for as long as it is held by the Fund, and any security or instrument held by the Fund may be deemed an illiquid investment pursuant to the Fund’s liquidity risk management program. The Fund’s illiquid investments may reduce the returns of the Fund because it may be difficult to sell the illiquid investments at an advantageous time or price. In addition, if the Fund is limited in its ability to sell illiquid investments during periods when shareholders are redeeming their shares, the Fund will need to sell liquid securities to meet redemption requests and illiquid securities will become a larger portion of the Fund’s holdings. An investment may be illiquid due to, among other things, the reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants to make a market in fixed-income securities or the lack of an active trading market. To the extent that the Fund’s principal investment strategies involve derivatives or securities with substantial market and/or credit risk, the Fund will tend to have the greatest exposure to the risks associated with illiquid investments. Illiquid investments may be harder to value, especially in changing markets, and if the Fund is forced to sell these investments to meet redemption requests or for other cash needs, the Fund may suffer a loss. This may be magnified in a rising interest rate environment or other circumstances where investor redemptions from fixed-income mutual funds may be higher than normal. In addition, when there is illiquidity in the market for certain securities, the Fund, due to limitations on illiquid investments, may be subject to purchase and sale restrictions.
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Income Producing Stock Availability Risk — Depending upon market conditions, income producing common stock that meets the Fund’s investment criteria may not be widely available and/or may be highly concentrated in only a few market sectors. This may limit the ability of the Fund to produce current income while remaining fully diversified.
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Income Risk — The Fund’s yield will vary as the short-term securities in its portfolio mature and the proceeds are reinvested in securities with different interest rates.
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Index-Related Risk — The Fund seeks to achieve a return that corresponds generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the underlying index as published by the index provider. There is no assurance that the index provider or any agents that may act on its behalf will compile the underlying index accurately, or that the underlying index will be determined, composed or calculated accurately. While the index provider provides descriptions of what the underlying index is designed to achieve, neither the index provider nor its agents provide any warranty or accept any liability in relation to the quality, accuracy or completeness of the underlying index or its related data, and they do not guarantee that the underlying index will be in line with the index provider’s methodology. BlackRock’s mandate as described in this prospectus is to manage the Fund consistently with the underlying index provided by the index provider to BlackRock. BlackRock does not provide any warranty or guarantee against the index provider’s or any agent’s errors. Errors in respect of the quality, accuracy and completeness of the data used to compile the underlying index may occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected by the index provider for a period of time or at all, particularly where the indices are less commonly used as benchmarks by funds or managers. Such errors may negatively or positively impact the Fund and its shareholders. For example, during a period where the underlying index contains incorrect constituents, the Fund
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would have market exposure to such constituents and would be underexposed to the underlying index’s other constituents. Shareholders should understand that any gains from index provider errors will be kept by the Fund and its shareholders and any losses or costs resulting from index provider errors will be borne by 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 to the underlying index. This could cause the underlying index to vary from its normal or expected composition. The postponement of a scheduled rebalance could mean that constituents that would otherwise be removed at rebalance due to changes in market capitalizations, issuer credit ratings, or other reasons may remain, causing the performance and constituents of the underlying index to vary from those expected under normal conditions. Apart from scheduled rebalances, the Index Provider or its agents may carry out additional ad hoc rebalances to the underlying index due to reaching certain weighting constraints, unusual market conditions or in order, for example, to correct an error in the selection of index constituents. When the underlying index is rebalanced and the Fund in turn rebalances its portfolio to attempt to increase the correlation between the Fund’s portfolio and the underlying index, any transaction costs and market exposure arising from such portfolio rebalancing will be borne directly by the Fund and its shareholders. Therefore, errors and additional ad hoc rebalances carried out by the index provider or its agents to the underlying index may increase the costs to and the tracking error risk of the Fund.
An index fund has operating and other expenses while an index does not. As a result, while the Fund will attempt to track the underlying index as closely as possible, it will tend to underperform the underlying index to some degree over time. If an index fund is properly correlated to its stated index, the fund will perform poorly when the index performs poorly.
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Indexed and Inverse Securities Risk — Indexed and inverse securities provide a potential return based on a particular index of value or interest rates. The Fund’s 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 Fund’s investment in such instruments may decline significantly in value if interest rates or index levels move in a way Fund management does not anticipate.
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Inflation-Indexed Bonds Risk — The principal value of an investment is not protected or otherwise guaranteed by virtue of the Fund’s investments in inflation-indexed bonds.
Inflation-indexed bonds are fixed-income securities whose principal value is periodically adjusted according to the rate of inflation. If the index measuring inflation falls, the principal value of inflation-indexed bonds will be adjusted downward, and consequently the interest payable on these securities (calculated with respect to a smaller principal amount) will be reduced.
Repayment of the original bond principal upon maturity (as adjusted for inflation) is guaranteed in the case of U.S. Treasury inflation-indexed bonds. For bonds that do not provide a similar guarantee, the adjusted principal value of the bond repaid at maturity may be less than the original principal value.
The value of inflation-indexed bonds is expected to change in response to changes in real interest rates. Real interest rates are tied to the relationship between nominal interest rates and the rate of inflation. If nominal interest rates increase at a faster rate than inflation, real interest rates may rise, leading to a decrease in value of inflation-indexed bonds. Short-term increases in inflation may lead to a decline in value. Any increase in the principal amount of an inflation-indexed bond will be considered taxable ordinary income, even though investors do not receive their principal until maturity.
Periodic adjustments for inflation to the principal amount of an inflation-indexed bond may give rise to original issue discount, which will be includable in the Fund’s gross income. Due to original issue discount, the Fund may be required to make annual distributions to shareholders that exceed the cash received, which may cause the Fund to liquidate certain investments when it is not advantageous to do so. Also, if the principal value of an inflation-indexed bond is adjusted downward due to deflation, amounts previously distributed in the taxable year may be characterized in some circumstances as a return of capital.
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Investment in Other Investment Companies Risk — As with other investments, investments in other investment companies, including the underlying funds and/or ETFs, are subject to market and selection risk. In addition, if the Fund acquires shares of investment companies, including ones affiliated with the Fund, which may include underlying funds and ETFs advised by BlackRock or other investment advisers, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of expenses in the Fund (including management and advisory fees) and, indirectly, the expenses of the investment companies (to the extent not offset by BlackRock through waivers). To the extent the Fund is held by an affiliated fund, the ability of the Fund itself to hold other investment companies may be limited.
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Investing in an ETF will give the Fund exposure to the securities comprising the index on which the ETF is based. Shares of ETFs are traded on an exchange throughout a trading day, and bought and sold based on market values and not at the ETF’s net asset value. For this reason shares of an ETF could trade at either a premium or discount to its net asset value. However, the trading prices of index-based ETFs tend to closely track the actual net asset value of the ETF. The Fund will pay brokerage commissions in connection with the purchase and sale of shares of ETFs, in addition to a spread (i.e., the difference between what professional investors are willing to pay for ETF shares (the “bid” price) and the price at which they are willing to sell ETF shares (the “ask” price)).
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Investment Style Risk — Under certain market conditions, growth investments have performed better during the later stages of economic expansion and value investments have performed better during periods of economic recovery. Therefore, these investment styles may over time go in and out of favor. At times when the investment style used by the Fund is out of favor, the Fund may underperform other funds that use different investment styles.
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Issuer Risk — The performance of the Fund depends on the performance of individual securities to which the Fund has exposure. Any issuer of these securities may perform poorly, causing the value of its securities to decline. Poor performance may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, changes in technology, expiration of patent protection, disruptions in supply, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, credit deterioration of the issuer or other factors. Issuers may, in times of distress or at their own discretion, decide to reduce or eliminate dividends, which may also cause their stock prices to decline.
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Large-Capitalization Companies Risk — Large-capitalization companies may be less able than smaller capitalization companies to adapt to changing market conditions. Large-capitalization companies may be more mature and subject to more limited growth potential compared with smaller capitalization companies. During different market cycles, the performance of large-capitalization companies has trailed the overall performance of the broader securities markets.
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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. As an open-end investment company registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), the Fund is subject to the federal securities laws, including the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”) and the rules thereunder. Under Rule 18f-4 under the Investment Company Act, among other things, the Fund must either use derivatives in a limited manner or comply with an outer limit on fund leverage risk based on value-at-risk. 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 and the rules thereunder. Increases and decreases in the value of the Fund’s portfolio will be magnified when the Fund uses leverage.
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Loans Risk — There is no minimum rating or other independent evaluation of a borrower or its securities limiting the Fund’s investments, and BlackRock relies primarily on its own evaluation of a borrower’s credit quality rather than on any available independent sources. As a result, the Fund is particularly dependent on the analytical abilities of BlackRock.
An economic downturn generally leads to a higher non-payment rate, and a loan may lose significant value before a default occurs. Moreover, any specific collateral used to secure a loan may decline in value or become illiquid, which would adversely affect the loan’s value.
No active trading market may exist for certain loans, which may impair the ability of the Fund to realize full value in the event of the need to sell a loan and which may make it difficult to value loans. Adverse market conditions may impair the liquidity of some actively traded loans. To the extent that a secondary market does exist for certain loans, the market may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods.
Although loans in which the Fund will invest generally will be secured by specific collateral, there can be no assurance that liquidation of such collateral would satisfy the borrower’s obligation in the event of non-payment of scheduled interest or principal or that such collateral could be readily liquidated. In the event of the bankruptcy of a borrower, the Fund could experience delays or limitations with respect to its ability to realize the benefits of the collateral securing a loan. If the terms of a loan do not require the borrower to pledge additional collateral in the event of a decline in the value of the already pledged collateral, the Fund will be exposed to the risk that the value of the collateral will not at all times equal or exceed the amount of the borrower’s obligations under the loans. To the extent that a loan is collateralized by stock in the borrower or its subsidiaries, such stock may lose all of its value in the event of the bankruptcy of the borrower. Uncollateralized loans involve a greater risk of loss. Some loans are subject to the risk that a court, pursuant to fraudulent conveyance or other similar laws, could subordinate the loans to presently existing or future indebtedness of the borrower or take other action detrimental to lenders, including the Fund. Such court action could under certain circumstances include invalidation of loans.
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If a loan is acquired through an assignment, the Fund may not be able to unilaterally enforce all rights and remedies under the loan and with regard to any associated collateral. If a loan is acquired through a participation, the Fund generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement against the borrower, and the Fund may not directly benefit from the collateral supporting the debt obligation in which it has purchased the participation. As a result, the Fund will be exposed to the credit risk of both the borrower and the institution selling the participation.
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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.
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Master Limited Partnerships Risk — The common units of an MLP are listed and traded on U.S. securities exchanges and their value fluctuates predominantly based on prevailing market conditions and the success of the MLP. Unlike owners of common stock of a corporation, owners of common units have limited voting rights and have no ability to annually elect directors. In the event of liquidation, common units have preference over subordinated units, but not over debt or preferred units, to the remaining assets of the MLP.
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Mezzanine Securities Risk — Mezzanine securities generally are rated below investment grade and frequently are unrated and present many of the same risks as senior loans, second lien loans and non-investment grade bonds. However, unlike senior loans and second lien loans, mezzanine securities are not a senior or secondary secured obligation of the related borrower. They typically are the most subordinated debt obligation in an issuer’s capital structure. Mezzanine securities also may often be unsecured. Mezzanine securities therefore are subject to the additional risk that the cash flow of the related borrower and the property securing the loan may be insufficient to repay the scheduled obligation after giving effect to any senior obligations of the related borrower. Mezzanine securities will be subject to certain additional risks to the extent that such loans may not be protected by financial covenants or limitations upon additional indebtedness. Investment in mezzanine securities is a highly specialized investment practice that depends more heavily on independent credit analysis than investments in other types of debt obligations.
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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.
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Mortgage- and Asset-Backed Securities Risks — Mortgage-backed securities (residential and commercial) and asset-backed securities represent interests in “pools” of mortgages or other assets, including consumer loans or receivables held in trust. Although asset-backed and commercial mortgage-backed securities (“CMBS”) generally experience less prepayment than residential mortgage-backed securities, mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities, like traditional fixed-income securities, are subject to credit, interest rate, prepayment and extension risks.
Small movements in interest rates (both increases and decreases) may quickly and significantly reduce the value of certain mortgage-backed securities. The Fund’s investments in asset-backed securities are subject to risks similar to those associated with mortgage-related securities, as well as additional risks associated with the nature of the assets and the servicing of those assets. These securities also are subject to the risk of default on the underlying mortgages or assets, particularly during periods of economic downturn. Certain CMBS are issued in several classes with different levels of yield and credit protection. The Fund’s investments in CMBS with several classes may be in the lower classes that have greater risks than the higher classes, including greater interest rate, credit and prepayment risks.
Mortgage-backed securities may be either pass-through securities or CMOs. Pass-through securities represent a right to receive principal and interest payments collected on a pool of mortgages, which are passed through to
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security holders. CMOs are created by dividing the principal and interest payments collected on a pool of mortgages into several revenue streams (“tranches”) with different priority rights to portions of the underlying mortgage payments. Certain CMO tranches may represent a right to receive interest only (“IOs”), principal only (“POs”) or an amount that remains after floating-rate tranches are paid (an “inverse floater”). These securities are frequently referred to as “mortgage derivatives” and may be extremely sensitive to changes in interest rates. Interest rates on inverse floaters, for example, vary inversely with a short-term floating rate (which may be reset periodically). Interest rates on inverse floaters will decrease when short-term rates increase, and will increase when short-term rates decrease. These securities have the effect of providing a degree of investment leverage. In response to changes in market interest rates or other market conditions, the value of an inverse floater may increase or decrease at a multiple of the increase or decrease in the value of the underlying securities. If the Fund invests in CMO tranches (including CMO tranches issued by government agencies) and interest rates move in a manner not anticipated by Fund management, it is possible that the Fund could lose all or substantially all of its investment. TBA commitments are forward agreements for the purchase or sale of securities, including mortgage backed securities for a fixed price, with payment and delivery on an agreed upon future settlement date. The specific securities to be delivered are not identified at the trade date. However, delivered securities must meet specified terms, including issuer, rate and mortgage terms Certain mortgage-backed securities in which the Fund may invest may also provide a degree of investment leverage, which could cause the Fund to lose all or substantially all of its investment.
The mortgage market in the United States has experienced difficulties that may adversely affect the performance and market value of certain of the Fund’s mortgage-related investments. Delinquencies and losses on mortgage loans (including subprime and second-lien mortgage loans) and a decline in or flattening of real estate values (in each case as has been experienced and may continue to be experienced in many housing markets) may exacerbate such delinquencies and losses. Also, a number of mortgage loan originators have experienced serious financial difficulties or bankruptcy. Reduced investor demand for mortgage loans and mortgage-related securities and increased investor yield requirements have caused limited liquidity in the secondary market for mortgage-related securities, which can adversely affect the market value of mortgage-related securities. It is possible that such limited liquidity in such secondary markets could continue or worsen.
Asset-backed securities entail certain risks not presented by mortgage-backed securities, including the risk that in certain states it may be difficult to perfect the liens securing the collateral backing certain asset-backed securities. In addition, certain asset-backed securities are based on loans that are unsecured, which means that there is no collateral to seize if the underlying borrower defaults.
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Municipal Securities Risks — Municipal securities risks include the ability of the issuer to repay the obligation, the relative lack of information about certain issuers of municipal securities, and the possibility of future legislative changes which could affect the market for and value of municipal securities. Budgetary constraints of local, state, and federal governments upon which the issuers may be relying for funding may also impact municipal securities. These risks include:
General Obligation Bonds Risks — The full faith, credit and taxing power of the municipality that issues a general obligation bond secures payment of interest and repayment of principal. Timely payments depend on the issuer’s credit quality, ability to raise tax revenues and ability to maintain an adequate tax base.
Revenue Bonds Risks — Payments of interest and principal on revenue bonds are made only from the revenues generated by a particular facility, class of facilities or the proceeds of a special tax or other revenue source. These payments depend on the money earned by the particular facility or class of facilities, or the amount of revenues derived from another source.
Private Activity Bonds Risks — Municipalities and other public authorities issue private activity bonds to finance development of industrial facilities for use by a private enterprise. The private enterprise pays the principal and interest on the bond, and the issuer does not pledge its full faith, credit and taxing power for repayment. If the private enterprise defaults on its payments, the Fund may not receive any income or get its money back from the investment.
Moral Obligation Bonds Risks — Moral obligation bonds are generally issued by special purpose public authorities of a state or municipality. If the issuer is unable to meet its obligations, repayment of these bonds becomes a moral commitment, but not a legal obligation, of the state or municipality.
Municipal Notes Risks — Municipal notes are shorter term municipal debt obligations. They may provide interim financing in anticipation of, and are secured by, tax collection, bond sales or revenue receipts. If there is a shortfall in the anticipated proceeds, the notes may not be fully repaid and the Fund may lose money.
Municipal Lease Obligations Risks — In a municipal lease obligation, the issuer agrees to make payments when due on the lease obligation. The issuer will generally appropriate municipal funds for that purpose, but is not
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obligated to do so. Although the issuer does not pledge its unlimited taxing power for payment of the lease obligation, the lease obligation is secured by the leased property. However, if the issuer does not fulfill its payment obligation it may be difficult to sell the property and the proceeds of a sale may not cover the Fund’s loss.
Tax-Exempt Status Risk — In making investments, the Fund and its investment manager will rely on the opinion of issuers’ bond counsel and, in the case of derivative securities, sponsors’ counsel, on the tax-exempt status of interest on municipal obligations and payments under tax-exempt derivative securities. Neither the Fund nor its investment manager will independently review the bases for those tax opinions. If any of those tax opinions are ultimately determined to be incorrect or if events occur after the security is acquired that impact the security’s tax-exempt status, the Fund and its shareholders could be subject to substantial tax liabilities. The IRS has generally not ruled on the taxability of the securities. An assertion by the IRS that a portfolio security is not exempt from U.S. federal income tax (contrary to indications from the issuer) could affect the Fund’s and its shareholders’ income tax liability for the current or past years and could create liability for information reporting penalties. In addition, an IRS assertion of taxability may impair the liquidity and the fair market value of the securities.
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“New Issues” Risk — “New issues” are IPOs of equity securities. Investments in companies that have recently gone public have the potential to produce substantial gains for the Fund. However, there is no assurance that the Fund will have access to profitable IPOs and therefore investors should not rely on these past gains as an indication of future performance. The investment performance of the Fund during periods when it is unable to invest significantly or at all in IPOs may be lower than during periods when the Fund is able to do so. In addition, as the Fund increases in size, the impact of IPOs on the Fund’s performance will generally decrease. Securities issued in IPOs are subject to many of the same risks as investing in companies with smaller market capitalizations. Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods. In addition, the prices of securities sold in IPOs may be highly volatile or may decline shortly after the IPO. When an IPO is brought to the market, availability may be limited and the Fund may not be able to buy any shares at the offering price, or, if it is able to buy shares, it may not be able to buy as many shares at the offering price as it would like.
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Non-Agency Securities Risk — There are no direct or indirect government or agency guarantees of payments in mortgage pools created by non-government issuers. Non-agency securities are also not subject to the same underwriting requirements for the underlying mortgages that are applicable to those mortgage-related securities that have a government or government-sponsored entity guarantee. Non-agency securities with payments not guaranteed by a government agency generally involve greater credit risk than securities guaranteed by government agencies. In addition, a substantial portion of the non-agency securities in which the Fund invests may be rated below investment grade (commonly known as “junk bonds”).
Non-agency mortgage-related securities are not traded on an exchange and there may be a limited market for the securities, especially when there is a perceived weakness in the mortgage and real estate market sectors. Without an active trading market, the non-agency mortgage-related securities held in the Fund’s portfolio may be particularly difficult to value because of the complexities involved in assessing the value of the underlying mortgage loans.
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Non-U.S. Issuers Risk — The Fund may invest in U.S. dollar-denominated bonds of non-U.S. corporate issuers. Securities issued by non-U.S. issuers have different risks from securities issued by U.S. issuers. These risks include differences in accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, the possibility of expropriation or confiscatory taxation, adverse changes in investment or exchange control regulations, political instability which could affect U.S. investments in non-U.S. countries, uncertainties of transnational litigation, and potential restrictions on the flow of international capital, including the possible seizure or nationalization of the securities issued by non-U.S. issuers held by the Fund. Non-U.S. issuers may be subject to less governmental regulation than U.S. issuers. Moreover, individual non-U.S. economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross domestic product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payment positions. Unfavorable political, economic or governmental developments in non-U.S. countries could affect the payment of a security’s principal and interest. Securities issued by non-U.S. issuers may also be less liquid than, and more difficult to value than, securities of U.S. issuers. In addition, the value of these securities may fluctuate due to changes in the exchange rate of the issuer’s local currency against the U.S. dollar.
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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 company’s 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 company’s financial condition or prospects. Preferred securities of smaller companies may be more vulnerable to adverse developments than preferred securities of larger companies.
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Privately-Issued Securities Risk — The Fund may invest in privately-issued securities, including those that are normally purchased pursuant to Rule 144A or Regulation S under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”). Privately-issued securities typically may be resold only to qualified institutional buyers, or in a privately negotiated transaction, or to a limited number of purchasers, or in limited quantities after they have been held for a specified period of time and other conditions are met for an exemption from registration. Because there may be relatively few potential purchasers for such securities, especially under adverse market or economic conditions or in the event of adverse changes in the financial condition of the issuer, the Fund may find it more difficult to sell such securities when it may be advisable to do so or it may be able to sell such securities only at prices lower than if such securities were more widely held and traded. At times, it also may be more difficult to determine the fair value of such securities for purposes of computing the Fund’s net asset value due to the absence of an active trading market. There can be no assurance that a privately-issued security that is deemed to be liquid when purchased will continue to be liquid for as long as it is held by the Fund, and its value may decline as a result.
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Privatization Risk — Some countries in which the Fund invests have privatized, or have begun the process of privatizing, certain entities and industries. Newly privatized companies may face strong competition from government-sponsored competitors that have not been privatized. In some instances, investors in newly privatized entities have suffered losses due to the inability of the newly privatized entities to adjust quickly to a competitive environment or changing regulatory and legal standards or, in some cases, due to re-nationalization of such privatized entities. There is no assurance that similar losses will not recur.
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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, changes in rent schedules, 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 Fund’s 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. In addition, certain issuers of real estate-related securities may have developed or commenced development on properties and may develop additional properties in the future. Real estate development involves significant risks in addition to those involved in the ownership and operation of established properties. Real estate securities may have limited diversification and are, therefore, subject to risks inherent in operating and financing a limited number of projects. Real estate securities are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency and defaults by borrowers or tenants.
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Reference Rate Replacement Risk — The Fund may be exposed to financial instruments that recently transitioned from, or continue to be tied to, the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) to determine payment obligations, financing terms, hedging strategies or investment value.
The United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”), which regulates LIBOR, has ceased publishing all LIBOR settings. In April 2023, however, the FCA announced that some USD LIBOR settings will continue to be published under a synthetic methodology until September 30, 2024 for certain legacy contracts. The Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) is a broad measure of the cost of borrowing cash overnight collateralized by U.S. Treasury securities in the repurchase agreement (“repo”) market and has been used increasingly on a voluntary basis in new instruments and transactions. Under U.S. regulations that implement a statutory fallback mechanism to replace LIBOR, benchmark rates based on SOFR have replaced LIBOR in certain financial contracts.
Neither the effect of the LIBOR transition process nor its ultimate success can yet be known. While some existing LIBOR-based instruments may contemplate a scenario where LIBOR is no longer available by providing for an alternative rate-setting methodology, there may be significant uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of any such alternative methodologies to replicate LIBOR. Not all existing LIBOR-based instruments may have alternative rate-setting provisions and there remains uncertainty regarding the willingness and ability of issuers to add alternative rate-setting provisions in certain existing instruments. Parties to contracts, securities or other instruments using LIBOR may disagree on transition rates or the application of transition regulation, potentially resulting in uncertainty of performance and the possibility of litigation. The Fund may have instruments linked to other interbank offered rates that may also cease to be published in the future.
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Reinvestment Risk — Proceeds from a current investment of the Fund, both interest payments and principal payments, may be reinvested in instruments that offer lower yields than the current investment due in part to market conditions and the interest rate environment at the time of reinvestment. Reinvestment risk is greater on short- to intermediate-term loans.
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REIT Investment Risk — In addition to the risks facing real estate-related securities, such as a decline in property values due to increasing vacancies, a decline in rents resulting from unanticipated economic, legal or technological developments or a decline in the price of securities of real estate companies due to a failure of borrowers to pay their loans or poor management, 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, which allows REITs to reduce their corporate taxable income for dividends paid to their shareholders. Ordinary REIT dividends received by the Fund and distributed to the Fund’s shareholders will generally be taxable as ordinary income and will not constitute “qualified dividend income.” However, for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017 and before January 1, 2026, a non-corporate taxpayer who is a direct REIT shareholder may claim a 20% “qualified business income” deduction for ordinary REIT dividends, and a regulated investment company may report dividends as eligible for this deduction to the extent the regulated investment company’s income is derived from ordinary REIT dividends (reduced by allocable regulated investment company expenses). A shareholder may treat the dividends as such provided the regulated investment company and the shareholder satisfy applicable holding period requirements.
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Repurchase Agreements and Purchase and Sale Contracts Risk — If the other party to a repurchase agreement or purchase and sale contract defaults on its obligation under the agreement, the Fund may suffer delays and incur costs or lose money in exercising its rights under the agreement. If the seller fails to repurchase the security in either situation and the market value of the security declines, the Fund may lose money.
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Restricted Securities Risk — Limitations on the resale of restricted securities may have an adverse effect on their marketability, and may prevent the Fund from disposing of them promptly at advantageous prices. Restricted securities may not be listed on an exchange and may have no active trading market. In order to sell such securities, the Fund may have to bear the expense of registering the securities for resale and the risk of substantial delays in effecting the registration. Other transaction costs may be higher for restricted securities than unrestricted securities. Restricted securities may be difficult to value because market quotations may not be readily available, and the securities may have significant volatility. Also, the Fund may get only limited information about the issuer of a given restricted security, and therefore may be less able to predict a loss. Certain restricted securities may involve a high degree of business and financial risk and may result in substantial losses to the Fund.
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Reverse Repurchase Agreements Risk — Reverse repurchase agreements involve the sale of securities held by the Fund with an agreement to repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon price, date and interest payment. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the other party may fail to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. The Fund could lose money if it is unable to recover the securities and the value of the collateral held by the Fund, including the value of the investments made with cash collateral, is less than the value of the securities. These events could also trigger adverse tax consequences for the Fund. In addition, reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the interest income earned in the investment of the proceeds will be less than the interest expense.
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Rights Risk — The failure to exercise subscription rights to purchase common stock would result in the dilution of the Fund’s interest in the issuing company. The market for such rights is not well developed, and, accordingly, the Fund may not always realize full value on the sale of rights.
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Risks of Investing in Closed-End Funds — The shares of closed-end funds may trade at a price below (discount) or above (premium), or at, their net asset value. To the extent that the Fund invests a portion of its assets in closed-end funds, those assets will be subject to the risks of the closed-end fund’s portfolio securities, and a shareholder in the Fund will bear not only his or her proportionate share of the expenses of the Fund, but also, indirectly, the expenses of the closed-end fund. The securities of closed-end funds in which the Fund may invest may be leveraged. As a result, the Fund may be indirectly exposed to leverage through an investment in such securities. An investment in securities of closed-end funds that use leverage may expose the Fund to higher volatility in the market value of such securities and the possibility that the Fund’s long-term returns on such securities (and, indirectly, the long-term returns of the shares) will be diminished.
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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
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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.
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Savings Associations Risk — Federally- and state-chartered savings associations, such as savings and loans and other “thrift” institutions, provide banking services, including mortgage lending, and operate under the supervisory authority of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Such “thrift” institutions formerly operated under the supervisory authority of the Office of Thrift Supervision. These associations are subject to extensive regulation affecting the scope of their activities, the prices they can charge, and the amount of capital they must maintain. This regulation can have the effect of limiting the profitability of these associations, and their profitability may change frequently. Savings associations may be adversely affected by increases in interest rates and loan losses, decreases in the availability of money or asset valuations and adverse conditions in other related markets. The recent period of historically low interest rates has created certain risks to savings associations as they continue to re-evaluate their business models and risk appetites to generate returns.
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Second Lien Loans Risk — Second lien loans generally are subject to similar risks as those associated with investments in senior loans. Because second lien loans are subordinated or unsecured and thus lower in priority of payment to senior loans, they are subject to the additional risk that the cash flow of the borrower and property securing the loan or debt, if any, may be insufficient to meet scheduled payments after giving effect to the senior secured obligations of the borrower. This risk is generally higher for subordinated unsecured loans or debt, which are not backed by a security interest in any specific collateral. Second lien loans generally have greater price volatility and may be less liquid than senior loans.
There is also a possibility that originators will not be able to sell participations in second lien loans, which would create greater credit risk exposure for the holders of such loans. Second lien loans share the same risks as other below investment grade securities.
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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.
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Security Risk — Some geographic areas in which the Fund invests have experienced acts of terrorism and strained international relations due to territorial disputes, historical animosities, defense concerns and other security concerns. These situations may cause uncertainty in the markets of these geographic areas and may adversely affect their economies.
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Senior Loans Risk — There is less readily available, reliable information about most senior loans than is the case for many other types of securities. In addition, there is no minimum rating or other independent evaluation of a borrower or its securities limiting the Fund’s investments, and BlackRock relies primarily on its own evaluation of a borrower’s credit quality rather than on any available independent sources. As a result, the Fund is particularly dependent on the analytical abilities of BlackRock.
An economic downturn generally leads to a higher non-payment rate, and a senior loan may lose significant value before a default occurs. Moreover, any specific collateral used to secure a senior loan may decline in value or become illiquid, which would adversely affect the senior loan’s value.
No active trading market may exist for certain senior loans, which may impair the ability of the Fund to realize full value in the event of the need to sell a senior loan and which may make it difficult to value senior loans. Adverse market conditions may impair the liquidity of some actively traded senior loans. To the extent that a secondary market does exist for certain senior loans, the market may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods. See “Illiquid Investments Risk.”
Although senior loans in which the Fund will invest generally will be secured by specific collateral, there can be no assurance that liquidation of such collateral would satisfy the borrower’s obligation in the event of non-payment of scheduled interest or principal or that such collateral could be readily liquidated. In the event of the bankruptcy of a borrower, the Fund could experience delays or limitations with respect to its ability to realize the benefits of the collateral securing a senior loan. If the terms of a senior loan do not require the borrower to pledge additional collateral in the event of a decline in the value of the already pledged collateral, the Fund will be exposed to the risk that the value of the collateral will not at all times equal or exceed the amount of the borrower’s obligations under
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the senior loans. To the extent that a senior loan is collateralized by stock in the borrower or its subsidiaries, such stock may lose all of its value in the event of the bankruptcy of the borrower. Uncollateralized senior loans involve a greater risk of loss. Some senior loans are subject to the risk that a court, pursuant to fraudulent conveyance or other similar laws, could subordinate the senior loans to presently existing or future indebtedness of the borrower or take other action detrimental to lenders, including the Fund. Such court action could under certain circumstances include invalidation of senior loans.
If a senior loan is acquired through an assignment, the Fund may not be able to unilaterally enforce all rights and remedies under the loan and with regard to any associated collateral. If a senior loan is acquired through a participation, the Fund generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement against the borrower, and the Fund may not directly benefit from the collateral supporting the debt obligation in which it has purchased the participation. As a result, the Fund will be exposed to the credit risk of both the borrower and the institution selling the participation.
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Small Cap Securities Risk — Small cap companies may have limited product lines or markets. They may be less financially secure than larger, more established companies. They may depend on a small number of key personnel. If a product fails or there are other adverse developments, or if management changes, the Fund’s investment in a small cap company may lose substantial value. In addition, it is more difficult to get information on smaller companies, which tend to be less well known, have shorter operating histories, do not have significant ownership by large investors and are followed by relatively few securities analysts.
The securities of small cap companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than larger cap securities or the market as a whole. In addition, small cap securities may be particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates, borrowing costs and earnings. Investing in small cap securities requires a longer term view.
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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 entity’s 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. If a governmental entity defaults, it may ask for more time in which to pay or for further loans. There is no legal process for collecting sovereign debt that a government does not pay nor are there bankruptcy proceedings through which all or part of the sovereign debt that a governmental entity has not repaid may be collected.
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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 interest rate or the principal amount payable upon maturity or redemption may increase or decrease, depending upon changes in the value of the reference measure. The terms of a structured note may provide that, in certain circumstances, no principal is due at maturity and, therefore, may result in a loss of invested capital by the Fund. The interest and/or principal payments that may be made on a structured product may vary widely, depending on a variety of factors, including the volatility of the reference measure.
Structured notes may be positively or negatively indexed, so the appreciation of the reference measure may produce an increase or a decrease in the interest rate or the value of the principal at maturity. The rate of return on structured notes may be determined by applying a multiplier to the performance or differential performance of reference measures. Application of a multiplier involves leverage that will serve to magnify the potential for gain and the risk of loss.
The purchase of structured notes exposes the Fund to the credit risk of the issuer of the structured product. Structured notes may also be more volatile, less liquid, and more difficult to price accurately than less complex securities and instruments or more traditional debt securities.
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Structured Securities Risk — Because structured securities of the type in which the Fund may invest typically involve no credit enhancement, their credit risk generally will be equivalent to that of the underlying instruments, index or reference obligation and will also be subject to counterparty risk. The Fund may have the right to receive payments only from the structured security, and generally does not have direct rights against the issuer or the entity that sold the assets to be securitized. In addition to the general risks associated with debt securities discussed herein, structured securities carry additional risks, including, but not limited to: the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; the quality of the collateral may decline in value or default; and the possibility that the structured securities are subordinate to other classes. The Fund is permitted to invest in a class of structured securities that is either subordinated or unsubordinated to the right of payment of another class. Subordinated structured securities typically have higher yields and present greater risks than unsubordinated structured securities. Structured securities are typically sold in private placement
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transactions, and there currently is no active trading market for structured securities. Structured securities are based upon the movement of one or more factors, including currency exchange rates, interest rates, reference bonds and stock indices, and changes in interest rates and impact of these factors may cause significant price fluctuations. Additionally, changes in the reference instrument or security may cause the interest rate on the structured security to be reduced to zero. Certain issuers of such structured securities may be deemed to be “investment companies” as defined in the Investment Company Act. As a result, the Fund’s investment in such securities may be limited by certain investment restrictions contained in the Investment Company Act.
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Supranational Entities Risk — The Fund may invest in obligations issued or guaranteed by the World Bank. The government members, or “stockholders,” usually make initial capital contributions to the World Bank and in many cases are committed to make additional capital contributions if the World Bank is unable to repay its borrowings. There is no guarantee that one or more stockholders of the World Bank will continue to make any necessary additional capital contributions. If such contributions are not made, the entity may be unable to pay interest or repay principal on its debt securities, and the Fund may lose money on such investments.
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U.S. Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk — The Fund invests in securities backed by pools of mortgages issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or one of its agencies or sponsored entities, including the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”) or Ginnie Mae (“GNMA” or “Ginnie Mae”). While securities guaranteed by Ginnie Mae are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, securities issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, and there can be no assurance that the U.S. government would provide financial support to its agencies or sponsored entities where it is not obligated to do so. Bonds or debentures that do not carry the backing of the full faith and credit of the U.S. government are subject to more credit risk than securities that are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. To the extent that the U.S. government has provided support to a U.S. agency or sponsored entity in the past, there can be no assurance that the U.S. government will provide support in the future if it is not obligated to do so. If a U.S. government agency or sponsored entity that is the issuer of securities in which the Fund invests is unable to meet its obligations or ceases to exist and no plan is made for repayment of securities, the performance of the Fund will be adversely affected.
MBS represent interests in “pools” of mortgages and, due to the nature of these loans they represent, are subject to prepayment and extension risk. Prepayment risk is the risk that, during periods of falling interest rates, an issuer of mortgages and other fixed-income securities may be able to repay principal prior to the security’s maturity. This may cause the Fund to have to reinvest in securities with a lower yield or higher risk of default, resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income or return potential.
MBS are also subject to extension risk, which is the risk that when interest rates rise, certain MBS will be paid off substantially more slowly than originally anticipated and the value of those securities may fall sharply, resulting in a decline in income and potentially in the value of the investment.
Because of prepayment and extension risks, MBS react differently to changes in interest rates than other bonds. Small movements in interest rates (both increases and decreases) may quickly and significantly reduce the value of certain MBS. These securities are also subject to the risk of default on the underlying mortgage loans, particularly during periods of economic downturn.
The Fund seeks to obtain exposure to the fixed-rate portion of U.S. agency mortgage pass through securities primarily through TBA securities, or TBA transactions. TBAs refer to a commonly used mechanism for the forward settlement of U.S. agency MBS, and not to a separate type of MBS. Default or bankruptcy of a counterparty to a TBA transaction would expose the Fund to possible losses because of adverse market action, expenses or delays in connection with the purchase or sale of the pools of mortgage pass-through securities specified in the TBA transaction.
The Fund intends to invest cash pending settlement of TBA transactions in money market instruments, repurchase agreements, or other high quality, liquid short-term instruments, including money market funds advised by BlackRock. The Fund will pay its pro rata share of fees and expenses of any money market fund that it may invest in, in addition to the Fund’s own fees and expenses.
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U.S. Government Issuer Risk — Treasury obligations may differ in their interest rates, maturities, times of issuance and other characteristics. Obligations of U.S. Government agencies and authorities are supported by varying degrees of credit but generally are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. No assurance can be given that the U.S. Government will provide financial support to its agencies and authorities if it is not obligated by law to do so.
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U.S. Government Mortgage-Related Securities Risk — There are a number of important differences among the agencies and instrumentalities of the U.S. Government that issue mortgage-related securities and among the
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securities that they issue. Mortgage-related securities guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association (“GNMA” or “Ginnie Mae”) are guaranteed as to the timely payment of principal and interest by GNMA and such guarantee is backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. GNMA securities also are supported by the right of GNMA to borrow funds from the U.S. Treasury to make payments under its guarantee. Mortgage-related securities issued by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac are solely the obligations of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, as the case may be, and are not backed by or entitled to the full faith and credit of the United States but are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the Treasury.
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Value Securities Risk — Value securities are those issued by companies that may be perceived as undervalued. Value securities may fail to appreciate for long periods of time and may never realize their full potential value. The index provider may be unsuccessful in creating an index that emphasizes undervalued securities. Value securities have generally performed better than non-value securities during periods of economic recovery (although there is no assurance that they will continue to do so). Value securities may go in and out of favor over time.
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Variable and Floating Rate Instrument Risk — Variable and floating rate securities provide for periodic adjustment in the interest rate paid on the securities. These securities may be subject to greater illiquidity risk than other fixed income securities, meaning the absence of an active market for these securities could make it difficult for the Fund to dispose of them at any given time.
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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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When-Issued and Delayed Delivery Securities and Forward Commitments Risk — When-issued and delayed delivery securities and forward commitments involve the risk that the security the Fund buys will lose value prior to its delivery. There also is the risk that the security will not be issued or that the other party to the transaction will not meet its obligation. If this occurs, the Fund may lose both the investment opportunity for the assets it set aside to pay for the security and any gain in the security’s price.
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Zero Coupon Securities Risk — While interest payments are not made on such securities, holders of such securities are deemed to have received income (“phantom income”) annually, notwithstanding that cash may not be received currently. The effect of owning instruments that do not make current interest payments is that a fixed yield is earned not only on the original investment but also, in effect, on all discount accretion during the life of the obligations. This implicit reinvestment of earnings at a fixed rate eliminates the risk of being unable to invest distributions at a rate as high as the implicit yield on the zero coupon bond, but at the same time eliminates the holder’s ability to reinvest at higher rates in the future. For this reason, some of these securities may be subject to substantially greater price fluctuations during periods of changing market interest rates than are comparable securities that pay interest currently. Longer term zero coupon bonds are more exposed to interest rate risk than shorter term zero coupon bonds. These investments benefit the issuer by mitigating its need for cash to meet debt service, but also require a higher rate of return to attract investors who are willing to defer receipt of cash.
Investment in a Particular Geographic Region or Country Risks
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Asia-Pacific Countries — In addition to the risks of investing in non-U.S. securities and the risks of investing in emerging markets, Asia-Pacific countries are subject to certain additional or specific risks.
In many of the developing market Asia-Pacific countries, there is a high concentration of market capitalization and trading volume in a small number of issuers representing a limited number of industries, as well as a high concentration of investors and financial intermediaries. Many developing market Asia-Pacific countries have experienced rapid growth and industrialization in recent years, but there is no assurance that this growth rate will be maintained. Other developing market Asia-Pacific countries, however, have experienced high inflation, high unemployment, currency devaluations and restrictions, and over-extension of credit. Brokers in developing market Asia-Pacific countries typically are fewer in number and less well capitalized than brokers in the United States.
Many of the developing market Asia-Pacific countries may be subject to a greater degree of economic, political and social instability than is the case in the United States and Western European countries. Such instability may result from, among other things: (i) authoritarian governments or military involvement in political and economic decision-making, including changes in government through extra-constitutional means; (ii) popular unrest associated with demands for improved political, economic and social conditions; (iii) internal insurgencies; (iv) hostile relations with neighboring countries; and (v) ethnic, religious and racial disaffection. In addition, the governments of many of such countries have a substantial role in regulating and supervising the economy. Another risk common to most such countries is that the economy is heavily export oriented and, accordingly, is dependent upon international trade. The existence of overburdened infrastructure and obsolete financial systems also presents risks in certain countries, as
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do environmental problems. Certain economies also depend to a significant degree upon exports of primary commodities and, therefore, are vulnerable to changes in commodity prices that, in turn, may be affected by a variety of factors.
The rights of investors in developing market Asia-Pacific companies may be more limited than those of shareholders of U.S. corporations. It may be difficult or impossible to obtain and/or enforce a judgment in a developing market Asia-Pacific country.
Some developing Asia-Pacific countries prohibit or impose substantial restrictions on investments in their capital markets, particularly their equity markets, by foreign entities. For example, certain countries may require governmental approval prior to investments by foreign persons or limit the amount of investment by foreign persons in a particular company.
Geopolitical hostility, political instability, and economic or environmental events in any one of the Asia-Pacific countries may have a significant economic effect on the entire Asia-Pacific region, as well as on major trading partners outside the Asia-Pacific region. Any adverse event in the Asia-Pacific markets may have a significant adverse effect on some or all of the economies of the Asia-Pacific countries. In particular, China is a key trading partner of many Asia-Pacific countries and any changes in trading relationships between China and other Asia-Pacific countries may affect the region as a whole. Many Asia-Pacific countries are subject to political risk, including political instability, corruption and regional conflict with neighboring countries. North Korea and South Korea each have substantial military capabilities, and historical tensions between the two countries present the risk of war. Escalated tensions involving the two countries and any outbreak of hostilities between the two countries, or even the threat of an outbreak of hostilities, could have a severe adverse effect on the entire Asia-Pacific region. Certain Asia-Pacific countries have developed increasingly strained relationships with the U.S., and if these relations were to worsen, they could adversely affect Asia-Pacific issuers that rely on the U.S. for trade. In addition, many Asia-Pacific countries are subject to social and labor risks associated with demands for improved political, economic and social conditions.
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Europe — 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 Fund’s investments.
Responses to the financial problems by European governments, central banks and others, including austerity measures and reforms, may not work, may result in social unrest and may limit future growth and economic recovery or have other unintended consequences. Further defaults or restructurings by governments and others of their debt could have additional adverse effects on economies, financial markets and asset valuations around the world.
The United Kingdom has withdrawn from the European Union, and one or more other countries may withdraw from the European Union and/or abandon the Euro, the common currency of the European Union. The impact of these actions, especially if they occur in a disorderly fashion, is not clear but could be significant and far reaching. In addition, 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 in the region are impossible to predict, but could be significant and have a severe adverse effect on the region, including significant negative impacts on the economy and the markets for certain securities and commodities, such as oil and natural gas, as well as other sectors.
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United States — A decrease in imports or exports, changes in trade regulations, inflation and/or an economic recession in the United States may have a material adverse effect on the U.S. economy and the securities listed on U.S. exchanges. Proposed and adopted policy and legislative changes in the United States are changing many aspects of financial, commercial, public health, environmental, and other regulation and may have a significant effect on U.S. markets generally, as well as on the value of certain securities. Governmental agencies project that the United States will continue to maintain elevated public debt levels for the foreseeable future. Although elevated debt levels do not necessarily indicate or cause economic problems, elevated public debt service costs may constrain future economic growth.
The United States has developed increasingly strained relations with a number of foreign countries. If relations with certain countries deteriorate, it could adversely affect U.S. issuers as well as non-U.S. issuers that rely on the United States for trade. The United States has also experienced increased internal political discord, as well as significant challenges in managing and containing the outbreak of COVID-19. If these trends were to continue, it may have an adverse impact on the U.S. economy and the issuers in which the Fund invests.
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Investments in a Particular Market Segment
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Consumer Services Industry Risk — The success of firms in the consumer services industry and certain retailers (including food and beverage, general retailers, media, and travel and leisure companies) is tied closely to the performance of the domestic and international economies, interest rates, exchange rates and consumer confidence. The consumer services industry depends heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending. Companies in the consumer services industry may be subject to severe competition, which may also have an adverse impact on their profitability. Companies in the consumer services industry are facing increased government and regulatory scrutiny and may be subject to adverse government or regulatory action. Changes in consumer demographics and preferences in the countries in which the issuers of securities held by the Fund are located and in the countries to which they export their products may affect the success of consumer products.
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Financials Sector Risk — Companies in the financials sector are subject to extensive governmental regulation and intervention, which may adversely affect the scope of their activities, the prices they can charge, the amount of capital and liquid assets they must maintain and, potentially, their size. Governmental regulation may change frequently and may have significant adverse consequences for companies in the financials sector, including effects not intended by such regulation. Increased risk taking by financial companies may also result in greater overall risk in the U.S. and global financials sector. The impact of changes in capital requirements, or recent or future regulation in various countries, on any individual financial company or on the financials sector as a whole cannot be predicted.
Certain risks may impact the value of investments in the financials sector more severely than those of investments outside this sector, including the risks associated with companies that operate with substantial financial leverage. Companies in the financials sector are exposed directly to the credit risk of their borrowers and counterparties, who may be leveraged to an unknown degree, including through swaps and other derivatives products. Financial services companies may have significant exposure to the same borrowers and counterparties, with the result that a borrower’s or counterparty’s inability to meet its obligations to one company may affect other companies with exposure to the same borrower or counterparty. This interconnectedness of risk may result in significant negative impacts to companies with direct exposure to the defaulting counterparty as well as adverse cascading effects in the markets and the financials sector generally. Companies in the financials sector may also be adversely affected by increases in interest rates and loan losses, decreases in the availability of money or asset valuations, credit rating downgrades, adverse public perception and adverse conditions in other related markets. Insurance companies, in particular, may be subject to severe price competition and/or rate regulation, which may have an adverse impact on their profitability. The financials sector is particularly sensitive to fluctuations in interest rates. The financials sector is also a target for cyberattacks. Cybersecurity incidents and technology malfunctions and failures have become increasingly frequent and have caused significant losses to companies in this sector, which may negatively impact the Fund. The extent to which the Fund may invest in a company that engages in securities-related activities or banking is limited by applicable law.
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Healthcare Sector Risk — The profitability of companies in the healthcare sector may be adversely affected by the following factors, among others: extensive government regulations, restrictions on government reimbursement for medical expenses, rising costs of medical products and services, pricing pressure, an increased emphasis on outpatient services, changes in the demand for medical products and services, a limited number of products, industry innovation, changes in technologies and other market developments. Many healthcare companies are heavily dependent on patent protection. The expiration of a company’s patents may adversely affect that company’s profitability. Many healthcare companies are subject to extensive litigation based on product liability and similar claims. Healthcare companies are subject to competitive forces that may make it difficult to raise prices and, in fact, may result in price discounting. The U.S. Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 allows for the negotiation of prescription drug prices on behalf of Medicare recipients, which may result in reduced prescription prices. This could reduce some healthcare companies’ overall profitability. Many new products in the healthcare sector may be subject to regulatory approvals. The process of obtaining such approvals may be long and costly, and such efforts ultimately may be unsuccessful. Companies in the healthcare sector may be thinly capitalized and may be susceptible to product obsolescence. In addition, a number of legislative proposals concerning healthcare have been considered by the U.S. Congress in recent years. It is unclear what proposals will ultimately be enacted, if any, and what effect they may have on companies in the healthcare sector.
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Industrials Sector Risk — The value of securities issued by companies in the industrials sector may be adversely affected by supply and demand changes related to their specific products or services and industrials sector products in general. The products of manufacturing companies may face obsolescence due to rapid technological developments and frequent new product introduction. Global events, trade disputes and changes in government regulations, economic conditions and exchange rates may adversely affect the performance of companies in the industrials sector. Companies in the industrials sector may be adversely affected by liability for environmental damage and product liability claims. The industrials sector may also be adversely affected by changes or trends in commodity prices, which may be influenced by unpredictable factors. Aerospace and defense companies, a
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component of the industrials sector, can be significantly affected by government spending policies because companies involved in this industry rely, to a significant extent, on government demand for their products and services. Thus, the financial condition of, and investor interest in, aerospace and defense companies are heavily influenced by governmental defense spending policies, which are typically under pressure from efforts to control government budgets. Transportation stocks, a component of the industrials sector, are cyclical and can be significantly affected by economic changes, fuel prices, labor relations and insurance costs. Transportation companies in certain countries may also be subject to significant government regulation and oversight, which may adversely affect their businesses. Companies in the industrials sector, particularly aerospace and defense companies, may also be adversely affected by government spending policies because companies in this sector tend to rely to a significant extent on government demand for their products and services.
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Information Technology Sector Risk — Information technology companies face intense competition, both domestically and internationally, which may have an adverse effect on profit margins. Like other technology companies, information technology companies may have limited product lines, markets, financial resources or personnel. The products of information technology companies may face obsolescence due to rapid technological developments, frequent new product introduction, unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel. Companies in the information technology sector are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights. The loss or impairment of these rights may adversely affect the profitability of these companies. Companies in the information technology sector are facing increased government and regulatory scrutiny and may be subject to adverse government or regulatory action. Companies in the application software industry, in particular, may also be negatively affected by the decline or fluctuation of subscription renewal rates for their products and services, which may have an adverse effect on profit margins. Companies in the systems software industry may be adversely affected by, among other things, actual or perceived security vulnerabilities in their products and services, which may result in individual or class action lawsuits, state or federal enforcement actions and other remediation costs.
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Technology Sector Risk — Technology companies, including information technology companies, face intense competition, both domestically and internationally, which may have an adverse effect on a company’s profit margins. Technology companies may have limited product lines, markets, financial resources or personnel. The products of technology companies may face obsolescence due to rapid technological developments, frequent new product introduction, unpredictable changes in growth rates, aggressive pricing, changes in demand, and competition for the services of qualified personnel. Companies in the technology sector are heavily dependent on patent and other intellectual property rights. A technology company’s loss or impairment of these rights may adversely affect the company’s profitability. Companies in the technology sector may face increased government and regulatory scrutiny and may be subject to adverse government or regulatory action. The technology sector may also be adversely affected by changes or trends in commodity prices, which may be influenced or characterized by unpredictable factors.
ETF-Specific Risks
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Authorized Participant Concentration Risk — Only an Authorized Participant may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with an ETF. There are a limited number of institutions that may act as Authorized Participants for an ETF, 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 an ETF and no other Authorized Participant places orders, ETF shares are more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for an ETF because it may invest in securities issued by non-U.S. issuers or instruments with lower trading volume. Such assets often entail greater settlement and operational complexity and higher capital costs for Authorized Participants, which may limit the number of Authorized Participants that engage with an ETF.
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Management Risk — If a passively managed ETF does not fully replicate the underlying index, it is subject to the risk that the manager’s investment management strategy may not produce the intended results.
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Passive Investment Risk — The portfolios of certain ETFs are not actively managed and may be affected by a general decline in market segments relating to their respective indices. Such ETFs typically invest in securities included in, or representative of, their respective indices regardless of their investment merits and do not attempt to take defensive positions in declining markets.
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Representative Sampling Risk — Representative sampling is a method of indexing that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively have a similar investment profile to the index and resemble the index in terms of risk factors and other key characteristics. A passively managed ETF may or may not hold every security in the index. When an ETF deviates from a full replication indexing strategy to utilize a representative sampling strategy, the ETF is subject to an increased risk of tracking error, in that the securities selected in the aggregate for the ETF may not have an investment profile similar to those of its index.
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Shares of an ETF May Trade at Prices Other Than Net Asset Value — Shares of an ETF trade on exchanges at prices at, above or below their most recent net asset value. The per share net asset value of an ETF is calculated at the end of each business day and fluctuates with changes in the market value of the ETF’s holdings since the most recent calculation. The trading prices of an ETF’s shares fluctuate continuously throughout trading hours based on market supply and demand rather than net asset value. The trading prices of an ETF’s shares may deviate significantly from net asset value during periods of market volatility. Any of these factors may lead to an ETF’s shares trading at a premium or discount to net asset value. However, because shares can be created and redeemed in creation units, which are aggregated blocks of shares that authorized participants who have entered into agreements with the ETF’s distributor can purchase or redeem directly from the ETF, at net asset value (unlike shares of many closed-end funds, which frequently trade at appreciable discounts from, and sometimes at premiums to, their net asset values), large discounts or premiums to the net asset value of an ETF are not likely to be sustained over the long-term. While the creation/redemption feature is designed to make it likely that an ETF’s shares normally trade on exchanges at prices close to the ETF’s next calculated net asset value, exchange prices are not expected to correlate exactly with an ETF’s net asset value due to timing reasons as well as market supply and demand factors. In addition, disruptions to creations and redemptions or the existence of extreme market volatility may result in trading prices that differ significantly from net asset value. If a shareholder purchases at a time when the market price is at a premium to the net asset value or sells at a time when the market price is at a discount to the net asset value, the shareholder may sustain losses. The use of cash creations and redemptions may also cause the ETFs’ shares to trade in the market at greater bid-ask spreads or greater premiums or discounts to the ETFs’ NAV.
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Tracking Error Risk — Imperfect correlation between a passively managed ETF’s portfolio securities and those in its index, rounding of prices, the timing of cash flows, the ETF’s size, changes to the index and regulatory requirements may cause tracking error, which is the divergence of an ETF’s performance from that of its underlying index. This risk may be heightened during times of increased market volatility or other unusual market conditions. Tracking error also may result because an ETF incurs fees and expenses while its underlying index does not.
Other Risks of Investing in the Fund
The Fund may also be subject to certain other non-principal risks associated with its investments and investment strategies, including:
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Borrowing Risk — Borrowing may exaggerate changes in the net asset value of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio. Borrowing will cost the Fund interest expense and other fees. The costs of borrowing may reduce the Fund’s return. Borrowing may cause the Fund to liquidate positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations.
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Cyber Security Risk — Failures or breaches of the electronic systems of the Fund, the Fund’s adviser, distributor, and other service providers, or the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests have the ability to cause disruptions and negatively impact the Fund’s business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses to 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. Furthermore, the Fund cannot control the cyber security plans and systems of the Fund’s service providers or issuers of securities in which the Fund invests.
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Expense Risk — Fund expenses are subject to a variety of factors, including fluctuations in the Fund’s net assets. Accordingly, actual expenses may be greater or less than those indicated. For example, to the extent that the Fund’s net assets decrease due to market declines or redemptions, the Fund’s expenses will increase as a percentage of Fund net assets. During periods of high market volatility, these increases in the Fund’s expense ratio could be significant.
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Large Shareholder and Large-Scale Redemption Risk — Certain shareholders, including a third-party investor, the Fund’s adviser or an affiliate of the Fund’s adviser, or another entity, may from time to time own or manage a substantial amount of Fund shares or may invest in the Fund and hold its investment 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 or that the size of the Fund would be maintained. Redemptions of a large number of Fund shares by these shareholders may adversely affect the Fund’s liquidity and net assets. These redemptions may force the Fund to sell portfolio securities to meet redemption requests when it might not otherwise do so, which may negatively impact the Fund’s NAV and increase the Fund’s brokerage costs and/or accelerate the realization of taxable income 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 tax year. The Fund also may be required to sell its more liquid Fund investments to meet a large redemption, in which case the Fund’s remaining assets may be less liquid, more volatile, and more difficult to price. In addition, large redemptions can result in the Fund’s
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current expenses being allocated over a smaller asset base, which generally results in an increase in the Fund’s expense ratio. Because large redemptions can adversely affect a portfolio manager’s ability to implement a fund’s investment strategy, the Fund also reserves the right to redeem in-kind, subject to certain conditions. In addition, large purchases of Fund shares may adversely affect the Fund’s performance to the extent that the Fund is delayed in investing new cash and is required to maintain a larger cash position than it ordinarily would, diluting its investment returns.
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Money Market Securities Risk — If market conditions improve while the Fund has invested some or all of its assets in high quality money market securities, this strategy could result in reducing the potential gain from the market upswing, thus reducing the Fund’s opportunity to achieve its investment objective.
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Operational Risk — The Fund is exposed to operational risks arising from a number of factors, including, but not limited to, human errors, processing and communication errors, errors of the Fund’s service providers, counterparties or other third parties, failed or inadequate internal or external processes, and technology or systems failures. The use of certain investment strategies that involve manual or additional processing, such as over-the-counter derivatives, increases these risks. While service providers are required to have appropriate operational risk management policies and procedures, their methods of operational risk management may differ from those of the Fund in the setting of priorities, the personnel and resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. The Fund and BlackRock seek to reduce these operational risks through controls, procedures and oversight. However, it is not possible to identify all of the operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls that completely eliminate or mitigate the occurrence or effects of such failures. The Fund, including its performance and continued operation, and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.
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Reliance on Advisor Risk — The Fund is dependent upon services and resources provided by BlackRock, and therefore BlackRock’s parent, BlackRock, Inc. is not required to devote its full time to the business of the Fund and there is no guarantee or requirement that any investment professional or other employee of BlackRock will allocate a substantial portion of his or her time to the Fund. The loss of, or changes in, BlackRock’s personnel could have a negative effect on the performance or the continued operation of the Fund.
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Valuation Risk — The price the Fund could receive upon the sale of any particular portfolio investment may differ from the Fund’s valuation of the investment, particularly for securities that trade in thin or volatile markets or that are valued using a fair valuation methodology or a price provided by an independent pricing service. As a result, the price received upon the sale of an investment may be less than the value ascribed by the Fund, and the Fund could realize a greater than expected loss or lesser than expected gain upon the sale of the investment. Pricing services that value fixed-income securities generally utilize a range of market-based and security-specific inputs and assumptions, as well as considerations about general market conditions, to establish a price. Pricing services generally value fixed-income securities assuming orderly transactions of an institutional round lot size, but may be held or transactions may be conducted in such securities in smaller, odd lot sizes. Odd lots may trade at lower prices than institutional round lots. The Fund’s ability to value its investments may also be impacted by technological issues and/or errors by pricing services or other third-party service providers.
Information about Underlying Funds and ETFs
Description of Underlying Funds
The Fund may invest in underlying funds, including, but not limited to, those listed below. The following table sets forth the name of each underlying fund in which the Fund may currently invest and a brief description of each underlying fund’s investment objective and principal investment strategies. The list of underlying funds in which the Fund may invest is subject to change at the discretion of BlackRock without notice to shareholders. In addition, the investment objectives and principal investment strategies of each underlying fund are subject to change without notice to shareholders. Prospectuses for any of these underlying funds can be accessed at www.blackrock.com/prospectus or obtained by calling (800) 441-7762.
| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| BlackRock Equity Dividend Fund |
The investment objective of the fund is to seek long-term total return and current income. The fund seeks to achieve its objective by investing primarily in a diversified portfolio of equity securities. Under normal circumstances, the fund will invest at least 80% of its assets in equity securities and at least 80% of its assets in dividend paying securities. The fund may invest in securities of companies with any market capitalization, but will generally focus on large cap securities. The fund may also invest in convertible |
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| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| BlackRock Equity Dividend Fund (continued) |
securities and non-convertible preferred stock. Equity securities include common stock, preferred stock, securities convertible into common stock, or securities or other instruments whose price is linked to the value of common stock. The fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in securities of foreign issuers. The fund may invest in securities from any country. The fund may invest in securities denominated in both U.S. dollars and non-U.S. dollar currencies. The fund may invest in the securities of foreign issuers in the form of American Depositary Receipts, European Depositary Receipts or other securities convertible into securities of foreign issuers. BlackRock chooses investments for the fund that it believes will both increase in value over the long term and provide current income, focusing on investments that will do both instead of those that will favor current income over capital appreciation. |
| BlackRock Floating Rate Income Portfolio |
The primary investment objective of the fund is to seek to provide high current income, with a secondary objective of long-term capital appreciation. The fund normally invests at least 80% of its assets in floating rate investments and investments that are the economic equivalent of floating rate investments, which effectively enables the fund to achieve a floating rate of income. These investments may include, but are not limited to, any combination of the following securities: (i) senior secured floating rate loans or debt; (ii) second lien or other subordinated or unsecured floating rate loans or debt; and (iii) fixed-rate loans or debt with respect to which the fund has entered into derivative instruments to effectively convert the fixed-rate interest payments into floating rate interest payments. The fund may also purchase, without limitation, participations or assignments in senior floating rate loans or second lien floating rate loans. For purposes of the fund’s investments, the term debt includes investments in convertible or preferred securities. The fund may invest in investments of any credit quality without limitation, including investments rated below investment grade. The fund anticipates that, under current market conditions, a substantial portion of its portfolio will consist of leveraged loans rated below investment grade and similar investments. These investments are expected to exhibit credit risks similar to high yield securities, which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds.” The fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in fixed income securities with respect to which the fund has not entered into derivative instruments to effectively convert the fixed-rate interest payments into floating-rate interest payments. Such fixed income securities include, but are not limited to, corporate bonds, preferred securities, convertible securities, mezzanine investments, collateralized loan obligations, senior loans, second lien loans, structured products and U.S. government debt securities. The fund’s investments in any floating rate and fixed income securities may be of any duration or maturity. The fund may invest in securities of foreign issuers, including issuers located in emerging markets, without limitation. The fund may also invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments. The fund may also invest in companies whose financial condition is uncertain, where the borrower has defaulted in the payment of interest or principal or in the performance of its covenants or agreements, or that may be involved in bankruptcy proceedings, reorganizations or financial restructurings. The fund may invest up to 10% of its assets in common stocks or other equity securities. In addition, the fund may acquire and hold such securities (or rights to acquire such securities) in unit offerings with fixed income securities, in connection with an amendment, waiver, conversion or exchange of fixed income securities, in connection with the bankruptcy or workout of a distressed fixed income security, or upon the exercise of a right or warrant obtained on account of a fixed income security. The fund may buy or sell options or futures on a security or an index of securities, buy or sell options on futures or enter into credit default swaps and interest rate or foreign currency transactions, including swaps and forward contracts (collectively, commonly known as derivatives). The fund may use derivatives for hedging purposes, but is not required to, as well as to increase the total return on its portfolio investments. |
| BlackRock Global Dividend Portfolio |
The investment objective of the fund is to seek to provide a level of current income that exceeds the average yield on global stocks generally. Additionally, the fund seeks to provide long-term capital appreciation. |
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| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| BlackRock Global Dividend Portfolio (continued) |
Under normal circumstances, the fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets in dividend-paying equity securities and at least 40% of its assets outside of the United States (unless market conditions are not deemed favorable by fund management, in which case the fund would invest at least 30% of its assets outside of the United States). The fund will primarily invest in common stock, preferred stock and non- convertible preferred stock. The fund may invest in securities of non-U.S. issuers that can be U.S. dollar based or non-U.S. dollar based. The fund may invest in securities of companies of any market capitalization, but intends to invest primarily in securities of large capitalization companies. The combination of equity securities will be varied from time to time both with respect to types of securities and markets in response to changing market and economic trends. The fund may invest in shares of companies through initial public offerings and “new issues.” The fund may also purchase securities convertible into common and preferred stock. The fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in global fixed-income securities, including corporate bonds, U.S. Government debt securities, non-U.S. Government and supranational debt securities (an example of such an entity is the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development), asset-backed securities, mortgage-backed securities, corporate loans, emerging market debt securities and non-investment grade debt securities (high yield or junk bonds). Investment in fixed-income securities will be made on an opportunistic basis. The fund may invest in fixed-income securities of any duration or maturity. The fund has no geographic limits in where it may invest and has no specific policy on the number of different countries in which it will invest. The fund may invest in both developed and emerging markets. The fund may emphasize foreign securities when fund management expects these investments to outperform U.S. securities. The fund may use derivatives, including options, futures, swaps and forward contracts both to seek to increase the return of the fund or 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 enter into currency transactions on a hedged or unhedged basis in order to seek total return. The fund may use indexed and inverse securities. Under normal circumstances, the fund anticipates it will allocate a substantial amount (at least 40% or more — unless market conditions are not deemed favorable by fund management, in which case the fund would invest at least 30%) of its total assets in foreign securities, which may include securities (i) of foreign government issuers, (ii) of issuers organized or located outside the United States, (iii) of issuers which primarily trade in a market located outside the United States, or (iv) of 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 this allocation. The fund may engage in active and frequent trading of portfolio securities to achieve its principal investment strategies. |
| BlackRock GNMA Portfolio |
The investment objective of the fund is to seek to maximize total return, consistent with income generation and prudent investment management. Under normal circumstances, the fund invests at least 80% of its assets in Government National Mortgage Association (“GNMA”) securities. The fund invests primarily in securities issued by GNMA as well as other U.S. Government securities. Securities purchased by the fund are rated in the highest rating category (AAA or Aaa) at the time of purchase by at least one major rating agency or are determined by the fund management team to be of similar quality. Split rated bonds will be considered to have the higher credit rating. Split rated bonds are bonds that receive different ratings from two or more rating agencies. The fund measures its performance against the Bloomberg GNMA Total Return Index Value Unhedged USD (the benchmark). Under normal circumstances, the fund seeks to maintain an average portfolio duration that is within ±1 year of the duration of the benchmark. The fund also makes investments in residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities and other asset-backed securities. |
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| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| BlackRock GNMA Portfolio (continued) |
The fund may buy or sell options or futures on a security or an index of securities, or enter into credit default swaps and interest rate transactions, including swaps (collectively, commonly known as derivatives). The fund may seek to obtain market exposure to the securities in which it primarily invests by entering into a series of purchase and sale contracts or by using other investment techniques (such as reverse repurchase agreements or dollar rolls). The fund may engage in active and frequent trading of portfolio securities to achieve its primary investment strategies. |
| BlackRock High Yield Bond Portfolio |
The investment objective of the fund is to seek to maximize total return, consistent with income generation and prudent investment management. The fund invests primarily in non-investment grade bonds with maturities of ten years or less. The fund normally invests at least 80% of its assets in high yield bonds. The high yield securities (commonly called “junk bonds”) acquired by the fund will generally be in the lower rating categories of the major rating agencies (BB or lower by S&P Global Ratings or Fitch Ratings, Inc. or Ba or lower by Moody’s Investor Services) or will be determined by the fund management team to be of similar quality. Split rated bonds and other fixed-income securities (securities that receive different ratings from two or more rating agencies) are valued as follows: if three agencies rate a security, the security will be considered to have the median credit rating; if two of the three agencies rate a security, the security will be considered to have the lower credit rating. The fund may invest up to 30% of its assets in non-dollar denominated bonds of issuers located outside of the United States. The fund’s investment in non-dollar denominated bonds may be on a currency hedged or unhedged basis. The fund may also invest in convertible and preferred securities. Convertible debt securities will be counted toward the fund’s 80% policy to the extent they have characteristics similar to the securities included within that policy. To add additional diversification, the management team can invest in a wide range of securities including corporate bonds, mezzanine investments, collateralized bond obligations, bank loans and mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities. The fund can also invest, to the extent consistent with its investment objective, in non-U.S. and emerging market securities and currencies. The fund may invest in securities of any rating, and may invest up to 10% of its assets (measured at the time of investment) in distressed securities that are in default or the issuers of which are in bankruptcy. The fund may buy or sell options or futures on a security or an index of securities, or enter into credit default swaps and interest rate or foreign currency transactions, including swaps (collectively, commonly known as derivatives). The fund may use derivative instruments to hedge its investments or to seek to enhance returns. The fund may seek to obtain market exposure to the securities in which it primarily invests by entering into a series of purchase and sale contracts or by using other investment techniques (such as reverse repurchase agreements or dollar rolls). The fund may engage in active and frequent trading of portfolio securities to achieve its principal investment strategies. |
| BlackRock Impact Mortgage Fund |
The investment objective of the fund is to seek to maximize total return, consistent with income generation and prudent investment management, while investing in a portfolio of fixed income securities that fund management views as generating positive social and/ or environmental impacts. Under normal circumstances, the fund seeks to achieve its objective by investing at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in mortgage- backed and other mortgage-related securities that are issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government and its agencies. The securities in which the fund may invest include U.S. government securities, U.S. government agency securities, securities issued by U.S. government instrumentalities and U.S. government-sponsored enterprises, and other mortgage-backed securities or mortgage-related securities issued by the U.S. government or by private issuers. Some of these securities are issued and/or guaranteed by the U.S. government and are supported by the full faith and credit of the United States. Other securities are issued or guaranteed by Federal agencies or government-sponsored enterprises and are not direct obligations of the United States, and are not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, but involve sponsorship or guarantees by government agencies or enterprises. The fund invests |
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| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| BlackRock Impact Mortgage Fund (continued) |
primarily in the highest rated government and agency bonds and maintains an average portfolio duration that is within ±1 year of the duration of the Bloomberg U.S. MBS Index (the fund’s benchmark). The fund will seek to invest in mortgage-backed and other mortgage-related securities that are issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government and its agencies that BlackRock believes have the potential to produce attractive long-term returns and that, in BlackRock’s view, can provide positive and measurable impacts. BlackRock considers a number of criteria when selecting portfolio securities, including, but not limited to, whether the activities supported by the investment are expected to include positive social and/or environmental impact with measurable and clear benefit to undercapitalized or high social opportunity areas and alignment with broadly endorsed public policy goals. fund management uses an internal proprietary framework to identify investments that deliver positive social and/or environmental impact. This internal proprietary framework abides by the Operating Principles for Impact Management, which is a third-party framework for investors for the design and implementation of their impact management systems to ensure that impact considerations are integrated throughout the investment lifecycle. In identifying investments, fund management uses internal research and assessment to identify mortgage-related investments that meet one or more of the following criteria: (i) facilitate equal access to credit; (ii) target historically underserved populations; and/or (iii) support the increase of sustainable housing units, which encompasses both affordability and environmental aspects. The fund’s investments will be focused across mortgage impact themes that align with certain United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (“SDGs”), including, but not limited to, ending poverty, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization, reducing inequalities, and making cities and communities sustainable. The SDGs are a series of goals published by the United Nations that recognize that development must balance social, economic and environmental sustainability. The fund intends to focus its investments in mortgages originated as part of social impact programs, including, without limitation, rural housing, manufactured housing, pools issued by State Housing Finance Authorities and bespoke impact mortgage-backed security pools. Additionally, BlackRock may consider specific criteria such as collateral targeted towards underserved populations and/or underserved regions as having a positive social impact. BlackRock will examine both quantitative metrics and qualitative details to measure the impact achieved. The impact-related criteria described above are not the sole considerations when making investment decisions for the fund, and the fund will make investments, including, but not limited to, to be announced (“TBA”) transactions, that do not meet the impact-related criteria. In addition, the fund may gain indirect exposure (through, including but not limited to, derivatives and investments in other investment companies) to issuers with exposures that are inconsistent with the impact-related criteria used by fund management. Securities purchased by the fund (except with respect to non-dollar denominated bonds) generally are rated in the highest rating category (AAA or Aaa) by at least one major rating agency or are determined by the fund management team to be of similar quality at the time of purchase. The fund may also invest up to 5% of its assets in dollar- denominated investment grade securities that are rated below the highest rating category at the time of purchase. In addition, the fund’s dollar-weighted average maturity will be between 3 and 10 years. The fund evaluates sectors of the bond market and individual securities within these sectors. The fund selects bonds from several sectors including: U.S. Treasuries and agency securities (including U.S. Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities), commercial and residential mortgage-backed securities, collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”), and other mortgage-related securities. The fund invests primarily in dollar-denominated bonds, but may invest up to 10% of its assets in non-dollar denominated bonds of issuers located outside of the United States. The fund’s investment in non-dollar denominated bonds may be on a currency hedged basis. Non-dollar denominated bonds purchased by the fund, at the time of purchase, are rated in the four highest rating categories by at least one major rating agency (Baa or better by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or BBB or better by S&P Global Ratings or Fitch Ratings Inc. (“Fitch”)) or are determined by the fund management team to be of similar quality. Securities rated in any of the four highest rating categories or determined by the fund management team to be of similar quality at the time of purchase are known as “investment grade” securities. |
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| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| BlackRock Impact Mortgage Fund (continued) |
The fund may buy or sell options or futures on a security or an index of securities, or enter into credit default swaps, interest rate or foreign currency transactions, including swaps, and forward contracts or similar instruments, such as TBA transactions or dollar rolls (collectively, commonly known as derivatives). The fund may seek to obtain market exposure to the securities in which it primarily invests by entering into a series of purchase and sale contracts or by using other investment techniques such as reverse repurchase agreements. The fund may engage in active and frequent trading of portfolio securities to achieve its primary investment strategies. |
| BlackRock Inflation Protected Bond Portfolio |
The investment objective of the fund is to seek to maximize real return, consistent with preservation of real capital and prudent investment management. Under normal circumstances, the fund invests at least 80% of its assets in inflation- indexed bonds of varying maturities issued by the U.S. and non-U.S. governments, their agencies or instrumentalities, and U.S. and non-U.S. corporations. The fund maintains an average portfolio duration that is within ±40% of the duration of the Bloomberg U.S. Treasury Inflation Protected Securities Index (the benchmark). The fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in non-investment grade bonds (high yield or junk bonds) or securities of emerging market issuers. The fund may also invest up to 20% of its assets in non-dollar denominated securities of non-U.S. issuers, and may invest without limit in U.S. dollar denominated securities of non-U.S. issuers. 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 exclusively invest 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 Cayman Inflation Protected Bond Portfolio, Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of the fund formed in the Cayman Islands, which invests primarily in commodity-related instruments. The fund also makes investments in residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities and other asset-backed securities. Non-investment grade bonds acquired by the fund will generally be in the lower rating categories of the major rating agencies (BB or lower by S&P Global Ratings or Ba or lower by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.) or will be determined by the management team to be of similar quality. Split rated bonds will be considered to have the higher credit rating. Split rated bonds are bonds that receive different ratings from two or more rating agencies. The fund may buy or sell options or futures, or enter into credit default swaps and interest rate or foreign currency transactions, including swaps (collectively, commonly known as derivatives). The fund may seek to obtain market exposure to the securities in which it primarily invests by entering into a series of purchase and sale contracts or by using other investment techniques (such as reverse repurchase agreements or dollar rolls). The fund may engage in active and frequent trading of portfolio securities to achieve its primary investment strategies. |
| BlackRock Sustainable Emerging Markets Flexible Bond Fund |
The fund seeks maximum long term total return, while seeking to maintain certain environmental, governance and social (“ESG”) characteristics, climate risk exposure and climate opportunities relative to the fund’s benchmark. To determine the fund’s investable universe, fund management will first seek to screen out certain issuers based on ESG criteria determined by BlackRock, subject to the considerations noted below. Such screening criteria principally includes: (i) issuers that derive more than zero percent of revenue from the production of controversial weapons; (ii) issuers that derive more than zero percent of revenue from the production of civilian firearms; (iii) issuers that derive more than zero percent of revenue from direct involvement in the production of nuclear weapons or nuclear weapon components or delivery platforms, or the provision of auxiliary services related to nuclear weapons; (iv) issuers that derive more than zero percent of revenue from the production of tobacco-related products; (v) issuers that derive more than five percent of revenue from thermal coal generation, unless such issuers either (a) have made certain commitments to reduce climate impact or (b) derive at least fifty percent of revenue from alternative energy sources; (vi) issuers that derive more than five percent of revenue from thermal coal mining; (vii) issuers that derive more than five percent of revenue from oil sands |
47
| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| BlackRock Sustainable Emerging Markets Flexible Bond Fund (continued) |
extraction; and (viii) issuers identified as violators of the United Nations Global Compact, which are globally accepted principles covering corporate behavior in the areas of human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the fund may invest in green bonds of issuers that exceed the thresholds stated in (v), (vi) and (vii) above. The fund relies on one or more third-party ratings agencies to identify issuers for purposes of the above screening criteria. Third-party rating agencies may base the above screening criteria on an estimate when revenue for a covered business activity is not disclosed by the issuer or publicly available. The fund’s screening criteria is measured at the time of investment and is dependent upon information and data that may be incomplete, inaccurate, unavailable or estimated. Where the fund’s criteria looks solely to third-party ratings or data, issuers are only screened to the extent such ratings or data have been assigned or made available by the third parties. This screening criteria is subject to change over time at BlackRock’s discretion. In addition, the fund may gain indirect exposure (through, including but not limited to, derivatives and investments in other investment companies) to issuers with exposures that are inconsistent with the ESG-related criteria used by fund management. The fund seeks to maintain certain ESG characteristics, climate risk exposure and climate opportunities relative to a customized weighted index comprised of the J.P. Morgan GBI-EM Global Diversified (50%) and the J.P. Morgan EMBI Global Diversified (50%) (the “Benchmark”). Specifically, with respect to the fund’s investments, the fund generally seeks to invest in a portfolio that, in BlackRock’s view, (i) has an aggregate ESG assessment that is better than that of the Benchmark, (ii) has, with respect to corporate and quasi-sovereign issuers, which for these purposes are entities that are fully controlled or owned by the national government, an aggregate carbon emissions assessment that is lower than that of the Benchmark, and (iii) in the aggregate, includes issuers that BlackRock believes are better positioned to capture climate opportunities relative to the issuers in the Benchmark. fund management makes such assessments based on BlackRock’s fundamental research, which includes due diligence of ESG risks and opportunities facing an issuer, as well as third-party ESG ratings. The fund may invest in other sectors that are not included in such assessments. BlackRock utilizes a fundamental country and sector research and third-party ESG data in constructing the fund’s portfolio. The fund intends to invest primarily in issuers included in the J.P. Morgan ESG GBI-EM Global Diversified or the J.P. Morgan ESG EMBI Global Diversified Index, but may invest in issuers that are not included in such indexes. Each index applies an ESG scoring and screening methodology to tilt toward issuers ranked higher on ESG criteria and green bond issues, and to underweight and remove issuers that rank lower and is based on the J.P. Morgan GBI-EM Global Diversified and J.P. Morgan EMBI Global Diversified, as applicable. While fund management considers ESG characteristics as well as climate risk exposure and climate opportunities, fund management may, with respect to its investments, weigh such characteristics differently. The fund invests primarily in a global portfolio of fixed income securities and derivatives of any maturity of issuers located in emerging markets that may be denominated in any currency (on a hedged or un-hedged basis). BlackRock considers an emerging market country to include any country that is: 1) generally recognized to be an emerging market country by the international financial community, including the World Bank; 2) classified by the United Nations as a developing country; or 3) included in the J.P. Morgan GBI-EM Global Diversified. The fund will invest at least 80% of its assets in fixed income securities issued by governments, their political subdivisions (states, provinces and municipalities), agencies and companies tied economically to an emerging market. fund management considers securities to be tied economically to an emerging market if (1) the issuer is organized under the laws of or maintains its principal place of business in an emerging market country, (2) the issuer’s securities are traded principally in an emerging market country or (3) the issuer, during its most recent fiscal year, derived at least 50% of its revenues or profits from goods produced or sold, investments made, or services performed in an emerging market country or has at least 50% of its assets in an emerging market country. The fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in one country. The 80% policy noted above is a non-fundamental policy of the fund and may not be changed without 60 days’ prior notice to shareholders. |
48
| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| BlackRock Sustainable Emerging Markets Flexible Bond Fund (continued) |
The full spectrum of available investments, including non-investment grade (high yield or junk) securities (including distressed securities) or securities determined by fund management to be of similar credit quality, securities of small cap issuers and derivatives may be utilized in satisfying the fund’s 80% policy. It is possible that up to 100% of the fund’s assets may be invested in non-investment grade (high yield or junk) securities or securities determined by fund management to be of similar credit quality. Many of the countries in which the fund invests will have sovereign ratings that are below investment grade or will be unrated. The fund may gain exposure to currencies by investing in bonds of emerging market issuers denominated in any currency. The fund may also gain exposure to currencies through the use of cash and derivatives. The fund may also buy when-issued securities and participate in delayed delivery transactions. The fund is a non-diversified portfolio under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. The management team may, when consistent with the fund’s investment objective, buy or sell options or futures, or enter into credit default swaps and interest rate or foreign currency transactions, including swaps (collectively, commonly known as derivatives). The fund typically uses derivatives as a substitute for taking a position in the underlying asset and/or as part of a strategy designed to reduce exposure to other risks, such as interest rate or currency risk. The fund may also use derivatives to enhance returns, in which case their use would involve leveraging risk. The fund may seek to obtain market exposure to the securities in which it primarily invests by entering into a series of purchase and sale contracts or by using other investment techniques (such as reverse repurchase agreements or dollar rolls, which involve a sale by the fund of a mortgage- backed or other security concurrently with an agreement by the fund to repurchase a similar security at a later date at an agreed-upon price). The fund may invest up to 10% of its assets in equity securities. The fund may engage in active and frequent trading of portfolio securities to achieve its primary investment strategies. |
Description of ETFs
The Fund may invest in ETFs, including, but not limited to, those listed below. The following table sets forth the name of each ETF in which the Fund may currently invest and a brief description of each ETF’s investment objective and principal investment strategies. The list of ETFs in which the Fund may invest is subject to change at the discretion of BlackRock without notice to shareholders. In addition, the investment objectives and principal investment strategies of each ETF are subject to change without notice to shareholders.
Prospectuses for any of these ETFs can be accessed by visiting the EDGAR database on the SEC website (www.sec.gov). In addition to the underlying funds and ETFs, the Fund may also invest uninvested cash balances in affiliated money market funds.
| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| iShares 10+ Year Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of U.S. dollar- denominated investment-grade corporate bonds with remaining maturities greater than ten years. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the ICE® BofA® 10+ Year US Corporate Index (the “Underlying Index”), which measures the performance of investment-grade corporate bonds of both U.S. and non-U.S. issuers that are U.S. dollar-denominated and publicly issued in the U.S. domestic market and have a remaining maturity of greater than or equal to ten years. As of February 29, 2024, there were 3,653 issues in the Underlying Index. As of February 29, 2024, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the consumer staples, financials, healthcare, telecommunications and utilities industries or sectors. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. The Underlying Index consists of investment-grade corporate bonds of both U.S. and non- U.S. issuers that have a remaining maturity of greater than or equal to ten years, have been publicly issued in the U.S. domestic market, and have $250 million or more of outstanding face value. ICE Data Indices, LLC deems securities as “investment grade” based on the average rating of Fitch Ratings, Inc. (BBB or better), Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (Baa or better) and/or Standard & Poor’s® Financial Services LLC, a subsidiary of S&P Global (BBB or better). In addition, the securities in the Underlying |
49
| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| iShares 10+ Year Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (continued) |
Index must be denominated in U.S. dollars and must be fixed-rate. Excluded from the Underlying Index are equity-linked securities, securities in legal default, hybrid securitized corporate bonds, Eurodollar bonds (U.S. dollar-denominated securities not issued in the U.S. domestic market), taxable and tax-exempt U.S. municipal securities and dividends- received-deduction-eligible securities. The Underlying Index is market capitalization- weighted, and the securities in the Underlying Index are updated on the last calendar day of each month. Under normal circumstances, the fund will seek to maintain a weighted average maturity that is greater than ten years. Weighted average maturity is a U.S. dollar-weighted average of the remaining term to maturity of the underlying securities in the fund’s portfolio. |
| iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of U.S. Treasury bonds with remaining maturities between one and three years. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the ICE® U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Bond Index (the “Underlying Index”), which measures the performance of public obligations of the U.S. Treasury that have a remaining maturity of greater than or equal to one year and less than three years. As of February 29, 2024, there were 96 issues in the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index consists of publicly-issued U.S. Treasury securities that have a remaining maturity of greater than or equal to one year and less than three years and have $300 million or more of outstanding face value, excluding amounts held by the Federal Reserve System. In addition, the securities in the Underlying Index must be fixed-rate and denominated in U.S. dollars. Excluded from the Underlying Index are inflation-linked securities, Treasury bills, cash management bills, any government agency debt issued with or without a government guarantee and zero-coupon issues that have been stripped from coupon-paying bonds. The Underlying Index is market value weighted, and the securities in the Underlying Index are updated on the last business day of each month. |
| iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of U.S. Treasury bonds with remaining maturities greater than twenty years. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the ICE® U.S. Treasury 20+ Year Bond Index (the “Underlying Index”), which measures the performance of public obligations of the U.S. Treasury that have a remaining maturity greater than or equal to twenty years. As of February 29, 2024, there were 40 issues in the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index consists of publicly-issued U.S. Treasury securities that have a remaining maturity greater than or equal to twenty years and have $300 million or more of outstanding face value, excluding amounts held by the Federal Reserve System. In addition, the securities in the Underlying Index must be fixed-rate and denominated in U.S. dollars. Excluded from the Underlying Index are inflation-linked securities, Treasury bills, cash management bills, any government agency debt issued with or without a government guarantee and zero-coupon issues that have been stripped from coupon- paying bonds. The Underlying Index is market value weighted, and the securities in the Underlying Index are updated on the last business day of each month. |
| iShares 1-5 Year Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of U.S. dollar- denominated, investment-grade corporate bonds with remaining maturities between one and five years. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the ICE® BofA® 1-5 Year US Corporate Index (the “Underlying Index”), which measures the performance of investment-grade corporate bonds of both U.S. and non-U.S. issuers that are U.S. dollar-denominated and publicly issued in the U.S. domestic market and have a remaining maturity of greater than or equal to one year and less than five years. As of February 29, 2024, there were 3,932 issues in the Underlying Index. As of February 29, 2024, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the financials industry or sector. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. The Underlying Index consists of investment-grade corporate bonds of both U.S. and non- U.S. issuers that have a remaining maturity of greater than or equal to one year and less than five years, have been publicly issued in the U.S. domestic market, and have $250 million or more of outstanding face value. ICE Data Indices, LLC deems securities as “investment grade” based on the average rating of Fitch Ratings, Inc. (BBB or better), Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (Baa or better) and/or Standard & Poor’s® Financial Services LLC, a subsidiary of S&P Global (BBB or better). In addition, the securities in the Underlying Index must be denominated in U.S. dollars and must be fixed-rate. |
50
| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| iShares 1-5 Year Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (continued) |
Excluded from the Underlying Index are equity-linked securities, securities in legal default, hybrid securitized corporate bonds, Eurodollar bonds (U.S. dollar-denominated securities not issued in the U.S. domestic market), taxable and tax-exempt U.S. municipal securities and dividends-received-deduction-eligible securities. The Underlying Index is market capitalization-weighted, and the securities in the Underlying Index are updated on the last calendar day of each month. Under normal circumstances, the fund will seek to maintain a weighted average maturity that is less than or equal to three years. Weighted average maturity is a U.S. dollar-weighted average of the remaining term to maturity of the underlying securities in the fund’s portfolio. |
| iShares Broad USD Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of U.S. dollar- denominated investment-grade corporate bonds. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the ICE® BofA® US Corporate Index (the “Underlying Index”), which measures the performance of investment-grade corporate bonds of both U.S. and non-U.S. issuers that are U.S. dollar-denominated and publicly issued in the U.S. domestic market. As of February 29, 2024, there were 10,309 issues in the Underlying Index. As of February 29, 2024, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the financials industry or sector. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. The Underlying Index consists of investment-grade corporate bonds of both U.S. and non- U.S. issuers that have a remaining maturity of greater than or equal to one year, have been publicly issued in the U.S. domestic market, and have $250 million or more of outstanding face value. ICE Data Indices, LLC deems securities as “investment grade” based on the average rating of Fitch Ratings, Inc. (BBB or better), Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (Baa or better) and/or Standard & Poor’s® Financial Services LLC, a subsidiary of S&P Global (BBB or better). In addition, the securities in the Underlying Index must be denominated in U.S. dollars and must be fixed-rate. Excluded from the Underlying Index are equity-linked securities, securities in legal default, hybrid securitized corporate bonds, Eurodollar bonds (U.S. dollar-denominated securities not issued in the U.S. domestic market), taxable and tax-exempt U.S. municipal securities and dividends- received-deduction-eligible securities. The Underlying Index is market capitalization- weighted, and the securities in the Underlying Index are updated on the last calendar day of each month. |
| iShares 5-10 Year Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of U.S. dollar- denominated investment-grade corporate bonds with remaining maturities between five and ten years. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the ICE® BofA® 5-10 Year US Corporate Index (the “Underlying Index”), which measures the performance of investment-grade corporate bonds of both U.S. and non-U.S. issuers that are U.S. dollar-denominated and publicly issued in the U.S. domestic market and have a remaining maturity of greater than or equal to five years and less than ten years. As of February 29, 2024, there were 2,724 issues in the Underlying Index. As of February 29, 2024, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the financials industry or sector. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. The Underlying Index consists of investment-grade corporate bonds of both U.S. and non- U.S. issuers that have a remaining maturity of greater than or equal to five years and less than ten years, have been publicly issued in the U.S. domestic market, and have $250 million or more of outstanding face value. ICE Data Indices, LLC deems securities as “investment grade” based on the average rating of Fitch Ratings, Inc. (BBB or better), Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (Baa or better) and/or Standard & Poor’s® Financial Services LLC, a subsidiary of S&P Global (BBB or better). In addition, the securities in the Underlying Index must be denominated in U.S. dollars and must be fixed-rate. Excluded from the Underlying Index are equity-linked securities, securities in legal default, hybrid securitized corporate bonds, Eurodollar bonds (U.S. dollar-denominated securities not issued in the U.S. domestic market), taxable and tax-exempt U.S. municipal securities and dividends-received-deduction-eligible securities. The Underlying Index is market capitalization-weighted, and the securities in the Underlying Index are updated on the last calendar day of each month. Under normal circumstances, the fund will seek to maintain a weighted average maturity that is greater than three years and lower than 10 years. Weighted average maturity is a U.S. dollar-weighted average of the remaining term to maturity of the underlying securities in the fund’s portfolio. |
51
| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| iShares Select Dividend ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of relatively high dividend paying U.S. equities.The fund seeks to track the investment results of the Dow Jones U.S. Select Dividend Index (the “Underlying Index”), which measures the performance of the U.S.’s leading stocks by dividend yield. Dividend yield is calculated using a stock’s indicated annual dividend (not including any special dividends) divided by its price. The Underlying Index is composed of 100 of the highest dividend-yielding securities (excluding real estate investment trusts) in the Dow Jones U.S. Index, a broad- based index representative of the total market for U.S. equity securities. To be included in the Underlying Index, each security (i) must have a dividend per share greater than or equal to its five-year average dividend per share; (ii) must have a five-year average dividend coverage ratio of greater than or equal to 167%; (iii) must have a three-month average daily trading volume of 200,000 shares (100,000 shares for current constituents); (iv) must have paid dividends in each of the previous five years; (v) must have a non-negative trailing 12 month earnings per share; and (vi) must have a float- adjusted market cap of at least $3 billion ($2 billion for current constituents). The Underlying Index is reviewed quarterly and rebalanced annually. The Underlying Index includes large-, mid-and small-capitalization companies and may change over time. As of April 30, 2024, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the consumer goods, financials and utilities industries or sectors. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. |
| iShares U.S. Real Estate ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of U.S. equities in the real estate sector. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the Dow Jones U.S. Real Estate Capped Index (the “Underlying Index”), which measures the performance of the real estate sector of the U.S. equity market, as defined by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC (“SPDJI”). The Underlying Index uses a capping methodology to limit the weight of the securities of any single issuer (as determined by SPDJI) to a maximum of 10% of the Underlying Index. Additionally, the Underlying Index constrains at each quarterly review: (i) the weight of any single issuer to a maximum of 10%, and (ii) the aggregate weight of all issuers that individually exceed 4.50% of the index weight to a maximum of 22.50%. Between scheduled quarterly index reviews, the Underlying Index is rebalanced at the end of any day on which all issuers that individually constitute more than 5% of the weight of the Underlying Index constitute more than 25% of the weight of the Underlying Index in the aggregate. In implementing this capping methodology, SPDJI may consider two or more companies as belonging to the same issuer where there is reasonable evidence of common control. As of March 31, 2024, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the real estate investment trust industry or sector. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. |
| iShares International Select Dividend ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of relatively high dividend paying equities in non-U.S. developed markets. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the Dow Jones EPAC Select Dividend Index (the “Underlying Index”), which is provided by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC (“SPDJI”). The Underlying Index measures the performance of 100 high dividend-paying companies in the EPAC (Europe, Pacific, Asia and Canada) region, which covers developed markets excluding the U.S. Constituents are selected according to indicated annual dividend (“IAD”) yield, subject to screening criteria and weighting constraints. IAD yield is defined as a stock’s IAD (not including any special dividends) divided by its price. The starting universe for the Underlying Index is the S&P EPAC BMI and the S&P Canada BMI indexes, excluding real estate investment trusts. To be eligible for the Underlying Index as a new constituent, an issuer must (i) have paid dividends in each of the previous three years; (ii) have a current year trailing 12-month dividend-per-share ratio that is greater than or equal to its three-year average dividend-per-share ratio; and (iii) have a five-year average dividend coverage ratio that is greater than or equal to two- thirds of the five-year average dividend coverage ratio of the corresponding S&P BMI country index, or greater than 118%, whichever is greater. In addition, the security must have (x) a non-negative trailing 12-month earnings per share; (y) a float-adjusted market capitalization of at least $1 billion, or at least $750 million for current constituents; and |
52
| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| iShares International Select Dividend ETF (continued) |
(z) a three-month average daily trading value of at least $3 million. Current constituents are included in the eligible universe regardless of their dividend growth rate, coverage ratio, current year earnings per share or average daily trading value. To select the 100 constituents, SPDJI ranks the eligible securities by IAD yield and first includes all existing constituents that are ranked in the top 200 and then selects non- constituent stocks in rank order until the count reaches 100. The Underlying Index is reconstituted annually with constituent weights determined based on tilted IAD yield, which is calculated by multiplying the constituent’s IAD yield (capped at 20%) by the square root of its fair market capitalization. The weight of individual securities is capped at the lower of 10% or five times the constituent’s fair market capitalization weight within the Underlying Index. In addition, there is a 30% cap on the aggregate weight of constituents within each Global Industry Classification Standard sector and each country of domicile. The Underlying Index is reviewed daily based on each constituent’s weight. Daily capping is performed if the aggregate weight of constituents with an individual weight greater than 4.8% exceeds 24% of the Underlying Index’s total weight. If that threshold is breached, the current constituent weights are recapped, with the weights of individual constituents capped at 10% and the aggregate weight of constituents with an individual weight greater than 4.5% capped at 22.5% of the Underlying Index’s total weight. IAD yields and tilted yield weights are not recalculated if the capping thresholds are breached throughout the year. A freeze period on the daily capping is implemented during the annual index reconstitution. As of April 30, 2024, the Underlying Index was composed of securities of companies in the following countries or regions: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The fund invests in non-U.S. securities, which may in some cases not produce qualifying dividend income. The Underlying Index includes large, mid and small-capitalization companies and may change over time. As of April 30, 2024, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the consumer goods, financials, and utilities industries or sectors. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. |
| iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of U.S. dollar- denominated, investment-grade floating rate bonds with remaining maturities between one month and five years. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the Bloomberg US Floating Rate Note ˂ 5 Years Index (the “Underlying Index”), which measures the performance of U.S. dollar-denominated, investment-grade (as determined by Bloomberg Index Services Limited) floating rate notes. Securities in the Underlying Index have a remaining maturity of greater than or equal to one month and less than five years, and have $300 million or more of outstanding face value. As of October 31, 2023, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the financials industry or sector. As of October 31, 2023, the Underlying Index was composed of securities of companies in the following countries or regions: Australia, Canada, China, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the U.S. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. The Underlying Index consists of debt instruments that pay a variable coupon rate, based on a reference rate such as the 3-month London Interbank Offered Rate or the Secured Overnight Financing Rate and a fixed spread. The Underlying Index is market capitalization-weighted and the securities in the Underlying Index are updated on the last calendar day of each month. The Underlying Index may include U.S. registered, dollar- denominated bonds of non-U.S. corporations, governments and supranational entities. |
| iShares International Developed Real Estate ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of real estate equities in developed non-U.S. markets. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the FTSE EPRA Nareit Developed ex US Index (the “Underlying Index”), which measures the performance of companies engaged in the ownership, trading and development of income-producing real estate in the developed real estate markets (except for the U.S.) as defined by FTSE EPRA Nareit. As of April 30, 2024, the Underlying Index was composed of securities of companies in the following countries or regions: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, |
53
| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| iShares International Developed Real Estate ETF (continued) |
Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. As of April 30, 2024, a significant portion of the Underlying Index includes companies offering various real estate services, real estate operating companies and real estate investment trusts. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. |
| iShares Mortgage Real Estate ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of U.S. real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) that hold U.S. residential and commercial mortgages. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the FTSE Nareit All Mortgage Capped Index (the “Underlying Index”), which measures the performance of the residential and commercial mortgage real estate, mortgage finance and savings associations sectors of the U.S. equity market, as defined by FTSE International Limited (“FTSE”). The Underlying Index generally measures the performance of the residential and commercial mortgage real estate sector and generally invests all of its assets in REITs. If the number of constituents in the Underlying Index falls below 20, FTSE will consider companies from the mortgage finance and savings associations sectors for inclusion in the Underlying Index, and each company in the mortgage finance and savings associations sectors will be capped at 3% of the Underlying Index, and these sectors in the aggregate will not exceed 30% of the Underlying Index. As of March 31, 2024, approximately 100% of the market capitalization of the Underlying Index is represented by REITs. As of March 31, 2024, the Underlying Index includes 32 component securities. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. |
| iShares Core High Dividend ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of relatively high dividend paying U.S. equities. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the Morningstar® Dividend Yield Focus IndexSM (the “Underlying Index”), which offers exposure to high quality U.S.-domiciled companies that have had strong financial health and an ability to sustain above average dividend payouts. The Underlying Index is a subset of the Morningstar® US Market IndexSM, a broad market index that represents approximately 97% of the market capitalization of publicly traded U.S. stocks. The Underlying Index is composed of qualified income-paying securities that are screened for superior company quality and financial health as determined by Morningstar, Inc.’s (“Morningstar”) proprietary index methodology. Stocks in the Underlying Index represent the top 75 high-yielding stocks meeting the screening requirements. The Morningstar index methodology determines “company quality” in accordance with the Morningstar Economic MoatTM rating system, in which companies are assigned a moat rating of “none,”“narrow” or “wide” based on the prospect of earning above average returns on capital and the strength of the company’s competitive advantage. Additionally, companies are screened for “financial health” using Morningstar’s Distance to Default measure, a quantitative option pricing approach that estimates a company’s probability of default. To qualify for inclusion in the Underlying Index, constituents must have a Morningstar Economic Moat rating of “narrow” or “wide” and have a Morningstar Distance to Default score in the top 50% of eligible dividend-paying companies within their sector. Companies that are not assigned a Morningstar Economic Moat rating must have a Morningstar Distance to Default score in the top 30% of eligible dividend-paying companies within their sector. Additionally, each constituent’s dividend must be deemed to be qualified income. The Underlying Index may include large-, mid-and small-capitalization companies and may change over time. As of April 30, 2024, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the energy, financials and utilities industries or sectors. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. |
| iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of U.S. dollar- denominated, high yield corporate bonds. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the Markit iBoxx® USD Liquid High Yield Index (the “Underlying Index”), which is a rules-based index consisting of U.S. dollar-denominated, high yield (as determined by Markit Indices Limited (“Markit”)) corporate bonds for sale in the U.S. The Underlying Index is designed to provide a broad representation of the U.S. dollar-denominated liquid high yield corporate bond market. The Underlying Index is a modified market-value weighted index with a cap on each issuer of 3%. There is no limit to the number of issues in the Underlying Index. As of February 29, 2024, the Underlying Index included approximately 1,187 constituents. As |
54
| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (continued) |
of February 29, 2024, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the consumer services and industrials industries or sectors. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. Bonds in the Underlying Index are selected from the universe of eligible bonds in the Markit iBoxx USD Corporate Bond Index using defined rules. As of the date of the fund’s prospectus, the bonds eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index include U.S. dollar- denominated high yield corporate bonds that: (i) are issued by companies domiciled in countries classified as developed markets by Markit; (ii) have an average rating of sub- investment grade (ratings from Fitch Ratings, Inc., Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Standard & Poor’s® Global Ratings, a subsidiary of S&P Global are considered; if more than one agency provides a rating, the average rating is attached to the bond); (iii) are from issuers with at least $1 billion outstanding face value; (iv) have at least $400 million of outstanding face value; (v) have an original maturity date of less than 15 years; (vi) have at least one year to maturity; and (vii) have at least one year and 6 months to maturity for new index insertions. |
| iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of U.S. dollar- denominated, investment-grade corporate bonds. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the Markit iBoxx® USD Liquid Investment Grade Index (the “Underlying Index”), which is a rules-based index consisting of U.S. dollar-denominated, investment-grade (as determined by Markit Indices Limited (“Markit”)) corporate bonds for sale in the U.S. The Underlying Index is designed to provide a broad representation of the U.S. dollar-denominated liquid investment-grade corporate bond market. The Underlying Index is a modified market-value weighted index with a cap on each issuer of 3%. There is no limit to the number of issues in the Underlying Index. As of February 29, 2024, the Underlying Index included approximately 2,748 constituents. As of February 29, 2024, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the financials industry or sector. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. The Underlying Index is a subset of the Markit iBoxx USD Corporate Bond Index, which as of February 29, 2024 is an index of 7,936 investment-grade bonds. Bonds in the Underlying Index are selected from the universe of eligible bonds in the Markit iBoxx USD Corporate Bond Index using defined rules. As of the date of the fund’s prospectus, the bonds eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index consist of U.S. dollar-denominated corporate bonds that: (i) are issued by companies domiciled in countries classified as developed markets by Markit; (ii) have an average rating of investment grade (ratings from Fitch Ratings, Inc., Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Standard & Poor’s® Global Ratings, a subsidiary of S&P Global are considered; if more than one agency provides a rating, the average rating is attached to the bond); (iii) are from issuers with at least $2 billion outstanding face value; (iv) have at least $750 million of outstanding face value; (v) have at least three years to maturity; and (vi) have at least three years and 6 months to maturity for new index insertions. |
| iShares Emerging Markets Dividend ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of relatively high dividend paying equities in emerging markets. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the Dow Jones Emerging Markets Select Dividend Index (the “Underlying Index”), which is provided by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC. The Underlying Index measures the performance of 100 leading dividend- paying emerging market companies, selected according to indicated annual dividend (“IAD”) yield, subject to screening and buffering criteria and weighting constraints. IAD yield is defined as a stock’s IAD (not including any special dividends) divided by its price. The starting universe for the Underlying Index is the S&P Emerging BMI, excluding real estate investment trusts. To be eligible for the Underlying Index, issuers must have paid dividends in each of the previous three years, and their securities must have (i) a non- negative trailing 12-month earnings per share; (ii) an IAD yield greater than 0%; (iii) a float-adjusted market capitalization of at least $250 million; and (iv) a three-month average daily trading value of at least $3 million for new constituents, or at least $1.5 million for current constituents. Eligible securities are ranked by IAD yield, and the top 100 stocks are selected as index constituents. No more than 30 stocks can be selected from any single country, subject to certain buffers. |
55
| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| iShares Emerging Markets Dividend ETF (continued) |
The Underlying Index is reconstituted annually with constituent weights determined based on tilted IAD yield, which is calculated by multiplying the constituent’s IAD yield (capped at 15%) by the square root of its fair market capitalization. The capping methodology also limits the weight of individual securities to 10%, the aggregate weight of constituents within each country of domicile to 25%, and the aggregate weight of constituents within each Global Industry Classification Standard sector to 30%. The Underlying Index is reviewed daily based on each constituent’s weight. Daily capping is performed if the aggregate weight of constituents with an individual weight greater than 4.8% exceeds 24% of the Underlying Index’s total weight. If that threshold is breached, the current constituent weights are recapped, with weights of individual securities capped at 10% and the aggregate weight of stocks with an individual weight greater than 4.5% capped at 22.5% of the Underlying Index’s total weight. IAD yields and tilted yield weights are not recalculated if the capping thresholds are breached throughout the year. A freeze period on the daily capping is implemented during the annual index reconstitution. As of April 30, 2024, the Underlying Index consisted of issuers in the following countries: Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Greece, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, Malaysia, Poland, Qatar, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. The Underlying Index includes large-, mid and small-capitalization companies and may change over time. As of April 30, 2024, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the financials, industrials, and materials industries or sectors. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. |
| iShares J.P. Morgan EM Local Currency Bond ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of local currency denominated, emerging market sovereign bonds. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the J.P. Morgan GBI-EM Global Diversified 15% Cap 4.5% Floor Index (the “Underlying Index”), which tracks the performance of local currency-denominated sovereign bond markets of emerging market countries. All bonds included in the Underlying Index are selected according to a set of rule-based inclusion criteria regarding issue size, bond type, maturity, and liquidity. The securities included in the Underlying Index are rebalanced on the last weekday of the month. Eligible countries included in the Underlying Index are determined by JPMorgan Chase & Co. or its affiliates (“J.P. Morgan”) based on J.P. Morgan’s definition of emerging market countries. Eligible issuer countries must have (1) gross national income (“GNI”) below the Index Income Ceiling (“IIC”) for three consecutive years or (2) an Index Purchasing Power Parity Ratio (the “IPR”) below the EM IPR threshold, each as defined by J.P. Morgan, for three consecutive years. An existing country may be considered for removal from the Underlying Index if its GNI per capita is above the IIC for three consecutive years and its long-term sovereign credit rating from Standard & Poor’s Global Ratings, Moody’s Investors Service, Inc., and Fitch Ratings, Inc. is A-/A3/A-or above for three consecutive years. For purposes of compiling the Underlying Index, individual country weights are capped at maximum 15% and floored at minimum 4.5%. Eligible individual securities must have a minimum face amount outstanding of U.S. $1 billion equivalent for onshore local currency bonds and U.S. $500 million for global bonds (offshore currency linked bonds). All component securities must have at least 2.5 years to maturity from the inclusion date and a remaining maturity of 6 months or greater at the time of rebalancing to remain eligible for the Underlying Index. Floating-rate issues, capitalization/ amortizing bonds, and bonds with callable, puttable or convertible features are not eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index. As of October 31, 2023, the Underlying Index included securities issued by Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Hungary, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Poland, Romania, Serbia, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey and Uruguay. |
| iShares J.P. Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of U.S. dollar- denominated, emerging market bonds. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the J.P. Morgan EMBI® Global Core Index (the “Underlying Index”), which is a broad, diverse U.S. dollar-denominated emerging markets debt benchmark that tracks the total return of actively traded external debt instruments in emerging market countries. The methodology is designed to |
56
| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| iShares J.P. Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond ETF (continued) |
distribute the weight of each country within the Underlying Index by limiting the weights of countries with higher debt outstanding and reallocating this excess to countries with lower debt outstanding. The Underlying Index was composed of 54 countries as of October 31, 2023. As of October 31, 2023, the Underlying Index’s five highest weighted countries were Indonesia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. The Underlying Index may change its composition and weighting monthly upon rebalancing. The Underlying Index includes both fixed-rate and floating-rate instruments issued by sovereign and quasi-sovereign entities from index-eligible countries. Quasi- sovereign entities are defined as entities that are 100% guaranteed or 100% owned by the national government and reside in the index-eligible country. To be considered for inclusion in the Underlying Index, instruments must (i) be denominated in U.S. dollars, (ii) have a current face amount outstanding of $1 billion or more, (iii) have at least 2.5 years until maturity to be eligible for inclusion and, at each subsequent rebalance, have at least one year until maturity to remain in the index, (iv) be able to settle internationally through Euroclear or another institution domiciled outside the issuing country and (v) have bid and offer prices that are available on a daily and timely basis sourced from a third party valuation vendor. As of October 31, 2023, the Underlying Index consisted of both investment-grade and non-investment-grade bonds (commonly referred to as “junk bonds”), each as defined by JPMorgan Chase & Co. (“J.P. Morgan”). Convertible bonds are not eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index is market value-weighted and is rebalanced monthly on the last business day of the month. Eligible issuer countries must have (1) gross national income (“GNI”) below the Index Income Ceiling (“IIC”) for three consecutive years or (2) an Index Purchasing Power Parity Ratio (the “IPR”) below the emerging market IPR threshold, each as defined by J.P. Morgan, for three consecutive years. |
| iShares Europe ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of European equities. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the S&P Europe 350TM (the “Underlying Index”), which measures the performance of the securities of leading companies in the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. The market capitalization of constituent companies is adjusted to reflect the available float and, if necessary, any foreign investment restrictions. The stocks in the Underlying Index are chosen by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC (“SPDJI”) for market size, liquidity, industry group representation and geographic diversity. The Underlying Index is a subset of the S&P Global 1200, which is designed to measure the performance of large-capitalization stocks from major global markets, as determined by SPDJI. As of March 31, 2024, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the financials, healthcare and industrials industries or sectors. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. |
| iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of large-and mid- capitalization equities from developed market countries that use the euro as their official currency. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the MSCI EMU Index (the “Underlying Index”), which consists of securities from the following 10 developed market countries: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. The Underlying Index includes large-and mid-capitalization companies and may change over time. As of August 31, 2023, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the consumer discretionary, financials and industrials industries or sectors. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. |
| iShares CMBS ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of investment- grade commercial mortgage-backed securities. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the Bloomberg U.S. CMBS (ERISA Only) Index (the “Underlying Index”), which measures the performance of investment- grade (as determined by Bloomberg Index Services Limited) commercial mortgage- backed securities (“CMBS”), which are classes of securities (known as “certificates”) that represent interests in “pools” of commercial mortgages. The Underlying Index includes only CMBS that are Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”) eligible under the underwriter’s exemption, which will deem ERISA |
57
| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| iShares CMBS ETF (continued) |
eligible the certificates with the first priority of principal repayment, as long as certain conditions are met, including the requirement that the certificates be rated in one of the three highest rating categories by Fitch Ratings, Inc., Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or S&P Global Ratings. The Underlying Index includes investment-grade CMBS that are ERISA eligible with $300 million or more of aggregate outstanding transaction size. In addition, the original aggregate transaction must be $500 million or more and the tranche size must be $25 million or more. CMBS certificates must have an expected life of at least one year and must be either fixed-rate or subject to an interest rate cap equal to the weighted average coupon of the underlying asset pool. Excluded from the Underlying Index are non-ERISA eligible securities, agency transactions and privately issued securities, including those which may be resold in accordance with Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The securities in the Underlying Index are updated on the last calendar day of each month. |
| iShares MBS ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of investment- grade mortgage-backed pass-through securities issued and/or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the Bloomberg U.S. MBS Index (the “Underlying Index”), which measures the performance of investment-grade (as determined by Bloomberg Index Services Limited) mortgage-backed pass-through securities (“MBS”) issued and/or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies or sponsored entities. The Underlying Index includes fixed-rate MBS issued by the Government National Mortgage Association, Federal National Mortgage Association and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation that have 30-, 20-, or 15-year maturities. All securities in the Underlying Index must have a remaining weighted average maturity of at least one year. In addition, the securities in the Underlying Index must be denominated in U.S. dollars and must be non-convertible. The Underlying Index is market capitalization- weighted and the securities in the Underlying Index are updated on the last business day of each month. As of February 29, 2024, approximately 100% of the bonds represented in the Underlying Index were U.S. agency MBS. Most transactions in MBS occur through standardized contracts for future delivery in which the exact mortgage pools to be delivered are not specified until a few days prior to settlement (to-be-announced transactions). The fund may enter into such contracts for fixed-rate pass-through securities on a regular basis. The fund, pending settlement of such contracts, will invest its assets in liquid, short-term instruments, including shares of money market funds advised by BlackRock Fund Advisors or its affiliates. The fund will assume its pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any money market fund that it may invest in, in addition to the fund’s own fees and expenses. The fund may also acquire interests in mortgage pools through means other than such standardized contracts for future delivery. |
| iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of U.S. dollar- denominated preferred and hybrid securities. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the ICE Exchange-Listed Preferred & Hybrid Securities Index (the “Underlying Index”), which measures the performance of a select group of exchange-listed, U.S. dollar-denominated preferred securities, hybrid securities and convertible preferred securities listed on the New York Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq Capital Market. The Underlying Index includes issuances of preferred stocks with amounts outstanding over $100 million, convertible preferred stock with at least $50 million face amount outstanding, and hybrid securities with at least $250 million face amount outstanding, that meet minimum maturity and other requirements, as applicable, as determined by ICE Data Indices, LLC. In general, preferred stock is a class of equity security that pays a specified dividend that must be paid before any dividends can be paid to common stockholders and takes precedence over common stock in the event of a company’s liquidation. In general, a “hybrid” security refers to a security which combines both debt and equity characteristics. In general, hybrid securities included in the Underlying Index, like traditional preferred stock, have preference over the common stock within an issuer’s capital structure, and are issued and traded in a similar manner to traditional preferred stock. Like debt securities and preferred stock (but unlike common stock), issuers of hybrid securities included in the Underlying Index may make fixed, periodic payments to |
58
| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF (continued) |
the holders of such securities. Like preferred stock, issuers of hybrid securities included in the Underlying Index have the ability to defer dividend payments and to extend such securities’ maturity dates. Although preferred stocks represent a partial ownership interest in a company, preferred stocks generally do not carry voting rights. Preferred stocks have economic characteristics similar to fixed-income securities. Preferred stocks and hybrid securities generally are issued with a fixed par value and pay dividends based on a percentage of that par value at a fixed or variable rate. Additionally, preferred stocks and hybrid securities often have a liquidation value that generally equals the original purchase price of such security at the date of issuance. The Underlying Index may include many different categories of preferred stock and hybrid securities, such as floating and fixed rate preferreds, fixed-to-floating rate securities, callable preferreds, convertible preferreds, cumulative and non-cumulative preferreds, certain capital securities, trust preferreds or various other preferred stock and hybrid securities. The total allocation to an individual issuer across the entire Underlying Index is limited to 4.75%. The Underlying Index uses a market capitalization weighted methodology subject to certain constraints and is rebalanced monthly. The Underlying Index may include large-, mid-or small-capitalization companies and includes preferred stocks and hybrid securities of non-U.S. issuers. As of March 31, 2024, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the financials and industrials industries or sectors. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. |
| iShares 0-5 Year High Yield Corporate Bond ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of U.S. dollar- denominated, high yield corporate bonds with remaining maturities of less than five years. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the Markit iBoxx® USD Liquid High Yield 0-5 Index (the “Underlying Index”), which is designed to reflect the performance of U.S. dollar-denominated high yield (as determined by Markit Indices Limited (“Markit”)) corporate debt. High yield bonds are also known as “junk bonds” and are generally rated below investment-grade. The Underlying Index offers exposure to liquid (according to Markit’s liquidity screens, which could vary from other measures of liquidity) U.S. dollar- denominated high yield corporate bonds maturing between zero and five years and is rebalanced on a monthly basis. Only bonds with $350 million minimum face value per bond are included in the Underlying Index, provided they are trading at a minimum price in accordance with Markit’s liquidity screens. The Underlying Index uses a market-value weighted methodology with a cap on each issuer of 3%. As of October 31, 2023, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the consumer services and industrials industries or sectors. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. |
| iShares Core S&P 500 ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of large- capitalization U.S. equities. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the S&P 500 (the “Underlying Index”), which measures the performance of the large-capitalization sector of the U.S. equity market, as determined by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC. As of March 31, 2024, the Underlying Index included approximately 86.44% of the market capitalization of all publicly traded U.S. equity securities. The securities in the Underlying Index are weighted based on the float-adjusted market value of their outstanding shares. The Underlying Index consists of securities from a broad range of industries. As of March 31, 2024, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the technology industry or sector. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. |
| iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of U.S. large-and mid-capitalization stocks with value characteristics and relatively lower valuations. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the MSCI USA Enhanced Value Index (the “Underlying Index”), which is based on a traditional market capitalization-weighted parent index, the MSCI USA Index (the “Parent Index”). The Parent Index includes U.S. large-and mid-capitalization stocks, as defined by MSCI Inc. (“MSCI”). The Underlying Index is designed to measure the performance of securities in the Parent Index that exhibit higher value characteristics relative to their peers within the corresponding Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS® ) sector. To construct the Underlying Index, MSCI calculates a “value score” for each security in the Parent Index using three variables: |
59
| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF (continued) |
price-to-book value, price-to-forward earnings and enterprise value-to-cash flow from operations. MSCI assigns weights by multiplying a component’s value score by its market capitalization. Weights in the Underlying Index are next normalized so that sectors in the Underlying Index represent the same weight as in the Parent Index. MSCI uses an algorithm to determine the number of components in the Underlying Index based on the number of constituents in the Parent Index. The number of components is evaluated semi-annually. As of July 31, 2023, there were 150 securities in the Underlying Index. As of July 31, 2023, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the technology industry or sector. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. |
| iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of U.S. equities with a history of consistently growing dividends. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the Morningstar® US Dividend Growth IndexSM (the “Underlying Index”), which is a dividend dollar-weighted index that seeks to measure the performance of U.S. companies selected based on a consistent history of growing dividends. The Underlying Index is a subset of the Morningstar® US Market IndexSM , which is a broad market index that represents approximately 97% of the market capitalization of publicly traded U.S. stocks. Eligible companies must pay a qualified dividend, must have at least five years of uninterrupted annual dividend growth and their earnings payout ratio must be less than 75%. Companies that are in the top decile based on dividend yield are excluded from the Underlying Index prior to the dividend growth and payout ratio screens. The Underlying Index may include large-, mid-and small- capitalization companies and may change over time. As of April 30, 2024, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the financials and industrials industries or sectors. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. |
| iShares International Dividend Growth ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of international equities with a history of consistently growing dividends. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the Morningstar® Global ex-US Dividend Growth IndexSM (the “Underlying Index”), which is a dividend dollars weighted index that seeks to measure the performance of international equities selected based on a consistent history of growing dividends, as determined by Morningstar Inc. (“Morningstar”). The Underlying Index is a subset of the Morningstar® Global Markets ex-US IndexSM, which is a diversified broad market index that represents approximately 97% of the market capitalization in international developed and emerging markets, as defined by Morningstar. Eligible companies for the Underlying Index must pay a qualified dividend, must have at least five years of uninterrupted annual dividend growth and must have an earnings payout ratio of less than 75%. A company that is in the top decile of dividend yield for its region, as defined by Morningstar (for example, Developed Asia Pacific, Developed Europe, Middle East and Africa, Developed North America ex-US (Canada) and Emerging Markets), is excluded from the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index was composed of securities of companies in 36 countries as of March 31, 2024. The Underlying Index includes large-, mid-and small-capitalization companies and may change over time. As of March 31, 2024, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the industrials industry or sector. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. |
MONEY MARKET FUNDS
| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| TempFund |
The investment objective of the fund is to seek as high a level of current income as is consistent with liquidity and stability of principal. The fund invests in a broad range of U.S. dollar-denominated money market instruments, including government, U.S. and foreign bank, and commercial obligations and repurchase agreements. The fund invests in securities maturing in 397 days or less (with certain exceptions) and the portfolio will have a dollar-weighted average maturity of 60 days or less and a dollar-weighted average life of 120 days or less. In addition, the fund may invest in mortgage‑ and asset-backed securities, short-term obligations issued by or on behalf of states, territories and possessions of the United States, the District of Columbia, and their respective authorities, agencies, |
60
| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| TempFund (continued) |
instrumentalities and political subdivisions and derivative securities such as beneficial interests in municipal trust certificates and partnership trusts. The fund may also invest in variable and floating rate instruments, and transact in securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis. The securities purchased by the fund are subject to the quality, diversification, and other requirements of Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and other rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission. |
| T-Fund |
The investment objective of the fund is to seek current income as is consistent with liquidity and stability of principal. The fund invests at least 99.5% of its total assets in cash, U.S. Treasury bills, notes and other obligations issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. Treasury, and repurchase agreements secured by such obligations or cash. The fund invests in securities maturing in 397 days or less (with certain exceptions) and the portfolio will have a dollar-weighted average maturity of 60 days or less and a dollar- weighted average life of 120 days or less. The fund may invest in variable and floating rate instruments, and transact in securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis. The fund will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in U.S. Treasury bills, notes and other obligations of the U.S. Treasury, and repurchase agreements secured by such obligations. This policy is a non-fundamental policy of the fund and the fund will not change the policy without providing shareholders with at least 60 days’ prior notice of any change in the policy. The securities purchased by the fund are subject to the quality, diversification, and other requirements of Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and other rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission. |
| JPMorgan U.S. Treasury Plus Money Market Fund |
The fund seeks current income with liquidity and stability of principal. Under normal conditions, the fund invests its assets exclusively in: obligations of the U.S. Treasury, including Treasury bills, bonds and notes and other obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury, and repurchase agreements fully collateralized by U.S. Treasury securities. The debt securities described above carry different interest rates, maturities and issue dates. The fund is a money market fund managed in the following manner: The fund seeks to maintain a net asset value of $1.00 per share. The dollar-weighted average maturity of the fund will be 60 days or less and the dollar-weighted average life to maturity will be 120 days or less. The fund will only buy securities that have remaining maturities of 397 days or less or securities otherwise permitted to be purchased because of maturity shortening provisions under applicable regulation. The fund invests only in U.S. dollar- denominated securities. The fund seeks to invest in securities that present minimal credit risk. The fund will generally hold a portion of its assets in cash, primarily to meet redemptions. The fund intends to continue to qualify as a “government money market fund,” as such term is defined in or interpreted under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. “Government money market funds” are required to invest at least 99.5% of their assets in (i) cash, (ii) securities issued or guaranteed by the United States or certain U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities and/or (iii) repurchase agreements that are collateralized fully, and are exempt from requirements that permit money market funds to impose a liquidity fee. While the fund’s Board of Trustees may elect to subject the fund to liquidity fee requirements in the future, it has not elected to do so at this time. A government money market fund may also include investments in other government money market funds as an eligible investment for purposes of the 99.5% requirement above. The fund’s adviser seeks to develop an appropriate portfolio by considering the differences in yields among securities of different maturities and issue dates. |
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Account Information
How to Choose the Share Class that Best Suits Your Needs
The Fund currently offers multiple share classes (Investor A, Investor C and Institutional Shares in this prospectus), each with its own sales charge and expense structure, allowing you to invest in the way that best suits your needs. Each share class represents an ownership interest in the same investment portfolio. When you choose your class of shares, you should consider the size of your investment and how long you plan to hold your shares. Either your financial professional or your selected securities dealer, broker, investment adviser, service provider or industry professional (including BlackRock and its affiliates) (each a “Financial Intermediary”) can help you determine which share class is best suited to your personal financial goals. Investor A Shares and Investor C Shares are sometimes referred to herein collectively as “Investor Shares.”
For example, if you select Institutional Shares, you will not pay any sales charge. However, only certain investors may buy Institutional Shares. If you select Investor A Shares, you generally pay a sales charge at the time of purchase and an ongoing service fee of 0.25% per year. You may be eligible for a sales charge reduction or waiver.
If you select Investor C Shares, you will invest the full amount of your purchase price, but you will be subject to a distribution fee of 0.75% per year and a service fee of 0.25% per year under a plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act. Because these fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges. In addition, you may be subject to a deferred sales charge when you sell Investor C Shares within one year. Classes with lower expenses will have higher net asset values and dividends relative to other share classes.
The Fund’s shares are distributed by BlackRock Investments, LLC (the “Distributor”), an affiliate of BlackRock.
The table on the following pages summarizes key features of each of the share classes offered in this prospectus.
Share Classes at a Glance1
| |
Investor A |
Investor C2,3 |
Institutional |
| Availability |
Generally available through Financial Intermediaries. |
Generally available through Financial Intermediaries. Must be held through a Financial Intermediary. |
Limited to certain investors, including: •Individuals and “Institutional Investors,” which include, but are not limited to, endowments, foundations, family offices, local, city, and state governmental institutions, corporations and insurance company separate accounts, who may purchase shares of the Fund through a Financial Intermediary that has entered into an agreement with the Distributor to purchase such shares. •Employer-sponsored retirement plans (not including SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs or SARSEPs), state sponsored 529 college savings plans, collective trust funds, investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles, unaffiliated thrifts and unaffiliated banks and trust companies, each of which may purchase shares of the Fund through a Financial Intermediary that has entered into an agreement with the Distributor to purchase such shares. •Employees, officers and directors/ trustees of BlackRock or its affiliates |
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| |
Investor A |
Investor C2,3 |
Institutional |
| Availability (continued) |
|
|
and immediate family members of such persons, if they open an account directly with BlackRock. •Participants in certain programs sponsored by BlackRock or its affiliates or other Financial Intermediaries. •Tax-qualified accounts for insurance agents that are registered representatives of an insurance company’s broker-dealer that has entered into an agreement with the Distributor to offer Institutional Shares, and the family members of such persons. •Clients investing through Financial Intermediaries that have entered into an agreement with the Distributor to offer such shares on a platform that charges a transaction based sales commission outside of the Fund. •Clients investing through a self- directed IRA brokerage account program sponsored by a retirement plan record-keeper, provided that such program offers only mutual fund options and that the program maintains an account with the Fund on an omnibus basis. |
| Minimum Investment |
$1,000 for all accounts except: •$50, if establishing an Automatic Investment Plan (“AIP”). •There is no investment minimum for employer- sponsored retirement plans (not including SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs or SARSEPs). •There is no investment minimum for certain fee- based programs. |
$1,000 for all accounts except: •$50, if establishing an AIP. •There is no investment minimum for employer- sponsored retirement plans (not including SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs or SARSEPs). •There is no investment minimum for certain fee- based programs. |
There is no investment minimum for: •Employer-sponsored retirement plans (not including SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs or SARSEPs), state sponsored 529 college savings plans, collective trust funds, investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles, unaffiliated thrifts and unaffiliated banks and trust companies. •Employees, officers and directors/ trustees of BlackRock or its affiliates and immediate family members of such persons, if they open an account directly with BlackRock. •Clients of Financial Intermediaries that: (i) charge such clients a fee for advisory, investment consulting, or similar services or (ii) have entered into an agreement with the Distributor to offer Institutional Shares through a no-load program or investment platform. •Clients investing through a self- directed IRA brokerage account program sponsored by a retirement plan record-keeper, provided that such program offers only mutual fund options and that the program maintains an account with the Fund on an omnibus basis. $2 million for individuals and Institutional Investors. $1,000 investment minimum for: |
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| |
Investor A |
Investor C2,3 |
Institutional |
| Minimum Investment (continued) |
|
|
•Clients investing through Financial Intermediaries that offer such shares on a platform that charges a transaction based sales commission outside of the Fund. •Tax-qualified accounts for insurance agents that are registered representatives of an insurance company’s broker-dealer that has entered into an agreement with the Distributor to offer Institutional Shares, and the family members of such persons. |
| Initial Sales Charge? |
Yes. Payable at time of purchase. Lower sales charges are available for larger investments. |
No. Entire purchase price is invested in shares of the Fund. |
No. Entire purchase price is invested in shares of the Fund. |
| Deferred Sales Charge? |
No. (May be charged for purchases of $250,000 or more that are redeemed within 18 months). |
Yes. Payable if you redeem within one year of purchase. |
No. |
| Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees? |
No Distribution Fee. 0.25% Annual Service Fee. |
0.75% Annual Distribution Fee. 0.25% Annual Service Fee. |
No. |
| Redemption Fees? |
No. |
No. |
No. |
| Conversion to Investor A Shares? |
N/A |
Yes, automatically approximately eight years after the date of purchase. It is the Financial Intermediary’s responsibility to ensure that the shareholder is credited with the proper holding period. As of the Effective Date (as defined below), certain Financial Intermediaries, including group retirement recordkeeping platforms, may not have been tracking such holding periods and therefore may not be able to process such conversions. In such instances, the automatic conversion of Investor C Shares to Investor A Shares will occur approximately eight years after the Effective Date. In addition, accounts that do not have a Financial Intermediary associated with them are not eligible to hold Investor C Shares, and any Investor C Shares held in such accounts will be automatically converted to Investor A Shares. |
No. |
| Advantage |
Makes sense for investors who are eligible to have the sales charge reduced or eliminated or who have a long- term investment horizon |
No up-front sales charge so you start off owning more shares. These shares may make sense for investors who have a shorter investment |
No up-front sales charge so you start off owning more shares. No distribution or service fees. |
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| |
Investor A |
Investor C2,3 |
Institutional |
| Advantage (continued) |
because there are no ongoing distribution fees. |
horizon relative to Investor A Shares. |
|
| Disadvantage |
You pay a sales charge up- front, and therefore you start off owning fewer shares. |
You pay ongoing distribution fees each year you own Investor C Shares, which means that over the long term you can expect higher total fees per share than Investor A Shares and, as a result, lower total performance. |
Limited availability. |
1
Please see “Details About the Share Classes” for more information about each share class.
2
If you establish a new account, or have an existing account, directly with the Fund and do not have a Financial Intermediary associated with your account, you may only invest in Investor A Shares. Applications without a Financial Intermediary that select Investor C Shares will not be accepted and accounts without an associated Financial Intermediary will not be eligible to hold Investor C Shares.
3
The Fund will not accept a purchase order of $500,000 or more for Investor C Shares (may be lower on funds that have set a lower breakpoint for purchasing Investor A Shares without a front-end sales charge). Your Financial Intermediary may set a lower maximum for Investor C Shares.
The following pages will cover the additional details of each share class, including the Institutional Shares requirements, the sales charge table for Investor A Shares, reduced sales charge information, Investor C Share contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”) information, and sales charge waivers.
The availability of certain sales charge waivers and reductions will depend on whether you purchase your shares directly from the Fund or through a Financial Intermediary. Financial Intermediaries may have different policies and procedures regarding the availability of front-end sales charge waivers or deferred sales charge waivers, which are discussed below. In all instances, it is your responsibility to notify the Fund or your Financial Intermediary at the time of purchase of any relationship or other facts qualifying you for sales charge waivers or reductions. For waivers and discounts not available through a particular Financial Intermediary, shareholders will have to purchase Fund shares directly from the Fund or through another Financial Intermediary to receive these waivers or reductions. Please see the “Intermediary-Defined Sales Charge Waiver Policies” section beginning on page A-1 of the Fund’s prospectus to determine any sales charge waivers and reductions that may be available to you through your Financial Intermediary.
More information about existing sales charge reductions and waivers is available free of charge in a clear and prominent format via hyperlink at www.blackrock.com and in the SAI, which is available on the website or on request.
Details About the Share Classes
Investor A Shares — Initial Sales Charge Option
The following table shows the front-end sales charges that you may pay if you buy Investor A Shares. The offering price for Investor A Shares includes any front-end sales charge. The front-end sales charge expressed as a percentage of the offering price may be higher or lower than the charge described below due to rounding. Similarly, any CDSC paid upon certain redemptions of Investor A Shares expressed as a percentage of the applicable redemption amount may be higher or lower than the charge described below due to rounding. You may qualify for a reduced front-end sales charge. Purchases of Investor A Shares at certain fixed dollar levels, known as “breakpoints,” cause a reduction in the front-end sales charge. Once you achieve a breakpoint, you pay that sales charge on your entire purchase amount (and not just the portion above the breakpoint). If you select Investor A Shares, you will pay a sales charge at the time of purchase as shown in the following table.
| Your Investment |
Sales Charge as a % of Offering Price |
Sales Charge as a % of Your Investment1 |
Dealer Compensation as a % of Offering Price |
| Less than $25,000 |
5.25 % |
5.54 % |
5.00 % |
| $25,000 but less than $50,000 |
4.75 % |
4.99 % |
4.50 % |
| $50,000 but less than $100,000 |
4.00 % |
4.17 % |
3.75 % |
| $100,000 but less than $250,000 |
3.00 % |
3.09 % |
2.75 % |
| $250,000 and over2 |
0.00 % |
0.00 % |
— 2 |
1
Rounded to the nearest one-hundredth percent.
2
If you invest $250,000 or more in Investor A Shares, you will not pay an initial sales charge. In that case, BlackRock compensates the Financial Intermediary from its own resources. However, if you redeem your shares within 18 months after purchase, you may be charged a deferred sales charge of 0.75% of the lesser of the original cost of the shares being redeemed or your redemption proceeds. Such deferred sales charge may be waived in connection with certain fee-based programs.
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No initial sales charge applies to Investor A Shares that you buy through reinvestment of Fund dividends or capital gains.
Sales Charges Reduced or Eliminated for Investor A Shares
There are several ways in which the sales charge can be reduced or eliminated. Purchases of Investor A Shares at certain fixed dollar levels, known as “breakpoints,” cause a reduction in the front-end sales charge (as described above in the “Investor A Shares — Initial Sales Charge Option” section). Additionally, the front-end sales charge can be reduced or eliminated through one or a combination of the following: a Letter of Intent, the right of accumulation, the reinstatement privilege (described under “Account Services and Privileges”), or a waiver of the sales charge (described below).
Reductions or eliminations through a Letter of Intent or right of accumulation will apply to the value of all qualifying holdings in shares of mutual funds sponsored and advised by BlackRock or its affiliates (“BlackRock Funds”) owned by (a) the investor, or (b) the investor’s spouse and any children and a trust, custodial account or fiduciary account for the benefit of any such individuals. For this purpose, the value of an investor’s holdings means the offering price of the newly purchased shares (including any applicable sales charge) plus the current value (including any sales charges paid) of all other shares the investor already holds taken together.
See the “Intermediary-Defined Sales Charge Waiver Policies” section beginning on page A-1 of the Fund’s prospectus for sales charge reductions and waivers that may be available to customers of certain Financial Intermediaries.
Qualifying Holdings — Investor A and A1, Investor C, Investor P, Institutional, Class K and Premier Shares (in most BlackRock Funds), investments in certain unlisted closed-end management investment companies sponsored and advised by BlackRock or its affiliates (“Eligible Unlisted BlackRock Closed-End Funds”) and investments in the BlackRock CollegeAdvantage 529 Program.
Qualifying Holdings may include shares held in accounts held at a Financial Intermediary, including personal accounts, certain retirement accounts, UGMA/UTMA accounts, Joint Tenancy accounts, trust accounts and Transfer on Death accounts, as well as shares purchased by a trust of which the investor is a beneficiary. For purposes of the Letter of Intent and right of accumulation, the investor may not combine with the investor’s other holdings shares held in pension, profit sharing or other employer-sponsored retirement plans if those shares are held in the name of a nominee or custodian.
In order to receive a reduced sales charge, at the time an investor purchases shares of the Fund, the investor should inform the Financial Intermediary and/or BlackRock Funds of any other shares of the Fund or any other BlackRock Fund or Eligible Unlisted BlackRock Closed-End Fund that qualify for a reduced sales charge. Failure by the investor to notify the Financial Intermediary or BlackRock Funds may result in the investor not receiving the sales charge reduction to which the investor is otherwise entitled.
The Financial Intermediary or BlackRock Funds may request documentation — including account statements and records of the original cost of the shares owned by the investor, the investor’s spouse and/or children showing that the investor qualifies for a reduced sales charge. The investor should retain these records because — depending on where an account is held or the type of account — the Fund and/or the Financial Intermediary, BlackRock Funds or Eligible Unlisted BlackRock Closed-End Funds may not be able to maintain this information.
For more information, see the SAI or contact your Financial Intermediary.
Letter of Intent
An investor may qualify for a reduced front-end sales charge immediately by signing a “Letter of Intent” stating the investor’s intention to make one or more of the following investments within the next 13 months which would, if bought all at once, qualify the investor for a reduced sales charge:
i.
Buy a specified amount of Investor A, Investor C, Investor P, Institutional, Class K and/or Premier Shares,
ii.
Make an investment in one or more Eligible Unlisted BlackRock Closed-End Funds and/or
iii.
Make an investment through the BlackRock CollegeAdvantage 529 Program in one or more BlackRock Funds.
The initial investment must meet the minimum initial purchase requirement. The 13-month Letter of Intent period commences on the day that the Letter of Intent is received by the Fund.
The market value of current holdings in the BlackRock Funds (including Investor A, Investor C, Investor P, Institutional, Class K and Premier Shares, Eligible Unlisted BlackRock Closed-End Funds and the BlackRock CollegeAdvantage 529 Program Class A and Class C Units) as of the date of commencement that are eligible under the Right of Accumulation may be counted towards the sales charge reduction.
66
The investor must notify the Fund of (i) any current holdings in the BlackRock Funds, Eligible Unlisted BlackRock Closed-End Funds and/or the BlackRock CollegeAdvantage 529 Program that should be counted towards the sales charge reduction and (ii) any subsequent purchases that should be counted towards the Letter of Intent.
During the term of the Letter of Intent, the Fund will hold Investor A Shares representing up to 5% of the indicated amount in an escrow account for payment of a higher sales load if the full amount indicated in the Letter of Intent is not purchased. If the full amount indicated is not purchased within the 13-month period, and the investor does not pay the higher sales load within 20 days, the Fund will redeem enough of the Investor A Shares held in escrow to pay the difference.
Right of Accumulation
Investors have a “right of accumulation” under which any of the following may be combined with the amount of the current purchase in determining whether an investor qualifies for a breakpoint and a reduced front-end sales charge:
i.
The current value of an investor’s existing Investor A and A1, Investor C, Investor P, Institutional, Class K and Premier Shares in most BlackRock Funds,
ii.
The current value of an investor’s existing shares of Eligible Unlisted BlackRock Closed-End Funds and
iii.
The investment in the BlackRock CollegeAdvantage 529 Program by the investor or by or on behalf of the investor’s spouse and children.
Financial Intermediaries may value current holdings of their customers differently for purposes of determining whether an investor qualifies for a breakpoint and a reduced front-end sales charge, although customers of the same Financial Intermediary will be treated similarly. In order to use this right, the investor must alert BlackRock to the existence of any previously purchased shares.
Other Front-End Sales Charge Waivers
The following persons may also buy Investor A Shares without paying a sales charge:
◼
Certain employer-sponsored retirement plans. For purposes of this waiver, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs or SARSEPs;
◼
Rollovers of current investments through certain employer-sponsored retirement plans, provided the shares are transferred to Investor A Shares of the same or another BlackRock Fund as either a direct rollover, or subsequent to distribution, the rolled-over proceeds are contributed to a BlackRock IRA through an account directly with the Fund; or purchases by IRA programs that are sponsored by Financial Intermediary firms provided the Financial Intermediary firm has entered into a Class A Net Asset Value agreement with respect to such program with the Distributor;
◼
Insurance company separate accounts;
◼
Registered investment advisers, trust companies and bank trust departments exercising discretionary investment authority with respect to amounts to be invested in the Fund;
◼
Persons participating in a fee-based program (such as a wrap account) under which they pay advisory fees to a broker-dealer or other financial institution;
◼
Financial Intermediaries who have entered into an agreement with the Distributor and have been approved by the Distributor to offer Fund shares to self-directed investment brokerage accounts that may or may not charge a transaction fee;
◼
Persons associated with the Fund, the Fund’s manager, the Fund’s sub-advisers, transfer agent, Distributor, fund accounting agents, Barclays PLC (“Barclays”) and their respective affiliates (to the extent permitted by these firms) including: (a) officers, directors and partners; (b) employees and retirees; (c) employees of firms who have entered into selling agreements to distribute shares of BlackRock Funds; (d) immediate family members of such persons; and (e) any trust, pension, profit-sharing or other benefit plan for any of the persons set forth in (a) through (d);
◼
State sponsored 529 college savings plans and rollovers of such 529 plans into Roth IRAs as permitted under the Internal Revenue Code; and
◼
Accounts opened directly with the Fund that do not have a Financial Intermediary associated with the account.
In addition, a sales charge waiver may be available for investors exchanging Investor P Shares of another BlackRock Fund for Investor A Shares of the Fund through an intermediary-processed exchange, provided that the investor had previously paid a sales charge with respect to such shares.
In addition, Financial Intermediaries may, in connection with a change in account type or otherwise in accordance with a Financial Intermediary’s policies and procedures, exchange one class of shares for Investor A Shares of the same
67
Fund. In such cases, such exchange would not be subject to an Investor A Shares sales charge. The availability of Investor A Shares sales charge waivers may depend on the policies, procedures and trading platforms of your Financial Intermediary; consult your financial adviser.
See the “Intermediary-Defined Sales Charge Waiver Policies” section beginning on page A-1 of the Fund’s prospectus for sales charge reductions and waivers that may be available to customers of certain Financial Intermediaries.
Investor A Shares at Net Asset Value
If you invest $250,000 or more in Investor A Shares, you will not pay any initial sales charge. However, if you redeem your Investor A Shares within 18 months after purchase, you may be charged a deferred sales charge of 0.75% of the lesser of the original cost of the shares being redeemed or your redemption proceeds. For a discussion on waivers, see “Contingent Deferred Sales Charge Waivers.”
If you are eligible to buy both Investor A and Institutional Shares, you should buy Institutional Shares since Investor A Shares are subject to a front-end sales charge and an annual 0.25% service fee, while Institutional Shares are not. The Distributor normally pays the annual Investor A Shares service fee to dealers as a shareholder servicing fee on a monthly basis.
Investor C Shares — Deferred Sales Charge Option
If you select Investor C Shares, you do not pay an initial sales charge at the time of purchase. However, if you redeem your Investor C Shares within one year after purchase, you may be required to pay a deferred sales charge of 1.00%. The charge will apply to the lesser of the original cost of the shares being redeemed or the proceeds of your redemption. When you redeem Investor C Shares, the redemption order is processed so that the lowest deferred sales charge is charged. Investor C Shares that are not subject to the deferred sales charge are redeemed first. In addition, you will not be charged a deferred sales charge when you redeem shares that you acquire through reinvestment of Fund dividends or capital gains. Any CDSC paid on the redemptions of Investor C Shares expressed as a percentage of the applicable redemption amount may be higher or lower than the charge described due to rounding.
Effective November 23, 2020 (the “Effective Date”), Investor C Shares will automatically convert to Investor A Shares approximately eight years after the date of purchase. It is the Financial Intermediary’s responsibility to ensure that the shareholder is credited with the proper holding period. As of the Effective Date, certain Financial Intermediaries, including group retirement recordkeeping platforms, may not have been tracking such holding periods and therefore may not be able to process such conversions. In such instances, the automatic conversion of Investor C Shares to Investor A Shares will occur approximately eight years after the Effective Date. The automatic conversion of Investor C Shares to Investor A Shares is not a taxable event for Federal income tax purposes. Please consult your Financial Intermediary for additional information.
In addition, accounts that do not have a Financial Intermediary associated with them are not eligible to hold Investor C Shares, and any Investor C Shares held in such accounts will be automatically converted to Investor A Shares.
See the “Intermediary-Defined Sales Charge Waiver Policies” section beginning on page A-1 of the Fund’s prospectus for sales charge reductions and waivers that may be available to customers of certain Financial Intermediaries.
You will also pay distribution fees of 0.75% and service fees of 0.25% for Investor C Shares each year. Because these fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges. The Distributor uses the money that it receives from the deferred sales charges and the distribution fees to cover the costs of marketing, advertising and compensating the Financial Intermediary who assists you in purchasing Fund shares.
The Distributor currently pays dealers a sales concession of 1.00% of the purchase price of Investor C Shares from its own resources at the time of sale. The Distributor pays the annual Investor C Shares distribution fee and the annual Investor C Shares service fee as an ongoing concession and as a shareholder servicing fee, respectively, to dealers for Investor C Shares held for over a year and normally retains the Investor C Shares distribution fee and service fee during the first year after purchase. For certain employer-sponsored retirement plans, the Distributor will pay the full Investor C Shares distribution fee and service fee to dealers beginning in the first year after purchase in lieu of paying the sales concession. This may depend on the policies, procedures and trading platforms of your Financial Intermediary; consult your financial adviser.
Contingent Deferred Sales Charge Waivers
The deferred sales charge relating to Investor A and Investor C Shares may be reduced or waived in certain circumstances, such as:
◼
Redemptions of shares purchased through certain employer-sponsored retirement plans and rollovers of current investments in the Fund through such plans;
68
◼
Exchanges pursuant to the exchange privilege, as described in “How to Buy, Sell, Exchange and Transfer Shares — How to Exchange Shares or Transfer Your Account”;
◼
Redemptions made in connection with minimum required distributions from IRA or 403(b)(7) accounts due to the shareholder reaching the age of 72;
◼
Redemptions made with respect to certain retirement plans sponsored by the Fund, BlackRock or an affiliate;
◼
Redemptions resulting from shareholder death as long as the waiver request is made within one year of death or, if later, reasonably promptly following completion of probate (including in connection with the distribution of account assets to a beneficiary of the decedent);
◼
Withdrawals resulting from shareholder disability (as defined in the Internal Revenue Code) as long as the disability arose subsequent to the purchase of the shares;
◼
Involuntary redemptions made of shares in accounts with low balances;
◼
Certain redemptions made through the Systematic Withdrawal Plan (“SWP”) offered by the Fund, BlackRock or an affiliate;
◼
Redemptions related to the payment of BNY Mellon Investment Servicing Trust Company custodial IRA fees; and
◼
Redemptions when a shareholder can demonstrate hardship, in the absolute discretion of the Fund.
See the “Intermediary-Defined Sales Charge Waiver Policies” section beginning on page A-1 of the Fund’s prospectus for sales charge reductions and waivers that may be available to customers of certain Financial Intermediaries. More information about existing sales charge reductions and waivers is available free of charge in a clear and prominent format via hyperlink at www.blackrock.com and in the SAI, which is available on the website or on request.
Institutional Shares
Institutional Shares are not subject to any sales charge. Only certain investors are eligible to buy Institutional Shares. Your Financial Intermediary can help you determine whether you are eligible to buy Institutional Shares. The Fund may permit a lower initial investment for certain investors if their purchase, combined with purchases by other investors received together by the Fund, meets the minimum investment requirement.
Institutional Shares may also be available on certain brokerage platforms. An investor transacting in Institutional Shares on such brokerage platforms through a broker acting as an agent for the investor may be required to pay a commission and/or other forms of compensation to the broker. Shares of the Fund are available in other share classes that have different fees and expenses.
Eligible Institutional Share investors include the following:
◼
Individuals and “Institutional Investors” with a minimum initial investment of $2 million who may purchase shares of the Fund through a Financial Intermediary that has entered into an agreement with the Distributor to purchase such shares;
◼
Clients of Financial Intermediaries that: (i) charge such clients a fee for advisory, investment consulting, or similar services or (ii) have entered into an agreement with the Distributor to offer Institutional Shares through a no-load program or investment platform, in each case, with no minimum initial investment;
◼
Clients investing through Financial Intermediaries that have entered into an agreement with the Distributor to offer such shares on a platform that charges a transaction based sales commission outside of the Fund, with a minimum initial investment of $1,000;
◼
Employer-sponsored retirement plans (not including SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs or SARSEPs), state sponsored 529 college savings plans, collective trust funds, investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles, unaffiliated thrifts and unaffiliated banks and trust companies, each of which is not subject to any minimum initial investment and may purchase shares of the Fund through a Financial Intermediary that has entered into an agreement with the Distributor to purchase such shares;
◼
Trust department clients of Bank of America, N.A. and its affiliates for whom they (i) act in a fiduciary capacity (excluding participant directed employee benefit plans); (ii) otherwise have investment discretion; or (iii) act as custodian for at least $2 million in assets, who are not subject to any minimum initial investment;
◼
Holders of certain Bank of America Corporation (“BofA Corp.”) sponsored unit investment trusts (“UITs”) who reinvest dividends received from such UITs in shares of the Fund, who are not subject to any minimum initial investment;
◼
Employees, officers and directors/trustees of BlackRock, Inc., BlackRock Funds, BofA Corp., Barclays or their respective affiliates and immediate family members of such persons, if they open an account directly with BlackRock, who are not subject to any minimum initial investment;
69
◼
Tax-qualified accounts for insurance agents that are registered representatives of an insurance company’s broker-dealer that has entered into an agreement with the Distributor to offer Institutional Shares, and the family members of such persons; and
◼
Clients investing through a self-directed IRA brokerage account program sponsored by a retirement plan record-keeper, provided that such program offers only mutual fund options and that the program maintains an account with the Fund on an omnibus basis.
The Fund reserves the right to modify or waive the above-stated policies at any time.
Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Payments
The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, has adopted a plan (the “Plan”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 of the Investment Company Act with respect to the Investor Shares that allows the Fund to pay distribution fees for the sale of its shares and/or shareholder servicing fees for certain services provided to its shareholders.
Plan Payments
Under the Plan, Investor C Shares pay a distribution fee to the Distributor and/or its affiliates for distribution and sales support services. The distribution fees may be used to pay the Distributor for distribution and sales support services and to pay the Distributor and BlackRock and its affiliates for sales support services provided and related expenses incurred in connection with the sale of Investor C Shares. The distribution fees may also be used to pay Financial Intermediaries for sales support services and related expenses. All Investor C Shares pay a maximum distribution fee per year that is a percentage of the average daily net asset value of the Investor C Shares of the Fund. Institutional and Investor A Shares do not pay distribution fees.
Under the Plan, the Fund also pays shareholder servicing fees (also referred to as general shareholder liaison services fees) to Financial Intermediaries for providing support services to their customers who own Investor Shares of the Fund. The shareholder servicing fee payment is calculated as a percentage of the average daily net asset value of Investor Shares of the Fund. All Investor Shares pay this shareholder servicing fee. Institutional Shares do not pay a shareholder servicing fee.
In return for the shareholder servicing fee, Financial Intermediaries (including BlackRock) may provide one or more of the following services to their customers who own Investor Shares:
◼
Answering customer inquiries regarding account status and history, the manner in which purchases, exchanges and redemptions or repurchases of shares may be effected and certain other matters pertaining to the customers’ investments;
◼
Assisting customers in designating and changing dividend options, account designations and addresses; and
◼
Providing other similar shareholder liaison services.
The shareholder servicing fees payable pursuant to the Plan are paid to compensate Financial Intermediaries for the administration and servicing of shareholder accounts and are not costs which are primarily intended to result in the sale of the Fund’s shares.
Because the fees paid by the Fund under the Plan are paid out of Fund assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges. In addition, the distribution fees paid by Investor C Shares may over time cost investors more than the front-end sales charge on Investor A Shares. For more information on the Plan, including a complete list of services provided thereunder, see the SAI.
Other Payments by the Fund
In addition to fees that the Fund may pay to a Financial Intermediary pursuant to the Plan and fees the Fund pays to its transfer agent, BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. (the “Transfer Agent”), BlackRock, on behalf of the Fund, may enter into non-Plan agreements with affiliated and unaffiliated Financial Intermediaries pursuant to which the Fund will pay a Financial Intermediary for administrative, networking, recordkeeping, sub-transfer agency, sub-accounting and/or shareholder services. These non-Plan payments are generally based on either (1) a percentage of the average daily net assets of Fund shareholders serviced by a Financial Intermediary or (2) a fixed dollar amount for each account serviced by a Financial Intermediary. The aggregate amount of these payments may be substantial.
Other Payments by BlackRock
From time to time, BlackRock, the Distributor or their affiliates also may pay a portion of the fees for administrative, networking, recordkeeping, sub-transfer agency, sub-accounting and shareholder services described above at its or their own expense and out of its or their profits. BlackRock, the Distributor and their affiliates may also compensate
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affiliated and unaffiliated Financial Intermediaries for the sale and distribution of shares of the Fund. These payments would be in addition to the Fund payments described in this prospectus and may be a fixed dollar amount, may be based on the number of customer accounts maintained by the Financial Intermediary, may be based on a percentage of the value of shares sold to, or held by, customers of the Financial Intermediary or may be calculated on another basis. The aggregate amount of these payments by BlackRock, the Distributor and their affiliates may be substantial and, in some circumstances, may create an incentive for a Financial Intermediary, its employees or associated persons to recommend or sell shares of the Fund to you.
Please contact your Financial Intermediary for details about payments it may receive from the Fund or from BlackRock, the Distributor or their affiliates. For more information, see the SAI.
How to Buy, Sell, Exchange and Transfer Shares
The chart on the following pages summarizes how to buy, sell, exchange and transfer shares through your Financial Intermediary. You may also buy, sell, exchange and transfer shares through BlackRock if your account is held directly with BlackRock. To learn more about buying, selling, exchanging or transferring shares through BlackRock, call (800) 441-7762. Because the selection of a mutual fund involves many considerations, your Financial Intermediary may help you with this decision.
With certain limited exceptions, the Fund is generally available only to investors residing in the United States and may not be distributed by a foreign Financial Intermediary. Under this policy, in order to accept new accounts or additional investments (including by way of exchange from another BlackRock Fund) into existing accounts, the Fund generally requires that (i) a shareholder that is a natural person be a U.S. citizen or resident alien, in each case residing within the United States or a U.S. territory (including APO/FPO/DPO addresses), and have a valid U.S. taxpayer identification number, and (ii) a Financial Intermediary or a shareholder that is an entity be domiciled in the United States and have a valid U.S. taxpayer identification number or be domiciled in a U.S. territory and have a valid U.S. taxpayer identification number or IRS Form W-8. Any existing account that is updated to reflect a non-U.S. address will also be restricted from making additional investments.
The Fund may reject any purchase order, modify or waive the minimum initial or subsequent investment requirements for any shareholders and suspend and resume the sale of any share class of the Fund at any time for any reason. In addition, the Fund may waive certain requirements regarding the purchase, sale, exchange or transfer of shares described below.
Under certain circumstances, if no activity occurs in an account within a time period specified by state law, a shareholder’s shares in the Fund may be transferred to that state.
How to Buy Shares
| |
Your Choices |
Important Information for You to Know |
| Initial Purchase |
First, select the share class appropriate for you |
Refer to the “Share Classes at a Glance” table in this prospectus (be sure to read this prospectus carefully). When you place your initial order, you must indicate which share class you select (if you do not specify a share class and do not qualify to purchase Institutional Shares, you will receive Investor A Shares). Certain factors, such as the amount of your investment, your time frame for investing, and your financial goals, may affect which share class you choose. Your Financial Intermediary can help you determine which share class is appropriate for you. |
| |
Next, determine the amount of your investment |
Refer to the minimum initial investment in the “Share Classes at a Glance” table of this prospectus. Be sure to note the maximum investment amounts in Investor C Shares. See “Account Information — Details About the Share Classes” for information on a lower initial investment requirement for certain Fund investors if their purchase, combined with purchases by other investors received together by the Fund, meets the minimum investment requirement. |
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| |
Your Choices |
Important Information for You to Know |
| Initial Purchase (continued) |
Have your Financial Intermediary submit your purchase order |
The price of your shares is based on the next calculation of the Fund’s net asset value after your order is placed. Any purchase orders placed prior to the close of business on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) will be priced at the net asset value determined that day. Certain Financial Intermediaries, however, may require submission of orders prior to that time. Purchase orders placed after that time will be priced at the net asset value determined on the next business day. A broker-dealer or financial institution maintaining the account in which you hold shares may charge a separate account, service or transaction fee on the purchase or sale of Fund shares that would be in addition to the fees and expenses shown in the Fund’s “Fees and Expenses” table. The Fund may reject any order to buy shares and may suspend the sale of shares at any time. Certain Financial Intermediaries may charge a processing fee to confirm a purchase. |
| |
Or contact BlackRock (for accounts held directly with BlackRock) |
To purchase shares directly from BlackRock, call (800) 441-7762 and request a new account application. Mail the completed application along with a check payable to “BlackRock Funds” to the Transfer Agent at the address on the application. The Fund limits purchases by personal check to $500,000 per trade. |
| Add to Your Investment |
Purchase additional shares |
For Investor A and Investor C Shares, the minimum investment for additional purchases is generally $50 for all accounts (with the exception of certain employer-sponsored retirement plans which may have a lower minimum for additional purchases). The minimums for additional purchases may be waived under certain circumstances. Institutional Shares have no minimum for additional purchases. |
| |
Have your Financial Intermediary submit your purchase order for additional shares |
To purchase additional shares, you may contact your Financial Intermediary. For more details on purchasing by Internet see below. |
| |
Or contact BlackRock (for accounts held directly with BlackRock) |
Purchase by Telephone: Call (800) 441-7762 and speak with one of our representatives. The Fund has the right to reject any telephone request for any reason. Purchase in Writing: You may send a written request to BlackRock at the address on the back cover of this prospectus. Purchase by VRU: Investor Shares may also be purchased by use of the Fund’s automated voice response unit (“VRU”) service at (800) 441-7762. Purchase by Internet: You may purchase your shares and view activity in your account by logging onto the BlackRock website at www.blackrock.com. Purchases made on the Internet using the Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) will have a trade date that is the day after the purchase is made. Certain institutional clients’ purchase orders of Institutional Shares placed by wire prior to the close of business on the NYSE will be priced at the net asset value determined that day. Contact your Financial Intermediary or BlackRock for further information. The Fund limits Internet purchases in shares of the Fund to $100,000 per account per day. Different maximums may apply to certain institutional investors. Please read the On-Line Services Disclosure Statement and User Agreement, the Terms and Conditions page and the Consent to Electronic Delivery Agreement (if you consent to electronic delivery), before attempting to transact online. The Fund employs reasonable procedures to confirm that transactions entered over the Internet are genuine. By entering into the User Agreement with the Fund in order to open an account through the website, the shareholder waives any right to reclaim any losses from the Fund or any of its affiliates incurred through fraudulent activity. |
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| |
Your Choices |
Important Information for You to Know |
| Add to Your Investment (continued) |
Acquire additional shares by reinvesting dividends and capital gains |
All dividends and capital gains distributions are automatically reinvested without a sales charge. To make any changes to your dividend and/or capital gains distributions options, please call (800) 441-7762 or contact your Financial Intermediary (if your account is not held directly with BlackRock). |
| |
Participate in the AIP |
BlackRock’s AIP allows you to invest a specific amount on a periodic basis from your checking or savings account into your investment account. Refer to the “Account Services and Privileges” section of this prospectus for additional information. |
| How to Pay for Shares |
Making payment for purchases |
Payment for an order must be made in Federal funds or other immediately available funds by the time specified by your Financial Intermediary, but in no event later than 4:00 p.m. (Eastern time) on the first business day following BlackRock’s receipt of the order. If payment is not received by this time, the order will be canceled and you and your Financial Intermediary will be responsible for any loss to the Fund. For shares purchased directly from the Fund, a check payable to BlackRock Funds which bears the name of the Fund must accompany a completed purchase application. The Fund limits purchases by personal check to $500,000 per trade. There is a $20 fee for each purchase check that is returned due to insufficient funds. The Fund does not accept third-party checks. You may also wire Federal funds to the Fund to purchase shares, but you must call (800) 441-7762 before doing so to confirm the wiring instructions. |
How to Sell Shares
| |
Your Choices |
Important Information for You to Know |
| Full or Partial Redemption of Shares |
Have your Financial Intermediary submit your sales order |
You can make redemption requests through your Financial Intermediary. Shareholders should indicate whether they are redeeming Investor A, Investor C or Institutional Shares. The price of your shares is based on the next calculation of the Fund’s net asset value after your order is placed. For your redemption request to be priced at the net asset value on the day of your request, you must submit your request to your Financial Intermediary prior to that day’s close of business on the NYSE (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time). Certain Financial Intermediaries, however, may require submission of orders prior to that time. Any redemption request placed after that time will be priced at the net asset value at the close of business on the next business day. Regardless of the method the Fund uses to make payment of your redemption proceeds (check, wire or ACH), your redemption proceeds typically will be sent one business day after your request is submitted, but in any event, within seven days. Certain Financial Intermediaries may charge a fee to process a redemption of shares. The Fund may reject an order to sell shares under certain circumstances. |
| |
Selling shares held directly with BlackRock |
Methods of Redeeming Redeem by Telephone: You may redeem Investor Shares held directly with BlackRock by telephone request if certain conditions are met and if the amount being sold is less than (i) $100,000 for payments by check or (ii) $250,000 for payments through ACH or wire transfer. Certain redemption requests, such as those in excess of these amounts, must be in writing with a medallion signature guarantee. For Institutional Shares, certain redemption requests may require written instructions with a medallion signature guarantee. Call (800) 441-7762 for details. You can obtain a medallion signature guarantee stamp from a bank, securities dealer, securities broker, credit union, savings and loan |
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| |
Your Choices |
Important Information for You to Know |
| Full or Partial Redemption of Shares (continued) |
Selling shares held directly with BlackRock (continued) |
association, national securities exchange or registered securities association. A notary public seal will not be acceptable. The Fund, its administrators and the Distributor will employ reasonable procedures to confirm that instructions communicated by telephone are genuine. The Fund and its service providers will not be liable for any loss, liability, cost or expense for acting upon telephone instructions that are reasonably believed to be genuine in accordance with such procedures. The Fund may refuse a telephone redemption request if it believes it is advisable to do so. During periods of substantial economic or market change, telephone redemptions may be difficult to complete. Please find alternative redemption methods below. Redeem by VRU: Investor Shares may also be redeemed by use of the Fund’s automated VRU service. Payment for Investor Shares redeemed by the VRU service may be made for non-retirement accounts in amounts up to $25,000, either through check, ACH or wire. Redeem by Internet: You may redeem in your account, by logging onto the BlackRock website at www.blackrock.com. Proceeds from Internet redemptions may be sent via check, ACH or wire to the bank account of record. Payment for shares redeemed by Internet may be made for non- retirement accounts in amounts up to $100,000 per account per day, either through check, ACH or wire. Different maximums may apply to certain institutional investors. Redeem in Writing: You may sell shares held at BlackRock by writing to BlackRock, P.O. Box 534429, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15253-4429 or for overnight delivery, Attention: 534429, 500 Ross Street 154-0520, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15262. All shareholders on the account must sign the letter. A medallion signature guarantee will generally be required but may be waived in certain limited circumstances. You can obtain a medallion signature guarantee stamp from a bank, securities dealer, securities broker, credit union, savings and loan association, national securities exchange or registered securities association. A notary public seal will not be acceptable. If you hold stock certificates, return the certificates with the letter. Proceeds from redemptions may be sent via check, ACH or wire to the bank account of record. Payment of Redemption Proceeds Redemption proceeds may be paid by check or, if the Fund has verified banking information on file, through ACH or by wire transfer. Payment by Check: BlackRock will normally mail redemption proceeds within one business day following receipt of a properly completed request, but in any event within seven days. Shares can be redeemed by telephone and the proceeds sent by check to the shareholder at the address on record. Shareholders will pay $15 for redemption proceeds sent by check via overnight mail. You are responsible for any additional charges imposed by your bank for this service. The Fund reserves the right to reinvest any dividend or distribution amounts (e.g., income dividends or capital gains) which you have elected to receive by check should your check be returned as undeliverable or remain uncashed for more than 6 months. No interest will accrue on amounts represented by uncashed checks. Your check will be reinvested in your account at the net asset value next calculated, on the day of the investment. When reinvested, those amounts are subject to the risk of loss like any Fund investment. If you elect to receive distributions in cash and a check remains undeliverable or uncashed for more than 6 months, your cash election may also be changed automatically to reinvest and your future dividend and capital gains distributions will be reinvested in the Fund at the net asset value as of the date of payment of the distribution. Payment by Wire Transfer: Payment for redeemed shares for which a redemption order is received before 4:00 p.m. (Eastern time) on a business day is normally made in Federal funds wired to the redeeming |
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| |
Your Choices |
Important Information for You to Know |
| Full or Partial Redemption of Shares (continued) |
Selling shares held directly with BlackRock (continued) |
shareholder on the next business day, provided that the Fund’s custodian is also open for business. Payment for redemption orders received after 4:00 p.m. (Eastern time) or on a day when the Fund’s custodian is closed is normally wired in Federal funds on the next business day following redemption on which the Fund’s custodian is open for business. The Fund reserves the right to wire redemption proceeds within seven days after receiving a redemption order if, in the judgment of the Fund, an earlier payment could adversely affect the Fund. If a shareholder has given authorization for expedited redemption, shares can be redeemed by Federal wire transfer to a single previously designated bank account. Shareholders will pay $7.50 for redemption proceeds sent by Federal wire transfer. You are responsible for any additional charges imposed by your bank for this service. No charge for wiring redemption payments with respect to Institutional Shares is imposed by the Fund. The Fund is not responsible for the efficiency of the Federal wire system or the shareholder’s firm or bank. To change the name of the single, designated bank account to receive wire redemption proceeds, it is necessary to send a written request to the Fund at the address on the back cover of this prospectus. Payment by ACH: Redemption proceeds may be sent to the shareholder’s bank account (checking or savings) via ACH. Payment for redeemed shares for which a redemption order is received before 4:00 p.m. (Eastern time) on a business day is normally sent to the redeeming shareholder the next business day, with receipt at the receiving bank within the next two business days (48-72 hours); provided that the Fund’s custodian is also open for business. Payment for redemption orders received after 4:00 p.m. (Eastern time) or on a day when the Fund’s custodian is closed is normally sent on the next business day following redemption on which the Fund’s custodian is open for business. The Fund reserves the right to send redemption proceeds within seven days after receiving a redemption order if, in the judgment of the Fund, an earlier payment could adversely affect the Fund. No charge for sending redemption payments via ACH is imposed by the Fund. *** If you make a redemption request before the Fund has collected payment for the purchase of shares, the Fund may delay mailing your proceeds. This delay will usually not exceed ten days. |
| Redemption Proceeds |
|
Under normal circumstances, the Fund expects to meet redemption requests by using cash or cash equivalents in its portfolio or by selling portfolio assets to generate cash. During periods of stressed market conditions, when a significant portion of the Fund’s portfolio may be comprised of less-liquid investments, the Fund may be more likely to limit cash redemptions and may determine to pay redemption proceeds by (i) borrowing under a line of credit it has entered into with a group of lenders, (ii) borrowing from another BlackRock Fund pursuant to an interfund lending program, to the extent permitted by the Fund’s investment policies and restrictions as set forth in the SAI, and/or (iii) transferring portfolio securities in-kind to you. The SAI includes more information about the Fund’s line of credit and interfund lending program, to the extent applicable. If the Fund pays redemption proceeds by transferring portfolio securities in-kind to you, you may pay transaction costs to dispose of the securities, and you may receive less for them than the price at which they were valued for purposes of redemption. |
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How to Exchange Shares or Transfer Your Account
| |
Your Choices |
Important Information for You to Know |
| Exchange Privilege |
Selling shares of one BlackRock Fund to purchase shares of another BlackRock Fund (“exchanging”) |
Investor or Institutional Shares of the Fund are generally exchangeable for shares of the same class of another BlackRock Fund, to the extent such shares are offered by your Financial Intermediary. You can exchange $1,000 or more of Investor Shares from one fund into the same class of another fund which offers that class of shares (you can exchange less than $1,000 of Investor Shares if you already have an account in the fund into which you are exchanging). Investors who currently own Institutional Shares of the Fund may make exchanges into Institutional Shares of other BlackRock Funds except for investors holding shares through certain client accounts at Financial Intermediaries that are omnibus with the Fund and do not meet applicable minimums. There is no required minimum amount with respect to exchanges of Institutional Shares. You may only exchange into a share class and fund that are open to new investors or in which you have a current account if the fund is closed to new investors. Some of the BlackRock Funds impose a different initial or deferred sales charge schedule. The CDSC will continue to be measured from the date of the original purchase. The CDSC schedule applicable to your original purchase will apply to the shares you receive in the exchange and any subsequent exchange. To exercise the exchange privilege, you may contact your Financial Intermediary. Alternatively, if your account is held directly with BlackRock, you may: (i) call (800) 441-7762 and speak with one of our representatives, (ii) make the exchange via the Internet by accessing your account online at www.blackrock.com, or (iii) send a written request to the Fund at the address on the back cover of this prospectus. Please note, if you indicated on your new account application that you did not want the Telephone Exchange Privilege, you will not be able to place exchanges via the telephone until you update this option either in writing or by calling (800) 441-7762. The Fund has the right to reject any telephone request for any reason. Although there is currently no limit on the number of exchanges that you can make, the exchange privilege may be modified or terminated at any time in the future. The Fund may suspend or terminate your exchange privilege at any time for any reason, including if the Fund believes, in its sole discretion, that you are engaging in market timing activities. See “Short-Term Trading Policy” below. For U.S. federal income tax purposes a share exchange is a taxable event and a capital gain or loss may be realized. Please consult your tax adviser or other Financial Intermediary before making an exchange request. |
| Transfer Shares to Another Financial Intermediary |
Transfer to a participating Financial Intermediary |
You may transfer your shares of the Fund only to another Financial Intermediary that has entered into an agreement with the Distributor. Certain shareholder services may not be available for the transferred shares. All future trading of these assets must be coordinated by the receiving firm. If your account is held directly with BlackRock, you may call (800) 441-7762 with any questions; otherwise please contact your Financial Intermediary to accomplish the transfer of shares. |
| |
Transfer to a non-participating Financial Intermediary |
You must either: •Transfer your shares to an account with the Fund; or •Sell your shares, paying any applicable deferred sales charge. If your account is held directly with BlackRock, you may call (800) 441-7762 with any questions; otherwise please contact your Financial Intermediary to accomplish the transfer of shares. |
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Account Services and Privileges
The following table provides examples of account services and privileges available in your BlackRock account. Certain of these account services and privileges are only available to shareholders of Investor Shares whose accounts are held directly with BlackRock. If your account is held directly with BlackRock, please call (800) 441-7762 or visit www.blackrock.com for additional information as well as forms and applications. Otherwise, please contact your Financial Intermediary for assistance in requesting one or more of the following services and privileges.
| Automatic Investment Plan |
Allows systematic investments on a periodic basis from your checking or savings account. |
BlackRock’s AIP allows you to invest a specific amount on a periodic basis from your checking or savings account into your investment account. You may apply for this option upon account opening or by completing the AIP application. The minimum investment amount for an automatic investment is $50 per portfolio. |
| Dividend Allocation Plan |
Automatically invests your distributions into another BlackRock Fund of your choice pursuant to your instructions, without any fees or sales charges. |
Dividend and capital gains distributions may be reinvested in your account to purchase additional shares or paid in cash. Using the Dividend Allocation Plan, you can direct your distributions to your bank account (checking or savings), to purchase shares of another fund at BlackRock without any fees or sales charges, or by check to a special payee. Please call (800) 441-7762 for details. If investing in another fund at BlackRock, the receiving fund must be open to new purchases. |
| EZ Trader |
Allows an investor to purchase or sell Investor Shares by telephone or over the Internet through ACH. |
(NOTE: This option is offered to shareholders whose accounts are held directly with BlackRock. Please speak with your Financial Intermediary if your account is held elsewhere.) Prior to establishing an EZ Trader account, please contact your bank to confirm that it is a member of the ACH system. Once confirmed, complete an application, making sure to include the appropriate bank information, and return the application to the address listed on the form. Prior to placing a telephone or Internet purchase or sale order, please call (800) 441-7762 to confirm that your bank information has been updated on your account. Once this is established, you may place your request to sell shares with the Fund by telephone or Internet. Proceeds will be sent to your pre-designated bank account. |
| Systematic Exchange Plan |
This feature can be used by investors to systematically exchange money from one fund to up to four other funds. |
A minimum of $10,000 in the initial BlackRock Fund is required, and investments in any additional funds must meet minimum initial investment requirements. |
| Systematic Withdrawal Plan |
This feature can be used by investors who want to receive regular distributions from their accounts. |
To start an SWP, a shareholder must have a current investment of $10,000 or more in a BlackRock Fund. Shareholders can elect to receive cash payments of $50 or more at any interval they choose. Shareholders may sign up by completing the SWP Application Form, which may be obtained from BlackRock. Shareholders should realize that if withdrawals exceed income the invested principal in their account will be depleted. To participate in the SWP, shareholders must have their dividends reinvested. Shareholders may change or cancel the SWP at any time, with a minimum of 24 hours’ notice. If a shareholder purchases additional Investor A Shares of a fund at the same time he or she redeems shares through the SWP, that investor may lose money because of the sales charge involved. No CDSC will be assessed on redemptions of Investor A or Investor C Shares made through the SWP that do not exceed 12% of the account’s net asset value on an annualized basis. For example, monthly, quarterly, and semi-annual SWP redemptions of Investor A or Investor C Shares will not be subject to the CDSC if they do not exceed 1%, 3% and 6%, respectively, of an account’s net asset value on the redemption date. SWP redemptions of Investor A or Investor C Shares in excess of this limit will still pay any applicable CDSC. Ask your Financial Intermediary for details. |
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| Reinstatement Privilege |
|
If you redeem Investor A or Institutional Shares and buy new Investor A Shares of the same or another BlackRock Fund (equal to all or a portion of the redemption amount) within 90 days of such redemption, you will not pay a sales charge on the new purchase amount. This right may be exercised within 90 days of the redemption, provided that the Investor A Share class of that fund is currently open to new investors or the shareholder has a current account in that closed fund. Shares will be purchased at the net asset value calculated at the close of trading on the day the request is received. To exercise this privilege, the Fund must receive written notification from the shareholder of record or the Financial Intermediary of record, at the time of purchase. Investors should consult a tax adviser concerning the tax consequences of exercising this reinstatement privilege. |
Fund’s Rights
The Fund may:
◼
Suspend the right of redemption if trading is halted or restricted on the NYSE or under other emergency conditions described in the Investment Company Act;
◼
Postpone the date of payment upon redemption if trading is halted or restricted on the NYSE or under other emergency conditions described in the Investment Company Act or if a redemption request is made before the Fund has collected payment for the purchase of shares;
◼
Redeem shares for property other than cash as may be permitted under the Investment Company Act; and
◼
Redeem shares involuntarily in certain cases, such as when the value of a shareholder account falls below a specified level.
Note on Low Balance Accounts. Because of the high cost of maintaining smaller shareholder accounts, BlackRock has set a minimum balance of $500 in each Fund position you hold within your account (“Fund Minimum”), and may redeem the shares in your account if the net asset value of those shares in your account falls below $500 for any reason, including market fluctuation.
You will be notified that the value of your account is less than the Fund Minimum before the Fund makes any involuntary redemption. This notification will provide you with a 90 calendar day period to make an additional investment in order to bring the value of your account to at least $500 before the Fund makes an involuntary redemption. This involuntary redemption will not charge any deferred sales charge, and may not apply to accounts of certain employer-sponsored retirement plans (not including IRAs), qualified state tuition plan (529 Plan) accounts, and select fee-based programs at your Financial Intermediary.
Participation in Fee-Based Programs
If you participate in certain fee-based programs offered by BlackRock or an affiliate of BlackRock, or by Financial Intermediaries that have agreements with the Distributor or in certain fee-based programs in which BlackRock participates, you may be able to buy Institutional Shares, including by exchanges from other share classes. Sales charges on the shares being exchanged may be reduced or waived under certain circumstances. You generally cannot transfer shares held through a fee-based program into another account. Instead, if you choose to leave the fee-based program, you may have to redeem your shares held through the program and purchase shares of another class, which may be subject to distribution and service fees. This may be a taxable event and you may pay any applicable sales charges or redemption fee. Please speak to your Financial Intermediary for information about specific policies and procedures applicable to your account.
Generally, upon termination of a fee-based program, the shares may be liquidated or the shares can be held in an account. In certain instances, when a shareholder chooses to continue to hold the shares, whatever share class was held in the program can be held after termination. Shares that have been held for less than specified periods within the program may be subject to a fee upon redemption. Shareholders that held Investor A or Institutional Shares in the program may be eligible to purchase additional shares of the respective share class of the Fund, but may be subject to upfront sales charges with respect to Investor A Shares. Additional purchases of Institutional Shares are permitted only if you have an existing position at the time of purchase or are otherwise eligible to purchase Institutional Shares. Please speak to your Financial Intermediary for more information.
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Certain Financial Intermediaries may, in connection with a change in account type (for example, due to leaving a fee-based program or upon termination of the fee-based program) or otherwise in accordance with the Financial Intermediary’s policies and procedures, exchange the share class held in the program for another share class of the same fund, provided that the exchanged shares are not subject to a sales charge and the shareholder meets the eligibility requirements of the new share class. Please speak to your Financial Intermediary for information about specific policies and procedures applicable to your account.
Details about the features of each fee-based program and the relevant charges, terms and conditions are included in the client agreement for each fee-based program and are available from your Financial Intermediary. Please speak to your Financial Intermediary for more information.
Short-Term Trading Policy
The Board has determined that the interests of long-term shareholders and the Fund’s ability to manage its investments may be adversely affected when shares are repeatedly bought, sold or exchanged in response to short-term market fluctuations — also known as “market timing.” The Fund is not designed for market timing organizations or other entities using programmed or frequent purchases and sales or exchanges. The exchange privilege for Investor Shares and Institutional Shares is not intended as a vehicle for short-term trading. Excessive purchase and sale or exchange activity may interfere with portfolio management, increase expenses and taxes and may have an adverse effect on the performance of the Fund and its returns to shareholders. For example, large flows of cash into and out of the Fund may require the management team to allocate a significant amount of assets to cash or other short-term investments or sell securities, rather than maintaining such assets in securities selected to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Frequent trading may cause the Fund to sell securities at less favorable prices, and transaction costs, such as brokerage commissions, can reduce the Fund’s performance.
A fund’s investment in non-U.S. securities is subject to the risk that an investor may seek to take advantage of a delay between the change in value of the fund’s portfolio securities and the determination of the fund’s net asset value as a result of different closing times of U.S. and non-U.S. markets by buying or selling fund shares at a price that does not reflect their true value. A similar risk exists for funds that invest in securities of small capitalization companies, securities of issuers located in emerging markets or high yield securities (junk bonds) that are thinly traded and therefore may have actual values that differ from their market prices. This short-term arbitrage activity can reduce the return received by long-term shareholders. The Fund will seek to eliminate these opportunities by using fair value pricing, as described in “Management of the Fund — Valuation of Fund Investments” below.
The Fund discourages market timing and seeks to prevent frequent purchases and sales or exchanges of Fund shares that it determines may be detrimental to the Fund or long-term shareholders. The Board has approved the policies discussed below to seek to deter market timing activity. The Board has not adopted any specific numerical restrictions on purchases, sales and exchanges of Fund shares because certain legitimate strategies will not result in harm to the Fund or its shareholders.
If as a result of its own investigation, information provided by a Financial Intermediary or other third party, or otherwise, the Fund believes, in its sole discretion, that your short-term trading is excessive or that you are engaging in market timing activity, it reserves the right to reject any specific purchase or exchange order. If the Fund rejects your purchase or exchange order, you will not be able to execute that transaction, and the Fund will not be responsible for any losses you therefore may suffer. For transactions placed directly with the Fund, the Fund may consider the trading history of accounts under common ownership or control for the purpose of enforcing these policies. Transactions placed through the same Financial Intermediary on an omnibus basis may be deemed part of a group for the purpose of this policy and may be rejected in whole or in part by the Fund. Certain accounts, such as omnibus accounts and accounts at Financial Intermediaries, however, include multiple investors and such accounts typically provide the Fund with net purchase or redemption and exchange requests on any given day where purchases, redemptions and exchanges of shares are netted against one another and the identity of individual purchasers, redeemers and exchangers whose orders are aggregated may not be known by the Fund. While the Fund monitors for market timing activity, the Fund may be unable to identify such activities because the netting effect in omnibus accounts often makes it more difficult to locate and eliminate market timers from the Fund. The Distributor has entered into agreements with respect to Financial Intermediaries that maintain omnibus accounts with the Transfer Agent pursuant to which such Financial Intermediaries undertake to cooperate with the Distributor in monitoring purchase, exchange and redemption orders by their customers in order to detect and prevent short-term or excessive trading in the Fund’s shares through such accounts. Identification of market timers may also be limited by operational systems and technical limitations. In the event that a Financial Intermediary is determined by the Fund to be engaged in market timing or other improper trading activity, the Distributor may terminate such Financial Intermediary’s agreement with the Distributor, suspend such Financial Intermediary’s trading privileges or take other appropriate actions.
79
There is no assurance that the methods described above will prevent market timing or other trading that may be deemed abusive.
The Fund may from time to time use other methods that it believes are appropriate to deter market timing or other trading activity that may be detrimental to the Fund or long-term shareholders.
80
Management of the Fund
BlackRock
BlackRock, the Fund’s investment adviser, manages the Fund’s investments and its business operations subject to the oversight of the Board of the Trust. While BlackRock is ultimately responsible for the management of the Fund, it is able to draw upon the trading, research and expertise of its asset management affiliates for portfolio decisions and management with respect to certain portfolio securities. BlackRock is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of BlackRock, Inc.
BlackRock, a registered investment adviser, was organized in 1994 to perform advisory services for investment companies. BlackRock International Limited, BlackRock (Singapore) Limited and BlackRock Asset Management North Asia Limited, the Fund’s sub-advisers (each, a “Sub-Adviser”), are registered investment advisers organized in 1995, 2000 and 1998, respectively. BlackRock and its affiliates had approximately $11.475 trillion in investment company and other portfolio assets under management as of September 30, 2024.
BlackRock serves as manager to the Fund pursuant to an investment advisory agreement (the “Management Agreement”). Pursuant to the Management Agreement, BlackRock is entitled to fees computed daily and payable monthly. The maximum annual management fees that can be paid to BlackRock (as a percentage of average daily net assets) are calculated as follows:
| Average Daily Net Assets |
Management Fee Rate |
| Not exceeding $1 billion |
0.60 % |
| In excess of $1 billion but not exceeding $3 billion |
0.56 % |
| In excess of $3 billion but not exceeding $5 billion |
0.54 % |
| In excess of $5 billion but not exceeding $10 billion |
0.52 % |
| In excess of $10 billion |
0.51 % |
BlackRock has contractually agreed to waive the management fee with respect to any portion of the Fund’s assets estimated to be attributable to investments in other equity and fixed-income mutual funds and ETFs managed by BlackRock or its affiliates that have a contractual management fee, through June 30, 2026. 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 (the “affiliated money market fund waiver”), through June 30, 2026. The contractual agreements may be terminated upon 90 days’ notice by a majority of the non-interested trustees of the Trust or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund.
BlackRock has contractually agreed to cap net expenses (excluding (i) interest, taxes, dividends tied to short sales, brokerage commissions, and other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; (ii) the Fund’s pro rata share of the fees and expenses incurred indirectly by the Fund as a result of investing in other investment companies; (iii) other expenses attributable to, and incurred as a result of, the Fund’s investments; and (iv) extraordinary expenses (including litigation expenses) not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business, if any) of each share class of the Fund at the levels shown below and in the Fund’s fees and expenses table in the “Fund Overview” section of this prospectus. Items (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) in the preceding sentence are referred to in this prospectus as “Dividend Expense, Interest Expense, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and certain other Fund expenses.” To achieve these expense caps, BlackRock has agreed to waive and/or reimburse fees or expenses if these operating expenses exceed a certain limit.
With respect to the Fund, BlackRock has contractually agreed to waive and/or reimburse fees or expenses in order to limit Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses to the amounts noted in the table below.
81
| |
Contractual Caps1 on Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses2 (excluding Dividend Expense, Interest Expense, Acquired Fund (underlying fund) Fees and Expenses and certain other Fund expenses) |
| Investor A |
0.90 % |
| Investor C |
1.65 % |
| Institutional |
0.65 % |
1
These contractual caps are in effect through June 30, 2026. The contractual agreement may be terminated upon 90 days’ notice by a majority of the non-interested trustees of the Trust or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund.
2
As a percentage of average daily net assets.
The amount of the contractual waivers and/or reimbursements of fees and expenses made pursuant to the contractual caps on net expenses will be reduced by the amount of the affiliated money market fund waiver.
For the fiscal year ended July 31, 2024, BlackRock received a management fee, net of management fee waivers, at the annual rate of 0.55% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.
BlackRock has entered into a sub-advisory agreement with each Sub-Adviser, each an affiliate of BlackRock. Under the sub-advisory agreements, BlackRock pays each Sub-Adviser for services it provides for that portion of the Fund for which the Sub-Adviser acts as sub-adviser a fee equal to a percentage of the management fee paid to BlackRock under the Management Agreement.
In rendering investment advisory services to the Fund, BlackRock uses the portfolio management, research and other resources of BlackRock Investment Management (Australia) Limited (“BlackRock Australia”), a foreign affiliate of BlackRock that is not registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. BlackRock Australia provides services to the Fund through a “participating affiliate” arrangement, as that term is used in relief granted by the staff of the SEC allowing U.S. registered investment advisers to use portfolio management or research resources of advisory affiliates subject to the regulatory supervision of the registered investment adviser. The Fund pays no additional fees and expenses as a result of such arrangement.
A discussion of the basis for the Board’s approval of the Management Agreement with BlackRock and the sub-advisory agreement between BlackRock and each Sub-Adviser with respect to the Fund is included in the Fund’s Annual Financial Statements for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2024, as filed with the SEC on Form N-CSR.
From time to time, a manager, analyst, or other employee of BlackRock or its affiliates may express views regarding a particular asset class, company, security, industry, or market sector. The views expressed by any such person are the views of only that individual as of the time expressed and do not necessarily represent the views of BlackRock or any other person within the BlackRock organization. Any such views are subject to change at any time based upon market or other conditions and BlackRock disclaims any responsibility to update such views. These views may not be relied on as investment advice and, because investment decisions for the Fund are based on numerous factors, may not be relied on as an indication of trading intent on behalf of the Fund.
Portfolio Manager Information
Information regarding the portfolio managers of the Fund is set forth below. Further information regarding the portfolio managers, including other accounts managed, compensation, ownership of Fund shares, and possible conflicts of interest, is available in the Fund’s SAI.
| Portfolio Manager |
Primary Role |
Since |
Title and Recent Biography |
| Justin Christofel, CFA |
Jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio, including setting the Fund’s overall investment strategy and overseeing the management of the Fund. |
2014 |
Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2016. |
82
| Portfolio Manager |
Primary Role |
Since |
Title and Recent Biography |
| Alex Shingler, CFA |
Jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio, including setting the Fund’s overall investment strategy and overseeing the management of the Fund. |
2015 |
Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2011. |
Conflicts of Interest
The investment activities of BlackRock and its affiliates (including BlackRock, Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Affiliates”)), and their respective directors, officers or employees, in managing their own accounts and other accounts, may present conflicts of interest that could disadvantage the Fund and its shareholders.
BlackRock and its Affiliates are involved worldwide with a broad spectrum of financial services and asset management activities and in the ordinary course of business may engage in activities in which their interests or the interests of other clients may conflict with those of the Fund. BlackRock and its Affiliates act, or may act, as an investor, research provider, investment manager, commodity pool operator, commodity trading advisor, financier, underwriter, adviser, trader, lender, index provider, agent and/or principal. BlackRock and its Affiliates may have other direct and indirect interests in securities, currencies, commodities, derivatives and other assets in which the Fund may directly or indirectly invest.
BlackRock and its Affiliates may engage in proprietary trading and advise accounts and other funds that have investment objectives similar to those of the Fund and/or that engage in and compete for transactions in the same or similar types of securities, currencies and other assets as are held by the Fund. This may include transactions in securities issued by other open-end and closed-end investment companies, including investment companies that are affiliated with the Fund and BlackRock, to the extent permitted under the Investment Company Act. The trading activities of BlackRock and its Affiliates are carried out without reference to positions held directly or indirectly by the Fund. These activities may result in BlackRock or an Affiliate having positions in assets that are senior or junior to, or that have interests different from or adverse to, the assets held by the Fund.
The Fund may invest in securities issued by, or engage in other transactions with, entities with which an Affiliate has significant debt or equity investments or other interests. The Fund may also invest in issuances (such as debt offerings or structured notes) for which an Affiliate is compensated for providing advisory, cash management or other services. The Fund also may invest in securities of, or engage in other transactions with, entities for which an Affiliate provides or may provide research coverage or other analysis.
An Affiliate may have business relationships with, and receive compensation from, distributors, consultants or others who recommend the Fund or who engage in transactions with or for the Fund.
Neither BlackRock nor any Affiliate is under any obligation to share any investment opportunity, idea or strategy with the Fund. As a result, an Affiliate may compete with the Fund for appropriate investment opportunities. The results of the Fund’s investment activities, therefore, may differ from those of an Affiliate and of other accounts managed by an Affiliate. It is possible that the Fund could sustain losses during periods in which one or more Affiliates and other accounts achieve profits on their trading for proprietary or other accounts. The opposite result is also possible.
In addition, the Fund may enter into transactions in which BlackRock or an Affiliate or their directors, officers, employees or clients have an adverse interest. The Fund may be adversely impacted by the effects of transactions undertaken by BlackRock or an Affiliate or their directors, officers, employees or clients.
From time to time, BlackRock or its advisory clients (including other funds and accounts) may, subject to compliance with applicable law, purchase and hold shares of the Fund. The price, availability, liquidity, and (in some cases) expense ratio of the Fund may be impacted by purchases and sales of the Fund by BlackRock or its advisory clients.
The Fund’s activities may be limited because of regulatory restrictions applicable to BlackRock or an Affiliate or their policies designed to comply with such restrictions.
Under a securities lending program approved by the Board, the Fund has retained BlackRock Investment Management, LLC, an Affiliate of BlackRock, to serve as its securities lending agent to the extent that it participates in the securities lending program. For these services, the securities lending agent will receive a fee from the participating Fund based on the returns earned on the Fund’s lending activities, including the investment of the cash received as collateral for the loaned securities. In addition, one or more Affiliates may be among the entities to which the Fund may lend its portfolio securities under the securities lending program.
83
BlackRock and its Affiliates may benefit from a fund using a BlackRock index by creating increasing acceptance in the marketplace for such indexes. BlackRock and its Affiliates are not obligated to license an index to a fund, and no fund is under an obligation to use a BlackRock index. The terms of a fund’s index licensing agreement with BlackRock or its Affiliates may not be as favorable as the terms offered to other licensees.
The activities of BlackRock and its Affiliates and their respective directors, officers or employees, may give rise to other conflicts of interest that could disadvantage the Fund and its shareholders. BlackRock has adopted policies and procedures designed to address these potential conflicts of interest. Please see the SAI for further information.
Valuation of Fund Investments
When you buy shares, you pay the net asset value, plus any applicable sales charge. This is the offering price. Shares are also redeemed at their net asset value, minus any applicable sales charge or redemption fee. The net asset value used in determining your share price is the next one calculated after your purchase or redemption order is received. The net asset value of each class of shares normally is determined once daily Monday through Friday, generally as of the close of regular trading hours of the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time), on each day that the NYSE is open for trading, based on prices at the time of closing, provided that any Fund assets or liabilities denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar are translated into U.S. dollars at the prevailing market rates on the date of valuation as quoted by one or more data service providers. The net asset value of shares is calculated by dividing the value of the net assets of each class of shares (i.e., the value of its total assets less total liabilities) by the total number of outstanding shares of the class, generally rounded to the nearest cent.
Generally, Institutional Shares will have the highest net asset value because that class has the lowest expenses. Investor A Shares will have a higher net asset value than Investor C Shares. Also, dividends paid on Investor A and Institutional Shares will generally be higher than dividends paid on Investor C Shares because Investor A and Institutional Shares have lower expenses.
The value of the securities and other assets and liabilities held by the Fund are determined pursuant to BlackRock’s valuation policies and procedures. BlackRock has been designated by the Board as the valuation designee for the Fund pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the Investment Company Act.
Equity securities and other equity instruments for which market quotations are readily available are valued at market value, which is generally determined using the last reported official closing price or, if a reported closing price is not available, the last traded price on the exchange or market on which the security or instrument is primarily traded at the time of valuation. Shares of underlying open-end funds (including money market funds) are valued at net asset value. Shares of underlying exchange-traded closed-end funds or other ETFs are valued at their most recent closing price.
The Fund values fixed-income portfolio securities using last available bid prices or current market quotations provided by dealers or prices (including evaluated prices) supplied by the Fund’s approved independent third-party pricing services, each in accordance with BlackRock’s valuation policies and procedures. Pricing services may use matrix pricing or valuation models that utilize certain inputs and assumptions to derive values. Pricing services generally value fixed-income securities assuming orderly transactions of an institutional round lot size, but the Fund may hold or transact in such securities in smaller odd lot sizes. Odd lots may trade at lower prices than institutional round lots. An amortized cost method of valuation may be used with respect to debt obligations with 60 days or less remaining to maturity unless BlackRock determines in good faith that such method does not represent fair value.
Generally, trading in non-U.S. securities, U.S. government securities, money market instruments and certain fixed-income securities is substantially completed each day at various times prior to the close of business on the NYSE. The values of such securities used in computing the net asset value of the Fund’s shares are determined as of such times.
When market quotations are not readily available or are believed by BlackRock to be unreliable, BlackRock will fair value the Fund’s investments in accordance with its policies and procedures. BlackRock may conclude that a market quotation is not readily available or is unreliable if a security or other asset or liability does not have a price source due to its lack of trading or other reasons, if a market quotation differs significantly from recent price quotations or otherwise no longer appears to reflect fair value, where the security or other asset or liability is thinly traded, when there is a significant event subsequent to the most recent market quotation, or if the trading market on which a security is listed is suspended or closed and no appropriate alternative trading market is available. A “significant event” is deemed to occur if BlackRock determines, in its reasonable business judgment prior to or at the time of pricing the Fund’s assets or liabilities, that the event is likely to cause a material change to the closing market price of one or more assets held by, or liabilities of, the Fund.
84
For certain foreign assets, a third-party vendor supplies evaluated, systematic fair value pricing based upon the movement of a proprietary multi-factor model after the relevant foreign markets have closed. This systematic fair value pricing methodology is designed to correlate the prices of foreign assets following the close of the local markets to the price that might have prevailed as of the Fund’s pricing time.
Fair value represents a good faith approximation of the value of an asset or liability. The fair value of an asset or liability held by the Fund is the amount the Fund might reasonably expect to receive from the current sale of that asset or the cost to extinguish that liability in an arm’s-length transaction. Valuing the Fund’s investments using fair value pricing will result in prices that may differ from current market valuations and that may not be the prices at which those investments could have been sold during the period in which the particular fair values were used.
The Fund may accept orders from certain authorized Financial Intermediaries or their designees. The Fund will be deemed to receive an order when accepted by the Financial Intermediary or designee, and the order will receive the net asset value next computed by the Fund after such acceptance. If the payment for a purchase order is not made by a designated later time, the order will be canceled and the Financial Intermediary could be held liable for any losses.
Dividends, Distributions and Taxes
BUYING A DIVIDEND
Unless your investment is in a tax-deferred account, you may want to avoid buying shares shortly before the Fund pays a dividend. The reason? If you buy shares when the Fund has declared but not yet distributed ordinary income or capital gains, you will pay the full price for the shares and then receive a portion of the price back in the form of a taxable dividend. Before investing you may want to consult your tax adviser.
The Fund will distribute net investment income, if any, monthly and net realized capital gains, if any, at least annually. The Fund may also pay a special distribution at the end of the calendar year to comply with federal tax requirements. Dividends may be reinvested automatically in shares of the Fund at net asset value without a sales charge or may be taken in cash. If you would like to receive dividends in cash, contact your Financial Intermediary or the Fund. Although this cannot be predicted with any certainty, the Fund anticipates that a significant amount of its dividends, if any, will consist of ordinary income. Capital gains may be taxable to you at different rates depending on how long the Fund held the assets sold.
You will pay tax on dividends from the Fund whether you receive them in cash or additional shares. If you redeem Fund shares or exchange them for shares of another fund, you generally will be treated as having sold your shares and any gain on the transaction may be subject to tax. Fund distributions derived from qualified dividend income, which consists of dividends received from U.S. corporations and qualifying foreign corporations, and from long-term capital gains are eligible for taxation at a maximum rate of 15% or 20% for individuals, depending on whether their income exceeds certain threshold amounts, which are adjusted annually for inflation.
A 3.8% Medicare tax is imposed on the net investment income (which includes, but is not limited to, interest, dividends and net gain from investments) of U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000, or $250,000 if married filing jointly, and of trusts and estates.
Your dividends and redemption proceeds will be subject to backup withholding tax if you have not provided a taxpayer identification number or social security number or the number you have provided is incorrect.
If you are neither a tax resident nor a citizen of the United States or if you are a foreign entity (other than a pass-through entity to the extent owned by U.S. persons), the Fund’s ordinary income dividends will generally be subject to a 30% U.S. withholding tax, unless a lower treaty rate applies. However, certain distributions reported by the Fund as capital gain dividends, interest-related dividends or short-term capital gain dividends and paid to a foreign shareholder may be eligible for an exemption from U.S. withholding tax.
Separately, a 30% withholding tax is currently imposed on U.S.-source dividends, interest and other income items paid to (i) certain foreign financial institutions and investment funds, and (ii) certain other foreign entities. To avoid withholding, foreign financial institutions and investment funds will generally either need to (a) collect and report to the IRS detailed information identifying their U.S. accounts and U.S. account holders, comply with due diligence procedures for identifying U.S. accounts and withhold tax on certain payments made to noncomplying foreign entities and account holders or (b) if an intergovernmental agreement is entered into and implementing legislation is adopted, comply with the agreement and legislation. Other foreign entities will generally either need to provide detailed information identifying each substantial U.S. owner or certify there are no such owners.
85
This section summarizes some of the consequences under current federal tax law of an investment in the Fund. It is not a substitute for individualized tax advice. Consult your tax adviser about the potential tax consequences of an investment in the Fund under all applicable tax laws.
86
Financial Highlights
The Financial Highlights tables are intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the periods shown. Certain information reflects the financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the tables represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and/or distributions). The information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s Annual Financial Statements for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2024, as filed with the SEC on Form N-CSR, which are available upon request and at www.blackrock.com.
| |
BlackRock Dynamic High Income Portfolio | ||||
| |
Institutional | ||||
| |
Year Ended 07/31/24 |
Year Ended 07/31/23 |
Year Ended 07/31/22 |
Year Ended 07/31/21 |
Year Ended 07/31/20 |
| Net asset value, beginning of year |
$8.28 |
$8.47 |
$10.23 |
$9.03 |
$9.65 |
| Net investment income(a) |
0.59 |
0.51 |
0.47 |
0.50 |
0.53 |
| Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) |
0.39 |
(0.19 ) |
(1.54 ) |
1.20 |
(0.63 ) |
| Net increase (decrease) from investment operations |
0.98 |
0.32 |
(1.07 ) |
1.70 |
(0.10 ) |
| Distributions(b) |
|
|
|
|
|
| From net investment income |
(0.60 ) |
(0.51 ) |
(0.58 ) |
(0.50 ) |
(0.46 ) |
| From net realized gain |
— |
— |
(0.11 ) |
— |
— |
| Return of capital |
— |
— |
— |
— |
(0.06 ) |
| Total distributions |
(0.60 ) |
(0.51 ) |
(0.69 ) |
(0.50 ) |
(0.52 ) |
| Net asset value, end of year |
$8.66 |
$8.28 |
$8.47 |
$10.23 |
$9.03 |
| Total Return(c) |
|
|
|
|
|
| Based on net asset value |
12.39 % |
4.18 % |
(11.04 )% |
19.22 %(d) |
(0.93 )% |
| Ratios to Average Net Assets(e) |
|
|
|
|
|
| Total expenses |
0.85 % |
0.84 % |
0.81 % |
0.81 % |
0.80 % |
| Total expenses after fees waived and/or reimbursed |
0.65 % |
0.65 % |
0.65 % |
0.65 % |
0.65 % |
| Net investment income |
7.16 % |
6.39 % |
5.00 % |
5.12 % |
5.79 % |
| Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
|
| Net assets, end of year (000) |
$763,465 |
$844,522 |
$924,072 |
$1,026,159 |
$828,901 |
| Portfolio turnover rate(f) |
109 % |
66 %(g) |
59 % |
77 % |
94 % |
(a)
Based on average shares outstanding.
(b)
Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.
(c)
Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.
(d)
Includes payment from an affiliate, which had no impact on the Fund’s total return.
(e)
Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.
(f)
Excludes equity-linked notes. Additional information regarding portfolio turnover rate is as follows:
| |
Year Ended 07/31/24 |
Year Ended 07/31/23 |
Year Ended 07/31/22 |
Year Ended 07/31/21 |
Year Ended 07/31/20 |
| Portfolio turnover rate (including equity-linked notes) |
272 % |
189 % |
196 % |
180 % |
215 % |
(g)
Excludes underlying investments in total return swaps.
87
Financial Highlights (continued)
| |
BlackRock Dynamic High Income Portfolio | ||||
| |
Investor A | ||||
| |
Year Ended 07/31/24 |
Year Ended 07/31/23 |
Year Ended 07/31/22 |
Year Ended 07/31/21 |
Year Ended 07/31/20 |
| Net asset value, beginning of year |
$8.29 |
$8.47 |
$10.24 |
$9.03 |
$9.66 |
| Net investment income(a) |
0.57 |
0.49 |
0.45 |
0.47 |
0.51 |
| Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) |
0.39 |
(0.18 ) |
(1.56 ) |
1.21 |
(0.64 ) |
| Net increase (decrease) from investment operations |
0.96 |
0.31 |
(1.11 ) |
1.68 |
(0.13 ) |
| Distributions(b) |
|
|
|
|
|
| From net investment income |
(0.58 ) |
(0.49 ) |
(0.55 ) |
(0.47 ) |
(0.44 ) |
| From net realized gain |
— |
— |
(0.11 ) |
— |
— |
| Return of capital |
— |
— |
— |
— |
(0.06 ) |
| Total distributions |
(0.58 ) |
(0.49 ) |
(0.66 ) |
(0.47 ) |
(0.50 ) |
| Net asset value, end of year |
$8.67 |
$8.29 |
$8.47 |
$10.24 |
$9.03 |
| Total Return(c) |
|
|
|
|
|
| Based on net asset value |
12.10 % |
4.04 % |
(11.35 )% |
19.04 %(d) |
(1.28 )% |
| Ratios to Average Net Assets(e) |
|
|
|
|
|
| Total expenses |
1.06 % |
1.05 % |
1.03 % |
1.04 % |
1.04 % |
| Total expenses after fees waived and/or reimbursed |
0.90 % |
0.90 % |
0.90 % |
0.90 % |
0.90 % |
| Net investment income |
6.91 % |
6.15 % |
4.74 % |
4.87 % |
5.56 % |
| Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
|
| Net assets, end of year (000) |
$116,971 |
$130,935 |
$136,426 |
$175,444 |
$147,034 |
| Portfolio turnover rate(f) |
109 % |
66 %(g) |
59 % |
77 % |
94 % |
(a)
Based on average shares outstanding.
(b)
Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.
(c)
Where applicable, excludes the effects of any sales charges and assumes the reinvestment of distributions.
(d)
Includes payment from an affiliate, which had no impact on the Fund’s total return.
(e)
Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.
(f)
Excludes equity-linked notes. Additional information regarding portfolio turnover rate is as follows:
| |
Year Ended 07/31/24 |
Year Ended 07/31/23 |
Year Ended 07/31/22 |
Year Ended 07/31/21 |
Year Ended 07/31/20 |
| Portfolio turnover rate (including equity-linked notes) |
272 % |
189 % |
196 % |
180 % |
215 % |
(g)
Excludes underlying investments in total return swaps.
88
Financial Highlights (concluded)
| |
BlackRock Dynamic High Income Portfolio | ||||
| |
Investor C | ||||
| |
Year Ended 07/31/24 |
Year Ended 07/31/23 |
Year Ended 07/31/22 |
Year Ended 07/31/21 |
Year Ended 07/31/20 |
| Net asset value, beginning of year |
$8.28 |
$8.46 |
$10.22 |
$9.02 |
$9.64 |
| Net investment income(a) |
0.51 |
0.43 |
0.38 |
0.40 |
0.44 |
| Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) |
0.39 |
(0.18 ) |
(1.55 ) |
1.20 |
(0.63 ) |
| Net increase (decrease) from investment operations |
0.90 |
0.25 |
(1.17 ) |
1.60 |
(0.19 ) |
| Distributions(b) |
|
|
|
|
|
| From net investment income |
(0.52 ) |
(0.43 ) |
(0.48 ) |
(0.40 ) |
(0.37 ) |
| From net realized gain |
— |
— |
(0.11 ) |
— |
— |
| Return of capital |
— |
— |
— |
— |
(0.06 ) |
| Total distributions |
(0.52 ) |
(0.43 ) |
(0.59 ) |
(0.40 ) |
(0.43 ) |
| Net asset value, end of year |
$8.66 |
$8.28 |
$8.46 |
$10.22 |
$9.02 |
| Total Return(c) |
|
|
|
|
|
| Based on net asset value |
11.29 % |
3.27 % |
(11.94 )% |
18.06 %(d) |
(1.91 )% |
| Ratios to Average Net Assets(e) |
|
|
|
|
|
| Total expenses |
1.84 % |
1.84 % |
1.80 % |
1.80 % |
1.80 % |
| Total expenses after fees waived and/or reimbursed |
1.65 % |
1.65 % |
1.65 % |
1.65 % |
1.65 % |
| Net investment income |
6.16 % |
5.39 % |
4.00 % |
4.13 % |
4.79 % |
| Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
|
| Net assets, end of year (000) |
$24,119 |
$28,629 |
$35,475 |
$46,242 |
$41,749 |
| Portfolio turnover rate(f) |
109 % |
66 %(g) |
59 % |
77 % |
94 % |
(a)
Based on average shares outstanding.
(b)
Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.
(c)
Where applicable, excludes the effects of any sales charges and assumes the reinvestment of distributions.
(d)
Includes payment from an affiliate, which had no impact on the Fund’s total return.
(e)
Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.
(f)
Excludes equity-linked notes. Additional information regarding portfolio turnover rate is as follows:
| |
Year Ended 07/31/24 |
Year Ended 07/31/23 |
Year Ended 07/31/22 |
Year Ended 07/31/21 |
Year Ended 07/31/20 |
| Portfolio turnover rate (including equity-linked notes) |
272 % |
189 % |
196 % |
180 % |
215 % |
(g)
Excludes underlying investments in total return swaps.
89
General Information
Shareholder Documents
Electronic Access to Annual Reports, Semi-Annual Reports, Annual and Semi-Annual Financial Statements and Prospectuses
Electronic copies of most financial reports and prospectuses are available on BlackRock’s website. Shareholders can sign up for e-mail notifications of annual and semi-annual reports, annual and semi-annual financial statements and prospectuses by enrolling in the Fund’s electronic delivery program. To enroll:
Shareholders Who Hold Accounts with Investment Advisers, Banks or Brokerages: Please contact your Financial Intermediary. Please note that not all investment advisers, banks or brokerages may offer this service.
Shareholders Who Hold Accounts Directly With BlackRock:
◼
Access the BlackRock website at http://www.blackrock.com/edelivery; and
◼
Log into your account.
Delivery of Shareholder Documents
The Fund delivers only one copy of shareholder documents, including prospectuses, shareholder reports and proxy statements, to shareholders with multiple accounts at the same address. This practice is known as “householding” and is intended to eliminate duplicate mailings and reduce expenses. Mailings of your shareholder documents may be householded indefinitely unless you instruct us otherwise. If you do not want the mailing of these documents to be combined with those for other members of your household, please contact the Fund at (800) 441-7762.
Certain Fund Policies
Anti-Money Laundering Requirements
The Fund is subject to the USA PATRIOT Act (the “Patriot Act”). The Patriot Act is intended to prevent the use of the U.S. financial system in furtherance of money laundering, terrorism or other illicit activities. Pursuant to requirements under the Patriot Act, the Fund is required to obtain sufficient information from shareholders to enable it to form a reasonable belief that it knows the true identity of its shareholders. This information will be used to verify the identity of investors or, in some cases, the status of Financial Intermediaries. Such information may be verified using third-party sources. This information will be used only for compliance with the Patriot Act or other applicable laws, regulations and rules in connection with money laundering, terrorism or economic sanctions.
The Fund reserves the right to reject purchase orders from persons who have not submitted information sufficient to allow the Fund to verify their identity. The Fund also reserves the right to redeem any amounts in the Fund from persons whose identity it is unable to verify on a timely basis. It is the Fund’s policy to cooperate fully with appropriate regulators in any investigations conducted with respect to potential money laundering, terrorism or other illicit activities.
BlackRock Privacy Principles
BlackRock is committed to maintaining the privacy of its current and former fund investors and individual clients (collectively, “Clients”) and to safeguarding their non-public personal information. The following information is provided to help you understand what personal information BlackRock collects, how we protect that information and why in certain cases we share such information with select parties.
If you are located in a jurisdiction where specific laws, rules or regulations require BlackRock to provide you with additional or different privacy-related rights beyond what is set forth below, then BlackRock will comply with those specific laws, rules or regulations.
BlackRock obtains or verifies personal non-public information from and about you from different sources, including the following: (i) information we receive from you or, if applicable, your Financial Intermediary, on applications, forms or other documents; (ii) information about your transactions with us, our affiliates, or others; (iii) information we receive from a consumer reporting agency; and (iv) from visits to our website.
90
BlackRock does not sell or disclose to non-affiliated third parties any non-public personal information about its Clients, except as permitted by law, or as is necessary to respond to regulatory requests or to service Client accounts. These non-affiliated third parties are required to protect the confidentiality and security of this information and to use it only for its intended purpose.
We may share information with our affiliates to service your account or to provide you with information about other BlackRock products or services that may be of interest to you. In addition, BlackRock restricts access to non-public personal information about its Clients to those BlackRock employees with a legitimate business need for the information. BlackRock maintains physical, electronic and procedural safeguards that are designed to protect the non-public personal information of its Clients, including procedures relating to the proper storage and disposal of such information.
Statement of Additional Information
If you would like further information about the Fund, including how it invests, please see the SAI.
For a discussion of the Fund’s policies and procedures regarding the selective disclosure of its portfolio holdings, please see the SAI. The Fund makes its top ten holdings available on a monthly basis at www.blackrock.com generally within 5 business days after the end of the month to which the information applies.
91
Glossary
This glossary contains an explanation of some of the common terms used in this prospectus. For additional information about the Fund, please see the SAI.
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses — the Fund’s pro rata share of the fees and expenses incurred indirectly by the Fund as a result of investing in other investment companies.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses — expenses that cover the costs of operating the Fund.
Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index — a broad-based flagship benchmark that measures the investment grade, U.S. dollar-denominated, fixed-rate taxable bond market. The index includes U.S. Treasuries, government-related and corporate securities, mortgage-backed securities (agency fixed-rate pass-throughs), asset-backed securities and commercial mortgage-backed securities (agency and non-agency).
Bloomberg U.S. High Yield 2% Issuer Capped Index — an unmanaged index of the 2% Issuer Cap component of the Barclays High Yield Corporate Bond Index, which is a market value-weighted index of fixed rate, non-investment grade debt.
Distribution Fees — fees used to support the Fund’s marketing and distribution efforts, such as compensating Financial Intermediaries, advertising and promotion.
Management Fee — a fee paid to BlackRock for managing the Fund.
MSCI World High Dividend Index — an index based on the MSCI World Index, its parent index, that includes large and mid cap stocks across 23 developed markets countries.
MSCI World Index — a broad global equity index that represents large and mid-cap equity performance across all 23 developed markets countries. It covers approximately 85% of the free float-adjusted market capitalization in each country.
Other Expenses — include accounting, administration, transfer agency, custody, professional fees and registration fees.
Service Fees — fees used to compensate Financial Intermediaries for certain shareholder servicing activities.
Shareholder Fees — these fees include sales charges that you may pay when you buy or sell shares of the Fund.
92
Intermediary-Defined Sales Charge Waiver Policies
Intermediary-Defined Sales Charge Waiver Policies
Ameriprise Financial:
Front-end sales charge reductions on Investor A Shares purchased through Ameriprise Financial
Shareholders purchasing Investor A Shares of the Fund through an Ameriprise Financial platform or account are eligible only for the following sales charge reductions, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this Fund’s prospectus or SAI. Such shareholders can reduce their initial sales charge on the purchase of Investor A Shares as follows:
◼
Transaction size breakpoints, as described in this Fund’s prospectus or SAI.
◼
Rights of accumulation (ROA), as described in this Fund’s prospectus or SAI.
◼
Letter of intent, as described in this Fund’s prospectus or SAI.
Front-end sales charge waivers on Investor A shares purchased through Ameriprise Financial
Shareholders purchasing Fund shares through an Ameriprise Financial platform or account are eligible for the following front-end sales charge waivers, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this Fund’s prospectus or SAI. Such shareholders may purchase Investor A shares at NAV without payment of a sales charge as follows:
◼
Shares purchased by employer-sponsored retirement plans (e.g., 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer- sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans and defined benefit plans). For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs or SAR-SEPs.
◼
Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same Fund (but not any other fund within BlackRock Funds).
◼
Shares exchanged from Investor C Shares of the same fund in the month of or following the 7-year anniversary of the purchase date. To the extent that this prospectus elsewhere provides for a waiver with respect to exchanges of Investor C Shares or conversion of Investor C Shares following a shorter holding period, that waiver will apply to exchanges following such shorter period. To the extent that this Fund’s prospectus elsewhere provides for a waiver with respect to exchanges of Investor C Shares for load waived shares, that waiver will also apply to such exchanges.
◼
Shares purchased by employees and registered representatives of Ameriprise Financial or its affiliates and their immediate family members.
◼
Shares purchased by or through qualified accounts (including IRAs, Coverdell Education Savings Accounts, 401(k)s, 403(b) TSCAs subject to ERISA and defined benefit plans) that are held by a covered family member, defined as an Ameriprise financial advisor and/or the advisor’s spouse, advisor’s lineal ascendant (mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, great grandmother, great grandfather), advisor’s lineal descendant (son, step-son, daughter, step-daughter, grandson, granddaughter, great grandson, great granddaughter) or any spouse of a covered family member who is a lineal descendant.
◼
Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within BlackRock Funds, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales charge (i.e. Rights of Reinstatement).
CDSC waivers on Investor A and C Shares purchased through Ameriprise Financial
Fund shares purchased through an Ameriprise Financial retail brokerage account are eligible only for the following CDSC waivers, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this Fund’s prospectus or SAI:
◼
Redemptions due to death or disability of the shareholder
◼
Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in this Fund’s prospectus or SAI
◼
Redemptions made in connection with a return of excess contributions from an IRA account
◼
Shares purchased through a Right of Reinstatement (as defined above)
◼
Redemptions made as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code
A-1
D.A. Davidson & Co. (“D.A. Davidson”):
Effective March 1, 2021, shareholders purchasing Fund shares including existing Fund shareholders, through a D.A. Davidson platform or account, or through an introducing broker-dealer or independent registered investment advisor for which D.A. Davidson provides trade execution, clearance, and/or custody services, will be eligible for the following sales charge waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred, or back-end, sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this Prospectus or the Fund’s SAI.
Front-End Sales Charge Waivers on Investor A Shares Available at D.A. Davidson
◼
Shares purchased of the same Fund or another BlackRock Fund through a systematic reinvestment of capital gains and dividend distributions.
◼
Shares purchased by employees and registered representatives of D.A. Davidson or its affiliates and their family members as designated by D.A. Davidson.
◼
Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions of the same Fund or another BlackRock Fund, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales charge (known as Rights of Reinstatement).
◼
A shareholder in the Fund’s Investor C Shares will have their shares converted at net asset value to Investor A Shares (or the appropriate share class) of the Fund if the shares are no longer subject to a CDSC and the conversion is consistent with D.A. Davidson’s policies and procedures.
CDSC Waivers on Investor A and C Shares Available at D.A. Davidson
◼
Shares sold due to the death or disability of the shareholder.
◼
Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the Fund’s prospectus.
◼
Shares bought due to return of excess contributions from an IRA account.
◼
Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA or other qualifying retirement accounts pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code.
◼
Shares acquired through a Right of Reinstatement.
Front-End Sales Charge Discounts Available at D.A. Davidson: Breakpoints, Rights of Accumulation and/or Letters of Intent
◼
Breakpoints as described in this Prospectus.
◼
Rights of accumulation which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of BlackRock Fund assets held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at D.A. Davidson. Eligible BlackRock Fund assets not held at D.A. Davidson may be included in the calculation of rights of accumulation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.
◼
Letters of intent which allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases of BlackRock Funds, over a 13-month time period. Eligible BlackRock Fund assets not held at D.A. Davidson may be included in the calculation of letters of intent only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.
A-2
Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P. (“Edward Jones”):
Policies Regarding Transactions Through Edward Jones
Effective on or after August 1, 2024, the following information supersedes prior information with respect to transactions and positions held in fund shares through an Edward Jones system. Clients of Edward Jones (also referred to as “shareholders”) purchasing fund shares on the Edward Jones commission and fee-based platforms are eligible only for the following sales charge discounts (also referred to as “breakpoints”) and waivers, which can differ from discounts and waivers described elsewhere in this prospectus or statement of additional information (“SAI”) or through another broker-dealer. In all instances, it is the shareholder’s responsibility to inform Edward Jones at the time of purchase of any relationship, holdings of BlackRock Funds, or other facts qualifying the purchaser for discounts or waivers. Edward Jones can ask for documentation of such circumstance. Shareholders should contact Edward Jones if they have questions regarding their eligibility for these discounts and waivers.
Breakpoints
◼
Breakpoint pricing, otherwise known as volume pricing, at dollar thresholds as described in the prospectus.
Rights of Accumulation (“ROA”)
◼
The applicable sales charge on a purchase of Investor A Shares is determined by taking into account all share classes (except certain money market funds and any assets held in group retirement plans) of BlackRock Funds held by the shareholder or in an account grouped by Edward Jones with other accounts for the purpose of providing certain pricing considerations (“pricing groups”). If grouping assets as a shareholder, this includes all share classes held on the Edward Jones platform and/or held on another platform. The inclusion of eligible fund family assets in the ROA calculation is dependent on the shareholder notifying Edward Jones of such assets at the time of calculation. Money market funds are included only if such shares were sold with a sales charge at the time of purchase or acquired in exchange for shares purchased with a sales charge.
◼
The employer maintaining a SEP IRA plan and/or SIMPLE IRA plan may elect to establish or change ROA for the IRA accounts associated with the plan to a plan-level grouping as opposed to including all share classes at a shareholder or pricing group level.
◼
ROA is determined by calculating the higher of cost minus redemptions or market value (current shares multiplied by NAV).
Letter of Intent (“LOI”)
◼
Through a LOI, a shareholder can receive the sales charge and breakpoint discounts for purchases such shareholder intends to make over a 13-month period from the date Edward Jones receives the LOI. The LOI is determined by calculating the higher of cost or market value of qualifying holdings at LOI initiation in combination with the value that the shareholder intends to buy over a 13-month period to calculate the front-end sales charge and any breakpoint discounts. Each purchase the shareholder makes during that 13-month period will receive the sales charge and breakpoint discount that applies to the total amount. The inclusion of eligible BlackRock Funds assets in the LOI calculation is dependent on the shareholder notifying Edward Jones of such assets at the time of calculation. Purchases made before the LOI is received by Edward Jones are not adjusted under the LOI and will not reduce the sales charge previously paid. Sales charges will be adjusted if the LOI is not met.
◼
If the employer maintaining a SEP IRA plan and/or SIMPLE IRA plan has elected to establish or change ROA for the IRA accounts associated with the plan to a plan-level grouping, LOIs will also be at the plan-level and may only be established by the employer.
Sales Charge Waivers
Sales charges are waived for the following shareholders and in the following situations:
◼
Associates of Edward Jones and its affiliates and other accounts in the same pricing group (as determined by Edward Jones under its policies and procedures) as the associate. This waiver will continue for the remainder of the associate’s life if the associate retires from Edward Jones in good-standing and remains in good standing pursuant to Edward Jones’ policies and procedures.
◼
Shares purchased in an Edward Jones fee-based program.
◼
Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment.
A-3
◼
Shares purchased from the proceeds of redeemed shares of BlackRock Funds so long as the following conditions are met: the proceeds are from the sale of shares within 60 days of the purchase, the sale and purchase are made from a share class that charges a front load and one of the following (“Right of Reinstatement”):
◼
The redemption and repurchase occur in the same account.
◼
The redemption proceeds are used to process an: IRA contribution, return of excess contributions, conversion, recharacterizing of contributions, or distribution, and the repurchase is done in an account within the same Edward Jones grouping for ROA.
The Right of Reinstatement excludes systematic or automatic transactions including, but not limited to, purchases made through payroll deductions, liquidations to cover account fees, and reinvestments from non-mutual fund products.
◼
Shares exchanged into Investor A Shares from another share class so long as the exchange is into the same fund and was initiated at the discretion of Edward Jones. Edward Jones is responsible for any remaining CDSCs due to BlackRock, if applicable. Any future purchases are subject to the applicable sales charge as disclosed in the prospectus.
◼
Exchanges from Investor C Shares to Investor A Shares of the same fund, generally, in the 84th month following the anniversary of the purchase date or earlier at the discretion of Edward Jones.
Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (“CDSC”) Waivers
If the shareholder purchases shares that are subject to a CDSC and those shares are redeemed before the CDSC is expired, the shareholder is responsible to pay the CDSC except in the following conditions:
◼
The death or disability of the shareholder.
◼
Systematic withdrawals with up to 10% per year of the account value.
◼
Return of excess contributions from an IRA.
◼
Shares redeemed as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts if the redemption is taken in or after the year the shareholder reaches qualified age based on applicable IRS regulations.
◼
Shares redeemed to pay Edward Jones fees or costs in such cases where the transaction is initiated by Edward Jones.
◼
Shares exchanged in an Edward Jones fee-based program.
◼
Shares acquired through a NAV Reinstatement.
◼
Shares redeemed at the discretion of Edward Jones for Minimum Balances, as described below.
Other Important Information Regarding Transactions Through Edward Jones
Minimum Purchase Amounts for Investor A and Investor C Shares
◼
Initial purchase minimum: $250
◼
Subsequent purchase minimum: none
Minimum Balances
◼
Edward Jones has the right to redeem at its discretion fund holdings with a balance of $250 or less. The following are examples of accounts that are not included in this policy:
◼
A fee-based account held on an Edward Jones platform
◼
A 529 account held on an Edward Jones platform
◼
An account with an active systematic investment plan or LOI
Exchanging Share Classes
◼
At any time it deems necessary, Edward Jones has the authority to exchange at NAV a shareholder’s holdings in a fund to Investor A Shares of the same fund at NAV, provided that Edward Jones will be responsible for any remaining CDSC due to BlackRock, if applicable, and that the shareholders meet the eligibility requirements of the new share class.
A-4
J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES LLC:
Effective September 29, 2023, if you purchase or hold Fund shares through an applicable J.P. Morgan Securities LLC brokerage account, you will be eligible for the following sales charge waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”), or back-end sales charge, waivers), share class conversion policy and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this Fund’s prospectus or SAI.
Front-end sales charge waivers on Investor A Shares available at J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
◼
Shares exchanged from Investor C (i.e., level-load) Shares of the same Fund pursuant to J.P. Morgan Securities LLC’s policies relating to sales load discounts and waivers.
◼
Qualified employer-sponsored defined contribution and defined benefit retirement plans, nonqualified deferred compensation plans, other employee benefit plans and trusts used to fund those plans. For purposes of this provision, such plans do not include SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, SAR-SEPs or 501(c)(3) accounts.
◼
Shares of Funds purchased through J.P. Morgan Securities LLC Self-Directed Investing accounts.
◼
Shares purchased through rights of reinstatement.
◼
Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same Fund (but not any other fund within the fund family).
◼
Shares purchased by employees and registered representatives of J.P. Morgan Securities LLC or its affiliates and their spouse or financial dependent.
Investor C to Investor A Share conversion
◼
A shareholder in the Fund’s Investor C Shares will have their shares converted by J.P. Morgan Securities LLC to Investor A Shares (or the appropriate share class) of the same Fund if the shares are no longer subject to a CDSC and the conversion is consistent with J.P. Morgan Securities LLC’s policies and procedures.
CDSC waivers on Investor A and C Shares available at J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
◼
Shares sold upon the death or disability of the shareholder.
◼
Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the Fund’s prospectus.
◼
Shares purchased in connection with a return of excess contributions from an IRA account.
◼
Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code.
◼
Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement.
Front-end load discounts available at J.P. Morgan Securities LLC: breakpoints, rights of accumulation & letters of intent
◼
Breakpoints as described in the prospectus.
◼
Rights of Accumulation (ROA) which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts as described in the Fund’s prospectus will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at J.P. Morgan Securities LLC. Eligible fund family assets not held at J.P. Morgan Securities LLC (including 529 program holdings, where applicable) may be included in the ROA calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.
◼
Letters of Intent (LOI) which allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases within a fund family, through J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, over a 13-month period of time (if applicable).
A-5
Janney Montgomery Scott LLC:
Effective May 1, 2020, if you purchase fund shares through a Janney Montgomery Scott LLC (“Janney”) brokerage account, you will be eligible for the following sales charge waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”), or back-end sales charge, waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this Fund’s prospectus or SAI.
Front-end sales charge* waivers on Investor A shares available at Janney
◼
Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same fund (but not any other BlackRock Fund).
◼
Shares purchased by employees and registered representatives of Janney or its affiliates and their family members as designated by Janney.
◼
Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions from another BlackRock Fund, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within ninety (90) days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales charge (i.e., right of reinstatement).
◼
Employer-sponsored retirement plans (e.g., 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans and defined benefit plans). For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs, SAR-SEPs or Keogh plans.
◼
Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement.
◼
Investor C shares that are no longer subject to a contingent deferred sales charge and are converted to Investor A shares of the same fund pursuant to Janney’s policies and procedures.
CDSC waivers on Investor A and C shares available at Janney
◼
Shares sold upon the death or disability of the shareholder.
◼
Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the Fund’s prospectus or SAI.
◼
Shares purchased in connection with a return of excess contributions from an IRA account.
◼
Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code.
◼
Shares sold to pay Janney fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Janney.
◼
Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement.
◼
Shares exchanged into the same share class of a different fund.
Front-end sales charge* discounts available at Janney: breakpoints, rights of accumulation, and/or letters of intent
◼
Breakpoints as described in the Fund’s prospectus or SAI.
◼
Rights of accumulation (“ROA”), which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts, will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of BlackRock Fund assets held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at Janney. Eligible BlackRock Fund assets not held at Janney may be included in the ROA calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.
◼
Letters of intent which allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases within a BlackRock Fund, over a 13-month time period. Eligible BlackRock Fund assets not held at Janney Montgomery Scott may be included in the calculation of letters of intent only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.
*Also referred to as an “initial sales charge.”
A-6
Merrill Lynch:
Purchases or sales of front-end (i.e. Investor A) or level-load (i.e., Investor C) mutual fund shares through a Merrill platform or account will be eligible only for the following sales load waivers (front-end, contingent deferred, or back-end waivers) and discounts, which differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this Fund’s prospectus. Purchasers will have to buy mutual fund shares directly from the mutual fund company or through another intermediary to be eligible for waivers or discounts not listed below.
It is the client’s responsibility to notify Merrill at the time of purchase or sale of any relationship or other facts that qualify the transaction for a waiver or discount. A Merrill representative may ask for reasonable documentation of such facts and Merrill may condition the granting of a waiver or discount on the timely receipt of such documentation.
Additional information on waivers and discounts is available in the Merrill Sales Load Waiver and Discounts Supplement (the “Merrill SLWD Supplement”) and in the Mutual Fund Investing at Merrill pamphlet at ml.com/funds. Clients are encouraged to review these documents and speak with their financial advisor to determine whether a transaction is eligible for a waiver or discount.
Front-end Load Waivers Available at Merrill
◼
Shares of mutual funds available for purchase by employer-sponsored retirement, deferred compensation, and employee benefit plans (including health savings accounts) and trusts used to fund those plans provided the shares are not held in a commission-based brokerage account and shares are held for the benefit of the plan. For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs, SAR-SEPs or Keogh plans
◼
Shares purchased through a Merrill investment advisory program
◼
Brokerage class shares exchanged from advisory class shares due to the holdings moving from a Merrill investment advisory program to a Merrill brokerage account
◼
Shares purchased through the Merrill Edge Self-Directed platform
◼
Shares purchased through the systematic reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same mutual fund in the same account
◼
Shares exchanged from level-load shares to front-end load shares of the same mutual fund in accordance with the description in the Merrill SLWD Supplement
◼
Shares purchased by eligible employees of Merrill or its affiliates and their family members who purchase shares in accounts within the employee’s Merrill Household (as defined in the Merrill SLWD Supplement)
◼
Shares purchased by eligible persons associated with the Fund as defined in this prospectus (e.g. the Fund’s officers or trustees)
◼
Shares purchased from the proceeds of a mutual fund redemption in front-end load shares provided (1) the repurchase is in a mutual fund within the same fund family, (2) the repurchase occurs within 90 calendar days from the redemption trade date, and (3) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account (known as Rights of Reinstatement). Automated transactions (i.e. systematic purchases and withdrawals) and purchases made after shares are automatically sold to pay Merrill’s account maintenance fees are not eligible for Rights of Reinstatement
Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (“CDSC”) Waivers on Front-end, Back-end, and Level Load Shares Available at Merrill
◼
Shares sold due to the client’s death or disability (as defined by Internal Revenue Code Section 22e(3))
◼
Shares sold pursuant to a systematic withdrawal program subject to Merrill’s maximum systematic withdrawal limits as described in the Merrill SLWD Supplement
◼
Shares sold due to return of excess contributions from an IRA account
◼
Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts due to the investor reaching the qualified age based on applicable IRS regulation
◼
Front-end or level-load shares held in commission-based, non-taxable retirement brokerage accounts (e.g. traditional, Roth, rollover, SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs, SAR-SEPs or Keogh plans) that are transferred to fee-based accounts or platforms and exchanged for a lower cost share class of the same mutual fund
Front-end Load Discounts Available at Merrill: Breakpoints, Rights of Accumulation & Letters of Intent
◼
Breakpoint discounts, as described in this prospectus, where the sales load is at or below the maximum sales load that Merrill permits to be assessed to a front-end load purchase, as described in the Merrill SLWD Supplement
A-7
◼
Rights of Accumulation (ROA), as described in the Merrill SLWD Supplement, which entitle clients to breakpoint discounts based on the aggregated holdings of mutual fund family assets held in accounts in their Merrill Household
◼
Letters of Intent (LOI), which allow for breakpoint discounts on eligible new purchases based on anticipated future eligible purchases within a fund family at Merrill, in accounts within your Merrill Household, as further described in the Merrill SLWD Supplement
A-8
Morgan Stanley Wealth Management:
Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Investor A Share Front-End Sales Charge Waiver
Effective July 1, 2018, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management clients purchasing Investor A Shares of the Fund through Morgan Stanley’s transactional brokerage accounts are entitled to a waiver of the front-end sales charge in the following circumstances:
◼
Employer-sponsored retirement plans (e.g., 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans and defined benefit plans). For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans does not include SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs, SAR-SEPs or Keogh plans
◼
Morgan Stanley employee and employee-related accounts according to Morgan Stanley’s account linking rules
◼
Shares purchased through reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions when purchasing shares of the same fund
◼
Shares purchased through a Morgan Stanley self-directed brokerage account
◼
Investor C Shares that are no longer subject to a contingent deferred sales charge and are exchanged for Investor A Shares of the same fund pursuant to Morgan Stanley Wealth Management’s share class conversion program
◼
Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within BlackRock Funds under a Rights of Reinstatement provision, provided the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales charge
Unless specifically described above, no other front-end sales charge waivers are available to mutual fund purchases by Morgan Stanley Wealth Management clients through Morgan Stanley’s transactional brokerage accounts.
A-9
Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.:
Effective May 1, 2020, shareholders purchasing Fund shares through an Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. (“OPCO”) platform or account are eligible only for the following sales charge waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred, or back-end, sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this Fund’s prospectus or SAI.
Front-End Sales Charge Waivers on Investor A Shares available at OPCO
◼
Shares purchased by employer-sponsored retirement, deferred compensation and employee benefit plans (including health savings accounts) and trusts used to fund those plans, provided that the shares are not held in a commission-based brokerage account and shares are held for the benefit of the plan
◼
Shares purchased by or through a 529 Plan
◼
Shares purchased through an OPCO affiliated investment advisory program
◼
Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same fund (but not any other BlackRock Fund)
◼
Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions from another BlackRock Fund, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales charge (known as Rights of Reinstatement)
◼
A shareholder in the Fund’s Investor C Shares will have their shares converted at net asset value to Investor A Shares (or the appropriate share class) of the Fund if the shares are no longer subject to a CDSC and the conversion is in line with the policies and procedures of OPCO
◼
Shares purchased by employees and registered representatives of OPCO or its affiliates and their family members
◼
Shares purchased by directors or trustees of the Fund, and employees of the Fund’s investment adviser or any of its affiliates, as described in this prospectus
CDSC Waivers on Investor A and C Shares available at OPCO
◼
Shares sold due to death or disability of the shareholder
◼
Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the Fund’s prospectus
◼
Shares bought due to return of excess contributions from an IRA account
◼
Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching the qualified age based on applicable IRS regulations as described in the prospectus
◼
Shares sold to pay OPCO fees but only if the transaction is initiated by OPCO
◼
Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement
Front-End Sales Charge Discounts Available at OPCO: Breakpoints, Rights of Accumulation & Letters of Intent
◼
Breakpoints as described in this prospectus
◼
Rights of Accumulation (“ROA”) and Letters of Intent (“LOI”) which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of BlackRock Fund assets held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at OPCO. Eligible BlackRock Fund assets not held at OPCO may be included in the ROA or LOI calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets
A-10
Raymond James & Associates, Inc., Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. and Each Entity’s Affiliates (“Raymond James”):
Effective March 1, 2019, shareholders purchasing Fund shares through a Raymond James platform or account, or through an introducing broker-dealer or independent registered investment adviser for which Raymond James provides trade execution, clearance, and/or custody services, will be eligible only for the following sales charge waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and CDSC waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this prospectus or the SAI.
Front-End Sales Charge Waivers on Investor A Shares Available at Raymond James
◼
Shares purchased in a Raymond James investment advisory program.
◼
Shares purchased of the same Fund or another BlackRock Fund through a systematic reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend distributions.
◼
Shares purchased by employees and registered representatives of Raymond James or its affiliates and their family members as designated by Raymond James.
◼
Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions from another BlackRock Fund, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales charge (known as Rights of Reinstatement).
◼
A shareholder in the Fund’s Investor C shares will have their shares converted at net asset value to Investor A shares of the Fund if the shares are no longer subject to a CDSC and the conversion is in line with the policies and procedures of Raymond James.
CDSC Waivers on Investor A and C Shares Available at Raymond James
◼
Shares sold due to death or disability of the shareholder.
◼
Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the Fund’s prospectus.
◼
Shares bought due to return of excess contributions from an IRA Account.
◼
Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching the qualified age based on applicable IRS regulations as described in the Fund’s prospectus or SAI.
◼
Shares sold to pay Raymond James fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Raymond James.
◼
Shares acquired through a Right of Reinstatement.
Front-End Sales Charge Discounts Available at Raymond James: Breakpoints, Rights of Accumulation and/or Letters of Intent
◼
Breakpoints as described in this prospectus.
◼
Rights of accumulation which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of BlackRock Fund assets held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at Raymond James. Eligible BlackRock Fund assets not held at Raymond James may be included in the calculation of rights of accumulation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.
◼
Letters of intent which allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases of BlackRock Funds over a 13-month time period. Eligible BlackRock Fund assets not held at Raymond James may be included in the calculation of letters of intent only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.
A-11
Robert W. Baird & Co. (“Baird”):
Effective June 15, 2020, shareholders purchasing Fund shares through a Baird platform or account will only be eligible for the following sales charge waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and CDSC waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this Fund’s prospectus or SAI.
Front-End Sales Charge Waivers on Investor A Shares Available at Baird
◼
Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing share of the same fund
◼
Shares purchased by employees and registered representatives of Baird or its affiliates and their family members as designated by Baird
◼
Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions from another BlackRock Fund, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales charge (known as Rights of Reinstatement)
◼
A shareholder in the Fund’s Investor C shares will have their shares converted at net asset value to Investor A shares of the fund if the shares are no longer subject to CDSC and the conversion is in line with the policies and procedures of Baird
◼
Shares purchased by employer-sponsored retirement plans or charitable accounts in a transactional brokerage account at Baird, including 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans and defined benefit plans. For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs or SAR-SEPs
CDSC Waivers on Investor A and C Shares Available at Baird
◼
Shares sold due to death or disability of the shareholder
◼
Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the Fund’s prospectus
◼
Shares bought due to returns of excess contributions from an IRA account
◼
Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching the qualified age based on applicable Internal Revenue Service regulations as described in the Fund’s prospectus
◼
Shares sold to pay Baird fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Baird
◼
Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement
Front-End Sales Charge Discounts Available at Baird: Breakpoints, Rights of Accumulation, & Letters of Intent
◼
Breakpoints as described in this prospectus
◼
Rights of Accumulation (“ROA”) which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of BlackRock Fund assets held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at Baird. Eligible BlackRock Fund assets not held at Baird may be included in ROA calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets
◼
Letters of Intent (“LOI”) allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases of BlackRock Funds through Baird, over a 13-month period of time
A-12
For More Information
Fund and Service Providers
FUND
BlackRock Funds II
BlackRock Dynamic High Income Portfolio
100 Bellevue Parkway
Wilmington, Delaware 19809
BlackRock Dynamic High Income Portfolio
100 Bellevue Parkway
Wilmington, Delaware 19809
Written Correspondence:
P.O. Box 534429
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15253-4429
P.O. Box 534429
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15253-4429
Overnight Mail:
Attention: 534429
500 Ross Street 154-0520
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15262
Attention: 534429
500 Ross Street 154-0520
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15262
(800) 441-7762
MANAGER AND ADMINISTRATOR
BlackRock Advisors, LLC
100 Bellevue Parkway
Wilmington, Delaware 19809
100 Bellevue Parkway
Wilmington, Delaware 19809
SUB-ADVISERS
BlackRock International Limited
Exchange Place One
1 Semple Street
Edinburgh, EH3 8BL, United Kingdom
Exchange Place One
1 Semple Street
Edinburgh, EH3 8BL, United Kingdom
BlackRock (Singapore) Limited
20 Anson Road #18-01
079912 Singapore
20 Anson Road #18-01
079912 Singapore
BlackRock Asset Management North Asia Limited
16/F, 2 Queen’s Road Central
Cheung Kong Center
Hong Kong
16/F, 2 Queen’s Road Central
Cheung Kong Center
Hong Kong
TRANSFER AGENT
BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc.
301 Bellevue Parkway
Wilmington, Delaware 19809
301 Bellevue Parkway
Wilmington, Delaware 19809
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Two Commerce Square
2001 Market Street, Suite 1800
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103
Two Commerce Square
2001 Market Street, Suite 1800
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103
ACCOUNTING SERVICES PROVIDER
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.
383 Madison Avenue, Floor 11
New York, New York 10179
383 Madison Avenue, Floor 11
New York, New York 10179
DISTRIBUTOR
BlackRock Investments, LLC
50 Hudson Yards
New York, New York 10001
50 Hudson Yards
New York, New York 10001
CUSTODIAN
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.
383 Madison Avenue, Floor 11
New York, New York 10179
383 Madison Avenue, Floor 11
New York, New York 10179
COUNSEL
Sidley Austin LLP
787 Seventh Avenue
New York, New York 10019
787 Seventh Avenue
New York, New York 10019
Additional Information
For more information:
This prospectus contains important information you should know before investing, including information about risks. Please read it before you invest and keep it for future reference. More information about the Fund is available at no charge upon request. This information includes:
This prospectus contains important information you should know before investing, including information about risks. Please read it before you invest and keep it for future reference. More information about the Fund is available at no charge upon request. This information includes:
Annual/Semi-Annual Reports and Form N-CSR
The Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports and Form N-CSR contain additional information about the Fund’s investments. The annual report describes the Fund’s performance, lists portfolio holdings, and discusses recent market conditions, economic trends and Fund investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance for the last fiscal year. In Form N-CSR, you will find the Fund’s annual and semi-annual financial statements.
The Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports and Form N-CSR contain additional information about the Fund’s investments. The annual report describes the Fund’s performance, lists portfolio holdings, and discusses recent market conditions, economic trends and Fund investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance for the last fiscal year. In Form N-CSR, you will find the Fund’s annual and semi-annual financial statements.
Statement of Additional Information
A Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”), dated November 27, 2024, has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The SAI, which includes additional information about the Fund, may be obtained free of charge, along with the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports and other information such as Fund financial statements, by calling (800) 441-7762. The SAI, as amended and/or supplemented from time to time, is incorporated by reference into this prospectus.
A Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”), dated November 27, 2024, has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The SAI, which includes additional information about the Fund, may be obtained free of charge, along with the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports and other information such as Fund financial statements, by calling (800) 441-7762. The SAI, as amended and/or supplemented from time to time, is incorporated by reference into this prospectus.
BlackRock Investor Services
Representatives are available to discuss account balance information, mutual fund prospectuses, literature, programs and services available. Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (Eastern time), on any business day. Call: (800) 441-7762.
Representatives are available to discuss account balance information, mutual fund prospectuses, literature, programs and services available. Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (Eastern time), on any business day. Call: (800) 441-7762.
Purchases and Redemptions
Call your Financial Intermediary or BlackRock Investor Services at (800) 441-7762.
Call your Financial Intermediary or BlackRock Investor Services at (800) 441-7762.
World Wide Web
General Fund information and specific Fund performance, including the SAI, annual/semi-annual reports and other information such as Fund financial statements, can be accessed free of charge at www.blackrock.com/prospectus. Mutual fund prospectuses and literature can also be requested via this website.
General Fund information and specific Fund performance, including the SAI, annual/semi-annual reports and other information such as Fund financial statements, can be accessed free of charge at www.blackrock.com/prospectus. Mutual fund prospectuses and literature can also be requested via this website.
Written Correspondence
BlackRock Funds II
P.O. Box 534429
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15253-4429
BlackRock Funds II
P.O. Box 534429
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15253-4429
Overnight Mail
BlackRock Funds II
Attention: 534429
500 Ross Street 154-0520
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15262
BlackRock Funds II
Attention: 534429
500 Ross Street 154-0520
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15262
Internal Wholesalers/Broker Dealer Support
Available on any business day to support investment professionals. Call: (800) 882-0052.
Available on any business day to support investment professionals. Call: (800) 882-0052.
Portfolio Characteristics and Holdings
A description of the Fund’s policies and procedures related to disclosure of portfolio characteristics and holdings is available in the SAI.
A description of the Fund’s policies and procedures related to disclosure of portfolio characteristics and holdings is available in the SAI.
For information about portfolio holdings and characteristics, BlackRock fund shareholders and prospective investors may call (800) 882-0052.
Securities and Exchange Commission
You may also view and copy public information about the Fund, including the SAI, by visiting the EDGAR database on the SEC’s website (http://www.sec.gov). Copies of this information can be obtained, for a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.
You may also view and copy public information about the Fund, including the SAI, by visiting the EDGAR database on the SEC’s website (http://www.sec.gov). Copies of this information can be obtained, for a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.
You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus. No one is authorized to provide you with information that is different from information contained in this prospectus.
The SEC has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT FILE # 811-22061
PRO-DHIP-1124
NOVEMBER 27, 2024
 |
Prospectus |
BlackRock Funds II | Class K Shares
●
BlackRock Dynamic High Income Portfolio
Class K: BDHKX
This 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 Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Not FDIC Insured ● May Lose Value ● No Bank Guarantee
| Key facts and details about the Fund, including investment objective, principal investment strategies, principal risk factors, fee and expense information and historical performance information |
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| Information about account services, sales charges and waivers, shareholder transactions, and distribution and other payments |
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Key Facts About BlackRock Dynamic High Income Portfolio
The investment objective of BlackRock Dynamic High Income Portfolio (the “Fund”), a series of BlackRock Funds II (the “Trust”), is to seek high current income with consideration for capital appreciation.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell Class K Shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to your financial professional or your selected securities dealer, broker, investment adviser, service provider or industry professional (including BlackRock Advisors, LLC (“BlackRock”) and its affiliates) (each, a “Financial Intermediary”), which are not reflected in the table and example below.
| Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) |
|
Class K Shares |
| Management Fee1 |
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% |
| Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees |
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| Other Expenses |
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% |
| Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses2 |
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% |
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses2 |
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% |
| Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements1,3 |
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( )% |
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements1,3 |
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1
2
3
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 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 |
| Class K Shares |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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 and may result in higher taxes when shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the
3
Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 109 % of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund
The Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in equity securities and up to 100% of its assets in fixed-income securities. The Fund may also gain exposure to such equity securities and fixed-income securities by investing in BlackRock equity and/or fixed-income mutual funds (“underlying funds”) and affiliated and unaffiliated ETFs. The Fund may also invest up to 50% of its assets in structured notes that provide exposure to covered call options or other types of financial instruments.
With respect to the Fund’s equity investments, the Fund may invest in common stock and preferred stock. From time to time, the Fund may invest in shares of companies through initial public offerings (“IPOs”). The Fund may invest in equity securities of both U.S. or non-U.S. issuers without limit, including in securities of issuers located in emerging markets. The Fund’s investments in non-dollar denominated equity securities may be on a currency hedged or unhedged basis. The Fund may invest in securities of companies of any market capitalization. The Fund may also purchase securities convertible into common and preferred stock.
With respect to the Fund’s fixed-income investments, the Fund may invest in a portfolio of fixed-income securities, such as corporate bonds and notes, mortgage-backed securities (including commercial mortgage-backed securities and collateralized mortgage obligations), asset-backed securities (including collateralized debt obligations (“CDOs”) and collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”)), convertible securities, preferred securities and government obligations. Convertible debt securities have features of both fixed-income and equity securities and often are issued by companies that have lower credit ratings but higher potential for long-term growth. The Fund may invest in fixed-income securities of both U.S. or non-U.S. issuers without limit, including in securities of issuers located in emerging markets. The Fund may also invest significantly in non-investment grade bonds (high yield, junk bonds or distressed securities), including non-investment grade bonds of issuers located in emerging markets, non-investment grade bank loans and non-dollar denominated bonds. The Fund’s investments in non-dollar denominated bonds may be on a currency hedged or unhedged basis. Non-investment grade bonds or bank loans acquired by the Fund will generally be in the lower categories of the major rating agencies at the time of purchase (BB or lower by S&P Global Ratings, a division of S&P Global Inc., or Ba or lower by Moody’s Investors Services, Inc.) or will be determined by the management team to be of similar quality. The average portfolio duration of the Fund will vary based on the management team’s forecast of interest rates and there are no limits regarding portfolio duration or average maturity.
The Fund intends to invest in certain income-producing instruments, including master limited partnerships (“MLPs”) (which are generally in energy-related industries), U.S. and non-U.S. real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), preferred stock, structured products, structured notes that provide exposure to covered call options or other types of financial instruments, floating rate securities (such as bank loans), dividend stocks and fixed-income securities. The Fund may also invest in closed-end investment companies.
The Fund may invest significantly in derivatives, including, but not limited to, interest rate swaps, total return swaps, credit default swaps, variance swaps, options (including covered call options), futures, options on futures and swaps and foreign currency transactions (including swaps), for hedging purposes, as well as to increase the return on its portfolio investments. The Fund may seek to obtain market exposure to the securities in which it primarily invests by entering into a series of purchase and sale contracts or by using other investment techniques (such as reverse repurchase agreements or dollar rolls). The underlying funds and ETFs in which the Fund invests may, to varying degrees, also invest in derivatives.
The Fund may invest in indexed and inverse floating rate securities.
The Fund may also incur leverage (within the limits of applicable law) for investment purposes. The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading of portfolio securities to achieve its primary investment strategies.
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 the principal risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund is subject to the same risks as the underlying funds and ETFs in which it invests. The relative significance of each risk factor below may change over time and you should review each risk factor carefully.
4
The Fund is also subject to the risks associated with the securities in which it invests directly. The Fund may invest in underlying funds and ETFs which invest in fixed-income and equity securities. The principal risks set forth below are the principal risks of investing in the Fund, the underlying funds and/or the ETFs. In the following discussion, references to the “Fund” shall mean the Fund and any one or more of the relevant underlying funds and/or ETFs, where applicable.
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund, the Underlying Funds and/or the ETFs
◼
Allocation Risk — The Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective depends upon BlackRock’s skill in determining the Fund’s strategic asset class allocation and in selecting the best mix of underlying funds and direct investments. There is a risk that BlackRock’s evaluations and assumptions regarding asset classes or underlying funds and/or ETFs may be incorrect in view of actual market conditions.
◼
Equity Securities Risk — Stock markets are volatile. The price of equity securities fluctuates based on changes in a company’s financial condition and overall market and economic conditions.
◼
Debt Securities Risk — Debt securities, such as bonds, involve risks, such as credit risk, interest rate risk, extension risk, and prepayment risk, each of which are described in further detail below:
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 issuer’s credit rating or the market’s perception of an issuer’s creditworthiness may also affect the value of the Fund’s investment in that issuer. The degree of credit risk depends on both the financial condition of the issuer and the terms of the obligation.
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 during a 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 Fund’s 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 Fund’s investments will not affect interest income derived from instruments already owned by the Fund, but will be reflected in the Fund’s 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 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 Fund’s performance.
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.
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Asset Class Risk — Securities and other assets or financial instruments in an underlying fund’s underlying index or in the Fund’s portfolio may underperform in comparison to the general financial markets, a particular financial market or other asset classes.
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Derivatives Risk — The Fund’s use of derivatives may increase its costs, reduce the Fund’s returns and/or increase volatility. Derivatives involve significant risks, including:
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Leverage Risk — The Fund’s use of derivatives can magnify the Fund’s 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 Fund’s 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.
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 Fund’s 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 Fund’s 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.
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Affiliated Fund Risk — In managing the Fund, BlackRock will have authority to select and substitute underlying funds and ETFs. BlackRock may be subject to potential conflicts of interest in selecting underlying funds and ETFs because the fees paid to BlackRock by some underlying funds and ETFs are higher than the fees paid by other underlying funds and ETFs. However, BlackRock is a fiduciary to the Fund and is legally obligated to act in the Fund’s best interests when selecting underlying funds and ETFs. If an underlying fund or ETF holds interests in an affiliated fund, the Fund may be prohibited from purchasing shares of that underlying fund or ETF.
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Collateralized Debt Obligations Risk — In addition to the typical risks associated with fixed-income securities and asset-backed securities, CDOs, including CLOs, carry additional risks including, but not limited to: (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the risk that the collateral may default or decline in value or be downgraded, if rated by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization; (iii) the Fund may invest in tranches of CDOs that are subordinate to other tranches; (iv) the structure and complexity of the transaction and the legal documents could lead to disputes among investors regarding the characterization of proceeds; (v) the investment return achieved by the Fund could be significantly different than those predicted by financial models; (vi) the lack of a readily available secondary market for CDOs; (vii) the risk of forced “fire sale” liquidation due to technical defaults such as coverage test failures; and (viii) the CDO’s manager may perform poorly.
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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, principal or dividends when due, and their market value may change based on changes in the issuer’s credit rating or the market’s perception of the issuer’s 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, including the potential for increased volatility in the price of the convertible security.
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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 Secured Overnight Financing Rate, 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 Fund’s 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.
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Covered Call Risk — The Fund intends to invest in covered call options and structured notes that provide exposure to covered call options. Covered call risk is the risk that the issuer of the call option will forgo any profit from increases in the market value of the underlying security covering the call option above the sum of the premium and the strike price of the call but retain the risk of loss if the underlying security declines in value. The Fund will have no control over the exercise of the option by the option holder and may lose the benefit from any capital appreciation on the underlying security. A number of factors may influence the option holder’s decision to exercise the option, including the value of the underlying security, price volatility, dividend yield and interest rates. To the extent that these factors increase the value of the call option, the option holder is more likely to exercise the option, which may negatively affect the Fund.
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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.
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Dollar Rolls Risk — Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities that the Fund is committed to buy may decline below the price of the securities the Fund has sold. These transactions may involve leverage.
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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.
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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:
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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.
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Changes in foreign currency exchange rates can affect the value of the Fund’s portfolio.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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The Fund’s 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
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foreign country, accruals in the Fund’s net asset value for such refunds may be written down partially or in full, which will adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value.
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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 Fund’s investments.
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Geographic Risk — A natural or manmade disaster could occur in a geographic region in which the Fund invests, which could adversely affect the economy or the business operations of companies located there, causing an adverse impact on the Fund’s investments in the affected region.
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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. In addition, investment in mortgage dollar rolls and participation in to-be-announced (“TBA”) transactions may significantly increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. A TBA transaction is a method of trading mortgage-backed securities where the buyer and seller agree upon general trade parameters such as agency, settlement date, par amount, and price at the time the contract is entered into but the mortgage-backed securities are delivered in the future, generally 30 days later.
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High Yield 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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Illiquid Investments Risk — The Fund may not acquire any illiquid investment if, immediately after the acquisition, the Fund would have invested more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments. An illiquid investment is any investment that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. Liquid investments may become illiquid after purchase by the Fund, particularly during periods of market turmoil. There can be no assurance that a security or instrument that is deemed to be liquid when purchased will continue to be liquid for as long as it is held by the Fund, and any security or instrument held by the Fund may be deemed an illiquid investment pursuant to the Fund’s liquidity risk management program. The Fund’s illiquid investments may reduce the returns of the Fund because it may be difficult to sell the illiquid investments at an advantageous time or price. In addition, if the Fund is limited in its ability to sell illiquid investments during periods when shareholders are redeeming their shares, the Fund will need to sell liquid securities to meet redemption requests and illiquid securities will become a larger portion of the Fund’s holdings. An investment may be illiquid due to, among other things, the reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants to make a market in fixed-income securities or the lack of an active trading market. To the extent that the Fund’s principal investment strategies involve derivatives or securities with substantial market and/or credit risk, the Fund will tend to have the greatest exposure to the risks associated with illiquid investments. Illiquid investments may be harder to value, especially in changing markets, and if the Fund is forced to sell these investments to meet redemption requests or for other cash needs, the Fund may suffer a loss. This may be magnified in a rising interest rate environment or other circumstances where investor redemptions from fixed-income mutual funds may be higher than normal. In addition, when there is illiquidity in the market for certain securities, the Fund, due to limitations on illiquid investments, may be subject to purchase and sale restrictions.
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Income Risk — Income risk is the risk that the Fund’s yield will vary as short-term securities in its portfolio mature and the proceeds are reinvested in securities with different interest rates.
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Indexed and Inverse Securities Risk — Indexed and inverse securities provide a potential return based on a particular index of value or interest rates. The Fund’s 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 Fund’s investment in such instruments may decline significantly in value if interest rates or index levels move in a way Fund management does not anticipate.
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Investment in Other Investment Companies Risk — As with other investments, investments in other investment companies, including the underlying funds and/or ETFs, are subject to market and selection risk. In addition, if the Fund acquires shares of investment companies, including ones affiliated with the Fund, which may include underlying funds and ETFs advised by BlackRock or other investment advisers, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of expenses in the Fund (including management and advisory fees) and, indirectly, the
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expenses of the investment companies (to the extent not offset by BlackRock through waivers). To the extent the Fund is held by an affiliated fund, the ability of the Fund itself to hold other investment companies may be limited.
Investing in an ETF will give the Fund exposure to the securities comprising the index on which the ETF is based. Shares of ETFs are traded on an exchange throughout a trading day, and bought and sold based on market values and not at the ETF’s net asset value. For this reason shares of an ETF could trade at either a premium or discount to its net asset value. However, the trading prices of index-based ETFs tend to closely track the actual net asset value of the ETF. The Fund will pay brokerage commissions in connection with the purchase and sale of shares of ETFs, in addition to a spread (i.e., the difference between what professional investors are willing to pay for ETF shares (the “bid” price) and the price at which they are willing to sell ETF shares (the “ask” price)).
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Issuer Risk — Fund performance depends on the performance of individual securities to which the Fund has exposure. Changes in the financial condition or credit rating of an issuer of those securities may cause the value of the securities to decline.
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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 Fund’s portfolio will be magnified when the Fund uses leverage.
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Loans Risk — An economic downturn generally leads to a higher non-payment rate, and a loan may lose significant value before a default occurs. Moreover, any specific collateral used to secure a loan may decline in value or become illiquid, which would adversely affect the loan’s value. No active trading market may exist for certain loans, which may impair the ability of the Fund to realize full value in the event of the need to sell a loan and which may make it difficult to value loans. Although loans in which the Fund will invest generally will be secured by specific collateral, there can be no assurance that liquidation of such collateral would satisfy the borrower’s obligation in the event of non-payment of scheduled interest or principal or that such collateral could be readily liquidated. To the extent that a loan is collateralized by stock in the borrower or its subsidiaries, such stock may lose all of its value in the event of the bankruptcy of the borrower. Uncollateralized senior loans involve a greater risk of loss.
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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.
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Master Limited Partnerships Risk — The common units of an MLP are listed and traded on U.S. securities exchanges and their value fluctuates predominantly based on prevailing market conditions and the success of the MLP. Unlike owners of common stock of a corporation, owners of common units have limited voting rights and have no ability to annually elect directors. In the event of liquidation, common units have preference over subordinated units, but not over debt or preferred units, to the remaining assets of the MLP.
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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.
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“New Issues” Risk — “New issues” are IPOs of equity securities. Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods. In addition, the prices of securities sold in IPOs may be highly volatile or may decline shortly after the IPO.
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Non-Agency Securities Risk — There are no direct or indirect government or agency guarantees of payments in mortgage pools created by non-government issuers. Non-agency securities are also not subject to the same underwriting requirements for the underlying mortgages that are applicable to those mortgage-related securities that have a government or government-sponsored entity guarantee. Non-agency securities with payments not guaranteed by a government agency generally involve greater credit risk than securities guaranteed by government agencies. In addition, a substantial portion of the non-agency securities in which the Fund invests may be rated below investment grade (commonly known as “junk bonds”).
Non-agency mortgage-related securities are not traded on an exchange and there may be a limited market for the securities, especially when there is a perceived weakness in the mortgage and real estate market sectors. Without an active trading market, the non-agency mortgage-related securities held in the Fund’s portfolio may be particularly difficult to value because of the complexities involved in assessing the value of the underlying mortgage loans.
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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 company’s 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 company’s financial condition or prospects. Preferred securities of smaller companies may be more vulnerable to adverse developments than preferred securities of larger companies.
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Privatization Risk — Some countries in which the Fund invests have privatized, or have begun the process of privatizing, certain entities and industries. Privatized entities may lose money or be re-nationalized.
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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 (the “Internal Revenue Code”), which allows REITs to reduce their corporate taxable income for dividends paid to their shareholders.
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Repurchase Agreements and Purchase and Sale Contracts Risk — If the other party to a repurchase agreement or purchase and sale contract defaults on its obligation under the agreement, the Fund may suffer delays and incur costs or lose money in exercising its rights under the agreement. If the seller fails to repurchase the security in either situation and the market value of the security declines, the Fund may lose money.
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Restricted Securities Risk — Limitations on the resale of restricted securities may have an adverse effect on their marketability, and may prevent the Fund from disposing of them promptly at advantageous prices. Restricted securities may not be listed on an exchange and may have no active trading market. In order to sell such securities, the Fund may have to bear the expense of registering the securities for resale and the risk of substantial delays in effecting the registration. Other transaction costs may be higher for restricted securities than unrestricted securities. Restricted securities may be difficult to value because market quotations may not be readily available, and the securities may have significant volatility. Also, the Fund may get only limited information about the issuer of a given restricted security, and therefore may be less able to predict a loss. Certain restricted securities may involve a high degree of business and financial risk and may result in substantial losses to the Fund.
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Reverse Repurchase Agreements Risk — Reverse repurchase agreements involve the sale of securities held by the Fund with an agreement to repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon price, date and interest payment. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the other party may fail to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. The Fund could lose money if it is unable to recover the securities and the value of the collateral held by the Fund, including the value of the investments made with cash collateral, is less than the value of the securities. These events could also trigger adverse tax consequences for the Fund. In addition, reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the interest income earned in the investment of the proceeds will be less than the interest expense.
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Risks of Investing in Closed-End Funds — The shares of closed-end funds may trade at a price below (discount) or above (premium), or at, their net asset value. To the extent that the Fund invests a portion of its assets in closed-end funds, those assets will be subject to the risks of the closed-end fund’s portfolio securities, and a shareholder in the Fund will bear not only his or her proportionate share of the expenses of the Fund, but also, indirectly, the expenses of the closed-end fund. The securities of closed-end funds in which the Fund may invest may be leveraged. As a result, the Fund may be indirectly exposed to leverage through an investment in such securities. An
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investment in securities of closed-end funds that use leverage may expose the Fund to higher volatility in the market value of such securities and the possibility that the Fund’s long-term returns on such securities (and, indirectly, the long-term returns of the shares) will be diminished.
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Senior Loans Risk — There is less readily available, reliable information about most senior loans than is the case for many other types of securities. An economic downturn generally leads to a higher non-payment rate, and a senior loan may lose significant value before a default occurs. Moreover, any specific collateral used to secure a senior loan may decline in value or become illiquid, which would adversely affect the senior loan’s value. No active trading market may exist for certain senior loans, which may impair the ability of the Fund to realize full value in the event of the need to sell a senior loan and which may make it difficult to value senior loans. Although senior loans in which the Fund will invest generally will be secured by specific collateral, there can be no assurance that liquidation of such collateral would satisfy the borrower’s obligation in the event of non-payment of scheduled interest or principal or that such collateral could be readily liquidated. To the extent that a senior loan is collateralized by stock in the borrower or its subsidiaries, such stock may lose all of its value in the event of the bankruptcy of the borrower. Uncollateralized senior loans involve a greater risk of loss.
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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 note’s 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.
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U.S. Government Issuer Risk — Treasury obligations may differ in their interest rates, maturities, times of issuance and other characteristics. Obligations of U.S. Government agencies and authorities are supported by varying degrees of credit but generally are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. No assurance can be given that the U.S. Government will provide financial support to its agencies and authorities if it is not obligated by law to do so.
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Variable and Floating Rate Instrument Risk — Variable and floating rate securities provide for periodic adjustment in the interest rate paid on the securities. These securities may be subject to greater illiquidity risk than other fixed income securities, meaning the absence of an active market for these securities could make it difficult for the Fund to dispose of them at any given time.
Principal ETF-Specific Risks
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Authorized Participant Concentration Risk — Only an Authorized Participant may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with an ETF. There are a limited number of institutions that may act as Authorized Participants for an ETF, 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 an ETF and no other Authorized Participant places orders, ETF shares are more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting.
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Management Risk — If a passively managed ETF does not fully replicate the underlying index, it is subject to the risk that the manager’s investment management strategy may not produce the intended results.
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Passive Investment Risk — The portfolios of certain ETFs are not actively managed and may be affected by a general decline in market segments relating to their respective indices. Such ETFs typically invest in securities included in, or representative of, their respective indices regardless of their investment merits and do not attempt to take defensive positions in declining markets.
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Representative Sampling Risk — Representative sampling is a method of indexing that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively have a similar investment profile to the index and resemble the index in terms of risk factors and other key characteristics. A passively managed ETF may or may not hold every security in the index. When an ETF deviates from a full replication indexing strategy to utilize a representative sampling strategy, the ETF is subject to an increased risk of tracking error, in that the securities selected in the aggregate for the ETF may not have an investment profile similar to those of its index.
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Shares of an ETF May Trade at Prices Other Than Net Asset Value — Shares of an ETF trade on exchanges at prices at, above or below their most recent net asset value. The per share net asset value of an ETF is calculated at the end of each business day and fluctuates with changes in the market value of the ETF’s holdings since the most recent calculation. The trading prices of an ETF’s shares fluctuate continuously throughout trading hours based on market supply and demand rather than net asset value. The trading prices of an ETF’s shares may deviate significantly from net asset value during periods of market volatility. Any of these factors may lead to an ETF’s
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shares trading at a premium or discount to net asset value. However, because shares can be created and redeemed in creation units, which are aggregated blocks of shares that authorized participants who have entered into agreements with the ETF’s distributor can purchase or redeem directly from the ETF, at net asset value (unlike shares of many closed-end funds, which frequently trade at appreciable discounts from, and sometimes at premiums to, their net asset values), large discounts or premiums to the net asset value of an ETF are not likely to be sustained over the long-term. While the creation/redemption feature is designed to make it likely that an ETF’s shares normally trade on exchanges at prices close to the ETF’s next calculated net asset value, exchange prices are not expected to correlate exactly with an ETF’s net asset value due to timing reasons as well as market supply and demand factors. In addition, disruptions to creations and redemptions or the existence of extreme market volatility may result in trading prices that differ significantly from net asset value. If a shareholder purchases at a time when the market price is at a premium to the net asset value or sells at a time when the market price is at a discount to the net asset value, the shareholder may sustain losses. The use of cash creations and redemptions may also cause the ETFs’ shares to trade in the market at greater bid-ask spreads or greater premiums or discounts to the ETFs’ NAV.
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Tracking Error Risk — Imperfect correlation between a passively managed ETF’s portfolio securities and those in its index, rounding of prices, the timing of cash flows, the ETF’s size, changes to the index and regulatory requirements may cause tracking error, which is the divergence of an ETF’s performance from that of its underlying index. This risk may be heightened during times of increased market volatility or other unusual market conditions. Tracking error also may result because an ETF incurs fees and expenses while its underlying index does not.
Performance Information
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Class K Shares
ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS
BlackRock Dynamic High Income Portfolio
As of 12/31
ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS
BlackRock Dynamic High Income Portfolio
As of 12/31
During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 13.02 % (quarter ended June 30, 2020 ) and the lowest return for a quarter was -19.13 % (quarter ended March 31, 2020 ). The year-to-date return as of September 30, 2024 was 11.50 %.
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| BlackRock Dynamic High Income Portfolio — Class K Shares |
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| Return After Taxes on Distributions |
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| Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares |
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| MSCI World Index (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
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| Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
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| 70% MSCI World Index/30% Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
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| 50% MSCI World High Dividend Index/50% Bloomberg U.S. High Yield 2% Issuer Capped Index (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
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Investment Manager
The Fund’s investment manager is BlackRock Advisors, LLC (previously defined as “BlackRock”). The Fund’s sub-advisers are BlackRock International Limited, BlackRock Asset Management North Asia Limited and BlackRock (Singapore) Limited. Where applicable, the use of the term BlackRock also refers to the Fund’s sub-advisers.
Portfolio Managers
| Portfolio Manager |
Portfolio Manager of the Fund Since |
Title |
| Justin Christofel, CFA |
2014 |
Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. |
| Alex Shingler, CFA |
2015 |
Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. |
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Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
Class K Shares of the Fund are available only to (i) certain employee benefit plans, such as health savings accounts, and certain employer-sponsored retirement plans (not including SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs and SARSEPs) (collectively, “Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans”), (ii) collective trust funds, investment companies and other pooled investment vehicles, each of which may purchase shares of the Fund through a Financial Intermediary (as defined below) that has entered into an agreement with the Fund’s distributor to purchase such shares, (iii) “Institutional Investors,” which include, but are not limited to, endowments, foundations, family offices, banks and bank trusts, local, city, and state governmental institutions, corporations and insurance company separate accounts, each of which may purchase shares of the Fund through a Financial Intermediary that has entered into an agreement with the Fund’s distributor to purchase such shares, (iv) clients of private banks that purchase shares of the Fund through a Financial Intermediary that has entered into an agreement with the Fund’s distributor to sell such shares; (v) fee-based advisory platforms of a Financial Intermediary that (a) has specifically acknowledged in a written agreement with the Fund’s distributor and/or its affiliate(s) that the Financial Intermediary shall offer such shares to fee-based advisory clients through an omnibus account held at the Fund or (b) transacts in the Fund’s shares through another intermediary that has executed such an agreement and (vi) any other investors who met the eligibility criteria for BlackRock Shares or Class K Shares prior to August 15, 2016 and have continually held Class K Shares of the Fund in the same account since August 15, 2016.
You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund each day the New York Stock Exchange is open. Purchase orders may also be placed by calling (800) 537-4942, by mail (c/o BlackRock, P.O. Box 534429, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15253-4429), or online at www.blackrock.com. Institutional Investors are subject to a $5 million minimum initial investment requirement. Other investors, including Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans, have no minimum initial investment requirement. There is no minimum investment amount for additional purchases.
Tax Information
Different income tax rules apply depending on whether you are invested through a qualified tax-exempt plan described in section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code. If you are invested through such a plan (and Fund shares are not “debt-financed property” to the plan), then the dividends paid by the Fund and the gain realized from a redemption or exchange of Fund shares will generally not be subject to U.S. federal income taxes until you withdraw or receive distributions from the plan. If you are not invested through such a plan, then the Fund’s dividends and gain from a redemption or exchange may be subject to U.S. federal income taxes and may be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are a tax-exempt investor.
Payments to Broker/Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a Financial Intermediary, the Fund and BlackRock Investments, LLC, the Fund’s distributor, or its affiliates may pay the Financial Intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the Financial Intermediary and your individual financial professional to recommend the Fund over another investment.
Class K Shares are only available through a Financial Intermediary if the Financial Intermediary will not receive from Fund assets, or the Fund’s distributor’s or an affiliate’s resources, any commission payments, shareholder servicing fees (including sub-transfer agent and networking fees), or distribution fees (including Rule 12b-1 fees) with respect to assets invested in Class K Shares.
Ask your individual financial professional or visit your Financial Intermediary’s website for more information.
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Details About the Fund
Included in this prospectus are sections that tell you about buying and selling shares, management information, shareholder features of BlackRock Dynamic High Income Portfolio (the “Fund”), a series of BlackRock Funds II (the “Trust”), and your rights as a shareholder.
How the Fund Invests
Investment Objective
The investment objective of the Fund is to seek high current income with consideration for capital appreciation.
This investment objective is a non-fundamental policy of the Fund. Should the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of the Trust determine that the investment objective of the Fund should be changed, shareholders will be given at least 30 days’ notice before any such change is made. However, such change can be effected without shareholder approval.
Investment Process
The management team will tactically allocate to asset classes around the world that are deemed to offer high levels of income and total return relative to the level of expected risk.
The Fund will invest in securities and other investments that the management team believes offer attractive returns through long-term capital appreciation, high income or both. The management team will select underlying funds, exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), securities and other investments primarily to achieve the target sector allocations set by the management team on an ongoing basis. Factors such as fund classification, historical risk and performance, and the relationship to other underlying funds and ETFs are considered in the top-down selection process.
In selecting equity investments, the management team will generally use a bottom-up approach, with an emphasis on dividend yield, in addition to standard analysis of earnings growth and valuation. In selecting underlying funds, ETFs and fixed-income investments, the management team evaluates sectors of the bond market including, but not limited to, U.S. Treasuries and agency securities, commercial and residential mortgage-backed securities, collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”), asset-backed securities and corporate bonds. The management team may shift the Fund’s assets among these various sectors based upon changing market conditions. Securities, underlying funds and ETFs are purchased for the Fund when the management team believes that they have the potential for above-average total return.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in equity securities and up to 100% of its assets in fixed-income securities. The Fund may also gain exposure to such equity securities and fixed-income securities by investing in BlackRock Advisors, LLC (“BlackRock”) equity and/or fixed-income mutual funds (“underlying funds”) and affiliated and unaffiliated ETFs. See “Information about Underlying Funds and ETFs.” The Fund may also invest up to 50% of its assets in structured notes that provide exposure to covered call options or other types of financial instruments.
With respect to the Fund’s equity investments, the Fund may invest in common stock and preferred stock. From time to time, the Fund may invest in shares of companies through initial public offerings (“IPOs”). The Fund may invest in equity securities of both U.S. or non-U.S. issuers without limit, including in securities of issuers located in emerging markets. The Fund’s, underlying funds’ and ETFs’ investments in non-dollar denominated equity securities may be on a currency hedged or unhedged basis. The Fund may invest in securities of companies of any market capitalization. The Fund may also purchase securities convertible into common and preferred stock.
With respect to the Fund’s fixed-income investments, the Fund may invest in a portfolio of fixed-income securities, such as corporate bonds and notes, mortgage-backed securities (including commercial mortgage-backed securities and CMOs), asset-backed securities (including collateralized debt obligations (“CDOs”) and collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”)), convertible securities, preferred securities and government obligations. Convertible debt securities have features of both fixed-income and equity securities and often are issued by companies that have lower credit ratings but higher potential for long-term growth. The Fund may invest in fixed-income securities of both U.S. or non-U.S. issuers without limit, including in securities of issuers located in emerging markets. The Fund may also invest significantly in non-investment grade bonds (high yield, junk bonds or distressed securities), including non-investment
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grade bonds of issuers located in emerging markets, non-investment grade bank loans and non-dollar denominated bonds. The Fund’s investments in non-dollar denominated bonds may be on a currency hedged or unhedged basis.
Non-investment grade bonds or bank loans acquired by the Fund will generally be in the lower categories of the major rating agencies at the time of purchase (BB or lower by S&P Global Ratings, a division of S&P Global Inc., or Ba or lower by Moody’s Investors Services, Inc.) or will be determined by the management team to be of similar quality. The average portfolio duration of the Fund will vary based on the management team’s forecast of interest rates and there are no limits regarding portfolio duration or average maturity.
The Fund intends to invest in certain income-producing instruments, including master limited partnerships (“MLPs”) (which are generally in energy-related industries), U.S. and non-U.S. real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), preferred stock, structured products, structured notes that provide exposure to covered call options or other types of financial instruments, floating rate securities (such as bank loans), dividend stocks and fixed-income securities. The Fund may also invest in closed-end investment companies.
MLPs are limited partnerships or limited liability companies taxable as partnerships. MLPs may derive income and gains from the exploration, development, mining or production, processing, refining, transportation (including pipelines transporting gas, oil, or products thereof), or the marketing of any mineral or natural resources. MLPs generally have two classes of owners, the general partner and limited partners. When investing in an MLP, the Fund intends to purchase publicly traded common units issued to limited partners of the MLP. The general partner is typically owned by a major energy company, an investment fund, the direct management of the MLP or is an entity owned by one or more of such parties. The general partner may be structured as a private or publicly traded corporation or other entity.
REITs are companies that own interests in real estate or in real estate related loans or other interests, and have revenue primarily consisting of rent derived from owned, income producing real estate properties and capital gains from the sale of such properties. REITs can generally be classified as equity REITs, mortgage REITs and hybrid REITs. Equity REITs invest the majority of their assets directly in real property and derive their income primarily from rents. Equity REITs can also realize capital gains by selling properties that have appreciated in value. Mortgage REITs invest the majority of their assets in real estate mortgages and derive their income primarily from interest payments. Hybrid REITs combine the characteristics of both equity REITs and mortgage REITs. REITs are not taxed on income distributed to shareholders provided they comply with the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”).
The Fund may invest significantly in derivatives, including, but not limited to, interest rate swaps, total return swaps, credit default swaps, variance swaps, options (including covered call options), futures, options on futures and swaps and foreign currency transactions (including swaps), for hedging purposes, as well as to increase the return on its portfolio investments. An option is the right to buy or sell a security or an index of securities at a specific price on or before a specific date. A future is an agreement to buy or sell a security or an index of securities at a specific price on a specific date. A swap is an agreement whereby one party exchanges its right to receive or its obligation to pay one type of interest or currency for another party’s obligation to pay or its right to receive another type of interest or currency in the future or for a period of time. The Fund may seek to obtain market exposure to the securities in which it primarily invests by entering into a series of purchase and sale contracts or by using other investment techniques (such as reverse repurchase agreements or dollar rolls). A dollar roll transaction involves a sale by the Fund of a mortgage-backed or other security concurrently with an agreement by the Fund to repurchase a similar security at a later date at an agreed-upon price. The securities that are repurchased will bear the same interest rate and stated maturity as those sold, but pools of mortgages collateralizing those securities may have different prepayment histories than those sold. The underlying funds and ETFs in which the Fund invests may, to varying degrees, also invest in derivatives.
The Fund may invest in indexed and inverse floating rate securities.
The Fund may also incur leverage (within the limits of applicable law) for investment purposes. The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading of portfolio securities to achieve its primary investment strategies.
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ABOUT THE PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT TEAM OF THE FUND
The Fund is managed by a team of financial professionals. Justin Christofel, CFA, and Alex Shingler, CFA, are the portfolio managers and are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. Please see “Management of the Fund — Portfolio Manager Information” for additional information about the portfolio management team.
Investment Risks
This section contains a discussion of the general risks of investing in the Fund. The “Investment Objective and Policies” section in the Statement of Additional Information (the “SAI”) also includes more information about the Fund, its investments and the related risks. As with any fund, there can be no guarantee that the Fund will meet its investment objective or that the Fund’s performance will be positive for any period of time. An investment in the Fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or by any bank or governmental agency. The Fund is subject to the same risks as the underlying funds and ETFs in which it invests. The order of the below risk factors does not indicate the significance of any particular risk factor.
The Fund is also subject to the risks associated with the securities in which it invests directly. The Fund may invest in underlying funds and ETFs which invest in fixed-income and equity securities. The principal risks set forth below are the principal risks of investing in the Fund, the underlying funds and/or the ETFs. In the following discussion, references to the “Fund” shall mean the Fund and any one or more of the relevant underlying funds and/or ETFs, where applicable.
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund, the Underlying Funds and/or the ETFs
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Affiliated Fund Risk — In managing the Fund, BlackRock will have authority to select and substitute underlying funds and ETFs. BlackRock may be subject to potential conflicts of interest in selecting underlying funds and ETFs because the fees paid to BlackRock by some underlying funds and ETFs are higher than the fees paid by other underlying funds and ETFs. However, BlackRock is a fiduciary to the Fund and is legally obligated to act in the Fund’s best interests when selecting underlying funds and ETFs. If an underlying fund or ETF holds interests in an affiliated fund, the Fund may be prohibited from purchasing shares of that underlying fund or ETF.
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Allocation Risk — The Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective depends upon BlackRock’s skill in determining the Fund’s strategic asset class allocation and in selecting the best mix of underlying funds and/or ETFs and direct investments. There is a risk that BlackRock’s evaluations and assumptions regarding asset classes or underlying funds and/or ETFs may be incorrect in view of actual market conditions. In addition, there is no guarantee that the underlying funds and/or ETFs will achieve their investment objectives, and the underlying funds’ and/or ETFs’ performance may be lower than the performance of the asset class which they were selected to represent. The underlying funds and/or ETFs may change their investment objectives or policies without the approval of the Fund. If an underlying fund or ETF were to change its investment objective or policies, the Fund might be forced to withdraw its investment from the underlying fund or ETF at a disadvantageous time and price.
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Asset Class Risk — The securities or other assets in an underlying fund’s underlying index or in the Fund’s portfolio may underperform in comparison to other securities or indexes that track other countries, groups of countries, regions, industries, groups of industries, markets, asset classes or sectors. Various types of securities, currencies and indexes or assets may experience cycles of outperformance and underperformance in comparison to the general financial markets depending upon a number of factors including, among other things, inflation, interest rates, productivity, global demand for local products or resources, and regulation and governmental controls. This may cause the Fund to underperform other investment vehicles that invest in different asset classes.
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Calculation Methodology Risk — An underlying fund’s underlying index relies on various sources of information to assess the criteria of issuers included in the underlying fund’s underlying index (or its parent index), including information that may be based on assumptions and estimates. Neither the Fund nor BlackRock can offer assurances that an underlying fund’s underlying index calculation methodology or sources of information will provide an accurate assessment of included issuers.
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Collateralized Debt Obligations Risk — In addition to the typical risks associated with fixed-income securities and asset-backed securities, CDOs, including CLOs, carry additional risks including, but not limited to: (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the risk that the collateral may default or decline in value or be downgraded, if rated by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization; (iii) the Fund may invest in tranches of CDOs that are subordinate to other tranches; (iv) the structure and complexity of the transaction and the legal documents could lead to disputes among investors regarding the characterization of proceeds; (v) the investment return achieved by the Fund could be significantly different than
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those predicted by financial models; (vi) the lack of a readily available secondary market for CDOs; (vii) the risk of forced “fire sale” liquidation due to technical defaults such as coverage test failures; and (viii) the CDO’s manager may perform poorly.
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Concentration Risk — To the extent that the Fund’s portfolio reflects concentration in the securities of issuers in a particular region, market, industry, group of industries, country, group of countries, sector or asset class, the Fund may be adversely affected by the performance of those securities, may be subject to increased price volatility and may be more susceptible to adverse economic, market, political or regulatory occurrences affecting that region, market, industry, group of industries, country, group of countries, sector or asset class.
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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, principal or dividends when due, and their market value may change based on changes in the issuer’s credit rating or the market’s perception of the issuer’s 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, including the potential for increased volatility in the price of the convertible security.
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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 Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”), 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. However, because the trading market for certain corporate loans may be less developed than the secondary market for bonds and notes, the Fund may experience difficulties in selling its corporate loans. 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 Fund’s 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. Leading financial institutions often act as agent for a broader group of lenders, generally referred to as a syndicate. The syndicate’s agent arranges the corporate loans, holds collateral and accepts payments of principal and interest. If the agent develops financial problems, the Fund may not recover its investment or recovery may be delayed. By investing in a corporate loan, the Fund may become a member of the syndicate.
The market for corporate loans may be subject to irregular trading activity and wide bid/ask spreads.
The corporate loans in which the Fund invests are subject to the risk of loss of principal and income. Although borrowers frequently provide collateral to secure repayment of these obligations they do not always do so. If they do provide collateral, the value of the collateral may not completely cover the borrower’s obligations at the time of a default. If a borrower files for protection from its creditors under the U.S. bankruptcy laws, these laws may limit the Fund’s rights to its collateral. In addition, the value of collateral may erode during a bankruptcy case. In the event of a bankruptcy, the holder of a corporate loan may not recover its principal, may experience a long delay in recovering its investment and may not receive interest during the delay.
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Counterparty Risk — The counterparty to an over-the-counter derivatives contract or a borrower of the Fund’s securities may be unable or unwilling to make timely principal, interest or settlement payments, or otherwise to honor its obligations. Any such failure to honor its obligations may cause significant losses to the Fund.
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Covered Call Risk — The Fund intends to invest in covered call options and structured notes that provide exposure to covered call options. Covered call risk is the risk that the issuer of the call option will forgo any profit from increases in the market value of the underlying security covering the call option above the sum of the premium and the strike price of the call but retain the risk of loss if the underlying security declines in value. The Fund will have no control over the exercise of the option by the option holder and may lose the benefit from any capital appreciation on the underlying security. A number of factors may influence the option holder’s decision to exercise the option, including the value of the underlying security, price volatility, dividend yield and interest rates. To the extent that these factors increase the value of the call option, the option holder is more likely to exercise the option, which may negatively affect the Fund.
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Debt Securities Risk — Debt securities, such as bonds, involve risks, such as credit risk, interest rate risk, extension risk, and prepayment risk, each of which are described in further detail below:
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 issuer’s credit rating or the market’s perception of an issuer’s creditworthiness may also affect the value of the Fund’s investment in that issuer. The degree of credit risk depends on both the financial condition of the issuer and the terms of the obligation.
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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 during a 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 Fund’s 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 Fund’s investments will not affect interest income derived from instruments already owned by the Fund, but will be reflected in the Fund’s 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 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.
The Federal Reserve raised and maintained higher interest rates as part of its efforts to address rising inflation. In September 2024, the Federal Reserve lowered the federal funds rate and may announce additional rate cuts in the near future. Changing interest rates may have unpredictable effects on markets, may result in heightened market volatility, and could negatively impact the Fund’s performance. 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 mutual 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 Fund’s performance.
During periods of very low or negative interest rates, the Fund may be unable to maintain positive returns. Certain countries have recently experienced negative interest rates on certain fixed-income instruments. Very low or negative interest rates may magnify interest rate risk. Changing interest rates, including rates that fall below zero, may have unpredictable effects on markets, may result in heightened market volatility and may detract from Fund performance to the extent the Fund is exposed to such interest rates.
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. Rising interest rates tend to extend the duration of securities, making them more sensitive to changes in interest rates. The value of longer-term securities generally changes more in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term securities. As a result, in a period of rising interest rates, securities may exhibit additional volatility and may lose value.
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. In periods of falling interest rates, the rate of prepayments tends to increase (as does price fluctuation) as borrowers are motivated to pay off debt and refinance at new lower rates. During such periods, reinvestment of the prepayment proceeds by the management team will generally be at lower rates of return than the return on the assets that were prepaid. Prepayment reduces the yield to maturity and the average life of the security.
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Deflation Risk — Deflation risk is the possibility that prices throughout the economy decline over time — the opposite of inflation. If inflation is negative, the principal and income of an inflation-protected bond will decline and could result in losses for the Fund.
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Derivatives Risk — The Fund’s use of derivatives may increase its costs, reduce the Fund’s returns and/or increase volatility. Derivatives involve significant risks, including:
Leverage Risk — The Fund’s use of derivatives can magnify the Fund’s 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.
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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 Fund’s 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.
Volatility and Correlation Risk — The Fund’s use of derivatives may reduce the Fund’s returns and/or increase volatility. 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 Fund’s 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. Derivatives may also expose the Fund to greater risk and increase its costs. Certain transactions in derivatives involve substantial leverage risk and may expose the Fund to potential losses that exceed the amount originally invested by the Fund.
Hedging Risk — When a derivative is used as a hedge against a position that the Fund holds, any loss generated by the derivative generally should be substantially offset by gains on the hedged investment, and vice versa. While hedging can reduce or eliminate losses, it can also reduce or eliminate gains. Hedges are sometimes subject to imperfect matching between the derivative and the underlying security, and there can be no assurance that the Fund’s hedging transactions will be effective. The use of hedging may result in certain adverse tax consequences noted below.
Tax Risk — The federal income tax treatment of a derivative may not be as favorable as a direct investment in an underlying asset and may adversely affect the timing, character and amount of income the Fund realizes from its investments. As a result, a larger portion of the Fund’s distributions may be treated as ordinary income rather than capital gains. In addition, certain derivatives are subject to mark-to-market or straddle provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”). If such provisions are applicable, there could be an increase (or decrease) in the amount of taxable dividends paid by the Fund. In addition, the tax treatment of certain derivatives, such as swaps, is unsettled and may be subject to future legislation, regulation or administrative pronouncements issued by the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”).
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.
Future regulatory developments may impact the Fund’s ability to invest or remain invested in certain derivatives. Legislation or regulation may also change the way in which the Fund itself is regulated. BlackRock cannot predict the effects of any new governmental regulation that may be implemented on the ability of the Fund to use swaps or
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any other financial derivative product, and there can be no assurance that any new governmental regulation will not adversely affect the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective.
Risks Specific to Certain Derivatives Used by the Fund
Swaps — Swap agreements, including total return swaps that may be referred to as contracts for difference, are two-party contracts entered into for periods ranging from a few days to more than one year. In a standard “swap” transaction, two parties agree to exchange the value(s) or cash flow(s) of one asset for another over a certain period of time. Swap agreements involve the risk that the party with whom the Fund has entered into the swap will default on its obligation to pay the Fund and the risk that the Fund will not be able to meet its obligations to pay the other party to the agreement. Swap agreements may also involve the risk that there is an imperfect correlation between the return on the Fund’s obligation to its counterparty and the return on the referenced asset. In addition, swap agreements are subject to market and illiquidity risk, leverage risk and hedging risk.
Credit Default Swaps — Credit default swaps may have as reference obligations one or more securities that are not currently held by the Fund. The protection “buyer” may be obligated to pay the protection “seller” an up-front payment or a periodic stream of payments over the term of the contract, provided generally that no credit event on a reference obligation has occurred. Credit default swaps involve special risks in addition to those mentioned above because they are difficult to value, are highly susceptible to illiquid investments risk and credit risk, and generally pay a return to the party that has paid the premium only in the event of an actual default by the issuer of the underlying obligation (as opposed to a credit downgrade or other indication of financial difficulty).
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts — Forward foreign currency exchange transactions are OTC contracts to purchase or sell a specified amount of a specified currency or multinational currency unit at a price and future date set at the time of the contract. Forward foreign currency exchange contracts do not eliminate fluctuations in the value of non-U.S. securities but rather allow the Fund to establish a fixed rate of exchange for a future point in time. This strategy can have the effect of reducing returns and minimizing opportunities for gain.
Futures — Futures are standardized, exchange-traded contracts that obligate a purchaser to take delivery, and a seller to make delivery, of a specific amount of an asset at a specified future date at a specified price. The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts and options are: (a) the imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the instruments held by the Fund and the price of the futures contract or option; (b) the possible lack of a liquid secondary market for a futures contract and the resulting inability to close a futures contract when desired; (c) losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which are potentially unlimited; (d) the investment adviser’s inability to predict correctly the direction of securities prices, interest rates, currency exchange rates and other economic factors; and (e) the possibility that the counterparty will default in the performance of its obligations.
Options — An option is an agreement that, for a premium payment or fee, gives the option holder (the purchaser) the right but not the obligation to buy (a “call option”) or sell (a “put option”) the underlying asset (or settle for cash in an amount based on an underlying asset, rate, or index) at a specified price (the “exercise price”) during a period of time or on a specified date. Investments in options are considered speculative. When the Fund purchases an option, it may lose the total premium paid for it if the price of the underlying security or other assets decreased, remained the same or failed to increase to a level at or beyond the exercise price (in the case of a call option) or increased, remained the same or failed to decrease to a level at or below the exercise price (in the case of a put option). If a put or call option purchased by the Fund were permitted to expire without being sold or exercised, its premium would represent a loss to the Fund. To the extent that the Fund writes or sells an option, if the decline or increase in the underlying asset is significantly below or above the exercise price of the written option, the Fund could experience a substantial loss.
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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.
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Dividend Risk — Because certain of the corporate loans held by the Fund will have floating or variable interest rates, the amounts of the Fund’s monthly distributions to its stockholders are expected to vary with fluctuations in market interest rates. Generally, when market interest rates fall, the amount of the distributions to stockholders will likewise decrease.
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Dividend-Paying Stock Risk — Investing in dividend-paying stocks involves the risk that such stocks may fall out of favor with investors and underperform the broader market. Companies that issue dividend-paying stocks are not required to pay or continue paying dividends on such stocks. It is possible that issuers of the stocks held by the Fund will not declare dividends in the future or will reduce or eliminate the payment of dividends (including reducing or eliminating anticipated accelerations or increases in the payment of dividends) in the future.
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Dollar Rolls Risk — A dollar roll transaction involves a sale by the Fund of a mortgage-backed, U.S. Treasury or other security (as permitted by the Fund’s investment strategies) concurrently with an agreement by the Fund to repurchase a similar security at a later date at an agreed-upon price. The market value of the securities the Fund is required to purchase may decline below the agreed upon repurchase price of those securities. If the broker/dealer to whom the Fund sells securities becomes insolvent, the Fund’s right to purchase or repurchase securities may be restricted. Successful use of dollar rolls may depend upon the adviser’s ability to correctly predict interest rates and prepayments, depending on the underlying security. There is no assurance that dollar rolls can be successfully employed.
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Emerging Markets Risk — The risks of foreign investments are usually much greater for emerging markets. Investments in emerging markets may be considered speculative. Emerging markets may include those in countries considered emerging or developing by the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation or the United Nations. Emerging markets are riskier than more developed markets because they tend to develop unevenly and may never fully develop. They are more likely to experience hyperinflation and currency devaluations, which adversely affect returns to U.S. investors. In addition, many emerging markets have far lower trading volumes and less liquidity than developed markets. Since these markets are often small, they may be more likely to suffer sharp and frequent price changes or long-term price depression because of adverse publicity, investor perceptions or the actions of a few large investors. In addition, traditional measures of investment value used in the United States, such as price to earnings ratios, may not apply to certain small markets. Also, there may be less publicly available information about issuers in emerging markets than would be available about issuers in more developed capital markets, and such issuers may not be subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and requirements comparable to those to which U.S. companies are subject.
Many emerging markets have histories of political instability and abrupt changes in policies. As a result, their governments are more likely to take actions that are hostile or detrimental to private enterprise or foreign investment than those of more developed countries, including expropriation of assets, confiscatory taxation, high rates of inflation or unfavorable diplomatic developments. In the past, governments of such nations have expropriated substantial amounts of private property, and most claims of the property owners have never been fully settled. There is no assurance that such expropriations will not reoccur. In such an event, it is possible that the Fund could lose the entire value of its investments in the affected market. Some countries have pervasive corruption and crime that may hinder investments. Certain emerging markets may also face other significant internal or external risks, including the risk of war, and ethnic, religious and racial conflicts. In addition, governments in many emerging market countries participate to a significant degree in their economies and securities markets, which may impair investment and economic growth. National policies that may limit the Fund’s investment opportunities include restrictions on investment in issuers or industries deemed sensitive to national interests.
Emerging markets may also have differing legal systems and the existence or possible imposition of exchange controls, custodial restrictions or other foreign or U.S. governmental laws or restrictions applicable to such investments. Sometimes, they may lack or be in the relatively early development of legal structures governing private and foreign investments and private property. Many emerging markets do not have income tax treaties with the United States, and as a result, investments by the Fund may be subject to higher withholding taxes in such countries. In addition, some countries with emerging markets may impose differential capital gains taxes on foreign investors. Foreign 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 may significantly decrease the liquidity and value of the securities.
Practices in relation to settlement of securities transactions in emerging markets involve higher risks than those in developed markets, in part because the Fund will need to use brokers and counterparties that are less well capitalized, and custody and registration of assets in some countries may be unreliable. The possibility of fraud, negligence, undue influence being exerted by the issuer or refusal to recognize ownership exists in some emerging markets, and, along with other factors, could result in ownership registration being completely lost. The Fund would absorb any loss resulting from such registration problems and may have no successful claim for compensation. In addition, communications between the United States and emerging market countries may be unreliable, increasing the risk of delayed settlements or losses of security certificates.
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Equity Securities Risk — Common and preferred stocks represent equity ownership in a company. Stock markets are volatile. The price of equity securities will fluctuate and can decline and reduce the value of a portfolio investing in equities. The value of equity securities purchased by the Fund could decline if the financial condition of the companies the Fund invests in declines or if overall market and economic conditions deteriorate. The value of equity securities may also decline due to factors that affect a particular industry or industries, such as labor shortages or an increase in production costs and competitive conditions within an industry. In addition, the value may decline due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to a company or industry, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in inflation, interest or currency rates or generally adverse investor sentiment.
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Event Risk — Event risk is the risk that corporate issuers may undergo restructurings, such as mergers, leveraged buyouts, takeovers, or similar events financed by increased debt. As a result of the added debt, the credit quality and market value of a company’s bonds and/or other debt securities may decline significantly.
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Foreign Securities Risk — Securities traded in foreign markets have often (though not always) performed differently from securities traded in the United States. However, such investments often involve special risks not present in U.S. investments that can increase the chances that the Fund will lose money. In particular, the Fund is subject to the risk that because there may be fewer investors on foreign exchanges and a smaller number of securities traded each day, it may be more difficult for the Fund to buy and sell securities on those exchanges. In addition, prices of foreign securities may go up and down more than prices of securities traded in the United States.
Certain Risks of Holding Fund Assets Outside the United States — The Fund generally holds its foreign securities and cash in foreign banks and securities depositories. Some foreign banks and securities depositories may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. In addition, there may be limited or no regulatory oversight of their operations. Also, the laws of certain countries limit the Fund’s ability to recover its assets if a foreign bank, depository or issuer of a security, or any of their agents, goes bankrupt. In addition, it is often more expensive for the Fund to buy, sell and hold securities in certain foreign markets than in the United States. The increased expense of investing in foreign markets reduces the amount the Fund can earn on its investments and typically results in a higher operating expense ratio for the Fund than for investment companies invested only in the United States.
Currency Risk — Securities and other instruments in which the Fund invests may be denominated or quoted in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. For this reason, changes in foreign currency exchange rates can affect the value of the Fund’s portfolio.
Generally, when the U.S. dollar rises in value against a foreign currency, a security denominated in that currency loses value because the currency is worth fewer U.S. dollars. Conversely, when the U.S. dollar decreases in value against a foreign currency, a security denominated in that currency gains value because the currency is worth more U.S. dollars. This risk, generally known as “currency risk,” means that a strong U.S. dollar will reduce returns for U.S. investors while a weak U.S. dollar will increase those returns.
Should the Fund invest in a debt security denominated in U.S. dollars and issued by an issuer whose functional currency is a currency other than the U.S. dollar, and such currency decreases in value against the U.S. dollar, such issuer’s ability to repay its obligation under the U.S. dollar-denominated security may be negatively impacted.
Foreign Economy Risk — 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. Certain foreign economies may rely heavily on particular industries or foreign capital and are more vulnerable to diplomatic developments, the imposition of economic sanctions against a particular country or countries, changes in international trading patterns, trade barriers and other protectionist or retaliatory measures. Investments in foreign markets may also be adversely affected by governmental actions such as the imposition of capital controls, nationalization of companies or industries, expropriation of assets or the imposition of punitive taxes. In addition, economic conditions, such as volatile currency exchange rates and interest rates, political events, military action and other conditions may, without prior warning, lead to the governments of certain countries, or the U.S. Government with respect to certain countries, prohibiting or imposing substantial restrictions through capital controls and/or sanctions on foreign investments in the capital markets or certain industries in those countries. Capital controls and/or sanctions may include the prohibition of, or restrictions on, the ability to own or transfer currency, securities, derivatives or other assets and may also include retaliatory actions of one government against another government, such as seizure of assets. Any of these actions could severely impair the Fund’s ability to purchase, sell, transfer, receive, deliver or otherwise obtain exposure to foreign securities and assets, including the ability to transfer the Fund’s assets or income back into the United States, and could negatively impact the value and/or liquidity of such assets or otherwise adversely affect the Fund’s operations, causing the Fund to decline in value.
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Other potential foreign market risks include foreign exchange controls, difficulties in pricing securities, defaults on foreign government securities, difficulties in enforcing legal judgments in foreign courts and political and social instability. Diplomatic and political developments, including rapid and adverse political changes, social instability, regional conflicts, terrorism and war, could affect the economies, industries and securities and currency markets, and the value of the Fund’s investments, in non-U.S. countries. These factors are extremely difficult, if not impossible, to predict and take into account with respect to the Fund’s investments.
Governmental Supervision and Regulation/Accounting Standards — Many foreign governments do not supervise and regulate stock exchanges, brokers and the sale of securities to the same extent as such regulations exist in the United States. They also may not have laws to protect investors that are comparable to U.S. securities laws. For example, some foreign countries may have no laws or rules against insider trading. Insider trading occurs when a person buys or sells a company’s securities based on material non-public information about that company. In addition, some countries may have legal systems that may make it difficult for the Fund to vote proxies, exercise shareholder rights, and pursue legal remedies with respect to its foreign investments. Accounting standards in other countries are not necessarily the same as in the United States. If the accounting standards in another country do not require as much detail as U.S. accounting standards, it may be harder for Fund management to completely and accurately determine a company’s financial condition.
Settlement Risk — Settlement and clearance procedures in certain foreign markets differ significantly from those in the United States. Foreign settlement and clearance procedures and trade regulations also may involve certain risks (such as delays in payment for or delivery of securities) not typically associated with the settlement of U.S. investments.
At times, settlements in certain foreign countries have not kept pace with the number of securities transactions. These problems may make it difficult for the Fund to carry out transactions. If the Fund cannot settle or is delayed in settling a purchase of securities, it may miss attractive investment opportunities and certain of its assets may be uninvested with no return earned thereon for some period. If the Fund cannot settle or is delayed in settling a sale of securities, it may lose money if the value of the security then declines or, if it has contracted to sell the security to another party, the Fund could be liable for any losses incurred.
Withholding Tax Reclaims Risk — The Fund may file claims to recover foreign withholding taxes on dividend and interest income (if any) received from issuers in certain countries and capital gains on the disposition of stocks or securities where such withholding tax reclaim is possible. Whether or when the Fund will receive a withholding tax refund is within the control of the tax authorities in such countries. Where the Fund expects to recover withholding taxes, the net asset value of the Fund generally includes accruals for such tax refunds. The Fund regularly evaluates the probability of recovery. If the likelihood of recovery materially decreases, due to, for example, a change in tax regulation or approach in the foreign country, accruals in the Fund’s net asset value for such refunds may be written down partially or in full, which will adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value. Shareholders in the Fund at the time an accrual is written down will bear the impact of the resulting reduction in net asset value regardless of whether they were shareholders during the accrual period. Conversely, if the Fund receives a tax refund that has not been previously accrued, shareholders in the Fund at the time of the successful recovery will benefit from the resulting increase in the Fund’s net asset value. Shareholders who sold their shares prior to such time will not benefit from such increase in the Fund’s net asset value.
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Geographic Risk — Some of the companies in which the Fund invests are located in parts of the world that have historically been prone to natural disasters, such as earthquakes, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, droughts, floods, hurricanes or tsunamis, and are economically sensitive to environmental events. Any such event may adversely impact the economies of these geographic areas or business operations of companies in these geographic areas, causing an adverse impact on the value of the Fund.
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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. In addition, investment in mortgage dollar rolls and participation in to-be-announced (“TBA”) transactions may significantly increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. A TBA transaction is a method of trading mortgage-backed securities where the buyer and seller agree upon general trade parameters such as agency, settlement date, par amount, and price at the time the contract is entered into but the mortgage-backed securities are delivered in the future, generally 30 days later.
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High Yield 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. The major risks of junk bond investments include:
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Junk bonds may be issued by less creditworthy issuers. Issuers of junk bonds may have a larger amount of outstanding debt relative to their assets than issuers of investment grade bonds. In the event of an issuer’s bankruptcy, claims of other creditors may have priority over the claims of junk bond holders, leaving few or no assets available to repay junk bond holders.
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Prices of junk bonds are subject to extreme price fluctuations. Adverse changes in an issuer’s industry and general economic conditions may have a greater impact on the prices of junk bonds than on other higher rated fixed-income securities.
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Issuers of junk bonds may be unable to meet their interest or principal payment obligations because of an economic downturn, specific issuer developments, or the unavailability of additional financing.
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Junk bonds frequently have redemption features that permit an issuer to repurchase the security from the Fund before it matures. If the issuer redeems junk bonds, the Fund may have to invest the proceeds in bonds with lower yields and may lose income.
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Junk bonds may be less liquid than higher rated fixed-income securities, even under normal economic conditions. There are fewer dealers in the junk bond market, and there may be significant differences in the prices quoted for junk bonds by the dealers. Because they are less liquid than higher rated fixed-income securities, judgment may play a greater role in valuing junk bonds than is the case with securities trading in a more liquid market.
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The Fund may incur expenses to the extent necessary to seek recovery upon default or to negotiate new terms with a defaulting issuer.
The credit rating of a high yield security does not necessarily address its market value risk. Ratings and market value may change from time to time, positively or negatively, to reflect new developments regarding the issuer.
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Illiquid Investments Risk — The Fund may not acquire any illiquid investment if, immediately after the acquisition, the Fund would have invested more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments. An illiquid investment is any investment that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. Liquid investments may become illiquid after purchase by the Fund, particularly during periods of market turmoil. There can be no assurance that a security or instrument that is deemed to be liquid when purchased will continue to be liquid for as long as it is held by the Fund, and any security or instrument held by the Fund may be deemed an illiquid investment pursuant to the Fund’s liquidity risk management program. The Fund’s illiquid investments may reduce the returns of the Fund because it may be difficult to sell the illiquid investments at an advantageous time or price. In addition, if the Fund is limited in its ability to sell illiquid investments during periods when shareholders are redeeming their shares, the Fund will need to sell liquid securities to meet redemption requests and illiquid securities will become a larger portion of the Fund’s holdings. An investment may be illiquid due to, among other things, the reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants to make a market in fixed-income securities or the lack of an active trading market. To the extent that the Fund’s principal investment strategies involve derivatives or securities with substantial market and/or credit risk, the Fund will tend to have the greatest exposure to the risks associated with illiquid investments. Illiquid investments may be harder to value, especially in changing markets, and if the Fund is forced to sell these investments to meet redemption requests or for other cash needs, the Fund may suffer a loss. This may be magnified in a rising interest rate environment or other circumstances where investor redemptions from fixed-income mutual funds may be higher than normal. In addition, when there is illiquidity in the market for certain securities, the Fund, due to limitations on illiquid investments, may be subject to purchase and sale restrictions.
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Income Producing Stock Availability Risk — Depending upon market conditions, income producing common stock that meets the Fund’s investment criteria may not be widely available and/or may be highly concentrated in only a few market sectors. This may limit the ability of the Fund to produce current income while remaining fully diversified.
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Income Risk — The Fund’s yield will vary as the short-term securities in its portfolio mature and the proceeds are reinvested in securities with different interest rates.
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Index-Related Risk — The Fund seeks to achieve a return that corresponds generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the underlying index as published by the index provider. There is no assurance that the index provider or any agents that may act on its behalf will compile the underlying index accurately, or that the underlying index will be determined, composed or calculated accurately. While the index provider provides descriptions of what the underlying index is designed to achieve, neither the index provider nor its agents provide any warranty or accept any liability in relation to the quality, accuracy or completeness of the underlying index or its related data, and they do not guarantee that the underlying index will be in line with the index provider’s methodology. BlackRock’s mandate as described in this prospectus is to manage the Fund consistently with the underlying index provided by the index provider to BlackRock. BlackRock does not provide any warranty or guarantee against the index provider’s or any agent’s errors. Errors in respect of the quality, accuracy and
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completeness of the data used to compile the underlying index may occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected by the index provider for a period of time or at all, particularly where the indices are less commonly used as benchmarks by funds or managers. Such errors may negatively or positively impact the Fund and its shareholders. For example, during a period where the underlying index contains incorrect constituents, the Fund would have market exposure to such constituents and would be underexposed to the underlying index’s other constituents. Shareholders should understand that any gains from index provider errors will be kept by the Fund and its shareholders and any losses or costs resulting from index provider errors will be borne by 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 to the underlying index. This could cause the underlying index to vary from its normal or expected composition. The postponement of a scheduled rebalance could mean that constituents that would otherwise be removed at rebalance due to changes in market capitalizations, issuer credit ratings, or other reasons may remain, causing the performance and constituents of the underlying index to vary from those expected under normal conditions. Apart from scheduled rebalances, the Index Provider or its agents may carry out additional ad hoc rebalances to the underlying index due to reaching certain weighting constraints, unusual market conditions or in order, for example, to correct an error in the selection of index constituents. When the underlying index is rebalanced and the Fund in turn rebalances its portfolio to attempt to increase the correlation between the Fund’s portfolio and the underlying index, any transaction costs and market exposure arising from such portfolio rebalancing will be borne directly by the Fund and its shareholders. Therefore, errors and additional ad hoc rebalances carried out by the index provider or its agents to the underlying index may increase the costs to and the tracking error risk of the Fund.
An index fund has operating and other expenses while an index does not. As a result, while the Fund will attempt to track the underlying index as closely as possible, it will tend to underperform the underlying index to some degree over time. If an index fund is properly correlated to its stated index, the fund will perform poorly when the index performs poorly.
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Indexed and Inverse Securities Risk — Indexed and inverse securities provide a potential return based on a particular index of value or interest rates. The Fund’s 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 Fund’s investment in such instruments may decline significantly in value if interest rates or index levels move in a way Fund management does not anticipate.
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Inflation-Indexed Bonds Risk — The principal value of an investment is not protected or otherwise guaranteed by virtue of the Fund’s investments in inflation-indexed bonds.
Inflation-indexed bonds are fixed-income securities whose principal value is periodically adjusted according to the rate of inflation. If the index measuring inflation falls, the principal value of inflation-indexed bonds will be adjusted downward, and consequently the interest payable on these securities (calculated with respect to a smaller principal amount) will be reduced.
Repayment of the original bond principal upon maturity (as adjusted for inflation) is guaranteed in the case of U.S. Treasury inflation-indexed bonds. For bonds that do not provide a similar guarantee, the adjusted principal value of the bond repaid at maturity may be less than the original principal value.
The value of inflation-indexed bonds is expected to change in response to changes in real interest rates. Real interest rates are tied to the relationship between nominal interest rates and the rate of inflation. If nominal interest rates increase at a faster rate than inflation, real interest rates may rise, leading to a decrease in value of inflation-indexed bonds. Short-term increases in inflation may lead to a decline in value. Any increase in the principal amount of an inflation-indexed bond will be considered taxable ordinary income, even though investors do not receive their principal until maturity.
Periodic adjustments for inflation to the principal amount of an inflation-indexed bond may give rise to original issue discount, which will be includable in the Fund’s gross income. Due to original issue discount, the Fund may be required to make annual distributions to shareholders that exceed the cash received, which may cause the Fund to liquidate certain investments when it is not advantageous to do so. Also, if the principal value of an inflation-indexed bond is adjusted downward due to deflation, amounts previously distributed in the taxable year may be characterized in some circumstances as a return of capital.
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Investment in Other Investment Companies Risk — As with other investments, investments in other investment companies, including the underlying funds and/or ETFs, are subject to market and selection risk. In addition, if the Fund acquires shares of investment companies, including ones affiliated with the Fund, which may include
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underlying funds and ETFs advised by BlackRock or other investment advisers, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of expenses in the Fund (including management and advisory fees) and, indirectly, the expenses of the investment companies (to the extent not offset by BlackRock through waivers). To the extent the Fund is held by an affiliated fund, the ability of the Fund itself to hold other investment companies may be limited.
Investing in an ETF will give the Fund exposure to the securities comprising the index on which the ETF is based. Shares of ETFs are traded on an exchange throughout a trading day, and bought and sold based on market values and not at the ETF’s net asset value. For this reason shares of an ETF could trade at either a premium or discount to its net asset value. However, the trading prices of index-based ETFs tend to closely track the actual net asset value of the ETF. The Fund will pay brokerage commissions in connection with the purchase and sale of shares of ETFs, in addition to a spread (i.e., the difference between what professional investors are willing to pay for ETF shares (the “bid” price) and the price at which they are willing to sell ETF shares (the “ask” price)).
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Investment Style Risk — Under certain market conditions, growth investments have performed better during the later stages of economic expansion and value investments have performed better during periods of economic recovery. Therefore, these investment styles may over time go in and out of favor. At times when the investment style used by the Fund is out of favor, the Fund may underperform other funds that use different investment styles.
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Issuer Risk — The performance of the Fund depends on the performance of individual securities to which the Fund has exposure. Any issuer of these securities may perform poorly, causing the value of its securities to decline. Poor performance may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, changes in technology, expiration of patent protection, disruptions in supply, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, credit deterioration of the issuer or other factors. Issuers may, in times of distress or at their own discretion, decide to reduce or eliminate dividends, which may also cause their stock prices to decline.
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Large-Capitalization Companies Risk — Large-capitalization companies may be less able than smaller capitalization companies to adapt to changing market conditions. Large-capitalization companies may be more mature and subject to more limited growth potential compared with smaller capitalization companies. During different market cycles, the performance of large-capitalization companies has trailed the overall performance of the broader securities markets.
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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. As an open-end investment company registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), the Fund is subject to the federal securities laws, including the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”) and the rules thereunder. Under Rule 18f-4 under the Investment Company Act, among other things, the Fund must either use derivatives in a limited manner or comply with an outer limit on fund leverage risk based on value-at-risk. 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 and the rules thereunder. Increases and decreases in the value of the Fund’s portfolio will be magnified when the Fund uses leverage.
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Loans Risk — There is no minimum rating or other independent evaluation of a borrower or its securities limiting the Fund’s investments, and BlackRock relies primarily on its own evaluation of a borrower’s credit quality rather than on any available independent sources. As a result, the Fund is particularly dependent on the analytical abilities of BlackRock.
An economic downturn generally leads to a higher non-payment rate, and a loan may lose significant value before a default occurs. Moreover, any specific collateral used to secure a loan may decline in value or become illiquid, which would adversely affect the loan’s value.
No active trading market may exist for certain loans, which may impair the ability of the Fund to realize full value in the event of the need to sell a loan and which may make it difficult to value loans. Adverse market conditions may impair the liquidity of some actively traded loans. To the extent that a secondary market does exist for certain loans, the market may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods.
Although loans in which the Fund will invest generally will be secured by specific collateral, there can be no assurance that liquidation of such collateral would satisfy the borrower’s obligation in the event of non-payment of scheduled interest or principal or that such collateral could be readily liquidated. In the event of the bankruptcy of a borrower, the Fund could experience delays or limitations with respect to its ability to realize the benefits of the collateral securing a loan. If the terms of a loan do not require the borrower to pledge additional collateral in the event of a decline in the value of the already pledged collateral, the Fund will be exposed to the risk that the value of the collateral will not at all times equal or exceed the amount of the borrower’s obligations under the loans. To the extent that a loan is collateralized by stock in the borrower or its subsidiaries, such stock may lose all of its
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value in the event of the bankruptcy of the borrower. Uncollateralized loans involve a greater risk of loss. Some loans are subject to the risk that a court, pursuant to fraudulent conveyance or other similar laws, could subordinate the loans to presently existing or future indebtedness of the borrower or take other action detrimental to lenders, including the Fund. Such court action could under certain circumstances include invalidation of loans.
If a loan is acquired through an assignment, the Fund may not be able to unilaterally enforce all rights and remedies under the loan and with regard to any associated collateral. If a loan is acquired through a participation, the Fund generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement against the borrower, and the Fund may not directly benefit from the collateral supporting the debt obligation in which it has purchased the participation. As a result, the Fund will be exposed to the credit risk of both the borrower and the institution selling the participation.
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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.
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Master Limited Partnerships Risk — The common units of an MLP are listed and traded on U.S. securities exchanges and their value fluctuates predominantly based on prevailing market conditions and the success of the MLP. Unlike owners of common stock of a corporation, owners of common units have limited voting rights and have no ability to annually elect directors. In the event of liquidation, common units have preference over subordinated units, but not over debt or preferred units, to the remaining assets of the MLP.
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Mezzanine Securities Risk — Mezzanine securities generally are rated below investment grade and frequently are unrated and present many of the same risks as senior loans, second lien loans and non-investment grade bonds. However, unlike senior loans and second lien loans, mezzanine securities are not a senior or secondary secured obligation of the related borrower. They typically are the most subordinated debt obligation in an issuer’s capital structure. Mezzanine securities also may often be unsecured. Mezzanine securities therefore are subject to the additional risk that the cash flow of the related borrower and the property securing the loan may be insufficient to repay the scheduled obligation after giving effect to any senior obligations of the related borrower. Mezzanine securities will be subject to certain additional risks to the extent that such loans may not be protected by financial covenants or limitations upon additional indebtedness. Investment in mezzanine securities is a highly specialized investment practice that depends more heavily on independent credit analysis than investments in other types of debt obligations.
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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.
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Mortgage- and Asset-Backed Securities Risks — Mortgage-backed securities (residential and commercial) and asset-backed securities represent interests in “pools” of mortgages or other assets, including consumer loans or receivables held in trust. Although asset-backed and commercial mortgage-backed securities (“CMBS”) generally experience less prepayment than residential mortgage-backed securities, mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities, like traditional fixed-income securities, are subject to credit, interest rate, prepayment and extension risks.
Small movements in interest rates (both increases and decreases) may quickly and significantly reduce the value of certain mortgage-backed securities. The Fund’s investments in asset-backed securities are subject to risks similar to those associated with mortgage-related securities, as well as additional risks associated with the nature of the assets and the servicing of those assets. These securities also are subject to the risk of default on the underlying mortgages or assets, particularly during periods of economic downturn. Certain CMBS are issued in several classes
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with different levels of yield and credit protection. The Fund’s investments in CMBS with several classes may be in the lower classes that have greater risks than the higher classes, including greater interest rate, credit and prepayment risks.
Mortgage-backed securities may be either pass-through securities or CMOs. Pass-through securities represent a right to receive principal and interest payments collected on a pool of mortgages, which are passed through to security holders. CMOs are created by dividing the principal and interest payments collected on a pool of mortgages into several revenue streams (“tranches”) with different priority rights to portions of the underlying mortgage payments. Certain CMO tranches may represent a right to receive interest only (“IOs”), principal only (“POs”) or an amount that remains after floating-rate tranches are paid (an “inverse floater”). These securities are frequently referred to as “mortgage derivatives” and may be extremely sensitive to changes in interest rates. Interest rates on inverse floaters, for example, vary inversely with a short-term floating rate (which may be reset periodically). Interest rates on inverse floaters will decrease when short-term rates increase, and will increase when short-term rates decrease. These securities have the effect of providing a degree of investment leverage. In response to changes in market interest rates or other market conditions, the value of an inverse floater may increase or decrease at a multiple of the increase or decrease in the value of the underlying securities. If the Fund invests in CMO tranches (including CMO tranches issued by government agencies) and interest rates move in a manner not anticipated by Fund management, it is possible that the Fund could lose all or substantially all of its investment. TBA commitments are forward agreements for the purchase or sale of securities, including mortgage backed securities for a fixed price, with payment and delivery on an agreed upon future settlement date. The specific securities to be delivered are not identified at the trade date. However, delivered securities must meet specified terms, including issuer, rate and mortgage terms Certain mortgage-backed securities in which the Fund may invest may also provide a degree of investment leverage, which could cause the Fund to lose all or substantially all of its investment.
The mortgage market in the United States has experienced difficulties that may adversely affect the performance and market value of certain of the Fund’s mortgage-related investments. Delinquencies and losses on mortgage loans (including subprime and second-lien mortgage loans) and a decline in or flattening of real estate values (in each case as has been experienced and may continue to be experienced in many housing markets) may exacerbate such delinquencies and losses. Also, a number of mortgage loan originators have experienced serious financial difficulties or bankruptcy. Reduced investor demand for mortgage loans and mortgage-related securities and increased investor yield requirements have caused limited liquidity in the secondary market for mortgage-related securities, which can adversely affect the market value of mortgage-related securities. It is possible that such limited liquidity in such secondary markets could continue or worsen.
Asset-backed securities entail certain risks not presented by mortgage-backed securities, including the risk that in certain states it may be difficult to perfect the liens securing the collateral backing certain asset-backed securities. In addition, certain asset-backed securities are based on loans that are unsecured, which means that there is no collateral to seize if the underlying borrower defaults.
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Municipal Securities Risks — Municipal securities risks include the ability of the issuer to repay the obligation, the relative lack of information about certain issuers of municipal securities, and the possibility of future legislative changes which could affect the market for and value of municipal securities. Budgetary constraints of local, state, and federal governments upon which the issuers may be relying for funding may also impact municipal securities. These risks include:
General Obligation Bonds Risks — The full faith, credit and taxing power of the municipality that issues a general obligation bond secures payment of interest and repayment of principal. Timely payments depend on the issuer’s credit quality, ability to raise tax revenues and ability to maintain an adequate tax base.
Revenue Bonds Risks — Payments of interest and principal on revenue bonds are made only from the revenues generated by a particular facility, class of facilities or the proceeds of a special tax or other revenue source. These payments depend on the money earned by the particular facility or class of facilities, or the amount of revenues derived from another source.
Private Activity Bonds Risks — Municipalities and other public authorities issue private activity bonds to finance development of industrial facilities for use by a private enterprise. The private enterprise pays the principal and interest on the bond, and the issuer does not pledge its full faith, credit and taxing power for repayment. If the private enterprise defaults on its payments, the Fund may not receive any income or get its money back from the investment.
Moral Obligation Bonds Risks — Moral obligation bonds are generally issued by special purpose public authorities of a state or municipality. If the issuer is unable to meet its obligations, repayment of these bonds becomes a moral commitment, but not a legal obligation, of the state or municipality.
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Municipal Notes Risks — Municipal notes are shorter term municipal debt obligations. They may provide interim financing in anticipation of, and are secured by, tax collection, bond sales or revenue receipts. If there is a shortfall in the anticipated proceeds, the notes may not be fully repaid and the Fund may lose money.
Municipal Lease Obligations Risks — In a municipal lease obligation, the issuer agrees to make payments when due on the lease obligation. The issuer will generally appropriate municipal funds for that purpose, but is not obligated to do so. Although the issuer does not pledge its unlimited taxing power for payment of the lease obligation, the lease obligation is secured by the leased property. However, if the issuer does not fulfill its payment obligation it may be difficult to sell the property and the proceeds of a sale may not cover the Fund’s loss.
Tax-Exempt Status Risk — In making investments, the Fund and its investment manager will rely on the opinion of issuers’ bond counsel and, in the case of derivative securities, sponsors’ counsel, on the tax-exempt status of interest on municipal obligations and payments under tax-exempt derivative securities. Neither the Fund nor its investment manager will independently review the bases for those tax opinions. If any of those tax opinions are ultimately determined to be incorrect or if events occur after the security is acquired that impact the security’s tax-exempt status, the Fund and its shareholders could be subject to substantial tax liabilities. The IRS has generally not ruled on the taxability of the securities. An assertion by the IRS that a portfolio security is not exempt from U.S. federal income tax (contrary to indications from the issuer) could affect the Fund’s and its shareholders’ income tax liability for the current or past years and could create liability for information reporting penalties. In addition, an IRS assertion of taxability may impair the liquidity and the fair market value of the securities.
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“New Issues” Risk — “New issues” are IPOs of equity securities. Investments in companies that have recently gone public have the potential to produce substantial gains for the Fund. However, there is no assurance that the Fund will have access to profitable IPOs and therefore investors should not rely on these past gains as an indication of future performance. The investment performance of the Fund during periods when it is unable to invest significantly or at all in IPOs may be lower than during periods when the Fund is able to do so. In addition, as the Fund increases in size, the impact of IPOs on the Fund’s performance will generally decrease. Securities issued in IPOs are subject to many of the same risks as investing in companies with smaller market capitalizations. Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods. In addition, the prices of securities sold in IPOs may be highly volatile or may decline shortly after the IPO. When an IPO is brought to the market, availability may be limited and the Fund may not be able to buy any shares at the offering price, or, if it is able to buy shares, it may not be able to buy as many shares at the offering price as it would like.
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Non-Agency Securities Risk — There are no direct or indirect government or agency guarantees of payments in mortgage pools created by non-government issuers. Non-agency securities are also not subject to the same underwriting requirements for the underlying mortgages that are applicable to those mortgage-related securities that have a government or government-sponsored entity guarantee. Non-agency securities with payments not guaranteed by a government agency generally involve greater credit risk than securities guaranteed by government agencies. In addition, a substantial portion of the non-agency securities in which the Fund invests may be rated below investment grade (commonly known as “junk bonds”).
Non-agency mortgage-related securities are not traded on an exchange and there may be a limited market for the securities, especially when there is a perceived weakness in the mortgage and real estate market sectors. Without an active trading market, the non-agency mortgage-related securities held in the Fund’s portfolio may be particularly difficult to value because of the complexities involved in assessing the value of the underlying mortgage loans.
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Non-U.S. Issuers Risk — The Fund may invest in U.S. dollar-denominated bonds of non-U.S. corporate issuers. Securities issued by non-U.S. issuers have different risks from securities issued by U.S. issuers. These risks include differences in accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, the possibility of expropriation or confiscatory taxation, adverse changes in investment or exchange control regulations, political instability which could affect U.S. investments in non-U.S. countries, uncertainties of transnational litigation, and potential restrictions on the flow of international capital, including the possible seizure or nationalization of the securities issued by non-U.S. issuers held by the Fund. Non-U.S. issuers may be subject to less governmental regulation than U.S. issuers. Moreover, individual non-U.S. economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross domestic product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payment positions. Unfavorable political, economic or governmental developments in non-U.S. countries could affect the payment of a security’s principal and interest. Securities issued by non-U.S. issuers may also be less liquid than, and more difficult to value than, securities of U.S. issuers. In addition, the value of these securities may fluctuate due to changes in the exchange rate of the issuer’s local currency against the U.S. dollar.
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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 company’s preferred securities generally pay dividends only after the company makes required payments to holders of its
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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 company’s financial condition or prospects. Preferred securities of smaller companies may be more vulnerable to adverse developments than preferred securities of larger companies.
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Privately-Issued Securities Risk — The Fund may invest in privately-issued securities, including those that are normally purchased pursuant to Rule 144A or Regulation S under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”). Privately-issued securities typically may be resold only to qualified institutional buyers, or in a privately negotiated transaction, or to a limited number of purchasers, or in limited quantities after they have been held for a specified period of time and other conditions are met for an exemption from registration. Because there may be relatively few potential purchasers for such securities, especially under adverse market or economic conditions or in the event of adverse changes in the financial condition of the issuer, the Fund may find it more difficult to sell such securities when it may be advisable to do so or it may be able to sell such securities only at prices lower than if such securities were more widely held and traded. At times, it also may be more difficult to determine the fair value of such securities for purposes of computing the Fund’s net asset value due to the absence of an active trading market. There can be no assurance that a privately-issued security that is deemed to be liquid when purchased will continue to be liquid for as long as it is held by the Fund, and its value may decline as a result.
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Privatization Risk — Some countries in which the Fund invests have privatized, or have begun the process of privatizing, certain entities and industries. Newly privatized companies may face strong competition from government-sponsored competitors that have not been privatized. In some instances, investors in newly privatized entities have suffered losses due to the inability of the newly privatized entities to adjust quickly to a competitive environment or changing regulatory and legal standards or, in some cases, due to re-nationalization of such privatized entities. There is no assurance that similar losses will not recur.
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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, changes in rent schedules, 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 Fund’s 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. In addition, certain issuers of real estate-related securities may have developed or commenced development on properties and may develop additional properties in the future. Real estate development involves significant risks in addition to those involved in the ownership and operation of established properties. Real estate securities may have limited diversification and are, therefore, subject to risks inherent in operating and financing a limited number of projects. Real estate securities are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency and defaults by borrowers or tenants.
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Reference Rate Replacement Risk — The Fund may be exposed to financial instruments that recently transitioned from, or continue to be tied to, the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) to determine payment obligations, financing terms, hedging strategies or investment value.
The United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”), which regulates LIBOR, has ceased publishing all LIBOR settings. In April 2023, however, the FCA announced that some USD LIBOR settings will continue to be published under a synthetic methodology until September 30, 2024 for certain legacy contracts. The Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) is a broad measure of the cost of borrowing cash overnight collateralized by U.S. Treasury securities in the repurchase agreement (“repo”) market and has been used increasingly on a voluntary basis in new instruments and transactions. Under U.S. regulations that implement a statutory fallback mechanism to replace LIBOR, benchmark rates based on SOFR have replaced LIBOR in certain financial contracts.
Neither the effect of the LIBOR transition process nor its ultimate success can yet be known. While some existing LIBOR-based instruments may contemplate a scenario where LIBOR is no longer available by providing for an alternative rate-setting methodology, there may be significant uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of any such alternative methodologies to replicate LIBOR. Not all existing LIBOR-based instruments may have alternative rate-setting provisions and there remains uncertainty regarding the willingness and ability of issuers to add alternative rate-setting provisions in certain existing instruments. Parties to contracts, securities or other instruments using LIBOR may disagree on transition rates or the application of transition regulation, potentially resulting in uncertainty of performance and the possibility of litigation. The Fund may have instruments linked to other interbank offered rates that may also cease to be published in the future.
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Reinvestment Risk — Proceeds from a current investment of the Fund, both interest payments and principal payments, may be reinvested in instruments that offer lower yields than the current investment due in part to market conditions and the interest rate environment at the time of reinvestment. Reinvestment risk is greater on short- to intermediate-term loans.
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REIT Investment Risk — In addition to the risks facing real estate-related securities, such as a decline in property values due to increasing vacancies, a decline in rents resulting from unanticipated economic, legal or technological developments or a decline in the price of securities of real estate companies due to a failure of borrowers to pay their loans or poor management, 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, which allows REITs to reduce their corporate taxable income for dividends paid to their shareholders. Ordinary REIT dividends received by the Fund and distributed to the Fund’s shareholders will generally be taxable as ordinary income and will not constitute “qualified dividend income.” However, for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017 and before January 1, 2026, a non-corporate taxpayer who is a direct REIT shareholder may claim a 20% “qualified business income” deduction for ordinary REIT dividends, and a regulated investment company may report dividends as eligible for this deduction to the extent the regulated investment company’s income is derived from ordinary REIT dividends (reduced by allocable regulated investment company expenses). A shareholder may treat the dividends as such provided the regulated investment company and the shareholder satisfy applicable holding period requirements.
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Repurchase Agreements and Purchase and Sale Contracts Risk — If the other party to a repurchase agreement or purchase and sale contract defaults on its obligation under the agreement, the Fund may suffer delays and incur costs or lose money in exercising its rights under the agreement. If the seller fails to repurchase the security in either situation and the market value of the security declines, the Fund may lose money.
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Restricted Securities Risk — Limitations on the resale of restricted securities may have an adverse effect on their marketability, and may prevent the Fund from disposing of them promptly at advantageous prices. Restricted securities may not be listed on an exchange and may have no active trading market. In order to sell such securities, the Fund may have to bear the expense of registering the securities for resale and the risk of substantial delays in effecting the registration. Other transaction costs may be higher for restricted securities than unrestricted securities. Restricted securities may be difficult to value because market quotations may not be readily available, and the securities may have significant volatility. Also, the Fund may get only limited information about the issuer of a given restricted security, and therefore may be less able to predict a loss. Certain restricted securities may involve a high degree of business and financial risk and may result in substantial losses to the Fund.
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Reverse Repurchase Agreements Risk — Reverse repurchase agreements involve the sale of securities held by the Fund with an agreement to repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon price, date and interest payment. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the other party may fail to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. The Fund could lose money if it is unable to recover the securities and the value of the collateral held by the Fund, including the value of the investments made with cash collateral, is less than the value of the securities. These events could also trigger adverse tax consequences for the Fund. In addition, reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the interest income earned in the investment of the proceeds will be less than the interest expense.
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Rights Risk — The failure to exercise subscription rights to purchase common stock would result in the dilution of the Fund’s interest in the issuing company. The market for such rights is not well developed, and, accordingly, the Fund may not always realize full value on the sale of rights.
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Risks of Investing in Closed-End Funds — The shares of closed-end funds may trade at a price below (discount) or above (premium), or at, their net asset value. To the extent that the Fund invests a portion of its assets in closed-end funds, those assets will be subject to the risks of the closed-end fund’s portfolio securities, and a shareholder in the Fund will bear not only his or her proportionate share of the expenses of the Fund, but also, indirectly, the expenses of the closed-end fund. The securities of closed-end funds in which the Fund may invest may be leveraged. As a result, the Fund may be indirectly exposed to leverage through an investment in such securities. An investment in securities of closed-end funds that use leverage may expose the Fund to higher volatility in the market value of such securities and the possibility that the Fund’s long-term returns on such securities (and, indirectly, the long-term returns of the shares) will be diminished.
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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
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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.
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Savings Associations Risk — Federally- and state-chartered savings associations, such as savings and loans and other “thrift” institutions, provide banking services, including mortgage lending, and operate under the supervisory authority of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Such “thrift” institutions formerly operated under the supervisory authority of the Office of Thrift Supervision. These associations are subject to extensive regulation affecting the scope of their activities, the prices they can charge, and the amount of capital they must maintain. This regulation can have the effect of limiting the profitability of these associations, and their profitability may change frequently. Savings associations may be adversely affected by increases in interest rates and loan losses, decreases in the availability of money or asset valuations and adverse conditions in other related markets. The recent period of historically low interest rates has created certain risks to savings associations as they continue to re-evaluate their business models and risk appetites to generate returns.
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Second Lien Loans Risk — Second lien loans generally are subject to similar risks as those associated with investments in senior loans. Because second lien loans are subordinated or unsecured and thus lower in priority of payment to senior loans, they are subject to the additional risk that the cash flow of the borrower and property securing the loan or debt, if any, may be insufficient to meet scheduled payments after giving effect to the senior secured obligations of the borrower. This risk is generally higher for subordinated unsecured loans or debt, which are not backed by a security interest in any specific collateral. Second lien loans generally have greater price volatility and may be less liquid than senior loans.
There is also a possibility that originators will not be able to sell participations in second lien loans, which would create greater credit risk exposure for the holders of such loans. Second lien loans share the same risks as other below investment grade securities.
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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.
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Security Risk — Some geographic areas in which the Fund invests have experienced acts of terrorism and strained international relations due to territorial disputes, historical animosities, defense concerns and other security concerns. These situations may cause uncertainty in the markets of these geographic areas and may adversely affect their economies.
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Senior Loans Risk — There is less readily available, reliable information about most senior loans than is the case for many other types of securities. In addition, there is no minimum rating or other independent evaluation of a borrower or its securities limiting the Fund’s investments, and BlackRock relies primarily on its own evaluation of a borrower’s credit quality rather than on any available independent sources. As a result, the Fund is particularly dependent on the analytical abilities of BlackRock.
An economic downturn generally leads to a higher non-payment rate, and a senior loan may lose significant value before a default occurs. Moreover, any specific collateral used to secure a senior loan may decline in value or become illiquid, which would adversely affect the senior loan’s value.
No active trading market may exist for certain senior loans, which may impair the ability of the Fund to realize full value in the event of the need to sell a senior loan and which may make it difficult to value senior loans. Adverse market conditions may impair the liquidity of some actively traded senior loans. To the extent that a secondary market does exist for certain senior loans, the market may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods. See “Illiquid Investments Risk.”
Although senior loans in which the Fund will invest generally will be secured by specific collateral, there can be no assurance that liquidation of such collateral would satisfy the borrower’s obligation in the event of non-payment of scheduled interest or principal or that such collateral could be readily liquidated. In the event of the bankruptcy of a
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borrower, the Fund could experience delays or limitations with respect to its ability to realize the benefits of the collateral securing a senior loan. If the terms of a senior loan do not require the borrower to pledge additional collateral in the event of a decline in the value of the already pledged collateral, the Fund will be exposed to the risk that the value of the collateral will not at all times equal or exceed the amount of the borrower’s obligations under the senior loans. To the extent that a senior loan is collateralized by stock in the borrower or its subsidiaries, such stock may lose all of its value in the event of the bankruptcy of the borrower. Uncollateralized senior loans involve a greater risk of loss. Some senior loans are subject to the risk that a court, pursuant to fraudulent conveyance or other similar laws, could subordinate the senior loans to presently existing or future indebtedness of the borrower or take other action detrimental to lenders, including the Fund. Such court action could under certain circumstances include invalidation of senior loans.
If a senior loan is acquired through an assignment, the Fund may not be able to unilaterally enforce all rights and remedies under the loan and with regard to any associated collateral. If a senior loan is acquired through a participation, the Fund generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement against the borrower, and the Fund may not directly benefit from the collateral supporting the debt obligation in which it has purchased the participation. As a result, the Fund will be exposed to the credit risk of both the borrower and the institution selling the participation.
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Small Cap Securities Risk — Small cap companies may have limited product lines or markets. They may be less financially secure than larger, more established companies. They may depend on a small number of key personnel. If a product fails or there are other adverse developments, or if management changes, the Fund’s investment in a small cap company may lose substantial value. In addition, it is more difficult to get information on smaller companies, which tend to be less well known, have shorter operating histories, do not have significant ownership by large investors and are followed by relatively few securities analysts.
The securities of small cap companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than larger cap securities or the market as a whole. In addition, small cap securities may be particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates, borrowing costs and earnings. Investing in small cap securities requires a longer term view.
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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 entity’s 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. If a governmental entity defaults, it may ask for more time in which to pay or for further loans. There is no legal process for collecting sovereign debt that a government does not pay nor are there bankruptcy proceedings through which all or part of the sovereign debt that a governmental entity has not repaid may be collected.
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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 interest rate or the principal amount payable upon maturity or redemption may increase or decrease, depending upon changes in the value of the reference measure. The terms of a structured note may provide that, in certain circumstances, no principal is due at maturity and, therefore, may result in a loss of invested capital by the Fund. The interest and/or principal payments that may be made on a structured product may vary widely, depending on a variety of factors, including the volatility of the reference measure.
Structured notes may be positively or negatively indexed, so the appreciation of the reference measure may produce an increase or a decrease in the interest rate or the value of the principal at maturity. The rate of return on structured notes may be determined by applying a multiplier to the performance or differential performance of reference measures. Application of a multiplier involves leverage that will serve to magnify the potential for gain and the risk of loss.
The purchase of structured notes exposes the Fund to the credit risk of the issuer of the structured product. Structured notes may also be more volatile, less liquid, and more difficult to price accurately than less complex securities and instruments or more traditional debt securities.
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Structured Securities Risk — Because structured securities of the type in which the Fund may invest typically involve no credit enhancement, their credit risk generally will be equivalent to that of the underlying instruments, index or reference obligation and will also be subject to counterparty risk. The Fund may have the right to receive payments only from the structured security, and generally does not have direct rights against the issuer or the entity that sold the assets to be securitized. In addition to the general risks associated with debt securities discussed herein, structured securities carry additional risks, including, but not limited to: the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; the quality of the collateral may
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decline in value or default; and the possibility that the structured securities are subordinate to other classes. The Fund is permitted to invest in a class of structured securities that is either subordinated or unsubordinated to the right of payment of another class. Subordinated structured securities typically have higher yields and present greater risks than unsubordinated structured securities. Structured securities are typically sold in private placement transactions, and there currently is no active trading market for structured securities. Structured securities are based upon the movement of one or more factors, including currency exchange rates, interest rates, reference bonds and stock indices, and changes in interest rates and impact of these factors may cause significant price fluctuations. Additionally, changes in the reference instrument or security may cause the interest rate on the structured security to be reduced to zero. Certain issuers of such structured securities may be deemed to be “investment companies” as defined in the Investment Company Act. As a result, the Fund’s investment in such securities may be limited by certain investment restrictions contained in the Investment Company Act.
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Supranational Entities Risk — The Fund may invest in obligations issued or guaranteed by the World Bank. The government members, or “stockholders,” usually make initial capital contributions to the World Bank and in many cases are committed to make additional capital contributions if the World Bank is unable to repay its borrowings. There is no guarantee that one or more stockholders of the World Bank will continue to make any necessary additional capital contributions. If such contributions are not made, the entity may be unable to pay interest or repay principal on its debt securities, and the Fund may lose money on such investments.
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U.S. Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk — The Fund invests in securities backed by pools of mortgages issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or one of its agencies or sponsored entities, including the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”) or Ginnie Mae (“GNMA” or “Ginnie Mae”). While securities guaranteed by Ginnie Mae are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, securities issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, and there can be no assurance that the U.S. government would provide financial support to its agencies or sponsored entities where it is not obligated to do so. Bonds or debentures that do not carry the backing of the full faith and credit of the U.S. government are subject to more credit risk than securities that are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. To the extent that the U.S. government has provided support to a U.S. agency or sponsored entity in the past, there can be no assurance that the U.S. government will provide support in the future if it is not obligated to do so. If a U.S. government agency or sponsored entity that is the issuer of securities in which the Fund invests is unable to meet its obligations or ceases to exist and no plan is made for repayment of securities, the performance of the Fund will be adversely affected.
MBS represent interests in “pools” of mortgages and, due to the nature of these loans they represent, are subject to prepayment and extension risk. Prepayment risk is the risk that, during periods of falling interest rates, an issuer of mortgages and other fixed-income securities may be able to repay principal prior to the security’s maturity. This may cause the Fund to have to reinvest in securities with a lower yield or higher risk of default, resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income or return potential.
MBS are also subject to extension risk, which is the risk that when interest rates rise, certain MBS will be paid off substantially more slowly than originally anticipated and the value of those securities may fall sharply, resulting in a decline in income and potentially in the value of the investment.
Because of prepayment and extension risks, MBS react differently to changes in interest rates than other bonds. Small movements in interest rates (both increases and decreases) may quickly and significantly reduce the value of certain MBS. These securities are also subject to the risk of default on the underlying mortgage loans, particularly during periods of economic downturn.
The Fund seeks to obtain exposure to the fixed-rate portion of U.S. agency mortgage pass through securities primarily through TBA securities, or TBA transactions. TBAs refer to a commonly used mechanism for the forward settlement of U.S. agency MBS, and not to a separate type of MBS. Default or bankruptcy of a counterparty to a TBA transaction would expose the Fund to possible losses because of adverse market action, expenses or delays in connection with the purchase or sale of the pools of mortgage pass-through securities specified in the TBA transaction.
The Fund intends to invest cash pending settlement of TBA transactions in money market instruments, repurchase agreements, or other high quality, liquid short-term instruments, including money market funds advised by BlackRock. The Fund will pay its pro rata share of fees and expenses of any money market fund that it may invest in, in addition to the Fund’s own fees and expenses.
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U.S. Government Issuer Risk — Treasury obligations may differ in their interest rates, maturities, times of issuance and other characteristics. Obligations of U.S. Government agencies and authorities are supported by varying
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degrees of credit but generally are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. No assurance can be given that the U.S. Government will provide financial support to its agencies and authorities if it is not obligated by law to do so.
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U.S. Government Mortgage-Related Securities Risk — There are a number of important differences among the agencies and instrumentalities of the U.S. Government that issue mortgage-related securities and among the securities that they issue. Mortgage-related securities guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association (“GNMA” or “Ginnie Mae”) are guaranteed as to the timely payment of principal and interest by GNMA and such guarantee is backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. GNMA securities also are supported by the right of GNMA to borrow funds from the U.S. Treasury to make payments under its guarantee. Mortgage-related securities issued by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac are solely the obligations of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, as the case may be, and are not backed by or entitled to the full faith and credit of the United States but are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the Treasury.
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Value Securities Risk — Value securities are those issued by companies that may be perceived as undervalued. Value securities may fail to appreciate for long periods of time and may never realize their full potential value. The index provider may be unsuccessful in creating an index that emphasizes undervalued securities. Value securities have generally performed better than non-value securities during periods of economic recovery (although there is no assurance that they will continue to do so). Value securities may go in and out of favor over time.
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Variable and Floating Rate Instrument Risk — Variable and floating rate securities provide for periodic adjustment in the interest rate paid on the securities. These securities may be subject to greater illiquidity risk than other fixed income securities, meaning the absence of an active market for these securities could make it difficult for the Fund to dispose of them at any given time.
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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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When-Issued and Delayed Delivery Securities and Forward Commitments Risk — When-issued and delayed delivery securities and forward commitments involve the risk that the security the Fund buys will lose value prior to its delivery. There also is the risk that the security will not be issued or that the other party to the transaction will not meet its obligation. If this occurs, the Fund may lose both the investment opportunity for the assets it set aside to pay for the security and any gain in the security’s price.
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Zero Coupon Securities Risk — While interest payments are not made on such securities, holders of such securities are deemed to have received income (“phantom income”) annually, notwithstanding that cash may not be received currently. The effect of owning instruments that do not make current interest payments is that a fixed yield is earned not only on the original investment but also, in effect, on all discount accretion during the life of the obligations. This implicit reinvestment of earnings at a fixed rate eliminates the risk of being unable to invest distributions at a rate as high as the implicit yield on the zero coupon bond, but at the same time eliminates the holder’s ability to reinvest at higher rates in the future. For this reason, some of these securities may be subject to substantially greater price fluctuations during periods of changing market interest rates than are comparable securities that pay interest currently. Longer term zero coupon bonds are more exposed to interest rate risk than shorter term zero coupon bonds. These investments benefit the issuer by mitigating its need for cash to meet debt service, but also require a higher rate of return to attract investors who are willing to defer receipt of cash.
Investment in a Particular Geographic Region or Country Risks
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Asia-Pacific Countries — In addition to the risks of investing in non-U.S. securities and the risks of investing in emerging markets, Asia-Pacific countries are subject to certain additional or specific risks.
In many of the developing market Asia-Pacific countries, there is a high concentration of market capitalization and trading volume in a small number of issuers representing a limited number of industries, as well as a high concentration of investors and financial intermediaries. Many developing market Asia-Pacific countries have experienced rapid growth and industrialization in recent years, but there is no assurance that this growth rate will be maintained. Other developing market Asia-Pacific countries, however, have experienced high inflation, high unemployment, currency devaluations and restrictions, and over-extension of credit. Brokers in developing market Asia-Pacific countries typically are fewer in number and less well capitalized than brokers in the United States.
Many of the developing market Asia-Pacific countries may be subject to a greater degree of economic, political and social instability than is the case in the United States and Western European countries. Such instability may result from, among other things: (i) authoritarian governments or military involvement in political and economic decision-making, including changes in government through extra-constitutional means; (ii) popular unrest associated with
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demands for improved political, economic and social conditions; (iii) internal insurgencies; (iv) hostile relations with neighboring countries; and (v) ethnic, religious and racial disaffection. In addition, the governments of many of such countries have a substantial role in regulating and supervising the economy. Another risk common to most such countries is that the economy is heavily export oriented and, accordingly, is dependent upon international trade. The existence of overburdened infrastructure and obsolete financial systems also presents risks in certain countries, as do environmental problems. Certain economies also depend to a significant degree upon exports of primary commodities and, therefore, are vulnerable to changes in commodity prices that, in turn, may be affected by a variety of factors.
The rights of investors in developing market Asia-Pacific companies may be more limited than those of shareholders of U.S. corporations. It may be difficult or impossible to obtain and/or enforce a judgment in a developing market Asia-Pacific country.
Some developing Asia-Pacific countries prohibit or impose substantial restrictions on investments in their capital markets, particularly their equity markets, by foreign entities. For example, certain countries may require governmental approval prior to investments by foreign persons or limit the amount of investment by foreign persons in a particular company.
Geopolitical hostility, political instability, and economic or environmental events in any one of the Asia-Pacific countries may have a significant economic effect on the entire Asia-Pacific region, as well as on major trading partners outside the Asia-Pacific region. Any adverse event in the Asia-Pacific markets may have a significant adverse effect on some or all of the economies of the Asia-Pacific countries. In particular, China is a key trading partner of many Asia-Pacific countries and any changes in trading relationships between China and other Asia-Pacific countries may affect the region as a whole. Many Asia-Pacific countries are subject to political risk, including political instability, corruption and regional conflict with neighboring countries. North Korea and South Korea each have substantial military capabilities, and historical tensions between the two countries present the risk of war. Escalated tensions involving the two countries and any outbreak of hostilities between the two countries, or even the threat of an outbreak of hostilities, could have a severe adverse effect on the entire Asia-Pacific region. Certain Asia-Pacific countries have developed increasingly strained relationships with the U.S., and if these relations were to worsen, they could adversely affect Asia-Pacific issuers that rely on the U.S. for trade. In addition, many Asia-Pacific countries are subject to social and labor risks associated with demands for improved political, economic and social conditions.
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Europe — 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 Fund’s investments.
Responses to the financial problems by European governments, central banks and others, including austerity measures and reforms, may not work, may result in social unrest and may limit future growth and economic recovery or have other unintended consequences. Further defaults or restructurings by governments and others of their debt could have additional adverse effects on economies, financial markets and asset valuations around the world.
The United Kingdom has withdrawn from the European Union, and one or more other countries may withdraw from the European Union and/or abandon the Euro, the common currency of the European Union. The impact of these actions, especially if they occur in a disorderly fashion, is not clear but could be significant and far reaching. In addition, 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 in the region are impossible to predict, but could be significant and have a severe adverse effect on the region, including significant negative impacts on the economy and the markets for certain securities and commodities, such as oil and natural gas, as well as other sectors.
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United States — A decrease in imports or exports, changes in trade regulations, inflation and/or an economic recession in the United States may have a material adverse effect on the U.S. economy and the securities listed on U.S. exchanges. Proposed and adopted policy and legislative changes in the United States are changing many aspects of financial, commercial, public health, environmental, and other regulation and may have a significant effect on U.S. markets generally, as well as on the value of certain securities. Governmental agencies project that the United States will continue to maintain elevated public debt levels for the foreseeable future. Although elevated debt levels do not necessarily indicate or cause economic problems, elevated public debt service costs may constrain future economic growth.
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The United States has developed increasingly strained relations with a number of foreign countries. If relations with certain countries deteriorate, it could adversely affect U.S. issuers as well as non-U.S. issuers that rely on the United States for trade. The United States has also experienced increased internal political discord, as well as significant challenges in managing and containing the outbreak of COVID-19. If these trends were to continue, it may have an adverse impact on the U.S. economy and the issuers in which the Fund invests.
Investments in a Particular Market Segment
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Consumer Services Industry Risk — The success of firms in the consumer services industry and certain retailers (including food and beverage, general retailers, media, and travel and leisure companies) is tied closely to the performance of the domestic and international economies, interest rates, exchange rates and consumer confidence. The consumer services industry depends heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending. Companies in the consumer services industry may be subject to severe competition, which may also have an adverse impact on their profitability. Companies in the consumer services industry are facing increased government and regulatory scrutiny and may be subject to adverse government or regulatory action. Changes in consumer demographics and preferences in the countries in which the issuers of securities held by the Fund are located and in the countries to which they export their products may affect the success of consumer products.
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Financials Sector Risk — Companies in the financials sector are subject to extensive governmental regulation and intervention, which may adversely affect the scope of their activities, the prices they can charge, the amount of capital and liquid assets they must maintain and, potentially, their size. Governmental regulation may change frequently and may have significant adverse consequences for companies in the financials sector, including effects not intended by such regulation. Increased risk taking by financial companies may also result in greater overall risk in the U.S. and global financials sector. The impact of changes in capital requirements, or recent or future regulation in various countries, on any individual financial company or on the financials sector as a whole cannot be predicted.
Certain risks may impact the value of investments in the financials sector more severely than those of investments outside this sector, including the risks associated with companies that operate with substantial financial leverage. Companies in the financials sector are exposed directly to the credit risk of their borrowers and counterparties, who may be leveraged to an unknown degree, including through swaps and other derivatives products. Financial services companies may have significant exposure to the same borrowers and counterparties, with the result that a borrower’s or counterparty’s inability to meet its obligations to one company may affect other companies with exposure to the same borrower or counterparty. This interconnectedness of risk may result in significant negative impacts to companies with direct exposure to the defaulting counterparty as well as adverse cascading effects in the markets and the financials sector generally. Companies in the financials sector may also be adversely affected by increases in interest rates and loan losses, decreases in the availability of money or asset valuations, credit rating downgrades, adverse public perception and adverse conditions in other related markets. Insurance companies, in particular, may be subject to severe price competition and/or rate regulation, which may have an adverse impact on their profitability. The financials sector is particularly sensitive to fluctuations in interest rates. The financials sector is also a target for cyberattacks. Cybersecurity incidents and technology malfunctions and failures have become increasingly frequent and have caused significant losses to companies in this sector, which may negatively impact the Fund. The extent to which the Fund may invest in a company that engages in securities-related activities or banking is limited by applicable law.
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Healthcare Sector Risk — The profitability of companies in the healthcare sector may be adversely affected by the following factors, among others: extensive government regulations, restrictions on government reimbursement for medical expenses, rising costs of medical products and services, pricing pressure, an increased emphasis on outpatient services, changes in the demand for medical products and services, a limited number of products, industry innovation, changes in technologies and other market developments. Many healthcare companies are heavily dependent on patent protection. The expiration of a company’s patents may adversely affect that company’s profitability. Many healthcare companies are subject to extensive litigation based on product liability and similar claims. Healthcare companies are subject to competitive forces that may make it difficult to raise prices and, in fact, may result in price discounting. The U.S. Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 allows for the negotiation of prescription drug prices on behalf of Medicare recipients, which may result in reduced prescription prices. This could reduce some healthcare companies’ overall profitability. Many new products in the healthcare sector may be subject to regulatory approvals. The process of obtaining such approvals may be long and costly, and such efforts ultimately may be unsuccessful. Companies in the healthcare sector may be thinly capitalized and may be susceptible to product obsolescence. In addition, a number of legislative proposals concerning healthcare have been considered by the U.S. Congress in recent years. It is unclear what proposals will ultimately be enacted, if any, and what effect they may have on companies in the healthcare sector.
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Industrials Sector Risk — The value of securities issued by companies in the industrials sector may be adversely affected by supply and demand changes related to their specific products or services and industrials sector
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products in general. The products of manufacturing companies may face obsolescence due to rapid technological developments and frequent new product introduction. Global events, trade disputes and changes in government regulations, economic conditions and exchange rates may adversely affect the performance of companies in the industrials sector. Companies in the industrials sector may be adversely affected by liability for environmental damage and product liability claims. The industrials sector may also be adversely affected by changes or trends in commodity prices, which may be influenced by unpredictable factors. Aerospace and defense companies, a component of the industrials sector, can be significantly affected by government spending policies because companies involved in this industry rely, to a significant extent, on government demand for their products and services. Thus, the financial condition of, and investor interest in, aerospace and defense companies are heavily influenced by governmental defense spending policies, which are typically under pressure from efforts to control government budgets. Transportation stocks, a component of the industrials sector, are cyclical and can be significantly affected by economic changes, fuel prices, labor relations and insurance costs. Transportation companies in certain countries may also be subject to significant government regulation and oversight, which may adversely affect their businesses. Companies in the industrials sector, particularly aerospace and defense companies, may also be adversely affected by government spending policies because companies in this sector tend to rely to a significant extent on government demand for their products and services.
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Information Technology Sector Risk — Information technology companies face intense competition, both domestically and internationally, which may have an adverse effect on profit margins. Like other technology companies, information technology companies may have limited product lines, markets, financial resources or personnel. The products of information technology companies may face obsolescence due to rapid technological developments, frequent new product introduction, unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel. Companies in the information technology sector are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights. The loss or impairment of these rights may adversely affect the profitability of these companies. Companies in the information technology sector are facing increased government and regulatory scrutiny and may be subject to adverse government or regulatory action. Companies in the application software industry, in particular, may also be negatively affected by the decline or fluctuation of subscription renewal rates for their products and services, which may have an adverse effect on profit margins. Companies in the systems software industry may be adversely affected by, among other things, actual or perceived security vulnerabilities in their products and services, which may result in individual or class action lawsuits, state or federal enforcement actions and other remediation costs.
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Technology Sector Risk — Technology companies, including information technology companies, face intense competition, both domestically and internationally, which may have an adverse effect on a company’s profit margins. Technology companies may have limited product lines, markets, financial resources or personnel. The products of technology companies may face obsolescence due to rapid technological developments, frequent new product introduction, unpredictable changes in growth rates, aggressive pricing, changes in demand, and competition for the services of qualified personnel. Companies in the technology sector are heavily dependent on patent and other intellectual property rights. A technology company’s loss or impairment of these rights may adversely affect the company’s profitability. Companies in the technology sector may face increased government and regulatory scrutiny and may be subject to adverse government or regulatory action. The technology sector may also be adversely affected by changes or trends in commodity prices, which may be influenced or characterized by unpredictable factors.
ETF-Specific Risks
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Authorized Participant Concentration Risk — Only an Authorized Participant may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with an ETF. There are a limited number of institutions that may act as Authorized Participants for an ETF, 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 an ETF and no other Authorized Participant places orders, ETF shares are more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for an ETF because it may invest in securities issued by non-U.S. issuers or instruments with lower trading volume. Such assets often entail greater settlement and operational complexity and higher capital costs for Authorized Participants, which may limit the number of Authorized Participants that engage with an ETF.
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Management Risk — If a passively managed ETF does not fully replicate the underlying index, it is subject to the risk that the manager’s investment management strategy may not produce the intended results.
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Passive Investment Risk — The portfolios of certain ETFs are not actively managed and may be affected by a general decline in market segments relating to their respective indices. Such ETFs typically invest in securities included in, or representative of, their respective indices regardless of their investment merits and do not attempt to take defensive positions in declining markets.
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Representative Sampling Risk — Representative sampling is a method of indexing that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively have a similar investment profile to the index and resemble the
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index in terms of risk factors and other key characteristics. A passively managed ETF may or may not hold every security in the index. When an ETF deviates from a full replication indexing strategy to utilize a representative sampling strategy, the ETF is subject to an increased risk of tracking error, in that the securities selected in the aggregate for the ETF may not have an investment profile similar to those of its index.
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Shares of an ETF May Trade at Prices Other Than Net Asset Value — Shares of an ETF trade on exchanges at prices at, above or below their most recent net asset value. The per share net asset value of an ETF is calculated at the end of each business day and fluctuates with changes in the market value of the ETF’s holdings since the most recent calculation. The trading prices of an ETF’s shares fluctuate continuously throughout trading hours based on market supply and demand rather than net asset value. The trading prices of an ETF’s shares may deviate significantly from net asset value during periods of market volatility. Any of these factors may lead to an ETF’s shares trading at a premium or discount to net asset value. However, because shares can be created and redeemed in creation units, which are aggregated blocks of shares that authorized participants who have entered into agreements with the ETF’s distributor can purchase or redeem directly from the ETF, at net asset value (unlike shares of many closed-end funds, which frequently trade at appreciable discounts from, and sometimes at premiums to, their net asset values), large discounts or premiums to the net asset value of an ETF are not likely to be sustained over the long-term. While the creation/redemption feature is designed to make it likely that an ETF’s shares normally trade on exchanges at prices close to the ETF’s next calculated net asset value, exchange prices are not expected to correlate exactly with an ETF’s net asset value due to timing reasons as well as market supply and demand factors. In addition, disruptions to creations and redemptions or the existence of extreme market volatility may result in trading prices that differ significantly from net asset value. If a shareholder purchases at a time when the market price is at a premium to the net asset value or sells at a time when the market price is at a discount to the net asset value, the shareholder may sustain losses. The use of cash creations and redemptions may also cause the ETFs’ shares to trade in the market at greater bid-ask spreads or greater premiums or discounts to the ETFs’ NAV.
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Tracking Error Risk — Imperfect correlation between a passively managed ETF’s portfolio securities and those in its index, rounding of prices, the timing of cash flows, the ETF’s size, changes to the index and regulatory requirements may cause tracking error, which is the divergence of an ETF’s performance from that of its underlying index. This risk may be heightened during times of increased market volatility or other unusual market conditions. Tracking error also may result because an ETF incurs fees and expenses while its underlying index does not.
Other Risks of Investing in the Fund
The Fund may also be subject to certain other non-principal risks associated with its investments and investment strategies, including:
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Borrowing Risk — Borrowing may exaggerate changes in the net asset value of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio. Borrowing will cost the Fund interest expense and other fees. The costs of borrowing may reduce the Fund’s return. Borrowing may cause the Fund to liquidate positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations.
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Cyber Security Risk — Failures or breaches of the electronic systems of the Fund, the Fund’s adviser, distributor, and other service providers, or the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests have the ability to cause disruptions and negatively impact the Fund’s business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses to 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. Furthermore, the Fund cannot control the cyber security plans and systems of the Fund’s service providers or issuers of securities in which the Fund invests.
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Expense Risk — Fund expenses are subject to a variety of factors, including fluctuations in the Fund’s net assets. Accordingly, actual expenses may be greater or less than those indicated. For example, to the extent that the Fund’s net assets decrease due to market declines or redemptions, the Fund’s expenses will increase as a percentage of Fund net assets. During periods of high market volatility, these increases in the Fund’s expense ratio could be significant.
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Large Shareholder and Large-Scale Redemption Risk — Certain shareholders, including a third-party investor, the Fund’s adviser or an affiliate of the Fund’s adviser, or another entity, may from time to time own or manage a substantial amount of Fund shares or may invest in the Fund and hold its investment 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 or that the size of the Fund would be maintained. Redemptions of a large number of Fund shares by these shareholders may adversely affect the Fund’s liquidity and net assets. These redemptions may force the Fund to sell portfolio securities to meet redemption requests when it might not otherwise do so, which may negatively impact the Fund’s NAV and increase the Fund’s brokerage costs and/or accelerate the realization of taxable income and cause the Fund to make taxable distributions to its shareholders earlier than the Fund otherwise would have. In
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addition, under certain circumstances, non-redeeming shareholders may be treated as receiving a disproportionately large taxable distribution during or with respect to such tax year. The Fund also may be required to sell its more liquid Fund investments to meet a large redemption, in which case the Fund’s remaining assets may be less liquid, more volatile, and more difficult to price. In addition, large redemptions can result in the Fund’s current expenses being allocated over a smaller asset base, which generally results in an increase in the Fund’s expense ratio. Because large redemptions can adversely affect a portfolio manager’s ability to implement a fund’s investment strategy, the Fund also reserves the right to redeem in-kind, subject to certain conditions. In addition, large purchases of Fund shares may adversely affect the Fund’s performance to the extent that the Fund is delayed in investing new cash and is required to maintain a larger cash position than it ordinarily would, diluting its investment returns.
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Money Market Securities Risk — If market conditions improve while the Fund has invested some or all of its assets in high quality money market securities, this strategy could result in reducing the potential gain from the market upswing, thus reducing the Fund’s opportunity to achieve its investment objective.
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Operational Risk — The Fund is exposed to operational risks arising from a number of factors, including, but not limited to, human errors, processing and communication errors, errors of the Fund’s service providers, counterparties or other third parties, failed or inadequate internal or external processes, and technology or systems failures. The use of certain investment strategies that involve manual or additional processing, such as over-the-counter derivatives, increases these risks. While service providers are required to have appropriate operational risk management policies and procedures, their methods of operational risk management may differ from those of the Fund in the setting of priorities, the personnel and resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. The Fund and BlackRock seek to reduce these operational risks through controls, procedures and oversight. However, it is not possible to identify all of the operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls that completely eliminate or mitigate the occurrence or effects of such failures. The Fund, including its performance and continued operation, and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.
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Reliance on Advisor Risk — The Fund is dependent upon services and resources provided by BlackRock, and therefore BlackRock’s parent, BlackRock, Inc. is not required to devote its full time to the business of the Fund and there is no guarantee or requirement that any investment professional or other employee of BlackRock will allocate a substantial portion of his or her time to the Fund. The loss of, or changes in, BlackRock’s personnel could have a negative effect on the performance or the continued operation of the Fund.
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Valuation Risk — The price the Fund could receive upon the sale of any particular portfolio investment may differ from the Fund’s valuation of the investment, particularly for securities that trade in thin or volatile markets or that are valued using a fair valuation methodology or a price provided by an independent pricing service. As a result, the price received upon the sale of an investment may be less than the value ascribed by the Fund, and the Fund could realize a greater than expected loss or lesser than expected gain upon the sale of the investment. Pricing services that value fixed-income securities generally utilize a range of market-based and security-specific inputs and assumptions, as well as considerations about general market conditions, to establish a price. Pricing services generally value fixed-income securities assuming orderly transactions of an institutional round lot size, but may be held or transactions may be conducted in such securities in smaller, odd lot sizes. Odd lots may trade at lower prices than institutional round lots. The Fund’s ability to value its investments may also be impacted by technological issues and/or errors by pricing services or other third-party service providers.
Information about Underlying Funds and ETFs
Description of Underlying Funds
The Fund may invest in underlying funds, including, but not limited to, those listed below. The following table sets forth the name of each underlying fund in which the Fund may currently invest and a brief description of each underlying fund’s investment objective and principal investment strategies. The list of underlying funds in which the Fund may invest is subject to change at the discretion of BlackRock without notice to shareholders. In addition, the investment objectives and principal investment strategies of each underlying fund are subject to change without notice to shareholders. Prospectuses for any of these underlying funds can be accessed at www.blackrock.com/prospectus or obtained by calling (800) 441-7762.
| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| BlackRock Equity Dividend Fund |
The investment objective of the fund is to seek long-term total return and current income. |
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| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| BlackRock Equity Dividend Fund (continued) |
The fund seeks to achieve its objective by investing primarily in a diversified portfolio of equity securities. Under normal circumstances, the fund will invest at least 80% of its assets in equity securities and at least 80% of its assets in dividend paying securities. The fund may invest in securities of companies with any market capitalization, but will generally focus on large cap securities. The fund may also invest in convertible securities and non-convertible preferred stock. Equity securities include common stock, preferred stock, securities convertible into common stock, or securities or other instruments whose price is linked to the value of common stock. The fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in securities of foreign issuers. The fund may invest in securities from any country. The fund may invest in securities denominated in both U.S. dollars and non-U.S. dollar currencies. The fund may invest in the securities of foreign issuers in the form of American Depositary Receipts, European Depositary Receipts or other securities convertible into securities of foreign issuers. BlackRock chooses investments for the fund that it believes will both increase in value over the long term and provide current income, focusing on investments that will do both instead of those that will favor current income over capital appreciation. |
| BlackRock Floating Rate Income Portfolio |
The primary investment objective of the fund is to seek to provide high current income, with a secondary objective of long-term capital appreciation. The fund normally invests at least 80% of its assets in floating rate investments and investments that are the economic equivalent of floating rate investments, which effectively enables the fund to achieve a floating rate of income. These investments may include, but are not limited to, any combination of the following securities: (i) senior secured floating rate loans or debt; (ii) second lien or other subordinated or unsecured floating rate loans or debt; and (iii) fixed-rate loans or debt with respect to which the fund has entered into derivative instruments to effectively convert the fixed-rate interest payments into floating rate interest payments. The fund may also purchase, without limitation, participations or assignments in senior floating rate loans or second lien floating rate loans. For purposes of the fund’s investments, the term debt includes investments in convertible or preferred securities. The fund may invest in investments of any credit quality without limitation, including investments rated below investment grade. The fund anticipates that, under current market conditions, a substantial portion of its portfolio will consist of leveraged loans rated below investment grade and similar investments. These investments are expected to exhibit credit risks similar to high yield securities, which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds.” The fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in fixed income securities with respect to which the fund has not entered into derivative instruments to effectively convert the fixed-rate interest payments into floating-rate interest payments. Such fixed income securities include, but are not limited to, corporate bonds, preferred securities, convertible securities, mezzanine investments, collateralized loan obligations, senior loans, second lien loans, structured products and U.S. government debt securities. The fund’s investments in any floating rate and fixed income securities may be of any duration or maturity. The fund may invest in securities of foreign issuers, including issuers located in emerging markets, without limitation. The fund may also invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments. The fund may also invest in companies whose financial condition is uncertain, where the borrower has defaulted in the payment of interest or principal or in the performance of its covenants or agreements, or that may be involved in bankruptcy proceedings, reorganizations or financial restructurings. The fund may invest up to 10% of its assets in common stocks or other equity securities. In addition, the fund may acquire and hold such securities (or rights to acquire such securities) in unit offerings with fixed income securities, in connection with an amendment, waiver, conversion or exchange of fixed income securities, in connection with the bankruptcy or workout of a distressed fixed income security, or upon the exercise of a right or warrant obtained on account of a fixed income security. |
42
| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| BlackRock Floating Rate Income Portfolio (continued) |
The fund may buy or sell options or futures on a security or an index of securities, buy or sell options on futures or enter into credit default swaps and interest rate or foreign currency transactions, including swaps and forward contracts (collectively, commonly known as derivatives). The fund may use derivatives for hedging purposes, but is not required to, as well as to increase the total return on its portfolio investments. |
| BlackRock Global Dividend Portfolio |
The investment objective of the fund is to seek to provide a level of current income that exceeds the average yield on global stocks generally. Additionally, the fund seeks to provide long-term capital appreciation. Under normal circumstances, the fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets in dividend-paying equity securities and at least 40% of its assets outside of the United States (unless market conditions are not deemed favorable by fund management, in which case the fund would invest at least 30% of its assets outside of the United States). The fund will primarily invest in common stock, preferred stock and non- convertible preferred stock. The fund may invest in securities of non-U.S. issuers that can be U.S. dollar based or non-U.S. dollar based. The fund may invest in securities of companies of any market capitalization, but intends to invest primarily in securities of large capitalization companies. The combination of equity securities will be varied from time to time both with respect to types of securities and markets in response to changing market and economic trends. The fund may invest in shares of companies through initial public offerings and “new issues.” The fund may also purchase securities convertible into common and preferred stock. The fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in global fixed-income securities, including corporate bonds, U.S. Government debt securities, non-U.S. Government and supranational debt securities (an example of such an entity is the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development), asset-backed securities, mortgage-backed securities, corporate loans, emerging market debt securities and non-investment grade debt securities (high yield or junk bonds). Investment in fixed-income securities will be made on an opportunistic basis. The fund may invest in fixed-income securities of any duration or maturity. The fund has no geographic limits in where it may invest and has no specific policy on the number of different countries in which it will invest. The fund may invest in both developed and emerging markets. The fund may emphasize foreign securities when fund management expects these investments to outperform U.S. securities. The fund may use derivatives, including options, futures, swaps and forward contracts both to seek to increase the return of the fund or 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 enter into currency transactions on a hedged or unhedged basis in order to seek total return. The fund may use indexed and inverse securities. Under normal circumstances, the fund anticipates it will allocate a substantial amount (at least 40% or more — unless market conditions are not deemed favorable by fund management, in which case the fund would invest at least 30%) of its total assets in foreign securities, which may include securities (i) of foreign government issuers, (ii) of issuers organized or located outside the United States, (iii) of issuers which primarily trade in a market located outside the United States, or (iv) of 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 this allocation. The fund may engage in active and frequent trading of portfolio securities to achieve its principal investment strategies. |
| BlackRock GNMA Portfolio |
The investment objective of the fund is to seek to maximize total return, consistent with income generation and prudent investment management. Under normal circumstances, the fund invests at least 80% of its assets in Government National Mortgage Association (“GNMA”) securities. The fund invests primarily in securities issued by GNMA as well as other U.S. Government securities. Securities purchased by the fund are rated in the highest rating category (AAA or Aaa) at the time of purchase by at least one major rating agency or are determined by the fund management team to be of similar quality. Split rated bonds will be considered to have |
43
| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| BlackRock GNMA Portfolio (continued) |
the higher credit rating. Split rated bonds are bonds that receive different ratings from two or more rating agencies. The fund measures its performance against the Bloomberg GNMA Total Return Index Value Unhedged USD (the benchmark). Under normal circumstances, the fund seeks to maintain an average portfolio duration that is within ±1 year of the duration of the benchmark. The fund also makes investments in residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities and other asset-backed securities. The fund may buy or sell options or futures on a security or an index of securities, or enter into credit default swaps and interest rate transactions, including swaps (collectively, commonly known as derivatives). The fund may seek to obtain market exposure to the securities in which it primarily invests by entering into a series of purchase and sale contracts or by using other investment techniques (such as reverse repurchase agreements or dollar rolls). The fund may engage in active and frequent trading of portfolio securities to achieve its primary investment strategies. |
| BlackRock High Yield Bond Portfolio |
The investment objective of the fund is to seek to maximize total return, consistent with income generation and prudent investment management. The fund invests primarily in non-investment grade bonds with maturities of ten years or less. The fund normally invests at least 80% of its assets in high yield bonds. The high yield securities (commonly called “junk bonds”) acquired by the fund will generally be in the lower rating categories of the major rating agencies (BB or lower by S&P Global Ratings or Fitch Ratings, Inc. or Ba or lower by Moody’s Investor Services) or will be determined by the fund management team to be of similar quality. Split rated bonds and other fixed-income securities (securities that receive different ratings from two or more rating agencies) are valued as follows: if three agencies rate a security, the security will be considered to have the median credit rating; if two of the three agencies rate a security, the security will be considered to have the lower credit rating. The fund may invest up to 30% of its assets in non-dollar denominated bonds of issuers located outside of the United States. The fund’s investment in non-dollar denominated bonds may be on a currency hedged or unhedged basis. The fund may also invest in convertible and preferred securities. Convertible debt securities will be counted toward the fund’s 80% policy to the extent they have characteristics similar to the securities included within that policy. To add additional diversification, the management team can invest in a wide range of securities including corporate bonds, mezzanine investments, collateralized bond obligations, bank loans and mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities. The fund can also invest, to the extent consistent with its investment objective, in non-U.S. and emerging market securities and currencies. The fund may invest in securities of any rating, and may invest up to 10% of its assets (measured at the time of investment) in distressed securities that are in default or the issuers of which are in bankruptcy. The fund may buy or sell options or futures on a security or an index of securities, or enter into credit default swaps and interest rate or foreign currency transactions, including swaps (collectively, commonly known as derivatives). The fund may use derivative instruments to hedge its investments or to seek to enhance returns. The fund may seek to obtain market exposure to the securities in which it primarily invests by entering into a series of purchase and sale contracts or by using other investment techniques (such as reverse repurchase agreements or dollar rolls). The fund may engage in active and frequent trading of portfolio securities to achieve its principal investment strategies. |
| BlackRock Impact Mortgage Fund |
The investment objective of the fund is to seek to maximize total return, consistent with income generation and prudent investment management, while investing in a portfolio of fixed income securities that fund management views as generating positive social and/ or environmental impacts. Under normal circumstances, the fund seeks to achieve its objective by investing at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in mortgage- backed and other mortgage-related securities that are issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government and its agencies. The securities in which the fund may invest include U.S. government securities, U.S. government agency securities, securities issued by U.S. government instrumentalities and U.S. government-sponsored enterprises, and other mortgage-backed securities or mortgage-related securities issued by the U.S. |
44
| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| BlackRock Impact Mortgage Fund (continued) |
government or by private issuers. Some of these securities are issued and/or guaranteed by the U.S. government and are supported by the full faith and credit of the United States. Other securities are issued or guaranteed by Federal agencies or government-sponsored enterprises and are not direct obligations of the United States, and are not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, but involve sponsorship or guarantees by government agencies or enterprises. The fund invests primarily in the highest rated government and agency bonds and maintains an average portfolio duration that is within ±1 year of the duration of the Bloomberg U.S. MBS Index (the fund’s benchmark). The fund will seek to invest in mortgage-backed and other mortgage-related securities that are issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government and its agencies that BlackRock believes have the potential to produce attractive long-term returns and that, in BlackRock’s view, can provide positive and measurable impacts. BlackRock considers a number of criteria when selecting portfolio securities, including, but not limited to, whether the activities supported by the investment are expected to include positive social and/or environmental impact with measurable and clear benefit to undercapitalized or high social opportunity areas and alignment with broadly endorsed public policy goals. fund management uses an internal proprietary framework to identify investments that deliver positive social and/or environmental impact. This internal proprietary framework abides by the Operating Principles for Impact Management, which is a third-party framework for investors for the design and implementation of their impact management systems to ensure that impact considerations are integrated throughout the investment lifecycle. In identifying investments, fund management uses internal research and assessment to identify mortgage-related investments that meet one or more of the following criteria: (i) facilitate equal access to credit; (ii) target historically underserved populations; and/or (iii) support the increase of sustainable housing units, which encompasses both affordability and environmental aspects. The fund’s investments will be focused across mortgage impact themes that align with certain United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (“SDGs”), including, but not limited to, ending poverty, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization, reducing inequalities, and making cities and communities sustainable. The SDGs are a series of goals published by the United Nations that recognize that development must balance social, economic and environmental sustainability. The fund intends to focus its investments in mortgages originated as part of social impact programs, including, without limitation, rural housing, manufactured housing, pools issued by State Housing Finance Authorities and bespoke impact mortgage-backed security pools. Additionally, BlackRock may consider specific criteria such as collateral targeted towards underserved populations and/or underserved regions as having a positive social impact. BlackRock will examine both quantitative metrics and qualitative details to measure the impact achieved. The impact-related criteria described above are not the sole considerations when making investment decisions for the fund, and the fund will make investments, including, but not limited to, to be announced (“TBA”) transactions, that do not meet the impact-related criteria. In addition, the fund may gain indirect exposure (through, including but not limited to, derivatives and investments in other investment companies) to issuers with exposures that are inconsistent with the impact-related criteria used by fund management. Securities purchased by the fund (except with respect to non-dollar denominated bonds) generally are rated in the highest rating category (AAA or Aaa) by at least one major rating agency or are determined by the fund management team to be of similar quality at the time of purchase. The fund may also invest up to 5% of its assets in dollar- denominated investment grade securities that are rated below the highest rating category at the time of purchase. In addition, the fund’s dollar-weighted average maturity will be between 3 and 10 years. The fund evaluates sectors of the bond market and individual securities within these sectors. The fund selects bonds from several sectors including: U.S. Treasuries and agency securities (including U.S. Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities), commercial and residential mortgage-backed securities, collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”), and other mortgage-related securities. The fund invests primarily in dollar-denominated bonds, but may invest up to 10% of its assets in non-dollar denominated bonds of issuers located outside of the United States. The fund’s investment in non-dollar denominated bonds may be on a currency hedged basis. Non-dollar denominated bonds |
45
| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| BlackRock Impact Mortgage Fund (continued) |
purchased by the fund, at the time of purchase, are rated in the four highest rating categories by at least one major rating agency (Baa or better by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or BBB or better by S&P Global Ratings or Fitch Ratings Inc. (“Fitch”)) or are determined by the fund management team to be of similar quality. Securities rated in any of the four highest rating categories or determined by the fund management team to be of similar quality at the time of purchase are known as “investment grade” securities. The fund may buy or sell options or futures on a security or an index of securities, or enter into credit default swaps, interest rate or foreign currency transactions, including swaps, and forward contracts or similar instruments, such as TBA transactions or dollar rolls (collectively, commonly known as derivatives). The fund may seek to obtain market exposure to the securities in which it primarily invests by entering into a series of purchase and sale contracts or by using other investment techniques such as reverse repurchase agreements. The fund may engage in active and frequent trading of portfolio securities to achieve its primary investment strategies. |
| BlackRock Inflation Protected Bond Portfolio |
The investment objective of the fund is to seek to maximize real return, consistent with preservation of real capital and prudent investment management. Under normal circumstances, the fund invests at least 80% of its assets in inflation- indexed bonds of varying maturities issued by the U.S. and non-U.S. governments, their agencies or instrumentalities, and U.S. and non-U.S. corporations. The fund maintains an average portfolio duration that is within ±40% of the duration of the Bloomberg U.S. Treasury Inflation Protected Securities Index (the benchmark). The fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in non-investment grade bonds (high yield or junk bonds) or securities of emerging market issuers. The fund may also invest up to 20% of its assets in non-dollar denominated securities of non-U.S. issuers, and may invest without limit in U.S. dollar denominated securities of non-U.S. issuers. 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 exclusively invest 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 Cayman Inflation Protected Bond Portfolio, Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of the fund formed in the Cayman Islands, which invests primarily in commodity-related instruments. The fund also makes investments in residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities and other asset-backed securities. Non-investment grade bonds acquired by the fund will generally be in the lower rating categories of the major rating agencies (BB or lower by S&P Global Ratings or Ba or lower by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.) or will be determined by the management team to be of similar quality. Split rated bonds will be considered to have the higher credit rating. Split rated bonds are bonds that receive different ratings from two or more rating agencies. The fund may buy or sell options or futures, or enter into credit default swaps and interest rate or foreign currency transactions, including swaps (collectively, commonly known as derivatives). The fund may seek to obtain market exposure to the securities in which it primarily invests by entering into a series of purchase and sale contracts or by using other investment techniques (such as reverse repurchase agreements or dollar rolls). The fund may engage in active and frequent trading of portfolio securities to achieve its primary investment strategies. |
| BlackRock Sustainable Emerging Markets Flexible Bond Fund |
The fund seeks maximum long term total return, while seeking to maintain certain environmental, governance and social (“ESG”) characteristics, climate risk exposure and climate opportunities relative to the fund’s benchmark. To determine the fund’s investable universe, fund management will first seek to screen out certain issuers based on ESG criteria determined by BlackRock, subject to the considerations noted below. Such screening criteria principally includes: (i) issuers that derive more than zero percent of revenue from the production of controversial weapons; (ii) issuers that derive more than zero percent of revenue from the production of civilian firearms; (iii) issuers that derive more than zero percent of revenue from direct involvement in the production of nuclear weapons or nuclear weapon components or delivery platforms, or the provision of auxiliary services related to nuclear weapons; |
46
| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| BlackRock Sustainable Emerging Markets Flexible Bond Fund (continued) |
(iv) issuers that derive more than zero percent of revenue from the production of tobacco-related products; (v) issuers that derive more than five percent of revenue from thermal coal generation, unless such issuers either (a) have made certain commitments to reduce climate impact or (b) derive at least fifty percent of revenue from alternative energy sources; (vi) issuers that derive more than five percent of revenue from thermal coal mining; (vii) issuers that derive more than five percent of revenue from oil sands extraction; and (viii) issuers identified as violators of the United Nations Global Compact, which are globally accepted principles covering corporate behavior in the areas of human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the fund may invest in green bonds of issuers that exceed the thresholds stated in (v), (vi) and (vii) above. The fund relies on one or more third-party ratings agencies to identify issuers for purposes of the above screening criteria. Third-party rating agencies may base the above screening criteria on an estimate when revenue for a covered business activity is not disclosed by the issuer or publicly available. The fund’s screening criteria is measured at the time of investment and is dependent upon information and data that may be incomplete, inaccurate, unavailable or estimated. Where the fund’s criteria looks solely to third-party ratings or data, issuers are only screened to the extent such ratings or data have been assigned or made available by the third parties. This screening criteria is subject to change over time at BlackRock’s discretion. In addition, the fund may gain indirect exposure (through, including but not limited to, derivatives and investments in other investment companies) to issuers with exposures that are inconsistent with the ESG-related criteria used by fund management. The fund seeks to maintain certain ESG characteristics, climate risk exposure and climate opportunities relative to a customized weighted index comprised of the J.P. Morgan GBI-EM Global Diversified (50%) and the J.P. Morgan EMBI Global Diversified (50%) (the “Benchmark”). Specifically, with respect to the fund’s investments, the fund generally seeks to invest in a portfolio that, in BlackRock’s view, (i) has an aggregate ESG assessment that is better than that of the Benchmark, (ii) has, with respect to corporate and quasi-sovereign issuers, which for these purposes are entities that are fully controlled or owned by the national government, an aggregate carbon emissions assessment that is lower than that of the Benchmark, and (iii) in the aggregate, includes issuers that BlackRock believes are better positioned to capture climate opportunities relative to the issuers in the Benchmark. fund management makes such assessments based on BlackRock’s fundamental research, which includes due diligence of ESG risks and opportunities facing an issuer, as well as third-party ESG ratings. The fund may invest in other sectors that are not included in such assessments. BlackRock utilizes a fundamental country and sector research and third-party ESG data in constructing the fund’s portfolio. The fund intends to invest primarily in issuers included in the J.P. Morgan ESG GBI-EM Global Diversified or the J.P. Morgan ESG EMBI Global Diversified Index, but may invest in issuers that are not included in such indexes. Each index applies an ESG scoring and screening methodology to tilt toward issuers ranked higher on ESG criteria and green bond issues, and to underweight and remove issuers that rank lower and is based on the J.P. Morgan GBI-EM Global Diversified and J.P. Morgan EMBI Global Diversified, as applicable. While fund management considers ESG characteristics as well as climate risk exposure and climate opportunities, fund management may, with respect to its investments, weigh such characteristics differently. The fund invests primarily in a global portfolio of fixed income securities and derivatives of any maturity of issuers located in emerging markets that may be denominated in any currency (on a hedged or un-hedged basis). BlackRock considers an emerging market country to include any country that is: 1) generally recognized to be an emerging market country by the international financial community, including the World Bank; 2) classified by the United Nations as a developing country; or 3) included in the J.P. Morgan GBI-EM Global Diversified. The fund will invest at least 80% of its assets in fixed income securities issued by governments, their political subdivisions (states, provinces and municipalities), agencies and companies tied economically to an emerging market. fund management considers securities to be tied economically to an emerging market if (1) the issuer is organized under the laws of or maintains its principal place of business in an emerging market country, (2) the issuer’s securities are traded principally in an emerging market country or (3) the issuer, during its most recent fiscal year, derived at least 50% of its revenues |
47
| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| BlackRock Sustainable Emerging Markets Flexible Bond Fund (continued) |
or profits from goods produced or sold, investments made, or services performed in an emerging market country or has at least 50% of its assets in an emerging market country. The fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in one country. The 80% policy noted above is a non-fundamental policy of the fund and may not be changed without 60 days’ prior notice to shareholders. The full spectrum of available investments, including non-investment grade (high yield or junk) securities (including distressed securities) or securities determined by fund management to be of similar credit quality, securities of small cap issuers and derivatives may be utilized in satisfying the fund’s 80% policy. It is possible that up to 100% of the fund’s assets may be invested in non-investment grade (high yield or junk) securities or securities determined by fund management to be of similar credit quality. Many of the countries in which the fund invests will have sovereign ratings that are below investment grade or will be unrated. The fund may gain exposure to currencies by investing in bonds of emerging market issuers denominated in any currency. The fund may also gain exposure to currencies through the use of cash and derivatives. The fund may also buy when-issued securities and participate in delayed delivery transactions. The fund is a non-diversified portfolio under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. The management team may, when consistent with the fund’s investment objective, buy or sell options or futures, or enter into credit default swaps and interest rate or foreign currency transactions, including swaps (collectively, commonly known as derivatives). The fund typically uses derivatives as a substitute for taking a position in the underlying asset and/or as part of a strategy designed to reduce exposure to other risks, such as interest rate or currency risk. The fund may also use derivatives to enhance returns, in which case their use would involve leveraging risk. The fund may seek to obtain market exposure to the securities in which it primarily invests by entering into a series of purchase and sale contracts or by using other investment techniques (such as reverse repurchase agreements or dollar rolls, which involve a sale by the fund of a mortgage- backed or other security concurrently with an agreement by the fund to repurchase a similar security at a later date at an agreed-upon price). The fund may invest up to 10% of its assets in equity securities. The fund may engage in active and frequent trading of portfolio securities to achieve its primary investment strategies. |
Description of ETFs
The Fund may invest in ETFs, including, but not limited to, those listed below. The following table sets forth the name of each ETF in which the Fund may currently invest and a brief description of each ETF’s investment objective and principal investment strategies. The list of ETFs in which the Fund may invest is subject to change at the discretion of BlackRock without notice to shareholders. In addition, the investment objectives and principal investment strategies of each ETF are subject to change without notice to shareholders.
Prospectuses for any of these ETFs can be accessed by visiting the EDGAR database on the SEC website (www.sec.gov). In addition to the underlying funds and ETFs, the Fund may also invest uninvested cash balances in affiliated money market funds.
| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| iShares 10+ Year Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of U.S. dollar- denominated investment-grade corporate bonds with remaining maturities greater than ten years. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the ICE® BofA® 10+ Year US Corporate Index (the “Underlying Index”), which measures the performance of investment-grade corporate bonds of both U.S. and non-U.S. issuers that are U.S. dollar-denominated and publicly issued in the U.S. domestic market and have a remaining maturity of greater than or equal to ten years. As of February 29, 2024, there were 3,653 issues in the Underlying Index. As of February 29, 2024, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the consumer staples, financials, healthcare, telecommunications and utilities industries or sectors. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. |
48
| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| iShares 10+ Year Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (continued) |
The Underlying Index consists of investment-grade corporate bonds of both U.S. and non- U.S. issuers that have a remaining maturity of greater than or equal to ten years, have been publicly issued in the U.S. domestic market, and have $250 million or more of outstanding face value. ICE Data Indices, LLC deems securities as “investment grade” based on the average rating of Fitch Ratings, Inc. (BBB or better), Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (Baa or better) and/or Standard & Poor’s® Financial Services LLC, a subsidiary of S&P Global (BBB or better). In addition, the securities in the Underlying Index must be denominated in U.S. dollars and must be fixed-rate. Excluded from the Underlying Index are equity-linked securities, securities in legal default, hybrid securitized corporate bonds, Eurodollar bonds (U.S. dollar-denominated securities not issued in the U.S. domestic market), taxable and tax-exempt U.S. municipal securities and dividends- received-deduction-eligible securities. The Underlying Index is market capitalization- weighted, and the securities in the Underlying Index are updated on the last calendar day of each month. Under normal circumstances, the fund will seek to maintain a weighted average maturity that is greater than ten years. Weighted average maturity is a U.S. dollar-weighted average of the remaining term to maturity of the underlying securities in the fund’s portfolio. |
| iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of U.S. Treasury bonds with remaining maturities between one and three years. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the ICE® U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Bond Index (the “Underlying Index”), which measures the performance of public obligations of the U.S. Treasury that have a remaining maturity of greater than or equal to one year and less than three years. As of February 29, 2024, there were 96 issues in the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index consists of publicly-issued U.S. Treasury securities that have a remaining maturity of greater than or equal to one year and less than three years and have $300 million or more of outstanding face value, excluding amounts held by the Federal Reserve System. In addition, the securities in the Underlying Index must be fixed-rate and denominated in U.S. dollars. Excluded from the Underlying Index are inflation-linked securities, Treasury bills, cash management bills, any government agency debt issued with or without a government guarantee and zero-coupon issues that have been stripped from coupon-paying bonds. The Underlying Index is market value weighted, and the securities in the Underlying Index are updated on the last business day of each month. |
| iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of U.S. Treasury bonds with remaining maturities greater than twenty years. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the ICE® U.S. Treasury 20+ Year Bond Index (the “Underlying Index”), which measures the performance of public obligations of the U.S. Treasury that have a remaining maturity greater than or equal to twenty years. As of February 29, 2024, there were 40 issues in the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index consists of publicly-issued U.S. Treasury securities that have a remaining maturity greater than or equal to twenty years and have $300 million or more of outstanding face value, excluding amounts held by the Federal Reserve System. In addition, the securities in the Underlying Index must be fixed-rate and denominated in U.S. dollars. Excluded from the Underlying Index are inflation-linked securities, Treasury bills, cash management bills, any government agency debt issued with or without a government guarantee and zero-coupon issues that have been stripped from coupon- paying bonds. The Underlying Index is market value weighted, and the securities in the Underlying Index are updated on the last business day of each month. |
| iShares 1-5 Year Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of U.S. dollar- denominated, investment-grade corporate bonds with remaining maturities between one and five years. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the ICE® BofA® 1-5 Year US Corporate Index (the “Underlying Index”), which measures the performance of investment-grade corporate bonds of both U.S. and non-U.S. issuers that are U.S. dollar-denominated and publicly issued in the U.S. domestic market and have a remaining maturity of greater than or equal to one year and less than five years. As of February 29, 2024, there were 3,932 issues in the Underlying Index. As of February 29, 2024, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the financials industry or sector. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. |
49
| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| iShares 1-5 Year Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (continued) |
The Underlying Index consists of investment-grade corporate bonds of both U.S. and non- U.S. issuers that have a remaining maturity of greater than or equal to one year and less than five years, have been publicly issued in the U.S. domestic market, and have $250 million or more of outstanding face value. ICE Data Indices, LLC deems securities as “investment grade” based on the average rating of Fitch Ratings, Inc. (BBB or better), Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (Baa or better) and/or Standard & Poor’s® Financial Services LLC, a subsidiary of S&P Global (BBB or better). In addition, the securities in the Underlying Index must be denominated in U.S. dollars and must be fixed-rate. Excluded from the Underlying Index are equity-linked securities, securities in legal default, hybrid securitized corporate bonds, Eurodollar bonds (U.S. dollar-denominated securities not issued in the U.S. domestic market), taxable and tax-exempt U.S. municipal securities and dividends-received-deduction-eligible securities. The Underlying Index is market capitalization-weighted, and the securities in the Underlying Index are updated on the last calendar day of each month. Under normal circumstances, the fund will seek to maintain a weighted average maturity that is less than or equal to three years. Weighted average maturity is a U.S. dollar-weighted average of the remaining term to maturity of the underlying securities in the fund’s portfolio. |
| iShares Broad USD Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of U.S. dollar- denominated investment-grade corporate bonds. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the ICE® BofA® US Corporate Index (the “Underlying Index”), which measures the performance of investment-grade corporate bonds of both U.S. and non-U.S. issuers that are U.S. dollar-denominated and publicly issued in the U.S. domestic market. As of February 29, 2024, there were 10,309 issues in the Underlying Index. As of February 29, 2024, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the financials industry or sector. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. The Underlying Index consists of investment-grade corporate bonds of both U.S. and non- U.S. issuers that have a remaining maturity of greater than or equal to one year, have been publicly issued in the U.S. domestic market, and have $250 million or more of outstanding face value. ICE Data Indices, LLC deems securities as “investment grade” based on the average rating of Fitch Ratings, Inc. (BBB or better), Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (Baa or better) and/or Standard & Poor’s® Financial Services LLC, a subsidiary of S&P Global (BBB or better). In addition, the securities in the Underlying Index must be denominated in U.S. dollars and must be fixed-rate. Excluded from the Underlying Index are equity-linked securities, securities in legal default, hybrid securitized corporate bonds, Eurodollar bonds (U.S. dollar-denominated securities not issued in the U.S. domestic market), taxable and tax-exempt U.S. municipal securities and dividends- received-deduction-eligible securities. The Underlying Index is market capitalization- weighted, and the securities in the Underlying Index are updated on the last calendar day of each month. |
| iShares 5-10 Year Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of U.S. dollar- denominated investment-grade corporate bonds with remaining maturities between five and ten years. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the ICE® BofA® 5-10 Year US Corporate Index (the “Underlying Index”), which measures the performance of investment-grade corporate bonds of both U.S. and non-U.S. issuers that are U.S. dollar-denominated and publicly issued in the U.S. domestic market and have a remaining maturity of greater than or equal to five years and less than ten years. As of February 29, 2024, there were 2,724 issues in the Underlying Index. As of February 29, 2024, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the financials industry or sector. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. The Underlying Index consists of investment-grade corporate bonds of both U.S. and non- U.S. issuers that have a remaining maturity of greater than or equal to five years and less than ten years, have been publicly issued in the U.S. domestic market, and have $250 million or more of outstanding face value. ICE Data Indices, LLC deems securities as “investment grade” based on the average rating of Fitch Ratings, Inc. (BBB or better), Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (Baa or better) and/or Standard & Poor’s® Financial Services LLC, a subsidiary of S&P Global (BBB or better). In addition, the securities in the Underlying Index must be denominated in U.S. dollars and must be fixed-rate. Excluded from the Underlying Index are equity-linked securities, securities in legal default, hybrid securitized corporate bonds, Eurodollar bonds (U.S. dollar-denominated |
50
| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| iShares 5-10 Year Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (continued) |
securities not issued in the U.S. domestic market), taxable and tax-exempt U.S. municipal securities and dividends-received-deduction-eligible securities. The Underlying Index is market capitalization-weighted, and the securities in the Underlying Index are updated on the last calendar day of each month. Under normal circumstances, the fund will seek to maintain a weighted average maturity that is greater than three years and lower than 10 years. Weighted average maturity is a U.S. dollar-weighted average of the remaining term to maturity of the underlying securities in the fund’s portfolio. |
| iShares Select Dividend ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of relatively high dividend paying U.S. equities.The fund seeks to track the investment results of the Dow Jones U.S. Select Dividend Index (the “Underlying Index”), which measures the performance of the U.S.’s leading stocks by dividend yield. Dividend yield is calculated using a stock’s indicated annual dividend (not including any special dividends) divided by its price. The Underlying Index is composed of 100 of the highest dividend-yielding securities (excluding real estate investment trusts) in the Dow Jones U.S. Index, a broad- based index representative of the total market for U.S. equity securities. To be included in the Underlying Index, each security (i) must have a dividend per share greater than or equal to its five-year average dividend per share; (ii) must have a five-year average dividend coverage ratio of greater than or equal to 167%; (iii) must have a three-month average daily trading volume of 200,000 shares (100,000 shares for current constituents); (iv) must have paid dividends in each of the previous five years; (v) must have a non-negative trailing 12 month earnings per share; and (vi) must have a float- adjusted market cap of at least $3 billion ($2 billion for current constituents). The Underlying Index is reviewed quarterly and rebalanced annually. The Underlying Index includes large-, mid-and small-capitalization companies and may change over time. As of April 30, 2024, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the consumer goods, financials and utilities industries or sectors. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. |
| iShares U.S. Real Estate ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of U.S. equities in the real estate sector. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the Dow Jones U.S. Real Estate Capped Index (the “Underlying Index”), which measures the performance of the real estate sector of the U.S. equity market, as defined by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC (“SPDJI”). The Underlying Index uses a capping methodology to limit the weight of the securities of any single issuer (as determined by SPDJI) to a maximum of 10% of the Underlying Index. Additionally, the Underlying Index constrains at each quarterly review: (i) the weight of any single issuer to a maximum of 10%, and (ii) the aggregate weight of all issuers that individually exceed 4.50% of the index weight to a maximum of 22.50%. Between scheduled quarterly index reviews, the Underlying Index is rebalanced at the end of any day on which all issuers that individually constitute more than 5% of the weight of the Underlying Index constitute more than 25% of the weight of the Underlying Index in the aggregate. In implementing this capping methodology, SPDJI may consider two or more companies as belonging to the same issuer where there is reasonable evidence of common control. As of March 31, 2024, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the real estate investment trust industry or sector. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. |
| iShares International Select Dividend ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of relatively high dividend paying equities in non-U.S. developed markets. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the Dow Jones EPAC Select Dividend Index (the “Underlying Index”), which is provided by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC (“SPDJI”). The Underlying Index measures the performance of 100 high dividend-paying companies in the EPAC (Europe, Pacific, Asia and Canada) region, which covers developed markets excluding the U.S. Constituents are selected according to indicated annual dividend (“IAD”) yield, subject to screening criteria and weighting constraints. IAD yield is defined as a stock’s IAD (not including any special dividends) divided by its price. The starting universe for the Underlying Index is the S&P EPAC BMI and the S&P Canada BMI indexes, excluding real estate investment trusts. To be eligible for the Underlying Index as a new constituent, an issuer must (i) have paid dividends in each of the previous three years; (ii) have a current year trailing 12-month dividend-per-share ratio that is greater than or equal to its three-year average dividend-per-share ratio; and |
51
| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| iShares International Select Dividend ETF (continued) |
(iii) have a five-year average dividend coverage ratio that is greater than or equal to two- thirds of the five-year average dividend coverage ratio of the corresponding S&P BMI country index, or greater than 118%, whichever is greater. In addition, the security must have (x) a non-negative trailing 12-month earnings per share; (y) a float-adjusted market capitalization of at least $1 billion, or at least $750 million for current constituents; and (z) a three-month average daily trading value of at least $3 million. Current constituents are included in the eligible universe regardless of their dividend growth rate, coverage ratio, current year earnings per share or average daily trading value. To select the 100 constituents, SPDJI ranks the eligible securities by IAD yield and first includes all existing constituents that are ranked in the top 200 and then selects non- constituent stocks in rank order until the count reaches 100. The Underlying Index is reconstituted annually with constituent weights determined based on tilted IAD yield, which is calculated by multiplying the constituent’s IAD yield (capped at 20%) by the square root of its fair market capitalization. The weight of individual securities is capped at the lower of 10% or five times the constituent’s fair market capitalization weight within the Underlying Index. In addition, there is a 30% cap on the aggregate weight of constituents within each Global Industry Classification Standard sector and each country of domicile. The Underlying Index is reviewed daily based on each constituent’s weight. Daily capping is performed if the aggregate weight of constituents with an individual weight greater than 4.8% exceeds 24% of the Underlying Index’s total weight. If that threshold is breached, the current constituent weights are recapped, with the weights of individual constituents capped at 10% and the aggregate weight of constituents with an individual weight greater than 4.5% capped at 22.5% of the Underlying Index’s total weight. IAD yields and tilted yield weights are not recalculated if the capping thresholds are breached throughout the year. A freeze period on the daily capping is implemented during the annual index reconstitution. As of April 30, 2024, the Underlying Index was composed of securities of companies in the following countries or regions: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The fund invests in non-U.S. securities, which may in some cases not produce qualifying dividend income. The Underlying Index includes large, mid and small-capitalization companies and may change over time. As of April 30, 2024, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the consumer goods, financials, and utilities industries or sectors. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. |
| iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of U.S. dollar- denominated, investment-grade floating rate bonds with remaining maturities between one month and five years. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the Bloomberg US Floating Rate Note ˂ 5 Years Index (the “Underlying Index”), which measures the performance of U.S. dollar-denominated, investment-grade (as determined by Bloomberg Index Services Limited) floating rate notes. Securities in the Underlying Index have a remaining maturity of greater than or equal to one month and less than five years, and have $300 million or more of outstanding face value. As of October 31, 2023, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the financials industry or sector. As of October 31, 2023, the Underlying Index was composed of securities of companies in the following countries or regions: Australia, Canada, China, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the U.S. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. The Underlying Index consists of debt instruments that pay a variable coupon rate, based on a reference rate such as the 3-month London Interbank Offered Rate or the Secured Overnight Financing Rate and a fixed spread. The Underlying Index is market capitalization-weighted and the securities in the Underlying Index are updated on the last calendar day of each month. The Underlying Index may include U.S. registered, dollar- denominated bonds of non-U.S. corporations, governments and supranational entities. |
| iShares International Developed Real Estate ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of real estate equities in developed non-U.S. markets. |
52
| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| iShares International Developed Real Estate ETF (continued) |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of the FTSE EPRA Nareit Developed ex US Index (the “Underlying Index”), which measures the performance of companies engaged in the ownership, trading and development of income-producing real estate in the developed real estate markets (except for the U.S.) as defined by FTSE EPRA Nareit. As of April 30, 2024, the Underlying Index was composed of securities of companies in the following countries or regions: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. As of April 30, 2024, a significant portion of the Underlying Index includes companies offering various real estate services, real estate operating companies and real estate investment trusts. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. |
| iShares Mortgage Real Estate ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of U.S. real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) that hold U.S. residential and commercial mortgages. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the FTSE Nareit All Mortgage Capped Index (the “Underlying Index”), which measures the performance of the residential and commercial mortgage real estate, mortgage finance and savings associations sectors of the U.S. equity market, as defined by FTSE International Limited (“FTSE”). The Underlying Index generally measures the performance of the residential and commercial mortgage real estate sector and generally invests all of its assets in REITs. If the number of constituents in the Underlying Index falls below 20, FTSE will consider companies from the mortgage finance and savings associations sectors for inclusion in the Underlying Index, and each company in the mortgage finance and savings associations sectors will be capped at 3% of the Underlying Index, and these sectors in the aggregate will not exceed 30% of the Underlying Index. As of March 31, 2024, approximately 100% of the market capitalization of the Underlying Index is represented by REITs. As of March 31, 2024, the Underlying Index includes 32 component securities. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. |
| iShares Core High Dividend ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of relatively high dividend paying U.S. equities. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the Morningstar® Dividend Yield Focus IndexSM (the “Underlying Index”), which offers exposure to high quality U.S.-domiciled companies that have had strong financial health and an ability to sustain above average dividend payouts. The Underlying Index is a subset of the Morningstar® US Market IndexSM, a broad market index that represents approximately 97% of the market capitalization of publicly traded U.S. stocks. The Underlying Index is composed of qualified income-paying securities that are screened for superior company quality and financial health as determined by Morningstar, Inc.’s (“Morningstar”) proprietary index methodology. Stocks in the Underlying Index represent the top 75 high-yielding stocks meeting the screening requirements. The Morningstar index methodology determines “company quality” in accordance with the Morningstar Economic MoatTM rating system, in which companies are assigned a moat rating of “none,”“narrow” or “wide” based on the prospect of earning above average returns on capital and the strength of the company’s competitive advantage. Additionally, companies are screened for “financial health” using Morningstar’s Distance to Default measure, a quantitative option pricing approach that estimates a company’s probability of default. To qualify for inclusion in the Underlying Index, constituents must have a Morningstar Economic Moat rating of “narrow” or “wide” and have a Morningstar Distance to Default score in the top 50% of eligible dividend-paying companies within their sector. Companies that are not assigned a Morningstar Economic Moat rating must have a Morningstar Distance to Default score in the top 30% of eligible dividend-paying companies within their sector. Additionally, each constituent’s dividend must be deemed to be qualified income. The Underlying Index may include large-, mid-and small-capitalization companies and may change over time. As of April 30, 2024, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the energy, financials and utilities industries or sectors. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. |
| iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of U.S. dollar- denominated, high yield corporate bonds. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the Markit iBoxx® USD Liquid High Yield Index (the “Underlying Index”), which is a rules-based index consisting of U.S. dollar-denominated, high yield (as determined by Markit Indices Limited (“Markit”)) |
53
| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (continued) |
corporate bonds for sale in the U.S. The Underlying Index is designed to provide a broad representation of the U.S. dollar-denominated liquid high yield corporate bond market. The Underlying Index is a modified market-value weighted index with a cap on each issuer of 3%. There is no limit to the number of issues in the Underlying Index. As of February 29, 2024, the Underlying Index included approximately 1,187 constituents. As of February 29, 2024, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the consumer services and industrials industries or sectors. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. Bonds in the Underlying Index are selected from the universe of eligible bonds in the Markit iBoxx USD Corporate Bond Index using defined rules. As of the date of the fund’s prospectus, the bonds eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index include U.S. dollar- denominated high yield corporate bonds that: (i) are issued by companies domiciled in countries classified as developed markets by Markit; (ii) have an average rating of sub- investment grade (ratings from Fitch Ratings, Inc., Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Standard & Poor’s® Global Ratings, a subsidiary of S&P Global are considered; if more than one agency provides a rating, the average rating is attached to the bond); (iii) are from issuers with at least $1 billion outstanding face value; (iv) have at least $400 million of outstanding face value; (v) have an original maturity date of less than 15 years; (vi) have at least one year to maturity; and (vii) have at least one year and 6 months to maturity for new index insertions. |
| iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of U.S. dollar- denominated, investment-grade corporate bonds. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the Markit iBoxx® USD Liquid Investment Grade Index (the “Underlying Index”), which is a rules-based index consisting of U.S. dollar-denominated, investment-grade (as determined by Markit Indices Limited (“Markit”)) corporate bonds for sale in the U.S. The Underlying Index is designed to provide a broad representation of the U.S. dollar-denominated liquid investment-grade corporate bond market. The Underlying Index is a modified market-value weighted index with a cap on each issuer of 3%. There is no limit to the number of issues in the Underlying Index. As of February 29, 2024, the Underlying Index included approximately 2,748 constituents. As of February 29, 2024, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the financials industry or sector. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. The Underlying Index is a subset of the Markit iBoxx USD Corporate Bond Index, which as of February 29, 2024 is an index of 7,936 investment-grade bonds. Bonds in the Underlying Index are selected from the universe of eligible bonds in the Markit iBoxx USD Corporate Bond Index using defined rules. As of the date of the fund’s prospectus, the bonds eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index consist of U.S. dollar-denominated corporate bonds that: (i) are issued by companies domiciled in countries classified as developed markets by Markit; (ii) have an average rating of investment grade (ratings from Fitch Ratings, Inc., Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Standard & Poor’s® Global Ratings, a subsidiary of S&P Global are considered; if more than one agency provides a rating, the average rating is attached to the bond); (iii) are from issuers with at least $2 billion outstanding face value; (iv) have at least $750 million of outstanding face value; (v) have at least three years to maturity; and (vi) have at least three years and 6 months to maturity for new index insertions. |
| iShares Emerging Markets Dividend ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of relatively high dividend paying equities in emerging markets. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the Dow Jones Emerging Markets Select Dividend Index (the “Underlying Index”), which is provided by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC. The Underlying Index measures the performance of 100 leading dividend- paying emerging market companies, selected according to indicated annual dividend (“IAD”) yield, subject to screening and buffering criteria and weighting constraints. IAD yield is defined as a stock’s IAD (not including any special dividends) divided by its price. The starting universe for the Underlying Index is the S&P Emerging BMI, excluding real estate investment trusts. To be eligible for the Underlying Index, issuers must have paid dividends in each of the previous three years, and their securities must have (i) a non- negative trailing 12-month earnings per share; (ii) an IAD yield greater than 0%; (iii) a float-adjusted market capitalization of at least $250 million; and (iv) a three-month average daily trading value of at least $3 million for new constituents, or at least $1.5 million for current constituents. |
54
| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| iShares Emerging Markets Dividend ETF (continued) |
Eligible securities are ranked by IAD yield, and the top 100 stocks are selected as index constituents. No more than 30 stocks can be selected from any single country, subject to certain buffers. The Underlying Index is reconstituted annually with constituent weights determined based on tilted IAD yield, which is calculated by multiplying the constituent’s IAD yield (capped at 15%) by the square root of its fair market capitalization. The capping methodology also limits the weight of individual securities to 10%, the aggregate weight of constituents within each country of domicile to 25%, and the aggregate weight of constituents within each Global Industry Classification Standard sector to 30%. The Underlying Index is reviewed daily based on each constituent’s weight. Daily capping is performed if the aggregate weight of constituents with an individual weight greater than 4.8% exceeds 24% of the Underlying Index’s total weight. If that threshold is breached, the current constituent weights are recapped, with weights of individual securities capped at 10% and the aggregate weight of stocks with an individual weight greater than 4.5% capped at 22.5% of the Underlying Index’s total weight. IAD yields and tilted yield weights are not recalculated if the capping thresholds are breached throughout the year. A freeze period on the daily capping is implemented during the annual index reconstitution. As of April 30, 2024, the Underlying Index consisted of issuers in the following countries: Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Greece, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, Malaysia, Poland, Qatar, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. The Underlying Index includes large-, mid and small-capitalization companies and may change over time. As of April 30, 2024, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the financials, industrials, and materials industries or sectors. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. |
| iShares J.P. Morgan EM Local Currency Bond ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of local currency denominated, emerging market sovereign bonds. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the J.P. Morgan GBI-EM Global Diversified 15% Cap 4.5% Floor Index (the “Underlying Index”), which tracks the performance of local currency-denominated sovereign bond markets of emerging market countries. All bonds included in the Underlying Index are selected according to a set of rule-based inclusion criteria regarding issue size, bond type, maturity, and liquidity. The securities included in the Underlying Index are rebalanced on the last weekday of the month. Eligible countries included in the Underlying Index are determined by JPMorgan Chase & Co. or its affiliates (“J.P. Morgan”) based on J.P. Morgan’s definition of emerging market countries. Eligible issuer countries must have (1) gross national income (“GNI”) below the Index Income Ceiling (“IIC”) for three consecutive years or (2) an Index Purchasing Power Parity Ratio (the “IPR”) below the EM IPR threshold, each as defined by J.P. Morgan, for three consecutive years. An existing country may be considered for removal from the Underlying Index if its GNI per capita is above the IIC for three consecutive years and its long-term sovereign credit rating from Standard & Poor’s Global Ratings, Moody’s Investors Service, Inc., and Fitch Ratings, Inc. is A-/A3/A-or above for three consecutive years. For purposes of compiling the Underlying Index, individual country weights are capped at maximum 15% and floored at minimum 4.5%. Eligible individual securities must have a minimum face amount outstanding of U.S. $1 billion equivalent for onshore local currency bonds and U.S. $500 million for global bonds (offshore currency linked bonds). All component securities must have at least 2.5 years to maturity from the inclusion date and a remaining maturity of 6 months or greater at the time of rebalancing to remain eligible for the Underlying Index. Floating-rate issues, capitalization/ amortizing bonds, and bonds with callable, puttable or convertible features are not eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index. As of October 31, 2023, the Underlying Index included securities issued by Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Hungary, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Poland, Romania, Serbia, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey and Uruguay. |
| iShares J.P. Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of U.S. dollar- denominated, emerging market bonds. |
55
| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| iShares J.P. Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond ETF (continued) |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of the J.P. Morgan EMBI® Global Core Index (the “Underlying Index”), which is a broad, diverse U.S. dollar-denominated emerging markets debt benchmark that tracks the total return of actively traded external debt instruments in emerging market countries. The methodology is designed to distribute the weight of each country within the Underlying Index by limiting the weights of countries with higher debt outstanding and reallocating this excess to countries with lower debt outstanding. The Underlying Index was composed of 54 countries as of October 31, 2023. As of October 31, 2023, the Underlying Index’s five highest weighted countries were Indonesia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. The Underlying Index may change its composition and weighting monthly upon rebalancing. The Underlying Index includes both fixed-rate and floating-rate instruments issued by sovereign and quasi-sovereign entities from index-eligible countries. Quasi- sovereign entities are defined as entities that are 100% guaranteed or 100% owned by the national government and reside in the index-eligible country. To be considered for inclusion in the Underlying Index, instruments must (i) be denominated in U.S. dollars, (ii) have a current face amount outstanding of $1 billion or more, (iii) have at least 2.5 years until maturity to be eligible for inclusion and, at each subsequent rebalance, have at least one year until maturity to remain in the index, (iv) be able to settle internationally through Euroclear or another institution domiciled outside the issuing country and (v) have bid and offer prices that are available on a daily and timely basis sourced from a third party valuation vendor. As of October 31, 2023, the Underlying Index consisted of both investment-grade and non-investment-grade bonds (commonly referred to as “junk bonds”), each as defined by JPMorgan Chase & Co. (“J.P. Morgan”). Convertible bonds are not eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index is market value-weighted and is rebalanced monthly on the last business day of the month. Eligible issuer countries must have (1) gross national income (“GNI”) below the Index Income Ceiling (“IIC”) for three consecutive years or (2) an Index Purchasing Power Parity Ratio (the “IPR”) below the emerging market IPR threshold, each as defined by J.P. Morgan, for three consecutive years. |
| iShares Europe ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of European equities. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the S&P Europe 350TM (the “Underlying Index”), which measures the performance of the securities of leading companies in the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. The market capitalization of constituent companies is adjusted to reflect the available float and, if necessary, any foreign investment restrictions. The stocks in the Underlying Index are chosen by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC (“SPDJI”) for market size, liquidity, industry group representation and geographic diversity. The Underlying Index is a subset of the S&P Global 1200, which is designed to measure the performance of large-capitalization stocks from major global markets, as determined by SPDJI. As of March 31, 2024, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the financials, healthcare and industrials industries or sectors. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. |
| iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of large-and mid- capitalization equities from developed market countries that use the euro as their official currency. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the MSCI EMU Index (the “Underlying Index”), which consists of securities from the following 10 developed market countries: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. The Underlying Index includes large-and mid-capitalization companies and may change over time. As of August 31, 2023, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the consumer discretionary, financials and industrials industries or sectors. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. |
| iShares CMBS ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of investment- grade commercial mortgage-backed securities. |
56
| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| iShares CMBS ETF (continued) |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of the Bloomberg U.S. CMBS (ERISA Only) Index (the “Underlying Index”), which measures the performance of investment- grade (as determined by Bloomberg Index Services Limited) commercial mortgage- backed securities (“CMBS”), which are classes of securities (known as “certificates”) that represent interests in “pools” of commercial mortgages. The Underlying Index includes only CMBS that are Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”) eligible under the underwriter’s exemption, which will deem ERISA eligible the certificates with the first priority of principal repayment, as long as certain conditions are met, including the requirement that the certificates be rated in one of the three highest rating categories by Fitch Ratings, Inc., Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or S&P Global Ratings. The Underlying Index includes investment-grade CMBS that are ERISA eligible with $300 million or more of aggregate outstanding transaction size. In addition, the original aggregate transaction must be $500 million or more and the tranche size must be $25 million or more. CMBS certificates must have an expected life of at least one year and must be either fixed-rate or subject to an interest rate cap equal to the weighted average coupon of the underlying asset pool. Excluded from the Underlying Index are non-ERISA eligible securities, agency transactions and privately issued securities, including those which may be resold in accordance with Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The securities in the Underlying Index are updated on the last calendar day of each month. |
| iShares MBS ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of investment- grade mortgage-backed pass-through securities issued and/or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the Bloomberg U.S. MBS Index (the “Underlying Index”), which measures the performance of investment-grade (as determined by Bloomberg Index Services Limited) mortgage-backed pass-through securities (“MBS”) issued and/or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies or sponsored entities. The Underlying Index includes fixed-rate MBS issued by the Government National Mortgage Association, Federal National Mortgage Association and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation that have 30-, 20-, or 15-year maturities. All securities in the Underlying Index must have a remaining weighted average maturity of at least one year. In addition, the securities in the Underlying Index must be denominated in U.S. dollars and must be non-convertible. The Underlying Index is market capitalization- weighted and the securities in the Underlying Index are updated on the last business day of each month. As of February 29, 2024, approximately 100% of the bonds represented in the Underlying Index were U.S. agency MBS. Most transactions in MBS occur through standardized contracts for future delivery in which the exact mortgage pools to be delivered are not specified until a few days prior to settlement (to-be-announced transactions). The fund may enter into such contracts for fixed-rate pass-through securities on a regular basis. The fund, pending settlement of such contracts, will invest its assets in liquid, short-term instruments, including shares of money market funds advised by BlackRock Fund Advisors or its affiliates. The fund will assume its pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any money market fund that it may invest in, in addition to the fund’s own fees and expenses. The fund may also acquire interests in mortgage pools through means other than such standardized contracts for future delivery. |
| iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of U.S. dollar- denominated preferred and hybrid securities. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the ICE Exchange-Listed Preferred & Hybrid Securities Index (the “Underlying Index”), which measures the performance of a select group of exchange-listed, U.S. dollar-denominated preferred securities, hybrid securities and convertible preferred securities listed on the New York Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq Capital Market. The Underlying Index includes issuances of preferred stocks with amounts outstanding over $100 million, convertible preferred stock with at least $50 million face amount outstanding, and hybrid securities with at least $250 million face amount outstanding, that meet minimum maturity and other requirements, as applicable, as determined by ICE Data Indices, LLC. |
57
| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF (continued) |
In general, preferred stock is a class of equity security that pays a specified dividend that must be paid before any dividends can be paid to common stockholders and takes precedence over common stock in the event of a company’s liquidation. In general, a “hybrid” security refers to a security which combines both debt and equity characteristics. In general, hybrid securities included in the Underlying Index, like traditional preferred stock, have preference over the common stock within an issuer’s capital structure, and are issued and traded in a similar manner to traditional preferred stock. Like debt securities and preferred stock (but unlike common stock), issuers of hybrid securities included in the Underlying Index may make fixed, periodic payments to the holders of such securities. Like preferred stock, issuers of hybrid securities included in the Underlying Index have the ability to defer dividend payments and to extend such securities’ maturity dates. Although preferred stocks represent a partial ownership interest in a company, preferred stocks generally do not carry voting rights. Preferred stocks have economic characteristics similar to fixed-income securities. Preferred stocks and hybrid securities generally are issued with a fixed par value and pay dividends based on a percentage of that par value at a fixed or variable rate. Additionally, preferred stocks and hybrid securities often have a liquidation value that generally equals the original purchase price of such security at the date of issuance. The Underlying Index may include many different categories of preferred stock and hybrid securities, such as floating and fixed rate preferreds, fixed-to-floating rate securities, callable preferreds, convertible preferreds, cumulative and non-cumulative preferreds, certain capital securities, trust preferreds or various other preferred stock and hybrid securities. The total allocation to an individual issuer across the entire Underlying Index is limited to 4.75%. The Underlying Index uses a market capitalization weighted methodology subject to certain constraints and is rebalanced monthly. The Underlying Index may include large-, mid-or small-capitalization companies and includes preferred stocks and hybrid securities of non-U.S. issuers. As of March 31, 2024, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the financials and industrials industries or sectors. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. |
| iShares 0-5 Year High Yield Corporate Bond ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of U.S. dollar- denominated, high yield corporate bonds with remaining maturities of less than five years. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the Markit iBoxx® USD Liquid High Yield 0-5 Index (the “Underlying Index”), which is designed to reflect the performance of U.S. dollar-denominated high yield (as determined by Markit Indices Limited (“Markit”)) corporate debt. High yield bonds are also known as “junk bonds” and are generally rated below investment-grade. The Underlying Index offers exposure to liquid (according to Markit’s liquidity screens, which could vary from other measures of liquidity) U.S. dollar- denominated high yield corporate bonds maturing between zero and five years and is rebalanced on a monthly basis. Only bonds with $350 million minimum face value per bond are included in the Underlying Index, provided they are trading at a minimum price in accordance with Markit’s liquidity screens. The Underlying Index uses a market-value weighted methodology with a cap on each issuer of 3%. As of October 31, 2023, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the consumer services and industrials industries or sectors. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. |
| iShares Core S&P 500 ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of large- capitalization U.S. equities. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the S&P 500 (the “Underlying Index”), which measures the performance of the large-capitalization sector of the U.S. equity market, as determined by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC. As of March 31, 2024, the Underlying Index included approximately 86.44% of the market capitalization of all publicly traded U.S. equity securities. The securities in the Underlying Index are weighted based on the float-adjusted market value of their outstanding shares. The Underlying Index consists of securities from a broad range of industries. As of March 31, 2024, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the technology industry or sector. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. |
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| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of U.S. large-and mid-capitalization stocks with value characteristics and relatively lower valuations. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the MSCI USA Enhanced Value Index (the “Underlying Index”), which is based on a traditional market capitalization-weighted parent index, the MSCI USA Index (the “Parent Index”). The Parent Index includes U.S. large-and mid-capitalization stocks, as defined by MSCI Inc. (“MSCI”). The Underlying Index is designed to measure the performance of securities in the Parent Index that exhibit higher value characteristics relative to their peers within the corresponding Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS® ) sector. To construct the Underlying Index, MSCI calculates a “value score” for each security in the Parent Index using three variables: price-to-book value, price-to-forward earnings and enterprise value-to-cash flow from operations. MSCI assigns weights by multiplying a component’s value score by its market capitalization. Weights in the Underlying Index are next normalized so that sectors in the Underlying Index represent the same weight as in the Parent Index. MSCI uses an algorithm to determine the number of components in the Underlying Index based on the number of constituents in the Parent Index. The number of components is evaluated semi-annually. As of July 31, 2023, there were 150 securities in the Underlying Index. As of July 31, 2023, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the technology industry or sector. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. |
| iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of U.S. equities with a history of consistently growing dividends. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the Morningstar® US Dividend Growth IndexSM (the “Underlying Index”), which is a dividend dollar-weighted index that seeks to measure the performance of U.S. companies selected based on a consistent history of growing dividends. The Underlying Index is a subset of the Morningstar® US Market IndexSM , which is a broad market index that represents approximately 97% of the market capitalization of publicly traded U.S. stocks. Eligible companies must pay a qualified dividend, must have at least five years of uninterrupted annual dividend growth and their earnings payout ratio must be less than 75%. Companies that are in the top decile based on dividend yield are excluded from the Underlying Index prior to the dividend growth and payout ratio screens. The Underlying Index may include large-, mid-and small- capitalization companies and may change over time. As of April 30, 2024, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the financials and industrials industries or sectors. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. |
| iShares International Dividend Growth ETF |
The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of international equities with a history of consistently growing dividends. The fund seeks to track the investment results of the Morningstar® Global ex-US Dividend Growth IndexSM (the “Underlying Index”), which is a dividend dollars weighted index that seeks to measure the performance of international equities selected based on a consistent history of growing dividends, as determined by Morningstar Inc. (“Morningstar”). The Underlying Index is a subset of the Morningstar® Global Markets ex-US IndexSM, which is a diversified broad market index that represents approximately 97% of the market capitalization in international developed and emerging markets, as defined by Morningstar. Eligible companies for the Underlying Index must pay a qualified dividend, must have at least five years of uninterrupted annual dividend growth and must have an earnings payout ratio of less than 75%. A company that is in the top decile of dividend yield for its region, as defined by Morningstar (for example, Developed Asia Pacific, Developed Europe, Middle East and Africa, Developed North America ex-US (Canada) and Emerging Markets), is excluded from the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index was composed of securities of companies in 36 countries as of March 31, 2024. The Underlying Index includes large-, mid-and small-capitalization companies and may change over time. As of March 31, 2024, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the industrials industry or sector. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. |
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MONEY MARKET FUNDS
| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| TempFund |
The investment objective of the fund is to seek as high a level of current income as is consistent with liquidity and stability of principal. The fund invests in a broad range of U.S. dollar-denominated money market instruments, including government, U.S. and foreign bank, and commercial obligations and repurchase agreements. The fund invests in securities maturing in 397 days or less (with certain exceptions) and the portfolio will have a dollar-weighted average maturity of 60 days or less and a dollar-weighted average life of 120 days or less. In addition, the fund may invest in mortgage‑ and asset-backed securities, short-term obligations issued by or on behalf of states, territories and possessions of the United States, the District of Columbia, and their respective authorities, agencies, instrumentalities and political subdivisions and derivative securities such as beneficial interests in municipal trust certificates and partnership trusts. The fund may also invest in variable and floating rate instruments, and transact in securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis. The securities purchased by the fund are subject to the quality, diversification, and other requirements of Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and other rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission. |
| T-Fund |
The investment objective of the fund is to seek current income as is consistent with liquidity and stability of principal. The fund invests at least 99.5% of its total assets in cash, U.S. Treasury bills, notes and other obligations issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. Treasury, and repurchase agreements secured by such obligations or cash. The fund invests in securities maturing in 397 days or less (with certain exceptions) and the portfolio will have a dollar-weighted average maturity of 60 days or less and a dollar- weighted average life of 120 days or less. The fund may invest in variable and floating rate instruments, and transact in securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis. The fund will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in U.S. Treasury bills, notes and other obligations of the U.S. Treasury, and repurchase agreements secured by such obligations. This policy is a non-fundamental policy of the fund and the fund will not change the policy without providing shareholders with at least 60 days’ prior notice of any change in the policy. The securities purchased by the fund are subject to the quality, diversification, and other requirements of Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and other rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission. |
| JPMorgan U.S. Treasury Plus Money Market Fund |
The fund seeks current income with liquidity and stability of principal. Under normal conditions, the fund invests its assets exclusively in: obligations of the U.S. Treasury, including Treasury bills, bonds and notes and other obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury, and repurchase agreements fully collateralized by U.S. Treasury securities. The debt securities described above carry different interest rates, maturities and issue dates. The fund is a money market fund managed in the following manner: The fund seeks to maintain a net asset value of $1.00 per share. The dollar-weighted average maturity of the fund will be 60 days or less and the dollar-weighted average life to maturity will be 120 days or less. The fund will only buy securities that have remaining maturities of 397 days or less or securities otherwise permitted to be purchased because of maturity shortening provisions under applicable regulation. The fund invests only in U.S. dollar- denominated securities. The fund seeks to invest in securities that present minimal credit risk. The fund will generally hold a portion of its assets in cash, primarily to meet redemptions. The fund intends to continue to qualify as a “government money market fund,” as such term is defined in or interpreted under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. “Government money market funds” are required to invest at least 99.5% of their assets in (i) cash, (ii) securities issued or guaranteed by the United States or certain U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities and/or (iii) repurchase |
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| Fund Name |
Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies |
| JPMorgan U.S. Treasury Plus Money Market Fund (continued) |
agreements that are collateralized fully, and are exempt from requirements that permit money market funds to impose a liquidity fee. While the fund’s Board of Trustees may elect to subject the fund to liquidity fee requirements in the future, it has not elected to do so at this time. A government money market fund may also include investments in other government money market funds as an eligible investment for purposes of the 99.5% requirement above. The fund’s adviser seeks to develop an appropriate portfolio by considering the differences in yields among securities of different maturities and issue dates. |
61
Account Information
Details About the Share Class
The Fund currently offers multiple share classes (Class K Shares in this prospectus), each with its own sales charge and expense structure, allowing you to invest in the way that best suits your needs. Each share class represents an ownership interest in the same investment portfolio of the Fund. When you choose your class of shares, you should consider the size of your investment and how long you plan to hold your shares. Only certain investors are eligible to buy Class K Shares. Either your financial professional or your selected securities dealer, broker, investment adviser, service provider or industry professional (including BlackRock and its affiliates) (each, a “Financial Intermediary”) can help you determine whether you are eligible to buy Class K Shares.
The Fund’s shares are distributed by BlackRock Investments, LLC (the “Distributor”), an affiliate of BlackRock.
The table below summarizes key features of Class K Shares of the Fund.
Class K Shares at a Glance
| |
|
| Availability |
Available only to (i) certain employee benefit plans, such as health savings accounts, and certain employer-sponsored retirement plans (not including SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs and SARSEPs) (collectively, “Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans”), (ii) collective trust funds, investment companies and other pooled investment vehicles, each of which may purchase shares of the Fund through a Financial Intermediary that has entered into an agreement with the Distributor to purchase such shares, (iii) “Institutional Investors,” which include, but are not limited to, endowments, foundations, family offices, banks and bank trusts, local, city, and state governmental institutions, corporations and insurance company separate accounts, each of which may purchase shares of the Fund through a Financial Intermediary that has entered into an agreement with the Distributor to purchase such shares, (iv) clients of private banks that purchase shares of the Fund through a Financial Intermediary that has entered into an agreement with the Distributor to sell such shares; (v) fee-based advisory platforms of a Financial Intermediary that (a) has specifically acknowledged in a written agreement with the Distributor and/or its affiliate(s) that the Financial Intermediary shall offer such shares to fee-based advisory clients through an omnibus account held at the Fund or (b) transacts in the Fund’s shares through another intermediary that has executed such an agreement and (vi) any other investors who met the eligibility criteria for BlackRock Shares or Class K Shares prior to August 15, 2016 and have continually held Class K Shares of the Fund in the same account since August 15, 2016. |
| Minimum Investment |
$5 million minimum initial investment for Institutional Investors. There is no minimum initial investment requirement for any Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans or any other eligible investors other than Institutional Investors. There is no minimum investment amount for additional purchases. |
| Initial Sales Charge? |
No. Entire purchase price is invested in shares of the Fund. |
| Deferred Sales Charge? |
No. |
| Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees? |
No. |
| Redemption Fees? |
No. |
The Fund reserves the right to modify or waive the above-stated policies at any time.
When Class K Shares are purchased through a customer’s account in an Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plan through procedures established by the Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plan, confirmation of share purchases and redemptions will be sent to the Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plan. A customer’s ownership of shares will be recorded by the Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plan and reflected in the account statements provided by the Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plan to its participants.
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If you purchased your shares through an Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plan and you transfer your investment from an Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plan to a type of account, such as an individual retirement account, that is not an eligible Class K Share investor in the Fund, you must liquidate your investment in Class K Shares of the Fund and purchase a share class of the Fund or another fund advised by BlackRock or its affiliates that is available for purchase by that type of account.
For investors not purchasing shares through an Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plan, please see below for information on how to buy, sell, exchange and transfer shares.
Right of Accumulation
Investors have a “right of accumulation” under which any of the following may be combined with the amount of the current purchase in determining whether an investor qualifies for a breakpoint and a reduced front-end sales charge:
i.
The current value of an investor’s existing Investor A and A1, Investor C, Investor P, Institutional, Class K and Premier Shares in most mutual funds sponsored and advised by BlackRock or its affiliates (“BlackRock Funds”),
ii.
The current value of an investor’s existing shares of certain unlisted closed-end management investment companies sponsored and advised by BlackRock or its affiliates and
iii.
The investment in the BlackRock CollegeAdvantage 529 Program by the investor or by or on behalf of the investor’s spouse and children.
Financial Intermediaries may value current holdings of their customers differently for purposes of determining whether an investor qualifies for a breakpoint and a reduced front-end sales charge, although customers of the same Financial Intermediary will be treated similarly. In order to use this right, the investor must alert BlackRock to the existence of any previously purchased shares.
How to Buy, Sell, Exchange and Transfer Shares
The chart on the following pages summarizes how to buy, sell, exchange and transfer shares through your Financial Intermediary. If you are not purchasing shares through an Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plan, you may also buy, sell, exchange and transfer shares through BlackRock if your account is held directly with BlackRock. To learn more about buying, selling, exchanging or transferring shares through BlackRock, call (800) 537-4942. Because the selection of a mutual fund involves many considerations, your Financial Intermediary may help you with this decision.
With certain limited exceptions, the Fund is generally available only to investors residing in the United States and may not be distributed by a foreign Financial Intermediary. Under this policy, in order to accept new accounts or additional investments (including by way of exchange from another BlackRock Fund) into existing accounts, the Fund generally requires that (i) a shareholder that is a natural person be a U.S. citizen or resident alien, in each case residing within the United States or a U.S. territory (including APO/FPO/DPO addresses), and have a valid U.S. taxpayer identification number, and (ii) a Financial Intermediary or a shareholder that is an entity be domiciled in the United States and have a valid U.S. taxpayer identification number or be domiciled in a U.S. territory and have a valid U.S. taxpayer identification number or IRS Form W-8. Any existing account that is updated to reflect a non-U.S. address will also be restricted from making additional investments.
The Fund may reject any purchase order, modify or waive the minimum initial or subsequent investment requirements for any shareholders and suspend and resume the sale of any share class of the Fund at any time for any reason. In addition, the Fund may waive certain requirements regarding the purchase, sale, exchange or transfer of shares described below.
Under certain circumstances, if no activity occurs in an account within a time period specified by state law, a shareholder’s shares in the Fund may be transferred to that state.
How to Buy Shares
| |
Your Choices |
Important Information for You to Know |
| Initial Purchase |
Determine the amount of your investment |
There is no minimum initial investment for any Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans or any other investors other than Institutional Investors. For Institutional Investors, there is a $5 million minimum initial investment for all accounts. |
63
| |
Your Choices |
Important Information for You to Know |
| Initial Purchase (continued) |
Have your Financial Intermediary submit your purchase order |
The price of your shares is based on the next calculation of the Fund’s net asset value after your order is placed. Any purchase orders placed prior to the close of business on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) will be priced at the net asset value determined that day. Certain Financial Intermediaries, however, may require submission of orders prior to that time. Purchase orders placed after that time will be priced at the net asset value determined on the next business day. A broker-dealer or financial institution maintaining the account in which you hold shares may charge a separate account, service or transaction fee on the purchase or sale of Fund shares that would be in addition to the fees and expenses shown in the Fund’s “Fees and Expenses” table. The Fund may reject any order to buy shares and may suspend the sale of shares at any time. Certain Financial Intermediaries may charge a processing fee to confirm a purchase. |
| |
Or contact BlackRock (for accounts held directly with BlackRock) |
For investors not purchasing shares through an Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plan, to purchase shares directly from BlackRock, call (800) 537-4942 and request a new account application. |
| Add to Your Investment |
Purchase additional shares |
There is no minimum investment amount for additional purchases. |
| |
Have your Financial Intermediary submit your purchase order for additional shares |
To purchase additional shares, you may contact your Financial Intermediary or Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plan. |
| |
Or contact BlackRock (for accounts held directly with BlackRock) |
For investors not purchasing shares through an Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plan: Purchase by Telephone: Call the Fund at (800) 537-4942 and speak with one of our representatives. The Fund has the right to reject any telephone request for any reason. Purchase by Internet: You may purchase your shares and view activity in your account by logging onto the BlackRock website at www.blackrock.com. Purchases made on the Internet using the Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) will have a trade date that is the day after the purchase is made. Certain institutional clients’ purchase orders placed by wire prior to the close of business on the NYSE will be priced at the net asset value determined that day. Contact your Financial Intermediary or BlackRock for further information. Limits on amounts that may be purchased via Internet may vary. For additional information call BlackRock at (800) 537-4942. Please read the On-Line Services Disclosure Statement and User Agreement, the Terms and Conditions page and the Consent to Electronic Delivery Agreement (if you consent to electronic delivery), before attempting to transact online. The Fund employs reasonable procedures to confirm that transactions entered over the Internet are genuine. By entering into the User Agreement with the Fund in order to open an account through the website, the shareholder waives any right to reclaim any losses from the Fund or any of its affiliates incurred through fraudulent activity. |
| |
Acquire additional shares by reinvesting dividends and capital gains |
All dividends and capital gains distributions are automatically reinvested in shares of the Fund at net asset value. To make any changes to your dividend and/or capital gains distributions options, please call BlackRock at (800) 537-4942 (for investors who are not purchasing shares through an Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plan) or contact your Financial Intermediary. |
64
| |
Your Choices |
Important Information for You to Know |
| How to Pay for Shares |
Making payment for purchases |
If you are purchasing shares through an Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plan, payment for an order must be made in Federal funds or other immediately available funds by the time specified by your Financial Intermediary, but in no event later than 4:00 p.m. (Eastern time) on the first business day following the receipt of the order. If payment is not received by this time, the order will be canceled and you and your Financial Intermediary will be responsible for any loss to the Fund. If you are not purchasing shares through an Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plan, payment for shares must normally be made in Federal funds or other immediately available funds by the time specified by your Financial Intermediary but in no event later than 4:00 p.m. (Eastern time) on the first business day following the receipt of the order. Payment may also, at the discretion of the Fund, be made in the form of securities that are permissible investments for the respective fund. If payment is not received by this time, the order will be canceled and you and your Financial Intermediary will be responsible for any loss to the Fund. |
How to Sell Shares
| |
Your Choices |
Important Information for You to Know |
| Full or Partial Redemption of Shares |
Have your Financial Intermediary submit your sales order |
If you purchased shares through an Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plan, you can make redemption requests through your Financial Intermediary in accordance with the procedures applicable to your accounts. These procedures may vary according to the type of account and the Financial Intermediary involved, and customers should consult their Financial Intermediary in this regard. Financial Intermediaries are responsible for transmitting redemption orders and crediting their customers’ accounts with redemption proceeds on a timely basis. Information relating to such redemption services and charges to process a redemption of shares, if any, should be obtained by customers from their Financial Intermediaries. If you did not purchase your shares through an Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plan, you can make redemption requests through your Financial Intermediary. The price of Class K Shares is based on the next calculation of the Fund’s net asset value after your order is placed. For your redemption request to be priced at the net asset value on the day of your request, you must submit your request to your Financial Intermediary prior to that day’s close of business on the NYSE (generally, 4:00 p.m. Eastern time). Certain Financial Intermediaries, however, may require submission of orders prior to that time. Any redemption request placed after that time will be priced at the net asset value at the close of business on the next business day. Regardless of the method the Fund uses to make payment of your redemption proceeds (check or wire), your redemption proceeds typically will be sent one business day after your request is submitted, but in any event, within seven days. Certain Financial Intermediaries may charge a fee to process a redemption of shares. The Fund may reject an order to sell shares under certain circumstances. |
| |
Selling shares held directly with BlackRock |
Methods of Redeeming if You Did Not Purchase Your Shares Through an Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plan Redeem by Telephone: You may sell shares held at BlackRock by telephone request. Call (800) 537-4942 for details. The Fund, its administrators and the Distributor will employ reasonable procedures to confirm that instructions communicated by telephone are genuine. The Fund and its service providers will not be liable for any loss, liability, cost or expense for acting upon telephone instructions |
65
| |
Your Choices |
Important Information for You to Know |
| Full or Partial Redemption of Shares (continued) |
Selling shares held directly with BlackRock (continued) |
that are reasonably believed to be genuine in accordance with such procedures. The Fund may refuse a telephone redemption request if it believes it is advisable to do so. During periods of substantial economic or market change, telephone redemptions may be difficult to complete. Please find below alternative redemption methods. Redeem by Internet: You may redeem in your account, by logging onto the BlackRock website at www.blackrock.com. Proceeds from Internet redemptions will be sent via wire to the bank account of record. Redeem in Writing: Redemption requests may be sent in proper form to BlackRock, P.O. Box 534429, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15253-4429 or for overnight delivery, Attention: 534429, 500 Ross Street 154- 0520, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15262. Under certain circumstances, a medallion signature guarantee will be required. Payment of Redemption Proceeds Redemption proceeds may be paid by check or, if the Fund has verified banking information on file, by wire transfer. Payment by Check: BlackRock will normally mail redemption proceeds within one business day following receipt of a properly completed request, but in any event within seven days. Shares can be redeemed by telephone and the proceeds sent by check to the shareholder at the address on record. Shareholders will pay $15 for redemption proceeds sent by check via overnight mail. You are responsible for any additional charges imposed by your bank for this service. The Fund reserves the right to reinvest any dividend or distribution amounts (e.g., income dividends or capital gains) which you have elected to receive by check should your check be returned as undeliverable or remain uncashed for more than 6 months. No interest will accrue on amounts represented by uncashed checks. Your check will be reinvested in your account at the net asset value next calculated, on the day of the investment. When reinvested, those amounts are subject to the risk of loss like any fund investment. If you elect to receive distributions in cash and a check remains undeliverable or uncashed for more than 6 months, your cash election may also be changed automatically to reinvest and your future dividend and capital gains distributions will be reinvested in the Fund at the net asset value as of the date of payment of the distribution. Payment by Wire Transfer: Payment for redeemed shares for which a redemption order is received before 4:00 p.m. (Eastern time) on a business day is normally made in Federal funds wired to the redeeming shareholder on the next business day, provided that the Fund’s custodian is also open for business. Payment for redemption orders received after 4:00 p.m. (Eastern time) or on a day when the Fund’s custodian is closed is normally wired in Federal funds on the next business day following redemption on which the Fund’s custodian is open for business. The Fund reserves the right to wire redemption proceeds within seven days after receiving a redemption order if, in the judgment of the Fund, an earlier payment could adversely affect the Fund. Shares can be redeemed by Federal wire transfer to a single previously designated bank account. No charge for wiring redemption payments with respect to Class K Shares is imposed by the Fund. You are responsible for any additional charges imposed by your bank for wire transfers. The Fund is not responsible for the efficiency of the Federal wire system or the shareholder’s firm or bank. To change the name of the single, designated bank account to receive wire redemption proceeds, it is necessary to send a written request to the Fund at the address on the back cover of this prospectus. *** |
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| |
Your Choices |
Important Information for You to Know |
| Full or Partial Redemption of Shares (continued) |
Selling shares held directly with BlackRock (continued) |
If you make a redemption request before the Fund has collected payment for the purchase of shares, the Fund may delay mailing your proceeds. This delay will usually not exceed ten days. |
| Redemption Proceeds |
|
Under normal circumstances, the Fund expects to meet redemption requests by using cash or cash equivalents in its portfolio or by selling portfolio assets to generate cash. During periods of stressed market conditions, when a significant portion of the Fund’s portfolio may be comprised of less-liquid investments, the Fund may be more likely to limit cash redemptions and may determine to pay redemption proceeds by (i) borrowing under a line of credit it has entered into with a group of lenders, (ii) borrowing from another BlackRock Fund pursuant to an interfund lending program, to the extent permitted by the Fund’s investment policies and restrictions as set forth in the SAI, and/or (iii) transferring portfolio securities in-kind to you. The SAI includes more information about the Fund’s line of credit and interfund lending program, to the extent applicable. If the Fund pays redemption proceeds by transferring portfolio securities in-kind to you, you may pay transaction costs to dispose of the securities, and you may receive less for them than the price at which they were valued for purposes of redemption. |
How to Exchange Shares or Transfer Your Account
| |
Your Choices |
Important Information for You to Know |
| Exchange Privilege |
Selling shares of one BlackRock Fund to purchase shares of another BlackRock Fund (“exchanging”) |
Class K Shares of the Fund are generally exchangeable for shares of the same class of another BlackRock Fund, to the extent such shares are offered by your Financial Intermediary. Investors who currently own Class K Shares of the Fund may make exchanges into Class K Shares of other BlackRock Funds except for investors holding shares through certain client accounts at Financial Intermediaries that are omnibus with the Fund and do not meet applicable minimums. There is no required minimum amount with respect to exchanges of Class K Shares. You may only exchange into Class K Shares of a BlackRock Fund that is open to new investors or in which you have a current account, if the BlackRock Fund is closed to new investors. To exercise the exchange privilege, you may contact your Financial Intermediary. Alternatively, if your account is held directly with BlackRock, you may: (i) call (800) 537-4942 and speak with one of our representatives, (ii) make the exchange via the Internet by accessing your account online at www.blackrock.com or (iii) send a written request to the Fund at the address on the back cover of this prospectus. Please note, if you indicated on your new account application that you did not want the Telephone Exchange Privilege, you will not be able to place exchanges via the telephone until you update this option either in writing or by calling (800) 537-4942. The Fund has the right to reject any telephone request for any reason. Although there is currently no limit on the number of exchanges that you can make, the exchange privilege may be modified or terminated at any time in the future. The Fund may suspend or terminate your exchange privilege at any time for any reason, including if the Fund believes, in its sole discretion, that you are engaging in market timing activities. See “Short-Term Trading Policy” below. For U.S. federal income tax purposes a share exchange is a taxable event and a capital gain or loss may be realized. Please consult your tax adviser or other Financial Intermediary before making an exchange request. |
| Transfer Shares to Another Financial Intermediary |
Transfer to a participating Financial Intermediary |
You may transfer your Class K Shares of the Fund only to another Financial Intermediary that has entered into an agreement with the Distributor. Certain shareholder services may not be available for the transferred shares. All future trading of these assets must be coordinated by the receiving firm. Please contact your Financial Intermediary to accomplish the transfer of your Class K Shares. |
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| |
Your Choices |
Important Information for You to Know |
| Transfer Shares to Another Financial Intermediary (continued) |
Transfer to a non-participating Financial Intermediary |
You must either: •Transfer your Class K Shares to an account with the Fund; or •Sell your Class K Shares. Please contact your Financial Intermediary to accomplish the transfer of your Class K Shares. |
Additional Purchase and Redemption Information Applicable to the Fund if You Are Not Purchasing Shares Through an Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plan
If you are not purchasing shares through an Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plan, the Fund may authorize one or more banks, savings and loan associations and other financial institutions (each a “Service Organization”) to accept purchase and redemption orders on its behalf. Such Service Organizations may be authorized to designate other intermediaries to accept purchase and redemption orders on the Fund’s behalf. If you purchase or redeem shares through a Service Organization or its designee, that entity may have its own deadlines for the receipt of the purchase or redemption order that may be earlier than those stated in the prospectus. The Fund will be deemed to have received a purchase or redemption order when a Service Organization or, if applicable, that Service Organization’s authorized designee, accepts the order. These orders will be priced at the Fund’s net asset value per share next calculated after they are so accepted.
Fund’s Rights
The Fund may:
◼
Suspend the right of redemption if trading is halted or restricted on the NYSE or under other emergency conditions described in the Investment Company Act;
◼
Postpone the date of payment upon redemption if trading is halted or restricted on the NYSE or under other emergency conditions described in the Investment Company Act or if a redemption request is made before the Fund has collected payment for the purchase of shares;
◼
Redeem shares for property other than cash as may be permitted under the Investment Company Act; and
◼
Redeem shares involuntarily in certain cases, such as when the value of a shareholder account falls below a specified level.
Note on Low Balance Accounts. Because of the high cost of maintaining smaller shareholder accounts, BlackRock has set a minimum balance of $500 in each Fund position you hold within your account (“Fund Minimum”), and may redeem the shares in your account if the net asset value of those shares in your account falls below $500 for any reason, including market fluctuation.
You will be notified that the value of your account is less than the Fund Minimum before the Fund makes any involuntary redemption. This notification will provide you with a 90 calendar day period to make an additional investment in order to bring the value of your account to at least $500 before the Fund makes an involuntary redemption. This involuntary redemption will not charge any deferred sales charge, and may not apply to accounts of certain employer-sponsored retirement plans (not including IRAs), qualified state tuition plan (529 Plan) accounts, and select fee-based programs at your Financial Intermediary.
Short-Term Trading Policy
The Board has determined that the interests of long-term shareholders and the Fund’s ability to manage its investments may be adversely affected when shares are repeatedly bought, sold or exchanged in response to short-term market fluctuations — also known as “market timing.” The Fund is not designed for market timing organizations or other entities using programmed or frequent purchases and sales or exchanges. The exchange privilege is not intended as a vehicle for short-term trading. Excessive purchase and sale or exchange activity may interfere with portfolio management, increase expenses and taxes and may have an adverse effect on the performance of the Fund and its returns to shareholders. For example, large flows of cash into and out of the Fund may require the management team to allocate a significant amount of assets to cash or other short-term investments or sell securities, rather than maintaining such assets in securities selected to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Frequent trading may cause the Fund to sell securities at less favorable prices, and transaction costs, such as brokerage commissions, can reduce the Fund’s performance.
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A fund’s investment in non-U.S. securities is subject to the risk that an investor may seek to take advantage of a delay between the change in value of the fund’s portfolio securities and the determination of the fund’s net asset value as a result of different closing times of U.S. and non-U.S. markets by buying or selling fund shares at a price that does not reflect their true value. A similar risk exists for funds that invest in securities of small capitalization companies, securities of issuers located in emerging markets or high yield securities (junk bonds) that are thinly traded and therefore may have actual values that differ from their market prices. This short-term arbitrage activity can reduce the return received by long-term shareholders. The Fund will seek to eliminate these opportunities by using fair value pricing, as described in “Management of the Fund — Valuation of Fund Investments” below.
The Fund discourages market timing and seeks to prevent frequent purchases and sales or exchanges of Fund shares that it determines may be detrimental to the Fund or long-term shareholders. The Board has approved the policies discussed below to seek to deter market timing activity. The Board has not adopted any specific numerical restrictions on purchases, sales and exchanges of Fund shares because certain legitimate strategies will not result in harm to the Fund or its shareholders.
If as a result of its own investigation, information provided by a Financial Intermediary or other third party, or otherwise, the Fund believes, in its sole discretion, that your short-term trading is excessive or that you are engaging in market timing activity, it reserves the right to reject any specific purchase or exchange order. If the Fund rejects your purchase or exchange order, you will not be able to execute that transaction, and the Fund will not be responsible for any losses you therefore may suffer. For transactions placed directly with the Fund, the Fund may consider the trading history of accounts under common ownership or control for the purpose of enforcing these policies. Transactions placed through the same Financial Intermediary on an omnibus basis may be deemed part of a group for the purpose of this policy and may be rejected in whole or in part by the Fund. Certain accounts, such as omnibus accounts and accounts at Financial Intermediaries, however, include multiple investors and such accounts typically provide the Fund with net purchase or redemption and exchange requests on any given day where purchases, redemptions and exchanges of shares are netted against one another and the identity of individual purchasers, redeemers and exchangers whose orders are aggregated may not be known by the Fund. While the Fund monitors for market timing activity, the Fund may be unable to identify such activities because the netting effect in omnibus accounts often makes it more difficult to locate and eliminate market timers from the Fund. The Distributor has entered into agreements with respect to Financial Intermediaries that maintain omnibus accounts with the Transfer Agent pursuant to which such Financial Intermediaries undertake to cooperate with the Distributor in monitoring purchase, exchange and redemption orders by their customers in order to detect and prevent short-term or excessive trading in the Fund’s shares through such accounts. Identification of market timers may also be limited by operational systems and technical limitations. In the event that a Financial Intermediary is determined by the Fund to be engaged in market timing or other improper trading activity, the Distributor may terminate such Financial Intermediary’s agreement with the Distributor, suspend such Financial Intermediary’s trading privileges or take other appropriate actions.
There is no assurance that the methods described above will prevent market timing or other trading that may be deemed abusive.
The Fund may from time to time use other methods that it believes are appropriate to deter market timing or other trading activity that may be detrimental to the Fund or long-term shareholders.
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Management of the Fund
BlackRock
BlackRock, the Fund’s investment adviser, manages the Fund’s investments and its business operations subject to the oversight of the Board of the Trust. While BlackRock is ultimately responsible for the management of the Fund, it is able to draw upon the trading, research and expertise of its asset management affiliates for portfolio decisions and management with respect to certain portfolio securities. BlackRock is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of BlackRock, Inc.
BlackRock, a registered investment adviser, was organized in 1994 to perform advisory services for investment companies. BlackRock International Limited, BlackRock (Singapore) Limited and BlackRock Asset Management North Asia Limited, the Fund’s sub-advisers (each, a “Sub-Adviser”), are registered investment advisers organized in 1995, 2000 and 1998, respectively. BlackRock and its affiliates had approximately $11.475 trillion in investment company and other portfolio assets under management as of September 30, 2024.
BlackRock serves as manager to the Fund pursuant to an investment advisory agreement (the “Management Agreement”). Pursuant to the Management Agreement, BlackRock is entitled to fees computed daily and payable monthly. The maximum annual management fees that can be paid to BlackRock (as a percentage of average daily net assets) are calculated as follows:
| Average Daily Net Assets |
Management Fee Rate |
| Not exceeding $1 billion |
0.60 % |
| In excess of $1 billion but not exceeding $3 billion |
0.56 % |
| In excess of $3 billion but not exceeding $5 billion |
0.54 % |
| In excess of $5 billion but not exceeding $10 billion |
0.52 % |
| In excess of $10 billion |
0.51 % |
BlackRock has contractually agreed to waive the management fee with respect to any portion of the Fund’s assets estimated to be attributable to investments in other equity and fixed-income mutual funds and ETFs managed by BlackRock or its affiliates that have a contractual management fee, through June 30, 2026. 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 (the “affiliated money market fund waiver”), through June 30, 2026. The contractual agreements may be terminated upon 90 days’ notice by a majority of the non-interested trustees of the Trust or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund.
BlackRock has contractually agreed to cap net expenses (excluding (i) interest, taxes, dividends tied to short sales, brokerage commissions, and other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; (ii) the Fund’s pro rata share of the fees and expenses incurred indirectly by the Fund as a result of investing in other investment companies; (iii) other expenses attributable to, and incurred as a result of, the Fund’s investments; and (iv) extraordinary expenses (including litigation expenses) not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business, if any) of Class K Shares of the Fund at the level shown below and in the Fund’s fees and expenses table in the “Fund Overview” section of this prospectus. Items (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) in the preceding sentence are referred to in this prospectus as “Dividend Expense, Interest Expense, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and certain other Fund expenses.” To achieve this expense cap, BlackRock has agreed to waive and/or reimburse fees or expenses if these operating expenses exceed a certain limit.
With respect to the Fund, BlackRock has contractually agreed to waive and/or reimburse fees or expenses in order to limit Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses to the amount noted in the table below.
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| |
Contractual Cap1 on Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses2 (excluding Dividend Expense, Interest Expense, Acquired Fund (underlying fund) Fees and Expenses and certain other Fund expenses) |
| Class K |
0.60 % |
1
This contractual cap is in effect through June 30, 2026. The contractual agreement may be terminated upon 90 days’ notice by a majority of the non-interested trustees of the Trust or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund.
2
As a percentage of average daily net assets.
The amount of the contractual waivers and/or reimbursements of fees and expenses made pursuant to the contractual cap on net expenses will be reduced by the amount of the affiliated money market fund waiver.
For the fiscal year ended July 31, 2024, BlackRock received a management fee, net of management fee waivers, at the annual rate of 0.55% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.
BlackRock has entered into a sub-advisory agreement with each Sub-Adviser, each an affiliate of BlackRock. Under the sub-advisory agreements, BlackRock pays each Sub-Adviser for services it provides for that portion of the Fund for which the Sub-Adviser acts as sub-adviser a fee equal to a percentage of the management fee paid to BlackRock under the Management Agreement.
In rendering investment advisory services to the Fund, BlackRock uses the portfolio management, research and other resources of BlackRock Investment Management (Australia) Limited (“BlackRock Australia”), a foreign affiliate of BlackRock that is not registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. BlackRock Australia provides services to the Fund through a “participating affiliate” arrangement, as that term is used in relief granted by the staff of the SEC allowing U.S. registered investment advisers to use portfolio management or research resources of advisory affiliates subject to the regulatory supervision of the registered investment adviser. The Fund pays no additional fees and expenses as a result of such arrangement.
A discussion of the basis for the Board’s approval of the Management Agreement with BlackRock and the sub-advisory agreement between BlackRock and each Sub-Adviser with respect to the Fund is included in the Fund’s Annual Financial Statements for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2024, as filed with the SEC on Form N-CSR.
From time to time, a manager, analyst, or other employee of BlackRock or its affiliates may express views regarding a particular asset class, company, security, industry, or market sector. The views expressed by any such person are the views of only that individual as of the time expressed and do not necessarily represent the views of BlackRock or any other person within the BlackRock organization. Any such views are subject to change at any time based upon market or other conditions and BlackRock disclaims any responsibility to update such views. These views may not be relied on as investment advice and, because investment decisions for the Fund are based on numerous factors, may not be relied on as an indication of trading intent on behalf of the Fund.
Portfolio Manager Information
Information regarding the portfolio managers of the Fund is set forth below. Further information regarding the portfolio managers, including other accounts managed, compensation, ownership of Fund shares, and possible conflicts of interest, is available in the Fund’s SAI.
| Portfolio Manager |
Primary Role |
Since |
Title and Recent Biography |
| Justin Christofel, CFA |
Jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio, including setting the Fund’s overall investment strategy and overseeing the management of the Fund. |
2014 |
Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2016. |
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| Portfolio Manager |
Primary Role |
Since |
Title and Recent Biography |
| Alex Shingler, CFA |
Jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio, including setting the Fund’s overall investment strategy and overseeing the management of the Fund. |
2015 |
Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2011. |
Conflicts of Interest
The investment activities of BlackRock and its affiliates (including BlackRock, Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Affiliates”)), and their respective directors, officers or employees, in managing their own accounts and other accounts, may present conflicts of interest that could disadvantage the Fund and its shareholders.
BlackRock and its Affiliates are involved worldwide with a broad spectrum of financial services and asset management activities and in the ordinary course of business may engage in activities in which their interests or the interests of other clients may conflict with those of the Fund. BlackRock and its Affiliates act, or may act, as an investor, research provider, investment manager, commodity pool operator, commodity trading advisor, financier, underwriter, adviser, trader, lender, index provider, agent and/or principal. BlackRock and its Affiliates may have other direct and indirect interests in securities, currencies, commodities, derivatives and other assets in which the Fund may directly or indirectly invest.
BlackRock and its Affiliates may engage in proprietary trading and advise accounts and other funds that have investment objectives similar to those of the Fund and/or that engage in and compete for transactions in the same or similar types of securities, currencies and other assets as are held by the Fund. This may include transactions in securities issued by other open-end and closed-end investment companies, including investment companies that are affiliated with the Fund and BlackRock, to the extent permitted under the Investment Company Act. The trading activities of BlackRock and its Affiliates are carried out without reference to positions held directly or indirectly by the Fund. These activities may result in BlackRock or an Affiliate having positions in assets that are senior or junior to, or that have interests different from or adverse to, the assets held by the Fund.
The Fund may invest in securities issued by, or engage in other transactions with, entities with which an Affiliate has significant debt or equity investments or other interests. The Fund may also invest in issuances (such as debt offerings or structured notes) for which an Affiliate is compensated for providing advisory, cash management or other services. The Fund also may invest in securities of, or engage in other transactions with, entities for which an Affiliate provides or may provide research coverage or other analysis.
An Affiliate may have business relationships with, and receive compensation from, distributors, consultants or others who recommend the Fund or who engage in transactions with or for the Fund.
Neither BlackRock nor any Affiliate is under any obligation to share any investment opportunity, idea or strategy with the Fund. As a result, an Affiliate may compete with the Fund for appropriate investment opportunities. The results of the Fund’s investment activities, therefore, may differ from those of an Affiliate and of other accounts managed by an Affiliate. It is possible that the Fund could sustain losses during periods in which one or more Affiliates and other accounts achieve profits on their trading for proprietary or other accounts. The opposite result is also possible.
In addition, the Fund may enter into transactions in which BlackRock or an Affiliate or their directors, officers, employees or clients have an adverse interest. The Fund may be adversely impacted by the effects of transactions undertaken by BlackRock or an Affiliate or their directors, officers, employees or clients.
From time to time, BlackRock or its advisory clients (including other funds and accounts) may, subject to compliance with applicable law, purchase and hold shares of the Fund. The price, availability, liquidity, and (in some cases) expense ratio of the Fund may be impacted by purchases and sales of the Fund by BlackRock or its advisory clients.
The Fund’s activities may be limited because of regulatory restrictions applicable to BlackRock or an Affiliate or their policies designed to comply with such restrictions.
Under a securities lending program approved by the Board, the Fund has retained BlackRock Investment Management, LLC, an Affiliate of BlackRock, to serve as its securities lending agent to the extent that it participates in the securities lending program. For these services, the securities lending agent will receive a fee from the participating Fund based on the returns earned on the Fund’s lending activities, including the investment of the cash received as collateral for the loaned securities. In addition, one or more Affiliates may be among the entities to which the Fund may lend its portfolio securities under the securities lending program.
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BlackRock and its Affiliates may benefit from a fund using a BlackRock index by creating increasing acceptance in the marketplace for such indexes. BlackRock and its Affiliates are not obligated to license an index to a fund, and no fund is under an obligation to use a BlackRock index. The terms of a fund’s index licensing agreement with BlackRock or its Affiliates may not be as favorable as the terms offered to other licensees.
The activities of BlackRock and its Affiliates and their respective directors, officers or employees, may give rise to other conflicts of interest that could disadvantage the Fund and its shareholders. BlackRock has adopted policies and procedures designed to address these potential conflicts of interest. Please see the SAI for further information.
Valuation of Fund Investments
When you buy shares, you pay the net asset value. This is the offering price. Shares are also redeemed at their net asset value, minus any applicable redemption fee. The net asset value used in determining your share price is the next one calculated after your purchase or redemption order is received. The net asset value of each class of shares normally is determined once daily Monday through Friday, generally as of the close of regular trading hours of the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time), on each day that the NYSE is open for trading, based on prices at the time of closing, provided that any Fund assets or liabilities denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar are translated into U.S. dollars at the prevailing market rates on the date of valuation as quoted by one or more data service providers. The net asset value of shares is calculated by dividing the value of the net assets of each class of shares (i.e., the value of its total assets less total liabilities) by the total number of outstanding shares of the class, generally rounded to the nearest cent.
The value of the securities and other assets and liabilities held by the Fund are determined pursuant to BlackRock’s valuation policies and procedures. BlackRock has been designated by the Board as the valuation designee for the Fund pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the Investment Company Act.
Equity securities and other equity instruments for which market quotations are readily available are valued at market value, which is generally determined using the last reported official closing price or, if a reported closing price is not available, the last traded price on the exchange or market on which the security or instrument is primarily traded at the time of valuation. Shares of underlying open-end funds (including money market funds) are valued at net asset value. Shares of underlying exchange-traded closed-end funds or other ETFs are valued at their most recent closing price.
The Fund values fixed-income portfolio securities using last available bid prices or current market quotations provided by dealers or prices (including evaluated prices) supplied by the Fund’s approved independent third-party pricing services, each in accordance with BlackRock’s valuation policies and procedures. Pricing services may use matrix pricing or valuation models that utilize certain inputs and assumptions to derive values. Pricing services generally value fixed-income securities assuming orderly transactions of an institutional round lot size, but the Fund may hold or transact in such securities in smaller odd lot sizes. Odd lots may trade at lower prices than institutional round lots. An amortized cost method of valuation may be used with respect to debt obligations with 60 days or less remaining to maturity unless BlackRock determines in good faith that such method does not represent fair value.
Generally, trading in non-U.S. securities, U.S. government securities, money market instruments and certain fixed-income securities is substantially completed each day at various times prior to the close of business on the NYSE. The values of such securities used in computing the net asset value of the Fund’s shares are determined as of such times.
When market quotations are not readily available or are believed by BlackRock to be unreliable, BlackRock will fair value the Fund’s investments in accordance with its policies and procedures. BlackRock may conclude that a market quotation is not readily available or is unreliable if a security or other asset or liability does not have a price source due to its lack of trading or other reasons, if a market quotation differs significantly from recent price quotations or otherwise no longer appears to reflect fair value, where the security or other asset or liability is thinly traded, when there is a significant event subsequent to the most recent market quotation, or if the trading market on which a security is listed is suspended or closed and no appropriate alternative trading market is available. A “significant event” is deemed to occur if BlackRock determines, in its reasonable business judgment prior to or at the time of pricing the Fund’s assets or liabilities, that the event is likely to cause a material change to the closing market price of one or more assets held by, or liabilities of, the Fund.
For certain foreign assets, a third-party vendor supplies evaluated, systematic fair value pricing based upon the movement of a proprietary multi-factor model after the relevant foreign markets have closed. This systematic fair value pricing methodology is designed to correlate the prices of foreign assets following the close of the local markets to the price that might have prevailed as of the Fund’s pricing time.
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Fair value represents a good faith approximation of the value of an asset or liability. The fair value of an asset or liability held by the Fund is the amount the Fund might reasonably expect to receive from the current sale of that asset or the cost to extinguish that liability in an arm’s-length transaction. Valuing the Fund’s investments using fair value pricing will result in prices that may differ from current market valuations and that may not be the prices at which those investments could have been sold during the period in which the particular fair values were used.
The Fund may accept orders from certain authorized Financial Intermediaries or their designees. The Fund will be deemed to receive an order when accepted by the Financial Intermediary or designee, and the order will receive the net asset value next computed by the Fund after such acceptance. If the payment for a purchase order is not made by a designated later time, the order will be canceled and the Financial Intermediary could be held liable for any losses.
Dividends, Distributions and Taxes
BUYING A DIVIDEND
Unless your investment is in a tax-deferred account, you may want to avoid buying shares shortly before the Fund pays a dividend. The reason? If you buy shares when the Fund has declared but not yet distributed ordinary income or capital gains, you will pay the full price for the shares and then receive a portion of the price back in the form of a taxable dividend. Before investing you may want to consult your tax adviser.
The Fund will distribute net investment income, if any, monthly and net realized capital gains, if any, at least annually. The Fund may also pay a special distribution at the end of the calendar year to comply with federal tax requirements. Dividends may be reinvested automatically in shares of the Fund at net asset value or may be taken in cash. If you would like to receive dividends in cash, contact your Financial Intermediary or the Fund.
Your tax consequences from an investment in the Fund will depend on whether you have invested through a qualified tax-exempt plan described in section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code (a “Qualified Plan”).
Investments Through a Qualified Plan
Special tax rules apply to investments made through Qualified Plans. If you are invested through a Qualified Plan (and Fund shares are not “debt-financed property” to the plan), then you will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the dividends paid by the Fund or the gain realized from a redemption or exchange of Fund shares until you withdraw or receive distributions from the plan. Distributions you receive from the Qualified Plan may be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax depending on the kind of payment you receive.
Investments Not Made Through Qualified Plans
If you are not invested through a Qualified Plan, you will generally pay tax on dividends from the Fund whether you receive them in cash or additional shares. If you redeem Fund shares or exchange them for shares of another fund, you generally will be treated as having sold your shares and any gain on the transaction may be subject to tax. Fund distributions derived from qualified dividend income, which consists of dividends received from U.S. corporations and qualifying foreign corporations, and long-term capital gains, are eligible for taxation at a maximum rate of 15% or 20% for individuals, depending on whether their income exceeds certain threshold amounts, which are adjusted annually for inflation.
A 3.8% Medicare tax is imposed on the net investment income (which includes, but is not limited to, interest, dividends and net gain from investments) of U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000, or $250,000 if married filing jointly, and of trusts and estates.
Your dividends and redemption proceeds will be subject to backup withholding tax if you have not provided a taxpayer identification number or social security number or the number you have provided is incorrect.
Special Considerations for Non-U.S. Persons
If you are not invested through a Qualified Plan and you are neither a tax resident nor a citizen of the United States or if you are a foreign entity (other than a pass-through entity to the extent owned by U.S. persons), the Fund’s ordinary income dividends will generally be subject to a 30% U.S. withholding tax, unless a lower treaty rate applies. However, certain distributions paid to a foreign shareholder and reported by the Fund as capital gain dividends, interest-related dividends or short-term capital gain dividends may be eligible for an exemption from U.S. withholding tax.
Separately, a 30% withholding tax is currently imposed on U.S.-source dividends, interest and other income items paid to (i) certain foreign financial institutions and investment funds, and (ii) certain other foreign entities. To avoid
74
withholding, foreign financial institutions and investment funds will generally either need to (a) collect and report to the IRS detailed information identifying their U.S. accounts and U.S. account holders, comply with due diligence procedures for identifying U.S. accounts and withhold tax on certain payments made to noncomplying foreign entities and account holders or (b) if an intergovernmental agreement is entered into and implementing legislation is adopted, comply with the agreement and legislation. Other foreign entities will generally either need to provide detailed information identifying each substantial U.S. owner or certify there are no such owners.
This section summarizes some of the consequences under current federal tax law of an investment in the Fund. It is not a substitute for individualized tax advice. Consult your tax adviser about the potential tax consequences of an investment in the Fund under all applicable tax laws.
75
Financial Highlights
The Financial Highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the periods shown. Certain information reflects the financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and/or distributions). The information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s Annual Financial Statements for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2024, as filed with the SEC on Form N-CSR, which are available upon request and at www.blackrock.com.
| |
BlackRock Dynamic High Income Portfolio | ||||
| |
Class K | ||||
| |
Year Ended 07/31/24 |
Year Ended 07/31/23 |
Year Ended 07/31/22 |
Year Ended 07/31/21 |
Year Ended 07/31/20 |
| Net asset value, beginning of year |
$8.29 |
$8.47 |
$10.24 |
$9.04 |
$9.66 |
| Net investment income(a) |
0.60 |
0.52 |
0.48 |
0.50 |
0.46 |
| Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) |
0.38 |
(0.19 ) |
(1.56 ) |
1.20 |
(0.55 ) |
| Net increase (decrease) from investment operations |
0.98 |
0.33 |
(1.08 ) |
1.70 |
(0.09 ) |
| Distributions(b) |
|
|
|
|
|
| From net investment income |
(0.60 ) |
(0.51 ) |
(0.58 ) |
(0.50 ) |
(0.47 ) |
| From net realized gain |
— |
— |
(0.11 ) |
— |
— |
| Return of capital |
— |
— |
— |
— |
(0.06 ) |
| Total distributions |
(0.60 ) |
(0.51 ) |
(0.69 ) |
(0.50 ) |
(0.53 ) |
| Net asset value, end of year |
$8.67 |
$8.29 |
$8.47 |
$10.24 |
$9.04 |
| Total Return(c) |
|
|
|
|
|
| Based on net asset value |
12.43 % |
4.35 % |
(11.09 )% |
19.27 %(d) |
(0.87 )% |
| Ratios to Average Net Assets(e) |
|
|
|
|
|
| Total expenses |
0.76 % |
0.76 % |
0.72 % |
0.72 % |
0.82 % |
| Total expenses after fees waived and/or reimbursed |
0.60 % |
0.60 % |
0.60 % |
0.60 % |
0.60 % |
| Net investment income |
7.21 % |
6.44 % |
5.05 % |
5.14 % |
5.05 % |
| Supplemental Data |
|
|
|
|
|
| Net assets, end of year (000) |
$183,657 |
$192,408 |
$217,072 |
$263,934 |
$166,657 |
| Portfolio turnover rate(f) |
109 % |
66 %(g) |
59 % |
77 % |
94 % |
(a)
Based on average shares outstanding.
(b)
Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.
(c)
Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.
(d)
Includes payment from an affiliate, which had no impact on the Fund’s total return.
(e)
Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.
(f)
Excludes equity-linked notes. Additional information regarding portfolio turnover rate is as follows:
| |
Year Ended 07/31/24 |
Year Ended 07/31/23 |
Year Ended 07/31/22 |
Year Ended 07/31/21 |
Year Ended 07/31/20 |
| Portfolio turnover rate (including equity-linked notes) |
272 % |
189 % |
196 % |
180 % |
215 % |
(g)
Excludes underlying investments in total return swaps.
76
General Information
Shareholder Documents
Electronic Access to Annual Reports, Semi-Annual Reports, Annual and Semi-Annual Financial Statements and Prospectuses
Electronic copies of most financial reports and prospectuses are available on BlackRock’s website. Shareholders can sign up for e-mail notifications of annual and semi-annual reports, annual and semi-annual financial statements and prospectuses by enrolling in the Fund’s electronic delivery program. To enroll:
Shareholders Who Hold Accounts with Investment Advisers, Banks or Brokerages: Please contact your Financial Intermediary. Please note that not all investment advisers, banks or brokerages may offer this service.
Shareholders Who Hold Accounts Directly With BlackRock:
◼
Access the BlackRock website at http://www.blackrock.com/edelivery; and
◼
Log into your account.
Delivery of Shareholder Documents
The Fund delivers only one copy of shareholder documents, including prospectuses, shareholder reports and proxy statements, to shareholders with multiple accounts at the same address. This practice is known as “householding” and is intended to eliminate duplicate mailings and reduce expenses. Mailings of your shareholder documents may be householded indefinitely unless you instruct us otherwise. If you do not want the mailing of these documents to be combined with those for other members of your household, please contact the Fund at (800) 537-4942.
Certain Fund Policies
Anti-Money Laundering Requirements
The Fund is subject to the USA PATRIOT Act (the “Patriot Act”). The Patriot Act is intended to prevent the use of the U.S. financial system in furtherance of money laundering, terrorism or other illicit activities. Pursuant to requirements under the Patriot Act, the Fund is required to obtain sufficient information from shareholders to enable it to form a reasonable belief that it knows the true identity of its shareholders. This information will be used to verify the identity of investors or, in some cases, the status of Financial Intermediaries. Such information may be verified using third-party sources. This information will be used only for compliance with the Patriot Act or other applicable laws, regulations and rules in connection with money laundering, terrorism or economic sanctions.
The Fund reserves the right to reject purchase orders from persons who have not submitted information sufficient to allow the Fund to verify their identity. The Fund also reserves the right to redeem any amounts in the Fund from persons whose identity it is unable to verify on a timely basis. It is the Fund’s policy to cooperate fully with appropriate regulators in any investigations conducted with respect to potential money laundering, terrorism or other illicit activities.
BlackRock Privacy Principles
BlackRock is committed to maintaining the privacy of its current and former fund investors and individual clients (collectively, “Clients”) and to safeguarding their non-public personal information. The following information is provided to help you understand what personal information BlackRock collects, how we protect that information and why in certain cases we share such information with select parties.
If you are located in a jurisdiction where specific laws, rules or regulations require BlackRock to provide you with additional or different privacy-related rights beyond what is set forth below, then BlackRock will comply with those specific laws, rules or regulations.
BlackRock obtains or verifies personal non-public information from and about you from different sources, including the following: (i) information we receive from you or, if applicable, your Financial Intermediary, on applications, forms or other documents; (ii) information about your transactions with us, our affiliates, or others; (iii) information we receive from a consumer reporting agency; and (iv) from visits to our website.
77
BlackRock does not sell or disclose to non-affiliated third parties any non-public personal information about its Clients, except as permitted by law, or as is necessary to respond to regulatory requests or to service Client accounts. These non-affiliated third parties are required to protect the confidentiality and security of this information and to use it only for its intended purpose.
We may share information with our affiliates to service your account or to provide you with information about other BlackRock products or services that may be of interest to you. In addition, BlackRock restricts access to non-public personal information about its Clients to those BlackRock employees with a legitimate business need for the information. BlackRock maintains physical, electronic and procedural safeguards that are designed to protect the non-public personal information of its Clients, including procedures relating to the proper storage and disposal of such information.
Statement of Additional Information
If you would like further information about the Fund, including how it invests, please see the SAI.
For a discussion of the Fund’s policies and procedures regarding the selective disclosure of its portfolio holdings, please see the SAI. The Fund makes its top ten holdings available on a monthly basis at www.blackrock.com generally within 5 business days after the end of the month to which the information applies.
78
Glossary
This glossary contains an explanation of some of the common terms used in this prospectus. For additional information about the Fund, please see the SAI.
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses — the Fund’s pro rata share of the fees and expenses incurred indirectly by the Fund as a result of investing in other investment companies.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses — expenses that cover the costs of operating the Fund.
Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index — a broad-based flagship benchmark that measures the investment grade, U.S. dollar-denominated, fixed-rate taxable bond market. The index includes U.S. Treasuries, government-related and corporate securities, mortgage-backed securities (agency fixed-rate pass-throughs), asset-backed securities and commercial mortgage-backed securities (agency and non-agency).
Bloomberg U.S. High Yield 2% Issuer Capped Index — an unmanaged index of the 2% Issuer Cap component of the Barclays High Yield Corporate Bond Index, which is a market value-weighted index of fixed rate, non-investment grade debt.
Distribution Fees — fees used to support the Fund’s marketing and distribution efforts, such as compensating Financial Intermediaries, advertising and promotion.
Management Fee — a fee paid to BlackRock for managing the Fund.
MSCI World High Dividend Index — an index based on the MSCI World Index, its parent index, that includes large and mid cap stocks across 23 developed markets countries.
MSCI World Index — a broad global equity index that represents large and mid-cap equity performance across all 23 developed markets countries. It covers approximately 85% of the free float-adjusted market capitalization in each country.
Other Expenses — include accounting, administration, transfer agency, custody, professional fees and registration fees.
Service Fees — fees used to compensate Financial Intermediaries for certain shareholder servicing activities.
Shareholder Fees — these fees include sales charges that you may pay when you buy or sell shares of the Fund.
79
For More Information
Fund and Service Providers
FUND
BlackRock Funds II
BlackRock Dynamic High Income Portfolio
100 Bellevue Parkway
Wilmington, Delaware 19809
BlackRock Dynamic High Income Portfolio
100 Bellevue Parkway
Wilmington, Delaware 19809
Written Correspondence:
P.O. Box 534429
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15253-4429
P.O. Box 534429
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15253-4429
Overnight Mail:
Attention: 534429
500 Ross Street 154-0520
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15262
Attention: 534429
500 Ross Street 154-0520
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15262
(800) 537-4942
MANAGER AND ADMINISTRATOR
BlackRock Advisors, LLC
100 Bellevue Parkway
Wilmington, Delaware 19809
100 Bellevue Parkway
Wilmington, Delaware 19809
SUB-ADVISERS
BlackRock International Limited
Exchange Place One
1 Semple Street
Edinburgh, EH3 8BL, United Kingdom
Exchange Place One
1 Semple Street
Edinburgh, EH3 8BL, United Kingdom
BlackRock (Singapore) Limited
20 Anson Road #18-01
079912 Singapore
20 Anson Road #18-01
079912 Singapore
BlackRock Asset Management North Asia Limited
16/F, 2 Queen’s Road Central
Cheung Kong Center
Hong Kong
16/F, 2 Queen’s Road Central
Cheung Kong Center
Hong Kong
TRANSFER AGENT
BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc.
301 Bellevue Parkway
Wilmington, Delaware 19809
301 Bellevue Parkway
Wilmington, Delaware 19809
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Two Commerce Square
2001 Market Street, Suite 1800
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103
Two Commerce Square
2001 Market Street, Suite 1800
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103
ACCOUNTING SERVICES PROVIDER
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.
383 Madison Avenue, Floor 11
New York, New York 10179
383 Madison Avenue, Floor 11
New York, New York 10179
DISTRIBUTOR
BlackRock Investments, LLC
50 Hudson Yards
New York, New York 10001
50 Hudson Yards
New York, New York 10001
CUSTODIAN
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.
383 Madison Avenue, Floor 11
New York, New York 10179
383 Madison Avenue, Floor 11
New York, New York 10179
COUNSEL
Sidley Austin LLP
787 Seventh Avenue
New York, New York 10019
787 Seventh Avenue
New York, New York 10019
Additional Information
For more information:
This prospectus contains important information you should know before investing, including information about risks. Please read it before you invest and keep it for future reference. More information about the Fund is available at no charge upon request. This information includes:
This prospectus contains important information you should know before investing, including information about risks. Please read it before you invest and keep it for future reference. More information about the Fund is available at no charge upon request. This information includes:
Annual/Semi-Annual Reports and Form N-CSR
The Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports and Form N-CSR contain additional information about the Fund’s investments. The annual report describes the Fund’s performance, lists portfolio holdings, and discusses recent market conditions, economic trends and Fund investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance for the last fiscal year. In Form N-CSR, you will find the Fund’s annual and semi-annual financial statements.
The Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports and Form N-CSR contain additional information about the Fund’s investments. The annual report describes the Fund’s performance, lists portfolio holdings, and discusses recent market conditions, economic trends and Fund investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance for the last fiscal year. In Form N-CSR, you will find the Fund’s annual and semi-annual financial statements.
Statement of Additional Information
A Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”), dated November 27, 2024, has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The SAI, which includes additional information about the Fund, may be obtained free of charge, along with the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports and other information such as Fund financial statements, by calling (800) 537-4942. The SAI, as amended and/or supplemented from time to time, is incorporated by reference into this prospectus.
A Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”), dated November 27, 2024, has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The SAI, which includes additional information about the Fund, may be obtained free of charge, along with the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports and other information such as Fund financial statements, by calling (800) 537-4942. The SAI, as amended and/or supplemented from time to time, is incorporated by reference into this prospectus.
BlackRock Investor Services
Representatives are available to discuss account balance information, mutual fund prospectuses, literature, programs and services available. Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (Eastern time), on any business day. Call: (800) 537-4942.
Representatives are available to discuss account balance information, mutual fund prospectuses, literature, programs and services available. Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (Eastern time), on any business day. Call: (800) 537-4942.
Purchases and Redemptions
Call your Financial Intermediary or BlackRock Investor Services at (800) 537-4942.
Call your Financial Intermediary or BlackRock Investor Services at (800) 537-4942.
World Wide Web
General Fund information and specific Fund performance, including the SAI, annual/semi-annual reports and other information such as Fund financial statements, can be accessed free of charge at www.blackrock.com/prospectus. Mutual fund prospectuses and literature can also be requested via this website.
General Fund information and specific Fund performance, including the SAI, annual/semi-annual reports and other information such as Fund financial statements, can be accessed free of charge at www.blackrock.com/prospectus. Mutual fund prospectuses and literature can also be requested via this website.
Written Correspondence
BlackRock Funds II
P.O. Box 534429
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15253-4429
BlackRock Funds II
P.O. Box 534429
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15253-4429
Overnight Mail
BlackRock Funds II
Attention: 534429
500 Ross Street 154-0520
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15262
BlackRock Funds II
Attention: 534429
500 Ross Street 154-0520
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15262
Internal Wholesalers/Broker Dealer Support
Available on any business day to support investment professionals. Call: (800) 882-0052.
Available on any business day to support investment professionals. Call: (800) 882-0052.
Portfolio Characteristics and Holdings
A description of the Fund’s policies and procedures related to disclosure of portfolio characteristics and holdings is available in the SAI.
A description of the Fund’s policies and procedures related to disclosure of portfolio characteristics and holdings is available in the SAI.
For information about portfolio holdings and characteristics, BlackRock fund shareholders and prospective investors may call (800) 882-0052.
Securities and Exchange Commission
You may also view and copy public information about the Fund, including the SAI, by visiting the EDGAR database on the SEC’s website (http://www.sec.gov). Copies of this information can be obtained, for a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.
You may also view and copy public information about the Fund, including the SAI, by visiting the EDGAR database on the SEC’s website (http://www.sec.gov). Copies of this information can be obtained, for a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.
You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus. No one is authorized to provide you with information that is different from information contained in this prospectus.
The SEC has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT FILE # 811-22061
PRO-DHIP-K-1124