Results

iShares Trust

11/12/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/12/2024 13:41

Summary Prospectus by Investment Company - Form 497K

Form 497K
November 12, 2024
Summary Prospectus
iShares LifePath Target Date 2070 ETF | ITDJ | NYSE ARCA
Before you invest, you may want to review the Fund's prospectus, which contains more information about the Fund and its risks. You can find the Fund's prospectus (including amendments and supplements) and other information about the Fund, including the Fund's statement of additional information and shareholder reports, online at https://www.blackrock.com/prospectus. You can also get this information at no cost by calling 1-800-iShares (1-800-474-2737) or by sending an e-mail request to [email protected], or from your financial professional. The Fund's prospectus and statement of additional information, both dated October 28, 2024, as amended and supplemented from time to time, are incorporated by reference into (legally made a part of) this Summary Prospectus. Information on the Fund's net asset value, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads can be found at https://www.iShares.com.

  
The Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
iShares LifePath Target Date 2070 ETF
Ticker: ITDJStock Exchange: NYSE Arca
Investment Objective
The iShares LifePath Target Date 2070 ETF (the "2070 Fund" or the "Fund") seeks to provide retirement outcomes through exposure to a broad portfolio of ETFs which adjusts its allocation as it approaches its target date.
Fees and Expenses
The following table describes the fees and expenses that you will incur if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund. The investment advisory agreement between iShares Trust (the "Trust") and BlackRock Fund Advisors ("BFA") (the "Investment Advisory Agreement") provides that BFA will pay all operating expenses of the Fund, except: (i) the management fees, (ii) interest expenses, (iii) taxes, (iv) expenses incurred with respect to the acquisition and disposition of portfolio securities and the execution of portfolio transactions, including brokerage commissions, (v) distribution fees or expenses, and (vi) litigation expenses and any extraordinary expenses. The Fund may incur "Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses." Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses reflect 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. The impact of Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses is included in the total returns of the Fund. Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are not included in the calculation of the ratio of expenses to average net assets shown in the Financial Highlights section of the Fund's prospectus (the "Prospectus").
You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(ongoing expenses that you pay each year as a
percentage of the value of your investments)1
Management
Fees
Distribution and
Service (12b-1)
Fees
Other
Expenses2
Acquired Fund Fees
and Expenses 3
Total Annual
Fund
Operating
Expenses
0.00%
None
0.00%
0.12%
0.12%
1
Operating expenses paid by BFA under the Investment Advisory Agreement exclude Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, if any.
2
The amount of Other Expenses rounded to 0.00%.
3
As the Fund has not commenced operations prior to the date of the Fund's Prospectus, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are based on an estimate of the Fund's allocation to other investment companies for the current fiscal year.
Example. This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of owning shares of the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
1 Year
3 Years
$12
$39
Portfolio Turnover. The Fund and the iShares funds in which the Fund invests (each, an "Underlying Fund" and collectively, the "Underlying Funds") may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when they buy and sell securities (or "turn over" their portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate for the Fund or Underlying Funds may indicate higher transaction costs and may cause the Fund or Underlying Funds to incur increased expenses. These costs, which are not reflected in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example (except costs to Underlying Funds included as part of Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses), affect the Fund's performance. Because the Fund is new, there is no reportable turnover.
Principal Investment Strategies
The 2070 Fund allocates and reallocates its assets among a combination of Underlying Funds in proportions based on its own investment strategy.
The 2070 Fund is an exchange-traded fund ("ETF") and does not seek to replicate the performance of a specified index and may have a higher degree of portfolio turnover than such index funds.
The 2070 Fund is one of a group of funds referred to as the "LifePath ETFs," each of which seeks to provide for retirement outcomes based on quantitatively measured risk that investors on average may be willing to accept given a particular time horizon.
BFA employs a multi-dimensional approach to assess risk for the 2070 Fund and to determine its allocation across asset classes.
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As part of this multi-dimensional approach, BFA aims to quantify risk using proprietary risk measurement tools that, among other things, analyze historical and forward-looking securities market data, including risk, asset class correlations, and expected returns. Under normal circumstances, the 2070 Fund intends to invest primarily in affiliated exchange-traded funds ("ETFs").
The 2070 Fund will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its assets in securities or other financial instruments that are components of or have economic characteristics similar to the securities included in its custom model benchmark, the 2070 Target Date Custom Benchmark. BFA will not publish its custom benchmark but will apply a proprietary model to monitor performance of the 2070 Fund. The 2070 Fund is designed for investors expecting to retire or to begin withdrawing assets around the year 2070. At inception, BFA expects the 2070 Fund to hold approximately 99% of its assets in Underlying Funds that seek to track particular underlying indexes of equity securities, approximately 1% of its assets in Underlying Funds that seek to track particular fixed-income indexes and the remainder of its assets in Underlying Funds that invest primarily in money market instruments.
At inception, the Fund invests in the iShares 10+ Year Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF, iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares Core MSCI International Developed Markets ETF, iShares Core U.S. REIT ETF, iShares Russell 1000 ETF, iShares Russell 2000 ETF and BlackRock Cash Funds. Factors such as fund classifications, historical risk and performance, and the relationship to other Underlying Funds in the Fund are considered when selecting Underlying Funds. The specific Underlying Funds selected for the Fund are determined at BFA's discretion and may change as deemed appropriate to allow the Fund to meet its investment objective. See the "Information About the Underlying Funds" section of the prospectus for a list of the Underlying Funds, their classification into equity, fixed-income or money market funds and a brief description of their investment objectives and primary investment strategies.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund's asset allocation will change over time according to a predetermined "glide path" as the Fund approaches its target date. The glide path below represents the shifting of asset classes over time. As the glide path shows, as time elapses prior to retirement, the Fund's asset allocations become more conservative. This reflects the need for reduced investment risk as retirement approaches and the need for lower volatility of the Fund, which for certain investors may be a primary source of income after retirement. During the year prior to the Fund's maturity date, its allocation of assets is expected to be similar to that of the Retirement Fund. Further, as retirement approaches, such Fund and the Retirement Fund is expected to, subject to approval by the Trust's Board of Trustees (the "Board"), merge into a single fund.
The following chart illustrates the glide path - the target allocation among asset classes as the LifePath ETFs approach their target dates:
The following table lists the target allocation by years until retirement: 
Years to
Retirement
Equity Allocation
(including REITs)
Fixed-Income
Allocation
45
99%
1%
40
99%
1%
35
99%
1%
30
98%
2%
25
95%
5%
20
87%
13%
15
77%
23%
10
65%
35%
5
53%
47%
0
40%
60%
The asset allocation targets are established by the Fund's portfolio managers. The investment team, including the portfolio managers, meets regularly to assess market conditions, review the asset allocation targets of the Fund, and determine whether any changes are required to enable the Fund to achieve its investment objective.
Although the asset allocation targets listed for the glide path are general, long-term targets, BFA may periodically adjust the proportion of equity and fixed-income Underlying Funds in the Fund, based on an assessment of the current market conditions, the potential contribution of each asset class to the expected risk and return characteristics of the Fund, reallocations of the Fund's composition to reflect intra-year movement along the glide path and other factors. In general, such adjustments will be limited; however, BFA may determine that a greater degree of variation is warranted to protect the Fund or achieve its investment objective.
BFA's second step in the structuring of the Fund is the selection of the Underlying Funds. Factors such as fund classifications, historical risk and performance, and the relationship to other Underlying Funds in the Fund are considered when selecting Underlying Funds. The specific Underlying Funds selected for the Fund are determined at BFA's discretion and may change as deemed appropriate to allow the Fund to meet its investment objective. See the "Information About the Underlying Funds"
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section of the prospectus for a list of the Underlying Funds, their classification into equity, fixed-income or money market funds and a brief description of their investment objectives and primary investment strategies.
Within the prescribed percentage allocations to equity and fixed-income index funds, BFA seeks to diversify the Fund. The allocation to Underlying Funds that track equity indexes may be further diversified by style (including both value and growth), market capitalization (including emerging growth, large-, mid-, and small-capitalization), region (i.e., U.S, and international, including emerging markets) or other attributes. The allocation to Underlying Funds that track fixed-income indexes may be further diversified by sector (including government, corporate, U.S. agency MBS or debentures, CMBS, and other sectors), duration (a of measurement of interest rate risk), credit quality (including investment grade bonds and high yield bonds), geographic location (including U.S. and non-U.S. securities, including bonds of emerging market issuers), currency (U.S. dollar-denominated or local currency bonds) or other attributes. Though BFA seeks to diversify the Fund, certain Underlying Funds may concentrate their investments in specific sectors or geographic regions or countries. The percentage allocation to the various styles of equity and fixed-income Underlying Funds is determined at the discretion of the investment team and can be changed to reflect the current market environment.
Certain Underlying Funds may invest in real estate investment trusts ("REITs"), foreign securities, emerging market securities, high yield bonds and derivative securities or instruments, such as options and futures, the value of which is derived from another security, a currency or commodity, an interest rate or an index, when seeking to match the performance of a particular market index. The Fund and certain Underlying Funds may also lend securities with a value up to one-third of their respective total assets to financial institutions that provide cash or securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government as collateral.
Summary of Principal Risks
As with any investment, you could lose all or part of your investment in the Fund, and the Fund's performance could trail that of other investments. The Fund is subject to certain risks, including the principal risks noted below (either directly or through its investments in the Underlying Funds), any of which may adversely affect the Fund's net asset value per share ("NAV"), trading price, yield, total return and ability to meet its investment objective. Certain key risks are prioritized below (with others following in alphabetical order), but the relative significance of any risk is difficult to predict and may change over time. You should review each risk factor carefully.
Equity Securities Risk. Equity securities are subject to changes in value, and their values may be more volatile than those of other asset classes. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons that may directly relate to the issuer as well as due to general industry or market conditions. Common stock is subordinated to preferred securities and debt in a company's capital structure. Common stock has the lowest priority, and the greatest risk, with respect to dividends and any liquidation payments in the event of an issuer's bankruptcy.
Allocation Risk. The Fund's ability to achieve its investment objective depends upon BFA's ability to develop a model that accurately assesses the Fund's asset class allocation and selects an appropriate mix of Underlying Funds and other ETFs. There is a risk that BFA's evaluations and assumptions regarding asset classes or Underlying Funds, which are utilized as inputs in the model, may be incorrect in view of actual market conditions.
Investment in Underlying Funds Risk. The Fund invests substantially all of its assets in the Underlying Funds, so the Fund's investment performance is directly related to the performance of the Underlying Funds. The Fund's NAV will change with changes in the value of the Underlying Funds and other securities in which the Fund invests based on their market valuations. An investment in the Fund will entail more costs and expenses than a direct investment in the Underlying Funds.
As the Underlying Funds, or the Fund's allocations among the Underlying Funds, change from time to time, or to the extent that the total annual fund operating expenses of any Underlying Fund change, the weighted average operating expenses borne by the Fund may increase or decrease.
Affiliated Fund Risk. In managing the Fund, BFA has the ability to select Underlying Funds and substitute Underlying Funds with other ETFs that it believes will achieve the Fund's objective. BFA may be subject to potential conflicts of interest in selecting Underlying Funds and substituting Underlying Funds with other ETFs because the fees paid to BFA by some Underlying Funds and other ETFs managed by BFA may be higher than the fees paid by other Underlying Funds. If an Underlying Fund or other ETF holds interests in an affiliated fund in excess of a certain amount, the Fund may be prohibited from purchasing shares of that Underlying Fund or other ETF.
Retirement Income Risk. The 2070 Fund does not provide a guarantee that sufficient capital appreciation will be achieved to provide adequate income at and through retirement. The 2070 Fund also does not ensure that you will have assets in your account sufficient to cover your retirement expenses; this will depend on the amount of money you have invested in the 2070 Fund, the length of time you have held your investment, the returns of the markets over time, the amount you spend in retirement, and your other assets and income sources.
Selection Risk. Selection risk is the risk that the securities selected by the 2070 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.
Market Risk. The Fund could lose money over short periods due to short-term market movements and over longer periods during more prolonged market downturns. Local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, pandemics or other public health issues, recessions, the prospect or occurrence of a sovereign default or other financial crisis, or other events could have a significant impact on the Fund and its investments and could result in increased premiums or discounts to the Fund's NAV.
Asset Class Risk. The securities and other assets in the Fund's portfolio may underperform in comparison to financial markets
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generally, a particular financial market, another index, or other asset classes.
Assets Under Management (AUM) Risk. From time to time, an Authorized Participant (as defined below in Authorized Participant Concentration Risk), a third-party investor, the Fund's adviser, an affiliate of the Fund's adviser, or another fund may invest in the Fund and hold its investment for a specific period of time to allow the Fund to achieve size or scale. There can be no assurance that any such entity would not redeem its investment or that the size of the Fund would be maintained at such levels, which could negatively impact the Fund.
Authorized Participant Concentration Risk. An "Authorized Participant" is a member or participant of a clearing agency registered with the SEC, which has a written agreement with the Fund or one of its service providers that allows the Authorized Participant to place orders for the purchase and redemption of creation units ("Creation Units"). Only an Authorized Participant may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. There are a limited number of institutions that may act as Authorized Participants for the Fund, including on an agency basis on behalf of other market participants. No Authorized Participant is obligated to engage in creation or redemption transactions. To the extent that Authorized Participants exit the business or do not place creation or redemption orders for the Fund and no other Authorized Participant places orders, Fund shares are more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting.
Concentration Risk. The Fund may be susceptible to an increased risk of loss, including losses due to adverse events that affect the Fund's investments more than the market as a whole, to the extent that the Fund's investments are concentrated in the securities or other assets of one or more issuers, countries or other geographic units, markets, industries, project types, or asset classes.
Currency Risk. Because the Fund's NAV is determined in U.S. dollars, the NAV could decline if the currency of the non-U.S. market in which the Fund invests depreciates against the U.S. dollar or if there are delays or limits on the repatriation of foreign currency. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. As a result, the Fund's NAV may change quickly and without warning. In addition, the Fund may incur costs in connection with conversions between U.S. dollars and foreign currencies.
Cybersecurity Risk. Failures or breaches of the electronic systems of the Fund, its adviser, distributor, other service providers, counterparties, or issuers of assets in which the Fund invests may cause disruptions that negatively impact the Fund and its shareholders. While the Fund has established business continuity plans and risk management systems seeking to address system breaches or failures, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems. The Fund cannot control the cybersecurity plans and systems of its service providers, counterparties, and other third parties whose activities affect the Fund. In addition, cyber incidents may adversely impact the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, which may cause such investments to lose value.
Derivatives Risk. The Fund or an Underlying Fund may invest in certain types of derivatives contracts, including futures, options and swaps, which can be more sensitive to changes in interest rates or to sudden fluctuations in market prices than conventional securities, which can result in greater losses to the Fund.
Energy Companies Risk. Companies in the energy sector may be adversely affected by volatility in energy and commodity prices, lower demand, overproduction, depletion of resources, social and political unrest, war, trade disputes, government regulations and energy transition efforts, among other factors. The energy sector is cyclical and can be significantly impacted by changes in economic conditions. Some energy companies, such as those in the oil and gas sector, face substantial costs related to exploration and production and significant operational risks. Energy companies are at risk of environmental damage claims and other litigation.
Financial Companies Risk. Financial services companies are subject to extensive governmental regulation and intervention, which may adversely affect their profitability, the scope of their activities, the prices they can charge, the amount of capital and liquid assets they must maintain and their size, among other things. Financial services companies also may be significantly affected by, among other things, interest rates, economic conditions, volatility in financial markets, credit rating downgrades, adverse public perception, exposure concentration and counterparty risk.
Healthcare Companies Risk. The profitability of healthcare companies may be adversely affected by extensive government regulations, restrictions on government reimbursement for medical expenses, rising costs of medical products and services, pricing pressure, the protection and expiration of patents, limited product lines, supply chain issues, labor shortages and product liability claims, among other factors.
Industrial Companies Risk. Industrial companies face a number of risks, including supply chain and distribution disruptions, business interruptions, product obsolescence, third-party vendor risks, cyber attacks, trade disputes, product recalls, liability claims, scarcity of materials or parts, excess capacity, changes in consumer preferences, and volatility in commodity prices and currencies. The performance of such companies may also be affected by technological developments, labor relations, legislative and regulatory changes, government spending policies, and changes in domestic and international economies.
Infrastructure Industry Risk. Companies in the infrastructure industry may be subject to a variety of factors that could adversely affect their business or operations, including high interest costs in connection with capital construction programs, high degrees of leverage, costs associated with governmental, environmental and other regulations, the level of government spending on infrastructure projects, and other factors.
Issuer Risk. The performance of the Fund depends on the performance of individual securities or other assets to which the Fund has exposure. The value of securities or other assets may decline, or perform differently from the market as a whole, due to changes in the financial condition or credit rating of the issuer or counterparty.
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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 and competitive challenges. Large-capitalization companies may be more mature and subject to more limited growth potential compared with smaller-capitalization companies. The performance of large-capitalization companies could trail the overall performance of the broader securities markets.
Management Risk. The Fund is subject to management risk, which is the risk that the investment process, techniques and risk analyses applied by BFA will not produce the desired results, and that securities selected by BFA may underperform the market or any relevant benchmark. In addition, legislative, regulatory, or tax developments may affect the investment techniques available to BFA in connection with managing the Fund and may also adversely affect the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective.
Market Trading Risk. The Fund faces numerous market trading risks, including the potential lack of an active market for Fund shares (including through a trading halt), losses from trading in secondary markets, periods of high volatility, and disruptions in the process of creating and redeeming Fund shares. Any of these factors, among others, may lead to the Fund's shares trading in the secondary market at a premium or discount to NAV or to the intraday value of the Fund's portfolio holdings. If you buy Fund shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to NAV or sell Fund shares at a time when the market price is at a discount to NAV, you may pay significantly more or receive significantly less than the underlying value of the Fund shares.
Mid-Capitalization Companies Risk. Compared to large-capitalization companies, mid-capitalization companies may be less stable and more susceptible to adverse developments. The securities of mid-capitalization companies may be more volatile and less liquid than those of large-capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund's share price may be more volatile than that of a fund with a greater investment in large-capitalization stocks.
National Closed Market Trading Risk. To the extent that securities or other assets held by the Fund trade on foreign exchanges or in foreign markets that may be closed when the securities exchange on which the Fund's shares trade is open, there are likely to be deviations between such asset's current price and its last quoted price (i.e., the quote from the closed foreign market to the Fund). The impact of a closed foreign market on the Fund is likely to be greater where a large portion of the Fund's holdings trade on a closed foreign market or when a foreign market is closed for unscheduled reasons. These deviations could result in premiums or discounts to the Fund's NAV that may be greater than those experienced by other funds.
Non-U.S. Securities Risk. Securities issued by non-U.S. issuers (including depositary receipts) are subject to different legal, regulatory, political, economic, and market risks than securities issued by U.S. issuers. These risks include greater market volatility, less market liquidity, higher transaction costs, expropriation, confiscatory taxation, adverse changes in foreign investment or currency control regulations, restrictions on the repatriation of capital, and political instability. Non-U.S. issuers may be subject to different accounting, audit and financial reporting standards than U.S. issuers, and there may be less
publicly available information about non-U.S. issuers. Foreign market trading hours, different clearing and settlement procedures, and holiday schedules may limit the Fund's ability to engage in portfolio transactions. To the extent that investments are made in a limited number of countries, events in those countries will have a more significant impact on the Fund. The Fund is specifically exposed to Asian Economic Risk, European Economic Risk and North American Economic Risk.
Operational Risk. The Fund is exposed to operational risks arising from a number of factors, including, but not limited to, human error, processing and communication errors, errors of the Fund's service providers, counterparties or other third parties, failed or inadequate processes and technology or systems failures. The Fund and BFA seek to reduce these operational risks through controls and procedures. However, these measures do not address every possible risk and may be inadequate to address significant operational risks.
Risk of Investing in China. Investments in Chinese securities, including certain Hong Kong-listed and U.S.-listed securities, subject the Fund or the Underlying Funds to risks specific to China. China may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability. China is an emerging market and demonstrates significantly higher volatility from time to time in comparison to developed markets. Over the last few decades, the Chinese government has undertaken reform of economic and market practices and has expanded the sphere of private ownership of property in China. However, Chinese markets generally continue to experience inefficiency, volatility and pricing anomalies resulting from governmental influence, a lack of publicly available information and/or political and social instability.
Chinese companies are also subject to the risk that Chinese authorities can intervene in their operations and structure. Internal social unrest or confrontations with neighboring countries, including military conflicts in response to such events, may also disrupt economic development in China and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency non-convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher rates of inflation.
China has experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international relations. Additionally, China is alleged to have participated in state-sponsored cyberattacks against foreign companies and foreign governments. Actual and threatened responses to such activity and strained international relations, including purchasing restrictions, sanctions, tariffs or cyberattacks on the Chinese government or Chinese companies, may impact China's economy and Chinese issuers of securities in which the Fund invests. Incidents involving China's or the region's security may cause uncertainty in Chinese markets and may adversely affect the Chinese economy and the Fund's investments. Export growth continues to be a major driver of China's rapid economic growth. Reduction in spending on Chinese products and services, supply chain diversification, institution of additional tariffs or other trade barriers (including as a result of heightened trade tensions or a trade war between China and the U.S. or in response to actual or alleged Chinese cyber activity) or a downturn in any of the economies of China's key trading partners may have an adverse impact on the Chinese economy.
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Chinese companies, including Chinese companies that are listed on U.S. exchanges, are not subject to the same degree of regulatory requirements, accounting standards or auditor oversight as companies in more developed countries. As a result, information about the Chinese securities in which the Fund invests may be less reliable or complete. Chinese companies with securities listed on U.S. exchanges may be delisted if they do not meet U.S. accounting standards and auditor oversight requirements, which would significantly decrease the liquidity and value of the securities. There may be significant obstacles to obtaining information necessary for investigations into or litigation against Chinese companies, and shareholders may have limited legal remedies. The Fund does not select investments based on investor protection considerations.
Risk of Investing in Developed Countries. The Fund's and the Underlying Fund's investment in developed country issuers will subject the Fund to legal, regulatory, political, currency, security, economic and other risks associated with developed countries. Developed countries tend to represent a significant portion of the global economy and have generally experienced slower economic growth than some less developed countries. Certain developed countries have experienced security concerns, such as war, terrorism and strained international relations. Incidents involving a country's or region's security may cause uncertainty in its markets and may adversely affect its economy and the Fund's or an Underlying Fund's investments. In addition, developed countries may be adversely impacted by changes to the economic conditions of certain key trading partners, regulatory burdens, debt burdens and the price or availability of certain commodities.
Risk of Investing in India. Investments in Indian issuers involve risks that are specific to India, including legal, regulatory, political, currency and economic risks. Political and legal uncertainty, greater government control over the economy, currency fluctuations or blockage, and the risk of nationalization or expropriation of assets may result in higher potential for losses. The securities markets in India are relatively underdeveloped and may subject the Fund or an Underlying Fund to higher transaction costs or greater uncertainty than investments in more developed securities markets.
Risk of Investing in Japan. Investing in Japanese issuers subjects the Fund to legal, regulatory, political, currency, security, and economic risks that are specific to Japan. In addition, Japan is subject to the risk of natural disasters, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, typhoons and tsunamis, which could negatively affect the Fund or an Underlying Fund. Japan's relations with its neighbors have at times been strained, which could adversely affect the Japanese markets and economy.
Risk of Investing in Russia. Investing in Russian securities involves significant risks, including legal, regulatory, currency and economic risks that are specific to Russia. In addition, investing in Russian securities involves risks associated with the settlement of portfolio transactions and loss of the Fund's ownership rights in its portfolio securities as a result of the system of share registration and custody in Russia. Governments, including the U.S., the U.K., the E.U., and many other countries have imposed economic sanctions on certain Russian individuals and Russian corporate and banking entities, and jurisdictions may also institute broader sanctions on Russia. Russia has issued a number
of countersanctions, some of which restrict the distribution of profits by limited liability companies (e.g., dividends), and prohibit Russian persons from entering into transactions with designated persons from "unfriendly states" as well as the export of raw materials or other products from Russia to certain sanctioned persons.
Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The extent and duration of the military action, resulting sanctions and resulting future market disruptions, including declines in its stock markets and the value of the ruble against the U.S. dollar, are impossible to predict, but could be significant. Disruptions caused by Russian military action or other actions (including cyberattacks and espionage) or resulting actual and threatened responses to such activity, including purchasing and financing restrictions, boycotts or changes in consumer or purchaser preferences, sanctions, import and export restrictions, tariffs or cyberattacks on the Russian government, Russian companies, or Russian individuals, including politicians, may impact Russia's economy and Russian companies in which the Fund invests. Actual and threatened responses to Russian military action may also impact the markets for certain Russian commodities, such as oil and natural gas, as well as other sectors of the Russian economy, and are likely to have collateral impacts on such sectors globally. Russian companies may be unable to pay dividends and, if they pay dividends, the Fund may be unable to receive them. As a result of sanctions, the Fund is currently restricted from trading in Russian securities, including those in its portfolio, and the underlying indexes of the Underlying Funds have removed Russian securities. It is unknown when, or if, sanctions may be lifted or the Fund's ability to trade in Russian securities will resume.
Risk of Investing in Saudi Arabia. Investing in Saudi Arabian issuers subjects the Fund to legal, regulatory, political, currency, security, and economic risks that are specific to Saudi Arabia. The economy of Saudi Arabia is dominated by petroleum exports. A sustained decrease in petroleum prices could have a negative impact on all aspects of the economy. Investments in the securities of Saudi Arabian issuers involve risks not typically associated with investments in securities of issuers in more developed countries, which may negatively affect the value of the Fund's investments. Such heightened risks may include, among others, the expropriation and/or nationalization of assets, restrictions on and government intervention in international trade, confiscatory taxation, political instability, including authoritarian and/or military involvement in governmental decision-making, armed conflict, crime and instability as a result of religious, ethnic and/or socioeconomic unrest. Instability in the Middle East region could adversely impact the economy of Saudi Arabia, and there is no assurance of political stability in Saudi Arabia.
The ability of foreign investors to invest in the securities of Saudi Arabian companies could be restricted by the Saudi Arabian government at any time, and unforeseen risks could materialize with respect to foreign ownership of such securities. There are a number of ways to conduct transactions in equity securities in the Saudi Arabian market. The Fund generally expects to transact in a manner so that it is not limited by Saudi Arabian regulations to a single broker. However, there may be a limited number of brokers who can provide services to the Fund, which may have an adverse impact on the prices, quantity or timing of Fund transactions.
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Risk of Investing in Taiwan. Investments in Taiwanese issuers involve risks that are specific to Taiwan, including legal, regulatory, political, currency and economic risks. Political and economic developments of Taiwan's neighbors may have an adverse effect on Taiwan's economy. Specifically, Taiwan's geographic proximity and history of political contention with China have resulted in ongoing tensions, which may materially affect the Taiwanese economy and its securities market.
Risk of Investing in the U.S. Investing in U.S. issuers subjects the Fund to legal, regulatory, political, currency, security, and economic risks that are specific to the U.S. Certain changes in the U.S., such as a weakening of the U.S. economy or a decline in its financial markets, may have an adverse effect on U.S. issuers.
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.
Small-Capitalization Companies Risk. Compared to mid- and large-capitalization companies, small-capitalization companies may be less stable and more susceptible to adverse developments. The securities of small-capitalization companies may be more volatile and less liquid than those of mid- and large-capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund's share price may be more volatile than that of a fund with a greater investment in large- or mid-capitalization stocks.
Tax Risk. Because the Fund is expected to invest in the Underlying Funds, the Fund's realized losses on sales of shares of an Underlying Fund may be indefinitely or permanently deferred as "wash sales." Distributions of short-term capital gains by an Underlying Fund will be recognized as ordinary income by the Fund and would not be offset by the Fund's capital loss carryforwards, if any. Capital loss carryforwards of an Underlying Fund, if any, would not offset net capital gains of the Fund.
Technology Companies Risk. Technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technological advances may have
limited product lines, markets, financial resources, supply chains and personnel. These companies typically face intense competition, potentially rapid product obsolescence and changes in product cycles and customer preferences. They may face unexpected risks and costs associated with technological developments, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning. Technology companies also depend heavily on intellectual property rights and may be adversely affected by the loss or impairment of those rights. Technology companies may face increased government scrutiny and may be subject to adverse government or legal action.
Utility Companies Risk. The utilities sector is generally subject to significant government regulation and oversight, including restrictions on rates as well as environmental and other regulations. Utility companies also may face risks related to, among other things, natural disasters, cyber or other attacks, capital project funding, energy price volatility and increased competition.
Valuation Risk. The price that the Fund could receive upon the sale (or other disposition) of a security or other asset may differ from the Fund's valuation of the security or other asset, particularly for securities or other assets that trade in low volume or volatile markets or that are valued using a fair value methodology. In addition, the value of the securities or other assets in the Fund's portfolio may change on days or during time periods when investors are not able to purchase or sell Fund shares. Authorized Participants that create or redeem Fund shares on days when the Fund is holding fair-valued securities or other assets may receive fewer or more shares, or lower or higher redemption proceeds, than they would have received had the securities or other assets not been fair valued or been valued using a different methodology. The ability to value investments may be impacted by technological issues or errors by pricing services or other third-party service providers.
Performance Information
As of the date of the Prospectus, the Fund has not commenced operations and therefore has no performance information to report.
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Management
Investment Adviser. BlackRock Fund Advisors.
Portfolio Managers. Christopher Chung and Suzanne Ly (the "Portfolio Managers") are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. Each Portfolio Manager supervises a portfolio management team. Mr. Chung and Ms. Ly have been Portfolio Managers of the Fund since inception (2024).
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is an ETF. Individual shares of the Fund may only be bought and sold in the secondary market through a broker-dealer. Because ETF shares trade at market prices rather than at NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (a premium) or less than NAV (a discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the "bid-ask spread").
Tax Information
The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account ("IRA"), in which case, your distributions generally will be taxed when withdrawn.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), BFA or other related companies may pay the intermediary for marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.
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For more information visit www.iShares.com or call 1-800-474-2737
Investment Company Act file No.: 811-09729
IS-SP-ITDJ-1124