497K 1 d406259d497k.htm BLACKROCK INTERNATIONAL DIVIDEND FUND - SERVICE BlackRock International Dividend Fund - Service

JUNE 12, 2017

 

 

 

 

 

SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

 

     

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BlackRock FundsSM  |  Service Shares

 

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BlackRock International Dividend Fund

Service: BRESX

 

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 report, online at http://www.blackrock.com/prospectus. You can also get this information at no cost by calling (800) 537-4942 or by sending an e-mail request to prospectus.request@blackrock.com, or from your financial professional. The Fund’s prospectus and statement of additional information, both dated June 12, 2017, as amended and supplemented from time to time, are incorporated by reference into (legally made a part of) this Summary Prospectus.

 

This Summary Prospectus contains information you should know before investing, including information about risks. Please read it before you invest and keep it for future reference.

 

The Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this Summary Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

Not FDIC Insured • May Lose Value • No Bank Guarantee


Summary Prospectus

 

Key Facts About BlackRock International Dividend Fund

 

Investment Objective


 

The investment objective of BlackRock International Dividend Fund (formerly known as BlackRock International Opportunities Portfolio) (the “Fund”), a series of BlackRock FundsSM (the “Trust”), is to seek long-term total return and current income.

 

Fees and Expenses of the Fund


 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold Service Shares of the Fund.

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
   Service
Shares

Management Fee1,2,3

       0.79%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

       0.25%

Other Expenses

       0.29%

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses3

       0.01%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses3

       1.34%

Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements2,4

       (0.24)%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements2,4

       1.10%
1 

The Management Fee has been restated to reflect current fees.

2 

As described in the “Management of the Fund” section of the Fund’s prospectus beginning on page 27, BlackRock Advisors, LLC (“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 exchange-traded funds managed by BlackRock or its affiliates that have a contractual management fee, through January 31, 2019. 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.

3 

The Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses do not correlate to the ratio of expenses to average net assets given in the Fund’s most recent annual report, which does not include Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and does not include the restatement of Management Fees to reflect current fees.

4 

As described in the “Management of the Fund” section of the Fund’s prospectus beginning on page 27, BlackRock has contractually agreed to waive and/or reimburse fees or expenses in order to limit Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements (excluding Dividend Expense, Interest Expense, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and certain other Fund expenses) to 1.09% of average daily net assets through January 31, 2019. The Fund may have to repay some of these waivers and/or reimbursements to BlackRock in the following two years. 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:

 

     1 Year        3 Years        5 Years        10 Years  

Service Shares

   $ 112        $ 401        $ 711        $ 1,592  

 

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 47% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund


 

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes in dividend-paying equity securities issued by foreign companies of any market capitalization and derivatives that have similar economic characteristics to such securities. Foreign securities may include securities

 

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(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 (but in no less than three different countries). For temporary defensive purposes the Fund may deviate very substantially from this allocation.

 

The Fund will primarily invest in equity securities, which include common stock, preferred stock, securities convertible into common and 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 (“IPOs”) or “new issues.”

 

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 (the “World Bank”)), 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 outside of the United States 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 use derivatives, including options, futures, indexed securities, inverse securities, 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, when consistent with its investment objective, buy or sell options or futures on a security or an index of securities and may buy options on a currency or a basket of currencies, or enter into foreign currency transactions, including swaps. The Fund may also use forward foreign currency exchange contracts, which are obligations to buy or sell a currency at a pre-determined rate in the future. Derivatives are financial instruments whose value is derived from another security, a currency or an index. The use of options, futures, indexed securities, inverse securities, swaps and forward contracts can be effective in protecting or enhancing the value of the Fund’s assets. The Fund may, but under normal market conditions generally does not intend to, use derivatives for speculation to increase returns.

 

The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading of portfolio securities to achieve its principal investment strategies.

 

The Fund is classified as diversified under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

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.

 

 

Convertible Securities Risk — The market value of a convertible security performs like that of a regular debt security; that is, if market interest rates rise, the value of a convertible security usually falls. In addition, convertible securities are subject to the risk that the issuer will not be able to pay interest or dividends when due, and their market value may change based on changes in the 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.

 

 

Corporate Loans Risk — Commercial banks and other financial institutions or institutional investors make corporate loans to companies that need capital to grow or restructure. Borrowers generally pay interest on corporate loans at rates that change in response to changes in market interest rates such as the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) or the prime rates of U.S. banks. As a result, the value of corporate loan investments is generally less exposed to the adverse effects of shifts in market interest rates than investments that pay a fixed rate of interest. The market for corporate loans may be subject to irregular trading activity and wide bid/ask spreads. In addition, transactions in corporate loans may settle on a delayed basis. As a result, the proceeds from the sale of corporate loans may not be readily available to make additional investments or to meet the 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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Debt Securities Risk — Debt securities, such as bonds, involve interest rate risk, credit risk, extension risk, and prepayment risk, among other things.

 

Interest Rate Risk — The market value of bonds and other fixed-income securities changes in response to interest rate changes and other factors. Interest rate risk is the risk that prices of bonds and other fixed-income securities will increase as interest rates fall and decrease as interest rates rise.

 

The Fund may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates due to the current period of historically low 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%. 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.

 

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 principal and interest payments 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 the issuer’s financial condition and on the terms of the securities.

 

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.

 

 

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:

 

Volatility 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.

 

Counterparty Risk — Derivatives are also subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the other party in the transaction will not fulfill its contractual obligation.

 

Market and Liquidity 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.

 

Valuation Risk — 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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Regulatory Risk — Derivative contracts, including, without limitation, swaps, currency forwards and non-deliverable forwards, are subject to regulation under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“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, certain derivatives are subject to margin requirements and swap dealers are required to collect margin from the Fund with respect to such derivatives. Specifically, regulations are now in effect that require swap dealers to post and collect variation margin (comprised of specified liquid instruments and subject to a required haircut) in connection with trading of over-the-counter (“OTC”) swaps with the Fund. Shares of investment companies (other than certain money market funds) may not be posted as collateral under these regulations. Requirements for posting of initial margin in connection with OTC swaps will be phased-in over the next several years. The implementation of these requirements with respect to OTC swaps, as well as regulations under the Dodd-Frank Act regarding clearing, mandatory trading and margining of other derivatives, may increase the costs to the Fund of trading in these instruments and, as a result, may affect returns to investors in the Fund. In December 2015, the Securities and Exchange Commission proposed a new rule to regulate the use of derivatives by registered investment companies, such as the Fund. If the rule goes into effect, it could limit the ability of the Fund to invest or remain invested in derivatives.

 

 

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.

 

 

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.

 

 

Foreign Securities Risk — Foreign investments often involve special risks not present in U.S. investments that can increase the chances that the Fund will lose money. These risks include:

 

   

The Fund generally holds its foreign securities and cash in foreign banks and securities depositories, which may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business and may be subject to only limited or no regulatory oversight.

 

   

Changes in foreign currency exchange rates can affect the value of the Fund’s portfolio.

 

   

The economies of certain foreign markets may not compare favorably with the economy of the United States with respect to such issues as growth of gross national product, reinvestment of capital, resources and balance of payments position.

 

   

The governments of certain countries may prohibit or impose substantial restrictions on foreign investments in their capital markets or in certain industries.

 

   

Many foreign governments do not supervise and regulate stock exchanges, brokers and the sale of securities to the same extent as does the United States and may not have laws to protect investors that are comparable to U.S. securities laws.

 

   

Settlement and clearance procedures in certain foreign markets may result in delays in payment for or delivery of securities not typically associated with settlement and clearance of U.S. investments.

 

 

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.

 

 

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.

 

 

Junk Bonds Risk — Although junk bonds generally pay higher rates of interest than investment grade bonds, junk bonds are speculative and high risk investments that may cause income and principal losses for the Fund.

 

 

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 any required asset segregation requirements. Increases and decreases in the value of the Fund’s portfolio will be magnified when the Fund uses leverage.

 

 

Market Risk and Selection Risk — Market risk is the risk that one or more markets in which the Fund invests will go down in value, including the possibility that the markets will go down sharply and unpredictably. 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.

 

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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.

 

 

“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.

 

 

Small and Mid-Capitalization Company Risk — Companies with small or mid-size market capitalizations will normally have more limited product lines, markets and financial resources and will be dependent upon a more limited management group than larger capitalized companies. 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.

 

 

Supranational Entities Risk — The Fund may invest in obligations issued or guaranteed by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (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.

 

 

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.

 

Performance Information


 

Effective June 12, 2017, the Fund changed its name, investment objective, investment process and investment strategies. Performance for the periods shown below is based on the investment process and investment strategies utilized by the Fund prior to June 12, 2017 under the name “BlackRock International Opportunities Portfolio.”

 

The information shows you how the Fund’s performance has varied year by year and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The table compares the Fund’s performance to that of the MSCI All Country World Index ex-U.S. To the extent that dividends and distributions have been paid by the Fund, the performance information for the Fund in the chart and table assumes reinvestment of the dividends and distributions. As with all such investments, past performance (before and after taxes) is not an indication of future results. The table includes all applicable fees. If BlackRock and its affiliates had not waived or reimbursed certain Fund expenses during these periods, the 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 http://www.blackrock.com or can be obtained by phone at (800) 882-0052.

 

Service Shares

ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS

BlackRock International Dividend Fund

As of 12/31

 

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During the ten-year period shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 28.04% (quarter ended June 30, 2009) and the lowest return for a quarter was –24.50% (quarter ended September 30, 2008). The year-to-date return as of March 31, 2017 was 5.06%.

 

As of 12/31/16

Average Annual Total Returns

   1 Year      5 Years      10 Years  

BlackRock International Dividend Fund — Service Shares

                          

Return Before Taxes

     0.48      4.85      0.97

Return After Taxes on Distributions

     (0.64 )%       3.90      0.15

Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares

     0.97      3.75      0.89

MSCI All Country World Index ex-U.S.

(Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

     4.50      5.00      0.96

 

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual Federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and the after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.

 

Investment Manager


 

The Fund’s investment manager is BlackRock Advisors, LLC (previously defined as “BlackRock”). The Fund’s sub-adviser is BlackRock International Limited (the “Sub-Adviser”). Where applicable, “BlackRock” refers also to the Sub-Adviser.

 

Portfolio Managers


 

Name

   Portfolio Manager of the Fund Since    Title

Stuart Reeve

   2017    Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc.

Andrew Wheatley-Hubbard, CFA

   2017    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 (as defined below), or, if you hold your shares through the Fund, you should contact the Fund by phone at (800) 537-4942, by mail (c/o BlackRock Funds, P.O. Box 9819, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-8019), or by the Internet at www.blackrock.com. The Fund’s initial and subsequent investment minimums for Service Shares generally are as follows, although the Fund may reduce or waive the minimums in some cases:

 

    Service Shares
Minimum Initial Investment   $5,000
Minimum Additional Investment   There is no minimum amount for additional investments.

 

Tax Information


 

The Fund’s dividends and distributions may be subject to 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 retirement plan, in which case you may be subject to Federal income tax upon withdrawal from such tax-deferred arrangements.

 

Payments to Broker/Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries


 

If you purchase shares of the Fund through a financial professional or selected securities dealer, broker, investment adviser, service provider or industry professional (including BlackRock, The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. and their respective affiliates) (each, 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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