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Investor A, C and Institutional | BlackRock Advantage Small Cap Core Fund
Fund Overview
Investment Objective
The investment objective of BlackRock Advantage Small Cap Core Fund (formerly known as BlackRock Disciplined Small Cap Core Fund) (the “Fund”), a series of BlackRock FundsSM (the “Trust”), is to seek capital appreciation over the long term.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. 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 Advisors, LLC (“BlackRock”) and its affiliates. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional or your 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”) and in the “Details About the Share Classes” and the “Intermediary-Defined Sales Charge Waiver Policies” sections on pages 20 and A-1, respectively, of the Fund’s prospectus and in the “Purchase of Shares” section on page II-71 of Part II of the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (the “SAI”).
Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
Shareholder Fees - Investor A, C and Institutional - BlackRock Advantage Small Cap Core Fund
Investor A Shares
Investor C Shares
Institutional Shares
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) 5.25% none none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of offering price or redemption proceeds, whichever is lower) none [1] 1.00% [2] none
[1] A contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”) of 1.00% is assessed on certain redemptions of Investor A Shares made within 18 months after purchase where no initial sales charge was paid at time of purchase as part of an investment of $1,000,000 or more.
[2] There is no CDSC on Investor C Shares after one year.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a
percentage of the value of your investment)
Annual Fund Operating Expenses - Investor A, C and Institutional - BlackRock Advantage Small Cap Core Fund
Investor A Shares
Investor C Shares
Institutional Shares
Management Fee [1] 0.45% 0.45% 0.45%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees 0.25% 1.00% none
Other Expenses [2],[3] 0.59% 0.66% 0.48%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses [3] 1.29% 2.11% 0.93%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements [1],[4] (0.54%) (0.61%) (0.43%)
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements [1],[4] 0.75% 1.50% 0.50%
[1] As described in the “Management of the Fund” section of the Fund’s prospectus beginning on page 35, 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 September 30, 2018. 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] Other Expenses have been restated to reflect current fees.
[3] The Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses do not correlate to the ratios of expenses to average net assets given in the Fund’s most recent annual report, which do not include the restatement of Other Expenses to reflect current fees.
[4] As described in the “Management of the Fund” section of the Fund’s prospectus beginning on page 35, 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 0.75% (for Investor A Shares), 1.50% (for Investor C Shares) and 0.50% (for Institutional Shares) of average daily net assets through September 30, 2018. 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 $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Expense Example - Investor A, C and Institutional - BlackRock Advantage Small Cap Core Fund - USD ($)
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Investor A Shares 598 862 1,146 1,955
Investor C Shares 253 602 1,078 2,393
Institutional Shares 51 253 473 1,104
You would pay the following expenses if you did not redeem your shares:
Expense Example, No Redemption
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Investor A, C and Institutional | BlackRock Advantage Small Cap Core Fund | Investor C Shares | USD ($) 153 602 1,078 2,393
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. For the fiscal year ended May 31, 2017, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 127% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund
Under normal circumstances, the Fund seeks to invest at least 80% of its net assets plus any borrowings for investment purposes in equity securities or other financial instruments that are components of, or have market capitalizations similar to, the securities included in the Russell 2000® Index. The companies included in the Russell 2000® Index have market capitalizations that range from approximately $144 million to $4.366 billion as of May 12, 2017. The Fund primarily seeks to buy common stock and may also invest in preferred stock and convertible securities. From time to time the Fund may invest in shares of companies through “new issues” or initial public offerings (“IPOs”).

The Fund may use derivatives, including options, futures, swaps and forward contracts both to seek to increase the return of the Fund and to hedge (or protect) the value of its assets against adverse movements in currency exchange rates, interest rates and movements in the securities markets. In order to manage cash flows into or out of the Fund effectively, the Fund may buy and sell financial futures contracts or options on such contracts. Derivatives are financial instruments whose value is derived from another security, a commodity (such as oil or gas), a currency or an index, including but not limited to the Russell 2000® Index. The use of options, futures, swaps and forward contracts can be effective in protecting or enhancing the value of the Fund’s assets.
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.
  • 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.

    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 through 2020. In addition, regulations adopted by prudential regulators that will begin to take effect in 2019 will 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. 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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 equity funds that use different investment styles.
  • 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.
  • Liquidity Risk — Liquidity risk exists when particular investments are difficult to purchase or sell. The Fund’s investments in illiquid securities may reduce the returns of the Fund because it may be difficult to sell the illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price. 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 liquidity risk. Liquid investments may become illiquid after purchase by the Fund, particularly during periods of market turmoil. 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. 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.
  • 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.
  • “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.
  • 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 stock of larger companies.
  • 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 more limited management group than larger capitalized companies.
Performance Information
The information shows you how the Fund’s performance has varied for the periods since inception and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The table compares the Fund’s performance to that of the Russell 2000® Index. To the extent that dividends and distributions have been paid by the Fund, the performance information of 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. Sales charges are not reflected in the bar chart. If they were, returns would be less than those shown. However, the table includes all applicable fees and sales charges. 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.
Investor A Shares
ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS
BlackRock Advantage Small Cap Core Fund
As of 12/31
Bar Chart
During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 10.50% (quarter ended December 31, 2016) and the lowest return for a quarter was -7.56% (quarter ended September 30, 2015). The year-to-date return as of June 30, 2017 was 3.01%.
As of 12/31/16
Average Annual Total Returns
Average Annual Total Returns - Investor A, C and Institutional - BlackRock Advantage Small Cap Core Fund
1 Year
Since Inception
Inception Date
Investor A Shares 17.03% 10.97% Mar. 14, 2013
Investor A Shares | Return After Taxes on Distributions 16.89% 8.84% Mar. 14, 2013
Investor A Shares | Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 9.76% 7.74% Mar. 14, 2013
Investor C Shares 21.53% 11.69% Mar. 14, 2013
Institutional Shares 23.99% 12.85% Mar. 14, 2013
Russell 2000® Index (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 21.31% 11.30%  
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. After-tax returns are shown for Investor A Shares only, and the after-tax returns for Investor C and Institutional Shares will vary.