497K 1 d573120d497k.htm BLACKROCK S&P 500 INDEX FUND - INV A, INST BlackRock S&P 500 Index Fund - INV A, INST
APRIL 30, 2018
Summary Prospectus
BlackRock Funds III  |  Investor A and Institutional Shares
iShares S&P 500 Index Fund
  Investor A: BSPAX • Institutional: BSPIX
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 April 30, 2018, 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 S&P 500 Index Fund
Investment Objective

iShares S&P 500 Index Fund (formerly known as BlackRock S&P 500 Index Fund) (the “Fund”), a series of BlackRock Funds III (the “Trust”), seeks to provide investment results that correspond to the total return performance of publicly-traded common stocks in the aggregate, as represented by the Standard & Poor’s 500® Index (“S&P 500 Index” or the “Underlying Index”).
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.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)1
  Investor A
Shares
  Institutional
Shares
Management Fee1,2   0.04%   0.04%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees   0.25%   None
Other Expenses3   0.07%   0.07%
Administration Fees 0.07%   0.07%  
Independent Expenses3    
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses   0.36%   0.11%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements2,3    
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements2,3   0.36%   0.11%
  
1 The fees and expenses shown in the table above and the example that follows include the expenses of both the Fund and the Fund’s share of the allocated expenses of S&P 500 Index Master Portfolio (the “Master Portfolio”), a series of Master Investment Portfolio (“MIP”). Management fees are paid by the Master Portfolio.
2 As described in the “Management of the Fund” section of the Fund’s prospectus beginning on page 26, BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BFA”), the investment adviser for the Master Portfolio, has contractually agreed to waive the management fee with respect to any portion of the Master Portfolio’s assets estimated to be attributable to investments in other equity and fixed-income mutual funds and exchange-traded funds managed by BFA or its affiliates that have a contractual management fee, through April 30, 2019. The contractual agreement may be terminated upon 90 days’ notice by a majority of the non-interested trustees of MIP or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Master Portfolio.
3 Independent Expenses consist of the Fund’s allocable portion of the fees and expenses of the independent trustees of the Trust and MIP, counsel to such independent trustees and the independent registered public accounting firm that provides audit services to the Fund and the Master Portfolio. BlackRock Advisors, LLC (“BAL”), the administrator for the Fund, and BFA have contractually agreed to reimburse, or provide offsetting credits to, the Fund and the Master Portfolio, as applicable, for Independent Expenses through April 30, 2019. After giving effect to such contractual arrangements, Independent Expenses will be 0.00%. Such contractual arrangements may not be terminated prior to May 1, 2019 without the consent of the Boards of Trustees of the Trust and of MIP.
Example:
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in shares of the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in shares of 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 $37 $116 $202 $456
Institutional Shares $11 $ 35 $ 62 $141
  
Portfolio Turnover:
The Master Portfolio 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 Master Portfolio’s portfolio turnover rate was 11% of the average value of its portfolio.
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Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund

The Fund pursues its investment objective by seeking to replicate the total return performance of the S&P 500 Index, which is composed of 500 selected common stocks, most of which are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”). The S&P 500 Index is a capitalization-weighted index from a broad range of industries chosen for market size, liquidity and industry group representation. The component stocks are weighted according to the total float-adjusted market value of their outstanding shares (i.e., they are weighted according to the public float which is the total market value of their outstanding shares readily available to the general marketplace for trading purposes). The percentage of the Fund’s assets invested in a given stock is approximately the same as the percentage such stock represents in the S&P 500 Index.
The Fund is managed by determining which securities are to be purchased or sold to reflect, to the extent feasible, the investment characteristics of its benchmark index. Under normal circumstances, at least 90% of the value of the Fund’s assets, plus the amount of any borrowing for investment purposes, is invested in securities comprising the S&P 500 Index.
The Fund is a “feeder” fund that invests all of its assets in the Master Portfolio of MIP, which has the same investment objective and strategies as the Fund. All investments are made at the Master Portfolio level. This structure is sometimes called a “master/feeder” structure. The Fund’s investment results will correspond directly to the investment results of the Master Portfolio. For simplicity, the prospectus uses the name of the Fund or the term “Fund” (as applicable) to include the Master Portfolio.
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. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The following is a summary description of the principal risks of investing in the Fund.
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.
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 S&P 500 Index as closely as possible, it will tend to underperform the 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’s investment results will have a high degree of correlation to those of the Underlying Index or that the Fund will 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 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.
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.
Tracking Error Risk Tracking error is the divergence of the Fund’s performance from that of the Underlying Index. Tracking error may occur because of differences between the securities and other instruments held in the Fund’s portfolio and those included in the Underlying Index, pricing differences, differences in transaction costs, the Fund’s holding of uninvested cash, differences in timing of the accrual of or the valuation of dividends or interest, tax gains or losses, changes to the Underlying Index or the costs to the Fund of complying with various new or existing regulatory requirements. This risk may be heightened during times of increased market volatility or other unusual market conditions. Tracking error also may result because the Fund incurs fees and expenses, while the Underlying Index does not.
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Performance Information

The information shows how the Fund’s performance has varied year by year and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. Investor A Shares and Institutional Shares of the Fund commenced operations on April 10, 2013. As a result, the returns in the chart for Investor A Shares and the average annual total return table for Investor A Shares and Institutional Shares, prior to their commencement of operations on April 10, 2013, are based on the Fund’s Class K Shares, which are offered in a separate prospectus, adjusted to reflect the fees and expenses applicable to Investor A Shares and Institutional Shares. The average annual total return table compares the Fund’s performance to that of the S&P 500 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. The table includes all applicable fees. If BFA 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.
Investor A Shares
ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS
iShares S&P 500 Index Fund
As of 12/31
During the ten-year period shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 15.86% (quarter ended June 30, 2009) and the lowest return for a quarter was -21.88% (quarter ended December 31, 2008).
As of 12/31/17
Average Annual Total Returns
1 Year 5 Years 10 Years
iShares S&P 500 Index Fund — Investor A Shares      
Return Before Taxes 21.38% 15.34% 8.07%
Return After Taxes on Distributions 20.86% 14.82% 7.63%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 12.48% 12.28% 6.47%
iShares S&P 500 Index Fund — Institutional Shares      
Return Before Taxes 21.68% 15.63% 8.34%
S&P 500 Index
(Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
21.83% 15.79% 8.50%
  
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 Institutional Shares will vary.
Investment Adviser

The Master Portfolio’s investment adviser is BlackRock Fund Advisors (previously defined as “BFA”).
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Portfolio Managers

Name Portfolio Manager of the
Master Portfolio Since
Title
Alan Mason 2014 Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc.
Greg Savage, CFA 2008 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 Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc.
  
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund each day the NYSE is open. To purchase or sell shares, you should contact your financial professional or your selected securities dealer, broker, investment adviser, service provider or industry professional (including BFA, The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. and their respective affiliates) (each a “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 III, 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 Shares Institutional Shares
Minimum Initial
Investment
$1,000 for all accounts except:
• $50, if establishing an Automatic Investment Plan.
• 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.
  
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Tax Information

The Fund’s dividends and distributions may be subject to U.S. 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 qualified tax-exempt plan described in section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, in which case you may be subject to U.S. federal income tax when distributions are received 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.
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INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT FILE # 811-07332
SPRO-S&P500-0418