497K 1 d485717d497k.htm BLACKROCK ADVANTAGE EMERGING MARKETS FUND BlackRock Advantage Emerging Markets Fund
NOVEMBER 28, 2017
Summary Prospectus
BlackRock FundsSM  |  Investor and Institutional Shares
BlackRock Advantage Emerging Markets Fund
  Investor A: BLSAX • Investor C: BLSCX • Institutional: BLSIX
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) 441-7762 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 November 28, 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 Advantage Emerging Markets Fund
Investment Objective

The investment objective of BlackRock Advantage Emerging Markets Fund (formerly known as BlackRock Emerging Markets Long/Short Equity Fund) (the “Fund”), a series of BlackRock FundsSM (the “Trust”), is to seek long-term capital appreciation.
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”) or 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 22 and A-1, respectively, of the Fund’s prospectus and in the “Purchase of Shares” section on page II-72 of Part II of the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information.
Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
  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
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a
percentage of the value of your investment)
  Investor A
Shares
  Investor C
Shares
  Institutional
Shares
Management Fee3,6,7   0.89%   0.89%   0.89%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees   0.25%   1.00%   None
Other Expenses4,7   0.52%   0.44%   0.44%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses5   0.00%   0.00%   0.00%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses7   1.66%   2.33%   1.33%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements6,8   (0.47)%   (0.39)%   (0.39)%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements6,8   1.19%   1.94%   0.94%
  
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.
3 Management Fee has been restated to reflect current fees.
4 Other Expenses have been restated to reflect current fees.
5 Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.
6 As described in the “Management of the Fund” section of the Fund’s prospectus beginning on page 37, 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 November 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.
7 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 Management Fee or Other Expenses to reflect current fees.
8 As described in the “Management of the Fund” section of the Fund’s prospectus beginning on page 37, 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) as a percentage of average daily net assets to 1.19% (for Investor A Shares), 1.94% (for Investor C Shares), and 0.94% (for Institutional Shares) through November 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.
2

 


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
Investor A Shares $640 $977 $1,338 $2,350
Investor C Shares $297 $690 $1,210 $2,636
Institutional Shares $ 96 $383 $ 691 $1,567
  
You would pay the following expenses if you did not redeem your shares:
  1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
Investor C Shares $197 $690 $1,210 $2,636
  
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 7% 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 the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes in equity securities issued by, or tied economically to, companies in emerging markets and derivatives that have similar economic characteristics to such securities. BlackRock considers an emerging market country to include any country that is: (1) generally recognized to be an emerging market country by the international financial community, including the World Bank; (2) classified by the United Nations as a developing country; or (3) included in the MSCI Emerging Markets IndexSM (the “MSCI EM Index”). BlackRock determines that an investment is tied economically to an emerging market if such investment satisfies one or more of the following conditions: (1) the issuer’s primary trading market is in an emerging market; (2) the issuer is organized under the laws of, derives at least 50% of its revenue from, or has at least 50% of its assets in emerging markets; (3) the investment is included in an index representative of emerging markets; and (4) the investment is exposed to the economic risks and returns of emerging markets. The Fund primarily intends to invest in equity securities, which include common stock, preferred stock and convertible securities, or other financial instruments that are components of, or have characteristics similar to, the securities included in the MSCI EM Index. The MSCI EM Index is a capitalization-weighted index from a broad range of industries chosen for market size, liquidity and industry group representation. 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, forward contracts and contracts for difference, 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 currency or an index, including but not limited to the MSCI EM Index. The use of options, futures, swaps, forward contracts and contracts for difference 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.
Commodities Related Investments Risk Exposure to the commodities markets may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. The value of commodity-linked derivative investments may be
3

 


  affected by changes in overall market movements, commodity index volatility, changes in interest rates, or factors affecting a particular industry or commodity, such as drought, floods, weather, embargoes, tariffs and international economic, political and regulatory developments.
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.
Depositary Receipts Risk — The issuers of unsponsored depositary receipts are not obligated to disclose information that is, in the United States, considered material. Therefore, there may be less information available regarding these issuers and there may not be a correlation between such information and the market value of the depositary receipts. Depositary receipts are generally subject to the same risks as the foreign securities that they evidence or into which they may be converted.
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.
4

 


  To the extent derivatives are utilized to implement the Fund’s investment strategies, these transactions involve the risks described below with respect to investments in emerging market securities.
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.
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.
“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 and Emerging Growth Securities Risk — Small cap or emerging growth 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.
5

 


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 Emerging Markets Long/Short Equity Fund.”
The information shows you how the performance of the Fund 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 MSCI EM Index and the BofA Merrill Lynch 3-Month U.S. Treasury Bill Index. Effective as of June 12, 2017, in connection with the change of the investment objective and investment strategies of the Fund, the Fund added the MSCI EM Index as the performance benchmark against which the Fund measures its performance and removed the BofA Merrill Lynch 3-Month U.S. Treasury Bill Index as the performance benchmark against which the Fund measures its performance. 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 Emerging Markets Fund
As of 12/31
During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 3.72% (quarter ended September 30, 2014) and the lowest return for a quarter was -4.21% (quarter ended March 31, 2014). The year-to-date return as of September 30, 2017 was 6.69%.
As of 12/31/16
Average Annual Total Returns
1 Year 5 Years Since Inception
(October 6, 2011)
BlackRock Advantage Emerging Markets Fund — Investor A Shares      
Return Before Taxes (3.95)% (1.47)% (1.46)%
Return After Taxes on Distributions (3.95)% (1.58)% (1.57)%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares (2.23)% (1.13)% (1.12)%
BlackRock Advantage Emerging Markets Fund — Investor C Shares      
Return Before Taxes (0.35)% (1.17)% (1.21)%
BlackRock Advantage Emerging Markets Fund — Institutional Shares      
Return Before Taxes 1.58% (0.18)% (0.22)%
MSCI EM Index
(Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
11.19% 1.28% 2.42%
BofA Merrill Lynch 3-Month U.S. Treasury Bill Index
(Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
0.33% 0.12% 0.11%
  
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
6

 


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.
Investment Manager

The Fund’s investment manager is BlackRock Advisors, LLC (previously defined as “BlackRock”).
Portfolio Managers

Name Portfolio Manager
of the Fund Since
Title
Jeff Shen, PhD 2011 Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc.
David Piazza 2017 Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc.
Gerardo Rodriguez 2017 Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc.
Richard Mathieson 2017 Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc.
  
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund each day the New York Stock Exchange is open. To purchase or sell shares you should contact your Financial Intermediary, or, if you hold your shares through the Fund, you should contact the Fund by phone at (800) 441-7762, by mail (c/o BlackRock Funds, P.O. Box 9819, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-8019), or by the Internet at www.blackrock.com. The Fund’s initial and subsequent investment minimums generally are as follows, although the Fund may reduce or waive the minimums in some cases:
  Investor A and Investor C Shares Institutional Shares
Minimum Initial
Investment
$1,000 for all accounts except:
• $50, if establishing an Automatic Investment Plan (“AIP”).
• There is no investment minimum for employer-sponsored retirement plans (not including SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs or SARSEPs).
• There is no investment minimum for certain fee-based programs.
There is no minimum initial investment for:
• Employer-sponsored retirement plans (not including SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs or SARSEPs), state sponsored 529 college savings plans, collective trust funds, investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles, unaffiliated thrifts and unaffiliated banks and trust companies, each of which may purchase shares of the Fund through a Financial Intermediary that has entered into an agreement with the Fund’s distributor to purchase such shares.
• Investors of Financial Intermediaries that: (i) charge such investors a fee for advisory, investment consulting, or similar services or (ii) have entered into an agreement with the Fund’s distributor to offer Institutional Shares through a no-load program or investment platform.
$2 million for individuals and “Institutional Investors,” which include, but are not limited to, endowments, foundations, family offices, local, city, and state governmental institutions, corporations and insurance company separate accounts who may purchase shares of the Fund through a Financial Intermediary that has entered into an agreement with the Fund’s distributor to purchase such shares.
$1,000 for clients investing through Financial Intermediaries that offer such shares on a platform that charges a transaction based sales commission outside of the Fund.
Minimum Additional
Investment
$50 for all accounts (with the exception of certain employer-sponsored retirement plans which may have a lower minimum). No subsequent minimum.
  
7

 


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 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.
8

 


[This page intentionally left blank]

 


[This page intentionally left blank]

 


[This page intentionally left blank]

 


INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT FILE # 811-05742
© BlackRock Advisors, LLC
SPRO-AEM-1117