497K 1 d422646d497k.htm ISHARES MSCI ASIA EX JAPAN INDEX FUND iShares MSCI Asia ex Japan Index Fund

NOVEMBER 28, 2017

 

 

 

 

 

SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

 

   

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BlackRock FundsSM  |  Institutional Shares

 

Ø    iShares MSCI Asia ex Japan Index Fund

Institutional: BAJIX

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 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 iShares MSCI Asia ex Japan Index Fund

Investment Objective

 

The investment objective of iShares MSCI Asia ex Japan Index Fund (formerly known as BlackRock MSCI Asia ex Japan Index Fund) (the “Fund”), a series of BlackRock FundsSM (the “Trust”), is to seek to track the investment results of an index composed of Asian equities, excluding Japan.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

 

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

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

   Institutional
Shares
 

Management Fee1

     0.25%  

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

     None  

Other Expenses2,3

     0.46%  

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses3

     0.01%  

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses3

     0.72%  

Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements1,4

     (0.21)%  

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements1,4

     0.51%  

 

1  As described in the “Management of the Fund” section of the Fund’s prospectus beginning on page 32, 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 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.

 

2  Other Expenses have been restated to reflect current fees.

 

3  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 or 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 32, 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 0.50% of average daily net assets 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.

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  

Institutional Shares

   $ 52        $ 209        $ 380        $ 875  

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 1% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund

 

The Fund seeks to track the investment results of the MSCI AC Asia ex Japan Index (the “Underlying Index”), which is a free float-adjusted market capitalization index designed to measure equity market performance of the following 11 developed and emerging market countries or regions: China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan

 

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the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand. The Underlying Index includes equity securities issued by issuers which range in size between approximately $513.31 million and $254.96 billion, although this range may change from time to time. The Underlying Index may include large- or mid- capitalization companies, and components primarily include information technology, financials and consumer discretionary companies. The components of the Underlying Index, and the degree to which these components represent certain industries, may change over time.

BlackRock uses a representative sampling indexing strategy to manage the Fund. “Representative sampling” is an indexing strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively has an investment profile similar to that of the Underlying Index. The securities selected are expected to have, in the aggregate, investment characteristics (based on factors such as market capitalization and industry weightings), fundamental characteristics (such as return variability and yield) and liquidity measures similar to those of the Underlying Index. The Fund may or may not hold all of the securities in the Underlying Index.

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in securities or other financial instruments that are components of or have economic characteristics similar to the securities included in the Underlying Index. For purposes of the 80% test, such financial instruments may include derivatives, such as futures, that are tied economically to securities of the Underlying Index, depository receipts representing securities of the Underlying Index and other investment companies, including affiliated exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), tied economically to the Underlying Index. See “Details About the Fund — Information About the ETFs.” Unless otherwise indicated or the context requires otherwise, references to the Fund’s investments and related risk factors in this prospectus and the Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) include investments by any underlying ETFs in which the Fund may invest.

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.

 

  Asset Class Risk — Securities and other assets in the Underlying Index or in the Fund’s portfolio may underperform in comparison to the general financial markets, a particular financial market or other asset classes.

 

  Concentration Risk — The Fund reserves the right to concentrate its investments (i.e., invest 25% or more of its total assets in securities of issuers in a particular industry) to approximately the same extent that the Underlying Index concentrates in a particular industry. To the extent the Fund concentrates in a particular industry, it may be more susceptible to economic conditions and risks affecting that industry.

 

  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.

 

  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.

 

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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 (the “SEC”) 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.

 

  Financials Sector Risk — Performance of companies in the financials sector may be adversely impacted by many factors, including, among others, changes in government regulations, economic conditions, and interest rates, credit rating downgrades, and decreased liquidity in credit markets. The impact of more stringent capital requirements and recent or future regulation on any individual financial company or on the financials sector as a whole cannot be predicted. In recent years, cyber attacks and technology malfunctions and failures have become increasingly frequent in this sector and have caused significant losses to companies in this sector, which may negatively impact the Fund.

 

  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.

 

 

Geographic Concentration Risk — From time to time the Fund may invest a substantial amount of its assets in issuers located in a single country or a limited number of countries. If the Fund concentrates its investments in this manner, it assumes the risk that economic, political and social conditions in those countries will have a significant

 

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impact on its investment performance. The Fund’s investment performance may also be more volatile if it concentrates its investments in certain countries, especially emerging market countries.

 

  Index Fund Risk — An index fund has operating and other expenses while an index does not. As a result, while the Fund will attempt to track the Underlying Index as closely as possible, it will tend to underperform the Underlying Index to some degree over time. If an index fund is properly correlated to its stated index, the fund will perform poorly when the index performs poorly.

 

  Index-Related Risk — There is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve a high degree of correlation to the Underlying Index and therefore achieve its investment objective. Market disruptions and regulatory restrictions could have an adverse effect on the Fund’s ability to adjust its exposure to the required levels in order to track the Underlying Index. Errors in index data, index computations and/or the construction of the Underlying Index in accordance with its methodology may occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected by the index provider for a period of time or at all, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund and its shareholders.

 

  Information Technology Sector Risk — Information technology companies face intense competition and potentially rapid product obsolescence. They are also heavily dependent on intellectual property rights and may be adversely affected by the loss or impairment of those rights.

 

  Investment in a Particular Geographic Region or Country Risk — Asia-Pacific Countries — In addition to the risks of investing in non-U.S. securities and the risks of investing in emerging markets, the developing market Asia-Pacific countries are subject to certain additional or specific risks. In many of these markets, there is a high concentration of market capitalization and trading volume in a small number of issuers representing a limited number of industries, as well as a high concentration of investors and financial intermediaries. Many of these markets also may be affected by developments with respect to more established markets in the region such as in Japan and Hong Kong. Brokers in developing market Asia-Pacific countries typically are fewer in number and less well capitalized than brokers in the United States.

Many of the developing market Asia-Pacific countries may be subject to a greater degree of economic, political and social instability than is the case in the United States and Western European countries. Such instability may result from, among other things: (i) authoritarian governments or military involvement in political and economic decision-making, including changes in government through extra-constitutional means; (ii) popular unrest associated with demands for improved political, economic and social conditions; (iii) internal insurgencies; (iv) hostile relations with neighboring countries; and (v) ethnic, religious and racial disaffection. In addition, the governments of many of such countries, such as Indonesia, have a substantial role in regulating and supervising the economy.

Another risk common to most such countries is that the economy is heavily export oriented and, accordingly, is dependent upon international trade. The existence of overburdened infrastructure and obsolete financial systems also presents risks in certain countries, as do environmental problems. Certain economies also depend to a significant degree upon exports of primary commodities and, therefore, are vulnerable to changes in commodity prices that, in turn, may be affected by a variety of factors.

The rights of investors in developing market Asia-Pacific companies may be more limited than those of shareholders of U.S. corporations. It may be difficult or impossible to obtain and/or enforce a judgment in a developing market Asia-Pacific country.

Some developing Asia-Pacific countries prohibit or impose substantial restrictions on investments in their capital markets, particularly their equity markets, by foreign entities. For example, certain countries may require governmental approval prior to investments by foreign persons or limit the amount of investment by foreign persons in a particular company.

Risks of Investing in China — Investments in Chinese issuers subject the Fund to risks specific to China. Investments in certain Hong Kong-listed securities may also subject the Fund to exposure to Chinese companies. China may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability. China is an emerging market and demonstrates significantly higher volatility from time to time in comparison to developed markets. Over the last few decades, the Chinese government has undertaken reform of economic and market practices and has expanded the sphere of private ownership of property in China. However, Chinese markets generally continue to experience inefficiency, volatility and pricing anomalies resulting from governmental influence, a lack of publicly available information and/or political and social instability. Internal social unrest or confrontations with other neighboring countries, including military conflicts in response to such events, may also disrupt economic development in China and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency non-convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher rates of inflation. Export growth continues to be a major driver of China’s rapid economic growth. Reduction in spending on Chinese products and services, institution of tariffs or other trade barriers, or a downturn in any of the economies of China’s key trading partners may have an adverse impact on the Chinese economy.

Risks of Investing in India — Investments in Indian issuers involve risks that are specific to India, including legal, regulatory, political and economic risks. Political and legal uncertainty, greater government control over the economy, currency fluctuations or blockage and the risk of nationalization or expropriation of assets may result in

 

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higher potential for losses. The securities markets in India are relatively underdeveloped and may subject the Fund to higher transaction costs or greater uncertainty than investments in more developed securities markets.

Risks of Investing in South Korea — Investments in South Korean issuers may subject the Fund to legal, regulatory, political, currency, security, and economic risks that are specific to South Korea. In addition, economic and political developments of South Korea’s neighbors may have an adverse effect on the South Korean economy.

Risks of Investing in Taiwan — Investments in Taiwanese issuers may subject the Fund to risks. Taiwan is a small island state with few raw material resources and limited land area and is reliant on imports for its commodity needs. Any fluctuations or shortages in the commodity markets could have a negative impact on the Taiwanese economy. Also, continued labor outsourcing may adversely affect the Taiwanese economy. Taiwan’s economy is intricately linked with economies of Asian countries that have experienced over-extensions of credit, frequent and pronounced currency fluctuations, currency devaluations, currency repatriation, rising unemployment and fluctuations in inflation. The Taiwanese economy is dependent on the economies of Japan and China, as well as the United States, and negative changes in their economies or a reduction in purchases by any of them of Taiwanese products and services would likely have an adverse impact on the Taiwanese economy. Taiwan’s geographic proximity to China and Taiwan’s history of political contention with China have resulted in ongoing tensions with China, including the risk of war with China. These tensions may materially affect the Taiwanese economy and securities markets.

 

  Investments in ETFs and Other Mutual Funds Risk — The Fund’s net asset value will change with changes in the value of the ETFs, mutual funds and other securities in which it invests. As with other investments, investments in other investment companies, including ETFs, are subject to market risk and, for non-index strategies, selection risk. In addition, if the Fund acquires shares of investment companies, which may include underlying funds and ETFs advised by BlackRock or other investment advisers, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of expenses in the Fund (including management and advisory fees) and, indirectly, the expenses of the investment companies (to the extent not offset by BlackRock through waivers to the Fund’s management fees). To the extent the Fund is held by an affiliated fund, the ability of the Fund itself to hold other investment companies may be limited.

One ETF or mutual fund may buy the same securities that another ETF or mutual fund sells. In addition, the Fund may buy the same securities that an ETF or mutual fund sells, or vice versa. If this happens, an investor in the Fund would indirectly bear the costs of these transactions without accomplishing the intended investment purpose. Also, an investor in the Fund may receive taxable gains from portfolio transactions by an ETF or mutual fund, as well as taxable gains from transactions in shares of the ETF or mutual fund by the Fund. Certain of the ETFs or mutual funds may hold common portfolio securities, thereby reducing the diversification benefits of the Fund.

 

  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.

 

  Management Risk — As the Fund may not fully replicate the Underlying Index, it is subject to the risk that BlackRock’s investment strategy may not produce the intended results.

 

  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.

 

  Mid Cap Securities Risk — The securities of mid cap companies generally trade in lower volumes and are generally subject to greater and less predictable price changes than the securities of larger capitalization companies.

 

  Valuation Risk — The sale price the Fund could receive for a security or other asset may differ from the Fund’s valuation of the security or other asset and from the value used by the Underlying Index, particularly for securities or other assets that trade in low volume or volatile markets or that are valued using a fair value methodology. In addition, the value of the securities or other assets in the Fund’s portfolio may change on days or during time periods when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund’s shares. The Fund’s ability to value investments may be impacted by technological issues and/or errors by pricing services or other third-party service providers.

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 MSCI AC Asia ex Japan Index. 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 www.blackrock.com or can be obtained by phone at (800) 882-0052.

 

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Institutional Shares

ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS

iShares MSCI Asia ex Japan Index Fund

As of 12/31

 

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During the period shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 9.59% (quarter ended September 30, 2016) and the lowest return for a quarter was –6.48% (quarter ended December 31, 2016). The year-to-date return as of September 30, 2017 was 30.89%.

 

As of 12/31/16

Average Annual Total Returns

   1 Year      Since
Inception
(June 9, 2015)
 

iShares MSCI Asia ex Japan Index Fund — Institutional Shares

     

Return Before Taxes

     6.27 %      (6.11 )%

Return After Taxes on Distributions

     5.91 %      (6.53 )%

Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares

     3.91 %      (4.62 )%

MSCI AC Asia ex Japan Index
(Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

     5.44 %      (6.11 )%

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 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 Fund Advisors (the “Sub-Adviser”). Where applicable, “BlackRock” refers also to the Sub-Adviser.

Portfolio Managers

 

 

Name

   Portfolio Manager of the Fund Since    Title

Alan Mason

   2015    Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc.

Greg Savage, CFA

   2015    Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc.

Jennifer Hsui, CFA

   2016    Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc.

Creighton Jue, CFA

   2016    Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc.

Rachel Aguirre

   2016    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,

 

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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:

 

     Institutional Shares
Minimum Initial Investment  

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   No subsequent minimum.

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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INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT FILE # 811-05742

© BlackRock Advisors, LLC

SPRO-MSCI-AS-1117

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