XML 14 R6.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v2.4.1.9
iShares Enhanced International Small-Cap ETF
iSHARES® ENHANCED INTERNATIONAL SMALL-CAP ETF
Ticker: IEIS                                  Stock Exchange: NYSE Arca
Investment Objective
The iShares Enhanced International Small-Cap ETF (the “Fund”) seeks long-term capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses
The following table describes the fees and expenses that you will incur if you own shares of the Fund. The investment advisory agreement between iShares U.S. ETF Trust (the “Trust”) and BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BFA”) (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”) provides that BFA will pay all operating expenses of the Fund, except interest expenses, taxes, brokerage expenses, future distribution fees or expenses, and extraordinary expenses.

You may also incur usual and customary brokerage commissions when buying or selling shares of the Fund, which are not reflected in the Example that follows:
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(ongoing expenses that you pay each year as a
percentage of the value of your investments)
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
Management Fees
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees
Other Expenses
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
iShares Enhanced International Small-Cap ETF
0.49% none none 0.49%
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:
Expense Example (USD $)
1 Year
3 Years
iShares Enhanced International Small-Cap ETF
50 157
Portfolio Turnover.
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. From inception, February 25, 2014, to the most recent fiscal year end, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 17% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities of international small-capitalization issuers. The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund ("ETF") that does not seek to replicate the performance of a specified index. The Fund will seek to invest in strategic international small-capitalization stocks with targeted investment characteristics. BFA utilizes a proprietary investment process to assemble an investment portfolio from a defined group of international small-capitalization stocks based on certain quantitative investment characteristics, including, but not limited to, cash earnings, earnings variability, leverage, price-to-book ratio and market capitalization. Companies in the universe of international small-capitalization securities, in which the Fund invests, primarily include consumer discretionary, financials and industrials companies, and may change over time.

The Fund may have a higher portfolio turnover than funds that seek to replicate the performance of an index.

The Fund may gain exposure to certain companies by investing in depositary receipts, which may be listed or traded outside of an issuer's country or domicile.

The Fund may lend securities representing up to one-third of the value of the Fund's total assets (including the value of the collateral received).
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 the principal risks noted below, any of which may adversely affect the Fund's net asset value per share ("NAV"), trading price, yield, total return and ability to meet its investment objective. Unlike many ETFs, the Fund is not an index-based ETF.

Asset Class Risk. Securities in the Fund's portfolio may underperform in comparison to the general securities markets, a particular securities market or other asset classes.

Concentration Risk. The Fund may be susceptible to an increased risk of loss, including losses due to adverse occurrences affecting the Fund more than the market as a whole, to the extent that the Fund's investments are concentrated in the securities of a particular issuer or issuers, country, group of countries, region, market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class.

Consumer Discretionary Sector Risk. The consumer discretionary sector may be affected by changes in domestic and international economies, exchange and interest rates, competition, consumers' disposable income, consumer preferences, social trends and marketing campaigns.

Currency Risk. Because the Fund's NAV is determined in U.S. dollars, the Fund's NAV could decline if the currency of a non-U.S. market in which the Fund invests depreciates against the U.S. dollar.

Equity Securities Risk. Equity securities are subject to changes in value and their values may be more volatile than those of other asset classes.

Factor Risk. The Fund seeks to provide exposure to international small-capitalization stocks based on certain quantitative investment characteristics ("factors"), including, but not limited to, cash earnings, earnings variability, leverage, price-to-book ratio and market capitalization. There can be no assurance that targeting exposure to such investment factors will enhance the Fund's performance over time. It is expected that targeting exposure to such investment factors will detract from performance in some market environments, perhaps for extended periods. In such circumstances, BFA will seek to maintain exposure to the targeted investment factors and will not adjust the Fund's investment process to target different factors.

Financials Sector Risk. Performance of companies in the financials sector may be adversely impacted by many factors, including, among others, government regulations, economic conditions, credit rating downgrades, changes in interest rates, and decreased liquidity in credit markets. This sector has experienced significant losses in the recent past, and the impact of more stringent capital requirements and of recent or future regulation on any individual financial company or on the sector as a whole cannot be predicted.

Geographic Risk. A natural or other disaster could occur in a geographic region in which the Fund invests, which could affect the economy or particular business operations of companies in the specific geographic region, causing an adverse impact on the Fund's investments in the affected region.

High Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading of its portfolio securities. High portfolio turnover (higher 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, as well as possible increased taxable distributions.

Industrials Sector Risk. The industrials sector may be affected by changes in the supply of and demand for products and services, product obsolescence, claims for environmental damage or product liability and general economic conditions, among other factors.

Investment Exposure Risk. BFA considers certain investment factors in seeking to implement the Fund's investment program. BFA will not attempt to consider factors outside of these targeted investment factors or take defensive positions under any market conditions, including declining markets. The Fund could lose money as a result of targeting its exposure to equity markets.

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. There is no guarantee that an issuer that paid dividends in the past will continue to do so in the future or will continue paying dividends at the same level.

Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk exists when particular investments are difficult to purchase or sell. This can reduce the Fund's returns because the Fund may be unable to transact at advantageous times or prices.

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 Risk. The Fund could lose money over short periods due to short-term market movements and over longer periods during market downturns.

Market Trading Risk. The Fund faces numerous market trading risks, including the potential lack of an active market for Fund shares, losses from trading in secondary markets, periods of high volatility and disruption in the creation/redemption process of the Fund. Unlike some ETFs that track specific indexes, the Fund does not seek to replicate the performance of a specified index. Index-based ETFs have generally traded at prices that closely correspond to NAV. Given the high level of transparency of the Fund's holdings, BFA believes that the trading experience of the Fund should be similar to that of index-based ETFs. However, ETFs that do not seek to replicate the performance of a specified index have a limited trading history and, therefore, there can be no assurance as to whether, and/or the extent to which, the Fund's shares will trade at premiums or discounts to NAV. ANY OF THESE FACTORS, AMONG OTHERS, MAY LEAD TO THE FUND'S SHARES TRADING AT A PREMIUM OR DISCOUNT TO NAV.

Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund may invest a large percentage of its assets in securities issued by or representing a small number of issuers. As a result, the Fund's performance may depend on the performance of a small number of issuers.

Non-U.S. Securities Market Risk. Non-U.S. securities markets may trade a small number of securities and may be unable to respond effectively to increases in trading volume, potentially making prompt liquidation of holdings difficult or impossible at times.

Non-U.S. Securities Risk. Investments in the securities of non-U.S. issuers are subject to the risks associated with investing in those non-U.S. markets, such as heightened risks of inflation or nationalization. The Fund may lose money due to political, economic and geographic events affecting issuers of non-U.S. securities or non-U.S. markets. The Fund is specifically exposed to Asian Economic Risk and European Economic Risk.

Privatization Risk.
Some countries in which the Fund invests have privatized, or have begun a process of privatizing, certain entities and industries. Privatized entities may lose money or be re-nationalized.

Reliance on Trading Partners Risk. The Fund invests in countries whose economies are heavily dependent upon trading with key partners. Any reduction in this trading may have an adverse impact on the Fund's investments. Through its portfolio companies' trading partners, the Fund is specifically exposed to Asian Economic Risk, Australasian Economic Risk and U.S. Economic Risk.

Risk of Investing in Developed Countries. The Fund's investment in developed country issuers may subject the Fund to regulatory, political, currency, security, and economic risks specific to developed countries. Developed countries tend to represent a significant portion of the global economy and have generally experienced slower economic growth than some other countries. A majority of developed countries have recently experienced a significant economic slowdown. In addition, developed countries may be impacted by changes to the economic health of certain key trading partners, regulatory burdens, debt burdens and the price or availability of certain commodities.

Risk of Investing in Japan. The Japanese economy may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability, which could have a negative impact on Japanese securities. Since the year 2000, Japan's economic growth rate has remained relatively low, and it may remain low in the future. 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.

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 the 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, and their securities may be more volatile and less liquid.

Valuation Risk. The sale price the Fund could receive for a security may differ from the Fund's valuation of the security , particularly for securities or 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 assets in the Fund's portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund's shares.

Value Securities Risk. Securities issued by companies that may be perceived as undervalued may fail to appreciate for long periods of time and may never realize their full potential value.
Performance Information
As of the date of the Fund's prospectus (the “Prospectus”), the Fund has been in operation for less than one full calendar year and therefore does not report its performance information.