N-CSRS 1 d731929dncsrs.htm ISHARES, INC. iShares, Inc.

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM N-CSR

 

 

CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT

OF REGISTERED MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES

Investment Company Act file number 811-09102

 

 

iShares, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

 

 

c/o BlackRock Fund Advisors

400 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA 94105

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)

 

 

The Corporation Trust Incorporated

2405 York Road, Suite 201, Lutherville-Timonium, Maryland 21093

(Name and address of agent for service)

 

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (415) 670-2000

Date of fiscal year end: August 31, 2024

Date of reporting period: February 29, 2024

 

 

 

 


Item 1.

Reports to Stockholders.

(a) The Report to Shareholders is attached herewith.

 


 

LOGO

  FEBRUARY 29, 2024

 

 

 

 

2024 Semi-Annual Report

(Unaudited)

 

iShares, Inc.

 

·

 

iShares MSCI Austria ETF | EWO | NYSE Arca

 

·

 

iShares MSCI Belgium ETF | EWK | NYSE Arca

 

·

 

iShares MSCI France ETF | EWQ | NYSE Arca

 

·

 

iShares MSCI Netherlands ETF | EWN | NYSE Arca

 

·

 

iShares MSCI Sweden ETF | EWD | NYSE Arca


The Markets in Review

Dear Shareholder,

The combination of continued economic growth and cooling inflation provided a supportive backdrop for investors during the 12-month reporting period ended February 29, 2024. Significantly tighter monetary policy helped to rein in inflation, and the Consumer Price Index decelerated substantially while remaining above pre-pandemic levels. A moderating labor market helped ease inflationary pressure, although wages continued to grow. Wage and job growth powered robust consumer spending, backstopping the economy. On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a horrific attack on Israel. The ensuing war will have a significant humanitarian impact and could lead to heightened economic and market volatility. We see geopolitics as a structural market risk going forward. See our geopolitical risk dashboard at blackrock.com for more details.

Equity returns were robust during the period, as interest rates stabilized and the economy proved to be more resilient than many investors expected. The U.S. economy continued to show strength, and growth further accelerated in the second half of 2023. Large-capitalization U.S. stocks posted particularly substantial gains, supported by the performance of a few notable technology companies, while small-capitalization U.S. stocks advanced at a significantly slower pace. Meanwhile, international developed market equities also gained strongly, while emerging market stocks advanced at a more modest pace.

The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield rose during the reporting period, as investors reacted to elevated inflation and attempted to anticipate future interest rate changes. However, higher yields drove positive returns overall for 10-year U.S. Treasuries and solid gains in shorter-duration U.S. Treasuries. The corporate bond market benefited from improving economic sentiment, although high-yield corporate bond prices fared significantly better than investment-grade bonds as demand from yield-seeking investors remained strong.

The U.S. Federal Reserve (the “Fed”), attempting to manage persistent inflation, raised interest rates three times during the 12-month period, but paused its tightening after its July meeting. The Fed also continued to reduce its balance sheet by not replacing some of the securities that reach maturity.

Supply constraints appear to have become an embedded feature of the new macroeconomic environment, making it difficult for developed economies to increase production without sparking higher inflation. Geopolitical fragmentation and an aging population risk further exacerbating these constraints, keeping the labor market tight and wage growth high. Although the Fed has stopped tightening for now, we believe that the new economic regime means that the Fed will need to maintain high rates for an extended period despite the market’s hopes for rapid interest rate cuts, as reflected in the recent rally. In this new regime, we anticipate greater volatility and dispersion of returns, creating more opportunities for selective portfolio management.

Looking at developed market stocks, we have an overweight stance on U.S. stocks overall, particularly given the promise of emerging AI technologies. We are also overweight Japanese stocks as shareholder-friendly policies generate increased investor interest, although we maintain an underweight stance on European stocks. In credit, there are selective opportunities in the near term despite tighter credit and financial conditions. For fixed income investing with a six- to twelve-month horizon, we see the most attractive investments in short-term U.S. Treasuries and hard-currency emerging market bonds.

Overall, our view is that investors need to think globally, position themselves to be prepared for a decarbonizing economy, and be nimble as market conditions change. We encourage you to talk with your financial advisor and visit iShares.com for further insight about investing in today’s markets.

 

LOGO

Rob Kapito

President, BlackRock Inc.

LOGO

Rob Kapito

President, BlackRock Inc.

 

Total Returns as of February 29, 2024

 

 
    

 

6-Month

 

   

 

12-Month

 

 
   

U.S. large cap equities
(S&P 500® Index)

    13.93%       30.45%  
   

U.S. small cap equities
(Russell 2000® Index)

    8.97         10.05    
   

International equities
(MSCI Europe, Australasia,
Far East Index)

    9.23         14.41    
   

Emerging market equities
(MSCI Emerging Markets
Index)

    4.93         8.73    
   

3-month Treasury bills
(ICE BofA 3-Month
U.S. Treasury Bill Index)

    2.69         5.22    
   

U.S. Treasury securities
(ICE BofA 10-Year
U.S. Treasury Index)

    0.58         0.69    
   

U.S. investment grade bonds
(Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate
Bond Index)

    2.35         3.33    
   

Tax-exempt municipal bonds
(Bloomberg Municipal Bond
Index)

    4.33         5.42    
   

U.S. high yield bonds
(Bloomberg U.S. Corporate
High Yield 2% Issuer Capped
Index)

    6.18         11.01    

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Index performance is shown for illustrative purposes only. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

 

 

 

2  

T H I S  P A G E  I S  N O T  P A R T  O F  Y O U R  F U N D  R E P O R T


Table of Contents

 

     

Page

 

 

The Markets in Review

     2  

Semi-Annual Report:

  

Fund Summary

     4  

About Fund Performance

     9  

Disclosure of Expenses

     9  

Schedules of Investments

     10  

Financial Statements

  

Statements of Assets and Liabilities

     26  

Statements of Operations

     28  

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

     30  

Financial Highlights

     33  

Notes to Financial Statements

     38  

Statement Regarding Liquidity Risk Management Program

     47  

Supplemental Information

     48  

General Information

     49  

Glossary of Terms Used in this Report

     50  


Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024     iShares® MSCI Austria ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCI Austria ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of a broad-based index composed of Austrian equities, as represented by the MSCI Austria IMI 25/50 Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

          Average Annual Total Returns           Cumulative Total Returns  
     6-Month
Total Returns
    1 Year     5 Years     10 Years            1 Year     5 Years     10 Years  

Fund NAV

    4.71     1.80     3.90     3.04       1.80     21.07     34.94

Fund Market

    5.13       2.12       4.04       3.12         2.12       21.89       35.96  

Index

    4.30       0.34       3.68       2.99               0.34       19.82       34.31  

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

Actual     Hypothetical 5% Return           

 

 

     

 

 

      
 

   Beginning

 Account Value

   (09/01/23)

 

 

 

      

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a) 
     

Beginning
Account Value
(09/01/23)
 
 
 
      

Ending

Account Value

(02/29/24)

 

 

 

      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a) 
      

Annualized  
Expense  

Ratio  

 
 

 

 

 

 
  $ 1,000.00        $ 1,047.10        $ 2.54       $ 1,000.00        $ 1,022.40        $ 2.51          0.50%  

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION

 

   
Sector    
Percent of
Total Investments
 
(a) 

Financials

    37.1

Industrials

    15.3  

Energy

    15.1  

Utilities

    13.1  

Materials

    11.2  

Real Estate

    6.2  

Information Technology

    2.0  

TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS

 

   
Security    
Percent of
Total Investments
 
(a) 

Erste Group Bank AG

    21.4

OMV AG

    13.0  

Verbund AG

    10.1  

BAWAG Group AG

    4.7  

voestalpine AG

    4.5  

Wienerberger AG

    4.5  

Raiffeisen Bank International AG

    4.4  

ANDRITZ AG

    4.4  

CA Immobilien Anlagen AG

    3.6  

DO & CO AG

    3.4  
 

 

  (a) 

Excludes money market funds.

 

 

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Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® MSCI Belgium ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCI Belgium ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of a broad-based index composed of Belgian equities, as represented by the MSCI Belgium IMI 25/50 Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

          Average Annual Total Returns           Cumulative Total Returns  
    

6-Month

Total Returns

    1 Year     5 Years     10 Years            1 Year     5 Years     10 Years  

Fund NAV

    0.22     (0.29 )%      2.82     2.96       (0.29 )%      14.94     33.89

Fund Market

    (0.22     (0.69     2.83       3.00         (0.69     14.97       34.41  

Index

    (0.27     (0.97     1.50       2.32               (0.97     7.72       25.72  

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

Actual     Hypothetical 5% Return           

 

 

     

 

 

      
 

   Beginning
Account Value
  (09/01/23)
 
 
 
      

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a) 
     

Beginning
Account Value
(09/01/23)
 
 
 
      

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a) 
      

Annualized  
Expense  
Ratio  
 
 
 

 

 

 
 $ 1,000.00        $ 1,002.20        $ 2.49       $ 1,000.00        $ 1,022.40        $ 2.51          0.50%  

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION

 

   
Sector    

Percent of

Total Investments

 

(a) 

Consumer Staples

    26.5

Financials

    20.9  

Health Care

    19.2  

Real Estate

    10.0  

Materials

    9.2  

Industrials

    4.0  

Consumer Discretionary

    2.8  

Utilities

    2.2  

Energy

    1.9  

Information Technology

    1.9  

Communication Services

    1.4  

TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS

 

   
Security    
Percent of
Total Investments
 
(a) 

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV

    22.0

Argenx SE

    12.1  

KBC Group NV

    9.7  

UCB SA

    5.1  

Groupe Bruxelles Lambert NV

    4.2  

Ageas SA/NV

    3.9  

Syensqo SA

    3.7  

D’ieteren Group

    2.8  

Warehouses De Pauw CVA

    2.7  

Umicore SA

    2.5  
 
  (a) 

Excludes money market funds.

 

 

F U N D  S U M M A R Y

  5


Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® MSCI France ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCI France ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of French equities, as represented by the MSCI France Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

          Average Annual Total Returns           Cumulative Total Returns  
     6-Month
Total Returns
    1 Year     5 Years     10 Years            1 Year     5 Years     10 Years  

Fund NAV

    7.52     13.32     9.49     5.97       13.32     57.32     78.63

Fund Market

    7.47       13.30       9.49       6.04         13.30       57.34       79.84  

Index

    7.29       12.20       8.92       5.68               12.20       53.28       73.72  

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

Actual           Hypothetical 5% Return        
 

 Beginning
 Account Value
 (09/01/23)
 
 
 
   

 Ending
 Account Value
 (02/29/24)
 
 
 
   

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a) 
           

Beginning
Account Value
(09/01/23)
 
 
 
   

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
   

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a) 
   

Annualized
Expense
Ratio
 
 
 
   $  1,000.00        $  1,075.20     $ 2.58              $ 1,000.00     $ 1,022.40     $ 2.51       0.50

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION

 

   
Sector    
Percent of
Total Investments
 
(a) 

Industrials

    24.6

Consumer Discretionary

    21.2  

Consumer Staples

    10.2  

Health Care

    9.8  

Financials

    9.5  

Energy

    7.0  

Materials

    6.3  

Information Technology

    5.0  

Communication Services

    2.9  

Utilities

    2.5  

Real Estate

    1.0  
TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS

 

   
Security    
Percent of
Total Investments
 
(a) 

LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE

    12.7

TotalEnergies SE

    6.9  

Schneider Electric SE

    6.2  

L’Oreal SA

    5.8  

Sanofi SA

    5.4  

Air Liquide SA

    5.4  

Airbus SE

    4.9  

Hermes International SCA

    4.0  

Safran SA

    3.6  

AXA SA

    3.2  
 
  (a) 

Excludes money market funds.

 

 

 

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Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® MSCI Netherlands ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCI Netherlands ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of a broad-based index composed of Dutch equities, as represented by the MSCI Netherlands IMI 25/50 Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

          Average Annual Total Returns           Cumulative Total Returns  
     6-Month
Total Returns
    1 Year     5 Years     10 Years            1 Year     5 Years     10 Years  

Fund NAV

    16.68     19.35     11.86     8.39       19.35     75.13     123.89

Fund Market

    16.61       19.21       11.93       8.44         19.21       75.68       124.91  

Index

    16.33       19.06       12.31       8.71               19.06       78.73       130.61  

Index performance through August 31, 2017 reflects the performance of the MSCI Netherlands Investable Market Index. Index performance beginning on September 1, 2017 reflects the performance of the MSCI Netherlands IMI 25/50 Index.

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

Actual           Hypothetical 5% Return        
 

 Beginning
 Account Value
 (09/01/23)
 
 
 
      

 Ending
 Account Value
 (02/29/24)
 
 
 
   

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a) 
           

Beginning
Account Value
(09/01/23)
 
 
 
   

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
   

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a) 
   

Annualized
Expense
Ratio
 
 
 
   $  1,000.00           $  1,166.80     $ 2.69             $ 1,000.00       $ 1,022.40     $ 2.51       0.50

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION

 

   
Sector    
Percent of
Total Investments
 
(a) 

Information Technology

    29.0

Financials

    19.7  

Industrials

    16.2  

Consumer Staples

    11.5  

Consumer Discretionary

    7.2  

Materials

    6.1  

Communication Services

    5.1  

Health Care

    2.8  

Energy

    1.4  

Real Estate

    1.0  
TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS

 

   
Security    
Percent of
Total Investments
 
(a) 

ASML Holding NV

    22.9

ING Groep NV

    6.3  

Prosus NV

    5.7  

Wolters Kluwer NV

    4.9  

Adyen NV

    4.4  

ASM International NV

    3.7  

Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize NV

    3.7  

Heineken NV

    3.4  

Universal Music Group NV

    3.3  

DSM-Firmenich AG

    2.7  
 
  (a)

Excludes money market funds.

 

 

 

F U N D  S U M M A R Y

  7


Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® MSCI Sweden ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCI Sweden ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of Swedish equities, as represented by the MSCI Sweden 25/50 Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

   

6-Month
Total Returns

   

Average Annual Total Returns

   

Cumulative Total Returns

 
    

 

1 Year

    5 Years     10 Years     1 Year     5 Years     10 Years  

Fund NAV

    21.58     14.69     9.10     4.41     14.69     54.54     53.97

Fund Market

    21.60       14.71       9.15       4.45       14.71       54.91       54.54  

Index

    21.67       13.68       8.60       3.86       13.68       51.05       45.99  

Index performance through November 30, 2016 reflects the performance of the MSCI Sweden Index. Index performance beginning on December 1, 2016 reflects the performance of the MSCI Sweden 25/50 Index.

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

Actual

   

Hypothetical 5% Return

       
 

Beginning

Account Value

(09/01/23)

 

 

 

   

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
   

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a) 
   

Beginning
Account Value
(09/01/23)
 
 
 
   

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
   

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a) 
   

Annualized
Expense
Ratio
 
 
 
  $  1,000.00       $  1,215.80       $  2.86       $  1,000.00       $  1,022.30       $  2.61       0.52

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION

 

Sector    
Percent of
Total Investments
 
(a) 

Industrials

    49.5

Financials

    24.4  

Information Technology

    7.7  

Consumer Discretionary

    6.7  

Materials

    3.6  

Consumer Staples

    2.7  

Communication Services

    1.9  

Health Care

    1.8  

Real Estate

    1.7  

TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS

 

Security    
Percent of
Total Investments
 
(a) 

Atlas Copco AB, Class A

    8.9

Investor AB, Class B

    8.3  

Volvo AB, Class B

    8.0  

Assa Abloy AB, Class B

    5.5  

Hexagon AB, Class B

    4.7  

Sandvik AB

    4.6  

Evolution AB

    4.6  

Atlas Copco AB, Class B

    4.5  

Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB, Class A

    4.5  

Swedbank AB, Class A

    3.6  
 
  (a)

Excludes money market funds.

 

 

 

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2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


About Fund Performance

 

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Financial markets have experienced extreme volatility and trading in many instruments has been disrupted. These circumstances may continue for an extended period of time and may continue to affect adversely the value and liquidity of each Fund’s investments. As a result, current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. Performance data current to the most recent month-end is available at iShares.com. Performance results assume reinvestment of all dividends and capital gain distributions and do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. The investment return and principal value of shares will vary with changes in market conditions. Shares may be worth more or less than their original cost when they are redeemed or sold in the market. Performance for certain funds may reflect a waiver of a portion of investment advisory fees. Without such a waiver, performance would have been lower.

Net asset value or “NAV” is the value of one share of a fund as calculated in accordance with the standard formula for valuing mutual fund shares. Beginning August 10, 2020, the price used to calculate market return (“Market Price”) is the closing price. Prior to August 10, 2020, Market Price was determined using the midpoint between the highest bid and the lowest ask on the primary stock exchange on which shares of a fund are listed for trading, as of the time that such fund’s NAV is calculated. Market and NAV returns assume that dividends and capital gain distributions have been reinvested at Market Price and NAV, respectively.

An index is a statistical composite that tracks a specified financial market or sector. Unlike a fund, an index does not actually hold a portfolio of securities and therefore does not incur the expenses incurred by a fund. These expenses negatively impact fund performance. Also, index returns do not include brokerage commissions that may be payable on secondary market transactions. If brokerage commissions were included, index returns would be lower.

Disclosure of Expenses

Shareholders of each Fund may incur the following charges: (1) transactional expenses, including brokerage commissions on purchases and sales of fund shares and (2) ongoing expenses, including management fees and other fund expenses. The expense examples shown (which are based on a hypothetical investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held through the end of the period) are intended to assist shareholders both in calculating expenses based on an investment in each Fund and in comparing these expenses with similar costs of investing in other funds.

The expense examples provide information about actual account values and actual expenses. Annualized expense ratios reflect contractual and voluntary fee waivers, if any. In order to estimate the expenses a shareholder paid during the period covered by this report, shareholders can divide their account value by $1,000 and then multiply the result by the number under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During the Period.”

The expense examples also provide information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on a fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses. In order to assist shareholders in comparing the ongoing expenses of investing in the Funds and other funds, compare the 5% hypothetical examples with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.

The expenses shown in the expense examples are intended to highlight shareholders’ ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional expenses, such as brokerage commissions and other fees paid on purchases and sales of fund shares. Therefore, the hypothetical examples are useful in comparing ongoing expenses only and will not help shareholders determine the relative total expenses of owning different funds. If these transactional expenses were included, shareholder expenses would have been higher.

 

 

A B O U T  F U N D  P E R F O R M A N C E

  9


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) 

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Austria ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Common Stocks

                                   
Air Freight & Logistics — 3.2%            

Oesterreichische Post AG

    55,741     $ 1,804,885  
   

 

 

 
Banks — 30.1%            

BAWAG Group AG(a)

    46,101       2,610,887  

Erste Group Bank AG

    299,364       11,969,519  

Raiffeisen Bank International AG

    117,398       2,445,497  
   

 

 

 
      17,025,903  
Chemicals — 2.2%            

Lenzing AG(b)(c)

    40,265       1,259,857  
   

 

 

 
Commercial Services & Supplies — 3.4%            

DO & CO AG(c)

    12,189       1,894,402  
   

 

 

 
Construction & Engineering — 1.7%            

Porr AG

    63,868       936,027  
   

 

 

 
Construction Materials — 4.4%            

Wienerberger AG

    71,364       2,493,811  
   

 

 

 
Electric Utilities — 13.0%            

EVN AG

    64,341       1,668,953  

Verbund AG

    78,168       5,658,573  
   

 

 

 
      7,327,526  
Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components — 2.0%  

AT&S Austria Technologie & Systemtechnik AG(c)

    56,405       1,145,978  
   

 

 

 
Energy Equipment & Services — 2.0%            

Schoeller-Bleckmann Oilfield Equipment AG

    25,563       1,152,261  
   

 

 

 
Insurance — 6.5%            

UNIQA Insurance Group AG

    208,784       1,827,885  

Vienna Insurance Group AG Wiener

   

Versicherung Gruppe

    63,972       1,857,518  
   

 

 

 
      3,685,403  
Machinery — 6.9%            

ANDRITZ AG

    38,756       2,438,587  

Palfinger AG

    41,058       1,062,623  

Semperit AG Holding

    30,138       409,119  
   

 

 

 
      3,910,329  
Security   Shares     Value  
Metals & Mining — 4.4%            

voestalpine AG

    91,714     $ 2,505,591  
   

 

 

 
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels — 12.8%            

OMV AG

    164,769       7,260,701  
   

 

 

 
Real Estate Management & Development — 6.2%            

CA Immobilien Anlagen AG

    62,211       1,998,203  

Immofinanz AG(b)(c)

    65,264       1,482,356  
   

 

 

 
      3,480,559  
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 98.8%
(Cost: $63,987,684)

      55,883,233  
   

 

 

 

Short-Term Securities

   
Money Market Funds — 6.8%            

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares,
5.50%(d)(e)(f)

    3,833,292       3,835,209  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares,
5.30%(d)(e)

    10,000       10,000  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 6.8%
(Cost: $3,844,832)

      3,845,209  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments — 105.6%
(Cost: $67,832,516)

      59,728,442  
Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets — (5.6)%         (3,164,070)  
   

 

 

 
Net Assets — 100.0%         $ 56,564,372  
   

 

 

 
   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Security exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration to qualified institutional investors.

(b) 

Non-income producing security.

(c) 

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(d) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(e) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

(f) 

All or a portion of this security was purchased with the cash collateral from loaned securities.

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

Affiliated Issuer    Value at
08/31/23
     Purchases
at Cost
     Proceeds
from Sale
     Net Realized
Gain (Loss)
     Change in
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
     Value at
02/29/24
     Shares
Held at
02/29/24
     Income      Capital
Gain
Distributions
from
Underlying
Funds
 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares

   $ 1,813,009      $ 2,021,434 (a)     $      $ 408      $ 358      $ 3,835,209        3,833,292      $ 58,055 (b)     $  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares

     20,000               (10,000 )(a)                     10,000        10,000        1,600         
           

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

       

 

 

    

 

 

 
            $ 408      $ 358      $ 3,845,209         $ 59,655      $  
           

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

       

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

(b) 

All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities.

 

 

10  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

   iShares® MSCI Austria ETF

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

Description    Number of
Contracts
     Expiration
Date
     Notional
Amount
(000)
     Value/
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
 

Long Contracts

           

Euro STOXX 50 Index

     12        03/15/24      $ 636      $ 43,077  
           

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

      Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
     Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

Assets — Derivative Financial Instruments

                    

Futures contracts

                    

Unrealized appreciation on futures contracts(a)

   $      $      $ 43,077      $      $      $      $ 43,077  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

      Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
     Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ 83,616      $      $      $      $ 83,616  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ 54,550      $      $      $      $ 54,550  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

Futures contracts:

       

Average notional value of contracts — long

  $ 916,985   

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

      Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

Assets

                 

Investments

                 

Long-Term Investments

                 

Common Stocks

   $ 6,168,358        $ 49,714,875        $        $ 55,883,233  

Short-Term Securities

                 

Money Market Funds

     3,845,209                            3,845,209  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $ 10,013,567        $ 49,714,875        $     —        $ 59,728,442  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  11


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

   iShares® MSCI Austria ETF

 

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End (continued)

 

      Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

                 

Assets

                 

Equity Contracts

   $     —        $   43,077        $     —        $   43,077  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Derivative financial instruments are futures contracts. Futures contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

12  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) 

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Belgium ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Common Stocks

   
Air Freight & Logistics — 0.4%            

bpost SA

    19,895     $ 74,614  
   

 

 

 
Banks — 10.6%            

KBC Ancora

    4,606       216,532  

KBC Group NV

    27,532        1,939,431  
   

 

 

 
      2,155,963  
Beverages — 21.7%            

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV

    72,919       4,407,262  
   

 

 

 
Biotechnology — 13.0%            

Argenx SE(a)

    6,475       2,426,928  

Galapagos NV(a)

    5,848       205,993  
   

 

 

 
      2,632,921  
Building Products — 0.5%            

Recticel SA(b)

    7,555       94,403  
   

 

 

 
Chemicals — 7.9%            

Solvay SA

    9,369       238,886  

Syensqo SA(a)

    8,383       748,475  

Tessenderlo Group SA

    4,034       107,689  

Umicore SA

    24,196       506,358  
   

 

 

 
      1,601,408  
Construction & Engineering — 3.1%            

Ackermans & van Haaren NV

    2,800       471,033  

Deme Group NV

    1,136       157,608  
   

 

 

 
      628,641  
Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail — 1.8%            

Colruyt Group NV

    7,590       364,590  
   

 

 

 
Distributors — 2.7%            

D’ieteren Group

    2,870       554,540  
   

 

 

 
Diversified Telecommunication Services — 0.9%            

Proximus SADP

    21,049       176,200  
   

 

 

 
Electric Utilities — 2.1%            

Elia Group SA/NV

    3,897       433,492  
   

 

 

 
Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components — 0.8%            

Barco NV

    9,408       167,707  
   

 

 

 
Entertainment — 0.5%            

Kinepolis Group NV

    2,266       106,262  
   

 

 

 
Financial Services — 6.2%            

Groupe Bruxelles Lambert NV

    11,125       836,687  

Sofina SA

    1,839       420,910  
   

 

 

 
      1,257,597  
Food Products — 2.2%            

Lotus Bakeries NV

    48       451,342  
   

 

 

 
Health Care Providers & Services — 0.9%            

Fagron

    9,583       186,476  
   

 

 

 
Health Care REITs — 3.0%            

Aedifica SA

    5,704       325,755  

Cofinimmo SA

    4,490       280,484  
   

 

 

 
      606,239  
Security   Shares      Value  
Industrial REITs — 3.8%             

Intervest Offices & Warehouses NV

    2,572      $ 57,237  

Montea NV

    2,156        172,680  

Warehouses De Pauw CVA

    20,270        542,927  
    

 

 

 
       772,844  
Insurance — 3.9%             

Ageas SA/NV

    18,541        787,984  
    

 

 

 
Metals & Mining — 1.2%             

Bekaert SA

    4,794        237,730  
    

 

 

 
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels — 1.9%             

Euronav NV(a)

    19,754        348,968  

Exmar NV

    4,984        37,868  
    

 

 

 
       386,836  
Personal Care Products — 0.4%             

Ontex Group NV(a)

    11,377        91,224  
    

 

 

 
Pharmaceuticals — 5.0%             

UCB SA

    8,902        1,027,108  
    

 

 

 
Real Estate Management & Development — 1.0%             

VGP NV

    1,820        200,171  
    

 

 

 
Residential REITs — 0.6%             

Xior Student Housing NV

    4,744        130,841  
    

 

 

 
Retail REITs — 0.6%             

Retail Estates NV

    1,779        114,261  
    

 

 

 
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment — 1.1%             

Melexis NV

    2,589        217,972  
    

 

 

 
Specialized REITs — 0.9%             

Shurgard Self Storage Ltd.

    4,448        191,171  
    

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 98.7%
(Cost: $25,919,004)

       20,057,799  
    

 

 

 

Short-Term Securities

    
Money Market Funds — 0.4%             

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares,
5.50%(c)(d)(e)

    77,810        77,849  
    

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 0.4%
(Cost: $77,836)

       77,849  
    

 

 

 

Total Investments — 99.1%
(Cost: $25,996,840)

       20,135,648  

Other Assets Less Liabilities — 0.9%

       185,077  
    

 

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

     $  20,320,725  
    

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Non-income producing security.

(b) 

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(c) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(d) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

(e) 

All or a portion of this security was purchased with the cash collateral from loaned securities.

 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  13


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

   iShares® MSCI Belgium ETF

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

 

 
Affiliated Issuer    Value at
08/31/23
     Purchases
at Cost
     Proceeds
from Sale
     Net Realized
Gain (Loss)
     Change in
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
     Value at
02/29/24
     Shares
Held at
02/29/24
     Income     

Capital

Gain
Distributions
from
Underlying
Funds

 

 

 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares

   $ 137,291      $      $ (59,224 )(a)     $ (233    $ 15      $ 77,849        77,810      $ 181 (b)     $  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares(c)

     10,000               (10,000 )(a)                                   71         
           

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

       

 

 

    

 

 

 
            $ (233    $ 15      $ 77,849         $  252      $  
           

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

       

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

  (b) 

All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities.

  (c) 

As of period end, the entity is no longer held.

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

 

 
Description    Number of
Contracts
     Expiration
Date
     Notional
Amount
(000)
     Value/
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
 

 

 

Long Contracts

           

Euro STOXX 50 Index

     3        03/15/24      $ 159      $ 11,109  
           

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

 

 
     Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
     Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

 

 

Assets — Derivative Financial Instruments

                    

Futures contracts

                    

Unrealized appreciation on futures contracts(a)

   $      $      $ 11,109      $      $      $      $ 11,109  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

 

 
     Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
     Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

 

 

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ 11,171      $      $      $      $ 11,171  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ 12,079      $      $      $      $ 12,079  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

 

 

Futures contracts:

 

Average notional value of contracts — long

  $ 199,303   

 

 

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

 

 

14  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

   iShares® MSCI Belgium ETF

 

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

 

 
     Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

 

 

Assets

                 

Investments

                 

Long-Term Investments

                 

Common Stocks

   $ 1,718,504        $ 18,339,295        $     —        $ 20,057,799  

Short-Term Securities

                 

Money Market Funds

     77,849                            77,849  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $  1,796,353        $ 18,339,295        $        $ 20,135,648  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

                 

Assets

                 

Equity Contracts

   $        $ 11,109        $        $ 11,109  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Derivative financial instruments are futures contracts. Futures contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  15


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) 

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI France ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Common Stocks

   
Aerospace & Defense — 9.4%            

Airbus SE

    196,113     $  32,448,655  

Dassault Aviation SA

    6,652       1,315,063  

Safran SA

    113,070       23,709,697  

Thales SA

    31,292       4,641,025  
   

 

 

 
      62,114,440  
Automobile Components — 1.3%            

Cie. Generale des Etablissements Michelin SCA

    224,683       8,314,720  
   

 

 

 
Automobiles — 0.4%            

Renault SA

    63,782       2,663,123  
   

 

 

 
Banks — 4.7%            

BNP Paribas SA

    341,627       20,504,450  

Credit Agricole SA

    353,748       4,797,832  

Societe Generale SA

    239,064       5,805,820  
   

 

 

 
      31,108,102  
Beverages — 1.8%            

Pernod Ricard SA

    67,650       11,306,589  

Remy Cointreau SA

    7,701       816,036  
   

 

 

 
      12,122,625  
Building Products — 1.8%            

Cie. de Saint-Gobain SA

    150,787       11,624,259  
   

 

 

 
Capital Markets — 0.6%            

Amundi SA(a)

    20,345       1,340,557  

Euronext NV(a)

    28,344       2,612,201  
   

 

 

 
      3,952,758  
Chemicals — 5.7%            

Air Liquide SA

    173,510       35,266,360  

Arkema SA

    19,771       2,049,304  
   

 

 

 
      37,315,664  
Construction & Engineering — 4.0%            

Bouygues SA

    63,141       2,496,953  

Eiffage SA

    24,365       2,653,300  

Vinci SA

    165,629       21,224,048  
   

 

 

 
      26,374,301  
Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail — 0.5%            

Carrefour SA

    189,237       3,179,437  
   

 

 

 
Diversified REITs — 0.1%            

Covivio SA/France

    16,656       747,888  
   

 

 

 
Diversified Telecommunication Services — 1.1%            

Orange SA

    615,964       7,060,770  
   

 

 

 
Electrical Equipment — 7.6%            

Legrand SA

    87,543       8,866,461  

Schneider Electric SE

    180,020       40,917,121  
   

 

 

 
      49,783,582  
Entertainment — 0.2%            

Bollore SE

    235,669       1,616,156  
   

 

 

 
Financial Services — 0.9%            

Edenred SE

    82,673       4,090,955  

Eurazeo SE

    13,842       1,171,040  

Worldline SA/France(a)(b)

    79,130       910,934  
   

 

 

 
      6,172,929  
Food Products — 2.1%            

Danone SA

    212,997       13,591,616  
   

 

 

 
Security   Shares      Value  
Health Care Equipment & Supplies — 3.4%             

BioMerieux

    13,769      $  1,505,085  

EssilorLuxottica SA

    97,584        20,720,422  
    

 

 

 
       22,225,507  
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure — 1.0%             

Accor SA

    62,593        2,718,902  

La Francaise des Jeux SAEM(a)

    34,822        1,459,119  

Sodexo SA

    29,133        2,322,227  
    

 

 

 
       6,500,248  
Household Durables — 0.1%             

SEB SA

    8,201        971,884  
    

 

 

 
Insurance — 3.2%             

AXA SA

    600,784        21,389,050  
    

 

 

 
IT Services — 1.9%             

Capgemini SE

    51,389        12,500,052  
    

 

 

 
Life Sciences Tools & Services — 0.8%             

Eurofins Scientific SE

    44,722        2,672,713  

Sartorius Stedim Biotech

    9,626        2,649,540  
    

 

 

 
       5,322,253  
Machinery — 0.2%             

Alstom SA(c)

    96,268        1,286,685  
    

 

 

 
Media — 1.6%             

Publicis Groupe SA

    75,618        8,000,800  

Vivendi SE

    220,432        2,463,248  
    

 

 

 
       10,464,048  
Metals & Mining — 0.7%             

ArcelorMittal SA

    168,487        4,395,048  
    

 

 

 
Multi-Utilities — 2.5%             

Engie SA

    604,651        9,702,461  

Veolia Environnement SA

    227,968        7,066,624  
    

 

 

 
       16,769,085  
Office REITs — 0.2%             

Gecina SA

    15,126        1,461,045  
    

 

 

 
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels — 6.9%             

TotalEnergies SE

    718,177        45,775,989  
    

 

 

 
Personal Care Products — 5.8%             

L’Oreal SA

    79,599        38,021,965  
    

 

 

 
Pharmaceuticals — 5.7%             

Ipsen SA

    12,463        1,369,099  

Sanofi SA

    376,556        35,891,259  
    

 

 

 
       37,260,358  
Professional Services — 0.8%             

Bureau Veritas SA

    97,336        2,828,252  

Teleperformance SE

    18,888        2,345,095  
    

 

 

 
       5,173,347  
Retail REITs — 0.7%             

Klepierre SA

    70,845        1,799,696  

Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, New(b)

    39,032        2,854,152  
    

 

 

 
       4,653,848  
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment — 1.6%             

STMicroelectronics NV

    226,089        10,266,080  
    

 

 

 
Software — 1.6%             

Dassault Systemes SE

    221,136        10,362,669  
    

 

 

 
 

 

 

16  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI France ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods — 18.4%            

Hermes International SCA

    10,477     $  26,217,007  

Kering SA

    24,626       11,343,419  

LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE

    91,343       83,371,961  
   

 

 

 
      120,932,387  
Trading Companies & Distributors — 0.3%            

Rexel SA

    74,609       1,911,106  
   

 

 

 
Transportation Infrastructure — 0.5%            

Aeroports de Paris SA

    11,487       1,563,747  

Getlink SE

    117,491       2,005,981  
   

 

 

 
      3,569,728  
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 100.1%
(Cost: $655,560,596)

      658,954,752  
   

 

 

 
Short-Term Securities            
Money Market Funds — 1.3%            

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares,
5.50%(d)(e)(f)

    728,646       729,010  
Security   Shares      Value  
Money Market Funds (continued)             

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares, 5.30%(d)(e)

    8,160,000      $ 8,160,000  
    

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 1.3%
(Cost: $8,889,074)

       8,889,010  
    

 

 

 

Total Investments — 101.4%
(Cost: $664,449,670)

       667,843,762  

Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets — (1.4)%

       (9,238,527
    

 

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

     $  658,605,235  
    

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Security exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration to qualified institutional investors.

(b) 

Non-income producing security.

(c) 

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(d) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(e) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

(f) 

All or a portion of this security was purchased with the cash collateral from loaned securities.

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

 

 
Affiliated Issuer    Value at
08/31/23
     Purchases
at Cost
     Proceeds
from Sale
     Net Realized
Gain (Loss)
     Change in
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
     Value at
02/29/24
     Shares
Held at
02/29/24
     Income     

Capital

Gain
Distributions
from
Underlying
Funds

 

 

 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares

   $ 42,535      $ 686,539 (a)     $      $ 4      $ (68    $ 729,010        728,646      $ 314 (b)      $  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares

     7,570,000        590,000 (a)                            8,160,000        8,160,000        212,065         
           

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

       

 

 

    

 

 

 
            $ 4      $ (68    $ 8,889,010         $ 212,379      $  
           

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

       

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

  (b) 

All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities.

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

 

 
Description    Number of
Contracts
     Expiration
Date
     Notional
Amount
(000)
     Value/
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
 

 

 

Long Contracts

           

CAC 40 Index

     6        03/15/24      $ 516      $ 19,616  
           

 

 

 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  17


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

   iShares® MSCI France ETF

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

 

 
     Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
     Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

 

 

Assets — Derivative Financial Instruments

                    

Futures contracts

                    

Unrealized appreciation on futures contracts(a)

   $      $      $ 19,616      $      $      $      $ 19,616  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

 

 
     Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
     Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

 

 

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ 1,192      $      $      $      $ 1,192  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ 19,616      $      $      $      $ 19,616  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

 

 

Futures contracts:

  

Average notional value of contracts — long

   $ 257,880   

 

 

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

 

 
     Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

 

 

Assets

                 

Investments

                 

Long-Term Investments

                 

Common Stocks

   $        $ 658,954,752        $     —        $ 658,954,752  

Short-Term Securities

                 

Money Market Funds

     8,889,010                            8,889,010  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $  8,889,010        $ 658,954,752        $        $ 667,843,762  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

                 

Assets

                 

Equity Contracts

   $        $ 19,616        $        $ 19,616  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Derivative financial instruments are futures contracts. Futures contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

18  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Netherlands ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Common Stocks

                                   
Air Freight & Logistics — 1.1%            

InPost SA(a)

    121,310     $ 1,895,494  

PostNL NV

    316,207       449,044  
   

 

 

 
      2,344,538  
Banks — 7.6%            

ABN AMRO Bank NV, CVA(b)

    171,846       2,766,560  

ING Groep NV

    987,259       13,586,501  
   

 

 

 
      16,353,061  
Beverages — 7.0%            

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners PLC

    63,727       4,373,584  

Heineken Holding NV

    42,646       3,294,102  

Heineken NV

    79,759       7,369,032  
   

 

 

 
      15,036,718  
Biotechnology — 0.4%            

Pharming Group NV(a)

    668,721       746,414  
   

 

 

 
Broadline Retail — 5.7%            

Prosus NV

    421,199       12,302,380  
   

 

 

 
Capital Markets — 1.5%            

Allfunds Group PLC

    213,689       1,519,134  

Flow Traders Ltd., NVS

    32,607       586,068  

Van Lanschot Kempen NV

    29,920       1,019,111  
   

 

 

 
      3,124,313  
Chemicals — 5.7%            

Akzo Nobel NV

    53,781       3,920,046  

Corbion NV

    57,986       1,100,548  

DSM-Firmenich AG

    53,569       5,740,905  

OCI NV

    57,853       1,526,413  
   

 

 

 
      12,287,912  
Construction & Engineering — 1.3%            

Fugro NV(a)

    76,854       1,698,507  

Koninklijke BAM Groep NV

    282,144       1,008,671  
   

 

 

 
      2,707,178  
Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail — 3.8%            

Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize NV

    263,902       7,859,490  

Sligro Food Group NV

    21,781       310,819  
   

 

 

 
      8,170,309  
Diversified Telecommunication Services — 1.8%            

Koninklijke KPN NV

    1,068,308       3,905,157  
   

 

 

 
Electrical Equipment — 1.9%            

Alfen NV(a)(b)(c)

    20,294       1,094,639  

Signify NV(b)

    63,825       1,715,192  

TKH Group NV

    31,384       1,311,131  
   

 

 

 
      4,120,962  
Energy Equipment & Services — 0.7%            

SBM Offshore NV

    101,256       1,437,854  
   

 

 

 
Entertainment — 3.3%            

Universal Music Group NV

    231,682       6,994,567  
   

 

 

 
Financial Services — 6.0%            

Adyen NV(a)(b)

    5,900       9,335,200  

EXOR NV, NVS

    33,100       3,575,332  
   

 

 

 
      12,910,532  
Food Products — 0.6%            

JDE Peet’s NV

    59,600       1,361,747  
   

 

 

 
Health Care Equipment & Supplies — 2.5%            

Koninklijke Philips NV

    266,666       5,372,586  
   

 

 

 
Security   Shares      Value  
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure — 1.3%             

Basic-Fit NV(a)(b)(c)

    43,580      $   1,175,484  

Just Eat Takeaway.com NV(a)(b)

    100,687        1,662,787  
    

 

 

 
       2,838,271  
Insurance — 4.6%             

Aegon Ltd.

    541,683        3,255,628  

ASR Nederland NV

    57,846        2,669,867  

NN Group NV

    88,424        3,946,158  
    

 

 

 
       9,871,653  
Machinery — 1.0%             

Aalberts NV

    46,469        2,090,212  
    

 

 

 
Metals & Mining — 0.3%             

AMG Critical Materials NV

    30,821        704,107  
    

 

 

 
Office REITs — 0.2%             

NSI NV

    20,297        410,222  
    

 

 

 
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels — 0.7%             

Koninklijke Vopak NV

    41,800        1,554,577  
    

 

 

 
Professional Services — 7.0%             

Arcadis NV

    34,071        1,988,630  

Brunel International NV

    20,613        228,779  

Randstad NV

    42,575        2,348,183  

Wolters Kluwer NV

    66,609        10,518,878  
    

 

 

 
       15,084,470  
Retail REITs — 0.8%             

Eurocommercial Properties NV

    42,768        916,535  

Vastned Retail NV

    12,627        286,220  

Wereldhave NV

    35,225        509,227  
    

 

 

 
       1,711,982  
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment — 28.8%             

ASM International NV

    12,885        7,869,478  

ASML Holding NV

    51,630        48,996,946  

BE Semiconductor Industries NV

    26,445        4,789,659  
    

 

 

 
       61,656,083  
Software — 0.3%             

TomTom NV(a)(c)

    72,840        585,438  
    

 

 

 
Specialty Retail — 0.1%             

Fastned BV(a)

    6,754        191,253  
    

 

 

 
Trading Companies & Distributors — 3.9%             

AerCap Holdings NV(a)

    68,947        5,321,330  

IMCD NV

    19,714        3,007,555  
    

 

 

 
       8,328,885  
    

 

 

 
Total Long-Term Investments — 99.9%
(Cost: $233,005,486)
         214,203,381  
    

 

 

 

Short-Term Securities

    
Money Market Funds — 0.7%             

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares, 5.50%(d)(e)(f)

    1,222,615        1,223,226  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  19


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Netherlands ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
Money Market Funds (continued)            

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares, 5.30%(d)(e)

    380,000     $ 380,000  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 0.7%
(Cost: $1,603,291)

      1,603,226  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments — 100.6%
(Cost: $234,608,777)

      215,806,607  

Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets — (0.6)%

      (1,295,068
   

 

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

    $ 214,511,539  
   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Non-income producing security.

(b) 

Security exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration to qualified institutional investors.

(c) 

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(d) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(e) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

 

(f) 

All or a portion of this security was purchased with the cash collateral from loaned securities.

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

Affiliated Issuer    Value at
08/31/23
     Purchases
at Cost
     Proceeds
from Sale
     Net Realized
Gain (Loss)
     Change in
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
     Value at
02/29/24
     Shares
Held at
02/29/24
     Income      Capital
Gain
Distributions
from
Underlying
Funds
 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares

   $ 11,023,471      $      $ (9,800,967 )(a)     $ 787      $ (65    $ 1,223,226        1,222,615      $ 16,304 (b)     $  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares

     160,000        220,000 (a)                            380,000        380,000        3,285         
           

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

       

 

 

    

 

 

 
            $ 787      $ (65    $ 1,603,226         $ 19,589      $  
           

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

       

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

  (b) 

All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities.

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

Description    Number of
Contracts
     Expiration
Date
     Notional
Amount
(000)
     Value/
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
 

Long Contracts

           

Euro STOXX 50 Index

     4        03/15/24      $ 212      $ 368  
           

 

 

 

 

 

20  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Netherlands ETF

 

Futures Contracts (continued)

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

      Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
     Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

Assets — Derivative Financial Instruments

                    

Futures contracts

                    

Unrealized appreciation on futures contracts(a)

   $      $      $ 368      $      $      $      $ 368  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

      Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
     Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ 29,671      $      $      $      $ 29,671  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ 5,900      $      $      $      $ 5,900  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

   

Futures contracts:

 

Average notional value of contracts — long

  $ 225,812   

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

         
      Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

Assets

                 

Investments

                 

Long-Term Investments

                 

Common Stocks

   $ 12,244,204        $ 201,959,177        $     —        $ 214,203,381  

Short-Term Securities

                 

Money Market Funds

     1,603,226                            1,603,226  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $ 13,847,430        $ 201,959,177        $        $ 215,806,607  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

                 

Assets

                 

Equity Contracts

   $        $ 368        $        $ 368  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Derivative financial instruments are futures contracts. Futures contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  21


Schedule of Investments (unaudited)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Sweden ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Common Stocks

                           
Aerospace & Defense — 1.2%            

Saab AB, Class B

    38,789     $    3,057,876  
   

 

 

 
Automobiles — 0.5%            

Volvo Car AB, Class B(a)

    342,868       1,253,742  
   

 

 

 
Banks — 10.9%            

Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB, Class A

    758,780       11,285,107  

Svenska Handelsbanken AB, Class A

    705,930       8,442,794  

Swedbank AB, Class A

    410,904       9,036,959  
   

 

 

 
      28,764,860  
Biotechnology — 0.9%            

Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB(a)

    94,161       2,312,605  
   

 

 

 
Building Products — 6.8%            

Assa Abloy AB, Class B

    485,061       13,845,822  

Nibe Industrier AB, Class B

    733,393       4,093,851  
   

 

 

 
      17,939,673  
Capital Markets — 1.9%            

EQT AB

    172,115       5,042,409  
   

 

 

 
Commercial Services & Supplies — 1.0%            

Securitas AB, Class B

    238,010       2,560,143  
   

 

 

 
Communications Equipment — 2.9%            

Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson, Class B

    1,417,239       7,695,615  
   

 

 

 
Construction & Engineering — 1.1%            

Skanska AB, Class B

    164,655       3,038,781  
   

 

 

 
Diversified Telecommunication Services — 1.0%            

Telia Co. AB

    1,139,174       2,711,379  
   

 

 

 
Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components — 4.5%        

Hexagon AB, Class B

    1,004,829       11,787,225  
   

 

 

 
Financial Services — 10.5%            

Industrivarden AB, Class A

    62,883       2,146,722  

Industrivarden AB, Class C

    70,750       2,408,533  

Investor AB, Class B

    836,765       21,052,385  

L E Lundbergforetagen AB, Class B

    36,758       1,999,408  
   

 

 

 
      27,607,048  
Health Care Equipment & Supplies — 0.8%            

Getinge AB, Class B

    110,747       2,194,694  
   

 

 

 
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure — 4.4%            

Evolution AB(b)

    88,696       11,490,036  
   

 

 

 
Household Products — 2.6%            

Essity AB, Class B

    294,807       6,873,738  
   

 

 

 
Industrial Conglomerates — 1.8%            

Investment AB Latour, Class B

    71,597       1,818,646  

Lifco AB, Class B

    112,915       3,010,421  
   

 

 

 
      4,829,067  
Machinery — 34.4%            

Alfa Laval AB

    140,036       5,272,583  

Atlas Copco AB, Class A

    1,298,561       22,558,776  

Atlas Copco AB, Class B

    755,432       11,309,817  
Security   Shares     Value  
Machinery (continued)            

Epiroc AB

    318,928     $ 5,789,223  

Epiroc AB, Class B

    188,935       3,117,639  

Husqvarna AB, Class B

    169,627       1,310,126  

Indutrade AB

    132,029       3,501,149  

Sandvik AB

    516,033       11,619,658  

SKF AB, Class B

    165,113       3,606,410  

Volvo AB, Class A

    96,908       2,704,060  

Volvo AB, Class B

    729,910       20,111,593  
   

 

 

 
      90,901,034  
Metals & Mining — 1.3%            

Boliden AB

    132,244       3,351,644  
   

 

 

 
Paper & Forest Products — 2.1%            

Holmen AB, Class B

    36,788       1,477,017  

Svenska Cellulosa AB SCA, Class B

    293,107       4,149,891  
   

 

 

 
      5,626,908  
Real Estate Management & Development — 1.6%            

Fastighets AB Balder, Class B(a)

    315,491       1,962,172  

Sagax AB, Class B

    95,589       2,260,943  
   

 

 

 
      4,223,115  
Specialty Retail — 1.6%            

H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB, Class B

    312,572       4,244,428  
   

 

 

 
Trading Companies & Distributors — 1.0%            

Beijer Ref AB, Class B(c)

    186,318       2,623,656  
   

 

 

 
Wireless Telecommunication Services — 0.8%            

Tele2 AB, Class B

    258,511       2,168,230  
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 95.6%
(Cost: $290,152,312)

      252,297,906  
   

 

 

 

Short-Term Securities

   

Money Market Funds — 1.1%

   

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares,
5.50%(d)(e)(f)

    2,738,940       2,740,310  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares,
5.30%(d)(e)

    100,000       100,000  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 1.1%
(Cost: $2,840,579)

      2,840,310  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments — 96.7%
(Cost: $292,992,891)

      255,138,216  

Other Assets Less Liabilities — 3.3%

      8,761,393  
   

 

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

    $  263,899,609  
   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Non-income producing security.

(b) 

Security exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration to qualified institutional investors.

(c) 

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(d) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(e) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

(f) 

All or a portion of this security was purchased with the cash collateral from loaned securities.

 

 

 

22  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Sweden ETF

  

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

Affiliated Issuer    Value at
08/31/23
     Purchases
at Cost
     Proceeds
from Sale
     Net Realized
Gain (Loss)
     Change in
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
     Value at
02/29/24
     Shares
Held at
02/29/24
     Income     

Capital

Gain
Distributions
from
Underlying
Funds

 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares

   $ 5,098,214      $      $ (2,358,067 )(a)     $ 447      $ (284    $ 2,740,310        2,738,940      $ 2,529 (b)      $  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares

     6,320,000                (6,220,000 )(a)                     100,000        100,000        131,693         
           

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

       

 

 

    

 

 

 
            $ 447      $ (284    $ 2,840,310         $  134,222      $  
           

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

       

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

  (b) 

All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities.

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

Description    Number of
Contracts
     Expiration
Date
     Notional
Amount
(000)
     Value/
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
 

Long Contracts

           

OMX Stockholm 30 Index

     479        03/15/24      $ 11,373      $ 418,601  
           

 

 

 

Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts

 

 Currency Purchased             

Currency Sold

     Counterparty    Settlement Date              Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
 
SEK         33,164,914                   USD        3,177,619      Standard Chartered Bank      03/15/24                 $ 23,111  
USD      3,115,649           EUR          2,875,342      Standard Chartered Bank      03/15/24           6,623  
                       

 

 

 
                          29,734  
                       

 

 

 
USD      79,332           SEK        826,651      Standard Chartered Bank      03/15/24           (448
                       

 

 

 
                          $29,286  
                       

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

      Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
     Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

Assets — Derivative Financial Instruments

                    

Futures contracts

                    

Unrealized appreciation on futures contracts(a)

   $      $      $ 418,601      $      $      $      $ 418,601  

Forward foreign currency exchange contracts

                    

Unrealized appreciation on forward foreign currency exchange contracts

   $      $      $      $ 29,734      $      $      $ 29,734  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   $      $      $ 418,601      $ 29,734      $      $      $ 448,335  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  23


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Sweden ETF

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure (continued)

 

      Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
     Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

Liabilities — Derivative Financial Instruments

                    

Forward foreign currency exchange contracts

                    

Unrealized depreciation on forward foreign currency exchange contracts

   $      $      $      $ 448      $      $      $   448  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

      Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
     Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ 811,624      $      $      $      $  811,624  

Forward foreign currency exchange contracts

                          49,746                      49,746  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   $      $      $ 811,624      $ 49,746      $      $      $ 861,370  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ 422,775      $      $      $      $ 422,775  

Forward foreign currency exchange contracts

                          130,203                      130,203  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   $      $      $  422,775      $  130,203      $      $      $ 552,978  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

   

Futures contracts:

 

Average notional value of contracts — long

  $ 11,440,112   

Forward foreign currency exchange contracts:

 

Average amounts purchased — in USD

  $ 3,089,685  

Average amounts sold — in USD

  $ 3,144,330  

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

Derivative Financial Instruments - Offsetting as of Period End

The Fund’s derivative assets and liabilities (by type) were as follows:

 

     
      Assets        Liabilities  

Derivative Financial Instruments:

       

Futures contracts

   $ 418,601        $  

Forward foreign currency exchange contracts

     29,734          448  
  

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total derivative assets and liabilities in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities

      448,335          448  

Derivatives not subject to a Master Netting Agreement or similar agreement (“MNA”)

     (418,601         
  

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total derivative assets and liabilities subject to an MNA

   $ 29,734        $ 448  
  

 

 

      

 

 

 

The following tables present the Fund’s derivative assets and liabilities by counterparty net of amounts available for offset under an MNA and net of the related collateral received and pledged by the Fund:

 

Counterparty  

Derivative

Assets

Subject to
an MNA by
Counterparty

   

Derivatives

Available

for Offset(a)

    Non-Cash
Collateral
Received
    Cash
Collateral
Received
   

Net Amount

of Derivative

Assets(b)(c)

 

Standard Chartered Bank

              $29,734              $  (448            $  —              $  —              $29,286  
    

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

24  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Sweden ETF

 

Derivative Financial Instruments - Offsetting as of Period End (continued)

 

Counterparty  

Derivative
Liabilities
Subject to

an MNA by
Counterparty

   

Derivatives

Available

for Offset(a)

    Non-Cash
Collateral
Pledged
    Cash
Collateral
Pledged
   

Net Amount

of Derivative

Liabilities(c)

 

Standard Chartered Bank

              $ 448              $(448            $ —              $ —              $ —  
    

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

The amount of derivatives available for offset is limited to the amount of derivative assets and/or liabilities that are subject to an MNA.

  (b) 

Net amount represents the net amount receivable from the counterparty in the event of default.

  (c) 

Net amount may also include forward foreign currency exchange contracts that are not required to be collateralized.

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

         
      Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

Assets

                 

Investments

                 

Long-Term Investments

                 

Common Stocks

   $ 2,312,605        $ 249,985,301        $        $ 252,297,906  

Short-Term Securities

                 

Money Market Funds

     2,840,310                            2,840,310  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $  5,152,915        $ 249,985,301        $        $ 255,138,216  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

                 

Assets

                 

Equity Contracts

   $        $ 418,601        $        $ 418,601  

Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts

              29,734                   29,734  

Liabilities

                 

Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts

              (448                 (448
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $        $ 447,887        $    —          447,887  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Derivative financial instruments are, futures contracts and forward foreign currency exchange contracts. ,Futures contracts and forward foreign currency exchange contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  25


Statements of Assets and Liabilities (unaudited) 

February 29, 2024

 

   

iShares

MSCI Austria

ETF

   

iShares

MSCI

Belgium ETF

   

iShares

MSCI France

ETF

   

iShares

MSCI

Netherlands

ETF

 

 

 

ASSETS

       

Investments, at value — unaffiliated(a)(b)

  $ 55,883,233     $ 20,057,799     $ 658,954,752     $ 214,203,381  

Investments, at value — affiliated(c)

    3,845,209       77,849       8,889,010       1,603,226  

Cash

    8,410       6,534       8,670       8,013  

Foreign currency collateral pledged for futures contracts(d)

    87,545       11,889       36,747       38,909  

Foreign currency, at value(e)

    83,125       22,592       101,340       231,742  

Receivables:

       

Investments sold

    2,702,669       471,640       3,855,031       9,505,176  

Securities lending income — affiliated

    10,846       8       226       755  

Capital shares sold

                      3,629  

Dividends — unaffiliated

          8,540       67,575        

Dividends — affiliated

    65       7       34,850       574  

Tax reclaims

    1,053,756       152,590       1,029,776        

Variation margin on futures contracts

    2,047       423             556  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total assets

    63,676,905       20,809,871       672,977,977       225,595,961  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

LIABILITIES

       

Collateral on securities loaned, at value

    3,836,495       78,081       729,078       1,213,950  

Payables:

       

Investments purchased

    3,253,664       403,110       3,793,931       9,790,505  

Investment advisory fees

    22,374       7,955       260,136       79,967  

IRS compliance fee for foreign withholding tax claims

                9,588,519        

Variation margin on futures contracts

                1,078        
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total liabilities

    7,112,533       489,146       14,372,742       11,084,422  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Commitments and contingent liabilities

       

NET ASSETS

  $ 56,564,372     $ 20,320,725     $ 658,605,235     $ 214,511,539  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS CONSIST OF

       

Paid-in capital

  $ 114,968,174     $ 47,146,879     $ 708,521,565     $ 275,821,948  

Accumulated loss

    (58,403,802     (26,826,154     (49,916,330     (61,310,409
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

  $ 56,564,372     $ 20,320,725     $ 658,605,235     $ 214,511,539  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSET VALUE

       

Shares outstanding

    2,750,000       1,120,000       16,400,000       4,500,000  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value

  $ 20.57     $ 18.14     $ 40.16     $ 47.67  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Shares authorized

    100 million       136.2 million       340.2 million       255 million  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Par value

  $ 0.001     $ 0.001     $ 0.001     $ 0.001  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

(a) Investments, at cost — unaffiliated

  $ 63,987,684     $ 25,919,004     $ 655,560,596     $ 233,005,486  

(b) Securities loaned, at value

  $ 3,597,811     $ 77,084     $ 700,027     $ 1,153,277  

(c)  Investments, at cost — affiliated

  $ 3,844,832     $ 77,836     $ 8,889,074     $ 1,603,291  

(d) Foreign currency collateral pledged, at cost

  $ 95,604     $ 11,846     $ 43,286     $ 39,168  

(e) Foreign currency, at cost

  $ 74,910     $ 22,486     $ 94,458     $ 231,089  

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

26  

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Statements of Assets and Liabilities (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

 

   

iShares

MSCI

Sweden ETF

 

 

 

ASSETS

 

Investments, at value — unaffiliated(a)(b)

  $ 252,297,906  

Investments, at value — affiliated(c)

    2,840,310  

Cash

    3,235  

Foreign currency collateral pledged for futures contracts(d)

    985,684  

Foreign currency, at value(e)

    650,326  

Receivables:

 

Investments sold

    124,394  

Securities lending income — affiliated

    1,338  

Dividends — affiliated

    315  

Tax reclaims

    2,645,452  

Variation margin on futures contracts

    55,986  

Foreign withholding tax claims

    8,325,376  

Unrealized appreciation on forward foreign currency exchange contracts

    29,734  
 

 

 

 

Total assets

    267,960,056  
 

 

 

 

LIABILITIES

 

Collateral on securities loaned, at value

    2,740,589  

Payables:

 

Investments purchased

    384,274  

Investment advisory fees

    100,652  

Professional fees

    834,484  

Unrealized depreciation on forward foreign currency exchange contracts

    448  
 

 

 

 

Total liabilities

    4,060,447  
 

 

 

 

Commitments and contingent liabilities

 

NET ASSETS

  $ 263,899,609  
 

 

 

 

NET ASSETS CONSIST OF

 

Paid-in capital

  $ 380,756,583  

Accumulated loss

    (116,856,974
 

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

  $ 263,899,609  
 

 

 

 

NET ASSET VALUE

 

Shares outstanding

    6,675,000  
 

 

 

 

Net asset value

  $ 39.54  
 

 

 

 

Shares authorized

    100 million  
 

 

 

 

Par value

  $ 0.001  
 

 

 

 

(a) Investments, at cost — unaffiliated

  $ 290,152,312  

(b) Securities loaned, at value

  $ 2,597,407  

(c)  Investments, at cost — affiliated

  $ 2,840,579  

(d) Foreign currency collateral pledged, at cost

  $ 1,035,644  

(e) Foreign currency, at cost

  $ 503,464  

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  27


Statements of Operations (unaudited) 

Six Months Ended February 29, 2024

 

    iShares
MSCI Austria
ETF
    iShares
MSCI
Belgium
ETF
    iShares
MSCI France
ETF
    iShares
MSCI
Netherlands
ETF
 

 

 

INVESTMENT INCOME

       

Dividends — unaffiliated

  $ 476,810 (a)    $ 135,166     $ 3,540,448     $ 659,464  

Dividends — affiliated

    1,600       71       212,065       3,285  

Interest — unaffiliated

    1,649       346       1,277       1,347  

Securities lending income — affiliated — net

    58,055       181       314       16,304  

Foreign taxes withheld

    (68,095     (20,845     (13,989     (75,945

IRS compliance fee for foreign withholding tax claims

                (13,216      
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total investment income

    470,019       114,919       3,726,899       604,455  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

EXPENSES

       

Investment advisory

    134,137       46,095       1,923,463       528,826  

Commitment costs

    259       91       3,742       1,055  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total expenses

    134,396       46,186       1,927,205       529,881  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net investment income

    335,623       68,733       1,799,694       74,574  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS)

       

Net realized gain (loss) from:

       

Investments — unaffiliated

    (1,173,323     (460,650     (6,350,212     513,747  

Investments — affiliated

    408       (233     4       787  

Foreign currency transactions

    6,310       557       (6,874     (5,084

Futures contracts

    83,616       11,171       1,192       29,671  

In-kind redemptions — unaffiliated(b)

    1,234,972       (34,078     50,901,206       (7,501,490
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    151,983       (483,233     44,545,316       (6,962,369
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:

       

Investments — unaffiliated

    1,546,075       320,348       3,616,809       36,913,006  

Investments — affiliated

    358       15       (68     (65

Foreign currency translations

    (3,487     40       (4,250     2,437  

Futures contracts

    54,550       12,079       19,616       5,900  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    1,597,496       332,482       3,632,107       36,921,278  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)

    1,749,479       (150,751     48,177,423       29,958,909  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS

  $ 2,085,102     $ (82,018   $ 49,977,117     $ 30,033,483  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(a)

Includes $168,224 related to a special distribution from CA Immobilien Anlagen AG.

(b) 

See Note 2 of the Notes to Financial Statements.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

28  

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Statements of Operations (unaudited) (continued)

Six Months Ended February 29, 2024

 

   

iShares

MSCI
Sweden ETF

 

 

 

INVESTMENT INCOME

 

Dividends — unaffiliated

  $ 1,439,639  

Dividends — affiliated

    131,693  

Interest — unaffiliated

    1,107  

Securities lending income — affiliated — net

    2,529  

Foreign taxes withheld

    (215,950

Foreign withholding tax claims

    215,950  
 

 

 

 

Total investment income

    1,574,968  
 

 

 

 

EXPENSES

 

Investment advisory

    760,901  

Professional

    25,377  

Commitment costs

    1,596  
 

 

 

 

Total expenses

    787,874  
 

 

 

 

Net investment income

    787,094  
 

 

 

 

REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS)

 

Net realized gain (loss) from:

 

Investments — unaffiliated

    (3,526,149

Investments — affiliated

    447  

Forward foreign currency exchange contracts

    49,746  

Foreign currency transactions

    42,985  

Futures contracts

    811,624  

In-kind redemptions — unaffiliated(a)

    6,169,504  
 

 

 

 
    3,548,157  
 

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:

 

Investments — unaffiliated

    51,892,358  

Investments — affiliated

    (284

Forward foreign currency exchange contracts

    130,203  

Foreign currency translations

    420,697  

Futures contracts

    422,775  
 

 

 

 
    52,865,749  
 

 

 

 

Net realized and unrealized gain

    56,413,906  
 

 

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS

  $ 57,201,000  
 

 

 

 

 

(a) 

See Note 2 of the Notes to Financial Statements.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  29


Statements of Changes in Net Assets

 

    iShares
MSCI Austria ETF
           iShares
MSCI Belgium ETF
 
   

Six Months
Ended

02/29/24
(unaudited)

    Year Ended
08/31/23
          

Six Months
Ended

02/29/24
(unaudited)

    Year Ended
08/31/23
 

 

 

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS

          

OPERATIONS

          

Net investment income

  $ 335,623     $ 2,311,574        $ 68,733     $ 429,800  

Net realized gain (loss)

    151,983       (7,283,685        (483,233     (1,622,807

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

    1,597,496       12,688,771          332,482       3,115,011  
 

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

    2,085,102       7,716,660          (82,018     1,922,004  
 

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS(a)

          

From net investment income

    (1,637,284 )(b)      (2,439,739        (57,471     (170,545

Return of capital

                         (202,469
 

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

Decrease in net assets resulting from distributions to shareholders

    (1,637,284     (2,439,739        (57,471     (373,014
 

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

          

Net increase (decrease) in net assets derived from capital share transactions

    2,467,898       (14,130,724        116,933       949,746  
 

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

          

Total increase (decrease) in net assets

    2,915,716       (8,853,803        (22,556     2,498,736  

Beginning of period

    53,648,656       62,502,459          20,343,281       17,844,545  
 

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

End of period

  $ 56,564,372     $ 53,648,656        $ 20,320,725     $ 20,343,281  
 

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(b) 

A portion of the distributions from net investment income may be deemed a return of capital or net realized gain at fiscal year-end.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

30  

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Statements of Changes in Net Assets (continued)

 

    iShares
MSCI France ETF
           iShares
MSCI Netherlands ETF
 
   

Six Months
Ended

02/29/24
(unaudited)

    Year Ended
08/31/23
           Six Months
Ended
02/29/24
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
08/31/23
 

 

 

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS

          

OPERATIONS

          

Net investment income

  $ 1,799,694     $ 27,508,429        $ 74,574     $ 5,254,148  

Net realized gain (loss)

    44,545,316       60,114,545          (6,962,369     (1,248,402

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

    3,632,107       163,541,483          36,921,278       50,421,651  
 

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

    49,977,117       251,164,457          30,033,483       54,427,397  
 

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS(a)

          

Decrease in net assets resulting from distributions to shareholders

    (4,325,783     (24,746,255        (1,703,795     (4,948,231
 

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

          

Net decrease in net assets derived from capital share transactions

    (326,399,039     (77,227,268        (62,934,803     (107,021,715
 

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

          

Total increase (decrease) in net assets

    (280,747,705     149,190,934          (34,605,115     (57,542,549

Beginning of period

    939,352,940       790,162,006          249,116,654       306,659,203  
 

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

End of period

  $ 658,605,235     $ 939,352,940        $ 214,511,539     $ 249,116,654  
 

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  31


Statements of Changes in Net Assets (continued)

 

     iShares
MSCI Sweden ETF
 
    

Six Months
Ended

02/29/24
(unaudited)

    Year Ended
08/31/23
 

 

 

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS

    

OPERATIONS

    

Net investment income

   $ 787,094     $ 7,640,974  

Net realized gain (loss)

     3,548,157       (52,896,978

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

     52,865,749       84,665,726  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

     57,201,000       39,409,722  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS(a)

    

Decrease in net assets resulting from distributions to shareholders

     (7,863,925 )(b)       (2,063,347
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

    

Net decrease in net assets derived from capital share transactions

     (100,326,720     (131,012,062
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

    

Total decrease in net assets

     (50,989,645     (93,665,687

Beginning of period

     314,889,254       408,554,941  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

End of period

   $ 263,899,609     $ 314,889,254  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

(a) Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(b) A portion of the distributions from net investment income may be deemed a return of capital or net realized gain at fiscal year-end.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

32  

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Financial Highlights

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    iShares MSCI Austria ETF  
 

 

 

 
    Six Months Ended
02/29/24
(unaudited)
   

Year Ended
08/31/23

   

Year Ended
08/31/22

   

Year Ended
08/31/21

   

Year Ended
08/31/20

   

Year Ended
08/31/19

 

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

           $ 20.24        $ 17.36        $ 25.28        $ 15.67        $ 18.89        $ 22.88  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

      0.13 (b)          0.91          0.97          0.54          0.06          0.48  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(c)

      0.84          2.96          (8.01        9.50          (3.16        (3.69
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

      0.97          3.87          (7.04        10.04          (3.10        (3.21
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(d)

      (0.64 )(e)         (0.99        (0.88        (0.43        (0.12        (0.78
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 20.57        $ 20.24        $ 17.36        $ 25.28        $ 15.67        $ 18.89  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total Return(f)

                            

Based on net asset value

      4.71 %(g)         22.61        (28.58 )%         64.50        (16.58 )%         (14.07 )% 
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(h)

                            

Total expenses

      0.50 %(i)         0.50        0.50        0.50        0.51        0.49
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net investment income

      1.25 %(i)         4.68        4.32        2.55        0.32        2.34
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

                            

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 56,564        $ 53,649        $ 62,502        $ 89,752        $ 43,104        $ 54,767  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(j)

      11        21        19        14        16        17
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Based on average shares outstanding.

(b) 

Includes a special distribution from CA Immobilien AG. Excluding such special distribution, the net investment income would have been $0.06 per share and 0.62% of average net assets

(c) 

The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

(d) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(e) 

A portion of the distributions from net investment income may be deemed a return of capital or net realized gain at fiscal year-end.

(f) 

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

(g) 

Not annualized.

(h) 

Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

(i) 

Annualized.

(j) 

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, if any.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  H I G H L I G H T S

  33


Financial Highlights (continued)

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    iShares MSCI Belgium ETF  
 

 

 

 
    Six Months Ended
02/29/24
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
08/31/23
    Year Ended
08/31/22
    Year Ended
08/31/21
    Year Ended
08/31/20
    Year Ended
08/31/19
 

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

           $ 18.16        $ 15.93        $ 22.28        $ 17.76        $ 18.48        $ 19.70  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

      0.07          0.41          0.44          0.31          0.24          0.44  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(b)

      (0.03        2.15          (5.80        4.64          (0.60        (1.22
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

      0.04          2.56          (5.36        4.95          (0.36        (0.78
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Distributions(c)

                            

From net investment income

      (0.06        (0.15        (0.99        (0.43        (0.36        (0.44

Return of capital

               (0.18                                    
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total distributions

      (0.06        (0.33        (0.99        (0.43        (0.36        (0.44
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 18.14        $ 18.16        $ 15.93        $ 22.28        $ 17.76        $ 18.48  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total Return(d)

                            

Based on net asset value

      0.22 %(e)         16.16        (24.77 )%         27.96 %(f)         (2.02 )%         (3.80 )% 
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(g)

                            

Total expenses

      0.50 %(h)         0.50        0.50        0.50        0.51        0.49
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net investment income

      0.74 %(h)         2.28        2.22        1.52        1.34        2.43
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

                            

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 20,321        $ 20,343        $ 17,845        $ 41,002        $ 32,685        $ 47,305  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(i)

      5        12        7        16        18        11
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Based on average shares outstanding.

(b) 

The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

(c) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(d) 

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

(e) 

Not annualized.

(f) 

Includes payment received from a settlement of litigation, which impacted the Fund’ total return. Excluding the payment from a settlement of litigation, the Fund’s total return is 22.73%.

(g) 

Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

(h) 

Annualized.

(i) 

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, if any.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

34  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Financial Highlights (continued)

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    iShares MSCI France ETF  
   

Six Months Ended

02/29/24
(unaudited)

    Year Ended
08/31/23
    Year Ended
08/31/22
    Year Ended
08/31/21
    Year Ended
08/31/20
    Year Ended
08/31/19
 

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

           $ 37.57        $ 29.48        $ 38.85        $ 29.30        $ 29.41        $ 31.10  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

      0.09          1.01 (b)          1.27 (b)          0.72 (b)          0.32          0.83  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(c)

      2.75          8.02          (8.65        9.43          (0.18        (1.67
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

      2.84          9.03          (7.38        10.15          0.14          (0.84
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(d)

      (0.25        (0.94        (1.99        (0.60        (0.25        (0.85
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 40.16        $ 37.57        $ 29.48        $ 38.85        $ 29.30        $ 29.41  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total Return(e)

                            

Based on net asset value

      7.52 %(f)          30.82 %(b)         (19.71 )%(b)         34.74 %(b)         0.50        (2.64 )% 
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(g)

                            

Total expenses

      0.50 %(h)          0.53        0.76        0.60        0.51        0.50
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total expenses excluding professional fees for foreign withholding tax claims

      N/A          0.50        0.50        0.50        N/A          N/A  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net investment income

      0.47 %(h)          2.88 %(b)          3.62 %(b)          2.13 %(b)          1.09        2.84
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

                            

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 658,605        $ 939,353        $ 790,162        $ 761,536        $ 884,935        $ 1,129,200  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(i)

      2        3        9        4        2        2
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Based on average shares outstanding.

(b) 

Reflects the positive effect of foreign withholding tax claims, net of the associated professional fees, which resulted in the following increases for the years ended August 31, 2023, August 31, 2022 and August 31, 2021, respectively:

• Net investment income per share by $0.07, $0.58 and $0.30.

• Total return by 0.27%,1.24% and 1.25%.

• Ratio of net investment income to average net assets by 0.21%,1.66% and 0.89%.

(c) 

The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

(d) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(e) 

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

(f) 

Not annualized.

(g) 

Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

(h) 

Annualized.

(i) 

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, if any.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  H I G H L I G H T S

  35


Financial Highlights (continued)

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    iShares MSCI Netherlands ETF  
    Six Months Ended
02/29/24
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
08/31/23
    Year Ended
08/31/22
    Year Ended
08/31/21
    Year Ended
08/31/20
    Year Ended
08/31/19
 

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

           $ 41.18        $ 34.26        $ 52.87        $ 35.38        $ 30.58        $ 31.12  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

      0.01          0.72          0.84          0.40          0.33          0.88  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(b)

      6.81          6.91          (18.78        17.55          4.80          (0.56
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

      6.82          7.63          (17.94        17.95          5.13          0.32  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(c)

      (0.33        (0.71        (0.67        (0.46        (0.33        (0.86
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 47.67        $ 41.18        $ 34.26        $ 52.87        $ 35.38        $ 30.58  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total Return(d)

                            

Based on net asset value

      16.68 %(e)         22.27        (34.09 )%         50.92        16.88        1.16
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(f)

                            

Total expenses

      0.50 %(g)          0.50        0.50        0.50        0.51        0.50
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net investment income

      0.07 %(g)          1.84        1.94        0.90        1.03        2.97
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

                            

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 214,512        $ 249,117        $ 306,659        $ 330,434        $ 187,519        $ 133,042  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(h)

      7        11        10        36        19        13
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Based on average shares outstanding.

(b) 

The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

(c) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(d) 

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

(e) 

Not annualized.

(f) 

Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

(g) 

Annualized.

(h) 

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, if any.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

36  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Financial Highlights (continued)

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    iShares MSCI Sweden ETF  
    Six Months Ended
02/29/24
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
08/31/23
    Year Ended
08/31/22
    Year Ended
08/31/21
    Year Ended
08/31/20
    Year Ended
08/31/19
 

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

           $ 33.32        $ 30.10        $ 47.87        $ 35.73        $ 28.25        $ 31.85  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

      0.09 (b)          0.79 (b)          1.46          0.99          0.34          0.95  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(c)

      7.08          2.63          (16.83        12.57          7.65          (3.58
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

      7.17          3.42          (15.37        13.56          7.99          (2.63
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(d)

      (0.95 )(e)          (0.20        (2.40        (1.42        (0.51        (0.97
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 39.54        $ 33.32        $ 30.10        $ 47.87        $ 35.73        $ 28.25  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total Return(f)

                            

Based on net asset value

      21.58 %(b)(g)         11.35        (33.28 )%         38.09        28.51        (8.41 )% 
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(h)

                            

Total expenses

      0.52 %(i)          0.54        0.54        0.54        0.55        0.55
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total expenses excluding professional fees for foreign withholding tax claims

      0.50 %(i)          0.50        0.50        0.50        0.51        0.49
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net investment income

      0.52 %(b)(i)         2.37 %(b)          3.67        2.27        1.09        3.16
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

                            

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 263,900        $ 314,889        $ 408,555        $ 653,396        $ 246,503        $ 205,516  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(j)

      8        13        18        11        8        4
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Based on average shares outstanding.

(b) 

Reflects the positive effect of foreign withholding tax claims, net of the associated professional fees, which resulted in the following increases for the six months ended February 29, 2024 and the year ended August 31, 2023, respectively:

• Net investment income per share by $0.02 and $0.11.

• Total return by 0.09% and 0.36%.

• Ratio of net investment income to average net assets by 0.12% and 0.32%.

(c) 

The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

(d) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(e) 

A portion of the distributions from net investment income may be deemed a return of capital or net realized gain at fiscal year-end.

(f) 

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

(g) 

Not annualized.

(h) 

Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

(i) 

Annualized.

(j) 

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, if any.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  H I G H L I G H T S

  37


Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) 

 

1.

ORGANIZATION

iShares, Inc. (the “Company”) is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), as an open-end management investment company. The Company is organized as a Maryland corporation and is authorized to have multiple series or portfolios.

These financial statements relate only to the following funds (each, a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”):

 

iShares ETF    Diversification  
Classification  

MSCI Austria

   Non-diversified  

MSCI Belgium

   Non-diversified  

MSCI France

   Non-diversified  

MSCI Netherlands

   Non-diversified  

MSCI Sweden

   Non-diversified  

 

2.

SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The financial statements are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”), which may require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Each Fund is considered an investment company under U.S. GAAP and follows the accounting and reporting guidance applicable to investment companies. Below is a summary of significant accounting policies:

Investment Transactions and Income Recognition: For financial reporting purposes, investment transactions are recorded on the dates the transactions are executed. Realized gains and losses on investment transactions are determined using the specific identification method. Dividend income and capital gain distributions, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Non-cash dividends, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date at fair value. Dividends from foreign securities where the ex-dividend date may have passed are subsequently recorded when the Funds are informed of the ex-dividend date. Under the applicable foreign tax laws, a withholding tax at various rates may be imposed on capital gains, dividends and interest. Upon notification from issuers or as estimated by management, a portion of the dividend income received from a real estate investment trust may be redesignated as a reduction of cost of the related investment and/or realized gain. Interest income, including amortization and accretion of premiums and discounts on debt securities, is recognized daily on an accrual basis.

Foreign Currency Translation: Each Fund’s books and records are maintained in U.S. dollars. Securities and other assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars using prevailing market rates as quoted by one or more data service providers. Purchases and sales of investments are recorded at the rates of exchange prevailing on the respective dates of such transactions. Generally, when the U.S. dollar rises in value against a foreign currency, the investments denominated in that currency will lose value; the opposite effect occurs if the U.S. dollar falls in relative value.

Each Fund does not isolate the effect of fluctuations in foreign exchange rates from the effect of fluctuations in the market prices of investments for financial reporting purposes. Accordingly, the effects of changes in exchange rates on investments are not segregated in the Statements of Operations from the effects of changes in market prices of those investments, but are included as a component of net realized and unrealized gain (loss) from investments. Each Fund reports realized currency gains (losses) on foreign currency related transactions as components of net realized gain (loss) for financial reporting purposes, whereas such components are generally treated as ordinary income for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Foreign Taxes: The Funds may be subject to foreign taxes (a portion of which may be reclaimable) on income, stock dividends, capital gains on investments, or certain foreign currency transactions. All foreign taxes are recorded in accordance with the applicable foreign tax regulations and rates that exist in the foreign jurisdictions in which each Fund invests. These foreign taxes, if any, are paid by each Fund and are reflected in its Statements of Operations as follows: foreign taxes withheld at source are presented as a reduction of income, foreign taxes on securities lending income are presented as a reduction of securities lending income, foreign taxes on stock dividends are presented as “Other foreign taxes”, and foreign taxes on capital gains from sales of investments and foreign taxes on foreign currency transactions are included in their respective net realized gain (loss) categories. Foreign taxes payable or deferred as of February 29, 2024, if any, are disclosed in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

The Funds file withholding tax reclaims in certain jurisdictions to recover a portion of amounts previously withheld. The Funds may record a reclaim receivable based on collectability, which includes factors such as the jurisdiction’s applicable laws, payment history and market convention. The Statements of Operations includes tax reclaims recorded as well as professional and other fees, if any, associated with recovery of foreign withholding taxes.

Collateralization: If required by an exchange or counterparty agreement, the Funds may be required to deliver/deposit cash and/or securities to/with an exchange, or broker-dealer or custodian as collateral for certain investments.

In-kind Redemptions: For financial reporting purposes, in-kind redemptions are treated as sales of securities resulting in realized capital gains or losses to the Funds. Because such gains or losses are not taxable to the Funds and are not distributed to existing Fund shareholders, the gains or losses are reclassified from accumulated net realized gain (loss) to paid-in capital at the end of the Funds’ tax year. These reclassifications have no effect on net assets or net asset value (“NAV”) per share.

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

Distributions: Dividends and distributions paid by each Fund are recorded on the ex-dividend dates. Distributions are determined on a tax basis and may differ from net investment income, net realized capital gains and/or return of capital for financial reporting purposes. Dividends and distributions are paid in U.S. dollars and cannot be automatically reinvested in additional shares of the Funds.

The portion of distributions that exceeds each Fund’s current and accumulated earning and profits will constitute a non-taxable return of capital. Distributions in excess of each Fund’s minimum distribution requirements, but not in excess of the Fund’s earnings and profits, will be taxable to the Fund’s shareholders and will not constitute non-taxable returns of capital. Return of capital distributions will reduce a shareholder’s cost basis and will result in higher capital gains or lower capital losses when each Fund’s shares on which distributions were received are sold. Once a shareholder’s cost basis is reduced to zero, further distributions will be treated as capital gains.

Indemnifications: In the normal course of business, each Fund enters into contracts that contain a variety of representations that provide general indemnification. The Funds’ maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown because it involves future potential claims against the Funds, which cannot be predicted with any certainty.

 

3.

INVESTMENT VALUATION AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

Investment Valuation Policies: Each Fund’s investments are valued at fair value (also referred to as “market value” within the financial statements) each day that the Fund’s listing exchange is open and, for financial reporting purposes, as of the report date. U.S. GAAP defines fair value as the price a fund would receive to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) of each Fund has approved the designation of BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BFA”), the Funds’ investment adviser, as the valuation designee for each Fund. Each Fund determines the fair values of its financial instruments using various independent dealers or pricing services under BFA’s policies. If a security’s market price is not readily available or does not otherwise accurately represent the fair value of the security, the security will be valued in accordance with BFA’s policies and procedures as reflecting fair value. BFA has formed a committee (the “Valuation Committee”) to develop pricing policies and procedures and to oversee the pricing function for all financial instruments, with assistance from other BlackRock pricing committees.

Fair Value Inputs and Methodologies: The following methods and inputs are used to establish the fair value of each Fund’s assets and liabilities:

 

   

Equity investments traded on a recognized securities exchange are valued at that day’s official closing price, as applicable, on the exchange where the stock is primarily traded. Equity investments traded on a recognized exchange for which there were no sales on that day are valued at the last traded price.

 

   

Investments in open-end U.S. mutual funds (including money market funds) are valued at that day’s published NAV.

 

   

Futures contracts are valued based on that day’s last reported settlement or trade price on the exchange where the contract is traded.

 

   

Forward foreign currency exchange contracts are valued at the mean between the bid and ask prices and are determined as of the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) based on that day’s prevailing forward exchange rate for the underlying currencies.

Generally, trading in foreign instruments is substantially completed each day at various times prior to the close of trading on the NYSE. Each business day, the Funds use current market factors supplied by independent pricing services to value certain foreign instruments (“Systematic Fair Value Price”). The Systematic Fair Value Price is designed to value such foreign securities at fair value as of the close of trading on the NYSE, which follows the close of the local markets.

If events (e.g., market volatility, company announcement or a natural disaster) occur that are expected to materially affect the value of such investment, or in the event that application of these methods of valuation results in a price for an investment that is deemed not to be representative of the market value of such investment, or if a price is not available, the investment will be valued by the Valuation Committee, in accordance with BFA’s policies and procedures as reflecting fair value (“Fair Valued Investments”). The fair valuation approaches that may be used by the Valuation Committee include market approach, income approach and cost approach. Valuation techniques such as discounted cash flow, use of market comparables and matrix pricing are types of valuation approaches and are typically used in determining fair value. When determining the price for Fair Valued Investments, the Valuation Committee seeks to determine the price that each Fund might reasonably expect to receive or pay from the current sale or purchase of that asset or liability in an arm’s-length transaction. Fair value determinations shall be based upon all available factors that the Valuation Committee deems relevant and consistent with the principles of fair value measurement.

Fair value pricing could result in a difference between the prices used to calculate a fund’s NAV and the prices used by the fund’s underlying index, which in turn could result in a difference between the fund’s performance and the performance of the fund’s underlying index.

Fair Value Hierarchy: Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. These inputs to valuation techniques are categorized into a fair value hierarchy consisting of three broad levels for financial reporting purposes as follows:

 

   

Level 1 – Unadjusted price quotations in active markets/exchanges for identical assets or liabilities that each Fund has the ability to access;

 

   

Level 2 – Other observable inputs (including, but not limited to, quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in markets that are active, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the assets or liabilities (such as interest rates, yield curves, volatilities, prepayment speeds, loss severities, credit risks and default rates) or other market-corroborated inputs); and

 

   

Level 3 – Unobservable inputs based on the best information available in the circumstances, to the extent observable inputs are not available, (including the Valuation Committee’s assumptions used in determining the fair value of financial instruments).

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements). Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised in determining fair value is greatest for instruments categorized in Level 3. The inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, for disclosure purposes, the fair value hierarchy classification is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. Investments classified within Level 3 have significant unobservable inputs used by the Valuation Committee in determining the price for Fair Valued Investments. Level 3 investments include equity or debt issued by privately held companies or funds that may not have a secondary market and/or may have a limited number of investors. The categorization of a value determined for financial instruments is based on the pricing transparency of the financial instruments and is not necessarily an indication of the risks associated with investing in those securities.

 

4.

SECURITIES AND OTHER INVESTMENTS

Securities Lending: Each Fund may lend its securities to approved borrowers, such as brokers, dealers and other financial institutions. The borrower pledges and maintains with the Fund collateral consisting of cash, an irrevocable letter of credit issued by an approved bank, or securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government. The initial collateral received by each Fund is required to have a value of at least 102% of the current market value of the loaned securities for securities traded on U.S. exchanges and a value of at least 105% for all other securities. The collateral is maintained thereafter at a value equal to at least 100% of the current value of the securities on loan. The market value of the loaned securities is determined at the close of each business day of the Fund and any additional required collateral is delivered to the Fund or excess collateral is returned by the Fund, on the next business day. During the term of the loan, each Fund is entitled to all distributions made on or in respect of the loaned securities but does not receive interest income on securities received as collateral. Loans of securities are terminable at any time and the borrower, after notice, is required to return borrowed securities within the standard time period for settlement of securities transactions.

As of period end, any securities on loan were collateralized by cash and/or U.S. Government obligations. Cash collateral invested in money market funds managed by BFA, or its affiliates is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments. Any non-cash collateral received cannot be sold, re-invested or pledged by the Fund, except in the event of borrower default. The securities on loan, if any, are also disclosed in each Fund’s Schedule of Investments. The market value of any securities on loan and the value of any related cash collateral are disclosed in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

Securities lending transactions are entered into by the Funds under Master Securities Lending Agreements (each, an “MSLA”) which provide the right, in the event of default (including bankruptcy or insolvency) for the non-defaulting party to liquidate the collateral and calculate a net exposure to the defaulting party or request additional collateral. In the event that a borrower defaults, the Funds, as lender, would offset the market value of the collateral received against the market value of the securities loaned. When the value of the collateral is greater than that of the market value of the securities loaned, the lender is left with a net amount payable to the defaulting party. However, bankruptcy or insolvency laws of a particular jurisdiction may impose restrictions on or prohibitions against such a right of offset in the event of an MSLA counterparty’s bankruptcy or insolvency. Under the MSLA, absent an event of default, the borrower can resell or re-pledge the loaned securities, and the Funds can reinvest cash collateral received in connection with loaned securities. Upon an event of default, the parties’ obligations to return the securities or collateral to the other party are extinguished, and the parties can resell or re-pledge the loaned securities or the collateral received in connection with the loaned securities in order to satisfy the defaulting party’s net payment obligation for all transactions under the MSLA. The defaulting party remains liable for any deficiency.

As of period end, the following table is a summary of the securities on loan by counterparty which are subject to offset under an MSLA:

 

iShares ETF and Counterparty    
Securities Loaned
at Value
 
 
    

Cash Collateral

Received

 

(a)  

    

Non-Cash Collateral

Received, at Fair Value

 

(a) 

     Net Amount  

MSCI Austria

          

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

  $ 98,720      $ (98,720    $      $  

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

    686,666        (686,666              

Morgan Stanley

    2,711,958        (2,711,958              

SG Americas Securities LLC

    96,282        (96,282              

UBS AG

    4,185        (4,185              
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
  $ 3,597,811      $ (3,597,811    $      $  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

MSCI Belgium

          

Morgan Stanley

  $ 77,084      $ (77,084    $      $  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

MSCI France

          

HSBC Bank PLC

  $ 36,689      $ (36,689    $      $  

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

    663,338        (663,338              
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
  $ 700,027      $ (700,027    $      $  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

MSCI Netherlands

          

Citigroup Global Markets, Inc.

  $ 469,250      $ (469,250    $      $  

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

    378,777        (378,777              

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

    67,487        (67,487              

Morgan Stanley

    237,763        (237,763              
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
  $ 1,153,277      $ (1,153,277    $      $  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

MSCI Sweden

          

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

  $ 2,597,407      $ (2,597,407    $      $  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

  (a) 

Collateral received, if any, in excess of the market value of securities on loan is not presented in this table. The total cash collateral received by each Fund is disclosed in the Fund’s Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

 

The risks of securities lending include the risk that the borrower may not provide additional collateral when required or may not return the securities when due. To mitigate these risks, each Fund benefits from a borrower default indemnity provided by BlackRock, Inc. (“BlackRock”). BlackRock’s indemnity allows for full replacement of the securities loaned to the extent the collateral received does not cover the value of the securities loaned in the event of borrower default. Each Fund could incur a loss if the value of an investment purchased with cash collateral falls below the market value of the loaned securities or if the value of an investment purchased with cash collateral falls below the value of the original cash collateral received. Such losses are borne entirely by each Fund.

 

5.

DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

Futures Contracts: Futures contracts are purchased or sold to gain exposure to, or manage exposure to, changes in interest rates (interest rate risk) and changes in the value of equity securities (equity risk) or foreign currencies (foreign currency exchange rate risk).

Futures contracts are exchange-traded agreements between the Funds and a counterparty to buy or sell a specific quantity of an underlying instrument at a specified price and on a specified date. Depending on the terms of a contract, it is settled either through physical delivery of the underlying instrument on the settlement date or by payment of a cash amount on the settlement date. Upon entering into a futures contract, the Funds are required to deposit initial margin with the broker in the form of cash or securities in an amount that varies depending on a contract’s size and risk profile. The initial margin deposit must then be maintained at an established level over the life of the contract. Amounts pledged, which are considered restricted, are included in cash pledged for futures contracts in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

Securities deposited as initial margin are designated in the Schedule of Investments and cash deposited, if any, are shown as cash pledged for futures contracts in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. Pursuant to the contract, the Funds agree to receive from or pay to the broker an amount of cash equal to the daily fluctuation in market value of the contract (“variation margin”). Variation margin is recorded as unrealized appreciation (depreciation) and, if any, shown as variation margin receivable (or payable) on futures contracts in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. When the contract is closed, a realized gain or loss is recorded in the Statements of Operations equal to the difference between the notional amount of the contract at the time it was opened and the notional amount at the time it was closed. The use of futures contracts involves the risk of an imperfect correlation in the movements in the price of futures contracts and interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates or underlying assets.

Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts: Forward foreign currency exchange contracts are entered into to gain or reduce exposure to foreign currencies (foreign currency exchange rate risk).

A forward foreign currency exchange contract is an agreement between two parties to buy and sell a currency at a set exchange rate on a specified date. These contracts help to manage the overall exposure to the currencies in which some of the investments held by the Funds are denominated and in some cases, may be used to obtain exposure to a particular market. The contracts are traded over-the-counter (“OTC”) and not on an organized exchange.

The contract is marked-to-market daily and the change in market value is recorded as unrealized appreciation or depreciation in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. When the contract is closed, a realized gain or loss is recorded in the Statements of Operations equal to the difference between the value at the time it was opened and the value at the time it was closed. Non-deliverable forward foreign currency exchange contracts are settled with the counterparty in cash without the delivery of foreign currency. The use of forward foreign currency exchange contracts involves the risk that the value of a contract changes unfavorably due to movements in the value of the referenced foreign currencies, and such value may exceed the amount(s) reflected in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. Cash amounts pledged for forward foreign currency exchange contracts are considered restricted and are included in cash pledged as collateral for OTC derivatives in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. A fund’s risk of loss from counterparty credit risk on OTC derivatives is generally limited to the aggregate unrealized gain netted against any collateral held by the Fund.

Master Netting Arrangements: In order to define its contractual rights and to secure rights that will help mitigate its counterparty risk, a Fund may enter into an International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. Master Agreement (“ISDA Master Agreement”) or similar agreement with its derivative contract counterparties. An ISDA Master Agreement is a bilateral agreement between a Fund and a counterparty that governs certain OTC derivatives and typically contains, among other things, collateral posting terms and netting provisions in the event of a default and/or termination event. Under an ISDA Master Agreement, a Fund may, under certain circumstances, offset with the counterparty certain derivative financial instruments’ payables and/or receivables with collateral held and/or posted and create one single net payment. The provisions of the ISDA Master Agreement typically permit a single net payment in the event of default including the bankruptcy or insolvency of the counterparty. However, bankruptcy or insolvency laws of a particular jurisdiction may impose restrictions on or prohibitions against the right of offset in bankruptcy, insolvency, or other events.

For derivatives traded under an ISDA Master Agreement, the collateral requirements are typically calculated by netting the mark-to-market amount for each transaction under such agreement, and comparing that amount to the value of any collateral currently pledged by a fund and the counterparty.

Cash collateral that has been pledged to cover obligations of the Funds and cash collateral received from the counterparty, if any, is reported separately in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities as cash pledged as collateral and cash received as collateral, respectively. Non-cash collateral pledged by the Funds, if any, is noted in the Schedules of Investments. Generally, the amount of collateral due from or to a counterparty is subject to a certain minimum transfer amount threshold before a transfer is required, which is determined at the close of business of the Funds. Any additional required collateral is delivered to/pledged by the Funds on the next business day. Typically, the counterparty is not permitted to sell, re-pledge or use cash and non-cash collateral it receives. A fund generally agrees not to use non-cash collateral that it receives but may, absent default or certain other circumstances defined in the underlying ISDA Master Agreement, be permitted to use cash collateral received. In such cases, interest may be paid pursuant to the collateral arrangement with the counterparty. To the extent amounts due to the Funds from the counterparty are not fully collateralized, each Fund bears the risk of loss from counterparty non-performance. Likewise, to the extent the Funds have delivered collateral to a counterparty and stand

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

ready to perform under the terms of their agreement with such counterparty, each Fund bears the risk of loss from a counterparty in the amount of the value of the collateral in the event the counterparty fails to return such collateral. Based on the terms of agreements, collateral may not be required for all derivative contracts.

For financial reporting purposes, each Fund does not offset derivative assets and derivative liabilities that are subject to netting arrangements, if any, in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

 

6.

INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES

Investment Advisory Fees: Pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement with the Company, BFA manages the investment of each Fund’s assets. BFA is a California corporation indirectly owned by BlackRock. Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, BFA is responsible for substantially all expenses of the Funds, except (i) interest and taxes; (ii) brokerage commissions and other expenses connected with the execution of portfolio transactions; (iii) distribution fees; (iv) the advisory fee payable to BFA; and (v) litigation expenses and any extraordinary expenses (in each case as determined by a majority of the independent directors).

For its investment advisory services to each Fund, BFA is entitled to an annual investment advisory fee, accrued daily and paid monthly by the Funds, based on each Fund’s allocable portion of the aggregate of the average daily net assets of the Fund and certain other iShares funds, as follows:

 

   
Aggregate Average Daily Net Assets   Investment Advisory Fees  

First $7 billion

    0.59

Over $7 billion, up to and including $11 billion

    0.54  

Over $11 billion, up to and including $24 billion

    0.49  

Over $24 billion, up to and including $48 billion

    0.44  

Over $48 billion, up to and including $72 billion

    0.40  

Over $72 billion, up to and including $96 billion

    0.36  

Over $96 billion

    0.32  

Distributor: BlackRock Investments, LLC, an affiliate of BFA, is the distributor for each Fund. Pursuant to the distribution agreement, BFA is responsible for any fees or expenses for distribution services provided to the Funds.

Securities Lending: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) has issued an exemptive order which permits BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, N.A. (“BTC”), an affiliate of BFA, to serve as securities lending agent for the Funds, subject to applicable conditions. As securities lending agent, BTC bears all operational costs directly related to securities lending, including any custodial costs. Each Fund is responsible for fees in connection with the investment of cash collateral received for securities on loan (the “collateral investment fees”). The cash collateral is invested in a money market fund, BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional or BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, managed by BFA, or its affiliates. However, BTC has agreed to reduce the amount of securities lending income it receives in order to effectively limit the collateral investment fees each Fund bears to an annual rate of 0.04%. The SL Agency Shares of such money market fund will not be subject to a sales load, distribution fee or service fee. The money market fund in which the cash collateral has been invested may, under certain circumstances, impose a liquidity fee of up to 2% of the value redeemed or temporarily restrict redemptions for up to 10 business days during a 90 day period, in the event that the money market fund’s weekly liquid assets fall below certain thresholds.

Securities lending income is equal to the total of income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral, net of fees and other payments to and from borrowers of securities, and less the collateral investment fees. Each Fund retains a portion of securities lending income and remits the remaining portion to BTC as compensation for its services as securities lending agent.

Pursuant to the current securities lending agreement, each Fund retains 82% of securities lending income (which excludes collateral investment fees), and the amount retained can never be less than 70% of the total of securities lending income plus the collateral investment fees.

In addition, commencing the business day following the date that the aggregate securities lending income plus the collateral investment fees generated across all 1940 Act iShares exchange-traded funds (the “iShares ETF Complex”) in that calendar year exceeds a specified threshold, each Fund, pursuant to the securities lending agreement, will retain for the remainder of that calendar year 85% of securities lending income (which excludes collateral investment fees), and the amount retained can never be less than 70% of the total of securities lending income plus the collateral investment fees.

The share of securities lending income earned by each Fund is shown as securities lending income – affiliated – net in its Statements of Operations. For the six months ended February 29, 2024, the Funds paid BTC the following amounts for securities lending agent services:

 

   
iShares ETF   Amounts   

MSCI Austria

  $  11,928   

MSCI Belgium

    60   

MSCI France

    91   

MSCI Netherlands

    3,646   

MSCI Sweden

    721   

Officers and Directors: Certain officers and/or directors of the Company are officers and/or directors of BlackRock or its affiliates.

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

Other Transactions: Cross trading is the buying or selling of portfolio securities between funds to which BFA (or an affiliate) serves as investment adviser. At its regularly scheduled quarterly meetings, the Board reviews such transactions as of the most recent calendar quarter for compliance with the requirements and restrictions set forth by Rule 17a-7.

For the six months ended February 29, 2024, transactions executed by the Funds pursuant to Rule 17a-7 under the 1940 Act were as follows:

 

       
iShares ETF   Purchases      Sales     

Net Realized 

Gain (Loss) 

 

MSCI Austria

  $  1,032,674      $ 1,005,425      $ (174,829)   

MSCI Belgium

    70,651        736,698        (300,416)   

MSCI France

    3,369,412        1,335,980         (2,953,528)   

MSCI Netherlands

    3,493,168         10,956,571        1,427,039    

MSCI Sweden

    8,086,355        121,914        (50,671)   

Each Fund may invest its positive cash balances in certain money market funds managed by BFA or an affiliate. The income earned on these temporary cash investments is shown as dividends – affiliated in the Statements of Operations.

A fund, in order to improve its portfolio liquidity and its ability to track its underlying index, may invest in shares of other iShares funds that invest in securities in the fund’s underlying index.

 

7.

PURCHASES AND SALES

For the six months ended February 29, 2024, purchases and sales of investments, excluding short-term securities and in-kind transactions, were as follows:

 

     
iShares ETF   Purchases      Sales   

MSCI Austria

  $ 5,805,883      $ 6,437,727   

MSCI Belgium

    1,014,762        950,850   

MSCI France

     12,137,763        15,220,362   

MSCI Netherlands

    15,261,675        17,605,395   

MSCI Sweden

    24,582,711         28,914,592   

For the six months ended February 29, 2024, in-kind transactions were as follows:

 

     
iShares ETF   In-kind
Purchases
    

In-kind 

Sales 

 

MSCI Austria

  $  26,676,787      $ 24,290,359   

MSCI Belgium

    2,873,033        2,757,705   

MSCI France

            326,459,980   

MSCI Netherlands

    12,885,065        74,416,005   

MSCI Sweden

    63,320,948        164,903,611   

 

8.

INCOME TAX INFORMATION

Each Fund is treated as an entity separate from the Company’s other funds for federal income tax purposes. It is each Fund’s policy to comply with the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, applicable to regulated investment companies, and to distribute substantially all of its taxable income to its shareholders. Therefore, no U.S. federal income tax provision is required.

Management has analyzed tax laws and regulations and their application to the Funds as of February 29, 2024, inclusive of the open tax return years, and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability in the Funds’ financial statements.

As of August 31, 2023, the Funds had non-expiring capital loss carryforwards available to offset future realized capital gains as follows:

 

iShares ETF   

Non-Expiring 

Capital Loss 

Carryforwards 

 

MSCI Austria

   $  (49,345,853)   

MSCI Belgium

     (20,144,091)   

MSCI France

     (83,711,531)   

MSCI Netherlands

     (34,122,190)   

MSCI Sweden

     (74,587,786)   

A fund may own shares in certain foreign investment entities, referred to, under U.S. tax law, as “passive foreign investment companies.” Such fund may elect to mark-to-market annually the shares of each passive foreign investment company and would be required to distribute to shareholders any such marked-to-market gains.

 

 

N O T E S  T O  F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  43


Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

As of February 29, 2024, gross unrealized appreciation and depreciation based on cost of investments (including short positions and derivatives, if any) for U.S. federal income tax purposes were as follows:

 

         
iShares ETF   Tax Cost      Gross Unrealized
Appreciation
     Gross Unrealized
Depreciation
    Net Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
 

MSCI Austria

  $ 68,862,559      $ 1,866,826      $ (10,957,866   $ (9,091,040 )  

MSCI Belgium

    26,353,623        491,330        (6,698,196     (6,206,866

MSCI France

     678,889,911        85,198,737        (96,225,270     (11,026,533

MSCI Netherlands

    236,041,335        25,858,925        (46,093,285     (20,234,360

MSCI Sweden

    294,094,926        12,408,495        (50,917,318     (38,508,823

 

9.

LINE OF CREDIT

The Funds, along with certain other iShares funds (“Participating Funds”), are parties to a $800 million credit agreement (“Syndicated Credit Agreement”) with a group of lenders, which expires on October 16, 2024. The line of credit may be used for temporary or emergency purposes, including redemptions, settlement of trades and rebalancing of portfolio holdings in certain target markets. The Funds may borrow up to the aggregate commitment amount subject to asset coverage and other limitations as specified in the Syndicated Credit Agreement. The Syndicated Credit Agreement has the following terms: a commitment fee of 0.15% per annum on the unused portion of the credit agreement and interest at a rate equal to the higher of (a) Daily Simple Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) plus 0.10% and 1.00% per annum or (b) the U.S. Federal Funds rate plus 1.00% per annum on amounts borrowed. The commitment fee is generally allocated to each Participating Fund based on the lesser of a Participating Fund’s relative exposure to certain target markets or a Participating Fund’s maximum borrowing amount as set forth by the terms of the Syndicated Credit Agreement.

During the six months ended February 29, 2024, the Funds did not borrow under the Syndicated Credit Agreement.

 

10.

PRINCIPAL RISKS

In the normal course of business, each Fund invests in securities or other instruments and may enter into certain transactions, and such activities subject the Fund to various risks, including, among others, fluctuations in the market (market risk) or failure of an issuer to meet all of its obligations. The value of securities or other instruments may also be affected by various factors, including, without limitation: (i) the general economy; (ii) the overall market as well as local, regional or global political and/or social instability; (iii) regulation, taxation or international tax treaties between various countries; or (iv) currency, interest rate or price fluctuations. Local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant impact on the Funds and their investments. Each Fund’s prospectus provides details of the risks to which the Fund is subject.

BFA uses an indexing approach to try to achieve each Fund’s investment objective. The Fund is not actively managed, and BFA generally does not attempt to take defensive positions under any market conditions, including declining markets.

The Funds may be exposed to additional risks when reinvesting cash collateral in money market funds that do not seek to maintain a stable NAV per share of $1.00, which may be subject to redemption gates or liquidity fees under certain circumstances.

Valuation Risk: The market values of equities, such as common stocks and preferred securities or equity related investments, such as futures and options, may decline due to general market conditions which are not specifically related to a particular company. They may also decline due to factors which affect a particular industry or industries. A fund may invest in illiquid investments. An illiquid investment is any investment that a fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. A fund may experience difficulty in selling illiquid investments in a timely manner at the price that it believes the investments are worth. Prices may fluctuate widely over short or extended periods in response to company, market or economic news. Markets also tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising and falling prices. This volatility may cause a fund’s NAV to experience significant increases or decreases over short periods of time. If there is a general decline in the securities and other markets, the NAV of a fund may lose value, regardless of the individual results of the securities and other instruments in which a fund invests.

Counterparty Credit Risk: The Funds may be exposed to counterparty credit risk, or the risk that an entity may fail to or be unable to perform on its commitments related to unsettled or open transactions, including making timely interest and/or principal payments or otherwise honoring its obligations. The Funds manage counterparty credit risk by entering into transactions only with counterparties that BFA believes have the financial resources to honor their obligations and by monitoring the financial stability of those counterparties. Financial assets, which potentially expose the Funds to market, issuer and counterparty credit risks, consist principally of financial instruments and receivables due from counterparties. The extent of the Funds’ exposure to market, issuer and counterparty credit risks with respect to these financial assets is approximately their value recorded in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, less any collateral held by the Funds.

A derivative contract may suffer a mark-to-market loss if the value of the contract decreases due to an unfavorable change in the market rates or values of the underlying instrument. Losses can also occur if the counterparty does not perform under the contract.

With exchange-traded futures, there is less counterparty credit risk to the Funds since the exchange or clearinghouse, as counterparty to such instruments, guarantees against a possible default. The clearinghouse stands between the buyer and the seller of the contract; therefore, credit risk is limited to failure of the clearinghouse. While offset rights may exist under applicable law, a fund does not have a contractual right of offset against a clearing broker or clearinghouse in the event of a default (including

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

the bankruptcy or insolvency). Additionally, credit risk exists in exchange-traded futures with respect to initial and variation margin that is held in a clearing broker’s customer accounts. While clearing brokers are required to segregate customer margin from their own assets, in the event that a clearing broker becomes insolvent or goes into bankruptcy and at that time there is a shortfall in the aggregate amount of margin held by the clearing broker for all its clients, typically the shortfall would be allocated on a pro rata basis across all the clearing broker’s customers, potentially resulting in losses to the Funds.

Geographic/Asset Class Risk: A diversified portfolio, where this is appropriate and consistent with a fund’s objectives, minimizes the risk that a price change of a particular investment will have a material impact on the NAV of a fund. The investment concentrations within each Fund’s portfolio are disclosed in its Schedule of Investments.

Certain Funds invest a significant portion of their assets in issuers located in a single country or a limited number of countries. When a fund concentrates its investments in this manner, it assumes the risk that economic, regulatory, political and social conditions in that country or those countries may have a significant impact on the fund and could affect the income from, or the value or liquidity of, the Fund’s portfolio. Unanticipated or sudden political or social developments may cause uncertainty in the markets and as a result adversely affect the Fund’s investments. Foreign issuers may not be subject to the same uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and practices as used in the United States. Foreign securities markets may also be more volatile and less liquid than U.S. securities and may be less subject to governmental supervision not typically associated with investing in U.S. securities. Investment percentages in specific countries are presented in the Schedule of Investments.

Certain Funds invest a significant portion of their assets in securities of issuers located in Europe or with significant exposure to European issuers or countries. The European financial markets have recently experienced volatility and adverse trends due to concerns about economic downturns in, or rising government debt levels of, several European countries as well as acts of war in the region. These events may spread to other countries in Europe and may affect the value and liquidity of certain of the Funds’ investments.

Responses to the financial problems by European governments, central banks and others, including austerity measures and reforms, may not work, may result in social unrest and may limit future growth and economic recovery or have other unintended consequences. Further defaults or restructurings by governments and others of their debt could have additional adverse effects on economies, financial markets and asset valuations around the world. The United Kingdom has withdrawn from the European Union, and one or more other countries may withdraw from the European Union and/or abandon the Euro, the common currency of the European Union. These events and actions have adversely affected, and may in the future adversely affect, the value and exchange rate of the Euro and may continue to significantly affect the economies of every country in Europe, including countries that do not use the Euro and non-European Union member states. The impact of these actions, especially if they occur in a disorderly fashion, is not clear but could be significant and far reaching. In addition, Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The extent and duration of the military action, resulting sanctions and resulting future market disruptions in the region are impossible to predict, but have been, and may continue to be, significant and have a severe adverse effect on the region, including significant negative impacts on the economy and the markets for certain securities and commodities, such as oil and natural gas, as well as other sectors.

Certain Funds invest a significant portion of their assets in securities within a single or limited number of market sectors. When a fund concentrates its investments in this manner, it assumes the risk that economic, regulatory, political and social conditions affecting such sectors may have a significant impact on the fund and could affect the income from, or the value or liquidity of, the fund’s portfolio. Investment percentages in specific sectors are presented in the Schedule of Investments.

Significant Shareholder Redemption Risk: Certain shareholders may own or manage a substantial amount of fund shares and/or hold their fund investments for a limited period of time. Large redemptions of fund shares by these shareholders may force a fund to sell portfolio securities, which may negatively impact the fund’s NAV, increase the fund’s brokerage costs, and/or accelerate the realization of taxable income/gains and cause the fund to make additional taxable distributions to shareholders.

 

11.

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

Capital shares are issued and redeemed by each Fund only in aggregations of a specified number of shares or multiples thereof (“Creation Units”) at NAV. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, shares of each Fund are not redeemable.

Transactions in capital shares were as follows:

 

 

 
   

Six Months Ended

02/29/24

    

Year Ended

08/31/23

 

iShares ETF

 

Shares

    

Amount

    

Shares

    

Amount

 

 

 

MSCI Austria

          

Shares sold

    1,300,000      $ 27,291,820        450,000      $ 9,268,192  

Shares redeemed

    (1,200,000       (24,823,922      (1,400,000      (23,398,916
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
    100,000      $ 2,467,898        (950,000    $  (14,130,724
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

MSCI Belgium

          

Shares sold

    160,000      $ 2,916,197        480,000      $ 9,024,957  

Shares redeemed

    (160,000      (2,799,264      (480,000      (8,075,211
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
         $ 116,933             $ 949,746  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

N O T E S  T O  F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  45


Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

 

 
   

Six Months Ended

02/29/24

    

Year Ended

08/31/23

 

iShares ETF

 

Shares

    

Amount

    

Shares

    

Amount

 

 

 

MSCI France

          

Shares sold

         $        5,200,000      $ 183,680,945  

Shares redeemed

    (8,600,000      (326,399,039      (7,000,000      (260,908,213
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
    (8,600,000    $ (326,399,039      (1,800,000    $ (77,227,268
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

MSCI Netherlands

          

Shares sold

    300,000      $ 13,280,757        1,900,000      $ 80,447,292  

Shares redeemed

    (1,850,000      (76,215,560      (4,800,000      (187,469,007
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
    (1,550,000    $ (62,934,803      (2,900,000    $ (107,021,715
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

MSCI Sweden

          

Shares sold

    2,025,000      $ 71,437,747        2,550,000      $ 90,474,788  

Shares redeemed

    (4,800,000      (171,764,467      (6,675,000      (221,486,850
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
    (2,775,000    $ (100,326,720      (4,125,000    $ (131,012,062
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

The consideration for the purchase of Creation Units of a fund in the Company generally consists of the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities and a specified amount of cash. Certain funds in the Company may be offered in Creation Units solely or partially for cash in U.S. dollars. Authorized Participants purchasing and redeeming Creation Units may pay a purchase transaction fee and a redemption transaction fee directly to State Street Bank and Trust Company, the Company’s administrator , to offset transfer and other transaction costs associated with the issuance and redemption of Creation Units, including Creation Units for cash. Authorized Participants transacting in Creation Units for cash may also pay an additional variable charge to compensate the relevant fund for certain transaction costs (i.e., stamp taxes, taxes on currency or other financial transactions, and brokerage costs) and market impact expenses relating to investing in portfolio securities. Such variable charges, if any, are included in shares sold in the table above.

From time to time, settlement of securities related to in-kind contributions or in-kind redemptions may be delayed. In such cases, securities related to in-kind transactions are reflected as a receivable or a payable in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

 

12.

FOREIGN WITHHOLDING TAX CLAIMS

The iShares MSCI Sweden ETF has filed claims to recover taxes withheld by Sweden on dividend income based upon certain provisions in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. The Fund has recorded receivables for all recoverable taxes withheld by Sweden based upon previous determinations made by the Swedish tax authorities. Professional and other fees associated with the filing of these claims for foreign withholding taxes have been approved by the Board as appropriate expenses of the Fund. Swedish tax claim receivables and related liabilities are disclosed in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. Collection of these receivables, and any payment of associated liabilities, depends upon future determinations made by the Swedish tax authorities, the outcome of which is uncertain. If such future determinations are unfavorable, the potential negative impact to the Fund, as of February 29, 2024, is $7,490,892 or $1.12 per share.

The iShares MSCI France ETF is seeking a closing agreement with the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) to address any prior years’ U.S. income tax liabilities attributable to Fund shareholders resulting from the recovery of foreign taxes. The closing agreement would result in the Fund paying a compliance fee to the IRS, on behalf of its shareholders, representing the estimated tax savings generated from foreign tax credits claimed by Fund shareholders on their tax returns in prior years. The Fund has accrued a liability for the estimated IRS compliance fee related to foreign withholding tax claims, which is disclosed in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. The actual IRS compliance fee may differ from the estimate and that difference may be material.

During the period, the iShares MSCI Sweden ETF filed a closing agreement with the IRS related to the recovery of foreign taxes received in fiscal year 2022, and the related tax compliance fee, including interest, was paid to the IRS.

 

13.

SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

Management has evaluated the impact of all subsequent events on the Funds through the date the financial statements were available to be issued and has determined that there were no subsequent events requiring adjustment or additional disclosure in the financial statements.

 

 

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Statement Regarding Liquidity Risk Management Program (unaudited)

 

In compliance with Rule 22e-4 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Liquidity Rule”), iShares, Inc. (the “Company”) has adopted and implemented a liquidity risk management program (the “Program”) for iShares MSCI Austria ETF, iShares MSCI Belgium ETF, iShares MSCI France ETF, iShares MSCI Netherlands ETF and iShares MSCI Sweden ETF (the “Funds” or “ETFs”), each a series of the Company, which is reasonably designed to assess and manage each Fund’s liquidity risk.

The Board of Directors (the “Board”) of the Company, on behalf of the Funds, met on December 8, 2023 (the “Meeting”) to review the Program. The Board previously appointed BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BlackRock”), the investment adviser to the Funds, as the program administrator for each Fund’s Program. BlackRock also previously delegated oversight of the Program to the 40 Act Liquidity Risk Management Committee (the “Committee”). At the Meeting, the Committee, on behalf of BlackRock, provided the Board with a report that addressed the operation of the Program and assessed its adequacy and effectiveness of implementation, including the management of each Fund’s Highly Liquid Investment Minimum (“HLIM”) where applicable, and any material changes to the Program (the “Report”). The Report covered the period from October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2023 (the “Program Reporting Period”).

The Report described the Program’s liquidity classification methodology for categorizing each Fund’s investments (including derivative transactions) into one of four liquidity buckets. It also referenced the methodology used by BlackRock to establish each Fund’s HLIM and noted that the Committee reviews and ratifies the HLIM assigned to each Fund no less frequently than annually. The Report also discussed notable events affecting liquidity over the Program Reporting Period, including extended market holidays, delays in the repatriation of the local currency in certain non-U.S. countries, the continued illiquidity of Russian equity securities and the suspension of select sanctions in Venezuela.

The Report noted that the Program complied with the key factors for consideration under the Liquidity Rule for assessing, managing and periodically reviewing each Fund’s liquidity risk, as follows:

 

  a)

The Fund’s investment strategy and liquidity of portfolio investments during both normal and reasonably foreseeable stressed conditions. During the Program Reporting Period, the Committee reviewed whether each Fund’s strategy is appropriate for an open-end fund structure, with a focus on funds with more significant and consistent holdings of less liquid and illiquid assets. The Committee also factored a fund’s concentration in an issuer into the liquidity classification methodology by taking issuer position sizes into account. Derivative exposure was also considered in the calculation of a fund’s liquidity bucketing. Finally, a factor for consideration under the Liquidity Rule is a Fund’s use of borrowings for investment purposes. However, the Funds do not borrow for investment purposes.

 

  b)

Short-term and long-term cash flow projections during both normal and reasonably foreseeable stressed conditions. During the Program Reporting Period, the Committee reviewed historical redemption activity and used this information as a component to establish each ETF’s reasonably anticipated trading size utilized for liquidity classifications. The Committee may also take into consideration a fund’s shareholder ownership concentration (which, depending on product type and distribution channel, may or may not be available), a fund’s distribution channels, and the degree of certainty associated with a fund’s short-term and long-term cash flow projections.

 

  c)

Holdings of cash and cash equivalents, as well as borrowing arrangements. The Committee considered that ETFs generally do not hold more than de minimis amounts of cash. The Committee also considered that ETFs generally do not engage in borrowing.

 

  d)

The relationship between an ETF’s portfolio liquidity and the way in which, and the prices and spreads at which, ETF shares trade, including the efficiency of the arbitrage function and the level of active participation by market participants, including authorized participants. The Committee monitored the prevailing bid/ask spread and the ETF price premium (or discount) to NAV for all ETFs. However, there were no ETFs with persistent deviations of fund premium/discount or bid/ask spreads from long-term averages over the Program Reporting Period.

 

  e)

The effect of the composition of baskets on the overall liquidity of an ETF’s portfolio. In reviewing the linkage between the composition of custom baskets accepted by an ETF and any significant change in the liquidity profile of such ETF, the Committee reviewed changes in the proportion of each ETF’s portfolio comprised of less liquid and illiquid holdings to determine if applicable thresholds were met requiring enhanced review. There were no ETFs for which the custom baskets accepted by the ETF had a significant change in its liquidity profile.

There were no material changes to the Program during the Program Reporting Period other than the enhancement of certain model components in the Program’s classification methodology. The Report provided to the Board stated that the Committee concluded that based on the operation of the functions, as described in the Report, the Program is operating as intended and is effective in implementing the requirements of the Liquidity Rule.

 

 

S T A T E M E N T  R E G A R D I N G  L I Q U I D I T Y  R I S K  M A N A G E M E N T  P R O G R A M

  47


Supplemental Information (unaudited)

 

Section 19(a) Notices

The amounts and sources of distributions reported are estimates and are being provided pursuant to regulatory requirements and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources for tax reporting purposes will depend upon each Fund’s investment experience during the year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. Shareholders will receive a Form 1099-DIV each calendar year that will inform them how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes.

February 29, 2024

 

    

Total Cumulative Distributions

for the Fiscal Year-to-Date

          

% Breakdown of the Total Cumulative

Distributions for the Fiscal Year-to-Date

 
 

 

 

     

 

 

 

iShares ETF

 

 

Net
Investment
Income

 
 
 

  

 

Net Realized
Capital Gains

 
 

  

 

Return of
Capital

 
 

  

 

Total Per
Share

 
 

         

 

Net
Investment
Income

 
 
 

  

 

Net Realized
Capital Gains

 
 

    

 

Return of
Capital

 
 

    

 

Total Per
Share

 
 

MSCI Austria(a)

  $ 0.587788      $      $  0.054284      $  0.642072         92             8        100

MSCI Sweden(a)

    0.922744               0.030459        0.953203               97                 3          100  

 

  (a) 

The Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its net investment income and net realized capital gains; therefore, a portion of the distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur, for example, when some or all of the shareholder’s investment in the Fund is returned to the shareholder. A return of capital does not necessarily reflect the Fund’s investment performance and should not be confused with “yield” or “income”. When distributions exceed total return performance, the difference will incrementally reduce the Fund’s net asset value per share.

 

Tailored Shareholder Reports for Open-End Mutual Funds and ETFs

Effective January 24, 2023, the SEC adopted rule and form amendments to require open-end mutual funds and ETFs to transmit concise and visually engaging streamlined annual and semiannual reports to shareholders that highlight key information. Other information, including financial statements, will no longer appear in a streamlined shareholder report but must be available online, delivered free of charge upon request, and filed on a semiannual basis on Form N-CSR. The rule and form amendments have a compliance date of July 24, 2024. At this time, management is evaluating the impact of these amendments on the shareholder reports for the Funds.

 

 

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General Information

 

Electronic Delivery

Shareholders can sign up for e-mail notifications announcing that the shareholder report or prospectus has been posted on the iShares website at iShares.com. Once you have enrolled, you will no longer receive prospectuses and shareholder reports in the mail.

To enroll in electronic delivery:

 

   

Go to icsdelivery.com.

   

If your brokerage firm is not listed, electronic delivery may not be available. Please contact your broker-dealer or financial advisor.

Householding

Householding is an option available to certain fund investors. Householding is a method of delivery, based on the preference of the individual investor, in which a single copy of certain shareholder documents and Rule 30e-3 notices can be delivered to investors who share the same address, even if their accounts are registered under different names. Please contact your broker-dealer if you are interested in enrolling in householding and receiving a single copy of prospectuses and other shareholder documents, or if you are currently enrolled in householding and wish to change your householding status.

Availability of Quarterly Schedule of Investments

The Funds file their complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to their reports on Form N-PORT. The Funds’ Forms N-PORT are available on the SEC’s website at sec.gov. Additionally, each Fund makes its portfolio holdings for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year available at iShares.com/fundreports.

Availability of Proxy Voting Policies and Proxy Voting Records

A description of the policies and procedures that the iShares Funds use to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities and information about how the iShares Funds voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ending June 30 is available without charge, upon request (1) by calling toll-free 1-800-474-2737; (2) on the iShares website at iShares.com; and (3) on the SEC website at sec.gov.

A description of the Company’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio securities is available in the Fund Prospectus. The Fund discloses its portfolio holdings daily and provides information regarding its top holdings in Fund fact sheets at iShares.com.

 

 

G E N E R A L  I N F O R M A T I O N

  49


Glossary of Terms Used in this Report

 

Currency Abbreviation

EUR    Euro
SEK    Swedish Krona
USD    United States Dollar

Portfolio Abbreviation

NVS    Non-Voting Shares

 

 

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Want to know more?

iShares.com | 1-800-474-2737

This report is intended for the Funds’ shareholders. It may not be distributed to prospective investors unless it is preceded or accompanied by the current prospectus.

Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal.

The iShares Funds are distributed by BlackRock Investments, LLC (together with its affiliates, “BlackRock”).

The iShares Funds are not sponsored, endorsed, issued, sold or promoted by MSCI Inc., nor does this company make any representation regarding the advisability of investing in the iShares Funds. BlackRock is not affiliated with the company listed above.

©2024 BlackRock, Inc. All rights reserved. iSHARES and BLACKROCK are registered trademarks of BlackRock, Inc. or its subsidiaries. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

iS-SAR-802-0224

 

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  FEBRUARY 29, 2024

 

  

2024 Semi-Annual Report

(Unaudited)

 

iShares, Inc.

 

·  

iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF | EZU | Cboe BZX

 

·  

iShares MSCI Germany ETF | EWG | NYSE Arca

 

·  

iShares MSCI Italy ETF | EWI | NYSE Arca

 

·  

iShares MSCI Spain ETF | EWP | NYSE Arca

 

·  

iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF | EWL | NYSE Arca


The Markets in Review

Dear Shareholder,

The combination of continued economic growth and cooling inflation provided a supportive backdrop for investors during the 12-month reporting period ended February 29, 2024. Significantly tighter monetary policy helped to rein in inflation, and the Consumer Price Index decelerated substantially while remaining above pre-pandemic levels. A moderating labor market helped ease inflationary pressure, although wages continued to grow. Wage and job growth powered robust consumer spending, backstopping the economy. On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a horrific attack on Israel. The ensuing war will have a significant humanitarian impact and could lead to heightened economic and market volatility. We see geopolitics as a structural market risk going forward. See our geopolitical risk dashboard at blackrock.com for more details.

Equity returns were robust during the period, as interest rates stabilized and the economy proved to be more resilient than many investors expected. The U.S. economy continued to show strength, and growth further accelerated in the second half of 2023. Large-capitalization U.S. stocks posted particularly substantial gains, supported by the performance of a few notable technology companies, while small-capitalization U.S. stocks advanced at a significantly slower pace. Meanwhile, international developed market equities also gained strongly, while emerging market stocks advanced at a more modest pace.

The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield rose during the reporting period, as investors reacted to elevated inflation and attempted to anticipate future interest rate changes. However, higher yields drove positive returns overall for 10-year U.S. Treasuries and solid gains in shorter-duration U.S. Treasuries. The corporate bond market benefited from improving economic sentiment, although high-yield corporate bond prices fared significantly better than investment-grade bonds as demand from yield-seeking investors remained strong.

The U.S. Federal Reserve (the “Fed”), attempting to manage persistent inflation, raised interest rates three times during the 12-month period, but paused its tightening after its July meeting. The Fed also continued to reduce its balance sheet by not replacing some of the securities that reach maturity.

Supply constraints appear to have become an embedded feature of the new macroeconomic environment, making it difficult for developed economies to increase production without sparking higher inflation. Geopolitical fragmentation and an aging population risk further exacerbating these constraints, keeping the labor market tight and wage growth high. Although the Fed has stopped tightening for now, we believe that the new economic regime means that the Fed will need to maintain high rates for an extended period despite the market’s hopes for rapid interest rate cuts, as reflected in the recent rally. In this new regime, we anticipate greater volatility and dispersion of returns, creating more opportunities for selective portfolio management.

Looking at developed market stocks, we have an overweight stance on U.S. stocks overall, particularly given the promise of emerging AI technologies. We are also overweight Japanese stocks as shareholder-friendly policies generate increased investor interest, although we maintain an underweight stance on European stocks. In credit, there are selective opportunities in the near term despite tighter credit and financial conditions. For fixed income investing with a six- to twelve-month horizon, we see the most attractive investments in short-term U.S. Treasuries and hard-currency emerging market bonds.

Overall, our view is that investors need to think globally, position themselves to be prepared for a decarbonizing economy, and be nimble as market conditions change. We encourage you to talk with your financial advisor and visit iShares.com for further insight about investing in today’s markets.

 

 

LOGO

Rob Kapito

President, BlackRock Inc.

LOGO

Rob Kapito

President, BlackRock Inc.

 

Total Returns as of February 29, 2024

 

 
    

 

6-Month

 

   

 

12-Month

 

 
   

U.S. large cap equities
(S&P 500® Index)

 

    13.93%       30.45%  
   

U.S. small cap equities
(Russell 2000® Index)

 

    8.97         10.05    
   

International equities
(MSCI Europe, Australasia,

Far East Index)

 

    9.23          14.41    
   

Emerging market equities
(MSCI Emerging Markets
Index)

 

    4.93          8.73    
   

3-month Treasury bills
(ICE BofA 3-Month
U.S. Treasury Bill Index)

 

    2.69          5.22    
   

U.S. Treasury securities
(ICE BofA 10-Year
U.S. Treasury Index)

 

    0.58          0.69    
   

U.S. investment grade bonds  
(Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate
Bond Index)

 

    2.35          3.33    
   

Tax-exempt municipal bonds
(Bloomberg Municipal Bond
Index)

 

    4.33          5.42    
   

U.S. high yield bonds
(Bloomberg U.S. Corporate
High Yield 2% Issuer Capped
Index)

 

    6.18          11.01    

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Index performance is shown for illustrative purposes only. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

 

 

 

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T H I S P A G E I S N O T P A R T O F  Y O U R F U N D R E P O R T


Table of Contents

 

     

Page

 

 

The Markets in Review

     2  

Semi-Annual Report:

  

Fund Summary

     4  

About Fund Performance

     9  

Disclosure of Expenses

     9  

Schedules of Investments

     10  

Financial Statements

  

Statements of Assets and Liabilities

     28  

Statements of Operations

     30  

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

     32  

Financial Highlights

     35  

Notes to Financial Statements

     40  

Statement Regarding Liquidity Risk Management Program

     49  

Supplemental Information

     50  

General Information

     51  

Glossary of Terms Used in this Report

     52  

 

 

 


Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® MSCI Eurozone ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF(the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of large- and mid-capitalization equities from developed market countries that use the euro as their official currency, as represented by the MSCI EMU Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

           Average Annual Total Returns             Cumulative Total Returns   
     6-Month
Total Returns
    1 Year     5 Years     10 Years            1 Year     5 Years     10 Years  

Fund NAV

    10.11     15.63     7.69     4.16       15.63     44.81     50.32

Fund Market

    10.24       15.63       7.77       4.23         15.63       45.40       51.28  

Index

    9.77       14.82       7.45       4.10               14.82       43.23       49.48  

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption

or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

Actual

     

Hypothetical 5% Return

   

Beginning   

Account Value   

(09/01/23)   

 

Ending

Account Value
(02/29/24)

 

Expenses  

Paid During  

the Period(a)

        

Beginning   

Account Value   
(09/01/23)   

 

Ending

Account Value
(02/29/24)

 

Expenses  

Paid During  

the Period(a)

 

Annualized  

Expense  

Ratio  

$   1,000.00   

  $    1,101.10   $    2.72              $    1,000.00      $    1,022.30   $     2.61      0.52%

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION

 

Sector  

Percent of  

Total Investments(a)

 

Financials

    18.2%  

Industrials

    17.4    

Consumer Discretionary

    16.0    

Information Technology

    14.4    

Consumer Staples

    7.4    

Health Care

    6.9    

Materials

    5.4    

Utilities

    5.2    

Communication Services

    4.1    

Energy

    4.1    

Real Estate

    0.9    

TEN LARGEST COUNTRIES

 

Country/Geographic Region   Percent of  
Total Investments(a)
 

France

    35.5%  

Germany

    25.4    

Netherlands

    15.1    

Italy

    7.9    

Spain

    7.0    

Finland

    3.0    

Belgium

    2.7    

Switzerland

    1.1    

Ireland

    1.0    

Austria

    0.5    
 

 

  (a) 

Excludes money market funds.

 

 

 

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Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® MSCI Germany ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCIGermany ETF(the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of German equities, as represented by the MSCI Germany Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

             Average Annual Total Returns        Cumulative Total Returns  
     6-Month
Total Returns
     1 Year      5 Years     10 Years     1 Year      5 Years      10 Years  

Fund NAV

    9.70      15.34      5.07   2.01%       15.34      28.04      22.00

Fund Market

    9.75        15.36        5.12     2.08       15.36        28.34        22.86  

Index

    9.67        14.98        5.20     2.15         14.98        28.82        23.73  

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

   

Actual

    Hypothetical 5% Return           
 

 

 

     

 

 

      
     

   Beginning
Account Value
  (09/01/23)
 
 
 
      

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a) 
           

Beginning
Account Value
(09/01/23)
 
 
 
      

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a) 
      

Annualized
Expense
Ratio
 
 
 
    $ 1,000.00        $ 1,097.00        $ 2.61             $ 1,000.00        $ 1,022.40          $   2.51          0.50

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION

 

   
Sector  

Percent of  

Total Investments(a)

 

Industrials

    20.6%  

Financials

    19.0    

Information Technology

    17.8    

Consumer Discretionary

    15.1    

Health Care

    7.9    

Materials

    6.1    

Communication Services

    5.8    

Utilities

    3.5    

Consumer Staples

    2.4    

Real Estate

    1.8    

TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS

 

   
Security   Percent of  
Total Investments(a)
 

SAP SE

    13.8%  

Siemens AG

    10.6    

Allianz SE

    7.6    

Deutsche Telekom AG

    5.4    

Mercedes-Benz Group AG

    4.5    
Muenchener Rueckversicherungs-Gesellschaft AG in Muenchen     4.5    

Infineon Technologies AG

    3.3    

Deutsche Post AG

    3.2    

BASF SE

    3.2    

Deutsche Boerse AG

    2.8    
 
  (a) 

Excludes money market funds.

 

 

 

F U N D  S U M M A R Y

  5


Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® MSCI Italy ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCI Italy ETF(the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of Italian equities, as represented by the MSCI Italy 25/50 Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

          Average Annual Total Returns           Cumulative Total Returns  
     6-Month
Total Returns
    1 Year     5 Years     10 Years            1 Year     5 Years     10 Years  

Fund NAV

    12.14     23.00     9.10     3.83           23.00     54.57     45.66

Fund Market

    12.40       23.17       9.21       3.88         23.17       55.35       46.30  

Index

    12.06       22.84       9.28       3.90               22.84       55.88       46.55  

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

   

Actual

    Hypothetical 5% Return           
 

 

 

     

 

 

      
     

   Beginning
Account Value
  (09/01/23)
 
 
 
      

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a) 
           

Beginning
Account Value
(09/01/23)
 
 
 
      

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a) 
      

Annualized
Expense
Ratio
 
 
 
    $ 1,000.00        $ 1,121.40        $ 2.64             $ 1,000.00        $ 1,022.40          $   2.51          0.50

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION

 

Sector   Percent of  
Total Investments(a)
 

Financials

    34.5%  

Consumer Discretionary

    23.8    

Utilities

    15.8    

Energy

    7.4    

Industrials

    6.6    

Health Care

    6.0    

Communication Services

    3.5    

Consumer Staples

    2.4    

TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS

 

Security   Percent of  
Total Investments(a)
 

Stellantis NV

    10.0%  

Enel SpA

    9.3    

Ferrari NV

    9.2    

UniCredit SpA

    9.2    

Intesa Sanpaolo SpA

    8.0    

Assicurazioni Generali SpA

    4.7    

Moncler SpA

    4.6    

Eni SpA

    4.4    

Prysmian SpA

    4.2    

Terna - Rete Elettrica Nazionale

    3.4    
 
  (a)

Excludes money market funds.

 

 

 

6   2 0 2 4I S H A R E S S E M I - A N N U A L R E P O R T T O S H A R E H O L D E R S


Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® MSCI Spain ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCI Spain ETF(the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of Spanish equities, as represented by the MSCI Spain 25/50 Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

          Average Annual Total Returns           Cumulative Total Returns  
     6-Month
Total Returns
    1 Year     5 Years     10 Years         1 Year     5 Years     10 Years  

Fund NAV

    4.42     9.80     3.18     0.28       9.80     16.92     2.79

Fund Market

    4.37       9.83       3.26       0.33         9.83       17.42       3.35  

Index

    4.36       9.71       3.45       0.64               9.71       18.48       6.62  

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

   

Actual

    Hypothetical 5% Return           
 

 

 

     

 

 

      
     

  Beginning
Account Value
  (09/01/23)
 
 
 
      

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a) 
           

Beginning
Account Value
(09/01/23)
 
 
 
      

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a) 
      

Annualized
Expense
Ratio
 
 
 
    $ 1,000.00        $ 1,044.20        $ 2.54             $ 1,000.00        $ 1,022.40          $   2.51          0.50

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION

 

   
Sector   Percent of  
Total Investments(a)
 

Financials

    34.5%  

Utilities

    26.6    

Industrials

    13.6    

Communication Services

    9.5    

Consumer Discretionary

    8.9    

Energy

    4.9    

Health Care

    2.0    

TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS

 

   
Security   Percent of  
Total Investments(a)
 

Iberdrola SA

    16.8%  

Banco Santander SA

    16.0    

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA

    13.7    

Repsol SA

    4.9    

Telefonica SA

    4.8    

Aena SME SA

    4.8    

Industria de Diseno Textil SA

    4.8    

CaixaBank SA

    4.8    

Cellnex Telecom SA

    4.6    

Ferrovial SE

    4.6    
 

 

  (a) 

Excludes money market funds.

 

 

 

F U N D  S U M M A R Y

  7


Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® MSCI Switzerland ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF(the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of Swiss equities, as represented by the MSCI Switzerland 25/50 Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

          Average Annual Total Returns           Cumulative Total Returns  
     6-Month
Total Returns
    1 Year     5 Years     10 Years         1 Year     5 Years     10 Years  

Fund NAV

    1.48     10.28     8.26     5.41       10.28     48.71     69.34

Fund Market

    1.50       10.38       8.34       5.45         10.38       49.29       69.95  

Index

    1.84       10.31       8.45       5.60               10.31       50.04       72.38  

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

   

Actual

    Hypothetical 5% Return           
 

 

 

     

 

 

      
     

   Beginning
Account Value
  (09/01/23)
 
 
 
      

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a) 
           

Beginning
Account Value
(09/01/23)
 
 
 
      

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a) 
      

Annualized
Expense
Ratio
 
 
 
    $ 1,000.00        $ 1,014.80        $ 2.50             $ 1,000.00        $ 1,022.40          $   2.51          0.50

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION

 

Sector   Percent of  
Total Investments(a)
 

Health Care

    33.0%  

Consumer Staples

    19.4    

Financials

    17.7    

Industrials

    11.2    

Materials

    9.4    

Consumer Discretionary

    5.8    

Information Technology

    1.5    

Communication Services

    1.1    

Other (each representing less than 1%)

    0.9    

TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS

 

Security   Percent of  
Total Investments(a)
 

Nestle SA

    17.2%  

Novartis AG

    12.7    

Roche Holding AG

    11.3    

Cie. Financiere Richemont SA, Class A

    4.7    

UBS Group AG

    4.6    

Zurich Insurance Group AG

    4.6    

ABB Ltd.

    4.6    

Holcim AG

    2.9    

Alcon Inc.

    2.8    

Sika AG

    2.8    
 

 

  (a)

Excludes money market funds.

 

 

 

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About Fund Performance

 

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Financial markets have experienced extreme volatility and trading in many instruments has been disrupted. These circumstances may continue for an extended period of time and may continue to affect adversely the value and liquidity of each Fund’s investments. As a result, current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. Performance data current to the most recent month-end is available at iShares.com. Performance results assume reinvestment of all dividends and capital gain distributions and do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. The investment return and principal value of shares will vary with changes in market conditions. Shares may be worth more or less than their original cost when they are redeemed or sold in the market. Performance for certain funds may reflect a waiver of a portion of investment advisory fees. Without such a waiver, performance would have been lower.

Net asset value or “NAV” is the value of one share of a fund as calculated in accordance with the standard formula for valuing mutual fund shares. Beginning August 10, 2020, the price used to calculate market return (“Market Price”) is the closing price. Prior to August 10, 2020, Market Price was determined using the midpoint between the highest bid and the lowest ask on the primary stock exchange on which shares of a fund are listed for trading, as of the time that such fund’s NAV is calculated. Market and NAV returns assume that dividends and capital gain distributions have been reinvested at Market Price and NAV, respectively.

An index is a statistical composite that tracks a specified financial market or sector. Unlike a fund, an index does not actually hold a portfolio of securities and therefore does not incur the expenses incurred by a fund. These expenses negatively impact fund performance. Also, index returns do not include brokerage commissions that may be payable on secondary market transactions. If brokerage commissions were included, index returns would be lower.

Disclosure of Expenses

Shareholders of each Fund may incur the following charges: (1) transactional expenses, including brokerage commissions on purchases and sales of fund shares and (2) ongoing expenses, including management fees and other fund expenses. The expense examples shown (which are based on a hypothetical investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held through the end of the period) are intended to assist shareholders both in calculating expenses based on an investment in each Fund and in comparing these expenses with similar costs of investing in other funds.

The expense examples provide information about actual account values and actual expenses. Annualized expense ratios reflect contractual and voluntary fee waivers, if any. In order to estimate the expenses a shareholder paid during the period covered by this report, shareholders can divide their account value by $1,000 and then multiply the result by the number under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During the Period.”

The expense examples also provide information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on a fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses. In order to assist shareholders in comparing the ongoing expenses of investing in the Funds and other funds, compare the 5% hypothetical examples with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.

The expenses shown in the expense examples are intended to highlight shareholders’ ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional expenses, such as brokerage commissions and other fees paid on purchases and sales of fund shares. Therefore, the hypothetical examples are useful in comparing ongoing expenses only and will not help shareholders determine the relative total expenses of owning different funds. If these transactional expenses were included, shareholder expenses would have been higher.

 

 

A B O U T F U N D P E R F O R M A N C E / D I S C L O S U R E O F E X P E N S E S

  9


Schedule of Investments (unaudited)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Eurozone ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Common Stocks

   
Austria — 0.5%            

Erste Group Bank AG

    455,834     $   18,225,683  

OMV AG

    195,575       8,618,196  

Verbund AG

    90,387       6,543,105  

voestalpine AG

    154,586       4,223,230  
   

 

 

 
      37,610,214  
Belgium — 2.7%            

Ageas SA/NV

    212,964       9,050,878  

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV

    1,151,514       69,598,096  

Argenx SE(a)

    78,475       29,413,618  

D’ieteren Group

    28,936       5,590,995  

Elia Group SA/NV

    39,637       4,409,113  

Groupe Bruxelles Lambert NV

    117,488       8,836,021  

KBC Group NV

    331,937       23,382,585  

Lotus Bakeries NV

    547       5,143,417  

Sofina SA

    20,806       4,762,070  

Syensqo SA(a)

    98,781       8,819,646  

UCB SA

    166,429       19,202,485  

Umicore SA

    280,682       5,873,929  

Warehouses De Pauw CVA

    234,342       6,276,798  
   

 

 

 
      200,359,651  
Finland — 3.0%            

Elisa OYJ

    189,340       8,527,519  

Fortum OYJ

    595,755       7,445,814  

Kesko OYJ, Class B

    364,183       6,963,028  

Kone OYJ, Class B

    446,691       21,870,609  

Metso OYJ

    882,605       9,441,017  

Neste OYJ

    560,865       15,374,485  

Nokia OYJ

    7,106,266       25,050,244  

Nordea Bank Abp, New

    4,216,071       51,311,648  

Orion OYJ, Class B

    145,013       5,701,286  

Sampo OYJ, Class A

    598,477       26,779,925  

Stora Enso OYJ, Class R

    777,462       9,829,924  

UPM-Kymmene OYJ

    707,582       23,682,328  

Wartsila OYJ Abp

    631,756       9,780,072  
   

 

 

 
      221,757,899  
France — 35.4%            

Accor SA

    250,848       10,896,283  

Aeroports de Paris SA

    45,986       6,260,160  

Air Liquide SA

    695,360       141,333,735  

Airbus SE

    785,943       130,041,319  

Alstom SA(b)

    382,781       5,116,120  

Amundi SA(c)

    81,905       5,396,820  

ArcelorMittal SA

    678,350       17,695,020  

Arkema SA

    79,789       8,270,288  

AXA SA

    2,407,699       85,718,650  

BioMerieux

    55,339       6,049,089  

BNP Paribas SA

    1,369,106       82,173,733  

Bollore SE

    971,294       6,660,878  

Bouygues SA

    254,887       10,079,676  

Bureau Veritas SA

    393,733       11,440,538  

Capgemini SE

    205,946       50,095,073  

Carrefour SA

    751,589       12,627,709  

Cie. de Saint-Gobain SA

    604,253       46,582,221  

Cie. Generale des Etablissements Michelin SCA

    900,437       33,321,975  

Covivio SA/France

    67,255       3,019,886  

Credit Agricole SA

    1,404,190       19,044,823  

Danone SA

    853,608       54,469,839  

Dassault Aviation SA

    27,239       5,384,999  

Dassault Systemes SE

    885,876       41,513,097  

Edenred SE

    328,014       16,231,305  
Security   Shares     Value  
France (continued)            

Eiffage SA

    98,272     $   10,701,624  

Engie SA

    2,421,371       38,854,243  

EssilorLuxottica SA

    391,076       83,038,815  

Eurazeo SE

    57,425       4,858,181  

Eurofins Scientific SE

    179,087       10,702,746  

Euronext NV(c)

    114,307       10,534,606  

Gecina SA

    61,554       5,945,602  

Getlink SE

    475,823       8,123,957  

Hermes International SCA

    41,986       105,063,210  

Ipsen SA

    50,726       5,572,408  

Kering SA

    98,690       45,459,353  

Klepierre SA

    285,791       7,260,030  

La Francaise des Jeux SAEM(c)

    139,279       5,836,097  

Legrand SA

    348,373       35,283,641  

L’Oreal SA

    319,002       152,377,329  

LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE

    366,065       334,120,370  

Orange SA

    2,468,535       28,296,716  

Pernod Ricard SA

    271,116       45,312,595  

Publicis Groupe SA

    303,431       32,104,665  

Remy Cointreau SA

    30,952       3,279,827  

Renault SA

    256,777       10,721,343  

Rexel SA

    299,002       7,658,921  

Safran SA

    453,141       95,019,330  

Sanofi SA

    1,509,085       143,837,731  

Sartorius Stedim Biotech

    38,721       10,657,890  

Schneider Electric SE

    721,446       163,978,963  

SEB SA

    33,097       3,922,259  

Societe Generale SA

    970,791       23,576,269  

Sodexo SA

    117,290       9,349,331  

Teleperformance SE

    75,697       9,398,383  

Thales SA

    125,405       18,599,249  

TotalEnergies SE

    2,878,163       183,451,654  

Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, New(a)

    157,555       11,520,958  

Veolia Environnement SA

    913,605       28,320,217  

Vinci SA

    663,774       85,057,395  

Vivendi SE

    896,100       10,013,595  

Worldline SA/France(a)(b)(c)

    323,462       3,723,652  
   

 

 

 
      2,600,956,391  
Germany — 24.0%            

adidas AG

    214,766       43,442,878  

Allianz SE, Registered

    519,308       142,630,715  

BASF SE

    1,183,230       60,270,179  

Bayer AG, Registered

    1,302,415       39,351,353  

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG

    422,754       50,006,764  

Bechtle AG

    109,734       5,661,700  

Beiersdorf AG

    133,632       19,154,933  

Brenntag SE

    175,934       16,063,545  

Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, Bearer(b)

    54,024       6,634,196  

Commerzbank AG

    1,397,556       16,178,000  

Continental AG

    146,549       11,755,456  

Covestro AG(a)(c)

    252,353       13,734,996  

Daimler Truck Holding AG

    709,150       28,971,904  

Delivery Hero SE, Class A(a)(b)(c)

    234,761       5,430,262  

Deutsche Bank AG, Registered

    2,569,542       34,413,127  

Deutsche Boerse AG

    251,886       52,731,627  

Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Registered(a)

    801,577       6,233,725  

Deutsche Post AG, Registered

    1,314,112       61,019,490  

Deutsche Telekom AG, Registered

    4,296,906       102,133,074  

E.ON SE

    2,976,391       38,006,417  

Evonik Industries AG

    309,462       5,712,415  

Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA

    272,504       10,451,330  

Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA

    560,019       15,683,422  
 

 

 

10  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Eurozone ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
Germany (continued)            

GEA Group AG

    218,650     $    8,819,567  

Hannover Rueck SE

    79,939       20,520,951  

Heidelberg Materials AG

    172,780       16,776,740  

Henkel AG & Co. KGaA

    136,572       9,214,063  

Infineon Technologies AG

    1,731,280       62,162,566  

Knorr-Bremse AG

    96,812       6,777,807  

LEG Immobilien SE(a)

    99,453       7,325,649  

Mercedes-Benz Group AG

    1,063,725       84,762,699  

Merck KGaA

    171,338       29,152,614  

MTU Aero Engines AG

    71,356       17,164,620  

Muenchener Rueckversicherungs-Gesellschaft AG in Muenchen, Registered

    180,918       84,230,517  

Nemetschek SE

    76,997       7,376,210  

Puma SE(b)

    140,647       6,468,834  

Rational AG

    6,806       5,600,524  

Rheinmetall AG

    57,747       26,497,589  

RWE AG

    838,204       28,077,610  

SAP SE

    1,384,350       259,417,886  

Scout24 SE(c)

    100,507       7,308,337  

Siemens AG, Registered

    1,007,544       199,462,284  

Siemens Healthineers AG(c)

    373,852       22,437,275  

Symrise AG, Class A

    176,033       18,013,905  

Talanx AG(a)

    86,226       6,154,879  

Volkswagen AG

    39,121       6,156,974  

Vonovia SE

    971,989       27,127,374  

Zalando SE(a)(c)

    299,465       6,337,662  
   

 

 

 
      1,759,016,644  
Ireland — 1.0%            

AIB Group PLC

    2,098,482       9,742,351  

Bank of Ireland Group PLC

    1,388,653       12,127,079  

Kerry Group PLC, Class A

    209,502       18,396,754  

Kingspan Group PLC

    206,305       18,655,928  

Smurfit Kappa Group PLC

    345,156       14,751,783  
   

 

 

 
      73,673,895  
Italy — 7.9%            

Amplifon SpA

    165,367       5,522,030  

Assicurazioni Generali SpA

    1,343,656       31,870,188  

Banco BPM SpA

    1,618,285       9,421,361  

DiaSorin SpA

    29,839       3,011,551  

Enel SpA

    10,782,499       68,609,560  

Eni SpA

    2,909,096       44,795,512  

Ferrari NV

    167,107       70,529,718  

FinecoBank Banca Fineco SpA

    810,969       11,234,783  

Infrastrutture Wireless Italiane SpA(c)

    445,706       4,936,792  

Intesa Sanpaolo SpA

    19,390,231       61,746,368  

Leonardo SpA

    473,903       10,132,115  

Mediobanca Banca di Credito Finanziario SpA

    676,065       9,209,399  

Moncler SpA

    273,059       19,689,379  

Nexi SpA(a)(c)

    794,970       5,834,466  

Poste Italiane SpA(c)

    606,036       7,108,402  

Prysmian SpA

    348,276       17,380,973  

Recordati Industria Chimica e Farmaceutica SpA

    139,448       7,806,970  

Snam SpA

    2,686,194       12,548,537  

Stellantis NV

    2,937,298       76,838,523  

Telecom Italia SpA/Milano(a)(b)

    13,420,012       4,034,687  

Tenaris SA, NVS

    631,462       11,215,697  

Terna—Rete Elettrica Nazionale

    1,867,250       14,628,039  

UniCredit SpA

    2,043,168       68,435,106  
   

 

 

 
      576,540,156  
Netherlands — 15.0%            

ABN AMRO Bank NV, CVA(c)

    634,490       10,214,696  
Security   Shares     Value  
Netherlands (continued)            

Adyen NV(a)(c)

    28,799     $ 45,566,850  

Aegon Ltd.

    1,924,649       11,567,541  

AerCap Holdings NV(a)

    265,424       20,485,424  

Akzo Nobel NV

    226,168       16,485,169  

ASM International NV

    58,741       35,875,904  

ASML Holding NV

    534,446       507,190,040  

ASR Nederland NV

    211,222       9,748,897  

BE Semiconductor Industries NV

    102,199       18,510,053  

Davide Campari-Milano NV

    818,358       8,298,233  

EXOR NV, NVS

    124,083       13,402,961  

Ferrovial SE

    687,359       25,810,196  

Heineken Holding NV

    171,831       13,272,730  

Heineken NV

    381,808       35,275,709  

IMCD NV

    75,870       11,574,679  

ING Groep NV

    4,405,730       60,630,953  

JDE Peet’s NV

    131,141       2,996,323  

Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize NV

    1,262,641       37,603,787  

Koninklijke KPN NV

    4,448,180       16,260,142  

Koninklijke Philips NV

    1,037,384       20,900,434  

NN Group NV

    358,937       16,018,525  

OCI NV

    143,323       3,781,483  

Prosus NV

    1,939,196       56,640,036  

Qiagen NV, NVS

    293,476       12,547,964  

Randstad NV

    145,175       8,006,987  

Universal Music Group NV

    1,086,754       32,809,515  

Wolters Kluwer NV

    329,462       52,028,562  
   

 

 

 
      1,103,503,793  
Portugal — 0.5%            

EDP - Energias de Portugal SA

    4,160,116       16,567,377  

Galp Energia SGPS SA

    616,129       9,695,205  

Jeronimo Martins SGPS SA

    376,624       9,018,572  
   

 

 

 
      35,281,154  
Spain — 7.0%            

Acciona SA

    33,524       3,755,517  

ACS Actividades de Construccion y Servicios SA

    280,187       11,522,145  

Aena SME SA(c)

    99,429       18,890,473  

Amadeus IT Group SA

    597,234       35,331,674  

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA

    7,739,448       77,195,423  

Banco Santander SA

    21,455,572       89,415,775  

CaixaBank SA

    4,972,846       22,495,617  

Cellnex Telecom SA(c)

    608,780       22,010,155  

Corp. ACCIONA Energias Renovables SA

    4,643       95,999  

EDP Renovaveis SA

    408,670       5,574,628  

Enagas SA

    213,004       3,076,429  

Endesa SA

    424,233       7,640,484  

Grifols SA(a)(b)

    401,422       3,306,054  

Iberdrola SA

    8,135,620       93,438,810  

Industria de Diseno Textil SA

    1,446,127       64,335,402  

Redeia Corp. SA

    392,304       6,241,692  

Repsol SA

    1,608,790       25,555,724  

Telefonica SA

    6,479,950       26,584,484  
   

 

 

 
      516,466,485  
Switzerland — 1.1%            

DSM-Firmenich AG

    246,548       26,422,160  

Siemens Energy AG(a)

    694,053       10,658,194  

STMicroelectronics NV

    906,075       41,142,377  
   

 

 

 
      78,222,731  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L E O F I N V E S T M E N T S

  11


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Eurozone ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
United Kingdom — 0.3%            

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners PLC

    273,735     $   18,786,433  
   

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks — 98.4%
(Cost: $7,317,531,710)

      7,222,175,446  
   

 

 

 

Preferred Stocks

   
Germany — 1.4%            

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, Preference
Shares, NVS

    77,443       8,490,360  

Dr Ing hc F Porsche AG, Preference Shares, NVS

    150,966       14,115,513  

Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, Preference Shares, NVS

    222,438       16,734,854  

Porsche Automobil Holding SE, Preference
Shares, NVS

    204,165       10,914,578  

Sartorius AG, Preference Shares, NVS(b)

    34,547       13,083,979  

Volkswagen AG, Preference Shares, NVS

    273,370       37,123,825  
   

 

 

 
      100,463,109  
   

 

 

 

Total Preferred Stocks — 1.4%
(Cost: $147,676,989)

      100,463,109  
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 99.8%
(Cost: $7,465,208,699)

      7,322,638,555  
   

 

 

 

Short-Term Securities

   
Money Market Funds — 0.6%            

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency
Shares, 5.50%(d)(e)(f)

    20,670,976       20,681,312  
Security   Shares     Value  
Money Market Funds (continued)            

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares,
5.30%(d)(e)

    22,270,000     $  22,270,000  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 0.6%
(Cost: $42,951,390)

      42,951,312  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments — 100.4%
(Cost: $7,508,160,089)

      7,365,589,867  

Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets — (0.4)%

      (28,321,447
   

 

 

 
Net Assets — 100.0%         $ 7,337,268,420  
   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Non-income producing security.

(b) 

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(c) 

Security exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration to qualified institutional investors.

(d) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(e) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

(f) 

All or a portion of this security was purchased with the cash collateral from loaned securities.

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

Affiliated Issuer   Value at
08/31/23
    Purchases
at Cost
    Proceeds  
from Sale  
    Net Realized
Gain (Loss)
    Change in
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
    Value at
02/29/24
    Shares
Held at
02/29/24
    Income    

Capital

Gain
Distributions
from
Underlying
Funds

 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares

  $ 52,665,766     $    —     $ (31,986,283)(a)     $ 2,522     $ (693   $ 20,681,312       20,670,976     $ 45,579 (b)    $  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares

    24,280,000             (2,010,000)(a)                   22,270,000       22,270,000       638,614        
       

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 
        $    2,522     $    (693   $ 42,951,312       $ 684,193     $    —  
       

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

  (b) 

All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities.

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

Description    Number of
Contracts
       Expiration
Date
       Notional
Amount
(000)
  Value/
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
 
Long Contracts                             

Euro STOXX 50 Index

     271          03/15/24        $14,368   $  824,557  
              

 

 

 

 

 

12  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Eurozone ETF

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

 

 
     Commodity
Contracts
       Credit
Contracts
       Equity
Contracts
       Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
       Interest
Rate
Contracts
       Other
Contracts
       Total  

 

 

Assets — Derivative Financial Instruments

                                

Futures contracts

                                

Unrealized appreciation on futures contracts(a)

   $    —        $    —        $ 824,557        $    —        $    —        $    —        $ 824,557  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

 

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

 

 
     Commodity
Contracts
       Credit
Contracts
       Equity
Contracts
       Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
       Interest
Rate
Contracts
       Other
Contracts
       Total  

 

 

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                                

Futures contracts

   $        $        $ 952,768        $        $        $        $ 952,768  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

                                

Futures contracts

   $        $        $ 1,024,600        $        $        $        $ 1,024,600  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

   

Futures contracts:

 

Average notional value of contracts — long

  $ 12,981,096  

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

 

 
     Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

 

 

Assets

                 

Investments

                 

Long-Term Investments

                 

Common Stocks

   $ 56,231,243        $ 7,165,944,203        $     —        $ 7,222,175,446  

Preferred Stocks

              100,463,109                   100,463,109  

Short-Term Securities

                 

Money Market Funds

     42,951,312                            42,951,312  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $  99,182,555        $ 7,266,407,312        $        $ 7,365,589,867  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

                 

Assets

                 

Equity Contracts

   $        $ 824,557        $        $ 824,557  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Derivative financial instruments are futures contracts. Futures contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

S C H E D U L E   O F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  13


Schedule of Investments (unaudited)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Germany ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Common Stocks

   
Aerospace & Defense — 2.3%  

MTU Aero Engines AG

    38,175     $   9,182,961  

Rheinmetall AG(a)

    30,894       14,175,914  
   

 

 

 
      23,358,875  
Air Freight & Logistics — 3.2%            

Deutsche Post AG, Registered

    703,036       32,644,781  
   

 

 

 
Automobile Components — 0.6%  

Continental AG

    78,019       6,258,309  
   

 

 

 
Automobiles — 7.5%            

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG

    226,169       26,753,100  

Mercedes-Benz Group AG

    569,082       45,347,177  

Volkswagen AG

    20,801       3,273,720  
   

 

 

 
      75,373,997  
Banks — 0.9%  

Commerzbank AG

    747,678       8,655,062  
   

 

 

 
Capital Markets — 4.6%            

Deutsche Bank AG, Registered

    1,374,678       18,410,662  

Deutsche Boerse AG

    134,756       28,210,790  
   

 

 

 
      46,621,452  
Chemicals — 5.2%  

BASF SE

    633,016       32,243,932  

Covestro AG(b)(c)

    134,047       7,295,871  

Evonik Industries AG

    164,350       3,033,767  

Symrise AG, Class A

    94,176       9,637,270  
   

 

 

 
      52,210,840  
Construction Materials — 0.9%  

Heidelberg Materials AG

    92,436       8,975,430  
   

 

 

 
Diversified Telecommunication Services — 5.4%        

Deutsche Telekom AG, Registered

    2,298,800       54,640,132  
   

 

 

 
Electrical Equipment — 0.6%            

Siemens Energy AG(c)

    369,266       5,670,617  
   

 

 

 
Health Care Equipment & Supplies — 1.5%  

Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, Bearer(a)

    28,624       3,515,053  

Siemens Healthineers AG(a)(b)

    200,007       12,003,713  
   

 

 

 
      15,518,766  
Health Care Providers & Services — 1.4%  

Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA

    145,671       5,586,911  

Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA

    299,803       8,396,031  
   

 

 

 
      13,982,942  
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure — 0.3%            

Delivery Hero SE, Class A(b)(c)

    125,892       2,912,010  
   

 

 

 
Household Products — 0.5%            

Henkel AG & Co. KGaA

    73,703       4,972,499  
   

 

 

 
Independent Power and Renewable Electricity Producers — 1.5%  

RWE AG

    448,430       15,021,215  
   

 

 

 
Industrial Conglomerates — 10.6%        

Siemens AG, Registered

    539,025       106,710,136  
   

 

 

 
Insurance — 13.4%            

Allianz SE, Registered

    277,824       76,305,845  

Hannover Rueck SE

    42,766       10,978,358  

Muenchener Rueckversicherungs-Gesellschaft AG in Muenchen, Registered

    96,789       45,062,335  
Security   Shares     Value  
Insurance (continued)            

Talanx AG(c)

    45,550     $   3,251,394  
   

 

 

 
      135,597,932  
Interactive Media & Services — 0.4%        

Scout24 SE(b)

    53,287       3,874,748  
   

 

 

 
IT Services — 0.3%            

Bechtle AG

    57,656       2,974,748  
   

 

 

 
Life Sciences Tools & Services — 0.7%  

Qiagen NV, NVS

    156,880       6,707,617  
   

 

 

 
Machinery — 2.7%            

Daimler Truck Holding AG

    379,388       15,499,672  

GEA Group AG

    116,114       4,683,628  

Knorr-Bremse AG

    51,586       3,611,535  

Rational AG

    3,625       2,982,942  
   

 

 

 
      26,777,777  
Multi-Utilities — 2.0%  

E.ON SE

    1,592,338       20,333,035  
   

 

 

 
Passenger Airlines — 0.3%  

Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Registered(c)

    423,861       3,296,294  
   

 

 

 
Personal Care Products — 1.0%  

Beiersdorf AG

    71,492       10,247,729  
   

 

 

 
Pharmaceuticals — 3.6%            

Bayer AG, Registered

    696,778       21,052,550  

Merck KGaA

    91,664       15,596,337  
   

 

 

 
      36,648,887  
Real Estate Management & Development — 1.8%        

LEG Immobilien SE(c)

    52,624       3,876,253  

Vonovia SE

    520,004       14,512,863  
   

 

 

 
      18,389,116  
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment — 3.3%  

Infineon Technologies AG

    926,216       33,256,298  
   

 

 

 
Software — 14.1%            

Nemetschek SE

    41,015       3,929,182  

SAP SE

    740,613       138,785,898  
   

 

 

 
      142,715,080  
Specialty Retail — 0.3%            

Zalando SE(b)(c)

    158,935       3,363,586  
   

 

 

 
Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods — 2.6%  

adidas AG

    114,897       23,241,371  

Puma SE

    75,093       3,453,783  
   

 

 

 
      26,695,154  
Trading Companies & Distributors — 0.9%  

Brenntag SE

    94,123       8,593,842  
   

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks — 94.4%
(Cost: $1,216,108,605)

      952,998,906  
   

 

 

 

Preferred Stocks

   
Automobiles — 3.8%            

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, Preference
Shares, NVS

    41,842       4,587,292  

Dr Ing hc F Porsche AG, Preference Shares, NVS

    80,505       7,527,320  

Porsche Automobil Holding SE, Preference
Shares, NVS(a)

    108,603       5,805,872  

Volkswagen AG, Preference Shares, NVS

    146,250       19,860,846  
   

 

 

 
      37,781,330  
 

 

 

14  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Germany ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
Household Products — 0.9%            

Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, Preference Shares, NVS

    120,043     $    9,031,290  
   

 

 

 
Life Sciences Tools & Services — 0.7%            

Sartorius AG, Preference Shares, NVS

    18,588       7,039,830  
   

 

 

 

Total Preferred Stocks — 5.4%
(Cost: $85,626,640)

      53,852,450  
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 99.8%
(Cost: $1,301,735,245)

      1,006,851,356  
   

 

 

 

Short-Term Securities

   
Money Market Funds — 0.6%            

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares, 5.50%(d)(e)(f)

    5,771,270       5,774,156  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares, 5.30%(d)(e)

    400,000       400,000  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 0.6%
(Cost: $6,174,373)

      6,174,156  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments — 100.4%
(Cost: $1,307,909,618)

      1,013,025,512  

Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets — (0.4)%

      (3,715,379
   

 

 

 
Net Assets — 100.0%         $ 1,009,310,133  
   

 

 

 
 
(a) 

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(b) 

Security exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration to qualified institutional investors.

(c) 

Non-income producing security.

(d) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(e) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

(f) 

All or a portion of this security was purchased with the cash collateral from loaned securities.

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

 

 
Affiliated Issuer    Value at
08/31/23
     Purchases
at Cost
     Proceeds
from Sale
     Net Realized
Gain (Loss)
     Change in
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
     Value at
02/29/24
     Shares
Held at
02/29/24
     Income     

Capital

Gain
Distributions
from
Underlying
Funds

 

 

 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares

   $ 33,273,035      $      $ (27,504,716 )(a)     $   8,703      $   (2,866    $ 5,774,156        5,771,270      $ 17,953 (b)     $  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares

     680,000               (280,000 )(a)                     400,000        400,000        9,489         
           

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

       

 

 

    

 

 

 
            $ 8,703      $ (2,866    $ 6,174,156         $ 27,442      $    —  
           

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

       

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

  (b) 

All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities.

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

 

 
Description    Number of
Contracts
     Expiration
Date
     Notional
Amount
(000)
     Value/
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
 

 

 

Long Contracts

           

DAX Index

     5        03/15/24        $ 2,401      $   96,965  
           

 

 

 

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  15


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Germany ETF

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

 

 
     Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
     Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

 

 

Assets — Derivative Financial Instruments

                    

Futures contracts

                    

Unrealized appreciation on futures contracts(a)

   $      $      $ 96,965      $      $      $      $ 96,965  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a)

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

 

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

 

 
     Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
     Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

 

 

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ 366,349      $      $      $      $ 366,349  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ 183,292      $      $      $      $ 183,292  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

Futures contracts:

       

Average notional value of contracts — long

  $ 6,963,990  

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

 

 
     Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

 

 

Assets

                 

Investments

                 

Long-Term Investments

                 

Common Stocks

   $        $ 952,998,906        $      —        $ 952,998,906  

Preferred Stocks

              53,852,450                   53,852,450  

Short-Term Securities

                 

Money Market Funds

     6,174,156                            6,174,156  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $   6,174,156        $ 1,006,851,356        $        $ 1,013,025,512  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

                 

Assets

                 

Equity Contracts

   $        $ 96,965        $        $ 96,965  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Derivative financial instruments are futures contracts. Futures contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

16  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Italy ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 

Common Stocks

   
Aerospace & Defense — 2.4%            

Leonardo SpA

    433,629     $ 9,271,051  
   

 

 

 
Automobiles — 19.2%            

Ferrari NV

    82,324        34,745,932  

Stellantis NV

    1,444,463       37,786,566  
   

 

 

 
      72,532,498  
Banks — 25.5%            

Banco BPM SpA

    1,707,068       9,938,240  

FinecoBank Banca Fineco SpA

    790,082       10,945,425  

Intesa Sanpaolo SpA

    9,502,178       30,258,793  

Mediobanca Banca di Credito Finanziario SpA

    786,072       10,707,921  

UniCredit SpA

    1,032,907       34,596,812  
   

 

 

 
      96,447,191  
Beverages — 2.4%            

Davide Campari-Milano NV

    909,782       9,225,281  
   

 

 

 
Diversified Telecommunication Services — 3.5%            

Infrastrutture Wireless Italiane SpA(a)

    596,883       6,611,280  

Telecom Italia SpA/Milano(b)(c)

    21,445,241       6,447,449  
   

 

 

 
      13,058,729  
Electric Utilities — 12.7%            

Enel SpA

    5,507,829       35,046,581  

Terna - Rete Elettrica Nazionale

    1,650,425       12,929,431  
   

 

 

 
      47,976,012  
Electrical Equipment — 4.2%            

Prysmian SpA

    315,625       15,751,501  
   

 

 

 
Energy Equipment & Services — 2.9%            

Tenaris SA, NVS

    625,422       11,108,417  
   

 

 

 
Financial Services — 1.9%            

Nexi SpA(a)(b)

    987,136       7,244,817  
   

 

 

 
Gas Utilities — 3.1%            

Snam SpA

    2,474,752       11,560,787  
   

 

 

 
Health Care Equipment & Supplies — 1.5%            

DiaSorin SpA

    57,489       5,802,173  
   

 

 

 
Health Care Providers & Services — 2.0%            

Amplifon SpA

    226,222       7,554,135  
   

 

 

 
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Insurance — 7.1%            

Assicurazioni Generali SpA

    740,041     $ 17,553,039  

Poste Italiane SpA(a)

    783,339       9,188,049  
   

 

 

 
      26,741,088  
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels — 4.4%            

Eni SpA

    1,086,299       16,727,299  
   

 

 

 
Pharmaceuticals — 2.4%            

Recordati Industria Chimica e Farmaceutica SpA

    164,723       9,221,986  
   

 

 

 
Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods — 4.6%            

Moncler SpA

    239,925       17,300,196  
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 99.8%
(Cost: $364,768,939)

      377,523,161  
   

 

 

 

Short-Term Securities

   
Money Market Funds — 1.3%            

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares,
5.50%(d)(e)(f)

    4,553,073       4,555,349  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares,
5.30%(d)(e)

    310,000       310,000  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 1.3%
(Cost: $4,864,893)

      4,865,349  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments — 101.1%
(Cost: $369,633,832)

      382,388,510  

Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets — (1.1)%

      (4,122,226
   

 

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

    $  378,266,284  
   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Security exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration to qualified institutional investors.

(b) 

Non-income producing security.

(c) 

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(d) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(e) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

(f) 

All or a portion of this security was purchased with the cash collateral from loaned securities.

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

 

 
Affiliated Issuer    Value at
08/31/23
     Purchases
at Cost
     Proceeds
from Sale
     Net Realized
Gain (Loss)
     Change in
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
     Value at
02/29/24
     Shares
Held at
02/29/24
     Income     

Capital

Gain
Distributions
from
Underlying
Funds

 

 

 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares

   $ 1,720,732      $ 2,834,510 (a)     $      $ (304    $ 411      $ 4,555,349        4,553,073      $ 5,106 (b)     $  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares

     140,000        170,000 (a)                             310,000        310,000        6,348         
           

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

       

 

 

    

 

 

 
            $ (304    $ 411      $ 4,865,349         $  11,454      $  
           

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

       

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

  (b) 

All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities.

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  17


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Italy ETF

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

 

 
Description    Number of
Contracts
     Expiration
Date
     Notional
Amount
(000)
     Value/
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
 

 

 

Long Contracts

           

FTSE/MIB Index

     3        03/15/24      $  530      $ 17,228  
           

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

 

 
     Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
     Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

 

 

Assets — Derivative Financial Instruments

                    

Futures contracts

                    

Unrealized appreciation on futures contracts(a)

   $      $      $ 17,228      $      $      $      $ 17,228  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

 

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

 

 
     Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
     Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

 

 

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ 57,694      $      $      $      $ 57,694  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ 24,057      $      $      $      $ 24,057  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

Futures contracts:

       

Average notional value of contracts — long

  $ 833,518  

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

 

 
     Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

 

 

Assets

                 

Investments

                 

Long-Term Investments

                 

Common Stocks

   $        $ 377,523,161        $        $ 377,523,161  

Short-Term Securities

                 

Money Market Funds

     4,865,349                            4,865,349  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $  4,865,349        $ 377,523,161        $     —        $ 382,388,510  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

18  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Italy ETF

 

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End (continued)

 

 

 
     Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

                 

Assets

                 

Equity Contracts

   $     —        $   17,228        $     —        $   17,228  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Derivative financial instruments are futures contracts. Futures contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

S C H E D U L E   O F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  19


Schedule of Investments (unaudited)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Spain ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Common Stocks

   
Banks — 33.5%            

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA

    12,246,302     $  122,148,048  

Banco Santander SA

    34,278,311       142,854,347  

CaixaBank SA

    9,404,403       42,542,609  
   

 

 

 
      307,545,004  
Biotechnology — 1.9%            

Grifols SA(a)

    2,131,545       17,555,099  
   

 

 

 
Construction & Engineering — 8.5%            

ACS Actividades de Construccion y Servicios SA

    914,910       37,623,894  

Ferrovial SE

    1,080,062       40,556,117  
   

 

 

 
      78,180,011  
Diversified Telecommunication Services — 9.2%            

Cellnex Telecom SA(b)

    1,145,550       41,416,823  

Telefonica SA

    10,472,967       42,966,137  
   

 

 

 
      84,382,960  
Electric Utilities — 24.4%            

Acciona SA

    204,574       22,917,345  

Endesa SA

    1,681,547       30,284,852  

Iberdrola SA

    13,070,820       150,120,319  

Redeia Corp. SA

    1,276,959       20,316,857  
   

 

 

 
      223,639,373  
Gas Utilities — 1.4%            

Enagas SA

    893,190       12,900,395  
   

 

 

 
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure — 4.0%            

Amadeus IT Group SA

    625,411       36,998,592  
   

 

 

 
Independent Power and Renewable Electricity Producers — 0.1%        

Corp. ACCIONA Energias Renovables SA

    26,566       549,283  
   

 

 

 
Security   Shares     Value  
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels — 4.7%            

Repsol SA

    2,749,818     $ 43,681,022  
   

 

 

 
Specialty Retail — 4.6%            

Industria de Diseno Textil SA

    957,272       42,587,185  
   

 

 

 
Transportation Infrastructure — 4.7%            

Aena SME SA(b)

    225,706       42,881,787  
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 97.0%
(Cost: $928,517,091)

      890,900,711  
   

 

 

 

Short-Term Securities

   
Money Market Funds — 0.4%            

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares,
5.30%(c)(d)

    3,090,000       3,090,000  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 0.4%
(Cost: $3,090,000)

      3,090,000  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments — 97.4%
(Cost: $931,607,091)

      893,990,711  

Other Assets Less Liabilities — 2.6%

      24,159,655  
   

 

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

    $  918,150,366  
   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Non-income producing security.

(b) 

Security exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration to qualified institutional investors.

(c) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(d) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

                   
Affiliated Issuer    Value at
08/31/23
     Purchases
at Cost
     Proceeds
from Sale
     Net Realized
Gain (Loss)
     Change in
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
    

Value at

02/29/24

     Shares
Held at
02/29/24
    

Income

    

Capital

Gain
Distributions
from
Underlying
Funds

 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares(a)

   $      $        $  (859 )(b)     $ 859      $      $             $ 2,124 (c)     $  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares

     3,440,000               (350,000 )(b)                     3,090,000        3,090,000        95,004         
           

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

       

 

 

    

 

 

 
            $ 859      $      $ 3,090,000         $  97,128      $  
           

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

       

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

As of period end, the entity is no longer held.

  (b) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

  (c) 

All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities.

 

 

20  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Spain ETF

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

 

 
Description    Number of
Contracts
     Expiration
Date
     Notional
Amount
(000)
     Value/
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
 

 

 

Long Contracts

           

IBEX 35 Index

     24        03/15/24      $ 2,608      $ 16,058  
           

 

 

 

OTC Total Return Swaps

 

 

 
Reference Entity    Payment
Frequency
   Counterparty(a)    Termination
Date
     Net Notional     

Accrued
Unrealized

Appreciation
(Depreciation)

     Net Value of
Reference
Entity
     Gross
Notional
Amount
Net Asset
Percentage
 

 

 

Equity Securities Long

   Monthly    Goldman Sachs Bank USA(b)      08/19/26      $ 10,970,107      $ (157,242 )(c)     $ 10,826,868        1.2
   Monthly    HSBC Bank PLC(d)      02/08/28        8,489,843        (38,155 )(e)       8,455,930        0.9  
   Monthly    JPMorgan Chase Bank NA(f)      02/10/25        3,346,004        (160,758 )(g)       3,205,189        0.4  
              

 

 

    

 

 

    
               $ (356,155    $ 22,487,987     
              

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

  (a) 

The Fund receives the total return on a portfolio of long positions underlying the total return swap. The Fund pays the total return on a portfolio of short positions underlying the total return swap. In addition, the Fund pays or receives a variable rate of interest, based on a specified benchmark. The benchmark and spread are determined based upon the country and/or currency of the individual underlying positions.

  (c) 

Amount includes $(14,003) of net dividends and financing fees.

  (e) 

Amount includes $(4,242) of net dividends, payable for referenced securities purchased and financing fees.

  (g) 

Amount includes $(19,943) of net dividends, payable for referenced securities purchased and financing fees.

The following are the specified benchmarks (plus or minus a range) used in determining the variable rate of interest:

 

  (b)   (d)      (f)

Range:

  45 basis points   45 basis points      40 basis points

Benchmarks:

  EUR - 1D Euro Short Term Rate (ESTR)   EUR - 1D Euro Short Term Rate (ESTR)      EUR - 1D Euro Short Term Rate (ESTR)

 

 

S C H E D U L E   O F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  21


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Spain ETF

 

The following table represents the individual long positions and related values of equity securities underlying the total return swap with Goldman Sachs Bank USA as of period end, termination date August 19, 2026.

 

     Shares     Value     % of
Basket
Value
 
Reference Entity — Long                  

Common Stocks

     

Electric Utilities

     

Red Electrica Corp. SA

    142,259     $ 2,255,598       20.8
   

 

 

   

Gas Utilities

     

Enagas SA

    593,885       8,571,270       79.2  
   

 

 

   

Total Reference Entity — Long

      10,826,868    
   

 

 

   

Net Value of Reference Entity — Goldman Sachs Bank USA

 

  $ 10,826,868    
   

 

 

   

The following table represents the individual long positions and related values of equity securities underlying the total return swap with HSBC Bank PLC as of period end, termination date February 10, 2028.

 

     Shares     Value     % of
Basket
Value
 
Reference Entity — Long                  

Common Stocks

     

Electric Utilities

     

Red Electrica Corp. SA

    490,702     $ 7,804,639       92.3
   

 

 

   
     Shares     Value     % of
Basket
Value
 

Gas Utilities

     

Enagas SA

    45,230     $ 651,291       7.7  
   

 

 

   

Total Reference Entity — Long

      8,455,930    
   

 

 

   

Net Value of Reference Entity — HSBC Bank PLC

    $ 8,455,930    
   

 

 

   

The following table represents the individual long positions and related values of equity securities underlying the total return swap with JPMorgan Chase Bank NA as of period end, termination date February 8, 2024.

 

     Shares     Value     % of
Basket
Value
 
Reference Entity — Long                  

Common Stocks

     

Electric Utilities

     

Red Electrica Corp. SA

    85,044     $ 1,349,380       42.1
   

 

 

   

Gas Utilities

     

Enagas SA

    128,880       1,855,809       57.9  
   

 

 

   

Total Reference Entity — Long

      3,205,189    
   

 

 

   

Net Value of Reference Entity — JPMorgan Chase Bank NA

 

  $ 3,205,189    
   

 

 

   
 

Balances Reported in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities for Total Return Swaps

 

Description    Swap Premiums
Paid
     Swap Premiums
Received
     Unrealized
Appreciation
     Unrealized
Depreciation
 

Total Return Swaps

   $      $      $      $ (356,155

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

 

 
     Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
     Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

 

 

Assets — Derivative Financial Instruments

                    

Futures contracts

                    

Unrealized appreciation on futures contracts(a)

   $      $      $ 16,058      $      $      $      $ 16,058  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Liabilities — Derivative Financial Instruments

                    

Swaps — OTC

                    

Unrealized depreciation on OTC swaps; Swap premiums received

   $      $      $ 356,155      $      $      $      $ 356,155  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

 

 

22  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Spain ETF

 

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

      Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
     Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ 231,741      $      $      $      $ 231,741  

Swaps

                   (324,843                           (324,843
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   $      $      $ (93,102    $      $      $      $ (93,102
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ (5,669    $      $      $      $ (5,669

Swaps

                   (328,605                           (328,605
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   $      $      $ (334,274    $      $      $      $ (334,274
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

Futures contracts:

        

Average notional value of contracts — long

   $ 2,512,372  

Total return swaps:

  

Average notional value

   $ 17,619,846  

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

Derivative Financial Instruments - Offsetting as of Period End

The Fund’s derivative assets and liabilities (by type) were as follows:

 

 

 
     Assets      Liabilities  

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments:

     

Futures contracts

   $ 16,058      $  

Swaps - OTC(a)

            356,155  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total derivative assets and liabilities in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities

     16,058        356,155  

Derivatives not subject to a Master Netting Agreement or similar agreement (“MNA”)

     (16,058       
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total derivative assets and liabilities subject to an MNA

   $      $ 356,155  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Includes unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on OTC swaps and swap premiums (paid/received) in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

The following table presents the Fund’s derivative liabilities by counterparty net of amounts available for offset under an MNA and net of the related collateral pledged by the Fund:

 

 

 
Counterparty     


Derivative

Liabilities

Subject to

an MNA by
Counterparty

 

 

 

 
 

    

Derivatives
Available

for Offset

 
 

(a) 

    

Non-Cash
Collateral
Pledged
 
 
 
    

Cash
Collateral
Pledged
 
 
 
    

Net Amount
of Derivative
Liabilities
 
 
(b) 

 

 

Goldman Sachs Bank USA

             $ 157,242      $      $      $      $ 157,242  

HSBC Bank PLC

        38,155                             38,155  

JPMorgan Chase Bank NA

        160,758                             160,758  
     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
      $ 356,155      $      $      $      $ 356,155  
     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

The amount of derivatives available for offset is limited to the amount of derivative assets and/or liabilities that are subject to an MNA.

  (b) 

Net amount represents the net amount payable due to the counterparty in the event of default. Net amount may be offset further by the options written receivable/payable on the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  23


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Spain ETF

 

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

 

 
     Level 1      Level 2      Level 3      Total  

 

 

Assets

           

Investments

           

Long-Term Investments

           

Common Stocks

   $      $ 890,900,711      $    —      $ 890,900,711  

Short-Term Securities

           

Money Market Funds

     3,090,000                      3,090,000  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   $  3,090,000      $ 890,900,711      $      $ 893,990,711  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

           

Assets

           

Equity Contracts

   $      $ 16,058      $      $ 16,058  

Liabilities

           

Equity Contracts

            (356,155             (356,155
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   $      $ (340,097    $        (340,097
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Derivative financial instruments are swaps and futures contracts. Swaps and futures contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

24  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Switzerland ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Common Stocks

                                   
Banks — 0.4%            

Banque Cantonale Vaudoise, Registered

    35,167     $ 4,214,943  
   

 

 

 
Building Products — 1.4%            

Geberit AG, Registered

    27,918       16,231,221  
   

 

 

 
Capital Markets — 7.6%            

Julius Baer Group Ltd.

    179,174       9,598,222  

Partners Group Holding AG

    18,292       26,301,430  

UBS Group AG, Registered

    1,931,567       55,149,707  
   

 

 

 
      91,049,359  
Chemicals — 6.1%            

Clariant AG, Registered

    257,075       3,183,850  

EMS-Chemie Holding AG, Registered(a)

    7,337       5,120,033  

Givaudan SA, Registered

    7,371       30,928,255  

Sika AG, Registered

    115,054       33,275,505  
   

 

 

 
      72,507,643  
Construction Materials — 2.8%            

Holcim AG

    414,689       33,846,729  
   

 

 

 
Containers & Packaging — 0.5%            

SIG Group AG

    291,031       5,765,542  
   

 

 

 
Diversified Telecommunication Services — 1.0%            

Swisscom AG, Registered

    21,969       12,556,967  
   

 

 

 
Electric Utilities — 0.3%            

BKW AG

    23,950       3,355,604  
   

 

 

 
Electrical Equipment — 4.6%            

ABB Ltd., Registered

    1,182,198       54,549,356  
   

 

 

 
Food Products — 19.2%            

Barry Callebaut AG, Registered(a)

    3,480       4,888,867  

Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Spruengli AG, Participation Certificates, NVS

    837       10,242,845  

Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Spruengli AG, Registered

    93       11,179,717  

Nestle SA, Registered

    1,969,129       204,232,502  
   

 

 

 
      230,543,931  
Health Care Equipment & Supplies — 5.2%            

Alcon Inc.

    394,116       33,605,410  

Sonova Holding AG, Registered

    43,709       13,481,913  

Straumann Holding AG

    94,647       14,959,965  
   

 

 

 
      62,047,288  
Insurance — 9.5%            

Baloise Holding AG, Registered

    44,234       7,137,147  

Helvetia Holding AG, Registered

    38,209       5,398,799  

Swiss Life Holding AG, Registered

    24,535       17,834,414  

Swiss Re AG

    240,664       29,046,836  

Zurich Insurance Group AG

    102,793       54,688,993  
   

 

 

 
      114,106,189  
Life Sciences Tools & Services — 2.8%            

Bachem Holding AG, Class B

    41,714       3,300,705  

Lonza Group AG, Registered

    58,305       30,432,662  
   

 

 

 
      33,733,367  
Machinery — 2.3%            

Schindler Holding AG, Participation Certificates, NVS

    37,289       9,824,847  

Schindler Holding AG, Registered

    24,528       6,237,986  

VAT Group AG(b)

    23,746       11,919,304  
   

 

 

 
      27,982,137  
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Marine Transportation — 1.3%            

Kuehne + Nagel International AG, Registered

    46,076     $ 15,513,141  
   

 

 

 
Pharmaceuticals — 24.6%            

Novartis AG, Registered

    1,495,939       150,936,480  

Roche Holding AG, NVS

    510,496       133,474,813  

Roche Holding AG, Bearer

    7,114       1,966,618  

Sandoz Group AG(c)

    285,488       8,831,000  
   

 

 

 
      295,208,911  
Professional Services — 1.5%            

Adecco Group AG, Registered

    151,445       6,071,049  

SGS SA

    130,038       12,486,504  
   

 

 

 
      18,557,553  
Real Estate Management & Development — 0.6%            

Swiss Prime Site AG, Registered

    72,653       6,943,551  
   

 

 

 
Software — 0.4%            

Temenos AG, Registered

    66,206       4,982,386  
   

 

 

 
Specialty Retail — 0.4%            

Avolta AG, Registered(c)

    107,421       4,201,360  
   

 

 

 
Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals — 1.0%            

Logitech International SA, Registered

    140,926       12,470,031  
   

 

 

 
Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods — 5.4%            

Cie. Financiere Richemont SA, Class A, Registered

    348,222       55,428,980  

Swatch Group AG (The), Bearer

    27,106       6,399,324  

Swatch Group AG (The), Registered

    67,424       3,080,226  
   

 

 

 
      64,908,530  
   

 

 

 
Total Long-Term Investments — 98.9%            

(Cost: $1,121,673,526)

      1,185,275,739  
   

 

 

 
Short-Term Securities            
Money Market Funds — 0.0%            

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares,
5.50%(d)(e)(f)

    298,768       298,918  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares,
5.30%(d)(e)

    390,000       390,000  
   

 

 

 
Total Short-Term Securities — 0.0%            

(Cost: $688,918)

      688,918  
   

 

 

 
Total Investments — 98.9%            

(Cost: $1,122,362,444)

      1,185,964,657  
Other Assets Less Liabilities — 1.1%         12,738,712  
   

 

 

 
Net Assets — 100.0%         $1,198,703,369  
   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(b) 

Security exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration to qualified institutional investors.

(c) 

Non-income producing security.

(d) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(e) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

(f) 

All or a portion of this security was purchased with the cash collateral from loaned securities.

 

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  25


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

   iShares® MSCI Switzerland ETF

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

 

 
Affiliated Issuer    Value at
08/31/23
     Purchases
at Cost
     Proceeds
from Sale
     Net Realized
Gain (Loss)
     Change in
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
     Value at
02/29/24
     Shares
Held at
02/29/24
     Income     

Capital

Gain
Distributions
from
Underlying
Funds

 

 

 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares

   $      $ 298,999 (a)     $      $ (81    $      $ 298,918        298,768      $ 507 (b)     $  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares

     590,000               (200,000 )(a)                     390,000        390,000        8,539         
           

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

       

 

 

    

 

 

 
            $ (81    $      $ 688,918         $ 9,046      $  
           

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

       

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

  (b) 

All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities.

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

 

 

Description

  

Number of

Contracts

    

Expiration

Date

    

Notional

Amount

(000)

    

Value/

Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

 

 

 

Long Contracts

           

Swiss Market Index

     102        03/15/24      $ 13,130      $ 486,214  
           

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

 

 
    

Commodity

Contracts

    

Credit

Contracts

    

Equity

Contracts

    

Foreign

Currency

Exchange

Contracts

    

Interest

Rate

Contracts

    

Other

Contracts

    

Total

 

 

 

Assets — Derivative Financial Instruments

                    

Futures contracts

                    

Unrealized appreciation on futures contracts(a)

   $      $      $ 486,214      $      $      $      $ 486,214  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

 

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

 

 
    

Commodity

Contracts

    

Credit

Contracts

    

Equity

Contracts

    

Foreign

Currency

Exchange

Contracts

    

Interest

Rate

Contracts

    

Other

Contracts

    

Total

 

 

 

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ (353,452    $      $      $      $ (353,452
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ 722,966      $      $      $      $ 722,966  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

   

Futures contracts:

 

Average notional value of contracts — long

 

  $ 13,658,839  

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

 

 

26  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

   iShares® MSCI Switzerland ETF

 

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

 

 
     Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

 

 

Assets

                 

Investments

                 

Long-Term Investments

                 

Common Stocks

   $        $ 1,185,275,739        $        $ 1,185,275,739  

Short-Term Securities

                 

Money Market Funds

     688,918                            688,918  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $   688,918        $ 1,185,275,739        $     —        $ 1,185,964,657  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

                 

Assets

                 

Equity Contracts

   $        $ 486,214        $        $ 486,214  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Derivative financial instruments are futures contracts. Futures contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  27


 

Statements of Assets and Liabilities (unaudited)

February 29, 2024

 

   

iShares

MSCI Eurozone

ETF

   

iShares

MSCI Germany

ETF

   

iShares

MSCI Italy

ETF

   

iShares

MSCI Spain ETF

 

 

 

ASSETS

       

Investments, at value — unaffiliated(a)(b)

  $ 7,322,638,555     $ 1,006,851,356     $ 377,523,161     $ 890,900,711  

Investments, at value — affiliated(c)

    42,951,312       6,174,156       4,865,349       3,090,000  

Cash

    675       5,248       5,308       8,896  

Foreign currency collateral pledged for futures contracts(d)

    1,329,383       177,467       113,484       186,979  

Foreign currency, at value(e)

    14,219,169       1,487,056       795,558       11,278,653  

Receivables:

       

Investments sold

    54,398,068       5,716,859       2,551,195       47,952,369  

Securities lending income — affiliated

    4,795       733       979        

Dividends — unaffiliated

    241                    

Dividends — affiliated

    94,677       1,419       1,217       13,103  

Tax reclaims

    5,389,537       860,046             122,130  

Variation margin on futures contracts

    31,352       18,333              
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total assets

    7,441,057,764       1,021,292,673       385,856,251       953,552,841  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

LIABILITIES

       

Cash received for futures contracts

                5,420        

Collateral on securities loaned, at value

    20,653,239       5,774,520       4,554,648        

Payables:

       

Investments purchased

    58,446,049       5,819,555       2,890,771       31,309,040  

Swaps

                      343,109  

Investment advisory fees

    2,809,755       388,465       138,060       356,835  

IRS compliance fee for foreign withholding tax claims

    21,846,452                   3,032,693  

Professional fees

    33,849                    

Variation margin on futures contracts

                1,068       4,643  

Unrealized depreciation on OTC swaps

                      356,155  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total liabilities

    103,789,344       11,982,540       7,589,967       35,402,475  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Commitments and contingent liabilities

       

NET ASSETS

  $ 7,337,268,420     $ 1,009,310,133     $ 378,266,284     $ 918,150,366  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS CONSIST OF

       

Paid-in capital

  $ 8,364,830,696     $ 1,919,737,069     $ 612,009,473     $ 1,385,538,917  

Accumulated loss

    (1,027,562,276     (910,426,936     (233,743,189     (467,388,551
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

  $ 7,337,268,420     $ 1,009,310,133     $ 378,266,284     $ 918,150,366  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSET VALUE

       

Shares outstanding

    150,000,000       33,000,000       10,650,000       31,425,000  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value

  $ 48.92     $ 30.59     $ 35.52     $ 29.22  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Shares authorized

    1.5 billion       482.2 million       295.4 million       300 million  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Par value

  $ 0.001     $ 0.001     $ 0.001     $ 0.001  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

(a) Investments, at cost — unaffiliated

  $ 7,465,208,699     $ 1,301,735,245     $ 364,768,939     $ 928,517,091  

(b) Securities loaned, at value

  $ 19,382,521     $ 5,555,215     $ 4,149,516     $  

(c)  Investments, at cost — affiliated

  $ 42,951,390     $ 6,174,373     $ 4,864,893     $ 3,090,000  

(d) Foreign currency collateral pledged, at cost

  $ 1,344,576     $ 226,493     $ 113,500     $ 190,128  

(e) Foreign currency, at cost

  $ 14,174,223     $ 1,432,852     $ 794,064     $ 11,295,140  

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

28  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


 

Statements of Assets and Liabilities (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

 

   

iShares

MSCI Switzerland

ETF

 

 

 

ASSETS

 

Investments, at value — unaffiliated(a)(b)

  $ 1,185,275,739  

Investments, at value — affiliated(c)

    688,918  

Cash

    2,303  

Foreign currency collateral pledged for futures contracts(d)

    718,732  

Foreign currency, at value(e)

    944,061  

Receivables:

 

Investments sold

    2,253,392  

Securities lending income — affiliated

    75  

Dividends — affiliated

    1,272  

Tax reclaims

    11,659,067  

Variation margin on futures contracts

    5,756  
 

 

 

 

Total assets

    1,201,549,315  
 

 

 

 

LIABILITIES

 

Collateral on securities loaned, at value

    298,999  

Payables:

 

Investments purchased

    2,070,692  

Investment advisory fees

    476,255  
 

 

 

 

Total liabilities

    2,845,946  
 

 

 

 

Commitments and contingent liabilities

 

NET ASSETS

  $ 1,198,703,369  
 

 

 

 

NET ASSETS CONSIST OF

 

Paid-in capital

  $ 1,254,752,461  

Accumulated loss

    (56,049,092
 

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

  $ 1,198,703,369  
 

 

 

 

NET ASSET VALUE

 

Shares outstanding

    25,625,000  
 

 

 

 

Net asset value

  $ 46.78  
 

 

 

 

Shares authorized

    318.625 million  
 

 

 

 

Par value

  $ 0.001  
 

 

 

 

(a) Investments, at cost — unaffiliated

  $ 1,121,673,526  

(b) Securities loaned, at value

  $ 283,228  

(c)  Investments, at cost — affiliated

  $ 688,918  

(d) Foreign currency collateral pledged, at cost

  $ 766,470  

(e) Foreign currency, at cost

  $ 898,924  

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  29


 

Statements of Operations (unaudited) 

Six Months Ended February 29, 2024

 

   

iShares

MSCI

Eurozone

ETF

   

iShares

MSCI

Germany

ETF

   

iShares

MSCI Italy

ETF

   

iShares

MSCI Spain

ETF

 

 

 

INVESTMENT INCOME

       

Dividends — unaffiliated

  $ 40,556,770     $ 3,346,508     $ 4,085,684     $ 9,245,675  

Dividends — affiliated

    638,614       9,489       6,348       95,004  

Interest — unaffiliated

          20,826             47,550  

Securities lending income — affiliated — net

    45,579       17,953       5,106       2,124  

Non-cash dividends — unaffiliated

                      2,955,377  

Other income — unaffiliated

    465,396                    

Foreign taxes withheld

    (3,675,995     (469,798     (635,321     (1,375,919

Foreign withholding tax claims

    6,099,570                    
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total investment income

    44,129,934       2,924,978       3,461,817       10,969,811  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

EXPENSES

       

Investment advisory

    16,819,917       2,763,594       737,598       1,920,358  

Professional

    656,609                    

Commitment costs

          5,526       1,431       3,648  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total expenses

    17,476,526       2,769,120       739,029       1,924,006  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net investment income

    26,653,408       155,858       2,722,788       9,045,805  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS)

       

Net realized gain (loss) from:

       

Investments — unaffiliated

    (42,163,384     (5,831,186     (6,802,594     (15,288,336

Investments — affiliated

    2,522       8,703       (304     859  

Foreign currency transactions

    (55,066     19,503       (25,678     17,491  

Futures contracts

    952,768       366,349       57,694       231,741  

In-kind redemptions — unaffiliated(a)

    208,876,464       (132,483,484     9,085,596       5,936,045  

Swaps

                      (324,843
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    167,613,304       (137,920,115     2,314,714       (9,427,043
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:

       

Investments — unaffiliated

    375,030,014       197,908,988       25,693,401       30,769,662  

Investments — affiliated

    (693     (2,866     411        

Foreign currency translations

    119,856       127,136       7,701       142,410  

Futures contracts

    1,024,600       183,292       24,057       (5,669

Swaps

                      (328,605
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    376,173,777       198,216,550       25,725,570       30,577,798  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net realized and unrealized gain

    543,787,081       60,296,435       28,040,284       21,150,755  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS

  $ 570,440,489     $ 60,452,293     $ 30,763,072     $ 30,196,560  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(a)

See Note 2 of the Notes to Financial Statements.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

30  

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Statements of Operations (unaudited) (continued)

Six Months Ended February 29, 2024

 

   

iShares

MSCI
Switzerland
ETF

 

 

 

INVESTMENT INCOME

 

Dividends — unaffiliated

  $ 1,762,122  

Dividends — affiliated

    8,539  

Securities lending income — affiliated — net

    507  

Foreign taxes withheld

    (349,715
 

 

 

 

Total investment income

    1,421,453  
 

 

 

 

EXPENSES

 

Investment advisory

    2,987,752  

Commitment costs

    5,839  
 

 

 

 

Total expenses

    2,993,591  
 

 

 

 

Net investment loss

    (1,572,138
 

 

 

 

REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS)

 

Net realized gain (loss) from:

 

Investments — unaffiliated

    1,353,262  

Investments — affiliated

    (81

Foreign currency transactions

    (8,817

Futures contracts

    (353,452

In-kind redemptions — unaffiliated(a)

    24,763,576  
 

 

 

 
    25,754,488  
 

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:

 

Investments — unaffiliated

    (7,807,622

Foreign currency translations

    (3,756

Futures contracts

    722,966  
 

 

 

 
    (7,088,412
 

 

 

 

Net realized and unrealized gain

    18,666,076  
 

 

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS

  $ 17,093,938  
 

 

 

 

 

(a) 

See Note 2 of the Notes to Financial Statements.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  31


 

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

 

    iShares
MSCI Eurozone ETF
           iShares
MSCI Germany ETF
 
    Six Months Ended
02/29/24
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
08/31/23
           Six Months Ended
02/29/24
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
08/31/23
 

 

 

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS

          

OPERATIONS

          

Net investment income

  $ 26,653,408     $ 202,601,302        $ 155,858     $ 45,410,408  

Net realized gain (loss)

    167,613,304       2,341,248          (137,920,115     (86,147,308

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

    376,173,777       1,400,531,847          198,216,550       389,018,417  
 

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

    570,440,489       1,605,474,397          60,452,293       348,281,517  
 

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS(a)

          

Decrease in net assets resulting from distributions to shareholders

    (50,898,442 )(b)       (181,291,924        (54,056 )(b)       (44,143,456
 

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

          

Net increase (decrease) in net assets derived from capital share transactions

    (957,310,796     1,562,882,727          (606,927,383     46,583,699  
 

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

          

Total increase (decrease) in net assets

    (437,768,749     2,987,065,200          (546,529,146     350,721,760  

Beginning of period

    7,775,037,169       4,787,971,969          1,555,839,279       1,205,117,519  
 

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

End of period

  $ 7,337,268,420     $ 7,775,037,169        $ 1,009,310,133     $ 1,555,839,279  
 

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(b) 

A portion of the distributions from net investment income may be deemed a return of capital or net realized gain at fiscal year-end.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

32  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


 

Statements of Changes in Net Assets (continued)

 

    iShares
MSCI Italy ETF
           iShares
MSCI Spain ETF
 
   

Six Months
Ended

02/29/24
(unaudited)

    Year Ended
08/31/23
          

Six Months

Ended

02/29/24
(unaudited)

    Year Ended
08/31/23
 

 

 

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS

          

OPERATIONS

          

Net investment income

  $ 2,722,788     $ 10,745,642        $ 9,045,805     $ 19,586,037  

Net realized gain (loss)

    2,314,714       (13,272,834        (9,427,043     (18,427,436

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

    25,725,570       88,332,785          30,577,798       147,935,100  
 

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

    30,763,072       85,805,593          30,196,560       149,093,701  
 

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS(a)

          

Decrease in net assets resulting from distributions to shareholders

    (3,489,057     (10,689,289        (13,103,928     (15,153,309
 

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

          

Net increase in net assets derived from capital share transactions

    4,583,554       77,044,142          189,014,591       163,047,188  
 

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

          

Total increase in net assets

    31,857,569       152,160,446          206,107,223       296,987,580  

Beginning of period

    346,408,715       194,248,269          712,043,143       415,055,563  
 

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

End of period

  $ 378,266,284     $ 346,408,715        $ 918,150,366     $ 712,043,143  
 

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  33


 

Statements of Changes in Net Assets (continued)

 

     iShares
MSCI Switzerland ETF
 
     Six Months Ended
02/29/24
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
08/31/23
 

 

 

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS

    

OPERATIONS

    

Net investment income (loss)

   $ (1,572,138   $ 25,227,493  

Net realized gain

     25,754,488       15,104,315  

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

     (7,088,412     139,828,646  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

     17,093,938       180,160,454  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS(a)

    

Decrease in net assets resulting from distributions to shareholders

           (26,685,381
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

    

Net decrease in net assets derived from capital share transactions

     (45,693,343     (277,980,798
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

    

Total decrease in net assets

     (28,599,405     (124,505,725

Beginning of period

     1,227,302,774       1,351,808,499  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

End of period

   $ 1,198,703,369     $ 1,227,302,774  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

34  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


 

Financial Highlights

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

          iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF  
 

 

 

 
    Six Months Ended
02/29/24
(unaudited)
   

Year Ended
08/31/23

   

Year Ended
08/31/22

   

Year Ended
08/31/21

   

Year Ended
08/31/20

   

Year Ended
08/31/19

 

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

           $ 44.76        $ 35.23        $ 50.86        $ 39.52        $ 37.91        $ 41.29  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

      0.18 (b)          1.25 (b)          1.06 (b)          1.21 (b)          0.55          1.05  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(c)

      4.33          9.32          (15.04        11.24          1.55          (3.22
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

      4.51          10.57          (13.98        12.45          2.10          (2.17
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(d)

      (0.35 )(e)          (1.04        (1.65        (1.11        (0.49        (1.21
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 48.92        $ 44.76        $ 35.23        $ 50.86        $ 39.52        $ 37.91  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total Return(f)

                            

Based on net asset value

      10.11 %(b)(g)         30.09 %(b)          (27.98 )%(b)         31.72 %(b)          5.61        (5.22 )% 
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(h)

                            

Total expenses

      0.52 %(i)          0.51        0.53        0.65        0.51        0.49
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total expenses excluding professional fees for foreign withholding tax claims

      0.50 %(i)          0.50        0.50        0.50        0.51        0.49
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net investment income

      0.79 %(b)(i)          2.96 %(b)          2.39 %(b)          2.64 %(b)          1.46        2.74
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

                            

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 7,337,268        $ 7,775,037        $ 4,787,972        $ 8,243,943        $ 4,477,240        $ 5,231,511  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(j)

      3        3        6        5        5        6
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Based on average shares outstanding.

(b) 

Reflects the positive effect of foreign withholding tax claims, net of the associated professional fees, which resulted in the following increases for the six months ended February 29, 2024, for the year ended August 31, 2023, August 31, 2022 and August 31, 2021 respectively:

   

Net investment income per share by $0.04, $0.02, $0.10 and $0.53.

   

Total return by 0.08%, 0.05%, 0.22% and 1.07%.

   

Ratio of net investment income to average net assets by 0.16%, 0.05%, 0.22% and 1.16%.

(c) 

The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

(d) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(e) 

A portion of the distributions from net investment income may be deemed a return of capital or net realized gain at fiscal year-end.

(f) 

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

(g) 

Not annualized.

(h) 

Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

(i) 

Annualized.

(j) 

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, if any.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  H I G H L I G H T S

  35


 

Financial Highlights (continued)

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    iShares MSCI Germany ETF  
 

 

 

 
    Six Months Ended
02/29/24
(unaudited)
   

Year Ended
08/31/23

   

Year Ended
08/31/22

   

Year Ended
08/31/21

   

Year Ended
08/31/20

   

Year Ended
08/31/19

 

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

           $ 27.88        $ 21.83        $ 34.94        $ 30.16        $ 26.28        $ 30.36  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

      0.00 (b)          0.81          0.59          0.56          0.50          0.65  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(c)

      2.71          6.01          (12.63        5.21          3.66          (3.99
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

      2.71          6.82          (12.04        5.77          4.16          (3.34
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(d)

      (— )(b)(e)          (0.77        (1.07        (0.99        (0.28        (0.74
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 30.59        $ 27.88        $ 21.83        $ 34.94        $ 30.16        $ 26.28  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total Return(f)

                            

Based on net asset value

      9.70 %(g)          31.27        (35.02 )%         19.30        15.98        (11.07 )% 
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(h)

                            

Total expenses

      0.50 %(i)          0.50        0.50        0.50        0.51        0.49
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net investment income

      0.03 %(i)          3.05        1.98        1.72        1.85        2.38
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

                            

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 1,009,310        $ 1,555,839        $ 1,205,118        $ 2,872,398        $ 2,913,852        $ 2,002,685  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(j)

      1        6        7        6        4        9
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Based on average shares outstanding.

(b) 

Rounds to less than $0.01.

(c) 

The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

(d) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(e) 

A portion of the distributions from net investment income may be deemed a return of capital or net realized gain at fiscal year-end.

(f) 

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

(g) 

Not annualized.

(h) 

Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

(i) 

Annualized.

(j) 

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, if any.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

36  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


 

Financial Highlights (continued)

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

          iShares MSCI Italy ETF  
 

 

 

 
    Six Months Ended
02/29/24
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
08/31/23
   

Year Ended
08/31/22

   

Year Ended
08/31/21

   

Year Ended
08/31/20

   

Year Ended
08/31/19

 

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

           $ 32.07        $ 23.12        $ 32.89        $ 25.76        $ 26.83        $ 27.18  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

      0.30          1.19          1.08          0.83          0.43          1.00  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(b)

      3.57          8.91          (9.58        6.95          (1.05        (0.12
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

      3.87          10.10          (8.50        7.78          (0.62        0.88  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(c)

      (0.42        (1.15        (1.27        (0.65        (0.45        (1.23
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 35.52        $ 32.07        $ 23.12        $ 32.89        $ 25.76        $ 26.83  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total Return(d)

                            

Based on net asset value

      12.14 %(e)         44.24        (26.50 )%         30.30        (2.29 )%         3.46
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(f)

                            

Total expenses

      0.50 %(g)          0.50        0.50        0.50        0.51        0.49
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net investment income

      1.84 %(g)          4.10        3.56        2.70        1.64        3.72
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

                            

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 378,266        $ 346,409        $ 194,248        $ 594,545        $ 208,645        $ 235,457  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(h)

      9        24        14        13        16        13
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Based on average shares outstanding.

(b) 

The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

(c) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(d) 

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

(e) 

Not annualized.

(f) 

Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

(g) 

Annualized.

(h) 

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, if any.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  H I G H L I G H T S

  37


 

Financial Highlights (continued)

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    iShares MSCI Spain ETF  
 

 

 

 
    Six Months Ended
02/29/24
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
08/31/23
    Year Ended
08/31/22
    Year Ended
08/31/21
    Year Ended
08/31/20
    Year Ended
08/31/19
 

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

           $ 28.42        $ 21.79        $ 28.08        $ 23.15        $ 26.71        $ 29.85  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

      0.34          0.94          0.75          0.84 (b)          0.77          1.04  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(c)

      0.93          6.41          (6.23        5.00          (3.44        (3.26
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

      1.27          7.35          (5.48        5.84          (2.67        (2.22
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(d)

      (0.47        (0.72        (0.81        (0.91        (0.89        (0.92
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 29.22        $ 28.42        $ 21.79        $ 28.08        $ 23.15        $ 26.71  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total Return(e)

                            

Based on net asset value

      4.42 %(f)          34.16        (19.89 )%         25.25 %(b)         (10.44 )%         (7.53 )% 
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(g)

                            

Total expenses

      0.50 %(h)          0.50        0.50        0.62        0.51        0.50
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total expenses excluding professional fees for foreign withholding tax claims

      N/A          0.50        0.50        0.50        0.51        N/A  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net investment income

      2.35 %(h)          3.59        2.90        3.10 %(b)          2.99        3.65
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

                            

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 918,150        $ 712,043        $ 415,056        $ 707,646        $ 468,824        $ 825,211  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(i)

      7        16        14        34        19        12
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Based on average shares outstanding.

(b) 

Reflects the positive effect of foreign withholding tax claims, net of the associated professional fees, which resulted in the following increases for the year ended August 31, 2021:

   

Net investment income per share by $0.18.

   

Total return by 0.63%.

   

Ratio of net investment income to average net assets by 0.65%.

(c) 

The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

(d) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(e) 

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

(f) 

Not annualized.

(g) 

Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

(h) 

Annualized.

(i) 

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, if any.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

38  

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Financial Highlights (continued)

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF  
 

 

 

 
    Six Months Ended
02/29/24
(unaudited)
   

Year Ended
08/31/23

   

Year Ended
08/31/22

   

Year Ended
08/31/21

   

Year Ended
08/31/20

   

Year Ended
08/31/19

 

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

           $ 46.10        $ 40.66        $ 50.74        $ 41.87        $ 37.31        $ 34.91  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net investment income (loss)(a)

      (0.06        0.87          0.76          0.75          0.73          0.72  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(b)

      0.74          5.59          (9.98        9.06          4.45          2.43  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

      0.68          6.46          (9.22        9.81          5.18          3.15  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(c)

               (1.02        (0.86        (0.94        (0.62        (0.75
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 46.78        $ 46.10        $ 40.66        $ 50.74        $ 41.87        $ 37.31  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total Return(d)

                            

Based on net asset value

      1.48 %(e)          15.92        (18.24 )%         23.49        14.07        9.07
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(f)

                            

Total expenses

      0.50 %(g)          0.50        0.50        0.50        0.51        0.50
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net investment income (loss)

      (0.26 )%(g)          1.99        1.62        1.66        1.89        2.06
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

                            

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 1,198,703        $ 1,227,303        $ 1,351,808        $ 1,763,380        $ 1,721,701        $ 1,138,036  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(h)

      2        10        8        7        16        11
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Based on average shares outstanding.

(b) 

The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

(c) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(d) 

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

(e) 

Not annualized.

(f) 

Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

(g) 

Annualized.

(h) 

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, if any.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  H I G H L I G H T S

  39


Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) 

 

1.

ORGANIZATION

iShares, Inc. (the “Company”) is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), as an open-end management investment company. The Company is organized as a Maryland corporation and is authorized to have multiple series or portfolios.

These financial statements relate only to the following funds (each, a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”):

 

iShares ETF    Diversification 
Classification 

MSCI Eurozone

   Diversified 

MSCI Germany

   Non-diversified 

MSCI Italy

   Non-diversified 

MSCI Spain

   Non-diversified 

MSCI Switzerland

   Non-diversified 

 

2.

SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The financial statements are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”), which may require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Each Fund is considered an investment company under U.S. GAAP and follows the accounting and reporting guidance applicable to investment companies. Below is a summary of significant accounting policies:

Investment Transactions and Income Recognition: For financial reporting purposes, investment transactions are recorded on the dates the transactions are executed. Realized gains and losses on investment transactions are determined using the specific identification method. Dividend income and capital gain distributions, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Non-cash dividends, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date at fair value. Dividends from foreign securities where the ex-dividend date may have passed are subsequently recorded when the Funds are informed of the ex-dividend date. Under the applicable foreign tax laws, a withholding tax at various rates may be imposed on capital gains, dividends and interest. Interest income, including amortization and accretion of premiums and discounts on debt securities, is recognized daily on an accrual basis.

Foreign Currency Translation: Each Fund’s books and records are maintained in U.S. dollars. Securities and other assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars using prevailing market rates as quoted by one or more data service providers. Purchases and sales of investments are recorded at the rates of exchange prevailing on the respective dates of such transactions. Generally, when the U.S. dollar rises in value against a foreign currency, the investments denominated in that currency will lose value; the opposite effect occurs if the U.S. dollar falls in relative value.

Each Fund does not isolate the effect of fluctuations in foreign exchange rates from the effect of fluctuations in the market prices of investments for financial reporting purposes. Accordingly, the effects of changes in exchange rates on investments are not segregated in the Statements of Operations from the effects of changes in market prices of those investments, but are included as a component of net realized and unrealized gain (loss) from investments. Each Fund reports realized currency gains (losses) on foreign currency related transactions as components of net realized gain (loss) for financial reporting purposes, whereas such components are generally treated as ordinary income for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Foreign Taxes: Certain Funds may be subject to foreign taxes (a portion of which may be reclaimable) on income, stock dividends, capital gains on investments, or certain foreign currency transactions. All foreign taxes are recorded in accordance with the applicable foreign tax regulations and rates that exist in the foreign jurisdictions in which each Fund invests. These foreign taxes, if any, are paid by each Fund and are reflected in its Statements of Operations as follows: foreign taxes withheld at source are presented as a reduction of income, foreign taxes on securities lending income are presented as a reduction of securities lending income, foreign taxes on stock dividends are presented as “Other foreign taxes”, and foreign taxes on capital gains from sales of investments and foreign taxes on foreign currency transactions are included in their respective net realized gain (loss) categories. Foreign taxes payable or deferred as of February 29, 2024, if any, are disclosed in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

Certain Funds file withholding tax reclaims in certain jurisdictions to recover a portion of amounts previously withheld. The Funds may record a reclaim receivable based on collectability, which includes factors such as the jurisdiction’s applicable laws, payment history and market convention. The Statements of Operations includes tax reclaims recorded as well as professional and other fees, if any, associated with recovery of foreign withholding taxes.

Collateralization: If required by an exchange or counterparty agreement, the Funds may be required to deliver/deposit cash and/or securities to/with an exchange, or broker-dealer or custodian as collateral for certain investments.

In-kind Redemptions: For financial reporting purposes, in-kind redemptions are treated as sales of securities resulting in realized capital gains or losses to the Funds. Because such gains or losses are not taxable to the Funds and are not distributed to existing Fund shareholders, the gains or losses are reclassified from accumulated net realized gain (loss) to paid-in capital at the end of the Funds’ tax year. These reclassifications have no effect on net assets or net asset value (“NAV”) per share.

Distributions: Dividends and distributions paid by each Fund are recorded on the ex-dividend dates. Distributions are determined on a tax basis and may differ from net investment income and net realized capital gains for financial reporting purposes. Dividends and distributions are paid in U.S. dollars and cannot be automatically reinvested in additional shares of the Funds.

 

 

40  

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

Indemnifications: In the normal course of business, each Fund enters into contracts that contain a variety of representations that provide general indemnification. The Funds’ maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown because it involves future potential claims against the Funds, which cannot be predicted with any certainty.

 

3.

INVESTMENT VALUATION AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

Investment Valuation Policies: Each Fund’s investments are valued at fair value (also referred to as “market value” within the financial statements) each day that the Fund’s listing exchange is open and, for financial reporting purposes, as of the report date. U.S. GAAP defines fair value as the price a fund would receive to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) of each Fund has approved the designation of BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BFA”), the Funds’ investment adviser, as the valuation designee for each Fund. Each Fund determines the fair values of its financial instruments using various independent dealers or pricing services under BFA’s policies. If a security’s market price is not readily available or does not otherwise accurately represent the fair value of the security, the security will be valued in accordance with BFA’s policies and procedures as reflecting fair value. BFA has formed a committee (the “Valuation Committee”) to develop pricing policies and procedures and to oversee the pricing function for all financial instruments, with assistance from other BlackRock pricing committees.

Fair Value Inputs and Methodologies: The following methods and inputs are used to establish the fair value of each Fund’s assets and liabilities:

 

   

Equity investments traded on a recognized securities exchange are valued at that day’s official closing price, as applicable, on the exchange where the stock is primarily traded. Equity investments traded on a recognized exchange for which there were no sales on that day are valued at the last traded price.

 

   

Investments in open-end U.S. mutual funds (including money market funds) are valued at that day’s published NAV.

 

   

Futures contracts are valued based on that day’s last reported settlement or trade price on the exchange where the contract is traded.

 

   

Swap agreements are valued utilizing quotes received daily by independent pricing services or through brokers, which are derived using daily swap curves and models that incorporate a number of market data factors, such as discounted cash flows, trades and values of the underlying reference instruments.

Generally, trading in foreign instruments is substantially completed each day at various times prior to the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”). Each business day, the Funds use current market factors supplied by independent pricing services to value certain foreign instruments (“Systematic Fair Value Price”). The Systematic Fair Value Price is designed to value such foreign securities at fair value as of the close of trading on the NYSE, which follows the close of the local markets.

If events (e.g., market volatility, company announcement or a natural disaster) occur that are expected to materially affect the value of such investment, or in the event that application of these methods of valuation results in a price for an investment that is deemed not to be representative of the market value of such investment, or if a price is not available, the investment will be valued by the Valuation Committee, in accordance with BFA’s policies and procedures as reflecting fair value (“Fair Valued Investments”). The fair valuation approaches that may be used by the Valuation Committee include market approach, income approach and cost approach. Valuation techniques such as discounted cash flow, use of market comparables and matrix pricing are types of valuation approaches and are typically used in determining fair value. When determining the price for Fair Valued Investments, the Valuation Committee seeks to determine the price that each Fund might reasonably expect to receive or pay from the current sale or purchase of that asset or liability in an arm’s-length transaction. Fair value determinations shall be based upon all available factors that the Valuation Committee deems relevant and consistent with the principles of fair value measurement.

Fair value pricing could result in a difference between the prices used to calculate a fund’s NAV and the prices used by the fund’s underlying index, which in turn could result in a difference between the fund’s performance and the performance of the fund’s underlying index.

Fair Value Hierarchy: Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. These inputs to valuation techniques are categorized into a fair value hierarchy consisting of three broad levels for financial reporting purposes as follows:

 

   

Level 1 – Unadjusted price quotations in active markets/exchanges for identical assets or liabilities that each Fund has the ability to access;

 

   

Level 2 – Other observable inputs (including, but not limited to, quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in markets that are active, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the assets or liabilities (such as interest rates, yield curves, volatilities, prepayment speeds, loss severities, credit risks and default rates) or other market-corroborated inputs); and

 

   

Level 3 – Unobservable inputs based on the best information available in the circumstances, to the extent observable inputs are not available, (including the Valuation Committee’s assumptions used in determining the fair value of financial instruments).

The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements). Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised in determining fair value is greatest for instruments categorized in Level 3. The inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, for disclosure purposes, the fair value hierarchy classification is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. Investments classified within Level 3 have significant unobservable inputs used by the Valuation Committee in determining the price for Fair Valued Investments. Level 3 investments include equity or debt issued by privately held companies or funds that may not have a secondary market and/or may have a limited number of investors. The categorization of a value determined for financial instruments is based on the pricing transparency of the financial instruments and is not necessarily an indication of the risks associated with investing in those securities.

 

 

N O T E S  T O  F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  41


Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

4.

SECURITIES AND OTHER INVESTMENTS

Securities Lending: Each Fund may lend its securities to approved borrowers, such as brokers, dealers and other financial institutions. The borrower pledges and maintains with the Fund collateral consisting of cash, an irrevocable letter of credit issued by an approved bank, or securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government. The initial collateral received by each Fund is required to have a value of at least 102% of the current market value of the loaned securities for securities traded on U.S. exchanges and a value of at least 105% for all other securities. The collateral is maintained thereafter at a value equal to at least 100% of the current value of the securities on loan. The market value of the loaned securities is determined at the close of each business day of the Fund and any additional required collateral is delivered to the Fund or excess collateral is returned by the Fund, on the next business day. During the term of the loan, each Fund is entitled to all distributions made on or in respect of the loaned securities but does not receive interest income on securities received as collateral. Loans of securities are terminable at any time and the borrower, after notice, is required to return borrowed securities within the standard time period for settlement of securities transactions.

As of period end, any securities on loan were collateralized by cash and/or U.S. Government obligations. Cash collateral invested in money market funds managed by BFA, or its affiliates is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments. Any non-cash collateral received cannot be sold, re-invested or pledged by the Fund, except in the event of borrower default. The securities on loan, if any, are also disclosed in each Fund’s Schedule of Investments. The market value of any securities on loan and the value of any related cash collateral are disclosed in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

Securities lending transactions are entered into by the Funds under Master Securities Lending Agreements (each, an “MSLA”) which provide the right, in the event of default (including bankruptcy or insolvency) for the non-defaulting party to liquidate the collateral and calculate a net exposure to the defaulting party or request additional collateral. In the event that a borrower defaults, the Funds, as lender, would offset the market value of the collateral received against the market value of the securities loaned. When the value of the collateral is greater than that of the market value of the securities loaned, the lender is left with a net amount payable to the defaulting party. However, bankruptcy or insolvency laws of a particular jurisdiction may impose restrictions on or prohibitions against such a right of offset in the event of an MSLA counterparty’s bankruptcy or insolvency. Under the MSLA, absent an event of default, the borrower can resell or re-pledge the loaned securities, and the Funds can reinvest cash collateral received in connection with loaned securities. Upon an event of default, the parties’ obligations to return the securities or collateral to the other party are extinguished, and the parties can resell or re-pledge the loaned securities or the collateral received in connection with the loaned securities in order to satisfy the defaulting party’s net payment obligation for all transactions under the MSLA. The defaulting party remains liable for any deficiency.

As of period end, the following table is a summary of the securities on loan by counterparty which are subject to offset under an MSLA:

 

 

 
iShares ETF and Counterparty    
Securities Loaned
at Value
 
 
    
Cash Collateral
Received
 
(a)  
    
Non-Cash Collateral
Received, at Fair Value
 
(a) 
     Net Amount  

 

 

MSCI Eurozone

          

Barclays Capital, Inc.

  $ 1,495,224      $ (1,495,224    $      $  

BofA Securities, Inc.

    9,467,075        (9,467,075              

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

    191,229        (191,229              

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

    8,228,993        (8,228,993              
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
  $ 19,382,521      $ (19,382,521    $      $  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

MSCI Germany

          

BofA Securities, Inc.

  $ 5,555,215      $ (5,555,215    $      $  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

MSCI Italy

          

BofA Securities, Inc.

  $ 4,149,516      $ (4,149,516    $      $  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

MSCI Switzerland

          

HSBC Bank PLC

  $ 83,740      $ (83,740    $      $  

Morgan Stanley

    199,488        (199,488              
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
  $ 283,228      $ (283,228    $      $  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Collateral received, if any, in excess of the market value of securities on loan is not presented in this table. The total cash collateral received by each Fund is disclosed in the Fund’s Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

 

The risks of securities lending include the risk that the borrower may not provide additional collateral when required or may not return the securities when due. To mitigate these risks, each Fund benefits from a borrower default indemnity provided by BlackRock, Inc. (“BlackRock”). BlackRock’s indemnity allows for full replacement of the securities loaned to the extent the collateral received does not cover the value of the securities loaned in the event of borrower default. Each Fund could incur a loss if the value of an investment purchased with cash collateral falls below the market value of the loaned securities or if the value of an investment purchased with cash collateral falls below the value of the original cash collateral received. Such losses are borne entirely by each Fund.

 

5.

DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

Futures Contracts: Futures contracts are purchased or sold to gain exposure to, or manage exposure to, changes in interest rates (interest rate risk) and changes in the value of equity securities (equity risk) or foreign currencies (foreign currency exchange rate risk).

Futures contracts are exchange-traded agreements between the Funds and a counterparty to buy or sell a specific quantity of an underlying instrument at a specified price and on a specified date. Depending on the terms of a contract, it is settled either through physical delivery of the underlying instrument on the settlement date or by payment

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

of a cash amount on the settlement date. Upon entering into a futures contract, the Funds are required to deposit initial margin with the broker in the form of cash or securities in an amount that varies depending on a contract’s size and risk profile. The initial margin deposit must then be maintained at an established level over the life of the contract. Amounts pledged, which are considered restricted, are included in cash pledged for futures contracts in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

Securities deposited as initial margin are designated in the Schedule of Investments and cash deposited, if any, are shown as cash pledged for futures contracts in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. Pursuant to the contract, the Funds agree to receive from or pay to the broker an amount of cash equal to the daily fluctuation in market value of the contract (“variation margin”). Variation margin is recorded as unrealized appreciation (depreciation) and, if any, shown as variation margin receivable (or payable) on futures contracts in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. When the contract is closed, a realized gain or loss is recorded in the Statements of Operations equal to the difference between the notional amount of the contract at the time it was opened and the notional amount at the time it was closed. The use of futures contracts involves the risk of an imperfect correlation in the movements in the price of futures contracts and interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates or underlying assets.

Swaps: Swap contracts are entered into to manage exposure to issuers, markets and securities. Such contracts are agreements between the Funds and a counterparty to make periodic net payments on a specified notional amount or a net payment upon termination. Swap agreements are privately negotiated in the OTC market and may be entered into as a bilateral contract (“OTC swaps”) or centrally cleared (“centrally cleared swaps”).

For OTC swaps, any upfront premiums paid and any upfront fees received are shown as swap premiums paid and swap premiums received, respectively, in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities and amortized over the term of the contract. The daily fluctuation in market value is recorded as unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on OTC Swaps in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. Payments received or paid are recorded in the Statements of Operations as realized gains or losses, respectively. When an OTC swap is terminated, a realized gain or loss is recorded in the Statements of Operations equal to the difference between the proceeds from (or cost of) the closing transaction and the Funds’ basis in the contract, if any. Generally, the basis of the contract is the premium received or paid.

Total return swaps are entered into by the iShares MSCI Spain ETF to obtain exposure to a security or market without owning such security or investing directly in such market or to exchange the risk/return of one security or market (e.g., fixed-income) with another security or market (e.g., equity or commodity prices) (equity risk, commodity price risk and/or interest rate risk).

Total return swaps are agreements in which there is an exchange of cash flows whereby one party commits to make payments based on the

total return (distributions plus capital gains/losses) of an underlying instrument, or basket or underlying instruments, in exchange for fixed or floating rate interest payments. If the total return of the instruments or index underlying the transaction exceeds or falls short of the offsetting fixed or floating interest rate obligation, the Fund receives payment from or makes a payment to the counterparty.

Certain total return swaps are designed to function as a portfolio of direct investments in long and short equity positions. This means that the Fund has the ability to trade in and out of these long and short positions within the swap and will receive the economic benefits and risks equivalent to direct investment in these positions, subject to certain adjustments due to events related to the counterparty. Benefits and risks include capital appreciation (depreciation), corporate actions and dividends received and paid, all of which are reflected in the swap’s market value. The market value also includes interest charges and credits (“financing fees”) related to the notional values of the long and short positions and cash balances within the swap. These interest charges and credits are based on a specified benchmark rate plus or minus a specified spread determined based upon the country and/or currency of the positions in the portfolio.

Positions within the swap and financing fees are reset periodically. During a reset, any unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on positions and accrued financing fees become available for cash settlement between the Fund and the counterparty. The amounts that are available for cash settlement are recorded as realized gains or losses in the Statements of Operations. Cash settlement in and out of the swap may occur at a reset date or any other date, at the discretion of the Fund and the counterparty, over the life of the agreement. Certain swaps have no stated expiration and can be terminated by either party at any time.

Swap transactions involve, to varying degrees, elements of interest rate, credit and market risks in excess of the amounts recognized in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. Such risks involve the possibility that there will be no liquid market for these agreements, that the counterparty to the agreements may default on its obligation to perform or disagree as to the meaning of the contractual terms in the agreements, and that there may be unfavorable changes in interest rates and/or market values associated with these transactions.

Master Netting Arrangements: In order to define its contractual rights and to secure rights that will help mitigate its counterparty risk, a Fund may enter into an International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. Master Agreement (“ISDA Master Agreement”) or similar agreement with its derivative contract counterparties. An ISDA Master Agreement is a bilateral agreement between a Fund and a counterparty that governs certain OTC derivatives and typically contains, among other things, collateral posting terms and netting provisions in the event of a default and/or termination event. Under an ISDA Master Agreement, a Fund may, under certain circumstances, offset with the counterparty certain derivative financial instruments’ payables and/or receivables with collateral held and/or posted and create one single net payment. The provisions of the ISDA Master Agreement typically permit a single net payment in the event of default including the bankruptcy or insolvency of the counterparty. However, bankruptcy or insolvency laws of a particular jurisdiction may impose restrictions on or prohibitions against the right of offset in bankruptcy, insolvency, or other events.

For derivatives traded under an ISDA Master Agreement, the collateral requirements are typically calculated by netting the mark-to-market amount for each transaction under such agreement, and comparing that amount to the value of any collateral currently pledged by a fund and the counterparty.

Cash collateral that has been pledged to cover obligations of the Funds and cash collateral received from the counterparty, if any, is reported separately in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities as cash pledged as collateral and cash received as collateral, respectively. Non-cash collateral pledged by the Funds, if any, is noted in the Schedules of Investments. Generally, the amount of collateral due from or to a counterparty is subject to a certain minimum transfer amount threshold before a transfer is required, which is determined at the close of business of the Funds. Any additional required collateral is delivered to/pledged by the Funds on the next business day. Typically, the counterparty is not permitted to sell, re-pledge or use cash and non-cash collateral it receives. A fund generally agrees not to use non-cash collateral that it

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

receives but may, absent default or certain other circumstances defined in the underlying ISDA Master Agreement, be permitted to use cash collateral received. In such cases, interest may be paid pursuant to the collateral arrangement with the counterparty. To the extent amounts due to the Funds from the counterparty are not fully collateralized, each Fund bears the risk of loss from counterparty non-performance. Likewise, to the extent the Funds have delivered collateral to a counterparty and stand ready to perform under the terms of their agreement with such counterparty, each Fund bears the risk of loss from a counterparty in the amount of the value of the collateral in the event the counterparty fails to return such collateral. Based on the terms of agreements, collateral may not be required for all derivative contracts.

For financial reporting purposes, each Fund does not offset derivative assets and derivative liabilities that are subject to netting arrangements, if any, in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

 

6.

INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES

Investment Advisory Fees: Pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement with the Company, BFA manages the investment of each Fund’s assets. BFA is a California corporation indirectly owned by BlackRock. Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, BFA is responsible for substantially all expenses of the Funds, except (i) interest and taxes; (ii) brokerage commissions and other expenses connected with the execution of portfolio transactions; (iii) distribution fees; (iv) the advisory fee payable to BFA; and (v) litigation expenses and any extraordinary expenses (in each case as determined by a majority of the independent directors).

For its investment advisory services to each Fund, BFA is entitled to an annual investment advisory fee, accrued daily and paid monthly by the Funds, based on each Fund’s allocable portion of the aggregate of the average daily net assets of the Fund and certain other iShares funds, as follows:

 

   
Aggregate Average Daily Net Assets   Investment Advisory Fees  

First $7 billion

    0.59

Over $7 billion, up to and including $11 billion

    0.54  

Over $11 billion, up to and including $24 billion

    0.49  

Over $24 billion, up to and including $48 billion

    0.44  

Over $48 billion, up to and including $72 billion

    0.40  

Over $72 billion, up to and including $96 billion

    0.36  

Over $96 billion

    0.32  

Distributor: BlackRock Investments, LLC, an affiliate of BFA, is the distributor for each Fund. Pursuant to the distribution agreement, BFA is responsible for any fees or expenses for distribution services provided to the Funds.

Securities Lending: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) has issued an exemptive order which permits BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, N.A. (“BTC”), an affiliate of BFA, to serve as securities lending agent for the Funds, subject to applicable conditions. As securities lending agent, BTC bears all operational costs directly related to securities lending, including any custodial costs. Each Fund is responsible for fees in connection with the investment of cash collateral received for securities on loan (the “collateral investment fees”). The cash collateral is invested in a money market fund, BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional or BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, managed by BFA, or its affiliates. However, BTC has agreed to reduce the amount of securities lending income it receives in order to effectively limit the collateral investment fees each Fund bears to an annual rate of 0.04%. The SL Agency Shares of such money market fund will not be subject to a sales load, distribution fee or service fee. The money market fund in which the cash collateral has been invested may, under certain circumstances, impose a liquidity fee of up to 2% of the value redeemed or temporarily restrict redemptions for up to 10 business days during a 90 day period, in the event that the money market fund’s weekly liquid assets fall below certain thresholds.

Securities lending income is equal to the total of income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral, net of fees and other payments to and from borrowers of securities, and less the collateral investment fees. Each Fund retains a portion of securities lending income and remits the remaining portion to BTC as compensation for its services as securities lending agent.

Pursuant to the current securities lending agreement, each Fund retains 82% of securities lending income (which excludes collateral investment fees), and the amount retained can never be less than 70% of the total of securities lending income plus the collateral investment fees.

In addition, commencing the business day following the date that the aggregate securities lending income plus the collateral investment fees generated across all 1940 Act iShares exchange-traded funds (the “iShares ETF Complex”) in that calendar year exceeds a specified threshold, each Fund, pursuant to the securities lending agreement, will retain for the remainder of that calendar year 85% of securities lending income (which excludes collateral investment fees), and the amount retained can never be less than 70% of the total of securities lending income plus the collateral investment fees.

The share of securities lending income earned by each Fund is shown as securities lending income – affiliated – net in its Statements of Operations. For the six months ended February 29, 2024, the Funds paid BTC the following amounts for securities lending agent services:

 

   
iShares ETF   Amounts   

MSCI Eurozone

  $  13,753   

MSCI Germany

    5,821   

MSCI Italy

    1,645   

MSCI Spain

    648   

MSCI Switzerland

    176   

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

Officers and Directors: Certain officers and/or directors of the Company are officers and/or directors of BlackRock or its affiliates.

Other Transactions: Cross trading is the buying or selling of portfolio securities between funds to which BFA (or an affiliate) serves as investment adviser. At its regularly scheduled quarterly meetings, the Board reviews such transactions as of the most recent calendar quarter for compliance with the requirements and restrictions set forth by Rule 17a-7.

For the six months ended February 29, 2024, transactions executed by the Funds pursuant to Rule 17a-7 under the 1940 Act were as follows:

 

       
iShares ETF   Purchases      Sales      Net Realized 
Gain (Loss) 
 

MSCI Eurozone

  $  25,880,869      $  13,892,671      $  (13,199,451)   

MSCI Germany

    1,586,202        1,685,768        (3,773,441)   

MSCI Italy

    11,477,059        4,974,606        (827,315)   

MSCI Spain

    2,339,627        21,104,218        (5,321,295)   

MSCI Switzerland

    6,997,901        15,117,716        1,596,220   

Each Fund may invest its positive cash balances in certain money market funds managed by BFA or an affiliate. The income earned on these temporary cash investments is shown as dividends – affiliated in the Statements of Operations.

A fund, in order to improve its portfolio liquidity and its ability to track its underlying index, may invest in shares of other iShares funds that invest in securities in the fund’s underlying index.

 

7.

PURCHASES AND SALES

For the six months ended February 29, 2024, purchases and sales of investments, excluding short-term securities and in-kind transactions, were as follows:

 

     
iShares ETF   Purchases      Sales   

MSCI Eurozone

  $  251,286,839      $  231,616,641   

MSCI Germany

    20,009,730        14,378,482   

MSCI Italy

    29,681,089        26,948,586   

MSCI Spain

    62,388,484        55,365,380   

MSCI Switzerland

    22,545,925        25,986,337   

For the six months ended February 29, 2024, in-kind transactions were as follows:

 

     
iShares ETF   In-kind
Purchases
    

In-kind 

Sales 

 

MSCI Eurozone

  $  294,162,372      $  1,292,374,554   

MSCI Germany

    196,590,988        797,878,622   

MSCI Italy

    102,333,093        101,096,738   

MSCI Spain

    201,345,512        39,989,055   

MSCI Switzerland

    109,529,630        151,729,388   

 

8.

INCOME TAX INFORMATION

Each Fund is treated as an entity separate from the Company’s other funds for federal income tax purposes. It is each Fund’s policy to comply with the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, applicable to regulated investment companies, and to distribute substantially all of its taxable income to its shareholders. Therefore, no U.S. federal income tax provision is required.

Management has analyzed tax laws and regulations and their application to the Funds as of February 29, 2024, inclusive of the open tax return years, and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability in the Funds’ financial statements.

As of August 31, 2023, the Funds had non-expiring capital loss carryforwards available to offset future realized capital gains as follows:

 

iShares ETF    Non-Expiring 
Capital Loss 
Carryforwards 
 

MSCI Eurozone

   $  (959,707,262)   

MSCI Germany

     (446,012,850)   

MSCI Italy

     (248,070,855)   

MSCI Spain

     (412,481,450)   

MSCI Switzerland

     (136,145,614)   

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

A fund may own shares in certain foreign investment entities, referred to, under U.S. tax law, as “passive foreign investment companies.” Such fund may elect to mark-to-market annually the shares of each passive foreign investment company and would be required to distribute to shareholders any such marked-to-market gains.

As of February 29, 2024, gross unrealized appreciation and depreciation based on cost of investments (including short positions and derivatives, if any) for U.S. federal income tax purposes were as follows:

 

         
iShares ETF   Tax Cost      Gross Unrealized
Appreciation
     Gross Unrealized
Depreciation
    Net Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
 

MSCI Eurozone

  $ 7,602,227,421      $ 1,032,332,994      $ (1,268,145,991   $ (235,812,997 )  

MSCI Germany

     1,332,852,566        104,818,567        (424,548,656     (319,730,089

MSCI Italy

    371,397,815        44,105,929        (33,098,006       11,007,923  

MSCI Spain

    943,584,939        75,212,614        (125,146,939     (49,934,325

MSCI Switzerland

    1,131,278,123        160,049,305        (104,876,557     55,172,748  

 

9.

LINE OF CREDIT

The iShares MSCI Germany ETF, iShares MSCI Italy ETF, iShares MSCI Spain ETF and iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF, along with certain other iShares funds (“Participating Funds”), are parties to a $800 million credit agreement (“Syndicated Credit Agreement”) with a group of lenders, which expires on October 16, 2024. The line of credit may be used for temporary or emergency purposes, including redemptions, settlement of trades and rebalancing of portfolio holdings in certain target markets. The Funds may borrow up to the aggregate commitment amount subject to asset coverage and other limitations as specified in the Syndicated Credit Agreement. The Syndicated Credit Agreement has the following terms: a commitment fee of 0.15% per annum on the unused portion of the credit agreement and interest at a rate equal to the higher of (a) Daily Simple Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) plus 0.10% and 1.00% per annum or (b) the U.S. Federal Funds rate plus 1.00% per annum on amounts borrowed. The commitment fee is generally allocated to each Participating Fund based on the lesser of a Participating Fund’s relative exposure to certain target markets or a Participating Fund’s maximum borrowing amount as set forth by the terms of the Syndicated Credit Agreement.

During the six months ended February 29, 2024, the Funds did not borrow under the Syndicated Credit Agreement.

 

10.

PRINCIPAL RISKS

In the normal course of business, each Fund invests in securities or other instruments and may enter into certain transactions, and such activities subject the Fund to various risks, including, among others, fluctuations in the market (market risk) or failure of an issuer to meet all of its obligations. The value of securities or other instruments may also be affected by various factors, including, without limitation: (i) the general economy; (ii) the overall market as well as local, regional or global political and/or social instability; (iii) regulation, taxation or international tax treaties between various countries; or (iv) currency, interest rate or price fluctuations. Local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant impact on the Funds and their investments. Each Fund’s prospectus provides details of the risks to which the Fund is subject.

BFA uses an indexing approach to try to achieve each Fund’s investment objective. The Fund is not actively managed, and BFA generally does not attempt to take defensive positions under any market conditions, including declining markets.

The Funds may be exposed to additional risks when reinvesting cash collateral in money market funds that do not seek to maintain a stable NAV per share of $1.00, which may be subject to redemption gates or liquidity fees under certain circumstances.

Valuation Risk: The market values of equities, such as common stocks and preferred securities or equity related investments, such as futures and options, may decline due to general market conditions which are not specifically related to a particular company. They may also decline due to factors which affect a particular industry or industries. A fund may invest in illiquid investments. An illiquid investment is any investment that a fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. A fund may experience difficulty in selling illiquid investments in a timely manner at the price that it believes the investments are worth. Prices may fluctuate widely over short or extended periods in response to company, market or economic news. Markets also tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising and falling prices. This volatility may cause a fund’s NAV to experience significant increases or decreases over short periods of time. If there is a general decline in the securities and other markets, the NAV of a fund may lose value, regardless of the individual results of the securities and other instruments in which a fund invests.

Counterparty Credit Risk: The Funds may be exposed to counterparty credit risk, or the risk that an entity may fail to or be unable to perform on its commitments related to unsettled or open transactions, including making timely interest and/or principal payments or otherwise honoring its obligations. The Funds manage counterparty credit risk by entering into transactions only with counterparties that BFA believes have the financial resources to honor their obligations and by monitoring the financial stability of those counterparties. Financial assets, which potentially expose the Funds to market, issuer and counterparty credit risks, consist principally of financial instruments and receivables due from counterparties. The extent of the Funds’ exposure to market, issuer and counterparty credit risks with respect to these financial assets is approximately their value recorded in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, less any collateral held by the Funds.

A derivative contract may suffer a mark-to-market loss if the value of the contract decreases due to an unfavorable change in the market rates or values of the underlying instrument. Losses can also occur if the counterparty does not perform under the contract.

 

 

46  

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

With exchange-traded futures, there is less counterparty credit risk to the Funds since the exchange or clearinghouse, as counterparty to such instruments, guarantees against a possible default. The clearinghouse stands between the buyer and the seller of the contract; therefore, credit risk is limited to failure of the clearinghouse. While offset rights may exist under applicable law, a fund does not have a contractual right of offset against a clearing broker or clearinghouse in the event of a default (including the bankruptcy or insolvency). Additionally, credit risk exists in exchange-traded futures with respect to initial and variation margin that is held in a clearing broker’s customer accounts. While clearing brokers are required to segregate customer margin from their own assets, in the event that a clearing broker becomes insolvent or goes into bankruptcy and at that time there is a shortfall in the aggregate amount of margin held by the clearing broker for all its clients, typically the shortfall would be allocated on a pro rata basis across all the clearing broker’s customers, potentially resulting in losses to the Funds.

Geographic/Asset Class Risk: A diversified portfolio, where this is appropriate and consistent with a fund’s objectives, minimizes the risk that a price change of a particular investment will have a material impact on the NAV of a fund. The investment concentrations within each Fund’s portfolio are disclosed in its Schedule of Investments.

Certain Funds invest a significant portion of their assets in issuers located in a single country or a limited number of countries. When a fund concentrates its investments in this manner, it assumes the risk that economic, regulatory, political and social conditions in that country or those countries may have a significant impact on the fund and could affect the income from, or the value or liquidity of, the Fund’s portfolio. Unanticipated or sudden political or social developments may cause uncertainty in the markets and as a result adversely affect the Fund’s investments. Foreign issuers may not be subject to the same uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and practices as used in the United States. Foreign securities markets may also be more volatile and less liquid than U.S. securities and may be less subject to governmental supervision not typically associated with investing in U.S. securities. Investment percentages in specific countries are presented in the Schedule of Investments.

Certain Funds invest a significant portion of their assets in securities of issuers located in Europe or with significant exposure to European issuers or countries. The European financial markets have recently experienced volatility and adverse trends due to concerns about economic downturns in, or rising government debt levels of, several European countries as well as acts of war in the region. These events may spread to other countries in Europe and may affect the value and liquidity of certain of the Funds’ investments.

Responses to the financial problems by European governments, central banks and others, including austerity measures and reforms, may not work, may result in social unrest and may limit future growth and economic recovery or have other unintended consequences. Further defaults or restructurings by governments and others of their debt could have additional adverse effects on economies, financial markets and asset valuations around the world. The United Kingdom has withdrawn from the European Union, and one or more other countries may withdraw from the European Union and/or abandon the Euro, the common currency of the European Union. These events and actions have adversely affected, and may in the future adversely affect, the value and exchange rate of the Euro and may continue to significantly affect the economies of every country in Europe, including countries that do not use the Euro and non-European Union member states. The impact of these actions, especially if they occur in a disorderly fashion, is not clear but could be significant and far reaching. In addition, Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The extent and duration of the military action, resulting sanctions and resulting future market disruptions in the region are impossible to predict, but have been, and may continue to be, significant and have a severe adverse effect on the region, including significant negative impacts on the economy and the markets for certain securities and commodities, such as oil and natural gas, as well as other sectors.

Certain Funds invest a significant portion of their assets in securities within a single or limited number of market sectors. When a fund concentrates its investments in this manner, it assumes the risk that economic, regulatory, political and social conditions affecting such sectors may have a significant impact on the fund and could affect the income from, or the value or liquidity of, the fund’s portfolio. Investment percentages in specific sectors are presented in the Schedule of Investments.

Certain Funds invest a significant portion of their assets within the financials sector. 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, adverse public perception, exposure concentration and decreased liquidity in credit markets. The impact of changes in capital requirements and recent or future regulation on any individual financial company, or on the financials sector as a whole, cannot be predicted, but may negatively impact the Funds.

Certain Funds invest a significant portion of their assets within the financials sector. 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, adverse public perception, exposure concentration and decreased liquidity in credit markets. The impact of changes in capital requirements and recent or future regulation on any individual financial company, or on the financials sector as a whole, cannot be predicted, but may negatively impact the Funds.

Significant Shareholder Redemption Risk: Certain shareholders may own or manage a substantial amount of fund shares and/or hold their fund investments for a limited period of time. Large redemptions of fund shares by these shareholders may force a fund to sell portfolio securities, which may negatively impact the fund’s NAV, increase the fund’s brokerage costs, and/or accelerate the realization of taxable income/gains and cause the fund to make additional taxable distributions to shareholders.

 

11.

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

Capital shares are issued and redeemed by each Fund only in aggregations of a specified number of shares or multiples thereof (“Creation Units”) at NAV. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, shares of each Fund are not redeemable.

 

 

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  47


Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

Transactions in capital shares were as follows:

 

 

 
   

Six Months Ended

02/29/24

    

Year Ended

08/31/23

 

iShares ETF

 

Shares

    

Amount

    

Shares

    

Amount

 

 

 

MSCI Eurozone

          

Shares sold

    7,400,000      $ 345,623,757        47,100,000      $ 1,986,792,057  

Shares redeemed

    (31,100,000      (1,302,934,553      (9,300,000      (423,909,330
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
    (23,700,000    $ (957,310,796      37,800,000      $ 1,562,882,727  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

MSCI Germany

          

Shares sold

    7,200,000      $ 197,977,007        33,900,000      $ 924,857,150  

Shares redeemed

    (30,000,000      (804,904,390      (33,300,000      (878,273,451
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
    (22,800,000    $ (606,927,383      600,000      $ 46,583,699  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

MSCI Italy

          

Shares sold

    3,225,000      $ 108,184,266        5,025,000      $ 153,220,946  

Shares redeemed

    (3,375,000      (103,600,712      (2,625,000      (76,176,804
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
    (150,000    $ 4,583,554        2,400,000      $ 77,044,142  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

MSCI Spain

          

Shares sold

    7,875,000      $ 231,297,449        8,700,000      $ 237,117,418  

Shares redeemed

    (1,500,000      (42,282,858      (2,700,000      (74,070,230
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
    6,375,000      $ 189,014,591        6,000,000      $ 163,047,188  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

MSCI Switzerland

          

Shares sold

    2,500,000      $ 111,983,257        4,000,000      $ 182,246,586  

Shares redeemed

    (3,500,000      (157,676,600      (10,625,000      (460,227,384
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
    (1,000,000    $ (45,693,343      (6,625,000    $ (277,980,798
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

The consideration for the purchase of Creation Units of a fund in the Company generally consists of the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities and a specified amount of cash. Certain funds in the Company may be offered in Creation Units solely or partially for cash in U.S. dollars. Authorized Participants purchasing and redeeming Creation Units may pay a purchase transaction fee and a redemption transaction fee directly to State Street Bank and Trust Company, the Company’s administrator , to offset transfer and other transaction costs associated with the issuance and redemption of Creation Units, including Creation Units for cash. Authorized Participants transacting in Creation Units for cash may also pay an additional variable charge to compensate the relevant fund for certain transaction costs (i.e., stamp taxes, taxes on currency or other financial transactions, and brokerage costs) and market impact expenses relating to investing in portfolio securities. Such variable charges, if any, are included in shares sold in the table above.

From time to time, settlement of securities related to in-kind contributions or in-kind redemptions may be delayed. In such cases, securities related to in-kind transactions are reflected as a receivable or a payable in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

 

12.

FOREIGN WITHHOLDING TAX CLAIMS

The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) has issued guidance to address U.S. income tax liabilities attributable to fund shareholders resulting from the recovery of foreign taxes withheld in prior calendar years. These withheld foreign taxes were passed through to shareholders in the form of foreign tax credits in the year the taxes were withheld. Assuming there are sufficient foreign taxes paid which iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF is able to pass through to shareholders as a foreign tax credit in the current year, the Fund will be able to offset the prior years’ withholding taxes recovered against the foreign taxes paid in the current year. Accordingly, no federal income tax liability is recorded by the Fund.

The iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF and iShares MSCI Spain ETF are seeking a closing agreement with the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) to address any prior years’ U.S. income tax liabilities attributable to Fund shareholders resulting from the recovery of foreign taxes. The closing agreement would result in the Funds paying a compliance fee to the IRS, on behalf of its shareholders, representing the estimated tax savings generated from foreign tax credits claimed by Fund shareholders on their tax returns in prior years. The Funds have accrued a liability for the estimated IRS compliance fee related to foreign withholding tax claims, which is disclosed in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. The actual IRS compliance fee may differ from the estimate and that difference may be material.

 

13.

SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

Management has evaluated the impact of all subsequent events on the Funds through the date the financial statements were available to be issued and has determined that there were no subsequent events requiring adjustment or additional disclosure in the financial statements.

 

 

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Statement Regarding Liquidity Risk Management Program (unaudited)

 

In compliance with Rule 22e-4 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Liquidity Rule”), iShares, Inc. (the “Company”) has adopted and implemented a liquidity risk management program (the “Program”) for iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF, iShares MSCI Germany ETF, iShares MSCI Italy ETF, iShares MSCI Spain ETF and iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF (the “Funds” or “ETFs”), each a series of the Company, which is reasonably designed to assess and manage each Fund’s liquidity risk.

The Board of Directors (the “Board”) of the Company, on behalf of the Funds, met on December 8, 2023 (the “Meeting”) to review the Program. The Board previously appointed BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BlackRock”), the investment adviser to the Funds, as the program administrator for each Fund’s Program. BlackRock also previously delegated oversight of the Program to the 40 Act Liquidity Risk Management Committee (the “Committee”). At the Meeting, the Committee, on behalf of BlackRock, provided the Board with a report that addressed the operation of the Program and assessed its adequacy and effectiveness of implementation, including the management of each Fund’s Highly Liquid Investment Minimum (“HLIM”) where applicable, and any material changes to the Program (the “Report”). The Report covered the period from October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2023 (the “Program Reporting Period”).

The Report described the Program’s liquidity classification methodology for categorizing each Fund’s investments (including derivative transactions) into one of four liquidity buckets. It also referenced the methodology used by BlackRock to establish each Fund’s HLIM and noted that the Committee reviews and ratifies the HLIM assigned to each Fund no less frequently than annually. The Report also discussed notable events affecting liquidity over the Program Reporting Period, including extended market holidays, delays in the repatriation of the local currency in certain non-U.S. countries, the continued illiquidity of Russian equity securities and the suspension of select sanctions in Venezuela.

The Report noted that the Program complied with the key factors for consideration under the Liquidity Rule for assessing, managing and periodically reviewing each Fund’s liquidity risk, as follows:

 

  a)

The Fund’s investment strategy and liquidity of portfolio investments during both normal and reasonably foreseeable stressed conditions. During the Program Reporting Period, the Committee reviewed whether each Fund’s strategy is appropriate for an open-end fund structure, with a focus on funds with more significant and consistent holdings of less liquid and illiquid assets. The Committee also factored a fund’s concentration in an issuer into the liquidity classification methodology by taking issuer position sizes into account. Derivative exposure was also considered in the calculation of a fund’s liquidity bucketing. Finally, a factor for consideration under the Liquidity Rule is a Fund’s use of borrowings for investment purposes. However, the Funds do not borrow for investment purposes.

 

  b)

Short-term and long-term cash flow projections during both normal and reasonably foreseeable stressed conditions. During the Program Reporting Period, the Committee reviewed historical redemption activity and used this information as a component to establish each ETF’s reasonably anticipated trading size utilized for liquidity classifications. The Committee may also take into consideration a fund’s shareholder ownership concentration (which, depending on product type and distribution channel, may or may not be available), a fund’s distribution channels, and the degree of certainty associated with a fund’s short-term and long-term cash flow projections.

 

  c)

Holdings of cash and cash equivalents, as well as borrowing arrangements. The Committee considered that ETFs generally do not hold more than de minimis amounts of cash. The Committee also considered that ETFs generally do not engage in borrowing.

 

  d)

The relationship between an ETF’s portfolio liquidity and the way in which, and the prices and spreads at which, ETF shares trade, including the efficiency of the arbitrage function and the level of active participation by market participants, including authorized participants. The Committee monitored the prevailing bid/ask spread and the ETF price premium (or discount) to NAV for all ETFs. However, there were no ETFs with persistent deviations of fund premium/discount or bid/ask spreads from long-term averages over the Program Reporting Period.

 

  e)

The effect of the composition of baskets on the overall liquidity of an ETF’s portfolio. In reviewing the linkage between the composition of custom baskets accepted by an ETF and any significant change in the liquidity profile of such ETF, the Committee reviewed changes in the proportion of each ETF’s portfolio comprised of less liquid and illiquid holdings to determine if applicable thresholds were met requiring enhanced review. There were no ETFs for which the custom baskets accepted by the ETF had a significant change in its liquidity profile.

There were no material changes to the Program during the Program Reporting Period other than the enhancement of certain model components in the Program’s classification methodology. The Report provided to the Board stated that the Committee concluded that based on the operation of the functions, as described in the Report, the Program is operating as intended and is effective in implementing the requirements of the Liquidity Rule.

 

 

S T A T E M E N T  R E G A R D I N G  L I Q U I D I T Y  R I S K  M A N A G E M E N T  P R O G R A M

  49


Supplemental Information (unaudited)

 

Section 19(a) Notices

The amounts and sources of distributions reported are estimates and are being provided pursuant to regulatory requirements and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources for tax reporting purposes will depend upon each Fund’s investment experience during the year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. Shareholders will receive a Form 1099-DIV each calendar year that will inform them how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes.

February 29, 2024

 

 

 
    Total Cumulative Distributions
for the Fiscal Year-to-Date
          % Breakdown of the Total Cumulative
Distributions for the Fiscal Year-to-Date
 

iShares ETF

 

Net

Investment
Income

     Net Realized
Capital Gains
    

Return of
Capital

   

Total Per
Share

         

Net

Investment
Income

     Net Realized
Capital Gains
     Return of
Capital
       Total Per
Share
 

 

 

MSCI Eurozone(a)

  $ 0.326699      $      $ 0.024567     $ 0.351266         93           7        100%  

MSCI Germany(a)

                  0.001527       0.001527                       100          100    

 

 

 

  (a) 

The Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its net investment income and net realized capital gains; therefore, a portion of the distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur, for example, when some or all of the shareholder’s investment in the Fund is returned to the shareholder. A return of capital does not necessarily reflect the Fund’s investment performance and should not be confused with “yield” or “income”. When distributions exceed total return performance, the difference will incrementally reduce the Fund’s net asset value per share.

 

Tailored Shareholder Reports for Open-End Mutual Funds and ETFs

Effective January 24, 2023, the SEC adopted rule and form amendments to require open-end mutual funds and ETFs to transmit concise and visually engaging streamlined annual and semiannual reports to shareholders that highlight key information. Other information, including financial statements, will no longer appear in a streamlined shareholder report but must be available online, delivered free of charge upon request, and filed on a semiannual basis on Form N-CSR. The rule and form amendments have a compliance date of July 24, 2024. At this time, management is evaluating the impact of these amendments on the shareholder reports for the Funds.

 

 

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General Information

 

Electronic Delivery

Shareholders can sign up for e-mail notifications announcing that the shareholder report or prospectus has been posted on the iShares website at iShares.com. Once you have enrolled, you will no longer receive prospectuses and shareholder reports in the mail.

To enroll in electronic delivery:

 

   

Go to icsdelivery.com.

   

If your brokerage firm is not listed, electronic delivery may not be available. Please contact your broker-dealer or financial advisor.

Householding

Householding is an option available to certain fund investors. Householding is a method of delivery, based on the preference of the individual investor, in which a single copy of certain shareholder documents and Rule 30e-3 notices can be delivered to investors who share the same address, even if their accounts are registered under different names. Please contact your broker-dealer if you are interested in enrolling in householding and receiving a single copy of prospectuses and other shareholder documents, or if you are currently enrolled in householding and wish to change your householding status.

Availability of Quarterly Schedule of Investments

The Funds file their complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to their reports on Form N-PORT. The Funds’ Forms N-PORT are available on the SEC’s website at sec.gov. Additionally, each Fund makes its portfolio holdings for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year available at iShares.com/fundreports.

Availability of Proxy Voting Policies and Proxy Voting Records

A description of the policies and procedures that the iShares Funds use to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities and information about how the iShares Funds voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ending June 30 is available without charge, upon request (1) by calling toll-free 1-800-474-2737; (2) on the iShares website at iShares.com; and (3) on the SEC website at sec.gov.

A description of the Company’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio securities is available in the Fund Prospectus. The Fund discloses its portfolio holdings daily and provides information regarding its top holdings in Fund fact sheets at iShares.com.

 

 

G E N E R A L  I N F O R M A T I O N

  51


Glossary of Terms Used in this Report

 

Portfolio Abbreviation

NVS    Non-Voting Shares

 

 

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Want to know more?

iShares.com | 1-800-474-2737

This report is intended for the Funds’ shareholders. It may not be distributed to prospective investors unless it is preceded or accompanied by the current prospectus.

Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal.

The iShares Funds are distributed by BlackRock Investments, LLC (together with its affiliates, “BlackRock”).

The iShares Funds are not sponsored, endorsed, issued, sold or promoted by MSCI Inc., nor does this company make any representation regarding the advisability of investing in the iShares Funds. BlackRock is not affiliated with the company listed above.

©2024 BlackRock, Inc. All rights reserved. iSHARES and BLACKROCK are registered trademarks of BlackRock, Inc. or its subsidiaries. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

iS-SAR-807-0224

 

LOGO     LOGO  


 

LOGO

 

FEBRUARY 29, 2024

 

 

  

 

2024 Semi-Annual Report

(Unaudited)

 

 

iShares, Inc.

·  iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF | EWH | NYSE Arca

·  iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF | SCJ | NYSE Arca

·  iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF | EWM | NYSE Arca

·  iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF | EPP | NYSE Arca

·  iShares MSCI Singapore ETF | EWS | NYSE Arca

·  iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF | EWT | NYSE Arca

·  iShares MSCI Thailand ETF | THD | NYSE Arca


The Markets in Review

Dear Shareholder,

The combination of continued economic growth and cooling inflation provided a supportive backdrop for investors during the 12-month reporting period ended February 29, 2024. Significantly tighter monetary policy helped to rein in inflation, and the Consumer Price Index decelerated substantially while remaining above pre-pandemic levels. A moderating labor market helped ease inflationary pressure, although wages continued to grow. Wage and job growth powered robust consumer spending, backstopping the economy. On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a horrific attack on Israel. The ensuing war will have a significant humanitarian impact and could lead to heightened economic and market volatility. We see geopolitics as a structural market risk going forward. See our geopolitical risk dashboard at blackrock.com for more details.

Equity returns were robust during the period, as interest rates stabilized and the economy proved to be more resilient than many investors expected. The U.S. economy continued to show strength, and growth further accelerated in the second half of 2023. Large-capitalization U.S. stocks posted particularly substantial gains, supported by the performance of a few notable technology companies, while small-capitalization U.S. stocks advanced at a significantly slower pace. Meanwhile, international developed market equities also gained strongly, while emerging market stocks advanced at a more modest pace.

The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield rose during the reporting period, as investors reacted to elevated inflation and attempted to anticipate future interest rate changes. However, higher yields drove positive returns overall for 10-year U.S. Treasuries and solid gains in shorter-duration U.S. Treasuries. The corporate bond market benefited from improving economic sentiment, although high-yield corporate bond prices fared significantly better than investment-grade bonds as demand from yield-seeking investors remained strong.

The U.S. Federal Reserve (the “Fed”), attempting to manage persistent inflation, raised interest rates three times during the 12-month period, but paused its tightening after its July meeting. The Fed also continued to reduce its balance sheet by not replacing some of the securities that reach maturity.

Supply constraints appear to have become an embedded feature of the new macroeconomic environment, making it difficult for developed economies to increase production without sparking higher inflation. Geopolitical fragmentation and an aging population risk further exacerbating these constraints, keeping the labor market tight and wage growth high. Although the Fed has stopped tightening for now, we believe that the new economic regime means that the Fed will need to maintain high rates for an extended period despite the market’s hopes for rapid interest rate cuts, as reflected in the recent rally. In this new regime, we anticipate greater volatility and dispersion of returns, creating more opportunities for selective portfolio management.

Looking at developed market stocks, we have an overweight stance on U.S. stocks overall, particularly given the promise of emerging AI technologies. We are also overweight Japanese stocks as shareholder-friendly policies generate increased investor interest, although we maintain an underweight stance on European stocks. In credit, there are selective opportunities in the near term despite tighter credit and financial conditions. For fixed income investing with a six- to twelve-month horizon, we see the most attractive investments in short-term U.S. Treasuries and hard-currency emerging market bonds.

Overall, our view is that investors need to think globally, position themselves to be prepared for a decarbonizing economy, and be nimble as market conditions change. We encourage you to talk with your financial advisor and visit iShares.com for further insight about investing in today’s markets.

 

LOGO

Rob Kapito

President, BlackRock Inc.

LOGO

Rob Kapito

President, BlackRock Inc.

 

Total Returns as of February 29, 2024

 

 
    

 

6-Month

 

   

 

 12-Month

 

 
   

U.S. large cap equities
(S&P 500® Index)

    13.93%        30.45%  
   

U.S. small cap equities
(Russell 2000® Index)

    8.97           10.05     
   

International equities
(MSCI Europe, Australasia, Far East Index)

    9.23           14.41     
   

Emerging market equities
(MSCI Emerging Markets Index)

    4.93           8.73     
   

3-month Treasury bills
(ICE BofA 3-Month U.S. Treasury Bill Index)

    2.69           5.22     
   

U.S. Treasury securities
(ICE BofA 10-Year U.S. Treasury Index)

    0.58           0.69     
   

U.S. investment grade bonds
(Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index)

    2.35           3.33     
   

Tax-exempt municipal bonds
(Bloomberg Municipal Bond Index)

    4.33           5.42     
   

U.S. high yield bonds
(Bloomberg U.S. Corporate High Yield 2% Issuer Capped Index)

    6.18           11.01     
Past performance is not an indication of future results. Index performance is shown for illustrative purposes only. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

 

 

 

2  

T H I S  P A G E  I S  N O T  P A R T  O F  Y O U R  F U N D  R E P O R T


Table of Contents

 

     

Page

 

The Markets in Review

   2

Semi-Annual Report:

  

Fund Summary

   4

About Fund Performance

   11

Disclosure of Expenses

   11

Schedules of Investments

   12

Financial Statements

  

Statements of Assets and Liabilities

   43

Statements of Operations

   45

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

   47

Financial Highlights

   51

Notes to Financial Statements

   58

Statement Regarding Liquidity Risk Management Program

   68

Supplemental Information

   69

General Information

   70

Glossary of Terms Used in this Report

   71


Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® MSCI Hong Kong ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of Hong Kong equities, as represented by the MSCI Hong Kong 25/50 Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

          Average Annual Total Returns            Cumulative Total Returns  
    

6-Month

Total Returns

    1 Year     5 Years     10 Years             1 Year     5 Years     10 Years  

Fund NAV

    (7.63 )%      (16.61 )%      (5.98 )%      1.01        (16.61 )%      (26.54 )%      10.62

Fund Market

    (7.69     (16.47     (6.00     1.02          (16.47     (26.61     10.66  

Index

    (7.12     (15.74     (5.40     1.61                (15.74     (24.25     17.27  

Index performance through August 31, 2020 reflects the performance of the MSCI Hong Kong Index. Index performance beginning on September 1, 2020 reflects the performance of the MSCI Hong Kong 25/50 Index.

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

      Actual            Hypothetical 5% Return               
         

Beginning

Account Value

(09/01/23)

 

 

 

   


  

 

 

 

   

Ending

Account Value

(02/29/24)

 

 

 

            

Expenses

Paid During

the Period

 

 

(a) 

            

Beginning
Account Value
(09/01/23)
 
 
 
             

Ending

Account Value

(02/29/24)

 

 

 

            

Expenses

Paid During

the Period

 

 

(a) 

            

 Annualized

Expense

Ratio

 

 

 

        $    1,000.00               $   923.70               $    2.39                $   1,000.00                $   1,022.40               $    2.51                0.50

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION

 

   
Sector   Percent of  
Total Investments(a)

Financials

  40.6%

Real Estate

  24.1  

Industrials

  14.1  

Utilities

  11.5  

Consumer Discretionary

  6.2  

Consumer Staples

  1.8  

Communication Services

  1.7  

TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS

 

   
Security   Percent of  
Total Investments(a)

AIA Group Ltd.

  21.9%

Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing Ltd.

  11.3  

Techtronic Industries Co. Ltd.

  4.8  

Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd.

  4.8  

CLP Holdings Ltd.

  4.5  

CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd.

  4.3  

Link REIT

  4.2  

Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd.

  3.9  

BOC Hong Kong Holdings Ltd.

  3.2  

CK Asset Holdings Ltd.

  3.0  
 

 

  (a) 

Excludes money market funds.

 

 

 

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Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of small-capitalization Japanese equities, as represented by the MSCI Japan Small Cap Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

          Average Annual Total Returns            Cumulative Total Returns  
    

6-Month

Total Returns

    1 Year     5 Years     10 Years             1 Year     5 Years     10 Years  

Fund NAV

    5.62     13.71     3.02     5.46        13.71     16.05     70.16

Fund Market

    5.07       13.37       2.93       5.33          13.37       15.54       68.07  

Index

    5.53       13.92       3.29       5.76                13.92       17.58       75.12  

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

    Actual            Hypothetical 5% Return               
     

Beginning

Account Value

(09/01/23)

 

 

 

            

Ending

Account Value

(02/29/24)

 

 

 

             

Expenses
Paid During
the Period


(a)
 
            

Beginning

Account Value

(09/01/23)

 

 

 

            

Ending

Account Value

(02/29/24)

 

 

 

            

Expenses

Paid During

the Period

 

 

(a) 

            

 Annualized

Expense

Ratio

 

 

 

    $   1,000.00               $  1,056.20                $    2.56                $   1,000.00               $   1,022.40               $    2.51                0.50

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION

 

   
Sector  

Percent of  

Total Investments(a)

Industrials

  24.8%

Consumer Discretionary

  16.2  

Materials

  11.3  

Information Technology

  10.7  

Consumer Staples

  9.9  

Financials

  8.7  

Real Estate

  7.7  

Health Care

  4.9  

Communication Services

  2.9  

Utilities

  2.0  

Energy

  0.9  

TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS

 

   
Security  

Percent of  

Total Investments(a)

Ebara Corp.

  0.8%

Asics Corp.

  0.8  

Sojitz Corp.

  0.6  

Toyo Suisan Kaisha Ltd.

  0.6  

Kobe Steel Ltd.

  0.5  

Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Ltd.

  0.5  

Niterra Co. Ltd.

  0.5  

Socionext Inc.

  0.5  

Sumitomo Forestry Co. Ltd.

  0.5  

Resonac Holdings Corp.

  0.5  
 

 

  (a) 

Excludes money market funds.

 

 

 

F U N D   S U M M A R Y

  5


Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® MSCI Malaysia ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of Malaysian equities, as represented by the MSCI Malaysia Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

           Average Annual Total Returns           Cumulative Total Returns  
     6-Month
Total Returns
    1 Year     5 Years     10 Years        1 Year     5 Years     10 Years  

Fund NAV

    4.57     2.71     (3.43 )%      (3.45 )%         2.71     (16.03 )%      (29.63 )% 

Fund Market

    4.91       3.56       (3.19     (3.42        3.56       (14.95     (29.36

Index

    4.81       3.20       (3.06     (3.16          3.20       (14.41     (27.45

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

    Actual           Hypothetical 5% Return           
 

 

 

     

 

 

      
     

Beginning
Account Value
(09/01/23)
 
 
 
      

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a) 
           

Beginning
Account Value
(09/01/23)
 
 
 
      

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a) 
      

Annualized
Expense
Ratio
 
 
 
      $   1,000.00          $   1,045.70          $   2.54               $   1,000.00          $   1,022.40          $   2.51          0.50

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION

 

   
Sector   Percent of  
Total Investments(a)

Financials

  39.9%

Utilities

  13.2  

Consumer Staples

  11.8  

Communication Services

  8.3  

Materials

  7.9  

Industrials

  7.6  

Consumer Discretionary

  5.1  

Health Care

  2.9  

Information Technology

  1.9  

Energy

  1.4  

TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS

 

   
Security   Percent of  
Total Investments(a)

Public Bank Bhd

  13.7%

Malayan Banking Bhd

  11.1  

CIMB Group Holdings Bhd

  8.8  

Tenaga Nasional Bhd

  6.3  

Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd

  4.2  

Press Metal Aluminium Holdings Bhd

  3.7  

CELCOMDIGI Bhd

  3.3  

Petronas Gas Bhd

  3.0  

IHH Healthcare Bhd

  2.9  

Hong Leong Bank Bhd

  2.7  
 
  (a) 

Excludes money market funds.

 

 

 

6  

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Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of Pacific region developed market equities, excluding Japan, as represented by the MSCI Pacific ex Japan Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

           Average Annual Total Returns          Cumulative Total Returns  
     6-Month
Total Returns
    1 Year     5 Years     10 Years       1 Year     5 Years     10 Years  

Fund NAV

    4.95     1.55     2.47     3.10       1.55     12.95     35.72

Fund Market

    4.81       1.35       2.43       3.06         1.35       12.73       35.21  

Index

    4.76       1.64       2.88       3.53           1.64       15.27       41.43  

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

    Actual           Hypothetical 5% Return           
 

 

 

     

 

 

      
     

Beginning
Account Value
(09/01/23)
 
 
 
      


Ending

Account Value
(02/29/24)

 

 
 

      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a) 
           

Beginning
Account Value
(09/01/23)
 
 
 
      

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a) 
      

Annualized
Expense
Ratio
 
 
 
      $   1,000.00          $  1,049.50          $   2.45               $   1,000.00          $   1,022.50          $   2.41          0.48

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION

 

   

Sector

   
Percent of
Total Investments
 
(a) 

Financials

    38.2

Materials

    15.1  

Real Estate

    9.6  

Industrials

    8.2  

Health Care

    7.5  

Consumer Discretionary

    5.7  

Communication Services

    4.2  

Consumer Staples

    3.5  

Utilities

    3.5  

Energy

    3.3  

Information Technology

    1.2  

GEOGRAPHIC ALLOCATION

 

   
Country/Geographic Region    
Percent of
Total Investments
 
(a) 

Australia

    67.9

Hong Kong

    18.2  

Singapore

    12.1  

New Zealand

    1.8  
 
  (a) 

Excludes money market funds.

 

 

 

F U N D   S U M M A R Y

  7


Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® MSCI Singapore ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCI Singapore ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of Singaporean equities, as represented by the MSCI Singapore 25/50 Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

           Average Annual Total Returns          Cumulative Total Returns  
     6-Month
Total Returns
    1 Year     5 Years     10 Years       1 Year     5 Years     10 Years  

Fund NAV

    (1.10 )%      (0.56 )%      (1.03 )%      0.55       (0.56 )%      (5.03 )%      5.66

Fund Market

    (1.33     (0.63     (1.04     0.57         (0.63     (5.08     5.89  

Index

    (1.05     (0.21     (0.56     1.00           (0.21     (2.75     10.46  

Index performance through November 30, 2016 reflects the performance of the MSCI Singapore Index. Index performance beginning on December 1, 2016 reflects the performance of the MSCI Singapore 25/50 Index.

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

    Actual           Hypothetical 5% Return           
 

 

 

     

 

 

      
     

Beginning
Account Value
(09/01/23)
 
 
 
      

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a) 
           

Beginning
Account Value
(09/01/23)
 
 
 
      

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a) 
      

Annualized
Expense
Ratio
 
 
 
      $   1,000.00          $   989.00          $   2.47               $   1,000.00          $   1,022.40          $   2.51          0.50

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION

 

   
Sector   Percent of  
Total Investments(a)

Financials

  48.6%

Industrials

  18.8  

Real Estate

  15.1  

Communication Services

  9.6  

Consumer Staples

  3.0  

Consumer Discretionary

  2.6  

Utilities

  2.3  

TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS

 

   

Security

 

Percent of  

Total Investments(a)

DBS Group Holdings Ltd.

  19.9%

Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. Ltd.

  14.1  

United Overseas Bank Ltd.

  11.1  

Sea Ltd.

  5.0  

Singapore Telecommunications Ltd.

  4.6  

Keppel Ltd.

  4.5  

CapitaLand Ascendas REIT

  4.4  

Singapore Airlines Ltd.

  4.1  

Singapore Exchange Ltd.

  3.5  

Grab Holdings Ltd., Class A

  3.4  
 

 

  (a) 

Excludes money market funds.

 

 

 

8  

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Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® MSCI Taiwan ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of Taiwanese equities, as represented by the MSCI Taiwan 25/50 Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

           Average Annual Total Returns          Cumulative Total Returns  
     6-Month
Total Returns
    1 Year     5 Years     10 Years       1 Year     5 Years     10 Years  

Fund NAV

    14.64     19.43     14.45     10.49       19.43     96.36     171.05

Fund Market

    14.53       19.54       14.78       10.39         19.54       99.19       168.70  

Index

    14.34       18.59       15.04       11.13           18.59       101.50       187.36  

Index performance through November 30, 2016 reflects the performance of the MSCI Taiwan Index. Index performance beginning on December 1, 2016 reflects the performance of the MSCI Taiwan 25/50 Index.

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

    Actual           Hypothetical 5% Return           
 

 

 

     

 

 

      
     

Beginning
Account Value
(09/01/23)
 
 
 
      

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a) 
           

Beginning
Account Value
(09/01/23)
 
 
 
      

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a) 
      

Annualized
Expense
Ratio
 
 
 
      $   1,000.00          $  1,146.40          $   3.20               $   1,000.00          $   1,021.90          $   3.02          0.60

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION

 

   

Sector

   
Percent of
Total Investments
 
(a) 

Information Technology

    64.1

Financials

    17.4  

Materials

    4.9  

Industrials

    4.5  

Consumer Discretionary

    3.1  

Communication Services

    2.9  

Consumer Staples

    1.9  

Other (each representing less than 1%)

    1.2  

TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS

 

   
Security    
Percent of
Total Investments
 
(a) 

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

    22.6

MediaTek Inc.

    5.2  

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd.

    3.9  

Quanta Computer Inc.

    2.1  

Delta Electronics Inc.

    1.9  

Fubon Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    1.8  

United Microelectronics Corp.

    1.8  

CTBC Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    1.8  

Mega Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    1.5  

ASE Technology Holding Co. Ltd.

    1.5  
 

 

  (a) 

Excludes money market funds.

 

 

 

F U N D   S U M M A R Y

  9


Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® MSCI Thailand ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCI Thailand ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of a broad-based index composed of Thai equities, as represented by the MSCI Thailand IMI 25/50 Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

           Average Annual Total Returns          Cumulative Total Returns  
    

6-Month

Total Returns

    1 Year     5 Years     10 Years       1 Year     5 Years     10 Years  

Fund NAV

    (13.33 )%      (14.10 )%      (5.56 )%      1.13       (14.10 )%      (24.88 )%      11.90

Fund Market

    (13.57     (14.57     (5.56     1.09         (14.57     (24.86     11.42  

Index

    (13.52     (14.24     (5.40     1.34           (14.24     (24.23     14.25  

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

    Actual           Hypothetical 5% Return           
 

 

 

     

 

 

      
     

Beginning

Account Value

(09/01/23)

 

 

 

      

Ending

Account Value

(02/29/24)

 

 

 

      

Expenses

Paid During

the Period

 

 

(a) 

           

Beginning

Account Value

(09/01/23)

 

 

 

      

Ending

Account Value

(02/29/24)

 

 

 

      

Expenses

Paid During

the Period

 

 

(a) 

      

Annualized

Expense

Ratio

 

 

 

      $   1,000.00          $    866.70          $   2.78               $   1,000.00          $   1,021.90          $   3.02          0.60

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION

 

   

Sector

   

Percent of

Total Investments

 

(a) 

Energy

    14.4

Consumer Staples

    12.4  

Health Care

    10.0  

Financials

    9.6  

Industrials

    9.0  

Consumer Discretionary

    8.7  

Communication Services

    8.0  

Materials

    7.9  

Real Estate

    7.2  

Utilities

    7.1  

Information Technology

    5.7  

 

  (a) 

Excludes money market funds

 

TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS

 

   
Security    

Percent of

Total Investments

 

(a) 

PTT PCL

    6.4

CP ALL PCL

    6.3  

Bangkok Dusit Medical Services PCL

    6.0  

Airports of Thailand PCL

    5.1  

Advanced Info Service PCL

    4.4  

Delta Electronics Thailand PCL

    4.2  

Siam Cement PCL (The)

    4.0  

PTT Exploration & Production PCL

    3.9  

Bumrungrad Hospital PCL

    2.5  

Central Pattana PCL

    2.5  
 

 

 

10  

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About Fund Performance

 

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Financial markets have experienced extreme volatility and trading in many instruments has been disrupted. These circumstances may continue for an extended period of time and may continue to affect adversely the value and liquidity of each Fund’s investments. As a result, current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. Performance data current to the most recent month-end is available at iShares.com. Performance results assume reinvestment of all dividends and capital gain distributions and do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. The investment return and principal value of shares will vary with changes in market conditions. Shares may be worth more or less than their original cost when they are redeemed or sold in the market. Performance for certain funds may reflect a waiver of a portion of investment advisory fees. Without such a waiver, performance would have been lower.

Net asset value or “NAV” is the value of one share of a fund as calculated in accordance with the standard formula for valuing mutual fund shares. Beginning August 10, 2020, the price used to calculate market return (“Market Price”) is the closing price. Prior to August 10, 2020, Market Price was determined using the midpoint between the highest bid and the lowest ask on the primary stock exchange on which shares of a fund are listed for trading, as of the time that such fund’s NAV is calculated. Market and NAV returns assume that dividends and capital gain distributions have been reinvested at Market Price and NAV, respectively.

An index is a statistical composite that tracks a specified financial market or sector. Unlike a fund, an index does not actually hold a portfolio of securities and therefore does not incur the expenses incurred by a fund. These expenses negatively impact fund performance. Also, index returns do not include brokerage commissions that may be payable on secondary market transactions. If brokerage commissions were included, index returns would be lower.

Disclosure of Expenses

Shareholders of each Fund may incur the following charges: (1) transactional expenses, including brokerage commissions on purchases and sales of fund shares and (2) ongoing expenses, including management fees and other fund expenses. The expense examples shown (which are based on a hypothetical investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held through the end of the period) are intended to assist shareholders both in calculating expenses based on an investment in each Fund and in comparing these expenses with similar costs of investing in other funds.

The expense examples provide information about actual account values and actual expenses. Annualized expense ratios reflect contractual and voluntary fee waivers, if any. In order to estimate the expenses a shareholder paid during the period covered by this report, shareholders can divide their account value by $1,000 and then multiply the result by the number under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During the Period.”

The expense examples also provide information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on a fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses. In order to assist shareholders in comparing the ongoing expenses of investing in the Funds and other funds, compare the 5% hypothetical examples with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.

The expenses shown in the expense examples are intended to highlight shareholders’ ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional expenses, such as brokerage commissions and other fees paid on purchases and sales of fund shares. Therefore, the hypothetical examples are useful in comparing ongoing expenses only and will not help shareholders determine the relative total expenses of owning different funds. If these transactional expenses were included, shareholder expenses would have been higher.

 

 

A B O U T  F U N D  P E R F O R M A N C E / D I S C L O S U R EO F  E X P E N S E S

  11


Schedule of Investments (unaudited)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Hong Kong ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 

Common Stocks

   

Banks — 6.1%

   

BOC Hong Kong Holdings Ltd.

    6,339,000     $ 16,653,878  

Hang Seng Bank Ltd.

    1,324,300       15,089,299  
   

 

 

 
      31,743,177  
Capital Markets — 12.5%            

Futu Holdings Ltd., ADR(a)(b)

    113,770       6,088,970  

Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing Ltd.

    1,896,026       58,394,866  
   

 

 

 
       64,483,836  
Diversified Telecommunication Services — 1.7%  

HKT Trust & HKT Ltd., Class SS

    7,067,500       8,617,070  
   

 

 

 
Electric Utilities — 8.6%            

CK Infrastructure Holdings Ltd.

    1,233,500       7,241,889  

CLP Holdings Ltd.

    2,748,200       22,870,858  

Power Assets Holdings Ltd.

    2,415,000       14,492,782  
   

 

 

 
      44,605,529  
Food Products — 1.8%            

WH Group Ltd.(c)

    15,443,500       9,280,860  
   

 

 

 
Gas Utilities — 2.9%            

Hong Kong & China Gas Co. Ltd.

    19,278,495       14,863,935  
   

 

 

 
Ground Transportation — 1.8%            

MTR Corp. Ltd.

    2,819,583       9,327,946  
   

 

 

 
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure — 6.2%            

Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd.

    3,675,000       20,009,511  

Sands China Ltd.(a)

    4,232,400       12,017,241  
   

 

 

 
      32,026,752  
Industrial Conglomerates — 6.6%            

CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd.

    4,382,267       22,135,183  

Jardine Matheson Holdings Ltd.

    279,800       11,747,326  
   

 

 

 
      33,882,509  
Insurance — 21.9%            

AIA Group Ltd.

    14,010,200       112,938,818  
   

 

 

 
Machinery — 4.7%            

Techtronic Industries Co. Ltd.

    2,264,647       24,431,502  
   

 

 

 
Marine Transportation — 0.9%            

SITC International Holdings Co. Ltd.

    2,882,000       4,745,520  
   

 

 

 
Real Estate Management & Development — 19.8%  

CK Asset Holdings Ltd.

    3,350,267       15,411,291  
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Real Estate Management & Development (continued)  

ESR Group Ltd.(c)

    4,356,400     $ 5,804,708  

Hang Lung Properties Ltd.

    3,929,000       4,217,047  

Henderson Land Development Co. Ltd.

    2,724,762       7,839,971  

Hongkong Land Holdings Ltd.

    2,095,500       7,094,894  

Sino Land Co. Ltd.

    7,188,000       7,741,019  

Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd.

    2,426,000       24,411,068  

Swire Pacific Ltd., Class A

    860,500       7,128,324  

Swire Properties Ltd.

    2,449,400       5,038,335  

Wharf Holdings Ltd. (The)(b)

    2,130,570       7,853,177  

Wharf Real Estate Investment Co. Ltd.

    3,000,150       9,990,878  
   

 

 

 
      102,530,712  
Retail REITs — 4.2%            

Link REIT

    4,331,100       21,476,222  
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 99.7%
(Cost: $732,551,464)

      514,954,388  
   

 

 

 

Short-Term Securities

   
Money Market Funds — 0.7%            

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares, 5.50%(d)(e)(f)

    3,260,991       3,262,622  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares, 5.30%(d)(e)

    570,000       570,000  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 0.7%
(Cost: $3,833,016)

 

    3,832,622  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments — 100.4%
(Cost: $736,384,480)

      518,787,010  

Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets — (0.4)%

 

    (2,036,738
   

 

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

    $  516,750,272  
   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Non-income producing security.

(b) 

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(c) 

Security exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration to qualified institutional investors.

(d) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(e) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

(f) 

All or a portion of this security was purchased with the cash collateral from loaned securities.

 

 

 

12  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

   iShares® MSCI Hong Kong ETF

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

 

 
Affiliated Issuer   

Value at

08/31/23

   

Purchases

at Cost

   

Proceeds

from Sale

   

Net Realized

Gain (Loss)

   

Change in

Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

   

Value at

02/29/24

   

Shares

Held at

02/29/24

    Income    

Capital

Gain

Distributions

from

Underlying

Funds

 

 

 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares

   $ 7,695,583     $     $  (4,430,844 )(a)    $ (1,723   $ (394   $ 3,262,622       3,260,991     $ 25,779(b )    $  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares

     690,000             (120,000 )(a)                  570,000       570,000       28,576        
        

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 
         $ (1,723   $ (394   $ 3,832,622       $  54,355     $   
        

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

 
  (b) 

All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities.

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

 

 
Description   

Number of

Contracts

   

Expiration

Date

   

Notional

Amount

(000)

   

Value/

Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

 

 

 

Long Contracts

        

MSCI Hong Kong Index

     18       03/15/24     $ 951     $ (1,300
        

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

 

 
    

Commodity

Contracts

   

Credit

Contracts

   

Equity

Contracts

   

Foreign

Currency

Exchange

Contracts

   

Interest

Rate

Contracts

   

Other

Contracts

    Total  

 

 

Liabilities — Derivative Financial Instruments

              

Futures contracts

              

Unrealized depreciation on futures contracts(a)

   $     $     $ 1,300     $     $     $     $ 1,300   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

 

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

 

 
    

Commodity

Contracts

   

Credit

Contracts

   

Equity

Contracts

   

Foreign

Currency

Exchange

Contracts

   

Interest

Rate

Contracts

   

Other

Contracts

    Total  

 

 

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

              

Futures contracts

   $     $     $ (577,357   $     $     $     $ (577,357

Swaps

                 (381,790                       (381,790
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
   $     $     $  (959,147   $     $     $     $  (959,147
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation
(Depreciation) on

              

Futures contracts

   $     $     $ 59,370     $     $     $     $ 59,370  

Swaps

                 20,319                         20,319   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
   $     $     $ 79,689     $     $     $     $ 79,689  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  13


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

   iShares® MSCI Hong Kong ETF

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

 

 

Futures contracts:

  

Average notional value of contracts — long

   $ 1,706,926   

Total return swaps:

  

Average notional value

   $ 1,046,963   

 

 

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

 

 
     Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

 

 

Assets

                 

Investments

                 

Long-Term Investments

                 

Common Stocks

   $ 6,088,970        $ 508,865,418        $        $ 514,954,388  

Short-Term Securities

                 

Money Market Funds

     3,832,622                            3,832,622  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $  9,921,592        $ 508,865,418        $     —        $ 518,787,010  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

                 

Liabilities

                 

Equity Contracts

   $        $ (1,300      $        $ (1,300
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Derivative financial instruments are futures contracts. Futures contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

14  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) 

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Common Stocks

   
Aerospace & Defense — 0.0%            

Ispace Inc./Japan, NVS(a)

    5,100     $ 36,303  
   

 

 

 
Air Freight & Logistics — 0.6%            

AZ-COM MARUWA Holdings Inc.

    6,800       67,291  

Hamakyorex Co. Ltd.

    1,700       42,924  

Konoike Transport Co. Ltd.

    3,400       42,186  

Mitsui-Soko Holdings Co. Ltd.

    3,400       106,899  

Sankyu Inc.

    6,800       240,450  

SBS Holdings Inc.

    1,700       27,212  

Senko Group Holdings Co. Ltd.

    15,300       109,053  

Trancom Co. Ltd.

    1,700       71,211  
   

 

 

 
      707,226  
Automobile Components — 3.5%            

Eagle Industry Co. Ltd.

    3,400       40,121  

Exedy Corp.

    3,400       68,474  

FCC Co. Ltd.

    5,100       72,186  

G-Tekt Corp.

    3,400       46,409  

JTEKT Corp.

    28,900       269,704  

KYB Corp.

    1,700       58,435  

Musashi Seimitsu Industry Co. Ltd.

    5,100       56,991  

NHK Spring Co. Ltd.

    27,200       261,556  

Nifco Inc./Japan

    10,200       246,232  

Nippon Seiki Co. Ltd.

    6,800       70,374  

Niterra Co. Ltd.

    20,400       619,317  

NOK Corp.

    11,900       168,702  

Pacific Industrial Co. Ltd.

    5,100       51,511  

Piolax Inc.

    3,400       63,593  

Seiren Co. Ltd.

    5,100       87,423  

Shoei Co. Ltd.

    6,800       96,064  

Stanley Electric Co. Ltd.

    17,000       291,437  

Sumitomo Riko Co. Ltd.

    5,100       43,061  

Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd.

    23,800       277,443  

Tokai Rika Co. Ltd.

    6,800       111,517  

Topre Corp.

    5,100       83,879  

Toyo Tire Corp.

    15,300       277,189  

Toyoda Gosei Co. Ltd.

    8,500       175,314  

Toyota Boshoku Corp.

    11,900       188,758  

TS Tech Co. Ltd.

    11,900       154,111  

Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. (The)

    17,000       452,214  
   

 

 

 
       4,332,015  
Automobiles — 0.3%            

Mitsubishi Motors Corp.

    91,800       283,504  

Nissan Shatai Co. Ltd.

    8,500       54,665  
   

 

 

 
      338,169  
Banks — 5.3%            

77 Bank Ltd. (The)

    6,800       178,929  

Aichi Financial Group Inc., NVS

    5,100       92,308  

Aozora Bank Ltd.(a)

    15,300       281,039  

Awa Bank Ltd. (The)

    3,400       61,527  

Bank of Nagoya Ltd. (The)

    1,700       75,264  

Chugin Financial Group Inc., NVS

    20,400       160,891  

Daishi Hokuetsu Financial Group Inc.

    5,100       146,915  

Fukuoka Financial Group Inc.

    22,100       574,131  

Gunma Bank Ltd. (The)

    45,900       247,803  

Hachijuni Bank Ltd. (The)

    49,300       302,205  

Hirogin Holdings Inc.

    35,700       254,994  

Hokkoku Financial Holdings Inc.

    3,400       109,898  

Hokuhoku Financial Group Inc.

    15,300       176,508  

Hyakugo Bank Ltd. (The)

    28,900       127,729  

Iyogin Holdings Inc., NVS

    34,000       255,220  
Security   Shares     Value  
Banks (continued)            

Juroku Financial Group Inc.

    5,100     $ 151,462  

Keiyo Bank Ltd. (The)

    13,600       68,212  

Kiyo Bank Ltd. (The)

    8,500       105,779  

Kyoto Financial Group Inc.

    30,600       534,938  

Kyushu Financial Group Inc.

    44,200       333,239  

Mebuki Financial Group Inc.

    125,800       393,282  

Musashino Bank Ltd. (The)

    3,400       65,903  

Nanto Bank Ltd. (The)

    3,400       65,080  

Nishi-Nippon Financial Holdings Inc.

    17,000       215,020  

North Pacific Bank Ltd.

    35,700       95,271  

Ogaki Kyoritsu Bank Ltd. (The)

    5,100       72,604  

Okinawa Financial Group Inc.

    1,700       29,500  

Rakuten Bank Ltd., NVS(b)

    13,600       270,566  

San-In Godo Bank Ltd. (The)

    18,700       143,500  

SBI Sumishin Net Bank Ltd., NVS

    6,800       88,586  

Senshu Ikeda Holdings Inc.

    28,900       73,976  

Seven Bank Ltd.

    81,600       163,003  

Shiga Bank Ltd. (The)

    5,100       140,725  

Suruga Bank Ltd.

    20,400       110,122  

Toho Bank Ltd. (The)

    23,800       54,062  

Tokyo Kiraboshi Financial Group Inc.

    3,400       102,760  

TOMONY Holdings Inc.

    22,100       60,714  

Yamaguchi Financial Group Inc.

    25,500       258,959  
   

 

 

 
       6,642,624  
Beverages — 0.8%            

Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan Holdings Inc.

    18,700       247,223  

Ito En Ltd.

    6,800       189,232  

Sapporo Holdings Ltd.

    8,500       373,953  

Takara Holdings Inc.

    18,700       156,628  
   

 

 

 
      967,036  
Biotechnology — 0.3%            

GNI Group Ltd.(b)

    6,897       166,823  

PeptiDream Inc.(b)

    13,600       143,459  

SanBio Co. Ltd.(a)(b)

    6,800       36,456  

Takara Bio Inc.

    6,800       46,098  
   

 

 

 
      392,836  
Broadline Retail — 1.9%            

ASKUL Corp.

    5,100       71,780  

Belluna Co. Ltd.

    6,800       28,153  

Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Ltd.

    45,900       648,434  

Izumi Co. Ltd.

    5,100       118,126  

J Front Retailing Co. Ltd.

    34,000       337,600  

Kintetsu Department Store Co. Ltd.

    1,700       27,011  

Mercari Inc.(b)

    15,300       209,352  

Ryohin Keikaku Co. Ltd.

    34,000       537,241  

Seria Co. Ltd.

    6,800       137,482  

Takashimaya Co. Ltd.

    18,700       281,476  
   

 

 

 
      2,396,655  
Building Products — 1.4%            

Bunka Shutter Co. Ltd.

    6,800       71,401  

Central Glass Co. Ltd.

    3,400       65,072  

Lixil Corp.

    39,100       501,474  

Nichias Corp.

    6,800       178,760  

Nichiha Corp.

    3,400       78,924  

Nitto Boseki Co. Ltd.

    3,400       126,982  

Noritz Corp.

    3,400       38,213  

Sanwa Holdings Corp.

    25,500       452,619  

Sekisui Jushi Corp.

    3,400       58,194  

Takara Standard Co. Ltd.

    5,100       62,772  

Takasago Thermal Engineering Co. Ltd.

    5,100       148,703  
   

 

 

 
      1,783,114  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  15


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
Capital Markets — 0.7%            

GMO Financial Holdings Inc.

    5,100     $ 24,676  

JAFCO Group Co. Ltd.

    6,800       81,744  

M&A Capital Partners Co. Ltd.

    1,700       30,269  

M&A Research Institute Holdings Inc., NVS(b)

    3,400       157,610  

Matsui Securities Co. Ltd.

    15,300       86,911  

Monex Group Inc.

    25,500       157,227  

Okasan Securities Group Inc.

    20,400       106,313  

Sparx Group Co. Ltd.

    3,400       43,124  

Strike Co. Ltd.

    1,700       62,570  

Tokai Tokyo Financial Holdings Inc.

    25,500       100,994  

WealthNavi Inc.(a)(b)

    5,100       76,070  
   

 

 

 
       927,508  
Chemicals — 7.1%            

ADEKA Corp.

    10,200       210,294  

Aica Kogyo Co. Ltd.

    6,800       161,502  

Air Water Inc.

    25,500       367,916  

Artience Co. Ltd.

    5,100       96,843  

Asahi Yukizai Corp.

    1,700       49,021  

C Uyemura & Co. Ltd.

    1,700       134,594  

C.I. Takiron Corp.

    5,100       22,142  

Chugoku Marine Paints Ltd.

    5,100       73,674  

Daicel Corp.

    30,600       289,411  

Denka Co. Ltd.

    10,200       167,305  

DIC Corp.

    10,200       196,820  

Fujimi Inc.

    7,100       178,433  

Fujimori Kogyo Co. Ltd.

    1,700       44,092  

Fuso Chemical Co. Ltd.

    3,400       110,005  

JCU Corp.

    3,400       97,453  

Kaneka Corp.

    6,800       163,485  

Kansai Paint Co. Ltd.

    23,800       345,448  

Kanto Denka Kogyo Co. Ltd.

    5,100       30,956  

KeePer Technical Laboratory Co. Ltd.

    1,700       73,018  

KH Neochem Co. Ltd.

    5,100       76,752  

Konishi Co. Ltd.

    6,800       66,200  

Kumiai Chemical Industry Co. Ltd.

    10,249       56,538  

Kuraray Co. Ltd.

    39,100       394,974  

Kureha Corp.

    5,100       91,298  

Lintec Corp.

    5,100       103,437  

Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Co. Inc.

    20,400       332,504  

Nihon Parkerizing Co. Ltd.

    10,200       85,402  

Nippon Kayaku Co. Ltd.

    18,700       160,927  

Nippon Pillar Packing Co. Ltd.

    1,700       62,618  

Nippon Shokubai Co. Ltd.

    3,400       127,457  

Nippon Soda Co. Ltd.

    3,400       139,430  

NOF Corp.

    8,500       382,205  

Okamoto Industries Inc.

    1,700       55,045  

Osaka Organic Chemical Industry Ltd.

    1,700       37,443  

Osaka Soda Co. Ltd.

    1,700       131,224  

Resonac Holdings Corp.

    23,800       575,133  

Sakata INX Corp.

    5,100       49,244  

Sanyo Chemical Industries Ltd.

    1,700       48,261  

Shikoku Kasei Holdings Corp.

    3,400       43,154  

Shin-Etsu Polymer Co. Ltd.

    5,100       53,933  

Sumitomo Bakelite Co. Ltd.

    5,100       293,414  

Sumitomo Chemical Co. Ltd.

    204,000       413,388  

T Hasegawa Co. Ltd.

    5,100       106,448  

Taiyo Holdings Co. Ltd.

    5,100       110,569  

Takasago International Corp.

    1,700       37,319  

Teijin Ltd.

    23,800       201,955  

Tenma Corp.

    1,700       26,821  

Toagosei Co. Ltd.

    11,900       122,587  

Tokai Carbon Co. Ltd.

    27,200       179,437  
Security   Shares     Value  
Chemicals (continued)            

Tokuyama Corp.

    8,500     $ 137,885  

Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Co. Ltd.

    13,600       419,701  

Tosoh Corp.

    35,700       485,541  

Toyobo Co. Ltd.

    10,200       75,652  

UBE Corp.

    11,900       199,530  

Zeon Corp.

    20,400       173,110  
   

 

 

 
       8,868,948  
Commercial Services & Supplies — 1.5%            

Aeon Delight Co. Ltd.

    3,400       77,688  

Daiei Kankyo Co. Ltd.

    5,100       95,667  

Daiseki Co. Ltd.

    5,112       135,534  

Duskin Co. Ltd.

    5,100       114,420  

Japan Elevator Service Holdings Co. Ltd.

    8,500       136,828  

Kokuyo Co. Ltd.

    10,200       161,345  

Kosaido Holdings Co. Ltd.

    8,500       39,072  

Matsuda Sangyo Co. Ltd.

    1,760       27,518  

Mitsubishi Pencil Co. Ltd.

    5,100       80,880  

Nippon Kanzai Holdings Co. Ltd.

    3,400       58,373  

Nippon Parking Development Co. Ltd.

    27,200       33,976  

Okamura Corp.

    6,800       99,351  

Park24 Co. Ltd.(b)

    17,000       201,941  

Pilot Corp.

    3,400       90,495  

Prestige International Inc.

    13,600       58,394  

Raksul Inc.(b)

    6,800       51,409  

Sato Holdings Corp.

    3,400       50,958  

Sohgo Security Services Co. Ltd.

    52,700       292,318  

TRE Holdings Corp.

    6,800       55,326  
   

 

 

 
      1,861,493  
Construction & Engineering — 3.5%            

Chiyoda Corp.(b)

    22,100       58,637  

Chudenko Corp.

    3,400       66,298  

Comsys Holdings Corp.

    15,300       337,712  

EXEO Group Inc.

    11,900       250,175  

Hazama Ando Corp.

    22,100       182,368  

INFRONEER Holdings Inc.

    25,540       261,981  

JDC Corp.

    5,100       17,817  

JGC Holdings Corp.

    30,600       278,734  

Kandenko Co. Ltd.

    15,300       174,635  

Kinden Corp.

    17,000       289,838  

Kumagai Gumi Co. Ltd.

    5,100       134,607  

Kyudenko Corp.

    5,100       198,392  

MIRAIT ONE corp.

    11,900       148,329  

Nippon Densetsu Kogyo Co. Ltd.

    5,100       68,902  

Nippon Road Co. Ltd. (The)

    3,700       49,985  

Nishimatsu Construction Co. Ltd.

    5,100       154,606  

Okumura Corp.

    3,400       115,594  

Penta-Ocean Construction Co. Ltd.

    37,400       193,764  

Raito Kogyo Co. Ltd.

    5,100       64,907  

Raiznext Corp.

    3,400       51,887  

Sanki Engineering Co. Ltd.

    5,100       67,912  

SHO-BOND Holdings Co. Ltd.

    5,100       218,380  

Sumitomo Densetsu Co. Ltd.

    1,700       34,944  

Sumitomo Mitsui Construction Co. Ltd.

    18,700       54,063  

Taihei Dengyo Kaisha Ltd.

    1,700       50,626  

Taikisha Ltd.

    3,400       107,631  

Takamatsu Construction Group Co. Ltd.

    1,700       32,273  

Toa Corp./Tokyo

    1,700       58,043  

Toda Corp.

    32,300       199,774  

Toenec Corp.

    1,700       59,205  

Tokyu Construction Co. Ltd.

    11,940       66,279  

Totetsu Kogyo Co. Ltd.

    3,400       69,291  
 

 

 

16  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
Construction & Engineering (continued)            

Toyo Construction Co. Ltd.

    6,800     $ 64,830  

Yokogawa Bridge Holdings Corp.

    5,100       97,120  

Yurtec Corp.

    5,100       45,531  
   

 

 

 
      4,325,070  
Construction Materials — 0.5%            

Maeda Kosen Co. Ltd.(a)

    1,700       39,442  

Mitani Sekisan Co. Ltd.

    1,700       62,956  

Shinagawa Refractories Co. Ltd.

    3,400       46,446  

Sumitomo Osaka Cement Co. Ltd.

    3,400       80,886  

Taiheiyo Cement Corp.

    17,000       357,127  
   

 

 

 
      586,857  
Consumer Finance — 1.1%            

Acom Co. Ltd.

    64,600       160,423  

AEON Financial Service Co. Ltd.

    15,300       133,610  

Aiful Corp.

    42,500       117,839  

Credit Saison Co. Ltd.

    20,400       396,844  

J Trust Co. Ltd.

    10,200       28,525  

Jaccs Co. Ltd.

    3,400       124,171  

Marui Group Co. Ltd.

    22,100       360,442  

Orient Corp.

    7,100       50,639  
   

 

 

 
       1,372,493  
Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail — 3.1%            

Aeon Hokkaido Corp.

    6,800       40,367  

Ain Holdings Inc.

    3,400       107,656  

Arcs Co. Ltd.

    5,100       105,362  

Axial Retailing Inc.

    1,700       45,329  

Belc Co. Ltd.

    1,700       72,123  

Cawachi Ltd.

    1,700       31,440  

Cosmos Pharmaceutical Corp.

    3,400       332,241  

Create SD Holdings Co. Ltd.

    3,400       74,737  

Daikokutenbussan Co. Ltd.

    500       31,340  

Fuji Co. Ltd./Ehime(a)

    3,400       42,885  

G-7 Holdings Inc.

    3,400       31,623  

Genky DrugStores Co. Ltd.

    1,700       75,975  

H2O Retailing Corp.

    13,635       159,376  

Heiwado Co. Ltd.

    3,400       46,690  

Inageya Co. Ltd.

    1,700       14,553  

Kato Sangyo Co. Ltd.

    3,400       110,129  

Kusuri no Aoki Holdings Co. Ltd.

    6,300       132,218  

Lawson Inc.

    6,800       465,693  

Life Corp.

    3,400       87,443  

Maxvalu Tokai Co. Ltd.

    1,700       33,696  

Mitsubishi Shokuhin Co. Ltd.

    1,700       61,110  

Oisix ra daichi Inc.(a)(b)

    3,400       31,425  

Retail Partners Co. Ltd.

    3,400       39,719  

San-A Co. Ltd.

    3,400       104,537  

Shoei Foods Corp.

    1,700       53,150  

Sugi Holdings Co. Ltd.

    15,300       240,202  

Sundrug Co. Ltd.

    10,200       318,438  

Tsuruha Holdings Inc.

    5,100       384,893  

United Super Markets Holdings Inc.(a)

    6,800       45,324  

Valor Holdings Co. Ltd.

    5,100       82,489  

Welcia Holdings Co. Ltd.

    13,600       256,634  

Yaoko Co. Ltd.

    1,700       97,751  

Yokorei Co. Ltd.

    6,800       48,087  
   

 

 

 
      3,804,635  
Containers & Packaging — 0.5%            

FP Corp.

    6,800       124,829  

Fuji Seal International Inc.

    5,100       69,066  

Rengo Co. Ltd.

    25,500       170,147  
Security   Shares     Value  

Containers & Packaging (continued)

   

Toyo Seikan Group Holdings Ltd.

    17,000     $ 286,276  
   

 

 

 
      650,318  
Distributors — 0.2%            

Arata Corp.

    3,400       76,217  

Doshisha Co. Ltd.

    3,400       47,791  

PALTAC Corp.

    3,400       95,100  
   

 

 

 
      219,108  
Diversified Consumer Services — 0.2%            

Benesse Holdings Inc.

    8,500       147,052  

LITALICO Inc.

    3,400       50,301  
   

 

 

 
      197,353  
Diversified REITs — 2.0%            

Activia Properties Inc.

    85       221,128  

Daiwa House REIT Investment Corp.

    323       526,556  

Hankyu Hanshin REIT Inc.

    85       77,175  

Heiwa Real Estate REIT Inc.

    136       123,141  

Hulic REIT Inc.

    170       166,114  

Mori Trust REIT Inc.

    340       158,152  

Nippon REIT Investment Corp.

    68       148,852  

NTT UD REIT Investment Corp.

    204       161,587  

Sekisui House REIT Inc.

    561       277,537  

Star Asia Investment Corp.

    306       113,302  

Takara Leben Real Estate Investment Corp.

    102       65,010  

Tokyu REIT Inc.

    119       128,906  

United Urban Investment Corp.

    374       353,320  
   

 

 

 
       2,520,780  
Diversified Telecommunication Services — 0.4%            

Internet Initiative Japan Inc.

    15,300       284,342  

JTOWER Inc.(a)(b)

    1,700       54,962  

Usen-Next Holdings Co. Ltd.

    3,400       103,269  

Vision Inc./Tokyo Japan(a)(b)

    5,100       41,231  
   

 

 

 
      483,804  
Electric Utilities — 1.2%            

Chugoku Electric Power Co. Inc. (The)

    39,100       263,412  

Hokkaido Electric Power Co. Inc.

    23,800       108,844  

Hokuriku Electric Power Co.(b)

    23,800       115,125  

Kyushu Electric Power Co. Inc.(b)

    54,400       443,774  

Okinawa Electric Power Co. Inc. (The)

    5,192       38,317  

Shikoku Electric Power Co. Inc.

    22,100       160,558  

Tohoku Electric Power Co. Inc.

    61,200       414,121  
   

 

 

 
      1,544,151  
Electrical Equipment — 1.5%            

Daihen Corp.

    1,700       89,617  

Fujikura Ltd.

    34,000       416,058  

Furukawa Electric Co. Ltd.

    8,500       168,471  

GS Yuasa Corp.

    10,200       192,121  

Idec Corp./Japan

    3,400       64,668  

Mabuchi Motor Co. Ltd.

    13,600       248,289  

Mirai Industry Co. Ltd.

    1,700       59,022  

Nippon Carbon Co. Ltd.

    1,700       59,274  

Nitto Kogyo Corp.

    3,400       104,304  

Sanyo Denki Co. Ltd.

    1,700       76,090  

SWCC Corp.

    3,400       76,314  

Toyo Tanso Co. Ltd.

    1,700       77,851  

Ushio Inc.

    11,900       157,642  

W-Scope Corp.(a)(b)

    6,800       33,339  
   

 

 

 
      1,823,060  
Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components — 4.0%  

Ai Holdings Corp.

    5,100       80,771  

Alps Alpine Co. Ltd.

    25,500       187,457  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  17


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components (continued)  

Amano Corp.

    6,800     $ 166,591  

Anritsu Corp.

    18,700       160,830  

Canon Electronics Inc.

    3,400       51,233  

Canon Marketing Japan Inc.

    6,800       202,527  

Citizen Watch Co. Ltd.

    25,500       177,518  

Daiwabo Holdings Co. Ltd.

    10,200       178,829  

Dexerials Corp.

    6,800       274,351  

Enplas Corp.

    800       44,590  

Hakuto Co. Ltd.

    1,700       67,218  

Hioki EE Corp.

    1,700       76,749  

Horiba Ltd.

    5,100       498,544  

Hosiden Corp.

    5,100       66,252  

Iriso Electronics Co. Ltd.

    3,400       68,936  

Japan Aviation Electronics Industry Ltd.

    6,800       120,337  

Kaga Electronics Co. Ltd.

    1,700       75,552  

Koa Corp.

    3,400       34,578  

Macnica Holdings Inc.

    6,800       376,400  

Maruwa Co. Ltd./Aichi

    1,200       274,070  

Maxell Ltd.

    5,100       53,021  

Meiko Electronics Co. Ltd.

    3,400       111,620  

Nichicon Corp.

    5,100       41,784  

Nippon Ceramic Co. Ltd.

    3,400       61,576  

Nippon Electric Glass Co. Ltd.

    10,200       246,396  

Nippon Signal Company Ltd.

    5,100       34,671  

Nissha Co. Ltd.

    5,100       51,050  

Nohmi Bosai Ltd.

    3,400       50,339  

Oki Electric Industry Co. Ltd.

    11,900       85,208  

Optex Group Co. Ltd.

    5,100       63,589  

Restar Holdings Corp.

    1,700       34,575  

Riken Keiki Co. Ltd.

    1,700       87,304  

Ryosan Co. Ltd.

    1,700       61,208  

Ryoyo Electro Corp.

    1,700       47,121  

Siix Corp.

    3,400       37,218  

Taiyo Yuden Co. Ltd.

    17,000       372,250  

Tokyo Electron Device Ltd.

    3,400       164,333  

Topcon Corp.

    13,600       161,619  
   

 

 

 
       4,948,215  
Energy Equipment & Services — 0.1%            

Modec Inc.

    3,400       69,300  
   

 

 

 
Entertainment — 1.0%            

Anycolor Inc.(a)(b)

    3,400       74,048  

Avex Inc.

    5,100       44,386  

COLOPL Inc.

    8,500       32,333  

Cover Corp.(a)(b)

    3,400       57,890  

Daiichikosho Co. Ltd.

    10,200       131,963  

DeNA Co. Ltd.

    10,200       99,800  

Gree Inc.

    8,500       28,233  

GungHo Online Entertainment Inc.

    6,800       98,794  

Koei Tecmo Holdings Co. Ltd.

    15,300       191,097  

Mixi Inc.

    5,100       84,033  

Shochiku Co. Ltd.(a)

    1,700       114,370  

Toei Animation Co. Ltd.(a)

    1,200       148,406  

Toei Co. Ltd.

    1,000       137,246  
   

 

 

 
      1,242,599  
Financial Services — 1.3%            

eGuarantee Inc.

    5,100       67,351  

Financial Products Group Co. Ltd.

    8,500       108,401  

Fuyo General Lease Co. Ltd.

    2,200       201,148  

GMO Payment Gateway Inc.

    6,800       458,962  

Japan Securities Finance Co. Ltd.

    11,900       129,468  

Mizuho Leasing Co. Ltd.

    3,400       124,957  
Security   Shares     Value  
Financial Services (continued)            

Ricoh Leasing Co. Ltd.

    1,700     $ 58,611  

Tokyo Century Corp.

    20,400       213,007  

Zenkoku Hosho Co. Ltd.

    6,800       249,576  
   

 

 

 
      1,611,481  
Food Products — 4.4%            

Ariake Japan Co. Ltd.

    1,700       59,963  

Calbee Inc.

    10,200       218,001  

DyDo Group Holdings Inc.

    1,700       35,515  

Ezaki Glico Co. Ltd.

    6,800       202,726  

Fuji Oil Holdings Inc.

    6,800       113,544  

Fujicco Co. Ltd.

    1,700       22,166  

Fujiya Co. Ltd.

    1,700       27,964  

Hokuto Corp.

    3,400       40,859  

House Foods Group Inc.

    8,500       178,124  

Itoham Yonekyu Holdings Inc.

    3,440       94,303  

J-Oil Mills Inc.

    1,700       22,173  

Kagome Co. Ltd.

    10,200       234,428  

Kameda Seika Co. Ltd.

    1,700       49,745  

Kewpie Corp.

    13,600       252,972  

Kotobuki Spirits Co. Ltd.

    13,600       182,051  

Maruha Nichiro Corp.

    5,100       100,510  

Megmilk Snow Brand Co. Ltd.

    6,800       101,982  

Mitsui DM Sugar Holdings Co. Ltd.

    1,700       36,653  

Morinaga & Co. Ltd./Japan

    10,200       182,850  

Morinaga Milk Industry Co. Ltd.

    10,200       211,193  

NH Foods Ltd.

    11,900       415,914  

Nichirei Corp.

    15,300       382,919  

Nippn Corp., New

    6,800       107,896  

Nisshin Oillio Group Ltd. (The)

    3,400       118,313  

Nisshin Seifun Group Inc.

    27,200       376,115  

Nissui Corp.

    39,100       248,840  

Prima Meat Packers Ltd.

    3,400       51,403  

Riken Vitamin Co. Ltd.

    3,400       57,490  

S Foods Inc.

    1,700       35,461  

Sakata Seed Corp.

    3,400       82,398  

Showa Sangyo Co. Ltd.

    3,400       78,744  

Toyo Suisan Kaisha Ltd.

    11,900       690,663  

Yamazaki Baking Co. Ltd.

    17,000       398,723  
   

 

 

 
       5,412,601  
Gas Utilities — 0.4%            

Nippon Gas Co. Ltd.

    13,600       212,683  

Saibu Gas Holdings Co. Ltd.

    3,400       43,045  

Shizuoka Gas Co. Ltd.

    5,100       31,518  

Toho Gas Co. Ltd.

    10,200       204,336  
   

 

 

 
      491,582  
Ground Transportation — 2.5%            

Fukuyama Transporting Co. Ltd.

    3,400       92,563  

Keikyu Corp.

    32,300       286,894  

Keio Corp.

    13,600       381,756  

Kyushu Railway Co.

    18,700       429,861  

Maruzen Showa Unyu Co. Ltd.

    1,700       50,535  

Nagoya Railroad Co. Ltd.

    25,500       363,974  

Nankai Electric Railway Co. Ltd.

    13,600       265,621  

Nikkon Holdings Co. Ltd.

    6,800       139,756  

Nishi-Nippon Railroad Co. Ltd.

    8,500       136,668  

Sakai Moving Service Co. Ltd.

    3,400       59,101  

Seibu Holdings Inc.

    30,600       442,420  

Seino Holdings Co. Ltd.

    17,000       240,632  

Sotetsu Holdings Inc.

    10,200       184,992  
   

 

 

 
      3,074,773  
 

 

 

18  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
Health Care Equipment & Supplies — 1.3%            

CYBERDYNE Inc.(a)(b)

    15,300     $ 21,187  

Eiken Chemical Co. Ltd.

    5,100       64,236  

Fukuda Denshi Co. Ltd.

    1,700       81,499  

Hogy Medical Co. Ltd.

    3,400       82,001  

Japan Lifeline Co. Ltd.

    8,500       74,421  

Jeol Ltd.

    6,800       302,469  

Mani Inc.

    10,200       139,069  

Menicon Co. Ltd.

    8,500       100,832  

Nagaileben Co. Ltd.(a)

    3,400       50,669  

Nakanishi Inc.

    8,500       135,833  

Nihon Kohden Corp.

    10,200       282,697  

Nipro Corp.

    20,400       168,656  

Paramount Bed Holdings Co. Ltd.

    5,100       84,985  

PHC Holdings Corp.

    3,400       27,658  
   

 

 

 
      1,616,212  
Health Care Providers & Services — 1.4%            

Alfresa Holdings Corp.

    23,800       354,931  

Amvis Holdings Inc.

    5,100       85,192  

As One Corp.

    3,400       118,811  

BML Inc.

    3,400       63,854  

Elan Corp.

    3,400       21,693  

H.U. Group Holdings Inc.

    6,800       116,469  

Medipal Holdings Corp.

    25,500       385,555  

Ship Healthcare Holdings Inc.

    10,200       148,127  

Solasto Corp.

    6,800       24,320  

SUNWELS Co. Ltd.(a)

    1,700       33,342  

Suzuken Co. Ltd.

    8,500       253,055  

Toho Holdings Co. Ltd.

    6,800       143,527  

Tokai Corp./Gifu

    3,400       49,887  
   

 

 

 
       1,798,763  
Health Care Technology — 0.2%            

EM Systems Co. Ltd.

    5,100       24,464  

JMDC Inc.

    3,400       84,420  

Medley Inc.(b)

    3,400       115,018  
   

 

 

 
      223,902  
Hotel & Resort REITs — 0.6%            

Hoshino Resorts REIT Inc.

    34       124,784  

Invincible Investment Corp.

    918       376,927  

Japan Hotel REIT Investment Corp.

    629       304,941  
   

 

 

 
      806,652  
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure — 2.8%            

Airtrip Corp.(a)

    1,700       17,309  

Atom Corp.(a)(b)

    15,300       93,536  

Colowide Co. Ltd.

    10,200       152,583  

Create Restaurants Holdings Inc.

    15,300       107,190  

Curves Holdings Co. Ltd.

    6,800       32,644  

Demae-Can Co. Ltd.(b)

    6,800       17,650  

Doutor Nichires Holdings Co. Ltd.

    3,400       46,767  

Food & Life Companies Ltd.

    15,300       303,620  

Fuji Kyuko Co. Ltd.

    3,400       90,548  

Fujio Food Group Inc.(a)(b)

    3,400       31,431  

Heiwa Corp.

    6,816       94,084  

Hiday Hidaka Corp.

    3,484       61,490  

HIS Co. Ltd.(b)

    6,800       77,790  

Ichibanya Co. Ltd.

    8,500       69,977  

Kappa Create Co. Ltd.(a)(b)

    3,400       37,718  

KFC Holdings Japan Ltd.

    1,700       48,043  

Kisoji Co. Ltd.

    3,400       61,706  

KOMEDA Holdings Co. Ltd.

    6,800       123,900  

Koshidaka Holdings Co. Ltd.

    6,800       42,469  

Kura Sushi Inc.

    3,400       90,227  
Security   Shares     Value  
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure (continued)            

Kyoritsu Maintenance Co. Ltd.

    3,480     $ 147,057  

Matsuyafoods Holdings Co. Ltd.

    1,700       66,418  

Monogatari Corp. (The)

    5,100       159,236  

MOS Food Services Inc.

    3,400       81,117  

Ohsho Food Service Corp.

    1,700       89,000  

Resorttrust Inc.

    10,200       175,924  

Ringer Hut Co. Ltd.

    3,400       52,459  

Round One Corp.

    25,500       119,135  

Royal Holdings Co. Ltd.

    3,400       55,299  

Saizeriya Co. Ltd.

    3,400       110,992  

Skylark Holdings Co. Ltd.

    30,600       445,770  

Tokyotokeiba Co. Ltd.

    1,700       48,285  

Toridoll Holdings Corp.

    6,800       195,143  

Yoshinoya Holdings Co. Ltd.

    8,500       180,685  
   

 

 

 
       3,527,202  
Household Durables — 2.5%            

Casio Computer Co. Ltd.

    27,200       219,444  

Chofu Seisakusho Co. Ltd.

    1,700       23,513  

ES-Con Japan Ltd.(b)

    5,100       34,220  

Fujitsu General Ltd.

    8,500       109,765  

Haseko Corp.

    32,300       399,635  

JVCKenwood Corp.

    22,100       122,657  

Ki-Star Real Estate Co. Ltd.

    1,700       40,840  

Nagawa Co. Ltd.(a)

    1,700       83,752  

Nikon Corp.

    40,800       403,937  

Open House Group Co. Ltd.

    10,200       321,267  

Pressance Corp.

    3,400       38,551  

Rinnai Corp.

    13,600       316,446  

Sangetsu Corp.

    6,800       160,025  

Sumitomo Forestry Co. Ltd.

    20,400       582,220  

Tama Home Co. Ltd.

    1,700       47,657  

Tamron Co. Ltd.

    3,400       147,738  

Zojirushi Corp.

    5,100       47,732  
   

 

 

 
      3,099,399  
Household Products — 0.4%            

Earth Corp.

    1,700       48,028  

Lion Corp.

    34,000       299,275  

Pigeon Corp.

    17,000       173,093  
   

 

 

 
      520,396  
Independent Power and Renewable Electricity Producers — 0.4%  

Electric Power Development Co. Ltd.

    20,400       335,072  

eRex Co. Ltd.(a)

    3,400       16,418  

RENOVA Inc.(b)

    5,100       38,074  

West Holdings Corp.

    3,480       68,908  
   

 

 

 
      458,472  
Industrial Conglomerates — 0.5%            

Katakura Industries Co. Ltd.

    3,400       40,838  

Keihan Holdings Co. Ltd.

    13,600       314,717  

Mie Kotsu Group Holdings Inc.

    6,800       27,379  

Nisshinbo Holdings Inc.

    18,700       156,540  

Noritsu Koki Co. Ltd.

    1,700       36,475  

TOKAI Holdings Corp.

    13,600       92,506  
   

 

 

 
      668,455  
Industrial REITs — 1.0%            

Advance Logistics Investment Corp.

    85       66,699  

CRE Logistics REIT Inc.

    85       80,855  

Industrial & Infrastructure Fund Investment Corp.

    272       228,770  

Japan Logistics Fund Inc.

    119       203,293  

LaSalle Logiport REIT

    255       239,729  

Mitsubishi Estate Logistics REIT Investment Corp.

    68       158,590  

Mitsui Fudosan Logistics Park Inc.

    85       240,927  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  19


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
Industrial REITs (continued)            

SOSiLA Logistics REIT Inc.

    102     $ 77,342  
   

 

 

 
      1,296,205  
Insurance — 0.2%            

Anicom Holdings Inc.

    10,200       39,818  

FP Partner Inc.

    1,700       80,373  

LIFENET INSURANCE Co.(a)(b)

    8,500       78,391  
   

 

 

 
      198,582  
Interactive Media & Services — 0.3%            

Bengo4.com Inc.(a)(b)

    1,700       47,492  

Infocom Corp.

    3,400       52,098  

Kakaku.com Inc.

    18,700       214,803  

ZIGExN Co. Ltd.

    6,800       25,491  
   

 

 

 
      339,884  
IT Services — 2.0%            

Argo Graphics Inc.

    1,700       48,817  

Base Co. Ltd.

    1,700       38,384  

BIPROGY Inc.

    10,200       315,894  

Change Holdings Inc.(a)

    5,100       50,011  

Comture Corp.

    3,400       41,317  

Dentsu Soken Inc.

    3,400       121,895  

Digital Garage Inc.

    5,100       118,521  

DTS Corp.

    5,100       137,308  

Future Corp.

    5,100       57,352  

GMO internet group Inc.

    8,500       153,625  

Mitsubishi Research Institute Inc.

    1,700       57,242  

NEC Networks & System Integration Corp.

    8,500       139,153  

NET One Systems Co. Ltd.

    11,900       206,512  

NS Solutions Corp.

    5,100       170,685  

NSD Co. Ltd.

    10,200       194,599  

Sakura Internet Inc.

    3,400       146,278  

SB Technology Corp.

    1,700       24,284  

SHIFT Inc.(a)(b)

    1,700       314,303  

Simplex Holdings Inc.

    5,100       87,055  

TechMatrix Corp.

    5,100       68,196  

Zuken Inc.

    1,700       52,546  
   

 

 

 
       2,543,977  
Leisure Products — 0.8%            

GLOBERIDE Inc.

    1,700       22,660  

Mizuno Corp.

    1,700       59,776  

Roland Corp.

    1,700       51,616  

Sankyo Co. Ltd.

    25,500       291,302  

Sega Sammy Holdings Inc.

    22,100       277,445  

Tomy Co. Ltd.

    10,200       181,682  

Tsuburaya Fields Holdings Inc.(a)

    5,100       52,142  

Universal Entertainment Corp.

    3,400       41,878  

Yonex Co. Ltd.

    8,500       63,925  
   

 

 

 
      1,042,426  
Life Sciences Tools & Services — 0.0%            

Shin Nippon Biomedical Laboratories Ltd.(a)

    3,400       37,323  
   

 

 

 
Machinery — 8.0%            

Aichi Corp.

    3,400       24,668  

Aida Engineering Ltd.

    5,100       29,323  

Amada Co. Ltd.

    45,900       510,323  

CKD Corp.

    6,800       139,822  

Daiwa Industries Ltd.

    3,400       32,385  

DMG Mori Co. Ltd.

    17,000       393,521  

Ebara Corp.

    11,900       1,005,694  

Fuji Corp./Aichi

    10,200       175,692  

Fujitec Co. Ltd.

    8,500       218,637  

Fukushima Galilei Co. Ltd.

    1,700       64,739  
Security   Shares     Value  
Machinery (continued)            

Furukawa Co. Ltd.

    3,400     $ 40,176  

Giken Ltd.

    1,700       22,924  

Glory Ltd.

    5,100       99,581  

Harmonic Drive Systems Inc.

    6,800       178,411  

Hino Motors Ltd.(b)

    39,100       130,233  

Hirata Corp.

    1,700       92,375  

Hitachi Zosen Corp.

    22,100       181,767  

IHI Corp.

    20,400       449,959  

Japan Steel Works Ltd. (The)

    8,500       155,155  

Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd.

    20,400       564,194  

Kitz Corp.

    8,500       71,429  

Kurita Water Industries Ltd.

    13,600       554,270  

Kyokuto Kaihatsu Kogyo Co. Ltd.

    3,400       56,601  

Makino Milling Machine Co. Ltd.

    3,400       132,768  

Max Co. Ltd.

    3,400       72,394  

Meidensha Corp.

    5,100       90,395  

METAWATER Co. Ltd.

    3,400       52,489  

Mitsubishi Logisnext Co. Ltd.

    5,100       56,488  

Mitsuboshi Belting Ltd.

    3,400       112,829  

Miura Co. Ltd.

    11,900       254,017  

Morita Holdings Corp.

    3,400       36,012  

Nabtesco Corp.

    15,300       254,118  

Nachi-Fujikoshi Corp.

    1,700       38,968  

Namura Shipbuilding Co. Ltd.

    6,800       94,344  

NGK Insulators Ltd.

    32,300       421,811  

Nikkiso Co. Ltd.

    6,800       56,941  

Nitta Corp.

    1,700       42,547  

Nomura Micro Science Co. Ltd.

    500       63,701  

Noritake Co. Ltd./Nagoya Japan

    1,700       94,914  

NSK Ltd.

    51,000       279,963  

NTN Corp.

    57,800       122,882  

Obara Group Inc.

    1,700       43,013  

Oiles Corp.

    3,496       48,088  

OKUMA Corp.

    3,400       160,384  

Organo Corp.

    3,400       174,748  

OSG Corp.

    10,200       143,177  

Ryobi Ltd.

    3,400       57,201  

Shibaura Machine Co. Ltd.

    3,400       83,560  

Shibuya Corp.

    1,700       35,449  

Shima Seiki Manufacturing Ltd.

    3,400       31,167  

Shinmaywa Industries Ltd.

    6,800       55,300  

Star Micronics Co. Ltd.

    5,100       61,554  

Sumitomo Heavy Industries Ltd.

    15,300       455,956  

Tadano Ltd.

    13,600       115,184  

Takeuchi Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

    5,100       179,515  

Takuma Co. Ltd.

    10,200       132,692  

THK Co. Ltd.

    15,300       337,185  

Tocalo Co. Ltd.

    6,800       78,395  

Tsubakimoto Chain Co.

    3,400       110,866  

Tsugami Corp.

    5,100       40,393  

Tsurumi Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

    1,700       39,782  

Union Tool Co.

    1,700       43,444  

YAMABIKO Corp.

    3,400       41,976  
   

 

 

 
       9,938,489  
Marine Transportation — 0.1%            

Iino Kaiun Kaisha Ltd.

    10,200       87,329  

NS United Kaiun Kaisha Ltd.

    1,700       60,274  
   

 

 

 
      147,603  
Media — 1.2%            

CyberAgent Inc.

    59,500       417,810  

Fuji Media Holdings Inc.

    6,800       81,443  
 

 

 

20  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
Media (continued)  

Hakuhodo DY Holdings Inc.

    28,900     $ 269,021  

Kadokawa Corp.

    11,916       227,520  

Nippon Television Holdings Inc.

    6,800       96,297  

Septeni Holdings Co. Ltd.

    10,200       31,913  

SKY Perfect JSAT Holdings Inc.

    20,400       121,099  

TBS Holdings Inc.

    5,100       134,130  

TV Asahi Holdings Corp.

    3,400       44,086  

ValueCommerce Co. Ltd.

    1,700       12,928  

Vector Inc.

    3,400       27,862  

Zenrin Co. Ltd.

    5,100       29,001  
   

 

 

 
    1,493,110  
Metals & Mining — 2.4%            

ARE Holdings Inc.

    10,200       131,893  

Daido Steel Co. Ltd.

    17,000       201,212  

Daiki Aluminium Industry Co. Ltd.

    3,400       26,992  

Dowa Holdings Co. Ltd.

    6,800       237,603  

Kobe Steel Ltd.

    49,300       676,197  

Kyoei Steel Ltd.

    3,400       55,184  

Maruichi Steel Tube Ltd.

    8,500       222,507  

Mitsubishi Materials Corp.

    17,000       297,622  

Mitsui Mining & Smelting Co. Ltd.

    6,800       200,485  

Nippon Light Metal Holdings Co. Ltd.

    10,200       117,684  

Nittetsu Mining Co. Ltd.

    1,700       56,869  

Osaka Steel Co. Ltd.

    1,700       25,650  

OSAKA Titanium Technologies Co. Ltd.(a)

    3,400       60,525  

Sanyo Special Steel Co. Ltd.

    3,400       51,247  

Toho Titanium Co. Ltd.(a)

    5,100       56,060  

Tokyo Steel Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

    6,800       75,822  

UACJ Corp.

    5,114       140,488  

Yamato Kogyo Co. Ltd.

    5,100       284,638  

Yodogawa Steel Works Ltd.

    3,400       101,389  
   

 

 

 
     3,020,067  
Office REITs — 1.1%      

Daiwa Office Investment Corp.

    34       132,320  

Global One Real Estate Investment Corp.

    136       96,657  

Ichigo Office REIT Investment Corp.

    136       71,146  

Japan Excellent Inc.

    170       133,966  

Japan Prime Realty Investment Corp.

    119       260,976  

Mirai Corp.

    255       75,216  

Mori Hills REIT Investment Corp.

    204       178,457  

One REIT Inc.

    34       57,762  

Orix JREIT Inc.

    357       376,694  
   

 

 

 
      1,383,194  
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels — 0.8%      

Cosmo Energy Holdings Co. Ltd.

    8,500       378,365  

Itochu Enex Co. Ltd.

    6,800       69,438  

Iwatani Corp.

    5,100       253,511  

Japan Petroleum Exploration Co. Ltd.

    5,100       207,113  

Mitsuuroko Group Holdings Co. Ltd.

    5,100       48,300  

San-Ai Obbli Co. Ltd.

    6,800       89,217  
   

 

 

 
      1,045,944  
Paper & Forest Products — 0.7%      

Daio Paper Corp.

    11,900       88,241  

Hokuetsu Corp.(a)

    13,600       134,894  

Nippon Paper Industries Co. Ltd.(b)

    13,600       103,667  

Oji Holdings Corp.

    117,300       458,731  

Tokushu Tokai Paper Co. Ltd.

    1,700       44,320  
   

 

 

 
      829,853  
Personal Care Products — 1.3%      

Euglena Co. Ltd.(b)

    13,600       55,999  

Fancl Corp.

    10,200       140,934  
Security   Shares     Value  
Personal Care Products (continued)            

Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

    6,800     $ 271,281  

Kose Corp.

    5,100       284,426  

Mandom Corp.

    5,100       45,503  

Milbon Co. Ltd.

    3,400       73,255  

Noevir Holdings Co. Ltd.

    1,700       59,239  

Pola Orbis Holdings Inc.

    11,900       118,799  

Rohto Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

    25,500       518,619  

YA-MAN Ltd.(a)

    3,400       22,657  
   

 

 

 
      1,590,712  
Pharmaceuticals — 1.6%            

Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical Co. Inc.

    6,800       175,728  

JCR Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd.

    10,200       61,269  

Kaken Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

    5,100       120,779  

Kissei Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

    3,400       77,118  

Kyorin Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

    5,100       60,608  

Mochida Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

    3,400       74,189  

Nippon Shinyaku Co. Ltd.

    6,800       216,021  

Santen Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

    45,900       454,906  

Sawai Group Holdings Co. Ltd.

    5,100       195,254  

Sosei Group Corp.(a)(b)

    10,200       99,176  

Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd.

    22,100       54,734  

Taisho Pharmaceutical Holdings Co. Ltd.

    1,700       97,271  

Torii Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

    1,700       48,405  

Towa Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

    3,400       63,269  

Tsumura & Co.

    8,500       156,563  

ZERIA Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

    3,400       48,096  
   

 

 

 
       2,003,386  
Professional Services — 2.7%            

BayCurrent Consulting Inc.

    18,700       418,355  

Bell System24 Holdings Inc.

    5,100       57,874  

Benefit One Inc.

    10,200       148,046  

Dip Corp.

    5,100       89,518  

en Japan Inc.

    3,400       57,407  

Fullcast Holdings Co. Ltd.

    3,400       34,932  

Funai Soken Holdings Inc.

    5,100       85,832  

Infomart Corp.

    27,200       77,478  

Insource Co. Ltd.

    6,800       40,103  

JAC Recruitment Co. Ltd.

    8,500       43,631  

Link And Motivation Inc.

    6,800       28,040  

Management Solutions Co. Ltd.

    1,700       34,359  

MEITEC Group Holdings Inc.

    10,200       206,541  

Nihon M&A Center Holdings Inc.

    40,800       273,630  

Nomura Co. Ltd.

    10,200       58,105  

Open Up Group Inc.

    6,816       99,481  

Outsourcing Inc.(b)

    15,300       179,107  

Pasona Group Inc.

    3,400       65,141  

Persol Holdings Co. Ltd.

    258,400       374,398  

SMS Co. Ltd.

    10,200       181,117  

TechnoPro Holdings Inc.

    15,300       306,416  

TKC Corp.

    3,400       84,175  

Transcosmos Inc.

    3,400       69,106  

UT Group Co. Ltd.(b)

    3,400       79,855  

Visional Inc.(b)

    3,400       195,250  

WDB Holdings Co. Ltd.

    1,700       25,590  
   

 

 

 
      3,313,487  
Real Estate Management & Development — 1.6%        

Aeon Mall Co. Ltd.

    11,900       138,936  

Goldcrest Co. Ltd.

    1,700       25,941  

Heiwa Real Estate Co. Ltd.

    3,400       89,049  

Ichigo Inc.

    34,000       88,672  

Kasumigaseki Capital Co. Ltd.(a)

    900       82,847  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  21


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
Real Estate Management & Development (continued)  

Katitas Co. Ltd.

    6,800     $ 91,560  

Keihanshin Building Co. Ltd.

    3,400       34,057  

Leopalace21 Corp.(a)(b)

    22,100       67,788  

Raysum Co. Ltd.

    1,700       41,049  

Relo Group Inc.

    15,300       123,247  

SAMTY Co. Ltd.

    3,400       56,048  

SRE Holdings Corp.(a)(b)

    1,700       41,226  

Starts Corp. Inc.

    3,400       68,753  

Sun Frontier Fudousan Co. Ltd.

    3,400       37,716  

TKP Corp.(a)(b)

    1,700       18,635  

Tokyo Tatemono Co. Ltd.

    25,500       369,890  

Tokyu Fudosan Holdings Corp.

    83,300       547,009  

Tosei Corp.

    3,400       46,432  
   

 

 

 
       1,968,855  
Residential REITs — 0.9%            

Advance Residence Investment Corp.

    187       381,948  

Comforia Residential REIT Inc.

    85       162,703  

Daiwa Securities Living Investments Corp.

    272       182,928  

Nippon Accommodations Fund Inc.

    68       257,794  

Samty Residential Investment Corp.

    51       34,665  

Starts Proceed Investment Corp.

    34       43,608  
   

 

 

 
      1,063,646  
Retail REITs — 0.4%            

AEON REIT Investment Corp.

    238       208,874  

Frontier Real Estate Investment Corp.

    68       194,955  

Fukuoka REIT Corp.

    85       94,020  
   

 

 

 
      497,849  
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment — 2.6%  

Abalance Corp.(a)

    1,700       22,897  

Ferrotec Holdings Corp.

    6,800       136,010  

Japan Material Co. Ltd.

    8,500       144,804  

Megachips Corp.

    1,700       47,507  

Micronics Japan Co. Ltd.

    3,400       171,520  

Mimasu Semiconductor Industry Co. Ltd.

    1,700       36,211  

Mitsui High-Tec Inc.

    1,700       95,582  

Optorun Co. Ltd.

    3,400       46,266  

Rorze Corp.

    1,700       240,012  

RS Technologies Co. Ltd.

    1,700       31,034  

Sanken Electric Co. Ltd.

    3,400       172,238  

Shibaura Mechatronics Corp.

    1,700       74,904  

Shinko Electric Industries Co. Ltd.

    8,500       308,602  

Socionext Inc.

    23,800       613,664  

Tokyo Seimitsu Co. Ltd.

    5,100       349,863  

Towa Corp.

    3,400       213,398  

Tri Chemical Laboratories Inc.

    3,400       109,872  

Ulvac Inc.

    6,800       419,377  
   

 

 

 
      3,233,761  
Software — 1.5%            

Appier Group Inc.(a)(b)

    8,500       107,154  

Cybozu Inc.

    3,400       42,116  

Digital Arts Inc.

    1,700       50,344  

Freee KK(b)

    6,800       158,013  

Fuji Soft Inc.

    6,800       290,007  

Fukui Computer Holdings Inc.

    1,700       29,990  

I’ll Inc.

    1,700       43,934  

Justsystems Corp.

    5,100       91,464  

Money Forward Inc.(b)

    6,800       302,082  

OBIC Business Consultants Co. Ltd.

    3,400       162,525  

PKSHA Technology Inc.(a)(b)

    1,700       72,181  

Plus Alpha Consulting Co. Ltd.

    3,400       57,502  

Rakus Co. Ltd.

    11,900       188,262  
Security   Shares     Value  
Software (continued)      

Sansan Inc.(b)

    10,200     $ 121,966  

Systena Corp.

    40,800       78,532  

WingArc1st Inc.

    3,400       67,970  
   

 

 

 
       1,864,042  
Specialty Retail — 2.6%      

ABC-Mart Inc.

    13,600       233,210  

Adastria Co. Ltd.

    3,400       77,531  

Alpen Co. Ltd.

    1,700       22,474  

AOKI Holdings Inc.

    5,100       38,088  

Aoyama Trading Co. Ltd.

    5,100       55,382  

Arclands Corp.

    6,579       73,892  

Autobacs Seven Co. Ltd.

    8,500       95,046  

Bic Camera Inc.

    13,600       116,809  

DCM Holdings Co. Ltd.

    15,300       147,264  

EDION Corp.

    8,500       87,219  

Geo Holdings Corp.

    3,400       43,999  

IDOM Inc.

    8,500       51,440  

JINS Holdings Inc.

    1,700       46,742  

Joshin Denki Co. Ltd.

    3,400       53,166  

Joyful Honda Co. Ltd.

    6,800       94,766  

Kohnan Shoji Co. Ltd.

    3,400       95,487  

Komeri Co. Ltd.

    5,100       118,744  

K’s Holdings Corp.

    18,700       161,988  

Nafco Co. Ltd.

    1,700       28,597  

Nextage Co. Ltd.(a)

    6,800       111,075  

Nishimatsuya Chain Co. Ltd.

    5,100       76,405  

Nojima Corp.

    8,500       95,615  

PAL GROUP Holdings Co. Ltd.

    5,100       77,548  

Sanrio Co. Ltd.

    6,800       381,292  

Shimamura Co. Ltd.

    6,800       362,049  

T-Gaia Corp.

    1,700       24,136  

United Arrows Ltd.

    3,400       40,089  

VT Holdings Co. Ltd.

    10,200       35,491  

Workman Co. Ltd.(a)

    3,400       91,989  

Yamada Holdings Co. Ltd.

    79,900       229,692  

Yellow Hat Ltd.

    5,100       66,580  
   

 

 

 
      3,233,805  
Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals — 0.6%  

Eizo Corp.

    1,700       58,637  

Elecom Co. Ltd.

    6,800       72,710  

Konica Minolta Inc.(b)

    64,600       213,289  

MCJ Co. Ltd.

    8,500       77,410  

Riso Kagaku Corp.

    3,400       74,773  

Toshiba TEC Corp.

    5,100       106,766  

Wacom Co. Ltd.

    20,400       85,670  
   

 

 

 
    689,255  
Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods — 1.3%            

Asics Corp.

    22,100       940,535  

Descente Ltd.

    5,100       114,987  

Goldwin Inc.

    3,400       197,240  

Gunze Ltd.

    1,700       63,780  

Japan Wool Textile Co. Ltd. (The)

    6,800       62,435  

Onward Holdings Co. Ltd.

    13,600       46,573  

Seiko Group Corp.

    3,400       79,096  

Wacoal Holdings Corp.

    5,100       124,220  
   

 

 

 
    1,628,866  
Trading Companies & Distributors — 1.7%            

Hanwa Co. Ltd.

    5,100       194,038  

Inaba Denki Sangyo Co. Ltd.

    6,800       160,664  

Inabata & Co. Ltd.

    6,800       145,181  

Japan Pulp & Paper Co. Ltd.

    1,700       58,382  
 

 

 

22  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Trading Companies & Distributors (continued)  

Kanamoto Co. Ltd.

    3,400     $ 65,199  

Kanematsu Corp.

    10,200       162,754  

MARUKA FURUSATO Corp.

    1,700       25,641  

Nagase & Co. Ltd.

    11,900       198,106  

Nichiden Corp.

    1,700       29,539  

Nishio Holdings Co. Ltd.

    1,700       44,143  

Sojitz Corp.

    30,600       777,129  

Sumiseki Holdings Inc.

    1,700       31,558  

Trusco Nakayama Corp.

    6,800       105,643  

Wakita & Co. Ltd.

    5,100       52,317  

Yamazen Corp.

    8,500       72,029  

Yuasa Trading Co. Ltd.

    1,700       57,001  
   

 

 

 
      2,179,324  
Transportation Infrastructure — 0.8%            

Japan Airport Terminal Co. Ltd.

    8,500       334,758  

Kamigumi Co. Ltd.

    11,900       278,626  

Mitsubishi Logistics Corp.

    6,800       208,792  

Sumitomo Warehouse Co. Ltd. (The)

    6,800       117,130  
   

 

 

 
    939,306  
Wireless Telecommunication Services — 0.1%  

Okinawa Cellular Telephone Co.

    3,400       81,802  
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 99.7%
(Cost: $130,200,838)

       123,956,313  
   

 

 

 
Security   Shares      Value  

 

 

Short-Term Securities

    
Money Market Funds — 2.5%             

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares, 5.50%(c)(d)(e)

    3,135,112      $ 3,136,679  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares, 5.30%(c)(d)

    40,000        40,000  
    

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 2.5%
(Cost: $3,176,403)

       3,176,679  
    

 

 

 

Total Investments — 102.2%
(Cost: $133,377,241)

       127,132,992  

Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets — (2.2)%

 

     (2,794,452
    

 

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

     $  124,338,540  
    

 

 

 

 

(a) 

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(b) 

Non-income producing security.

(c) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(d) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

(e) 

All or a portion of this security was purchased with the cash collateral from loaned securities.

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

 

 
Affiliated Issuer   

Value at

08/31/23

   

Purchases

at Cost

   

Proceeds

from Sale

   

Net Realized

Gain (Loss)

   

Change in

Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

   

Value at

02/29/24

   

Shares

Held at

02/29/24

    Income    

Capital

Gain

Distributions

from

Underlying

Funds

 

 

 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares

   $ 2,382,293     $ 753,977 (a)    $     $ 26     $ 383     $ 3,136,679       3,135,112     $ 32,216 (b)    $  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares

     50,000             (10,000 )(a)                  40,000       40,000       2,220        
        

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 
         $ 26     $ 383     $ 3,176,679       $  34,436     $  
        

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

 
  (b) 

All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities.

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

 

 
Description    Number of
Contracts
    Expiration
Date
    Notional
Amount
(000)
    Value/
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
 

 

 

Long Contracts

        

Mini TOPIX Index

     24       03/07/24     $ 430     $ 31,573  
        

 

 

 

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  23


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

   iShares® MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

 

 
    Commodity
Contracts
    

Credit

Contracts

    

Equity

Contracts

    

Foreign

Currency

Exchange

Contracts

    

Interest

Rate

Contracts

    

Other

Contracts

     Total  

 

 

Assets — Derivative Financial Instruments

                   

Futures contracts

                   

Unrealized appreciation on futures contracts(a)

  $      $      $ 31,573      $      $      $      $ 31,573  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

 

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

 

 
   

Commodity

Contracts

    

Credit

Contracts

    

Equity

Contracts

    

Foreign

Currency

Exchange
Contracts

    

Interest

Rate

Contracts

    

Other

Contracts

     Total  

 

 

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                   

Futures contracts

  $      $      $ 53,297      $      $      $      $ 53,297  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

                   

Futures contracts

  $      $      $ 25,106      $      $      $      $ 25,106  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

 

 

Futures contracts:

  

Average notional value of contracts — long

   $ 753,143   

 

 

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

 

 
     Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

 

 

Assets

                 

Investments

                 

Long-Term Investments

                 

Common Stocks

   $ 389,837        $ 123,566,476        $        $ 123,956,313  

Short-Term Securities

                 

Money Market Funds

     3,176,679                            3,176,679  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $  3,566,516        $ 123,566,476        $        $ 127,132,992  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

                 

Assets

                 

Equity Contracts

   $        $ 31,573        $     —        $ 31,573  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Derivative financial instruments are futures contracts. Futures contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

24  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Malaysia ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 

Common Stocks

   
Banks — 39.8%            

AMMB Holdings Bhd

    4,504,537     $ 4,123,388  

CIMB Group Holdings Bhd

    15,813,612       21,534,634  

Hong Leong Bank Bhd

    1,607,040       6,682,387  

Malayan Banking Bhd

    13,411,681       26,945,541  

Public Bank Bhd

    35,976,400       33,390,800  

RHB Bank Bhd

    3,707,402       4,378,586  
   

 

 

 
      97,055,336  
Chemicals — 4.2%            

Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd

    6,919,500       10,213,044  
   

 

 

 
Construction & Engineering — 2.1%            

Gamuda Bhd

    4,722,500       5,264,361  
   

 

 

 
Diversified Telecommunication Services — 1.5%  

Telekom Malaysia Bhd

    2,845,100       3,629,085  
   

 

 

 
Electric Utilities — 6.3%            

Tenaga Nasional Bhd

    6,435,812       15,270,729  
   

 

 

 
Food Products — 11.7%            

IOI Corp. Bhd

    6,212,930       5,209,429  

Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd

    1,202,200       5,680,974  

Nestle Malaysia Bhd

    173,900       4,576,991  

PPB Group Bhd

    1,582,019       5,193,943  

QL Resources Bhd

    2,706,350       3,312,153  

Sime Darby Plantation Bhd

    5,127,155       4,685,616  
   

 

 

 
       28,659,106  
Gas Utilities — 3.0%            

Petronas Gas Bhd

    1,956,000       7,394,508  
   

 

 

 
Health Care Providers & Services — 2.9%            

IHH Healthcare Bhd

    5,441,000       7,051,343  
   

 

 

 
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure — 4.0%            

Genting Bhd

    5,269,400       5,300,688  

Genting Malaysia Bhd

    7,337,200       4,443,758  
   

 

 

 
      9,744,446  
Industrial Conglomerates — 1.6%            

Sime Darby Bhd

    6,737,155       3,849,608  
   

 

 

 
Marine Transportation — 2.2%            

MISC Bhd

    3,309,320       5,305,540  
   

 

 

 
Metals & Mining — 3.7%            

Press Metal Aluminium Holdings Bhd

    9,162,900       9,043,250  
   

 

 

 
Multi-Utilities — 3.9%            

YTL Corp. Bhd

    7,863,200       4,424,137  
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Multi-Utilities (continued)            

YTL Power International Bhd

    6,048,300     $ 5,034,409  
   

 

 

 
      9,458,546  
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels — 1.4%            

Petronas Dagangan Bhd

    736,500       3,544,760  
   

 

 

 
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment — 1.9%  

Inari Amertron Bhd

    6,945,100       4,649,318  
   

 

 

 
Specialty Retail — 1.1%            

MR DIY Group M Bhd(a)

    8,168,000       2,684,598  
   

 

 

 
Transportation Infrastructure — 1.7%            

Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd

    2,267,900       4,052,638  
   

 

 

 
Wireless Telecommunication Services — 6.8%  

Axiata Group Bhd

    6,805,100       3,989,078  

CELCOMDIGI Bhd

    8,697,400       7,986,436  

Maxis Bhd(b)

    5,806,500       4,551,719  
   

 

 

 
      16,527,233  
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 99.8%
(Cost: $159,357,657)

      243,397,449  
   

 

 

 

Short-Term Securities

   
Money Market Funds — 0.5%            

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares, 5.50%(c)(d)(e)

    873,952       874,389  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares, 5.30%(c)(d)

    320,000       320,000  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 0.5%
(Cost: $1,194,530)

      1,194,389  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments — 100.3%
(Cost: $160,552,187)

      244,591,838  

Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets — (0.3)%

 

    (780,960
   

 

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

    $  243,810,878  
   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Security exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration to qualified institutional investors.

(b) 

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(c) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(d) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

(e) 

All or a portion of this security was purchased with the cash collateral from loaned securities.

 

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  25


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

   iShares® MSCI Malaysia ETF

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

 

 
Affiliated Issuer   

Value at

08/31/23

    

Purchases

at Cost

    

Proceeds

from Sale

    

Net Realized

Gain (Loss)

    

Change in

Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

    

Value at

02/29/24

    

Shares

Held at

02/29/24

     Income     

Capital

Gain

Distributions

from

Underlying

Funds

 

 

 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares

   $ 626,494      $ 246,944 (a)     $      $ 1,189      $ (238    $ 874,389        873,952      $ 21,571 (b)     $   

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares

     250,000        70,000 (a)                            320,000        320,000        10,650         
           

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

       

 

 

    

 

 

 
            $ 1,189      $ (238    $ 1,194,389         $  32,221      $  
           

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

       

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

 
  (b) 

All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities.

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

 

 
Description  

Number of

Contracts

   

Expiration

Date

   

Notional

Amount

(000)

   

Value/

Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

 

 

 

Long Contracts

       

MSCI Emerging Markets Index

    2       03/15/24     $ 102     $ 3,285   
       

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

 

 
   

Commodity

Contracts

    

Credit

Contracts

    

Equity

Contracts

    

Foreign

Currency

Exchange

Contracts

    

Interest

Rate

Contracts

    

Other

Contracts

     Total  

 

 

Assets — Derivative Financial Instruments

                   

Futures contracts

                   

Unrealized appreciation on futures contracts(a)

  $      $      $ 3,285      $      $      $      $ 3,285   
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

 

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

 

 
   

Commodity

Contracts

    

Credit

Contracts

    

Equity

Contracts

   

Foreign

Currency

Exchange

Contracts

    

Interest

Rate

Contracts

    

Other

Contracts

     Total  

 

 

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                  

Futures contracts

  $      $      $ (100,429   $      $      $      $ (100,429
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

                  

Futures contracts

  $      $      $ 10,063     $      $      $      $ 10,063  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

 

 

Futures contracts:

  

Average notional value of contracts — long

   $ 149,550   

 

 

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

 

 

26  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

   iShares® MSCI Malaysia ETF

 

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

 

 
     Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

 

 

Assets

                 

Investments

                 

Long-Term Investments

                 

Common Stocks

   $ 56,900,992        $ 186,496,457        $        $ 243,397,449  

Short-Term Securities

                 

Money Market Funds

     1,194,389                            1,194,389  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $  58,095,381        $ 186,496,457        $        $ 244,591,838  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

                 

Assets

                 

Equity Contracts

   $ 3,285        $        $     —        $ 3,285  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Derivative financial instruments are futures contracts. Futures contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  27


Schedule of Investments (unaudited)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Common Stocks

   
Australia — 67.5%            

Ampol Ltd.

    257,370     $ 6,597,644  

ANZ Group Holdings Ltd.

    3,237,388       60,007,109  

APA Group

    1,384,024       7,065,815  

Aristocrat Leisure Ltd.

    625,735       19,011,966  

ASX Ltd.

    210,153       9,004,402  

Aurizon Holdings Ltd.

    1,964,712       4,869,388  

BHP Group Ltd.

    5,456,166       156,408,147  

BlueScope Steel Ltd.

    482,167       7,170,053  

Brambles Ltd.

    1,499,561       14,724,169  

CAR Group Ltd.

    385,921       9,245,749  

Cochlear Ltd.

    70,330       16,031,949  

Coles Group Ltd.

    1,443,058       15,872,563  

Commonwealth Bank of Australia

    1,802,653       136,742,903  

Computershare Ltd.

    579,958       9,801,293  

CSL Ltd.

    520,018       96,808,750  

Dexus

    1,148,022       5,497,682  

Endeavour Group Ltd./Australia

    1,529,307       5,474,733  

Fortescue Ltd.

    1,822,867       30,766,362  

Goodman Group

    1,839,911       35,818,627  

GPT Group (The)

    2,044,629       5,782,654  

IDP Education Ltd.

    282,233       3,505,810  

Insurance Australia Group Ltd.

    2,600,760       10,498,394  

James Hardie Industries PLC(a)

    473,835       18,742,736  

Lottery Corp. Ltd. (The)

    2,398,686       7,936,632  

Macquarie Group Ltd.

    393,834       50,008,793  

Medibank Pvt Ltd.

    2,971,416       6,944,113  

Mineral Resources Ltd.

    189,169       8,208,841  

Mirvac Group

    4,264,721       6,048,885  

National Australia Bank Ltd.

    3,357,905       74,609,695  

Northern Star Resources Ltd.

    1,237,061       10,283,278  

Orica Ltd.

    518,844       5,781,972  

Origin Energy Ltd.

    1,843,511       10,769,633  

Pilbara Minerals Ltd.

    3,081,666       8,415,401  

Qantas Airways Ltd.(a)

    901,905       3,014,763  

QBE Insurance Group Ltd.

    1,609,208       18,111,591  

Ramsay Health Care Ltd.

    198,191       7,070,435  

REA Group Ltd.

    57,025       7,211,915  

Reece Ltd.

    240,947       4,218,981  

Rio Tinto Ltd.

    399,590       32,178,545  

Santos Ltd.

    3,498,023       16,106,767  

Scentre Group

    5,587,102       11,307,513  

SEEK Ltd.

    380,219       6,511,130  

Seven Group Holdings Ltd.

    176,119       4,408,521  

Sonic Healthcare Ltd.

    487,682       9,463,846  

South32 Ltd.

    4,881,157       9,350,713  

Stockland

    2,573,805       7,520,195  

Suncorp Group Ltd.

    1,364,075       13,584,889  

Telstra Group Ltd.

    4,353,154       10,816,334  

Transurban Group

    3,324,414       29,295,462  

Treasury Wine Estates Ltd.

    873,447       7,012,344  

Vicinity Ltd.

    4,130,118       5,215,642  

Washington H Soul Pattinson & Co. Ltd

    250,433       5,633,428  

Wesfarmers Ltd.

    1,221,517       53,018,360  

Westpac Banking Corp.

    3,769,201       64,676,657  

WiseTech Global Ltd.

    179,423       11,067,392  

Woodside Energy Group Ltd.

    2,043,880       40,323,266  

Woolworths Group Ltd.

    1,314,957       27,913,339  

Xero Ltd.(a)

    155,055       12,895,698  
   

 

 

 
      1,292,383,867  
Security   Shares     Value  
Hong Kong — 18.1%            

AIA Group Ltd.

    12,230,214     $ 98,590,021  

BOC Hong Kong Holdings Ltd.

    4,006,500       10,525,913  

CK Asset Holdings Ltd.

    2,115,732       9,732,407  

CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd.

    2,890,732       14,601,320  

CK Infrastructure Holdings Ltd.

    683,708       4,014,056  

CLP Holdings Ltd.

    1,770,500       14,734,319  

ESR Group Ltd.(b)

    1,837,600       2,448,520  

Futu Holdings Ltd., ADR(a)

    60,942       3,261,616  

Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd.

    2,359,000       12,844,200  

Hang Lung Properties Ltd.

    1,975,736       2,120,583  

Hang Seng Bank Ltd.

    823,200       9,379,680  

Henderson Land Development Co. Ltd.

    1,575,442       4,533,027  

HKT Trust & HKT Ltd., Class SS

    4,105,338       5,005,445  

Hong Kong & China Gas Co. Ltd.

    12,150,253       9,367,981  

Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing Ltd.

    1,234,500       38,020,819  

Hongkong Land Holdings Ltd.

    1,197,100       4,053,112  

Jardine Matheson Holdings Ltd.

    171,900       7,217,174  

Link REIT

    2,774,863       13,759,455  

MTR Corp. Ltd.

    1,679,286       5,555,534  

Power Assets Holdings Ltd.

    1,503,000       9,019,731  

Sands China Ltd.(a)

    2,615,600       7,426,589  

Sino Land Co. Ltd.

    4,132,800       4,450,763  

SITC International Holdings Co. Ltd.

    1,481,000       2,438,625  

Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd.

    1,560,000       15,697,142  

Swire Pacific Ltd., Class A

    466,500       3,864,454  

Swire Properties Ltd.

    1,279,200       2,631,272  

Techtronic Industries Co. Ltd.

    1,480,207       15,968,794  

WH Group Ltd.(b)

    9,027,000       5,424,828  

Wharf Holdings Ltd. (The)(c)

    1,161,850       4,282,522  

Wharf Real Estate Investment Co. Ltd.

    1,802,600       6,002,885  
   

 

 

 
       346,972,787  
New Zealand — 1.8%            

Auckland International Airport Ltd.

    1,430,444       7,054,498  

EBOS Group Ltd.

    166,173       3,745,363  

Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corp. Ltd.

    628,599       9,354,458  

Mercury NZ Ltd.

    742,478       3,019,745  

Meridian Energy Ltd.

    1,380,646       5,027,352  

Spark New Zealand Ltd.

    1,952,820       6,028,099  
   

 

 

 
      34,229,515  
Singapore — 12.0%            

CapitaLand Ascendas REIT

    4,018,080       8,188,638  

CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust

    5,733,138       8,362,525  

CapitaLand Investment Ltd/Singapore

    2,776,300       5,743,377  

City Developments Ltd.

    542,900       2,288,290  

DBS Group Holdings Ltd.

    1,949,700       48,343,320  

Genting Singapore Ltd.

    6,543,800       4,428,385  

Grab Holdings Ltd., Class A(a)(c)

    2,047,112       6,284,634  

Jardine Cycle & Carriage Ltd.

    107,900       2,045,409  

Keppel Ltd.

    1,568,300       8,457,140  

Mapletree Logistics Trust

    3,774,284       4,157,707  

Mapletree Pan Asia Commercial Trust

    2,582,900       2,595,181  

Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. Ltd.

    3,645,024       35,206,966  

Sea Ltd., ADR(a)

    396,955       19,260,257  

Seatrium Ltd.(a)

    47,342,096       3,174,389  

Sembcorp Industries Ltd.

    971,400       3,689,123  

Singapore Airlines Ltd.

    1,604,950       7,725,012  

Singapore Exchange Ltd.(c)

    878,700       6,173,205  

Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd.

    1,692,100       5,009,749  

Singapore Telecommunications Ltd.

    8,899,428       15,532,288  

United Overseas Bank Ltd.

    1,361,000       28,320,517  
 

 

 

28  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Singapore (continued)            

Wilmar International Ltd.

    2,080,500     $ 5,137,999  
   

 

 

 
      230,124,111  
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 99.4%
(Cost: $1,993,619,430)

      1,903,710,280  
   

 

 

 

Short-Term Securities

   
Money Market Funds — 0.3%            

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares, 5.50%(d)(e)(f)

    4,232,655       4,234,771  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares, 5.30%(d)(e)

    1,420,000       1,420,000  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 0.3%
(Cost: $5,652,565)

      5,654,771  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments — 99.7%
(Cost: $1,999,271,995)

      1,909,365,051  

Other Assets Less Liabilities — 0.3%

      6,373,727  
   

 

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

    $ 1,915,738,778  
   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Non-income producing security.

(b) 

Security exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration to qualified institutional investors.

(c) 

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(d) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(e) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

 

(f) 

All or a portion of this security was purchased with the cash collateral from loaned securities.

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

 

 
Affiliated Issuer   

Value at

08/31/23

   

Purchases

at Cost

   

Proceeds

from Sale

   

Net Realized

Gain (Loss)

   

Change in

Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

    Value at
02/29/24
   

Shares

Held at

02/29/24

    Income    

Capital

Gain

Distributions

from

Underlying

Funds

 

 

 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares

   $ 9,545,074     $     $  (5,315,682 )(a)    $ 6,531     $ (1,152   $ 4,234,771       4,232,655     $ 39,312 (b)    $  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares

     820,000       600,000 (a)                        1,420,000       1,420,000       46,595        
        

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 
         $ 6,531     $ (1,152   $ 5,654,771       $  85,907     $   
        

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

 
  (b) 

All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities.

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

 

 
Description   

Number of

Contracts

   

Expiration

Date

   

Notional

Amount

(000)

   

Value/

Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

 

 

 

Long Contracts

        

SPI 200 Index

     67       03/21/24     $ 8,359     $ 129,290  

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  29


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

   iShares® MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF

 

Futures Contracts (continued)

 

 

 
Description   

Number of

Contracts

   

Expiration

Date

   

Notional

Amount

(000)

   

Value/

Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

 

 

 

MSCI Singapore Index

     160       03/27/24     $ 3,351     $ (5,622
        

 

 

 
         $ 123,668  
        

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

 

 
    

Commodity

Contracts

   

Credit

Contracts

   

Equity

Contracts

   

Foreign

Currency

Exchange

Contracts

   

Interest

Rate

Contracts

   

Other

Contracts

    Total  

 

 

Assets — Derivative Financial Instruments

              

Futures contracts

              

Unrealized appreciation on futures contracts(a)

   $     $     $ 129,290     $     $     $     $ 129,290  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Liabilities — Derivative Financial Instruments

              

Futures contracts

              

Unrealized depreciation on futures contracts(a)

   $     $     $ 5,622     $     $     $     $ 5,622  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

 

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

 

 
    

Commodity

Contracts

   

Credit

Contracts

   

Equity

Contracts

   

Foreign

Currency

Exchange

Contracts

   

Interest

Rate

Contracts

   

Other

Contracts

    Total  

 

 

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                

Futures contracts

   $     $       $ (51,647   $     $     $     $ (51,647
  

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

                

Futures contracts

   $     $       $ (21,517   $     $     $     $ (21,517
  

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

 

 

Futures contracts:

  

Average notional value of contracts — long

   $ 11,164,214   

 

 

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

 

 
     Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

 

 

Assets

                 

Investments

                 

Long-Term Investments

                 

Common Stocks

   $ 44,908,849        $ 1,858,801,431        $        $ 1,903,710,280  

Short-Term Securities

                 

Money Market Funds

     5,654,771                            5,654,771  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $  50,563,620        $ 1,858,801,431         $     —        $ 1,909,365,051  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

30  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

   iShares® MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF

 

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End (continued)

 

 

 
     Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

                 

Assets

                 

Equity Contracts

   $        $ 129,290        $        $ 129,290  

Liabilities

                 

Equity Contracts

              (5,622                 (5,622
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $       —        $      123,668        $     —                123,668  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Derivative financial instruments are futures contracts. Futures contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  31


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) 

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Singapore ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 

Common Stocks

   
Aerospace & Defense — 3.0%            

Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd.

    4,000,000     $ 11,842,679  
   

 

 

 
Banks — 44.8%            

DBS Group Holdings Ltd.

    3,183,200       78,928,274  

Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. Ltd.

    5,806,650       56,085,921  

United Overseas Bank Ltd.

    2,125,800       44,234,941  
   

 

 

 
       179,249,136  
Capital Markets — 3.4%            

Singapore Exchange Ltd.(a)

    1,953,200       13,721,979  
   

 

 

 
Diversified Telecommunication Services — 4.6%  

Singapore Telecommunications Ltd.

    10,488,868       18,306,358  
   

 

 

 
Entertainment — 5.0%            

Sea Ltd., ADR(b)

    410,365       19,910,910  
   

 

 

 
Food Products — 3.0%            

Wilmar International Ltd.

    4,889,500       12,075,101  
   

 

 

 
Ground Transportation — 3.4%            

Grab Holdings Ltd., Class A(b)

    4,440,953       13,633,726  
   

 

 

 
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure — 2.6%            

Genting Singapore Ltd.

    15,280,942       10,341,071  
   

 

 

 
Industrial Conglomerates — 6.1%            

Jardine Cycle & Carriage Ltd.

    344,600       6,532,420  

Keppel Ltd.

    3,299,900       17,794,884  
   

 

 

 
      24,327,304  
Industrial REITs — 6.9%            

CapitaLand Ascendas REIT

    8,525,894       17,375,329  

Mapletree Logistics Trust

    9,275,013       10,217,245  
   

 

 

 
      27,592,574  
Machinery — 2.2%            

Seatrium Ltd.(b)

    129,732,015       8,698,809  
   

 

 

 
Multi-Utilities — 2.3%            

Sembcorp Industries Ltd.

    2,405,300       9,134,700  
   

 

 

 
Security   Shares      Value  

 

 
Passenger Airlines — 4.0%             

Singapore Airlines Ltd.

    3,362,767      $ 16,185,809  
    

 

 

 
Real Estate Management & Development — 3.4%  

CapitaLand Investment Ltd/Singapore

    3,357,100        6,944,887  

City Developments Ltd.

    1,623,800        6,844,218  
    

 

 

 
       13,789,105  
Retail REITs — 4.7%             

CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust

    7,749,994        11,304,370  

Mapletree Pan Asia Commercial Trust

    7,401,600        7,436,794  
    

 

 

 
       18,741,164  
    

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 99.4%
(Cost: $418,998,570)

       397,550,425  
    

 

 

 

Short-Term Securities

    
Money Market Funds — 2.7%             

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares, 5.50%(c)(d)(e)

    10,412,274        10,417,480  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares, 5.30%(c)(d)

    220,000        220,000  
    

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 2.7%
(Cost: $10,636,186)

       10,637,480  
    

 

 

 

Total Investments — 102.1%
(Cost: $429,634,756)

       408,187,905  

Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets — (2.1)%

 

     (8,307,779
    

 

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

     $  399,880,126  
    

 

 

 

 

(a) 

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(b) 

Non-income producing security.

(c) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(d) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

(e) 

All or a portion of this security was purchased with the cash collateral from loaned securities.

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

 

 
Affiliated Issuer   

Value at

08/31/23

   

Purchases

at Cost

   

Proceeds

from Sale

   

Net Realized

Gain (Loss)

   

Change in

Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

   

Value at

02/29/24

   

Shares

Held at

02/29/24

    Income    

Capital

Gain

Distributions

from

Underlying

Funds

 

 

 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares

   $ 2,785,173     $  7,630,612 (a)    $     $ 608     $ 1,087     $ 10,417,480       10,412,274     $ 23,262 (b)    $  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares

     420,000             (200,000 )(a)                  220,000       220,000       18,633        
        

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 
         $ 608     $ 1,087     $ 10,637,480       $  41,895     $  
        

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

 
  (b) 

All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities.

 

 

 

32  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

   iShares® MSCI Singapore ETF

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

 

 
Description   

Number of

Contracts

   

Expiration

Date

   

Notional

Amount

(000)

   

Value/

Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

 

 

 

Long Contracts

        

MSCI Singapore Index

     67       03/27/24     $ 1,403     $ (3,676 )  
        

 

 

 

OTC Total Return Swaps

 

 

 
Reference Entity   

Payment

Frequency

     Counterparty(a)     

Termination

Date

     Net Notional     

Accrued

Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

    

Net Value of

Reference

Entity

    

Gross

Notional

Amount

Net Asset

Percentage

 

 

 

Equity Securities Long

     Monthly        HSBC Bank PLC        02/08/28      $ 704,845      $ (199    $ 704,646        0.2
              

 

 

    

 

 

    
               $ (199    $ 704,646     
              

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

  (a) 

The Fund receives the total return on a portfolio of long positions underlying the total return swap. The Fund pays the total return on a portfolio of short positions underlying the total return swap. In addition, the Fund pays or receives a variable rate of interest, based on a specified benchmark. The benchmark and spread are determined based upon the country and/or currency of the individual underlying positions.

 

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  33


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Singapore ETF

 

The following table represents the individual long positions and related values of equity securities underlying the total return swap with HSBC Bank PLC as of period end, termination date February 10, 2028.

 

    Shares     Value    

% of 

Basket 

Value 

 

 

 

Reference Entity — Long

     
Common Stocks                  
Capital Markets                  

Singapore Exchange Ltd.

    100,300     $ 704,646       100.0%   
   

 

 

   

Net Value of Reference Entity — HSBC Bank PLC

    $ 704,646    
   

 

 

   

 

Balances Reported in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities for Total Return Swaps

 

 

 
Description  

Swap Premiums

Paid

   

Swap Premiums

Received

   

Unrealized

Appreciation

   

Unrealized 

Depreciation 

 

 

 

Total Return Swaps

  $     $     $     $ (199)    

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

 

 
   

Commodity

Contracts

   

Credit

Contracts

   

Equity

Contracts

   

Foreign

Currency

Exchange

Contracts

   

Interest

Rate

Contracts

   

Other

Contracts

    Total  

 

 

Liabilities — Derivative Financial Instruments

             

Futures contracts

             

Unrealized depreciation on futures contracts(a)

  $     $     $ 3,676     $     $     $     $ 3,676  

Swaps — OTC

             

Unrealized depreciation on OTC swaps; Swap premiums received

  $     $     $ 199     $     $     $     $ 199  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  $     $     $ 3,875     $     $     $     $ 3,875  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

 

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

 

 
    Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
   

Foreign

Currency
Exchange
Contracts

     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

 

 

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                  

Futures contracts

  $      $      $ (52,924   $      $      $      $ (52,924

Swaps

                  (11,180                          (11,180
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
  $      $      $ (64,104   $      $      $      $ (64,104
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

                  

Futures contracts

  $      $      $ (21,438   $      $      $      $ (21,438

Swaps

                  290                            290  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
  $      $      $  (21,148   $      $      $      $  (21,148
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

 

 

Futures contracts:

 

Average notional value of contracts — long

  $ 1,582,878   

Total return swaps:

 

Average notional value

  $ 483,315   

 

 

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

 

 

34  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

   iShares® MSCI Singapore ETF

 

Derivative Financial Instruments - Offsetting as of Period End

The Fund’s derivative assets and liabilities (by type) were as follows:

 

 

 
     Assets      Liabilities  

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments:

     

Futures contracts

   $      $ 3,676  

Swaps - OTC

            199  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total derivative assets and liabilities in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities

            3,875  

Derivatives not subject to a Master Netting Agreement or similar agreement (“MNA”)

            (3,676
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total derivative assets and liabilities subject to an MNA

   $      $ 199  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

The following table presents the Fund’s derivative liabilities by counterparty net of amounts available for offset under an MNA and net of the related collateral pledged by the Fund:

 

 

 
Counterparty   

Derivative

Liabilities

Subject to

an MNA by

Counterparty

    

Derivatives

Available

for Offset

    

Non-Cash

Collateral

Pledged

    

Cash

Collateral

Pledged

    

Net Amount

of Derivative

Liabilities(a)

 

 

 

HSBC Bank PLC

              $ 199                $  —                $  —                $  —                $ 199   
     

 

 

       

 

 

       

 

 

       

 

 

       

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Net amount represents the net amount payable due to the counterparty in the event of default.

 

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

 

 
     Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

 

 

Assets

                 

Investments

                 

Long-Term Investments

                 

Common Stocks

   $ 33,544,636        $ 364,005,789        $        $ 397,550,425  

Short-Term Securities

                 

Money Market Funds

     10,637,480                            10,637,480  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $ 44,182,116        $ 364,005,789        $        $ 408,187,905  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

                 

Liabilities

                 

Equity Contracts

   $        $ (3,875      $     —        $ (3,875
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Derivative financial instruments are swaps and futures contracts. Swaps and futures contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  35


Schedule of Investments (unaudited)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Taiwan ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares      Value  

Common Stocks

 

Automobile Components — 0.5%             

Cheng Shin Rubber Industry Co. Ltd.(a)

    12,577,670      $ 18,696,254  
    

 

 

 
Banks — 10.8%             

Chang Hwa Commercial Bank Ltd.

    34,549,700        19,467,208  

CTBC Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    72,496,325        67,487,773  

E.Sun Financial Holding Co. Ltd.(a)

    59,583,952        47,635,171  

First Financial Holding Co. Ltd.(a)

    48,127,076        41,277,430  

Hua Nan Financial Holdings Co. Ltd.

    44,233,387        30,804,766  

Mega Financial Holding Co. Ltd.(a)

    47,612,493        58,331,943  

Shanghai Commercial & Savings Bank Ltd. (The)

    19,616,218        27,929,443  

SinoPac Financial Holdings Co. Ltd.

    54,677,250        34,792,491  

Taishin Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    55,562,619        30,595,443  

Taiwan Business Bank

    33,416,104        14,805,496  

Taiwan Cooperative Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    46,596,829        38,285,760  
    

 

 

 
        411,412,924  
Biotechnology — 0.3%             

PharmaEssentia Corp.(a)(b)

    1,248,000        12,969,772  
    

 

 

 
Broadline Retail — 0.0%             

momo.com Inc.

    9,000        126,797  
    

 

 

 
Chemicals — 2.7%             

Formosa Chemicals & Fibre Corp.(a)

    14,970,610        27,113,501  

Formosa Plastics Corp.(a)

    16,222,518        36,816,760  

Nan Ya Plastics Corp.(a)

    19,925,938        37,680,880  
    

 

 

 
       101,611,141  
Communications Equipment — 1.2%             

Accton Technology Corp.

    2,693,000        44,317,180  
    

 

 

 
Construction Materials — 1.2%             

Asia Cement Corp.(a)

    14,099,136        18,047,739  

Taiwan Cement Corp.(a)

    27,196,645        27,649,905  
    

 

 

 
       45,697,644  
Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail — 0.7%  

President Chain Store Corp.

    2,913,215        24,838,279  
    

 

 

 
Diversified Telecommunication Services — 1.5%  

Chunghwa Telecom Co. Ltd.(a)

    15,017,648        57,212,126  
    

 

 

 
Electrical Equipment — 0.9%             

Voltronic Power Technology Corp.

    338,000        17,177,537  

Walsin Lihwa Corp.(a)

    13,562,178        15,885,455  

Ya Hsin Industrial Co. Ltd.(c)

    6,845,461        2  
    

 

 

 
       33,062,994  
Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components — 12.1%  

AUO Corp.

    34,702,664        19,246,862  

Delta Electronics Inc.

    7,582,180        70,655,717  

E Ink Holdings Inc.

    3,576,000        27,840,161  

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd.

    44,965,296        146,608,254  

Innolux Corp.

    39,740,399        19,067,980  

Largan Precision Co. Ltd.

    423,794        34,780,517  

Nan Ya Printed Circuit Board Corp.(a)

    1,580,000        10,585,808  

Pacific Electric Wire & Cable Co. Ltd.(c)

    197         

Synnex Technology International
Corp.(a)

    8,981,364        22,125,949  

Unimicron Technology Corp.(a)

    5,769,000        32,779,066  

WPG Holdings Ltd.

    11,459,604        33,646,602  

Yageo Corp.(a)

    1,709,767        30,208,791  

Zhen Ding Technology Holding Ltd.(a)

    4,456,072        14,181,343  
    

 

 

 
       461,727,050  
Financial Services — 2.0%  

Chailease Holding Co. Ltd.(a)

    6,443,790        35,626,750  
Security   Shares      Value  
Financial Services (continued)  

Yuanta Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    47,601,490      $ 41,366,744  
    

 

 

 
       76,993,494  
Food Products — 1.3%  

Uni-President Enterprises Corp.

    20,004,189        48,574,973  
    

 

 

 
Household Durables — 0.4%  

Nien Made Enterprise Co. Ltd.

    1,293,000        15,136,153  
    

 

 

 
Industrial Conglomerates — 0.5%  

Far Eastern New Century Corp.(a)

    19,697,843        20,317,482  
    

 

 

 
Insurance — 4.5%  

Cathay Financial Holding Co. Ltd.(a)

    35,760,798        51,024,805  

China Development Financial Holding Corp.(a)(b)

    74,280,587        29,526,138  

Fubon Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    31,740,414        68,334,820  

Shin Kong Financial Holding Co.
Ltd.(a)(b)

    80,737,273        21,196,350  
    

 

 

 
       170,082,113  
Machinery — 0.8%  

Airtac International Group

    761,826        29,188,023  
    

 

 

 
Marine Transportation — 1.3%  

Evergreen Marine Corp. Taiwan Ltd.

    4,495,013        23,548,070  

Wan Hai Lines Ltd.(a)

    5,983,000        9,531,024  

Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp.(a)

    9,480,000        14,956,456  
    

 

 

 
       48,035,550  
Metals & Mining — 1.0%  

China Steel Corp.(a)

    50,273,977        39,153,040  
    

 

 

 
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels — 0.4%  

Formosa Petrochemical Corp.(a)

    6,848,950        16,106,670  
    

 

 

 
Passenger Airlines — 0.7%  

China Airlines Ltd.(a)

    18,155,000        11,497,598  

Eva Airways Corp.(a)

    14,438,000        14,373,176  
    

 

 

 
       25,870,774  
Real Estate Management & Development — 0.3%  

Ruentex Development Co. Ltd.

    11,427,969        13,151,095  
    

 

 

 
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment — 38.7%  

Alchip Technologies Ltd.(a)

    283,279        37,161,233  

ASE Technology Holding Co. Ltd.

    13,193,432        58,244,269  

eMemory Technology Inc.

    272,000        23,354,528  

Global Unichip Corp.(a)

    421,000        21,218,368  

Globalwafers Co. Ltd.(a)

    1,169,000        20,647,284  

MediaTek Inc.

    5,474,175        197,542,794  

Nanya Technology Corp.(a)

    8,097,000        17,238,515  

Novatek Microelectronics Corp.(a)

    2,636,544        50,182,263  

Parade Technologies Ltd.(a)

    387,000        12,448,723  

Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp.(a)

    14,937,000        13,057,514  

Realtek Semiconductor Corp.(a)

    2,246,063        40,480,885  

Silergy Corp.(a)

    1,501,000        19,805,844  

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

    39,131,882        857,556,225  

United Microelectronics Corp.(a)

    44,139,501        68,055,534  

Vanguard International Semiconductor Corp.(a)

    5,405,000        12,346,872  

Winbond Electronics Corp.(a)

    22,319,737        19,733,048  
    

 

 

 
       1,469,073,899  
Specialty Retail — 0.8%  

Hotai Motor Co. Ltd.

    1,417,500        30,103,850  
    

 

 

 
Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals — 12.0%  

Acer Inc.(a)

    20,186,737        28,870,479  

Advantech Co. Ltd.

    2,275,021        28,078,222  

Asustek Computer Inc.

    3,250,857        46,840,484  
 

 

 

36  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Taiwan ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals (continued)  

Catcher Technology Co. Ltd.(a)

    3,689,743     $ 22,989,367  

Compal Electronics Inc.

    26,190,554       30,243,955  

Gigabyte Technology Co. Ltd.(a)

    2,130,000       23,297,275  

Inventec Corp.(a)

    17,143,868       29,861,931  

Lite-On Technology Corp.(a)

    9,978,071       34,620,478  

Micro-Star International Co. Ltd.

    4,190,000       25,356,100  

Pegatron Corp.

    10,242,037       27,732,961  

Quanta Computer Inc.(a)

    10,891,240       80,032,416  

Wistron Corp.(a)

    9,881,000       36,181,910  

Wiwynn Corp.(a)

    575,000       42,450,996  
   

 

 

 
      456,556,574  
Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods — 1.4%  

Eclat Textile Co. Ltd.

    1,216,601       20,793,849  

Feng TAY Enterprise Co. Ltd.(a)

    3,215,916       16,823,174  

Pou Chen Corp.

    17,089,103       16,509,438  
   

 

 

 
      54,126,461  
Transportation Infrastructure — 0.4%  

Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp.

    16,422,000       15,692,943  
   

 

 

 
Wireless Telecommunication Services — 1.4%  

Far EasTone Telecommunications Co. Ltd.

    10,346,259       25,776,655  

Taiwan Mobile Co. Ltd.

    8,278,609       25,943,884  
   

 

 

 
      51,720,539  
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 99.8%
(Cost: $1,449,626,436)

 

    3,791,555,794  
   

 

 

 
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 

Short-Term Securities

   
Money Market Funds — 10.5%            

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares, 5.50%(d)(e)(f)

    398,089,888     $ 398,288,933  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares, 5.30%(d)(e)

    1,660,000       1,660,000  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 10.5%
(Cost: $399,864,697)

 

    399,948,933  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments — 110.3%
(Cost: $1,849,491,133)

 

    4,191,504,727  

Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets — (10.3)%

 

    (392,395,630
   

 

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

 

  $  3,799,109,097  
   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(b) 

Non-income producing security.

(c) 

Security is valued using significant unobservable inputs and is classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.

(d) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(e) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

(f) 

All or a portion of this security was purchased with the cash collateral from loaned securities.

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

 

 
Affiliated Issuer  

Value at

08/31/23

   

Purchases

at Cost

   

Proceeds

from Sale

   

Net Realized

Gain (Loss)

   

Change in

Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

   

Value at

02/29/24

   

Shares

Held at

02/29/24

    Income    

Capital

Gain

Distributions

from

Underlying

Funds

 

 

 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares

  $  460,864,976     $     $  (62,662,980 )(a)    $ 35,980     $ 50,957     $ 398,288,933       398,089,888     $ 2,415,465 (b)    $  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares

    4,050,000             (2,390,000 )(a)                  1,660,000       1,660,000       346,207        
       

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 
        $ 35,980     $ 50,957     $  399,948,933       $ 2,761,672     $  
       

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

 
  (b) 

All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities.

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

 

 
Description   

Number of

Contracts

   

Expiration

Date

   

Notional

Amount

(000)

   

Value/

Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

 

 

 

Long Contracts

        

FTSE Taiwan Index

     120       03/28/24     $ 7,771     $ 36,646  
        

 

 

 

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  37


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

   iShares® MSCI Taiwan ETF

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

 

 
    

Commodity

Contracts

   

Credit

Contracts

   

Equity

Contracts

   

Foreign

Currency

Exchange

Contracts

   

Interest

Rate

Contracts

   

Other

Contracts

    Total  

 

 

Assets — Derivative Financial Instruments

              

Futures contracts

              

Unrealized appreciation on futures contracts(a)

   $     $     $ 36,646     $     $     $     $ 36,646   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

 

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

 

 
    

Commodity

Contracts

   

Credit

Contracts

   

Equity

Contracts

   

Foreign

Currency

Exchange

Contracts

   

Interest

Rate

Contracts

   

Other

Contracts

    Total  

 

 

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

              

Futures contracts

   $     $     $ 479,568     $     $     $     $ 479,568  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

              

Futures contracts

   $     $     $ (54,670   $     $     $     $ (54,670
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

 

 

Futures contracts:

  

Average notional value of contracts — long

   $ 10,318,557   

 

 

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

 

 
     Level 1      Level 2      Level 3      Total  

 

 

Assets

           

Investments

           

Long-Term Investments

           

Common Stocks

   $ 12,969,772      $ 3,778,586,020      $ 2      $ 3,791,555,794  

Short-Term Securities

           

Money Market Funds

     399,948,933                      399,948,933  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   $ 412,918,705      $ 3,778,586,020      $ 2      $ 4,191,504,727  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

           

Assets

                    

Equity Contracts

   $      $ 36,646      $      —      $ 36,646  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Derivative financial instruments are futures contracts. Futures contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

38  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) 

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Thailand ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Common Stocks

   
Air Freight & Logistics — 0.1%  

SCGJWD Logistics PCL, NVDR(a)(b)

    617,100     $ 259,881  
   

 

 

 
Automobile Components — 0.4%  

Sri Trang Agro-Industry PCL, NVDR

    1,703,345       916,631  
   

 

 

 
Banks — 5.5%  

Kasikornbank PCL, NVDR

    1,002,600       3,440,538  

Kiatnakin Phatra Bank PCL, NVDR

    360,673       518,172  

Krung Thai Bank PCL, NVDR

    5,907,100       2,651,147  

SCB X PCL, NVDR

    1,424,500       4,474,248  

Thanachart Capital PCL, NVDR

    448,400       621,996  

Tisco Financial Group PCL, NVDR

    40,300       112,928  

TMBThanachart Bank PCL, NVDR

    41,051,200       2,108,608  
   

 

 

 
       13,927,637  
Beverages — 1.0%  

Carabao Group PCL, NVDR(b)

    592,300       1,149,240  

Osotspa PCL, NVDR(b)

    2,286,400       1,296,938  
   

 

 

 
      2,446,178  
Broadline Retail — 1.2%  

Central Retail Corp. PCL, NVDR

    3,058,934       2,969,268  
   

 

 

 
Building Products — 0.1%  

Dynasty Ceramic PCL, NVDR

    6,874,840       356,537  
   

 

 

 
Capital Markets — 0.4%  

Bangkok Commercial Asset Management PCL, NVDR

    3,025,600       709,491  

Beyond Securities PCL, NVDR(a)(b)

    3,027,100       311,106  
   

 

 

 
      1,020,597  
Chemicals — 2.7%  

Eastern Polymer Group PCL, NVDR

    1,425,400       282,940  

Indorama Ventures PCL, NVDR(b)

    2,848,110       1,850,924  

PTT Global Chemical PCL, NVDR

    3,814,707       4,037,459  

TOA Paint Thailand PCL, NVDR

    1,040,500       580,906  
   

 

 

 
      6,752,229  
Construction & Engineering — 0.9%  

CH Karnchang PCL, NVDR(b)

    1,862,800       1,209,223  

PSG Corp. PCL, NVS(a)(b)

    21,822,800       444,792  

Sino-Thai Engineering & Construction PCL, NVDR(b)

    1,796,828       505,949  
   

 

 

 
      2,159,964  
Construction Materials — 4.5%  

Siam Cement PCL (The), NVDR

    1,319,600       9,897,697  

Siam City Cement PCL, NVDR

    152,600       578,659  

Tipco Asphalt PCL, NVDR

    1,066,900       472,988  

TPI Polene PCL, NVDR

    9,673,900       374,926  
   

 

 

 
      11,324,270  
Consumer Finance — 3.1%  

AEON Thana Sinsap Thailand PCL, NVDR

    149,300       625,081  

JMT Network Services PCL, NVDR(b)

    1,111,800       694,045  

Krungthai Card PCL, NVDR(b)

    1,745,600       2,081,602  

Muangthai Capital PCL, NVDR(b)

    1,255,200       1,606,331  

Ngern Tid Lor PCL, NVDR

    2,138,700       1,343,526  

Ratchthani Leasing PCL, NVDR

    4,046,769       232,655  

Srisawad Corp. PCL, NVDR

    1,161,460       1,235,014  
   

 

 

 
      7,818,254  
Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail — 7.6%  

Berli Jucker PCL, NVDR

    77,900       52,653  

CP ALL PCL, NVDR

    9,877,200       15,837,699  

CP Axtra PCL, NVDR

    3,577,700       3,322,222  
   

 

 

 
      19,212,574  
Security   Shares     Value  
Containers & Packaging — 0.7%  

SCG Packaging PCL, NVDR

    2,177,600     $ 1,700,357  
   

 

 

 
Diversified Consumer Services — 0.2%  

SISB PCL(b)

    394,800       457,857  
   

 

 

 
Diversified Telecommunication Services — 1.6%  

Jasmine International PCL, NVDR

    6,636,768       378,398  

Thaicom PCL, NVDR(b)

    933,600       307,163  

True Corp. PCL, NVDR(a)

    17,540,448       3,454,737  
   

 

 

 
      4,140,298  
Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components — 5.6%  

Delta Electronics Thailand PCL, NVDR

    5,275,300        10,501,618  

Ditto Thailand PCL, NVDR(b)

    277,560       186,275  

Forth Corp. PCL, NVDR(b)

    391,800       176,246  

Hana Microelectronics PCL, NVDR

    953,200       987,678  

Jaymart Group Holdings PCL, NVDR(b)

    1,112,800       437,916  

KCE Electronics PCL, NVDR

    1,399,400       1,481,452  

Nex Point Parts PCL, NVDR(a)(b)

    1,384,900       381,343  
   

 

 

 
      14,152,528  
Entertainment — 0.3%  

Major Cineplex Group PCL, NVDR(b)

    990,500       383,883  

RS PCL, NVDR(b)

    901,120       357,114  
   

 

 

 
      740,997  
Food Products — 3.7%  

Betagro PCL, NVS(b)

    1,137,100       704,367  

Charoen Pokphand Foods PCL, NVDR(b)

    6,570,400       3,461,932  

GFPT PCL, NVDR(b)

    738,200       244,745  

Ichitan Group PCL, NVDR

    1,100,100       543,762  

I-TAIL Corp. PCL, NVS

    1,277,600       648,911  

Khon Kaen Sugar Industry PCL, NVDR

    4,057,178       280,547  

R&B Food Supply PCL, NVDR(b)

    841,300       279,526  

Sappe PCL(b)

    181,500       437,571  

Srinanaporn Marketing PCL, NVDR(b)

    813,300       387,703  

Thai Union Group PCL, NVDR

    4,808,900       1,932,509  

Thai Vegetable Oil PCL, NVDR(b)

    681,688       399,148  
   

 

 

 
      9,320,721  
Ground Transportation — 0.8%  

BTS Group Holdings PCL, NVDR(b)

    13,357,200       1,919,566  
   

 

 

 
Health Care Equipment & Supplies — 0.2%  

Sri Trang Gloves Thailand PCL, NVDR

    1,708,100       408,958  
   

 

 

 
Health Care Providers & Services — 9.5%  

Bangkok Chain Hospital PCL, NVDR

    2,109,325       1,240,952  

Bangkok Dusit Medical Services PCL, NVDR

    18,817,800       14,949,986  

Bumrungrad Hospital PCL, NVDR

    1,009,476       6,298,472  

Chularat Hospital PCL, NVDR(b)

    8,418,800       690,890  

Thonburi Healthcare Group PCL, NVDR

    573,800       695,952  
   

 

 

 
      23,876,252  
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure — 3.4%  

Asset World Corp. PCL, NVDR(b)

    13,532,000       1,453,889  

Central Plaza Hotel PCL, NVDR(a)(b)

    799,600       959,389  

Erawan Group PCL (The), NVDR(a)

    4,208,100       556,915  

Minor International PCL, NVDR

    5,680,610       5,030,027  

MK Restaurants Group PCL, NVDR

    470,600       492,444  
   

 

 

 
      8,492,664  
Independent Power and Renewable Electricity Producers — 6.7%  

B Grimm Power PCL, NVDR(b)

    1,543,800       1,109,170  

Banpu Power PCL, NVDR

    1,023,200       399,750  

BCPG PCL, NVDR(b)

    1,964,050       424,897  

CK Power PCL, NVDR(b)

    3,461,160       380,467  

Electricity Generating PCL, NVDR

    400,800       1,313,409  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  39


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Thailand ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Independent Power and Renewable Electricity Producers (continued)  

Energy Absolute PCL, NVDR

    2,837,600     $ 2,792,880  

Global Power Synergy PCL, NVDR

    1,192,300       1,695,746  

Gulf Energy Development PCL, NVDR(b)

    4,965,800       5,961,921  

Gunkul Engineering PCL, NVDR

    6,824,222       521,481  

Ratch Group PCL, NVDR

    1,839,300       1,486,667  

SPCG PCL, NVDR(b)

    805,400       280,705  

Super Energy Corp. PCL, NVDR(a)

    17,134,150       162,432  

TPI Polene Power PCL, NVDR(b)

    4,291,900       404,479  
   

 

 

 
       16,934,004  
Insurance — 0.5%  

Bangkok Life Assurance PCL, NVDR

    1,017,200       508,009  

Dhipaya Group Holdings PCL, NVDR(b)

    499,300       406,940  

TQM Alpha PCL, NVDR

    353,400       258,658  
   

 

 

 
      1,173,607  
IT Services — 0.1%  

SKY ICT PCL, NVDR

    241,800       187,089  
   

 

 

 
Marine Transportation — 0.3%  

Precious Shipping PCL, NVDR

    1,470,200       364,267  

Regional Container Lines PCL, NVDR(b)

    635,400       394,533  
   

 

 

 
      758,800  
Media — 0.4%  

BEC World PCL, NVDR

    624,690       72,118  

Plan B Media PCL, NVDR

    3,277,660       800,964  

VGI PCL, NVDR(b)

    6,564,150       262,182  
   

 

 

 
      1,135,264  
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels — 14.3%  

Bangchak Corp. PCL, NVDR

    1,746,300       2,022,650  

Bangchak Sriracha PCL, NVDR(b)

    1,190,800       328,564  

Banpu PCL, NVDR(b)

    15,242,924       2,379,047  

IRPC PCL, NVDR

    17,288,400       939,978  

Prima Marine PCL, NVDR(b)

    1,703,100       311,198  

PTT Exploration & Production PCL, NVDR(b)

    2,350,784       9,871,744  

PTT PCL, NVDR

    16,910,400       16,140,624  

Siamgas & Petrochemicals PCL, NVDR

    936,700       220,692  

Star Petroleum Refining PCL, NVDR

    2,955,800       736,013  

Thai Oil PCL, NVDR

    2,077,300       3,243,204  
   

 

 

 
      36,193,714  
Passenger Airlines — 0.4%  

Asia Aviation PCL, NVDR(a)

    8,444,147       532,989  

Bangkok Airways PCL, NVDR

    1,251,800       555,200  
   

 

 

 
      1,088,189  
Pharmaceuticals — 0.3%  

Mega Lifesciences PCL, NVDR

    594,000       689,136  
   

 

 

 
Real Estate Management & Development — 7.1%  

Amata Corp. PCL, NVDR

    1,368,500       859,043  

AP Thailand PCL, NVDR

    3,725,486       1,091,568  

Bangkok Land PCL, NVDR(a)(b)

    19,232,600       364,650  

Central Pattana PCL, NVDR

    3,419,300       6,172,807  

Land & Houses PCL, NVDR(b)

    14,154,300       2,996,783  

MBK PCL, NVDR

    1,485,500       684,698  

Origin Property PCL, NVDR(b)

    1,234,700       261,801  

Pruksa Holding PCL, NVDR(b)

    943,200       323,978  
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Real Estate Management & Development (continued)  

Quality Houses PCL, NVDR(b)

    12,589,532     $ 758,215  

Sansiri PCL, NVDR

    22,304,437       1,145,271  

SC Asset Corp. PCL, NVDR(b)

    2,495,504       233,775  

Supalai PCL, NVDR

    2,148,100       1,257,729  

WHA Corp. PCL, NVDR

    13,901,040       1,783,520  
   

 

 

 
      17,933,838  
Specialty Retail — 3.5%  

Aurora Design PCL, NVDR(b)

    672,500       262,575  

Com7 PCL, NVDR(b)

    1,827,400       1,058,196  

Dohome PCL, NVDR(b)

    1,821,541       610,510  

Home Product Center PCL, NVDR

    10,003,973       3,124,531  

PTG Energy PCL, NVDR

    1,715,900       435,937  

PTT Oil & Retail Business PCL, NVDR(b)

    5,066,400       2,555,885  

Siam Global House PCL, NVDR

    1,891,000       896,333  
   

 

 

 
      8,943,967  
Transportation Infrastructure — 6.3%  

Airports of Thailand PCL, NVDR(b)

    7,249,800       12,847,734  

Bangkok Aviation Fuel Services PCL, NVDR(b)

    427,900       278,428  

Bangkok Expressway & Metro PCL, NVDR

    12,920,153       2,904,274  
   

 

 

 
      16,030,436  
Water Utilities — 0.3%  

TTW PCL, NVDR(b)

    2,377,966       623,362  

WHA Utilities and Power PCL, NVDR(b)

    1,930,800       211,130  
   

 

 

 
      834,492  
Wireless Telecommunication Services — 5.5%  

Advanced Info Service PCL, NVDR

    1,948,419       10,931,305  

Intouch Holdings PCL, NVDR(b)

    1,626,500       3,073,568  
   

 

 

 
      14,004,873  
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 99.2%
(Cost: $369,345,662)

 

    250,281,627  
   

 

 

 

Short-Term Securities

   
Money Market Funds — 10.8%            

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares, 5.50%(c)(d)(e)

    26,870,353       26,883,788  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares, 5.30%(c)(d)

    340,000       340,000  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 10.8%
(Cost: $27,214,921)

 

    27,223,788  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments — 110.0%
(Cost: $396,560,583)

 

    277,505,415  

Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets — (10.0)%

 

    (25,170,415
   

 

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

 

  $  252,335,000  
   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Non-income producing security.

(b) 

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(c) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(d) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

(e) 

All or a portion of this security was purchased with the cash collateral from loaned securities.

 

 

 

40  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

   iShares® MSCI Thailand ETF

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

 

 
Affiliated Issuer    Value at
08/31/23
    Purchases
at Cost
    Proceeds
from Sale
    Net Realized
Gain (Loss)
    Change in
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
    Value at
02/29/24
    Shares
Held at
02/29/24
    Income    

Capital

Gain
Distributions
from
Underlying
Funds

 

 

 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares

   $ 17,594,784     $  9,286,383 (a)    $     $ 568     $ 2,053     $ 26,883,788       26,870,353     $ 1,019,410 (b)    $  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares

     900,000             (560,000 )(a)                  340,000       340,000       11,322        
        

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 
         $ 568     $ 2,053     $ 27,223,788       $  1,030,732     $  
        

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

 
  (b) 

All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities.

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

 

 
Description   

Number of

Contracts

   

Expiration

Date

   

Notional

Amount

(000)

   

Value/

Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

 

 

 

Long Contracts

        

MSCI Emerging Markets Index

     35       03/15/24     $ 1,779     $ (12,976
        

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

 

 
    

Commodity

Contracts

   

Credit

Contracts

   

Equity

Contracts

   

Foreign

Currency

Exchange

Contracts

   

Interest

Rate

Contracts

   

Other

Contracts

    Total  

 

 

Liabilities — Derivative Financial Instruments

              

Futures contracts

              

Unrealized depreciation on futures contracts(a)

   $     $     $ 12,976     $     $     $     $ 12,976  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

 

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

 

 
    

Commodity

Contracts

   

Credit

Contracts

   

Equity

Contracts

   

Foreign

Currency

Exchange

Contracts

   

Interest

Rate

Contracts

   

Other

Contracts

    Total  

 

 

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                

Futures contracts

   $     $       $ (73,526   $     $     $     $ (73,526
  

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

                

Futures contracts

   $     $       $ (3,264   $     $     $     $ (3,264
  

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

 

 

Futures contracts:

  

Average notional value of contracts — long

   $ 1,062,443   

 

 

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  41


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

   iShares® MSCI Thailand ETF

 

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

 

 
     Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

 

 

Assets

                 

Investments

                 

Long-Term Investments

                 

Common Stocks

   $ 8,042,508        $ 242,239,119        $        $ 250,281,627  

Short-Term Securities

                 

Money Market Funds

     27,223,788                            27,223,788  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $  35,266,296        $ 242,239,119        $     —        $ 277,505,415  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

                 

Liabilities

                 

Equity Contracts

   $ (12,976      $        $        $ (12,976
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Derivative financial instruments are futures contracts. Futures contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

42  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


 

Statements of Assets and Liabilities (unaudited)

February 29, 2024

 

   

iShares

MSCI Hong Kong

ETF

   

iShares

MSCI Japan

Small-Cap

ETF

   

iShares

MSCI

Malaysia

ETF

   

iShares

MSCI Pacific ex

Japan ETF

 

 

 

ASSETS

       

Investments, at value — unaffiliated(a)(b)

  $ 514,954,388       $ 123,956,313       $ 243,397,449      $ 1,903,710,280  

Investments, at value — affiliated(c)

    3,832,622       3,176,679       1,194,389       5,654,771  

Cash

    5,205       4,773       5,185       9,752  

Cash pledged for futures contracts

    29,500             10,000        

Foreign currency collateral pledged for futures contracts(d)

          16,582             695,379  

Foreign currency, at value(e)

    85,135       71,814       88,180       3,242,013  

Receivables:

       

Investments sold

    12,907,325       4,500,259       9,643,663       13,969,167  

Securities lending income — affiliated

    18,746       5,924       839       12,499  

Dividends — unaffiliated

    195       365,208       82,269       7,505,308  

Dividends — affiliated

    2,154       204       1,470       4,217  

Tax reclaims

          621              

Variation margin on futures contracts

          481       319       54,543  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total assets

    531,835,270       132,098,858       254,423,763       1,934,857,929  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

LIABILITIES

       

Collateral on securities loaned, at value

    3,264,691       3,136,512       856,599       4,260,137  

Payables:

       

Investments purchased

    11,588,044       4,571,779       9,662,431       14,152,584  

Swaps

    24,579                    

Investment advisory fees

    200,109       52,027       93,855       706,430  

Variation margin on futures contracts

    7,575                    
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total liabilities

    15,084,998       7,760,318       10,612,885       19,119,151  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Commitments and contingent liabilities

       

NET ASSETS

  $ 516,750,272     $ 124,338,540     $ 243,810,878     $ 1,915,738,778  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS CONSIST OF

       

Paid-in capital

  $ 1,355,086,723     $ 146,511,407     $ 310,498,250     $ 2,774,633,854  

Accumulated loss

    (838,336,451     (22,172,867     (66,687,372     (858,895,076
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

  $ 516,750,272     $ 124,338,540     $ 243,810,878     $ 1,915,738,778  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSETVALUE

       

Shares outstanding

    31,575,000       1,700,000       11,250,000       45,300,000  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value

  $ 16.37     $ 73.14     $ 21.67     $ 42.29  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Shares authorized

    375 million       500 million       300 million       1 billion  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Par value

  $ 0.001     $ 0.001     $ 0.001     $ 0.001  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

(a)  Investments, at cost — unaffiliated

  $ 732,551,464     $ 130,200,838     $ 159,357,657     $ 1,993,619,430  

(b)  Securities loaned, at value

  $ 3,205,081     $ 2,658,878     $ 812,984     $ 4,037,696  

(c)  Investments, at cost — affiliated

  $ 3,833,016     $ 3,176,403     $ 1,194,530     $ 5,652,565  

(d)  Foreign currency collateral pledged, at cost

  $     $ 16,906     $     $ 716,823  

(e)  Foreign currency, at cost

  $ 85,382     $ 71,622     $ 87,842     $ 3,233,301  

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  43


Statements of Assets and Liabilities (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

 

    

iShares

MSCI

Singapore

ETF

   

iShares

MSCI Taiwan ETF

   

iShares

MSCI

Thailand ETF

 

 

 

ASSETS

      

Investments, at value — unaffiliated(a)(b)

   $ 397,550,425       $ 3,791,555,794      $ 250,281,627  

Investments, at value — affiliated(c)

     10,637,480       399,948,933       27,223,788  

Cash

           5,635        

Cash pledged for futures contracts

           528,000       36,000  

Foreign currency collateral pledged for futures contracts(d)

     76,548              

Foreign currency, at value(e)

     293,590       11,644,103       48,940  

Receivables:

      

Investments sold

     9,992,287       80,406,897       1,254,171  

Securities lending income — affiliated

     2,821       357,234       122,267  

Capital shares sold

           16        

Dividends — unaffiliated

     1,030,362       9,168       1,618,920  

Dividends — affiliated

     882       6,900       1,114  

Variation margin on futures contracts

     74,402       43,482        
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total assets

     419,658,797       4,284,506,162       280,586,827  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

LIABILITIES

      

Bank overdraft

     68,106             4,901  

Collateral on securities loaned, at value

     10,407,011       398,362,305       26,886,014  

Payables:

      

Investments purchased

     9,144,153       85,131,293       1,239,675  

Foreign taxes

           141,528        

Investment advisory fees

     159,202       1,761,939       119,856  

Variation margin on futures contracts

                 1,381  

Unrealized depreciation on OTC swaps

     199              
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total liabilities

     19,778,671       485,397,065       28,251,827  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Commitments and contingent liabilities

      

NET ASSETS

   $ 399,880,126     $ 3,799,109,097     $ 252,335,000  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS CONSIST OF

      

Paid-in capital

   $ 775,679,759     $ 1,507,982,794     $ 520,312,605  

Accumulated earnings (loss)

     (375,799,633     2,291,126,303       (267,977,605
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

   $ 399,880,126     $ 3,799,109,097     $ 252,335,000  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSETVALUE

      

Shares outstanding

     22,450,000       81,600,000       4,250,000  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value

   $ 17.81     $ 46.56     $ 59.37  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Shares authorized

     300 million       900 million       200 million  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Par value

   $ 0.001     $ 0.001     $ 0.001  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

(a)  Investments, at cost — unaffiliated

   $ 418,998,570     $ 1,449,626,436     $ 369,345,662  

(b)  Securities loaned, at value

   $ 9,906,290     $ 371,323,554     $ 24,975,240  

(c)  Investments, at cost — affiliated

   $ 10,636,186     $ 399,864,697     $ 27,214,921  

(d)  Foreign currency collateral pledged, at cost

   $ 76,622     $     $  

(e)  Foreign currency, at cost

   $ 293,570     $ 11,682,229     $ 48,667  

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

44  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Statements of Operations (unaudited) 

Six Months Ended February 29, 2024

 

   

iShares

MSCI Hong

Kong ETF

    

iShares

MSCI Japan

Small-Cap

ETF

    

iShares

MSCI

Malaysia

ETF

    

iShares

MSCI Pacific

ex Japan

ETF

 

 

 

INVESTMENT INCOME

          

Dividends — unaffiliated

  $ 7,641,342      $ 1,369,677      $ 4,599,949      $ 32,231,848  

Dividends — affiliated

    28,576        2,220        10,650        46,595  

Interest — unaffiliated

    2,084               749         

Securities lending income — affiliated — net

    25,779        32,216        21,571        39,312  

Foreign taxes withheld

           (136,035             (291,722
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total investment income

    7,697,781        1,268,078        4,632,919        32,026,033  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

EXPENSES

          

Investment advisory

    1,423,244        291,003        588,265        4,291,149  

Commitment costs

    2,909        561        1,156         

Interest expense

                  347         
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total expenses

    1,426,153        291,564        589,768        4,291,149  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net investment income

    6,271,628        976,514        4,043,151        27,734,884  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS)

          

Net realized gain (loss) from:

          

Investments — unaffiliated

    (67,186,382      (2,127,536      1,726,823        (47,338,739

Investments — affiliated

    (1,723      26        1,189        6,531  

Foreign currency transactions

    22,955        9,383        (30,122      271,189  

Futures contracts

    (577,357      53,297        (100,429      (51,647

In-kind redemptions — unaffiliated(a)

    (429,005      3,317,507               4,036,067  

Swaps

    (381,790                     
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
    (68,553,302      1,252,677        1,597,461        (43,076,599
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:

          

Investments — unaffiliated

    12,104,668        4,155,690        4,688,047        103,230,545  

Investments — affiliated

    (394      383        (238      (1,152

Foreign currency translations

    678        (10,625      1,534        (68,066

Futures contracts

    59,370        25,106        10,063        (21,517

Swaps

    20,319                       
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
    12,184,641        4,170,554        4,699,406        103,139,810  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)

    (56,368,661      5,423,231        6,296,867        60,063,211  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS

  $ (50,097,033    $ 6,399,745      $ 10,340,018      $ 87,798,095  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

(a)   See Note 2 of the Notes to Financial Statements.

          

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  45


Statements of Operations (unaudited) (continued)

Six Months Ended February 29, 2024

 

   

iShares

MSCI

Singapore

ETF

    

iShares

MSCI Taiwan

ETF

    

iShares

MSCI

Thailand ETF

 

 

 

INVESTMENT INCOME

       

Dividends — unaffiliated

  $ 4,069,381      $ 16,348,447      $ 3,293,204  

Dividends — affiliated

    18,633        346,207        11,322  

Interest — unaffiliated

    1,429        39,706         

Securities lending income — affiliated — net(a)

    23,262        2,415,465        1,019,410  

Foreign taxes withheld

    (89,195      (3,267,986      (292,653

Other foreign taxes

           (6,411       
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total investment income

    4,023,510        15,875,428        4,031,283  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

EXPENSES

       

Investment advisory

    1,143,358        10,115,113        800,000  

Commitment costs

    2,408        16,909        1,338  

Interest expense

           2,366        108  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total expenses

    1,145,766        10,134,388        801,446  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net investment income

    2,877,744        5,741,040        3,229,837  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS)

       

Net realized gain (loss) from:

       

Investments — unaffiliated

    (4,722,495      145,644,848        (7,217,496

Investments — affiliated

    608        35,980        568  

Foreign currency transactions

    30,734        (488,340      (24,537

Futures contracts

    (52,924      479,568        (73,526

In-kind redemptions — unaffiliated(b)

    8,730,721               413,186  

Swaps

    (11,180              
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
    3,975,464        145,672,056        (6,901,805
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:

       

Investments — unaffiliated

    (13,485,063      301,718,642        (36,864,507

Investments — affiliated

    1,087        50,957        2,053  

Foreign currency translations

    (4,187      (10,231      386  

Futures contracts

    (21,438      (54,670      (3,264

Swaps

    290                
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
    (13,509,311      301,704,698        (36,865,332
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)

    (9,533,847      447,376,754        (43,767,137
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS

  $ (6,656,103    $ 453,117,794      $ (40,537,300
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

(a)   Net of securities lending income tax paid of

  $      $ 585,541      $  

(b)   See Note 2 of the Notes to Financial Statements.

       

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

46  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Statements of Changes in Net Assets 

 

          iShares
MSCI Hong Kong ETF
       iShares
MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF
 
         

Six Months

Ended

02/29/24

(unaudited)

    

Year Ended

08/31/23

      

Six Months

Ended

02/29/24

(unaudited)

    

Year Ended

08/31/23

 

 

 

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS

                      

OPERATIONS

              

Net investment income

    $ 6,271,628      $ 24,045,036        $ 976,514      $ 1,366,455  

Net realized gain (loss)

      (68,553,302      (49,970,112        1,252,677        (1,257,808

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

      12,184,641        (34,987,506        4,170,554        9,917,247  
   

 

 

    

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

      (50,097,033      (60,912,582        6,399,745        10,025,894  
   

 

 

    

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS(a)

              

Decrease in net assets resulting from distributions to shareholders

      (14,849,755      (22,175,367        (1,495,219      (700,151
   

 

 

    

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

 

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

              

Net increase (decrease) in net assets derived from capital share transactions

      (46,634,759      (17,339,573        101,023        47,638,207  
   

 

 

    

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

              

Total increase (decrease) in net assets

      (111,581,547      (100,427,522        5,005,549        56,963,950  

Beginning of period

      628,331,819        728,759,341          119,332,991        62,369,041  
   

 

 

    

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

 

End of period

    $ 516,750,272      $ 628,331,819        $ 124,338,540      $ 119,332,991  
   

 

 

    

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  47


Statements of Changes in Net Assets (continued)

 

    iShares
MSCI Malaysia ETF
             iShares
MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF
 
   

Six Months Ended

02/29/24

(unaudited)

      

Year Ended

08/31/23

   

Six Months Ended

02/29/24

(unaudited)

    

Year Ended

08/31/23

 

 

 

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS

                      

OPERATIONS

                  

Net investment income

    $ 4,043,151        $ 8,172,540          $ 27,734,884      $ 88,727,313  

Net realized gain (loss)

      1,597,461          (5,897,731          (43,076,599      32,712,198  

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

      4,699,406          (10,151,912          103,139,810        (70,373,123
   

 

 

      

 

 

        

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

      10,340,018          (7,877,103          87,798,095        51,066,388  
   

 

 

      

 

 

        

 

 

    

 

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS(a)

                  

Decrease in net assets resulting from distributions to shareholders

      (4,123,972        (6,188,831          (42,022,218 )(b)       (73,694,870
   

 

 

      

 

 

        

 

 

    

 

 

 

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

                  

Net increase (decrease) in net assets derived from capital share transactions

      (20,246,522        37,520,108            27,295,227        (269,711,578
   

 

 

      

 

 

        

 

 

    

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

                  

Total increase (decrease) in net assets

      (14,030,476        23,454,174            73,071,104        (292,340,060

Beginning of period

      257,841,354          234,387,180            1,842,667,674        2,135,007,734  
   

 

 

      

 

 

        

 

 

    

 

 

 

End of period

    $ 243,810,878        $ 257,841,354          $ 1,915,738,778      $ 1,842,667,674  
   

 

 

      

 

 

        

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(b) 

A portion of the distributions from net investment income may be deemed a return of capital or net realized gain at fiscal year-end.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

48  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Statements of Changes in Net Assets (continued)

 

 

    iShares
MSCI Singapore ETF
       iShares
MSCI Taiwan ETF
 
   

Six Months Ended

02/29/24

(unaudited)

    

Year Ended

08/31/23

      

Six Months Ended

02/29/24

(unaudited)

      

Year Ended

08/31/23

 

 

 

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS

                    

OPERATIONS

                

Net investment income

    $ 2,877,744      $ 22,119,836        $ 5,741,040        $ 109,083,296  

Net realized gain (loss)

      3,975,464        (74,532,096        145,672,056          330,342,830  

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

      (13,509,311      88,871,139          301,704,698          (157,200,638
   

 

 

    

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

      (6,656,103      36,458,879          453,117,794          282,225,488  
   

 

 

    

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS(a)

                

Decrease in net assets resulting from distributions to shareholders

      (13,920,026 )(b)       (23,446,994        (408,443,157        (610,656,019
   

 

 

    

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

                

Net increase (decrease) in net assets derived from capital share transactions

      (67,583,330      (78,461,229        472,442,899          (139,729,366
   

 

 

    

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

                

Total increase (decrease) in net assets

      (88,159,459      (65,449,344        517,117,536          (468,159,897

Beginning of period

      488,039,585        553,488,929          3,281,991,561          3,750,151,458  
   

 

 

    

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

End of period

    $ 399,880,126      $ 488,039,585        $ 3,799,109,097        $ 3,281,991,561  
   

 

 

    

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(b) 

A portion of the distributions from net investment income may be deemed a return of capital or net realized gain at fiscal year-end.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  49


Statements of Changes in Net Assets (continued)

 

           iShares
MSCI Thailand ETF
 
   

Six Months

Ended

02/29/24

(unaudited)

   

Year Ended

08/31/23

 

 

 

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS

                  

OPERATIONS

           

Net investment income

     $ 3,229,837          $ 8,430,865  

Net realized loss

       (6,901,805          (25,464,516

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

       (36,865,332          11,118,097  
    

 

 

        

 

 

 

Net decrease in net assets resulting from operations

       (40,537,300          (5,915,554
    

 

 

        

 

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS(a)

           

Decrease in net assets resulting from distributions to shareholders

       (2,938,664          (7,677,615
    

 

 

        

 

 

 

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

           

Net decrease in net assets derived from capital share transactions

       (12,276,073          (12,854,550
    

 

 

        

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

           

Total decrease in net assets

       (55,752,037          (26,447,719

Beginning of period

       308,087,037            334,534,756  
    

 

 

        

 

 

 

End of period

     $ 252,335,000          $ 308,087,037  
    

 

 

        

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

50  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Financial Highlights 

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF  
   

Six Months Ended

02/29/24

(unaudited)

   

Year Ended

08/31/23

   

Year Ended

08/31/22

   

Year Ended

08/31/21

   

Year Ended

08/31/20

   

Year Ended

08/31/19

 

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $ 18.17        $ 20.46        $ 25.80     $ 22.91     $ 23.00     $ 24.18  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

      0.19          0.65          0.62       0.57       0.54       0.62  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(b)

             (1.56        (2.35        (5.37     2.92       (0.01     (1.08
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

      (1.37        (1.70        (4.75     3.49       0.53       (0.46
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(c)

      (0.43        (0.59        (0.59     (0.60     (0.62     (0.72
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 16.37        $ 18.17        $ 20.46     $ 25.80     $ 22.91     $ 23.00  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Return(d)

                   

Based on net asset value

      (7.63 )%(e)         (8.56 )%         (18.61 )%      15.24     2.46     (2.00 )% 
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(f)

                   

Total expenses

      0.50 %(g)         0.50        0.50     0.50     0.51     0.49
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net investment income

      2.20 %(g)         3.25        2.70     2.26     2.37     2.52
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

                   

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 516,750        $ 628,332        $ 728,759     $ 1,023,773     $ 1,328,281     $ 1,424,663  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(h)

      6        20        8     21     16     12
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Based on average shares outstanding.

(b) 

The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

(c) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(d) 

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

(e) 

Not annualized.

(f) 

Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

(g) 

Annualized.

(h) 

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, if any.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  H I G H L I G H T S

  51


Financial Highlights (continued)

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF  
   

Six Months Ended

02/29/24

(unaudited)

   

Year Ended

08/31/23

   

Year Ended

08/31/22

   

Year Ended

08/31/21

   

Year Ended

08/31/20

   

Year Ended

08/31/19

 

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $ 70.20        $ 62.37        $ 81.49        $ 69.91        $ 68.75        $ 77.00  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

      0.58          1.18          1.33          1.04          1.21          1.37  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(b)

             3.29          7.15          (18.87        11.13          2.78          (7.90
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

      3.87          8.33          (17.54        12.17          3.99          (6.53
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(c)

      (0.93        (0.50        (1.58        (0.59        (2.83        (1.72
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 73.14        $ 70.20        $ 62.37        $ 81.49        $ 69.91        $ 68.75  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total Return(d)

                            

Based on net asset value

      5.62 %(e)         13.37        (21.70 )%         17.41        5.72        (8.42 )% 
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(f)

                            

Total expenses

      0.50 %(g)         0.50        0.50        0.50        0.51        0.49
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net investment income

      1.67 %(g)         1.78        1.87        1.33        1.75        1.94
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

                            

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 124,339        $ 119,333        $ 62,369        $ 73,337        $ 62,921        $ 109,995  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(h)

      10        8        16        21        10        10
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Based on average shares outstanding.

(b) 

The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

(c) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(d) 

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

(e) 

Not annualized.

(f) 

Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

(g) 

Annualized.

(h) 

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, if any.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

52  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Financial Highlights (continued)

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF  
   

Six Months Ended

02/29/24

(unaudited)

   

Year Ended

08/31/23

   

Year Ended

08/31/22

   

Year Ended

08/31/21

   

Year Ended

08/31/20

   

Year Ended
08/31/19

 

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $ 21.09        $ 22.48        $ 26.60        $ 26.51        $ 28.02        $ 32.87  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

      0.36          0.76          0.90          0.98          0.76          1.03  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(b)

      0.59          (1.57        (3.77        (0.05        (1.41        (4.85
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

             0.95          (0.81        (2.87        0.93          (0.65        (3.82
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(c)

      (0.37        (0.58        (1.25        (0.84        (0.86        (1.03
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 21.67        $ 21.09        $ 22.48        $ 26.60        $ 26.51        $ 28.02  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total Return(d)

                            

Based on net asset value

      4.57 %(e)         (3.56 )%         (10.92 )%         3.51        (2.27 )%         (11.69 )% 
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(f)

                            

Total expenses

      0.50 %(g)         0.50        0.50        0.50        0.51        0.49
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net investment income

      3.42 %(g)         3.50        3.68        3.62        2.86        3.41
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

                            

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 243,811        $ 257,841        $ 234,387        $ 265,299        $ 341,922        $ 390,889  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(h)

      7 %(i)         12 %(i)         48 %(i)         28 %(i)         58 %(i)         48 %(i) 
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

(a)   Based on average shares outstanding.

(b)   The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

(c)   Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(d)   Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

(e)   Not annualized.

(f)  Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

(g)   Annualized.

(h)   Portfolio turnover rate includes portfolio transactions that are executed as a result of the Fund offering and redeeming Creation Units solely for cash in U.S. dollars (“cash creations”).

    

    

    

    

    

   

    

    

(i)  Portfolio turnover rate excluding cash creations was as follows:

      7        8        11        7        16        9
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

  

 

 

   

 

  

 

 

   

 

  

 

 

   

 

  

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  H I G H L I G H T S

  53


Financial Highlights (continued)

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF  
   

Six Months Ended

02/29/24

(unaudited)

   

Year Ended

08/31/23

   

Year Ended

08/31/22

   

Year Ended

08/31/21

   

Year Ended

08/31/20

   

Year Ended

08/31/19

 

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $ 41.22     $ 41.86     $ 51.17     $ 42.98     $ 44.17     $ 46.02  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

      0.63       1.82       1.69       1.30       1.29       1.74  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(b)

      1.41       (0.94     (8.28     8.06       (0.98     (1.58
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

             2.04       0.88       (6.59     9.36       0.31       0.16  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(c)

      (0.97 )(d)      (1.52     (2.72     (1.17     (1.50     (2.01
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 42.29     $ 41.22     $ 41.86     $ 51.17     $ 42.98     $ 44.17  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Return(e)

             

Based on net asset value

      4.95 %(f)      2.00     (13.22 )%      21.82     0.72     0.56
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(g)

             

Total expenses

      0.48 %(h)      0.48     0.47     0.47     0.48     0.48
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net investment income

      3.09 %(h)      4.28     3.61     2.66     3.04     3.89
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

             

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 1,915,739     $ 1,842,668     $ 2,135,008     $ 2,440,764     $ 1,882,380     $ 2,266,116  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(i)

      4     7     15     9     8     7
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Based on average shares outstanding.

(b) 

The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

(c) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(d) 

A portion of the distributions from net investment income may be deemed a return of capital or net realized gain at fiscal year-end.

(e) 

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

(f) 

Not annualized.

(g) 

Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

(h) 

Annualized.

(i) 

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, if any.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

54  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Financial Highlights (continued)

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

 

    iShares MSCI Singapore ETF  
   

Six Months Ended

02/29/24

(unaudited)

   

Year Ended

08/31/23

   

Year Ended

08/31/22

   

Year Ended

08/31/21

   

Year Ended

08/31/20

   

Year Ended

08/31/19

 

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $ 18.56        $ 18.21        $ 23.03        $ 19.12        $ 22.83        $ 23.84  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

      0.11          0.80          0.67          0.63          0.76          0.91  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(b)

      (0.33        0.44          (4.21        3.92          (3.57        (1.02
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

      (0.22        1.24          (3.54        4.55          (2.81        (0.11
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(c)

             (0.53 )(d)         (0.89        (1.28        (0.64        (0.90        (0.90
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 17.81        $ 18.56        $ 18.21        $ 23.03        $ 19.12        $ 22.83  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total Return(e)

                            

Based on net asset value

      (1.10 )%(f)         6.84        (15.92 )%         23.91        (12.84 )%         (0.41 )% 
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(g)

                            

Total expenses

      0.50 %(h)         0.50        0.50        0.50        0.51        0.50
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net investment income

      1.25 %(h)         4.25        3.25        2.87        3.59        3.86
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

                            

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 399,880        $ 488,040        $ 553,489        $ 618,238        $ 525,733        $ 513,651  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(i)

      4        25        36        17        22        9
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Based on average shares outstanding.

(b) 

The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

(c) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(d) 

A portion of the distributions from net investment income may be deemed a return of capital or net realized gain at fiscal year-end.

(e) 

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

(f) 

Not annualized.

(g) 

Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

(h) 

Annualized.

(i) 

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, if any.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  H I G H L I G H T S

  55


Financial Highlights (continued)

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

 

    iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF  
   

Six Months Ended

02/29/24

(unaudited)

         

Year Ended

08/31/23

         

Year Ended

08/31/22

         

Year Ended

08/31/21

         

Year Ended

08/31/20

         

Year Ended

08/31/19

 

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $ 45.77       $ 50.47       $ 64.79       $ 44.08       $ 34.94       $ 37.91  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

      0.08         1.31         1.60         1.22         1.05         0.92  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(b)

      6.24         1.55         (14.16       20.46         9.11         (2.89
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

      6.32         2.86         (12.56       21.68         10.16         (1.97
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Distributions(c)

                              

From net investment income

      (1.79       (2.37       (1.39       (0.97       (1.02       (1.00

From net realized gain

      (3.74       (5.19       (0.37                        
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total distributions

      (5.53       (7.56       (1.76       (0.97       (1.02       (1.00
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 46.56       $ 45.77       $ 50.47       $ 64.79       $ 44.08       $ 34.94  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total Return(d)

                       

Based on net asset value

      14.64 %(e)        7.17       (19.96 )%        49.79       29.34       (4.92 )% 
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(f)

                       

Total expenses

      0.60 %(g)        0.59       0.58       0.57       0.59       0.59
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net investment income

      0.34 %(g)        2.89       2.65       2.16       2.68       2.70
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

                       

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 3,799,109       $ 3,281,992       $ 3,750,151       $ 7,555,064       $ 4,231,455       $ 2,662,495  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(h)

      19 %(i)        34 %(i)        12 %(i)        12       15       7
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

(a)   Based on average shares outstanding.

(b)   The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

(c)   Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(d)   Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

(e)   Not annualized.

(f)   Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

(g)   Annualized.

(h)   Portfolio turnover rate includes portfolio transactions that are executed as a result of the Fund offering and redeeming Creation Units solely for cash in U.S. dollars (“cash creations”).

(i) Portfolio turnover rate excluding cash creations was as follows:

              5               8               12              12               14             6
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

56  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Financial Highlights (continued)

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    iShares MSCI Thailand ETF  
   

Six Months Ended

02/29/24

(unaudited)

          Year Ended
08/31/23
          Year Ended
08/31/22
          Year Ended
08/31/21
          Year Ended
08/31/20
          Year Ended
08/31/19
 

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

           $ 69.23       $ 70.43       $ 79.95       $ 68.25       $ 90.53       $ 90.80  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

      0.74         1.88         2.00         1.70         1.97         2.10  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(b)

      (9.94       (1.29       (9.17       11.73         (22.24       (0.33
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

      (9.20       0.59         (7.17       13.43         (20.27       1.77  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(c)

      (0.66       (1.79       (2.35       (1.73       (2.01       (2.04
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 59.37       $ 69.23       $ 70.43       $ 79.95       $ 68.25       $ 90.53  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total Return(d)

                       

Based on net asset value

      (13.33 )%(e)        0.86       (9.07 )%        19.65       (22.57 )%        2.03
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(f)

                       

Total expenses

      0.60 %(g)        0.59       0.58       0.57       0.59       0.59
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net investment income

      2.40 %(g)        2.66       2.67       2.26       2.57       2.36
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

                       

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 252,335       $ 308,087       $ 334,535       $ 411,738       $ 436,789       $ 466,237  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(h)

      3       11       9       17       11       17
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Based on average shares outstanding.

(b) 

The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

(c) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(d) 

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

(e) 

Not annualized.

(f) 

Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

(g) 

Annualized.

(h) 

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, if any.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  H I G H L I G H T S

  57


Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) 

 

1.

ORGANIZATION

iShares, Inc. (the “Company”) is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), as an open-end management investment company. The Company is organized as a Maryland corporation and is authorized to have multiple series or portfolios.

These financial statements relate only to the following funds (each, a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”):

 

   
iShares ETF   Diversification 
Classification 
 

MSCI Hong Kong

    Non-diversified   

MSCI Japan Small-Cap

    Diversified   

MSCI Malaysia

    Non-diversified   

MSCI Pacific ex Japan

    Diversified   

MSCI Singapore

    Non-diversified   

MSCI Taiwan

    Non-diversified   

MSCI Thailand

    Non-diversified   

 

2.

SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The financial statements are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”), which may require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Each Fund is considered an investment company under U.S. GAAP and follows the accounting and reporting guidance applicable to investment companies. Below is a summary of significant accounting policies:

Investment Transactions and Income Recognition: For financial reporting purposes, investment transactions are recorded on the dates the transactions are executed. Realized gains and losses on investment transactions are determined using the specific identification method. Dividend income and capital gain distributions, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Non-cash dividends, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date at fair value. Dividends from foreign securities where the ex-dividend date may have passed are subsequently recorded when the Funds are informed of the ex-dividend date. Under the applicable foreign tax laws, a withholding tax at various rates may be imposed on capital gains, dividends and interest. Upon notification from issuers or as estimated by management, a portion of the dividend income received from a real estate investment trust may be redesignated as a reduction of cost of the related investment and/or realized gain.

Foreign Currency Translation: Each Fund’s books and records are maintained in U.S. dollars. Securities and other assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars using prevailing market rates as quoted by one or more data service providers. Purchases and sales of investments are recorded at the rates of exchange prevailing on the respective dates of such transactions. Generally, when the U.S. dollar rises in value against a foreign currency, the investments denominated in that currency will lose value; the opposite effect occurs if the U.S. dollar falls in relative value.

Each Fund does not isolate the effect of fluctuations in foreign exchange rates from the effect of fluctuations in the market prices of investments for financial reporting purposes. Accordingly, the effects of changes in exchange rates on investments are not segregated in the Statements of Operations from the effects of changes in market prices of those investments, but are included as a component of net realized and unrealized gain (loss) from investments. Each Fund reports realized currency gains (losses) on foreign currency related transactions as components of net realized gain (loss) for financial reporting purposes, whereas such components are generally treated as ordinary income for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Bank Overdraft: Certain Funds had outstanding cash disbursements exceeding deposited cash amounts at the custodian during the reporting period. The Funds are obligated to repay the custodian for any overdraft, including any related costs or expenses, where applicable. For financial reporting purposes, overdraft fees, if any, are included in interest expense in the Statements of Operations.

Collateralization: If required by an exchange or counterparty agreement, the Funds may be required to deliver/deposit cash and/or securities to/with an exchange, or broker-dealer or custodian as collateral for certain investments.

In-kind Redemptions: For financial reporting purposes, in-kind redemptions are treated as sales of securities resulting in realized capital gains or losses to the Funds. Because such gains or losses are not taxable to the Funds and are not distributed to existing Fund shareholders, the gains or losses are reclassified from accumulated net realized gain (loss) to paid-in capital at the end of the Funds’ tax year. These reclassifications have no effect on net assets or net asset value (“NAV”) per share.

Distributions: Dividends and distributions paid by each Fund are recorded on the ex-dividend dates. Distributions are determined on a tax basis and may differ from net investment income and net realized capital gains for financial reporting purposes. Dividends and distributions are paid in U.S. dollars and cannot be automatically reinvested in additional shares of the Funds.

Indemnifications: In the normal course of business, each Fund enters into contracts that contain a variety of representations that provide general indemnification. The Funds’ maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown because it involves future potential claims against the Funds, which cannot be predicted with any certainty.

 

 

58  

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

3.

INVESTMENT VALUATION AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

Investment Valuation Policies: Each Fund’s investments are valued at fair value (also referred to as “market value” within the financial statements) each day that the Fund’s listing exchange is open and, for financial reporting purposes, as of the report date. U.S. GAAP defines fair value as the price a fund would receive to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) of each Fund has approved the designation of BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BFA”), the Funds’ investment adviser, as the valuation designee for each Fund. Each Fund determines the fair values of its financial instruments using various independent dealers or pricing services under BFA’s policies. If a security’s market price is not readily available or does not otherwise accurately represent the fair value of the security, the security will be valued in accordance with BFA’s policies and procedures as reflecting fair value. BFA has formed a committee (the “Valuation Committee”) to develop pricing policies and procedures and to oversee the pricing function for all financial instruments, with assistance from other BlackRock pricing committees.

Fair Value Inputs and Methodologies: The following methods and inputs are used to establish the fair value of each Fund’s assets and liabilities:

 

   

Equity investments traded on a recognized securities exchange are valued at that day’s official closing price, as applicable, on the exchange where the stock is primarily traded. Equity investments traded on a recognized exchange for which there were no sales on that day are valued at the last traded price.

 

   

Investments in open-end U.S. mutual funds (including money market funds) are valued at that day’s published NAV.

 

   

Futures contracts are valued based on that day’s last reported settlement or trade price on the exchange where the contract is traded.

 

   

Swap agreements are valued utilizing quotes received daily by independent pricing services or through brokers, which are derived using daily swap curves and models that incorporate a number of market data factors, such as discounted cash flows, trades and values of the underlying reference instruments.

Generally, trading in foreign instruments is substantially completed each day at various times prior to the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”). Each business day, the Funds use current market factors supplied by independent pricing services to value certain foreign instruments (“Systematic Fair Value Price”). The Systematic Fair Value Price is designed to value such foreign securities at fair value as of the close of trading on the NYSE, which follows the close of the local markets.

If events (e.g., market volatility, company announcement or a natural disaster) occur that are expected to materially affect the value of such investment, or in the event that application of these methods of valuation results in a price for an investment that is deemed not to be representative of the market value of such investment, or if a price is not available, the investment will be valued by the Valuation Committee, in accordance with BFA’s policies and procedures as reflecting fair value (“Fair Valued Investments”). The fair valuation approaches that may be used by the Valuation Committee include market approach, income approach and cost approach. Valuation techniques such as discounted cash flow, use of market comparables and matrix pricing are types of valuation approaches and are typically used in determining fair value. When determining the price for Fair Valued Investments, the Valuation Committee seeks to determine the price that each Fund might reasonably expect to receive or pay from the current sale or purchase of that asset or liability in an arm’s-length transaction. Fair value determinations shall be based upon all available factors that the Valuation Committee deems relevant and consistent with the principles of fair value measurement.

Fair value pricing could result in a difference between the prices used to calculate a fund’s NAV and the prices used by the fund’s underlying index, which in turn could result in a difference between the fund’s performance and the performance of the fund’s underlying index.

Fair Value Hierarchy: Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. These inputs to valuation techniques are categorized into a fair value hierarchy consisting of three broad levels for financial reporting purposes as follows:

 

   

Level 1 – Unadjusted price quotations in active markets/exchanges for identical assets or liabilities that each Fund has the ability to access;

 

   

Level 2 – Other observable inputs (including, but not limited to, quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in markets that are active, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the assets or liabilities (such as interest rates, yield curves, volatilities, prepayment speeds, loss severities, credit risks and default rates) or other market-corroborated inputs); and

 

   

Level 3 – Unobservable inputs based on the best information available in the circumstances, to the extent observable inputs are not available, (including the Valuation Committee’s assumptions used in determining the fair value of financial instruments).

The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements). Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised in determining fair value is greatest for instruments categorized in Level 3. The inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, for disclosure purposes, the fair value hierarchy classification is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. Investments classified within Level 3 have significant unobservable inputs used by the Valuation Committee in determining the price for Fair Valued Investments. Level 3 investments include equity or debt issued by privately held companies or funds that may not have a secondary market and/or may have a limited number of investors. The categorization of a value determined for financial instruments is based on the pricing transparency of the financial instruments and is not necessarily an indication of the risks associated with investing in those securities.

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

4.

SECURITIES AND OTHER INVESTMENTS

Securities Lending: Each Fund may lend its securities to approved borrowers, such as brokers, dealers and other financial institutions. The borrower pledges and maintains with the Fund collateral consisting of cash, an irrevocable letter of credit issued by an approved bank, or securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government. The initial collateral received by each Fund is required to have a value of at least 102% of the current market value of the loaned securities for securities traded on U.S. exchanges and a value of at least 105% for all other securities. The collateral is maintained thereafter at a value equal to at least 100% of the current value of the securities on loan. The market value of the loaned securities is determined at the close of each business day of the Fund and any additional required collateral is delivered to the Fund or excess collateral is returned by the Fund, on the next business day. During the term of the loan, each Fund is entitled to all distributions made on or in respect of the loaned securities but does not receive interest income on securities received as collateral. Loans of securities are terminable at any time and the borrower, after notice, is required to return borrowed securities within the standard time period for settlement of securities transactions.

As of period end, any securities on loan were collateralized by cash and/or U.S. Government obligations. Cash collateral invested in money market funds managed by BFA, or its affiliates is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments. Any non-cash collateral received cannot be sold, re-invested or pledged by the Fund, except in the event of borrower default. The securities on loan, if any, are also disclosed in each Fund’s Schedule of Investments. The market value of any securities on loan and the value of any related cash collateral are disclosed in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

Securities lending transactions are entered into by the Funds under Master Securities Lending Agreements (each, an “MSLA”) which provide the right, in the event of default (including bankruptcy or insolvency) for the non-defaulting party to liquidate the collateral and calculate a net exposure to the defaulting party or request additional collateral. In the event that a borrower defaults, the Funds, as lender, would offset the market value of the collateral received against the market value of the securities loaned. When the value of the collateral is greater than that of the market value of the securities loaned, the lender is left with a net amount payable to the defaulting party. However, bankruptcy or insolvency laws of a particular jurisdiction may impose restrictions on or prohibitions against such a right of offset in the event of an MSLA counterparty’s bankruptcy or insolvency. Under the MSLA, absent an event of default, the borrower can resell or re-pledge the loaned securities, and the Funds can reinvest cash collateral received in connection with loaned securities. Upon an event of default, the parties’ obligations to return the securities or collateral to the other party are extinguished, and the parties can resell or re-pledge the loaned securities or the collateral received in connection with the loaned securities in order to satisfy the defaulting party’s net payment obligation for all transactions under the MSLA. The defaulting party remains liable for any deficiency.

As of period end, the following table is a summary of the securities on loan by counterparty which are subject to offset under an MSLA:

 

 

 

iShares ETF and Counterparty

   

Securities Loaned

at Value

 

 

    

Cash Collateral

Received

 

(a) 

   

Non-Cash Collateral

Received, at Fair Value

 

(a) 

    Net Amount  

 

 

MSCI Hong Kong

        

BNP Paribas SA

  $ 2,114,040      $ (2,111,911   $     $ 2,129 (b) 

Morgan Stanley

    1,091,041        (1,091,041            
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  $ 3,205,081      $ (3,202,952   $     $ 2,129  
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

MSCI Japan Small-Cap

        

BNP Paribas SA

  $ 217,213      $ (217,213   $     $  

BofA Securities, Inc.

    213,015        (213,015            

Citigroup Global Markets, Inc.

    322,061        (322,061            

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

    173,610        (173,610            

HSBC Bank PLC

    3,524        (3,524            

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

    391,987        (391,987            

Jefferies LLC

    201,567        (201,567            

Macquarie Bank Ltd.

    258,838        (258,838            

Mizuho Securities USA LLC

    41,624        (41,624            

Morgan Stanley

    170,552        (170,552            

SG Americas Securities LLC

    228,351        (228,351            

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

    277,871        (277,871            

UBS AG

    158,665        (157,608           1,057 (b) 
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  $ 2,658,878      $ (2,657,821   $     $ 1,057  
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

MSCI Malaysia

        

Morgan Stanley

  $ 812,984      $ (812,984   $     $  
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

MSCI Pacific ex Japan

        

BofA Securities, Inc.

  $ 119,530      $ (119,530   $     $  

Morgan Stanley

    3,918,166        (3,918,166            
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  $ 4,037,696      $ (4,037,696   $     $  
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

MSCI Singapore

        

BofA Securities, Inc.

  $ 9,906,290      $ (9,906,290   $     $  
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

60  

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

 

 

iShares ETF and Counterparty

   

Securities Loaned

at Value

 

 

   

Cash Collateral

Received

 

(a) 

   

Non-Cash Collateral

Received, at Fair Value

 

(a) 

    Net Amount  

 

 

MSCI Taiwan

       

Citigroup Global Markets Ltd.

  $ 17,031,621     $ (17,031,621   $     $  

Goldman Sachs International

    41,169,831       (41,169,831            

J.P. Morgan Securities PLC

    69,282,276       (69,282,276            

Morgan Stanley

    243,203,331       (243,203,331            

UBS Europe SE

    636,495       (636,495            
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  $ 371,323,554     $ (371,323,554   $     $  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

MSCI Thailand

       

Barclays Capital, Inc.

  $ 1,991,558     $ (1,991,558   $     $  

BofA Securities, Inc.

    610,823       (610,823            

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

    929,315       (929,315            

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

    4,286,951       (4,286,951            

Morgan Stanley

    16,660,675       (16,660,675            

UBS AG

    495,918       (495,918            
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  $ 24,975,240     $ (24,975,240   $     $  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Collateral received, if any, in excess of the market value of securities on loan is not presented in this table. The total cash collateral received by each Fund is disclosed in the Fund’s Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

 
  (b) 

The market value of the loaned securities is determined as of February 29, 2024. Additional collateral is delivered to the Fund on the next business day in accordance with the MSLA The net amount would be subject to the borrower default indemnity in the event of default by a counterparty.

 

The risks of securities lending include the risk that the borrower may not provide additional collateral when required or may not return the securities when due. To mitigate these risks, each Fund benefits from a borrower default indemnity provided by BlackRock, Inc. (“BlackRock”). BlackRock’s indemnity allows for full replacement of the securities loaned to the extent the collateral received does not cover the value of the securities loaned in the event of borrower default. Each Fund could incur a loss if the value of an investment purchased with cash collateral falls below the market value of the loaned securities or if the value of an investment purchased with cash collateral falls below the value of the original cash collateral received. Such losses are borne entirely by each Fund.

 

5.

DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

Futures Contracts: Futures contracts are purchased or sold to gain exposure to, or manage exposure to, changes in interest rates (interest rate risk) and changes in the value of equity securities (equity risk) or foreign currencies (foreign currency exchange rate risk).

Futures contracts are exchange-traded agreements between the Funds and a counterparty to buy or sell a specific quantity of an underlying instrument at a specified price and on a specified date. Depending on the terms of a contract, it is settled either through physical delivery of the underlying instrument on the settlement date or by payment of a cash amount on the settlement date. Upon entering into a futures contract, the Funds are required to deposit initial margin with the broker in the form of cash or securities in an amount that varies depending on a contract’s size and risk profile. The initial margin deposit must then be maintained at an established level over the life of the contract. Amounts pledged, which are considered restricted, are included in cash pledged for futures contracts in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

Securities deposited as initial margin are designated in the Schedule of Investments and cash deposited, if any, are shown as cash pledged for futures contracts in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. Pursuant to the contract, the Funds agree to receive from or pay to the broker an amount of cash equal to the daily fluctuation in market value of the contract (“variation margin”). Variation margin is recorded as unrealized appreciation (depreciation) and, if any, shown as variation margin receivable (or payable) on futures contracts in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. When the contract is closed, a realized gain or loss is recorded in the Statements of Operations equal to the difference between the notional amount of the contract at the time it was opened and the notional amount at the time it was closed. The use of futures contracts involves the risk of an imperfect correlation in the movements in the price of futures contracts and interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates or underlying assets.

Swaps: Swap contracts are entered into to manage exposure to issuers, markets and securities. Such contracts are agreements between the Funds and a counterparty to make periodic net payments on a specified notional amount or a net payment upon termination. Swap agreements are privately negotiated in the OTC market and may be entered into as a bilateral contract (“OTC swaps”) or centrally cleared (“centrally cleared swaps”).

For OTC swaps, any upfront premiums paid and any upfront fees received are shown as swap premiums paid and swap premiums received, respectively, in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities and amortized over the term of the contract. The daily fluctuation in market value is recorded as unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on OTC Swaps in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. Payments received or paid are recorded in the Statements of Operations as realized gains or losses, respectively. When an OTC swap is terminated, a realized gain or loss is recorded in the Statements of Operations equal to the difference between the proceeds from (or cost of) the closing transaction and the Funds’ basis in the contract, if any. Generally, the basis of the contract is the premium received or paid.

Total return swaps are entered into by the iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF and iShares MSCI Singapore ETF to obtain exposure to a security or market without owning such security or investing directly in such market or to exchange the risk/return of one security or market (e.g., fixed-income) with another security or market (e.g., equity or commodity prices) (equity risk, commodity price risk and/or interest rate risk).

 

 

N O T E S  T O  F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

Total return swaps are agreements in which there is an exchange of cash flows whereby one party commits to make payments based on the total return (distributions plus capital gains/losses) of an underlying instrument, or basket or underlying instruments, in exchange for fixed or floating rate interest payments. If the total return of the instruments or index underlying the transaction exceeds or falls short of the offsetting fixed or floating interest rate obligation, the Fund receives payment from or makes a payment to the counterparty.

Certain total return swaps are designed to function as a portfolio of direct investments in long and short equity positions. This means that the Fund has the ability to trade in and out of these long and short positions within the swap and will receive the economic benefits and risks equivalent to direct investment in these positions, subject to certain adjustments due to events related to the counterparty. Benefits and risks include capital appreciation (depreciation), corporate actions and dividends received and paid, all of which are reflected in the swap’s market value. The market value also includes interest charges and credits (“financing fees”) related to the notional values of the long and short positions and cash balances within the swap. These interest charges and credits are based on a specified benchmark rate plus or minus a specified spread determined based upon the country and/or currency of the positions in the portfolio.

Positions within the swap and financing fees are reset periodically. During a reset, any unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on positions and accrued financing fees become available for cash settlement between the Fund and the counterparty. The amounts that are available for cash settlement are recorded as realized gains or losses in the Statements of Operations. Cash settlement in and out of the swap may occur at a reset date or any other date, at the discretion of the Fund and the counterparty, over the life of the agreement. Certain swaps have no stated expiration and can be terminated by either party at any time.

Swap transactions involve, to varying degrees, elements of interest rate, credit and market risks in excess of the amounts recognized in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. Such risks involve the possibility that there will be no liquid market for these agreements, that the counterparty to the agreements may default on its obligation to perform or disagree as to the meaning of the contractual terms in the agreements, and that there may be unfavorable changes in interest rates and/or market values associated with these transactions.

Master Netting Arrangements: In order to define its contractual rights and to secure rights that will help mitigate its counterparty risk, a Fund may enter into an International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. Master Agreement (“ISDA Master Agreement”) or similar agreement with its derivative contract counterparties. An ISDA Master Agreement is a bilateral agreement between a Fund and a counterparty that governs certain OTC derivatives and typically contains, among other things, collateral posting terms and netting provisions in the event of a default and/or termination event. Under an ISDA Master Agreement, a Fund may, under certain circumstances, offset with the counterparty certain derivative financial instruments’ payables and/or receivables with collateral held and/or posted and create one single net payment. The provisions of the ISDA Master Agreement typically permit a single net payment in the event of default including the bankruptcy or insolvency of the counterparty. However, bankruptcy or insolvency laws of a particular jurisdiction may impose restrictions on or prohibitions against the right of offset in bankruptcy, insolvency, or other events.

For derivatives traded under an ISDA Master Agreement, the collateral requirements are typically calculated by netting the mark-to-market amount for each transaction under such agreement, and comparing that amount to the value of any collateral currently pledged by a fund and the counterparty.

Cash collateral that has been pledged to cover obligations of the Funds and cash collateral received from the counterparty, if any, is reported separately in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities as cash pledged as collateral and cash received as collateral, respectively. Non-cash collateral pledged by the Funds, if any, is noted in the Schedules of Investments. Generally, the amount of collateral due from or to a counterparty is subject to a certain minimum transfer amount threshold before a transfer is required, which is determined at the close of business of the Funds. Any additional required collateral is delivered to/pledged by the Funds on the next business day. Typically, the counterparty is not permitted to sell, re-pledge or use cash and non-cash collateral it receives. A fund generally agrees not to use non-cash collateral that it receives but may, absent default or certain other circumstances defined in the underlying ISDA Master Agreement, be permitted to use cash collateral received. In such cases, interest may be paid pursuant to the collateral arrangement with the counterparty. To the extent amounts due to the Funds from the counterparty are not fully collateralized, each Fund bears the risk of loss from counterparty non-performance. Likewise, to the extent the Funds have delivered collateral to a counterparty and stand ready to perform under the terms of their agreement with such counterparty, each Fund bears the risk of loss from a counterparty in the amount of the value of the collateral in the event the counterparty fails to return such collateral. Based on the terms of agreements, collateral may not be required for all derivative contracts.

For financial reporting purposes, each Fund does not offset derivative assets and derivative liabilities that are subject to netting arrangements, if any, in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

 

6.

INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES

Investment Advisory Fees: Pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement with the Company, BFA manages the investment of each Fund’s assets. BFA is a California corporation indirectly owned by BlackRock. Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, BFA is responsible for substantially all expenses of the Funds, except (i) interest and taxes; (ii) brokerage commissions and other expenses connected with the execution of portfolio transactions; (iii) distribution fees; (iv) the advisory fee payable to BFA; and (v) litigation expenses and any extraordinary expenses (in each case as determined by a majority of the independent directors).

 

 

62  

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

For its investment advisory services to each of the iShares MSCI Hong Kong, iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap, iShares MSCI Malaysia and iShares MSCI Singapore ETFs, BFA is entitled to an annual investment advisory fee, accrued daily and paid monthly by the Funds, based on each Fund’s allocable portion of the aggregate of the average daily net assets of the Fund and certain other iShares funds, as follows:

 

   
Aggregate Average Daily Net Assets   Investment Advisory Fees  

First $7 billion

    0.59

Over $7 billion, up to and including $11 billion

    0.54  

Over $11 billion, up to and including $24 billion

    0.49  

Over $24 billion, up to and including $48 billion

    0.44  

Over $48 billion, up to and including $72 billion

    0.40  

Over $72 billion, up to and including $96 billion

    0.36  

Over $96 billion

    0.32  

For its investment advisory services to the iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF, BFA is entitled to an annual investment advisory fee, accrued daily and paid monthly by the Fund, based on the Fund’s allocable portion of the aggregate of the average daily net assets of the Fund and certain other iShares funds, as follows:

 

   
Aggregate Average Daily Net Assets   Investment Advisory Fees  

First $46 billion

    0.5000

Over $46 billion, up to and including $81 billion

    0.4750  

Over $81 billion, up to and including $111 billion

    0.4513  

Over $111 billion, up to and including $141 billion

    0.4287  

Over $141 billion, up to and including $171 billion

    0.4073  

Over $171 billion

    0.3869  

For its investment advisory services to each of the iShares MSCI Taiwan and iShares MSCI Thailand ETFs, BFA is entitled to an annual investment advisory fee, accrued daily and paid monthly by the Funds, based on each Fund’s allocable portion of the aggregate of the average daily net assets of the Fund and certain other iShares funds, as follows:

 

   
Aggregate Average Daily Net Assets   Investment Advisory Fees  

First $2 billion

    0.7400

Over $2 billion, up to and including $4 billion

    0.6900  

Over $4 billion, up to and including $8 billion

    0.6400  

Over $8 billion, up to and including $16 billion

    0.5700  

Over $16 billion, up to and including $24 billion

    0.5100  

Over $24 billion, up to and including $32 billion

    0.4800  

Over $32 billion, up to and including $40 billion

    0.4500  

Over $40 billion

    0.4275  

Distributor: BlackRock Investments, LLC, an affiliate of BFA, is the distributor for each Fund. Pursuant to the distribution agreement, BFA is responsible for any fees or expenses for distribution services provided to the Funds.

Securities Lending: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) has issued an exemptive order which permits BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, N.A. (“BTC”), an affiliate of BFA, to serve as securities lending agent for the Funds, subject to applicable conditions. As securities lending agent, BTC bears all operational costs directly related to securities lending, including any custodial costs. Each Fund is responsible for fees in connection with the investment of cash collateral received for securities on loan (the “collateral investment fees”). The cash collateral is invested in a money market fund, BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional or BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, managed by BFA, or its affiliates. However, BTC has agreed to reduce the amount of securities lending income it receives in order to effectively limit the collateral investment fees each Fund bears to an annual rate of 0.04%. The SL Agency Shares of such money market fund will not be subject to a sales load, distribution fee or service fee. The money market fund in which the cash collateral has been invested may, under certain circumstances, impose a liquidity fee of up to 2% of the value redeemed or temporarily restrict redemptions for up to 10 business days during a 90 day period, in the event that the money market fund’s weekly liquid assets fall below certain thresholds.

Securities lending income is equal to the total of income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral, net of fees and other payments to and from borrowers of securities, and less the collateral investment fees. Each Fund retains a portion of securities lending income and remits the remaining portion to BTC as compensation for its services as securities lending agent.

Pursuant to the current securities lending agreement, each Fund retains 82% of securities lending income (which excludes collateral investment fees), and the amount retained can never be less than 70% of the total of securities lending income plus the collateral investment fees.

In addition, commencing the business day following the date that the aggregate securities lending income plus the collateral investment fees generated across all 1940 Act iShares exchange-traded funds (the “iShares ETF Complex”) in that calendar year exceeds a specified threshold, each Fund, pursuant to the securities lending agreement, will retain for the remainder of that calendar year 85% of securities lending income (which excludes collateral investment fees), and the amount retained can never be less than 70% of the total of securities lending income plus the collateral investment fees.

 

 

N O T E S  T O  F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  63


Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

The share of securities lending income earned by each Fund is shown as securities lending income – affiliated – net in its Statements of Operations. For the six months ended February 29, 2024, the Funds paid BTC the following amounts for securities lending agent services:

 

   
iShares ETF   Amounts  

MSCI Hong Kong

  $ 6,394   

MSCI Japan Small-Cap

    6,802  

MSCI Malaysia

    4,568  

MSCI Pacific ex Japan

    10,209  

MSCI Singapore

    7,168  

MSCI Taiwan

    654,053  

MSCI Thailand

    197,351  

Officers and Directors: Certain officers and/or directors of the Company are officers and/or directors of BlackRock or its affiliates.

Other Transactions: Cross trading is the buying or selling of portfolio securities between funds to which BFA (or an affiliate) serves as investment adviser. At its regularly scheduled quarterly meetings, the Board reviews such transactions as of the most recent calendar quarter for compliance with the requirements and restrictions set forth by Rule 17a-7.

For the six months ended February 29, 2024, transactions executed by the Funds pursuant to Rule 17a-7 under the 1940 Act were as follows:

 

       
iShares ETF   Purchases        Sales       

Net Realized

Gain (Loss)

 

MSCI Hong Kong

  $  7,133,429        $  1,804,461        $ (1,967,450 )   

MSCI Japan Small-Cap

    5,261,297          1,003,716          11,509  

MSCI Pacific ex Japan

    7,422,830          7,615,867          (5,822,630

MSCI Singapore

    1,020,886          7,205,787          (4,842,906

Each Fund may invest its positive cash balances in certain money market funds managed by BFA or an affiliate. The income earned on these temporary cash investments is shown as dividends – affiliated in the Statements of Operations.

A fund, in order to improve its portfolio liquidity and its ability to track its underlying index, may invest in shares of other iShares funds that invest in securities in the fund’s underlying index.

 

7.

PURCHASES AND SALES

For the six months ended February 29, 2024, purchases and sales of investments, excluding short-term securities and in-kind transactions, were as follows:

 

     
iShares ETF   Purchases      Sales    

MSCI Hong Kong

  $ 31,304,661      $ 81,382,142    

MSCI Japan Small-Cap

    11,658,665        11,944,888    

MSCI Malaysia

    15,699,385        36,276,715    

MSCI Pacific ex Japan

    81,253,764        79,314,529    

MSCI Singapore

    18,610,143        28,467,496    

MSCI Taiwan

    748,939,449        657,203,407    

MSCI Thailand

    7,973,126        8,007,930    

For the six months ended February 29, 2024, in-kind transactions were as follows:

 

     
iShares ETF  

In-kind

Purchases

    

In-kind  

Sales  

 

MSCI Hong Kong

  $      $ 2,087,506    

MSCI Japan Small-Cap

    20,962,233        20,870,609    

MSCI Pacific ex Japan

    60,301,998        45,476,131    

MSCI Singapore

    29,625,346        97,574,029    

MSCI Thailand

    27,799,286        40,016,047    

 

8.

INCOME TAX INFORMATION

Each Fund is treated as an entity separate from the Company’s other funds for federal income tax purposes. It is each Fund’s policy to comply with the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, applicable to regulated investment companies, and to distribute substantially all of its taxable income to its shareholders. Therefore, no U.S. federal income tax provision is required.

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

Management has analyzed tax laws and regulations and their application to the Funds as of February 29, 2024, inclusive of the open tax return years, and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability in the Funds’ financial statements.

As of August 31, 2023, the Funds had non-expiring capital loss carryforwards available to offset future realized capital gains as follows:

 

   
iShares ETF  

Non-Expiring

Capital Loss

Carryforwards

 

MSCI Hong Kong

  $ (532,771,946 )   

MSCI Japan Small-Cap

    (16,073,853

MSCI Malaysia

    (129,635,513

MSCI Pacific ex Japan

    (642,958,205

MSCI Singapore

    (337,745,463

MSCI Thailand

    (141,242,558

A fund may own shares in certain foreign investment entities, referred to, under U.S. tax law, as “passive foreign investment companies.” Such fund may elect to mark-to-market annually the shares of each passive foreign investment company and would be required to distribute to shareholders any such marked-to-market gains.

As of February 29, 2024, gross unrealized appreciation and depreciation based on cost of investments (including short positions and derivatives, if any) for U.S. federal income tax purposes were as follows:

 

         
iShares ETF   Tax Cost     

Gross Unrealized

Appreciation

    

Gross Unrealized

Depreciation

   

Net Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

 

MSCI Hong Kong

  $ 755,808,142      $ 18,930,149      $ (255,952,581   $ (237,022,432 )   

MSCI Japan Small-Cap

    134,734,409        11,237,588        (18,807,432     (7,569,844

MSCI Malaysia

    183,594,220        89,542,185        (28,541,282     61,000,903  

MSCI Pacific ex Japan

    2,086,352,639        241,291,465        (418,155,385     (176,863,920

MSCI Singapore

    443,585,409        33,400,782        (68,802,161     (35,401,379

MSCI Taiwan

    1,949,016,349        2,363,865,028        (121,340,004     2,242,525,024  

MSCI Thailand

    399,169,793        1,947,636        (123,624,990     (121,677,354

 

9.

LINE OF CREDIT

The iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF, iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF, iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF, iShares MSCI Singapore ETF, iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF and iShares MSCI Thailand ETF, along with certain other iShares funds (“Participating Funds”), are parties to a $800 million credit agreement (“Syndicated Credit Agreement”) with a group of lenders, which expires on October 16, 2024. The line of credit may be used for temporary or emergency purposes, including redemptions, settlement of trades and rebalancing of portfolio holdings in certain target markets. The Funds may borrow up to the aggregate commitment amount subject to asset coverage and other limitations as specified in the Syndicated Credit Agreement. The Syndicated Credit Agreement has the following terms: a commitment fee of 0.15% per annum on the unused portion of the credit agreement and interest at a rate equal to the higher of (a) Daily Simple Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) plus 0.10% and 1.00% per annum or (b) the U.S. Federal Funds rate plus 1.00% per annum on amounts borrowed. The commitment fee is generally allocated to each Participating Fund based on the lesser of a Participating Fund’s relative exposure to certain target markets or a Participating Fund’s maximum borrowing amount as set forth by the terms of the Syndicated Credit Agreement.

During the six months ended February 29, 2024, the Funds did not borrow under the Syndicated Credit Agreement.

 

10.

PRINCIPAL RISKS

In the normal course of business, each Fund invests in securities or other instruments and may enter into certain transactions, and such activities subject the Fund to various risks, including, among others, fluctuations in the market (market risk) or failure of an issuer to meet all of its obligations. The value of securities or other instruments may also be affected by various factors, including, without limitation: (i) the general economy; (ii) the overall market as well as local, regional or global political and/or social instability; (iii) regulation, taxation or international tax treaties between various countries; or (iv) currency, interest rate or price fluctuations. Local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant impact on the Funds and their investments. Each Fund’s prospectus provides details of the risks to which the Fund is subject.

BFA uses an indexing approach to try to achieve each Fund’s investment objective. The Fund is not actively managed, and BFA generally does not attempt to take defensive positions under any market conditions, including declining markets.

The Funds may be exposed to additional risks when reinvesting cash collateral in money market funds that do not seek to maintain a stable NAV per share of $1.00, which may be subject to redemption gates or liquidity fees under certain circumstances.

 

 

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  65


Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

Valuation Risk: The market values of equities, such as common stocks and preferred securities or equity related investments, such as futures and options, may decline due to general market conditions which are not specifically related to a particular company. They may also decline due to factors which affect a particular industry or industries. A fund may invest in illiquid investments. An illiquid investment is any investment that a fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. A fund may experience difficulty in selling illiquid investments in a timely manner at the price that it believes the investments are worth. Prices may fluctuate widely over short or extended periods in response to company, market or economic news. Markets also tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising and falling prices. This volatility may cause a fund’s NAV to experience significant increases or decreases over short periods of time. If there is a general decline in the securities and other markets, the NAV of a fund may lose value, regardless of the individual results of the securities and other instruments in which a fund invests.

The price each Fund could receive upon the sale of any particular portfolio investment may differ from each Fund’s valuation of the investment, particularly for securities that trade in thin or volatile markets or that are valued using a fair valuation technique or a price provided by an independent pricing service. Changes to significant unobservable inputs and assumptions (i.e., publicly traded company multiples, growth rate, time to exit) due to the lack of observable inputs may significantly impact the resulting fair value and therefore each Fund’s results of operations. As a result, the price received upon the sale of an investment may be less than the value ascribed by each Fund, and each Fund could realize a greater than expected loss or lesser than expected gain upon the sale of the investment. Each Fund’s ability to value its investments may also be impacted by technological issues and/or errors by pricing services or other third-party service providers.

Counterparty Credit Risk: The Funds may be exposed to counterparty credit risk, or the risk that an entity may fail to or be unable to perform on its commitments related to unsettled or open transactions, including making timely interest and/or principal payments or otherwise honoring its obligations. The Funds manage counterparty credit risk by entering into transactions only with counterparties that BFA believes have the financial resources to honor their obligations and by monitoring the financial stability of those counterparties. Financial assets, which potentially expose the Funds to market, issuer and counterparty credit risks, consist principally of financial instruments and receivables due from counterparties. The extent of the Funds’ exposure to market, issuer and counterparty credit risks with respect to these financial assets is approximately their value recorded in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, less any collateral held by the Funds.

A derivative contract may suffer a mark-to-market loss if the value of the contract decreases due to an unfavorable change in the market rates or values of the underlying instrument. Losses can also occur if the counterparty does not perform under the contract.

With exchange-traded futures, there is less counterparty credit risk to the Funds since the exchange or clearinghouse, as counterparty to such instruments, guarantees against a possible default. The clearinghouse stands between the buyer and the seller of the contract; therefore, credit risk is limited to failure of the clearinghouse. While offset rights may exist under applicable law, a fund does not have a contractual right of offset against a clearing broker or clearinghouse in the event of a default (including the bankruptcy or insolvency). Additionally, credit risk exists in exchange-traded futures with respect to initial and variation margin that is held in a clearing broker’s customer accounts. While clearing brokers are required to segregate customer margin from their own assets, in the event that a clearing broker becomes insolvent or goes into bankruptcy and at that time there is a shortfall in the aggregate amount of margin held by the clearing broker for all its clients, typically the shortfall would be allocated on a pro rata basis across all the clearing broker’s customers, potentially resulting in losses to the Funds.

Geographic/Asset Class Risk: A diversified portfolio, where this is appropriate and consistent with a fund’s objectives, minimizes the risk that a price change of a particular investment will have a material impact on the NAV of a fund. The investment concentrations within each Fund’s portfolio are disclosed in its Schedule of Investments.

Certain Funds invest a significant portion of their assets in issuers located in a single country or a limited number of countries. When a fund concentrates its investments in this manner, it assumes the risk that economic, regulatory, political and social conditions in that country or those countries may have a significant impact on the fund and could affect the income from, or the value or liquidity of, the Fund’s portfolio. Unanticipated or sudden political or social developments may cause uncertainty in the markets and as a result adversely affect the Fund’s investments. Foreign issuers may not be subject to the same uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and practices as used in the United States. Foreign securities markets may also be more volatile and less liquid than U.S. securities and may be less subject to governmental supervision not typically associated with investing in U.S. securities. Investment percentages in specific countries are presented in the Schedule of Investments.

Certain Funds invest a significant portion of their assets in securities of issuers located in Asia or with significant exposure to Asian issuers or countries. The Asian financial markets have recently experienced volatility and adverse trends due to concerns in several Asian countries regarding monetary policy, government intervention in the markets, rising government debt levels or economic downturns. These events may spread to other countries in Asia and may affect the value and liquidity of certain of the Funds’ investments.

Certain Funds invest a significant portion of their assets in securities within a single or limited number of market sectors. When a fund concentrates its investments in this manner, it assumes the risk that economic, regulatory, political and social conditions affecting such sectors may have a significant impact on the fund and could affect the income from, or the value or liquidity of, the fund’s portfolio. Investment percentages in specific sectors are presented in the Schedule of Investments.

Significant Shareholder Redemption Risk: Certain shareholders may own or manage a substantial amount of fund shares and/or hold their fund investments for a limited period of time. Large redemptions of fund shares by these shareholders may force a fund to sell portfolio securities, which may negatively impact the fund’s NAV, increase the fund’s brokerage costs, and/or accelerate the realization of taxable income/gains and cause the fund to make additional taxable distributions to shareholders.

 

11.

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

Capital shares are issued and redeemed by each Fund only in aggregations of a specified number of shares or multiples thereof (“Creation Units”) at NAV. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, shares of each Fund are not redeemable.

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

Transactions in capital shares were as follows:

 

 

 
    Six Months Ended
02/29/24
     Year Ended
08/31/23
 
iShares ETF   Shares      Amount      Shares      Amount  

 

 

MSCI Hong Kong

          

Shares sold

         $ 93,103        6,300,000      $ 130,025,042  

Shares redeemed

    (3,000,000      (46,727,862      (7,350,000      (147,364,615
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
    (3,000,000    $ (46,634,759      (1,050,000    $ (17,339,573
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

MSCI Japan Small-Cap

          

Shares sold

    300,000      $ 21,233,466        700,000      $ 47,638,207  

Shares redeemed

    (300,000      (21,132,443              
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
         $ 101,023        700,000      $ 47,638,207  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

MSCI Malaysia

          

Shares sold

    150,000      $ 3,185,475        2,250,000      $ 47,357,800  

Shares redeemed

    (1,125,000      (23,431,997      (450,000      (9,837,692
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
      (975,000    $ (20,246,522      1,800,000      $ 37,520,108  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

MSCI Pacific ex Japan

          

Shares sold

    1,800,000      $ 74,506,983        3,000,000      $ 139,222,729  

Shares redeemed

    (1,200,000      (47,211,756      (9,300,000      (408,934,307
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
    600,000      $ 27,295,227        (6,300,000    $ (269,711,578
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

MSCI Singapore

          

Shares sold

    2,000,000      $ 36,321,651        3,150,000      $ 60,208,375  

Shares redeemed

    (5,850,000      (103,904,981      (7,250,000      (138,669,604
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
    (3,850,000    $ (67,583,330      (4,100,000    $ (78,461,229
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

MSCI Taiwan

          

Shares sold

    16,600,000      $ 767,289,711        23,900,000      $ 1,097,040,697  

Shares redeemed

    (6,700,000      (294,846,812      (26,500,000      (1,236,770,063
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
    9,900,000      $ 472,442,899        (2,600,000    $ (139,729,366
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

MSCI Thailand

          

Shares sold

    450,000      $ 27,959,115        1,350,000      $ 103,857,931  

Shares redeemed

    (650,000      (40,235,188      (1,650,000      (116,712,481
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
    (200,000    $ (12,276,073      (300,000    $ (12,854,550
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

The consideration for the purchase of Creation Units of a fund in the Company generally consists of the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities and a specified amount of cash. Certain funds in the Company may be offered in Creation Units solely or partially for cash in U.S. dollars. Authorized Participants purchasing and redeeming Creation Units may pay a purchase transaction fee and a redemption transaction fee directly to State Street Bank and Trust Company, the Company’s administrator , to offset transfer and other transaction costs associated with the issuance and redemption of Creation Units, including Creation Units for cash. Authorized Participants transacting in Creation Units for cash may also pay an additional variable charge to compensate the relevant fund for certain transaction costs (i.e., stamp taxes, taxes on currency or other financial transactions, and brokerage costs) and market impact expenses relating to investing in portfolio securities. Such variable charges, if any, are included in shares sold in the table above.

From time to time, settlement of securities related to in-kind contributions or in-kind redemptions may be delayed. In such cases, securities related to in-kind transactions are reflected as a receivable or a payable in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

 

12.

SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

Management has evaluated the impact of all subsequent events on the Funds through the date the financial statements were available to be issued and has determined that there were no subsequent events requiring adjustment or additional disclosure in the financial statements.

 

 

N O T E S  T O  F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  67


Statement Regarding Liquidity Risk Management Program (unaudited)

 

In compliance with Rule 22e-4 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Liquidity Rule”), iShares, Inc. (the “Company”) has adopted and implemented a liquidity risk management program (the “Program”) for iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF, iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF, iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF, iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF, iShares MSCI Singapore ETF, iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF and iShares MSCI Thailand ETF (the “Funds” or “ETFs”), each a series of the Company, which is reasonably designed to assess and manage each Fund’s liquidity risk.

The Board of Directors (the “Board”) of the Company, on behalf of the Funds, met on December 8, 2023 (the “Meeting”) to review the Program. The Board previously appointed BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BlackRock”), the investment adviser to the Funds, as the program administrator for each Fund’s Program. BlackRock also previously delegated oversight of the Program to the 40 Act Liquidity Risk Management Committee (the “Committee”). At the Meeting, the Committee, on behalf of BlackRock, provided the Board with a report that addressed the operation of the Program and assessed its adequacy and effectiveness of implementation, including the management of each Fund’s Highly Liquid Investment Minimum (“HLIM”) where applicable, and any material changes to the Program (the “Report”). The Report covered the period from October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2023 (the “Program Reporting Period”).

The Report described the Program’s liquidity classification methodology for categorizing each Fund’s investments (including derivative transactions) into one of four liquidity buckets. It also referenced the methodology used by BlackRock to establish each Fund’s HLIM and noted that the Committee reviews and ratifies the HLIM assigned to each Fund no less frequently than annually. The Report also discussed notable events affecting liquidity over the Program Reporting Period, including extended market holidays, delays in the repatriation of the local currency in certain non-U.S. countries, the continued illiquidity of Russian equity securities and the suspension of select sanctions in Venezuela.

The Report noted that the Program complied with the key factors for consideration under the Liquidity Rule for assessing, managing and periodically reviewing each Fund’s liquidity risk, as follows:

 

  a)

The Fund’s investment strategy and liquidity of portfolio investments during both normal and reasonably foreseeable stressed conditions. During the Program Reporting Period, the Committee reviewed whether each Fund’s strategy is appropriate for an open-end fund structure, with a focus on funds with more significant and consistent holdings of less liquid and illiquid assets. The Committee also factored a fund’s concentration in an issuer into the liquidity classification methodology by taking issuer position sizes into account. Derivative exposure was also considered in the calculation of a fund’s liquidity bucketing. Finally, a factor for consideration under the Liquidity Rule is a Fund’s use of borrowings for investment purposes. However, the Funds do not borrow for investment purposes.

 

  b)

Short-term and long-term cash flow projections during both normal and reasonably foreseeable stressed conditions. During the Program Reporting Period, the Committee reviewed historical redemption activity and used this information as a component to establish each ETF’s reasonably anticipated trading size utilized for liquidity classifications. The Committee may also take into consideration a fund’s shareholder ownership concentration (which, depending on product type and distribution channel, may or may not be available), a fund’s distribution channels, and the degree of certainty associated with a fund’s short-term and long-term cash flow projections.

 

  c)

Holdings of cash and cash equivalents, as well as borrowing arrangements. The Committee considered that ETFs generally do not hold more than de minimis amounts of cash. The Committee also considered that ETFs generally do not engage in borrowing.

 

  d)

The relationship between an ETF’s portfolio liquidity and the way in which, and the prices and spreads at which, ETF shares trade, including the efficiency of the arbitrage function and the level of active participation by market participants, including authorized participants. The Committee monitored the prevailing bid/ask spread and the ETF price premium (or discount) to NAV for all ETFs. However, there were no ETFs with persistent deviations of fund premium/discount or bid/ask spreads from long-term averages over the Program Reporting Period.

 

  e)

The effect of the composition of baskets on the overall liquidity of an ETF’s portfolio. In reviewing the linkage between the composition of custom baskets accepted by an ETF and any significant change in the liquidity profile of such ETF, the Committee reviewed changes in the proportion of each ETF’s portfolio comprised of less liquid and illiquid holdings to determine if applicable thresholds were met requiring enhanced review. There were no ETFs for which the custom baskets accepted by the ETF had a significant change in its liquidity profile.

There were no material changes to the Program during the Program Reporting Period other than the enhancement of certain model components in the Program’s classification methodology. The Report provided to the Board stated that the Committee concluded that based on the operation of the functions, as described in the Report, the Program is operating as intended and is effective in implementing the requirements of the Liquidity Rule.

 

 

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Supplemental Information (unaudited)

 

Section 19(a) Notices

The amounts and sources of distributions reported are estimates and are being provided pursuant to regulatory requirements and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources for tax reporting purposes will depend upon each Fund’s investment experience during the year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. Shareholders will receive a Form 1099-DIV each calendar year that will inform them how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes.

February 29, 2024

 

       
    Total Cumulative Distributions
for the Fiscal  Year-to-Date
          % Breakdown of the Total Cumulative
Distributions for the Fiscal Year-to-Date
 
iShares ETF  

Net

Investment

Income

   

Net Realized

Capital Gains

   

Return of

Capital

   

Total Per

Share

          

Net

Investment

Income

   

Net Realized

Capital Gains

   

Return of

Capital

   

Total Per

Share

 

MSCI Pacific ex Japan(a)

  $  0.934214     $     $  0.031814     $  0.966028         97         3     100

MSCI Singapore(a)

    0.333496             0.200862       0.534358         62             38       100  

MSCI Taiwan

    1.787734       3.739237             5.526971               32       68             100  

 

  (a) 

The Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its net investment income and net realized capital gains; therefore, a portion of the distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur, for example, when some or all of the shareholder’s investment in the Fund is returned to the shareholder. A return of capital does not necessarily reflect the Fund’s investment performance and should not be confused with “yield” or “income”. When distributions exceed total return performance, the difference will incrementally reduce the Fund’s net asset value per share.

 

Tailored Shareholder Reports for Open-End Mutual Funds and ETFs

Effective January 24, 2023, the SEC adopted rule and form amendments to require open-end mutual funds and ETFs to transmit concise and visually engaging streamlined annual and semiannual reports to shareholders that highlight key information. Other information, including financial statements, will no longer appear in a streamlined shareholder report but must be available online, delivered free of charge upon request, and filed on a semiannual basis on Form N-CSR. The rule and form amendments have a compliance date of July 24, 2024. At this time, management is evaluating the impact of these amendments on the shareholder reports for the Funds.

 

 

S U P P L E M E N T A L  I N F O R M A T I O N

  69


General Information

 

Electronic Delivery

Shareholders can sign up for e-mail notifications announcing that the shareholder report or prospectus has been posted on the iShares website at iShares.com. Once you have enrolled, you will no longer receive prospectuses and shareholder reports in the mail.

To enroll in electronic delivery:

 

   

Go to icsdelivery.com.

   

If your brokerage firm is not listed, electronic delivery may not be available. Please contact your broker-dealer or financial advisor.

Householding

Householding is an option available to certain fund investors. Householding is a method of delivery, based on the preference of the individual investor, in which a single copy of certain shareholder documents and Rule 30e-3 notices can be delivered to investors who share the same address, even if their accounts are registered under different names. Please contact your broker-dealer if you are interested in enrolling in householding and receiving a single copy of prospectuses and other shareholder documents, or if you are currently enrolled in householding and wish to change your householding status.

Availability of Quarterly Schedule of Investments

The Funds file their complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to their reports on Form N-PORT. The Funds’ Forms N-PORT are available on the SEC’s website at sec.gov. Additionally, each Fund makes its portfolio holdings for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year available at iShares.com/fundreports.

Availability of Proxy Voting Policies and Proxy Voting Records

A description of the policies and procedures that the iShares Funds use to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities and information about how the iShares Funds voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ending June 30 is available without charge, upon request (1) by calling toll-free 1-800-474-2737; (2) on the iShares website at iShares.com; and (3) on the SEC website at sec.gov.

A description of the Company’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio securities is available in the Fund Prospectus. The Fund discloses its portfolio holdings daily and provides information regarding its top holdings in Fund fact sheets at iShares.com.

 

 

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Glossary of Terms Used in this Report

 

Portfolio Abbreviation
ADR        American Depositary Receipt
NVDR        Non-Voting Depositary Receipt
NVS        Non-Voting Shares
REIT        Real Estate Investment Trust

 

 

 

G L O S S A R Y  O F  T E R M S  U S E D  I N  T H I S  R E P O R T

  71


 

 

 

Want to know more?

iShares.com  |  1-800-474-2737

This report is intended for the Funds’ shareholders. It may not be distributed to prospective investors unless it is preceded or accompanied by the current prospectus.

Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal.

The iShares Funds are distributed by BlackRock Investments, LLC (together with its affiliates, “BlackRock”).

The iShares Funds are not sponsored, endorsed, issued, sold or promoted by MSCI Inc., nor does this company make any representation regarding the advisability of investing in the iShares Funds. BlackRock is not affiliated with the company listed above.

©2024 BlackRock, Inc. All rights reserved. iSHARES and BLACKROCK are registered trademarks of BlackRock, Inc. or its subsidiaries. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

iS-SAR-803-0224

 

 

LOGO

  

LOGO


 

 

LOGO

  FEBRUARY 29, 2024

 

 

  

 

2024 Semi-Annual Report

(Unaudited)

 

 

 

iShares, Inc.

·  iShares MSCI Brazil ETF | EWZ | NYSE Arca

·  iShares MSCI Chile ETF | ECH | Cboe BZX

·  iShares MSCI Israel ETF | EIS | NYSE Arca

·  iShares MSCI South Africa ETF | EZA | NYSE Arca

·  iShares MSCI Turkey ETF | TUR | NASDAQ


The Markets in Review

Dear Shareholder,

The combination of continued economic growth and cooling inflation provided a supportive backdrop for investors during the 12-month reporting period ended February 29, 2024. Significantly tighter monetary policy helped to rein in inflation, and the Consumer Price Index decelerated substantially while remaining above pre-pandemic levels. A moderating labor market helped ease inflationary pressure, although wages continued to grow. Wage and job growth powered robust consumer spending, backstopping the economy. On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a horrific attack on Israel. The ensuing war will have a significant humanitarian impact and could lead to heightened economic and market volatility. We see geopolitics as a structural market risk going forward. See our geopolitical risk dashboard at blackrock.com for more details.

Equity returns were robust during the period, as interest rates stabilized and the economy proved to be more resilient than many investors expected. The U.S. economy continued to show strength, and growth further accelerated in the second half of 2023. Large-capitalization U.S. stocks posted particularly substantial gains, supported by the performance of a few notable technology companies, while small-capitalization U.S. stocks advanced at a significantly slower pace. Meanwhile, international developed market equities also gained strongly, while emerging market stocks advanced at a more modest pace.

The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield rose during the reporting period, as investors reacted to elevated inflation and attempted to anticipate future interest rate changes. However, higher yields drove positive returns overall for 10-year U.S. Treasuries and solid gains in shorter-duration U.S. Treasuries. The corporate bond market benefited from improving economic sentiment, although high-yield corporate bond prices fared significantly better than investment-grade bonds as demand from yield-seeking investors remained strong.

The U.S. Federal Reserve (the “Fed”), attempting to manage persistent inflation, raised interest rates three times during the 12-month period, but paused its tightening after its July meeting. The Fed also continued to reduce its balance sheet by not replacing some of the securities that reach maturity.

Supply constraints appear to have become an embedded feature of the new macroeconomic environment, making it difficult for developed economies to increase production without sparking higher inflation. Geopolitical fragmentation and an aging population risk further exacerbating these constraints, keeping the labor market tight and wage growth high. Although the Fed has stopped tightening for now, we believe that the new economic regime means that the Fed will need to maintain high rates for an extended period despite the market’s hopes for rapid interest rate cuts, as reflected in the recent rally. In this new regime, we anticipate greater volatility and dispersion of returns, creating more opportunities for selective portfolio management.

Looking at developed market stocks, we have an overweight stance on U.S. stocks overall, particularly given the promise of emerging AI technologies. We are also overweight Japanese stocks as shareholder-friendly policies generate increased investor interest, although we maintain an underweight stance on European stocks. In credit, there are selective opportunities in the near term despite tighter credit and financial conditions. For fixed income investing with a six- to twelve-month horizon, we see the most attractive investments in short-term U.S. Treasuries and hard-currency emerging market bonds.

Overall, our view is that investors need to think globally, position themselves to be prepared for a decarbonizing economy, and be nimble as market conditions change. We encourage you to talk with your financial advisor and visit iShares.com for further insight about investing in today’s markets.

 

LOGO

Rob Kapito

President, BlackRock Inc.

LOGO

Rob Kapito

President, BlackRock Inc.

 

Total Returns as of February 29, 2024

 

 
     
    

 

6-Month

 

   

 

12-Month

 

 
   

U.S. large cap equities
(S&P 500® Index)

    13.93%       30.45%  
   

U.S. small cap equities
(Russell 2000® Index)

    8.97          10.05     
   

International equities
(MSCI Europe, Australasia, Far East Index)

    9.23          14.41     
   

Emerging market equities
(MSCI Emerging Markets Index)

    4.93          8.73     
   

3-month Treasury bills
(ICE BofA 3-Month U.S. Treasury Bill Index)

    2.69          5.22     
   

U.S. Treasury securities
(ICE BofA 10-Year U.S. Treasury Index)

    0.58          0.69     
   

U.S. investment grade bonds
(Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index)

    2.35          3.33     
   

Tax-exempt municipal bonds
(Bloomberg Municipal Bond Index)

    4.33          5.42     
   

U.S. high yield bonds
(Bloomberg U.S. Corporate High Yield 2% Issuer Capped Index)

    6.18          11.01     
Past performance is not an indication of future results. Index performance is shown for illustrative purposes only. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

 

 

 

2  

T H I S  P A G E  I S  N O T  P A R T  O F  Y O U R  F U N D  R E P O R T


Table of Contents

 

 

     Page  

 

 

The Markets in Review

     2  

Semi-Annual Report:

  

Fund Summary

     4  

About Fund Performance

     9  

Disclosure of Expenses

     9  

Schedules of Investments

     10  

Financial Statements

  

Statements of Assets and Liabilities

     27  

Statements of Operations

     29  

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

     31  

Financial Highlights

     34  

Notes to Financial Statements

     39  

Statement Regarding Liquidity Risk Management Program

     47  

Supplemental Information

     48  

General Information

     49  

Glossary of Terms Used in this Report

     50  

 

 

 


 

Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® MSCI Brazil ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCI Brazil ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of Brazilian equities, as represented by the MSCI Brazil 25/50 Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

          Average Annual Total Returns           Cumulative Total Returns  
     6-Month
Total Returns
    1 Year     5 Years     10 Years            1 Year     5 Years     10 Years  

Fund NAV

    11.09     28.41     0.99     2.34       28.41     5.03     26.07

Fund Market

    10.87       28.50       1.02       2.33         28.50       5.21       25.93  

Index

    11.55       28.99       1.77       3.08               28.99       9.15       35.41  

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

Actual           Hypothetical 5% Return                    
 

Beginning
Account Value
(09/01/23)
 
 
 
      

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a) 
           

Beginning
Account Value
(09/01/23)
 
 
 
      

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a) 
                 

Annualized
Expense
Ratio
 
 
 
  $   1,000.00          $   1,110.90          $  3.10               $  1,000.00          $   1,021.90          $  2.97                     0.59

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION

 

 

   

Sector

   

Percent of

Total Investments

 

(a) 

Financials

    26.5

Energy

    21.5  

Materials

    17.1  

Utilities

    10.4  

Industrials

    8.6  

Consumer Staples

    7.8  

Consumer Discretionary

    2.6  

Communication Services

    2.4  

Health Care

    2.4  

Information Technology

    0.7  

TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS

 

 

   

Security

   
Percent of
Total Investments
 
(a) 

Vale SA

    11.7

Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Preferred)

    9.7  

Itau Unibanco Holding SA (Preferred)

    8.3  

Petroleo Brasileiro SA

    7.8  

B3 SA - Brasil Bolsa Balcao

    3.8  

Banco Bradesco SA (Preferred)

    3.6  

WEG SA

    3.3  

Ambev SA

    3.0  

Banco do Brasil SA

    2.8  

Itausa SA (Preferred)

    2.7  
 

 

(a) 

Excludes money market funds.

 

 

4  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


 

Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® MSCI Chile ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCI Chile ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of a broad-based index composed of Chilean equities, as represented by the MSCI Chile IMI 25/50 Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

           Average Annual Total Returns           Cumulative Total Returns 
     6-Month
Total Returns
    1 Year     5 Years     10 Years          1 Year     5 Years      10 Years

Fund NAV

    (6.43 )%      (2.57 )%      (6.50 )%    (2.17)%       (2.57 )%      (28.55 )%     (19.68)%

Fund Market

    (6.00     (1.97     (6.46   (2.13)         (1.97     (28.40    (19.34)  

Index

    (5.90     (2.19     (6.57   (2.15)               (2.19     (28.79    (19.54)  

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

Actual           Hypothetical 5% Return                    
 

Beginning
Account Value
(09/01/23)
 
 
 
      

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a) 
           

Beginning
Account Value
(09/01/23)
 
 
 
      

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a) 
                 

Annualized
Expense
Ratio
 
 
 
  $  1,000.00          $   935.70          $  2.89               $  1,000.00          $  1,021.90          $  3.02                     0.60

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION

 

 

   

Sector

   
Percent of
Total Investments
 
(a) 

Financials

    28.2

Industrials

    22.7  

Utilities

    16.6  

Consumer Staples

    12.8  

Materials

    6.1  

Energy

    4.4  

Consumer Discretionary

    4.1  

Real Estate

    3.4  

Communication Services

    1.7  

TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS

 

 

   

Security

   

Percent of

Total Investments

 

(a) 

Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile SA (Preferred), Class B

    16.1

Banco de Chile

    11.9  

Banco Santander Chile

    7.2  

Enel Americas SA

    4.8  

Empresas CMPC SA

    4.5  

Latam Airlines Group SA

    4.5  

Empresas Copec SA

    4.4  

Banco de Credito e Inversiones SA

    4.4  

Cencosud SA

    4.3  

Falabella SA

    4.1  
 
(a) 

Excludes money market funds.

 

 

F U N D  S U M M A R Y

  5


 

Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® MSCI Israel ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCI Israel ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of a broad-based index composed of Israeli equities, as represented by the MSCI Israel Capped Investable Market Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

          Average Annual Total Returns         Cumulative Total Returns
    

6-Month

Total Returns

    1 Year     5 Years     10 Years          1 Year     5 Years     10 Years

Fund NAV

    16.19     19.44     4.49   3.94%       19.44     24.54   47.18%

Fund Market

    16.18       19.47       4.57     3.85         19.47       25.05     45.86  

Index

    15.97       19.33       4.89     4.39               19.33       26.94     53.67  

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

Actual            Hypothetical 5% Return               

 

 

      

 

 

      
 

 Beginning

 Account Value

 (09/01/23)

 

 

 

      

Ending

Account Value

(02/29/24)

 

 

 

      

Expenses

Paid During

the Period

 

 

(a) 

            

Beginning

Account Value

(09/01/23)

 

 

 

      

Ending

Account Value

(02/29/24)

 

 

 

      

Expenses

Paid During

the Period

 

 

(a) 

            

Annualized

Expense

Ratio

 

 

 

   $  1,000.00          $  1,161.90          $  3.17                $   1,000.00          $  1,021.90          $  2.97                0.59

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION

 

 

 
Sector  

Percent of  

Total Investments(a)

 

 

 

Information Technology

    36.7%  

Financials

    23.3    

Real Estate

    9.0    

Health Care

    8.3    

Industrials

    7.0    

Consumer Discretionary

    4.1    

Materials

    2.5    

Utilities

    2.4    

Communication Services

    2.4    

Consumer Staples

    2.2    

Energy

    2.1    

 

 

TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS

 

 

 
Security  

Percent of  

Total Investments(a)

 

 

 

Nice Ltd.

    7.6%  

Check Point Software Technologies Ltd.

    7.4    

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

    7.3    

Bank Leumi Le-Israel BM

    6.3    

Bank Hapoalim BM

    6.0    

CyberArk Software Ltd.

    5.4    

Wix.com Ltd.

    3.7    

Monday.com Ltd.

    3.2    

Israel Discount Bank Ltd., Class A

    3.2    

Mizrahi Tefahot Bank Ltd.

    3.0    

 

 
 

 

  (a) 

Excludes money market funds.

 

 

6  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


 

Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® MSCI South Africa ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCI South Africa ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of South African equities, as represented by the MSCI South Africa 25/50 Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

          Average Annual Total Returns         Cumulative Total Returns
    

6-Month

Total Returns

    1 Year     5 Years     10 Years          1 Year     5 Years     10 Years

Fund NAV

    (3.53 )%      (5.87 )%      (1.94 )%    (1.02)%       (5.87 )%      (9.34 )%    (9.79)%

Fund Market

    (3.83     (6.62     (2.02   (1.05)         (6.62     (9.69   (10.00)  

Index

    (3.28     (6.17     (1.64   (0.58)               (6.17     (7.96   (5.61)  

Index performance through August 31, 2017 reflects the performance of the MSCI South Africa Index. Index performance beginning on September 1, 2017 reflects the performance of the MSCI South Africa 25/50 Index.

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

Actual            Hypothetical 5% Return               

 

 

      

 

 

      
 

 Beginning

 Account Value

 (09/01/23)

 

 

 

      

Ending

Account Value

(02/29/24)

 

 

 

      

Expenses

Paid During

the Period

 

 

(a) 

            

Beginning

Account Value

(09/01/23)

 

 

 

      

Ending

Account Value

(02/29/24)

 

 

 

      

Expenses

Paid During

the Period

 

 

(a) 

            

Annualized

Expense

Ratio

 

 

 

   $  1,000.00          $   964.70          $  2.93                $  1,000.00          $  1,021.90          $  3.02                0.60

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION

 

 

 
Sector  

Percent of  

Total Investments(a)

 

 

 

Financials

    39.1%  

Materials

    20.6    

Consumer Discretionary

    18.3    

Consumer Staples

    9.5    

Communication Services

    5.4    

Real Estate

    2.1    

Health Care

    2.0    

Industrials

    1.8    

Energy

    1.2    

 

 

TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS

 

 

 
Security  

Percent of  

Total Investments(a)

 

 

 

Naspers Ltd., Class N

    15.6%  

FirstRand Ltd.

    8.9    

Standard Bank Group Ltd.

    7.3    

Gold Fields Ltd.

    6.1    

Capitec Bank Holdings Ltd.

    4.8    

Anglogold Ashanti PLC

    4.1    

Bid Corp. Ltd.

    4.1    

MTN Group Ltd.

    3.8    

Absa Group Ltd.

    3.8    

Shoprite Holdings Ltd.

    3.5    

 

 
 

 

  (a) 

Excludes money market funds.

 

 

F U N D  S U M M A R Y

  7


 

Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® MSCI Turkey ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCI Turkey ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of a broad-based index composed of Turkish equities, as represented by the MSCI Turkey IMI 25/50 Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

          Average Annual Total Returns         Cumulative Total Returns
    

6-Month

Total Returns

    1 Year     5 Years     10 Years          1 Year     5 Years     10 Years

Fund NAV

    1.63     10.32     9.44   1.55%       10.32     57.02   16.59%

Fund Market

    1.11       10.63       9.54     1.57         10.63       57.74     16.87  

Index

    1.72       10.91       9.73     1.80               10.91       59.08     19.48  

Index performance through May 28, 2019 reflects the performance of MSCI Turkey Investable Market Index. Index performance beginning on May 29, 2019 reflects the performance of the MSCI Turkey IMI 25/50 Index.

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

Actual            Hypothetical 5% Return               

 

 

      

 

 

      
 

 Beginning

 Account Value

 (09/01/23)

 

 

 

      

Ending

Account Value

(02/29/24)

 

 

 

      

Expenses

Paid During

the Period

 

 

(a) 

            

Beginning

Account Value

(09/01/23)

 

 

 

      

Ending

Account Value

(02/29/24)

 

 

 

      

Expenses

Paid During

the Period

 

 

(a) 

            

Annualized

Expense

Ratio

 

 

 

   $  1,000.00          $  1,016.30          $  3.01                $  1,000.00          $  1,021.90          $  3.02                0.60

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION

 

 

 
Sector  

Percent of  

Total Investments(a)

 

 

 

Industrials

    27.2%  

Financials

    17.1    

Consumer Staples

    14.9    

Materials

    13.4    

Consumer Discretionary

    10.0    

Energy

    6.1    

Communication Services

    3.5    

Utilities

    3.3    

Real Estate

    2.2    

Health Care

    1.2    

Information Technology

    1.1    

 

 

TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS

 

 

 
Security  

Percent of  

Total Investments(a)

 

 

 

BIM Birlesik Magazalar AS

    6.9%  

Turkiye Petrol Rafinerileri AS

    6.1    

Turk Hava Yollari AO

    6.0    

Akbank TAS

    5.0    

KOC Holding AS

    5.0    

Turkiye Is Bankasi AS, Class C

    3.8    

Aselsan Elektronik Sanayi Ve Ticaret AS

    3.6    

Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri AS

    3.5    

Ford Otomotiv Sanayi AS

    3.2    

Haci Omer Sabanci Holding AS

    3.1    

 

 
 

 

  (a) 

Excludes money market funds.

 

 

8  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


About Fund Performance

 

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Financial markets have experienced extreme volatility and trading in many instruments has been disrupted. These circumstances may continue for an extended period of time and may continue to affect adversely the value and liquidity of each Fund’s investments. As a result, current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. Performance data current to the most recent month-end is available at iShares.com. Performance results assume reinvestment of all dividends and capital gain distributions and do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. The investment return and principal value of shares will vary with changes in market conditions. Shares may be worth more or less than their original cost when they are redeemed or sold in the market. Performance for certain funds may reflect a waiver of a portion of investment advisory fees. Without such a waiver, performance would have been lower.

Net asset value or “NAV” is the value of one share of a fund as calculated in accordance with the standard formula for valuing mutual fund shares. Beginning August 10, 2020, the price used to calculate market return (“Market Price”) is the closing price. Prior to August 10, 2020, Market Price was determined using the midpoint between the highest bid and the lowest ask on the primary stock exchange on which shares of a fund are listed for trading, as of the time that such fund’s NAV is calculated. Market and NAV returns assume that dividends and capital gain distributions have been reinvested at Market Price and NAV, respectively.

An index is a statistical composite that tracks a specified financial market or sector. Unlike a fund, an index does not actually hold a portfolio of securities and therefore does not incur the expenses incurred by a fund. These expenses negatively impact fund performance. Also, index returns do not include brokerage commissions that may be payable on secondary market transactions. If brokerage commissions were included, index returns would be lower.

Disclosure of Expenses

Shareholders of each Fund may incur the following charges: (1) transactional expenses, including brokerage commissions on purchases and sales of fund shares and (2) ongoing expenses, including management fees and other fund expenses. The expense examples shown (which are based on a hypothetical investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held through the end of the period) are intended to assist shareholders both in calculating expenses based on an investment in each Fund and in comparing these expenses with similar costs of investing in other funds.

The expense examples provide information about actual account values and actual expenses. Annualized expense ratios reflect contractual and voluntary fee waivers, if any. In order to estimate the expenses a shareholder paid during the period covered by this report, shareholders can divide their account value by $1,000 and then multiply the result by the number under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During the Period.”

The expense examples also provide information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on a fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses. In order to assist shareholders in comparing the ongoing expenses of investing in the Funds and other funds, compare the 5% hypothetical examples with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.

The expenses shown in the expense examples are intended to highlight shareholders’ ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional expenses, such as brokerage commissions and other fees paid on purchases and sales of fund shares. Therefore, the hypothetical examples are useful in comparing ongoing expenses only and will not help shareholders determine the relative total expenses of owning different funds. If these transactional expenses were included, shareholder expenses would have been higher.

 

 

A B O U T  F U N D  P E R F O R M A N C E / D I S C L O S U R E  O F  E X P E N S E S

  9


Schedule of Investments (unaudited)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Brazil ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Common Stocks

   

Banks — 4.2%

   

Banco Bradesco SA

    17,367,465     $ 42,972,344  

Banco do Brasil SA

    12,414,249       144,492,858  

Banco Santander Brasil SA

    6,326,163       36,396,022  
   

 

 

 
      223,861,224  
Beverages — 2.9%            

Ambev SA

    60,611,322       153,384,649  
   

 

 

 

Broadline Retail — 0.4%

   

Magazine Luiza SA(a)

    41,222,921       17,663,057  

Magazine Luiza SA, NVS

    4,228,320       1,811,736  
   

 

 

 
      19,474,793  
Capital Markets — 5.7%            

B3 SA - Brasil Bolsa Balcao

    75,789,900       195,607,495  

Banco BTG Pactual SA

    14,670,400       107,391,896  
   

 

 

 
      302,999,391  
Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail — 2.9%  

Atacadao SA

    8,578,130       20,862,504  

Raia Drogasil SA

    16,715,832       89,579,724  

Sendas Distribuidora SA

    15,018,461       42,900,393  
   

 

 

 
      153,342,621  
Containers & Packaging — 1.0%            

Klabin SA

    11,205,922       50,877,604  
   

 

 

 

Diversified Telecommunication Services — 1.4%

 

Telefonica Brasil SA

    6,503,431       71,273,344  
   

 

 

 

Electric Utilities — 5.5%

   

Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA

    15,319,902       134,058,003  

CPFL Energia SA

    3,062,816       21,804,642  

Energisa SA

    2,836,456       29,008,755  

Equatorial Energia SA

    15,337,573       105,457,192  
   

 

 

 
      290,328,592  
Electrical Equipment — 3.3%            

WEG SA

    23,461,053       173,158,061  
   

 

 

 

Food Products — 1.0%

   

JBS SA

    11,591,502       53,770,803  
   

 

 

 

Ground Transportation — 4.3%

   

Localiza Rent a Car SA

    12,952,118       138,090,615  

Localiza Rent a Car SA, NVS(a)

    48,684       495,546  

Rumo SA

    19,418,053       88,748,600  
   

 

 

 
      227,334,761  
Health Care Providers & Services — 1.5%  

Hapvida Participacoes e
Investimentos SA(a)(b)

    64,378,922       47,528,845  

Rede D’Or Sao Luiz SA(b)

    6,504,166       33,128,580  
   

 

 

 
      80,657,425  
Independent Power and Renewable Electricity Producers — 1.0%  

Eneva SA(a)

    8,529,322       22,013,478  

Engie Brasil Energia SA

    3,681,595       31,119,998  
   

 

 

 
      53,133,476  
Insurance — 1.7%            

BB Seguridade Participacoes SA

    10,570,359       70,892,915  

Caixa Seguridade Participacoes S/A

    6,603,593       19,089,061  
   

 

 

 
      89,981,976  
Metals & Mining — 12.2%            

Cia. Siderurgica Nacional SA

    10,444,230       35,338,647  

Vale SA

    45,074,886       607,424,235  
   

 

 

 
      642,762,882  
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels — 11.6%  

Cosan SA

    15,830,947       54,138,139  

Petroleo Brasileiro SA

    48,600,772       402,994,070  

PRIO SA

    9,905,700       87,099,062  

Ultrapar Participacoes SA

    11,431,035       67,513,264  
   

 

 

 
       611,744,535  
Security   Shares     Value  

Paper & Forest Products — 2.3%

 

Suzano SA

    10,783,780     $ 122,239,746  
   

 

 

 

Personal Care Products — 0.8%

 

Natura & Co. Holding SA(a)

    12,766,611       41,886,791  
   

 

 

 

Pharmaceuticals — 0.8%

   

Hypera SA

    6,227,250       41,188,465  
   

 

 

 

Software — 0.7%

   

TOTVS SA

    5,825,844       35,966,919  
   

 

 

 

Specialty Retail — 2.2%

   

Lojas Renner SA

    14,456,250       45,947,326  

Vibra Energia SA

    13,802,492       71,801,501  
   

 

 

 
      117,748,827  
Transportation Infrastructure — 0.9%  

CCR SA

    17,397,901       48,227,369  
   

 

 

 

Water Utilities — 1.6%

   

Cia. de Saneamento Basico do Estado de Sao Paulo

    5,208,963       82,947,740  
   

 

 

 

Wireless Telecommunication Services — 1.0%

 

TIM SA/Brazil

    14,282,535       52,204,474  
   

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks — 70.9%
(Cost: $2,221,893,779)

      3,740,496,468  
   

 

 

 

Preferred Stocks

   

Banks — 14.4%

   

Banco Bradesco SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    67,809,679       187,560,718  

Itau Unibanco Holding SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    63,373,115       432,677,581  

Itausa SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    66,962,629       138,744,962  
   

 

 

 
      758,983,261  
Electric Utilities — 2.1%            

Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA, Class B, Preference Shares, NVS

    4,154,406       40,038,943  

Cia. Energetica de Minas Gerais, Preference Shares, NVS

    21,696,309       52,242,928  

Companhia Paranaense de Energia, Preference Shares, NVS

    9,706,882       19,956,214  
   

 

 

 
      112,238,085  
Metals & Mining — 1.4%            

Gerdau SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    16,999,350       73,522,163  
   

 

 

 

Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels — 9.6%

   

Petroleo Brasileiro SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    62,368,358       503,604,009  
   

 

 

 

Total Preferred Stocks — 27.5%
(Cost: $825,548,054)

      1,448,347,518  
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 98.4%
(Cost: $3,047,441,833)

       5,188,843,986  
   

 

 

 

Short-Term Securities

   

Money Market Funds — 0.1%

   

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares, 5.30%(c)(d)

    3,700,000       3,700,000  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 0.1%
(Cost: $3,700,000)

      3,700,000  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments — 98.5%
(Cost: $3,051,141,833)

      5,192,543,986  

Other Assets Less Liabilities — 1.5%

      80,835,688  
   

 

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

    $ 5,273,379,674  
   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Non-income producing security.

(b) 

Security exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration to qualified institutional investors.

 

 

 

10  

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Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Brazil ETF

 

(c) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(d) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

 

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

 

 
Affiliated Issuer   

Value at

08/31/23

    

Purchases

at Cost

    

Proceeds

from Sale

   

Net Realized

Gain (Loss)

    

Change in

Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

    

Value at

02/29/24

    

Shares

Held at

02/29/24

     Income     

Capital

Gain

Distributions

from

Underlying

Funds

 

 

 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares

   $ 12,030,000      $      $ (8,330,000 )(a)    $      $      $ 3,700,000        3,700,000      $ 558,347      $  
          

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

       

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

 

 
Description   

Number of

Contracts

    

Expiration

Date

    

Notional

Amount

(000)

    

Value/

Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

 

 

 

Long Contracts

           

Bclear MSCI Brazil Index

     1,401        03/15/24      $ 83,864      $ (1,921,753
           

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

 

 
    

Commodity

Contracts

    

Credit

Contracts

    

Equity

Contracts

    

Foreign

Currency

Exchange

Contracts

    

Interest

Rate

Contracts

    

Other

Contracts

     Total  

 

 

Liabilities — Derivative Financial Instruments

                    

Futures contracts

                    

Unrealized depreciation on futures contracts(a)

   $      $      $ 1,921,753      $      $      $      $ 1,921,753  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

 

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

 

 
     Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
     Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

 

 

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ 3,840,778      $      $      $      $ 3,840,778  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ 287,751      $      $      $      $ 287,751  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

 

 

Futures contracts:

  

Average notional value of contracts — long

   $ 103,891,714   

 

 

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  11


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Brazil ETF

 

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

 

 
    Level 1     Level 2      Level 3      Total  

 

 

Assets

         

Investments

         

Long-Term Investments

         

Common Stocks

  $ 3,738,684,732     $ 1,811,736      $      $ 3,740,496,468  

Preferred Stocks

    1,448,347,518                     1,448,347,518  

Short-Term Securities

         

Money Market Funds

    3,700,000                     3,700,000  
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
  $ 5,190,732,250     $   1,811,736      $      $ 5,192,543,986  
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

         

Liabilities

         

Equity Contracts

  $ (1,921,753   $      $     —      $ (1,921,753
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Derivative financial instruments are futures contracts. Futures contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

12  

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Schedule of Investments (unaudited)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Chile ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 

Common Stocks

   
Banks — 26.8%            

Banco de Chile

    577,680,482     $ 66,985,811  

Banco de Credito e Inversiones SA

    888,981       24,661,709  

Banco Itau Chile SA, NVS

    1,084,620       10,665,890  

Banco Santander Chile

    828,276,859       40,279,533  

Grupo Security SA

    29,010,915       8,138,168  
   

 

 

 
       150,731,111  
Beverages — 3.9%            

Cia. Cervecerias Unidas SA

    2,183,028       12,666,112  

Vina Concha y Toro SA

    9,121,936       9,466,962  
   

 

 

 
      22,133,074  
Broadline Retail — 4.1%            

Falabella SA(a)

    9,056,927       22,971,084  
   

 

 

 
Capital Markets — 0.8%            

Sociedad de Inversiones Oro Blanco SA

    653,923,286       4,652,846  
   

 

 

 
Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail — 6.1%        

Cencosud SA

    13,584,433       24,397,026  

SMU SA

    58,070,685       9,800,473  
   

 

 

 
      34,197,499  
Electric Utilities — 9.9%            

Enel Americas SA

    265,357,067       27,055,950  

Enel Chile SA

    336,770,128       20,229,355  

Engie Energia Chile SA(a)

    9,711,445       8,293,421  
   

 

 

 
      55,578,726  
Financial Services — 0.5%            

Inversiones La Construccion SA

    321,109       2,768,811  
   

 

 

 
Independent Power and Renewable Electricity Producers — 3.0%  

Colbun SA

    124,299,078       17,080,412  
   

 

 

 
Marine Transportation — 2.2%            

Cia. Sud Americana de Vapores SA

    179,285,945       12,517,687  
   

 

 

 
Metals & Mining — 1.6%            

CAP SA

    1,319,707       9,053,478  
   

 

 

 
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels — 4.4%            

Empresas Copec SA

    3,872,006       24,849,841  
   

 

 

 
Paper & Forest Products — 4.5%            

Empresas CMPC SA

    14,215,504       25,236,103  
   

 

 

 
Passenger Airlines — 4.4%            

Latam Airlines Group SA(a)

    1,990,147,423       25,029,803  
   

 

 

 
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Real Estate Management & Development — 3.4%  

Parque Arauco SA

    10,164,740     $ 16,214,173  

Plaza SA(a)

    1,958,792       2,899,481  
   

 

 

 
      19,113,654  
Water Utilities — 3.6%            

Aguas Andinas SA, Class A

    44,165,615       12,983,702  

Inversiones Aguas Metropolitanas SA

    9,845,070       7,388,439  
   

 

 

 
      20,372,141  
Wireless Telecommunication Services — 1.7%        

Empresa Nacional de Telecomunicaciones SA

    2,904,523       9,458,957  
   

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks — 80.9%
(Cost: $426,874,694)

      455,745,227  
   

 

 

 

Preferred Stocks

   
Beverages — 2.8%            

Embotelladora Andina SA, Class B, Preference Shares, NVS

    6,118,753       15,441,608  
   

 

 

 
Electrical Equipment — 16.0%            

Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile SA, Class B, Preference Shares

    1,820,391       90,277,918  
   

 

 

 

Total Preferred Stocks — 18.8%
(Cost: $93,649,948)

      105,719,526  
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 99.7%
(Cost: $520,524,642)

      561,464,753  
   

 

 

 

Short-Term Securities

   

Money Market Funds — 0.2%

   

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares, 5.30%(b)(c)

    1,080,000       1,080,000  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 0.2%
(Cost: $1,080,000)

      1,080,000  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments — 99.9%
(Cost: $521,604,642)

      562,544,753  

Other Assets Less Liabilities — 0.1%

      317,740  
   

 

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

    $  562,862,493  
   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Non-income producing security.

(b) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(c) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

 

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

 

 
Affiliated Issuer   

Value at

08/31/23

    

Purchases

at Cost

   

Proceeds

from Sale

    

Net Realized

Gain (Loss)

    

Change in

Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

    

Value at

02/29/24

    

Shares

Held at

02/29/24

     Income     

Capital

Gain

Distributions

from

Underlying

Funds

 

 

 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares

   $      $ 1,080,000 (a)    $      $      $      $ 1,080,000        1,080,000      $ 34,625      $  
          

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

       

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  13


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Chile ETF

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

 

 
Description   

Number of

Contracts

    

Expiration

Date

    

Notional

Amount

(000)

    

Value/

Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

 

 

 

Long Contracts

           

MSCI Emerging Markets Index

     12        03/15/24      $ 610      $ 25,815  
           

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

 

 
    

Commodity

Contracts

    

Credit

Contracts

    

Equity

Contracts

    

Foreign

Currency

Exchange

Contracts

    

Interest

Rate

Contracts

    

Other

Contracts

     Total  

 

 

Assets — Derivative Financial Instruments

                    

Futures contracts

                    

Unrealized appreciation on futures contracts(a)

   $      $      $ 25,815      $      $      $      $ 25,815  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

 

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

 

 
    Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
    Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

 

 

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                  

Futures contracts

  $      $      $ (50,792   $      $      $      $ (50,792
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

                  

Futures contracts

  $      $      $ 89,294     $      $      $      $ 89,294  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

 

 

Futures contracts:

 

Average notional value of contracts — long

  $ 1,070,043   

 

 

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

 

 
       Level 1         Level 2        Level 3          Total  

 

 

Assets

          

Investments

          

Long-Term Investments

          

Common Stocks

  $ 339,415,896      $ 116,329,331      $      $ 455,745,227  

Preferred Stocks

    15,441,608        90,277,918               105,719,526  

Short-Term Securities

          

Money Market Funds

    1,080,000                      1,080,000  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
  $ 355,937,504      $ 206,607,249      $      $ 562,544,753  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

14  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Chile ETF

 

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End (continued)

 

 

 
       Level 1         Level 2        Level 3          Total  

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

          

Assets

          

Equity Contracts

  $ 25,815      $      $      $ 25,815  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Derivative financial instruments are futures contracts. Futures contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  15


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) 

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Israel ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Common Stocks

   

Aerospace & Defense — 2.9%

   

Elbit Systems Ltd.

    18,379     $ 4,088,147  
   

 

 

 

Banks — 20.0%

   

Bank Hapoalim BM

    875,393       8,385,164  

Bank Leumi Le-Israel BM

    1,049,349       8,798,425  

FIBI Holdings Ltd.

    12,194       551,472  

First International Bank Of Israel Ltd. (The)

    38,024       1,641,458  

Israel Discount Bank Ltd., Class A

    852,383       4,447,221  

Mizrahi Tefahot Bank Ltd.

    106,720       4,224,030  
   

 

 

 
       28,047,770  
Broadline Retail — 1.6%            

Global-e Online Ltd.(a)

    67,909       2,300,078  
   

 

 

 

Capital Markets — 0.3%

   

Tel Aviv Stock Exchange Ltd.

    63,438       447,428  
   

 

 

 

Chemicals — 2.5%

   

ICL Group Ltd.

    533,119       2,831,568  

Israel Corp Ltd.(a)

    2,633       693,021  
   

 

 

 
      3,524,589  
Communications Equipment — 0.2%            

Ituran Location and Control Ltd

    10,326       269,715  
   

 

 

 

Construction & Engineering — 2.0%

   

Ashtrom Group Ltd.

    27,812       456,051  

Elco Ltd.

    6,548       237,887  

Electra Ltd./Israel

    1,452       630,542  

Kvutzat Acro Ltd., NVS(b)

    18,964       239,906  

Shapir Engineering and Industry Ltd.

    98,243       597,274  

Shikun & Binui Ltd.(a)

    225,766       604,208  
   

 

 

 
      2,765,868  
Consumer Finance — 0.4%            

Isracard Ltd.

    139,065       544,471  
   

 

 

 

Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail — 1.3%

 

M Yochananof & Sons Ltd.(b)

    3,495       173,432  

Rami Levy Chain Stores Hashikma Marketing 2006 Ltd.

    6,158       378,638  

Shufersal Ltd.(a)

    183,061       1,304,470  
   

 

 

 
      1,856,540  
Distributors — 0.1%            

Tadiran Group Ltd.(b)

    2,071       172,449  
   

 

 

 

Diversified REITs — 0.7%

   

Reit 1 Ltd.

    134,174       610,607  

Sella Capital Real Estate Ltd.

    151,118       337,090  
   

 

 

 
      947,697  
Diversified Telecommunication Services — 1.3%  

Bezeq The Israeli Telecommunication Corp. Ltd.

    1,334,577       1,802,300  
   

 

 

 

Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components — 0.4%

 

Nayax Ltd.(a)

    5,678       157,044  

Next Vision Stabilized Systems Ltd., NVS

    38,088       452,734  
   

 

 

 
      609,778  
Food Products — 0.5%            

Strauss Group Ltd.(a)

    36,322       720,602  
   

 

 

 

Health Care Equipment & Supplies — 0.9%

   

Inmode Ltd.(a)(b)

    54,485       1,198,670  
   

 

 

 

Health Care Providers & Services — 0.0%

   

Nano-X Imaging Ltd.(a)(b)

    2,368       26,427  
   

 

 

 

Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure — 0.7%

   

Fattal Holdings 1998 Ltd.(a)

    5,101       697,115  

NEOGAMES SA(a)

    9,264       262,356  
   

 

 

 
      959,471  
Household Durables — 0.7%            

Azorim-Investment Development & Construction Co. Ltd.(a)

    50,796       260,901  
Security   Shares     Value  

Household Durables (continued)

   

Danya Cebus Ltd.

    5,385     $ 138,875  

Electra Consumer Products 1970 Ltd.(b)

    8,803       221,246  

Maytronics Ltd.

    33,941       372,726  
   

 

 

 
      993,748  
Independent Power and Renewable Electricity Producers — 2.4%  

Energix-Renewable Energies Ltd.

    188,711       708,421  

Enlight Renewable Energy Ltd.(a)

    81,284       1,405,561  

Kenon Holdings Ltd./Singapore

    14,849       379,556  

OPC Energy Ltd.(a)

    77,187       541,829  

OY Nofar Energy Ltd.(a)

    12,248       299,297  
   

 

 

 
      3,334,664  
Insurance — 2.6%            

Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd.(a)

    43,566       833,313  

Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd.(b)

    72,248       718,424  

Menora Mivtachim Holdings Ltd.

    14,935       417,458  

Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd.

    289,724       382,811  

Phoenix Holdings Ltd. (The)

    112,363       1,212,001  
   

 

 

 
      3,564,007  
IT Services — 4.8%            

Formula Systems 1985 Ltd.

    6,859       529,620  

Matrix IT Ltd.

    24,058       505,291  

One Software Technologies Ltd.

    31,996       439,590  

Wix.com Ltd.(a)

    37,418       5,245,255  
   

 

 

 
      6,719,756  
Machinery — 0.5%            

Kornit Digital Ltd.(a)

    34,655       623,443  
   

 

 

 
Marine Transportation — 0.6%            

ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd.(b)

    66,198       788,418  
   

 

 

 
Media — 0.5%            

Perion Network Ltd.(a)

    32,339       736,783  
   

 

 

 
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels — 2.1%            

Delek Group Ltd.

    6,360       858,883  

Equital Ltd.(a)

    16,269       525,679  

Naphtha Israel Petroleum Corp. Ltd.

    23,188       124,146  

Oil Refineries Ltd.

    1,730,791       712,090  

Paz Oil Co. Ltd.(a)

    6,958       670,472  
   

 

 

 
      2,891,270  
Personal Care Products — 0.3%            

Oddity Tech Ltd., NVS(b)

    10,872       458,581  
   

 

 

 
Pharmaceuticals — 7.5%            

Taro Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.(a)

    6,469       272,151  

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., ADR(a)

    772,355       10,156,468  
   

 

 

 
       10,428,619  
Professional Services — 1.1%            

Danel Adir Yeoshua Ltd.

    3,659       365,507  

Fiverr International Ltd.(a)(b)

    22,524       531,566  

Hilan Ltd.

    11,053       634,052  
   

 

 

 
      1,531,125  
Real Estate Management & Development — 8.3%  

AFI Properties Ltd.(a)

    0       27  

Africa Israel Residences Ltd.

    4,358       287,854  

Airport City Ltd.(a)

    46,903       792,602  

Alony Hetz Properties & Investments Ltd.

    105,774       776,709  

Amot Investments Ltd.

    161,789       827,248  

Aura Investments Ltd.

    101,582       387,293  

Azrieli Group Ltd.

    29,244       2,122,370  

Big Shopping Centers Ltd.(a)

    9,258       1,025,386  

Blue Square Real Estate Ltd.

    3,785       267,676  

Brack Capital Properties NV(a)

    0       13  

Electra Real Estate Ltd.(b)

    15,803       169,839  

G City Ltd.(a)

    70,549       221,609  

Gav-Yam Lands Corp. Ltd.

    0       1  

Israel Canada T.R Ltd.(b)

    111,135       434,426  

Isras Holdings Ltd., NVS

    2,643       226,060  
 

 

 

16  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Israel ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 

Real Estate Management & Development (continued)

 

Isras Investment Co. Ltd.

    1,261     $ 254,109  

Mega Or Holdings Ltd.

    16,368       426,817  

Melisron Ltd.

    18,010       1,392,775  

Mivne Real Estate KD Ltd.

    416,372       1,118,564  

Prashkovsky Investments and Construction Ltd.

    5,047       130,030  

Summit Real Estate Holdings Ltd.

    27,944       374,134  

YH Dimri Construction & Development Ltd.

    5,163       407,706  
   

 

 

 
      11,643,248  
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment — 5.4%  

Camtek Ltd./Israel(a)

    20,078       1,620,879  

Nova Ltd.(a)

    19,962       3,412,207  

Tower Semiconductor Ltd.(a)

    75,882       2,499,246  
   

 

 

 
      7,532,332  
Software — 25.5%            

Cellebrite DI Ltd.(a)

    34,134       408,584  

Check Point Software Technologies Ltd.(a)(b)

    64,493       10,345,967  

CyberArk Software Ltd.(a)

    28,779       7,590,749  

Magic Software Enterprises Ltd.

    18,599       207,439  

Monday.com Ltd.(a)

    19,960       4,451,280  

Nice Ltd.(a)

    43,639       10,676,552  

Pagaya Technologies Ltd., NVS(b)

    193,497       286,376  

Radware Ltd.(a)(b)

    26,034       462,364  

Riskified Ltd.(a)(b)

    63,186       289,392  

Sapiens International Corp. NV

    22,850       705,804  

SimilarWeb Ltd.(a)

    18,789       166,658  

WalkMe Ltd.(a)

    15,195       141,465  
   

 

 

 
       35,732,630  
Specialty Retail — 0.7%  

Delek Automotive Systems Ltd.

    40,074       258,244  

Fox Wizel Ltd.

    5,698       476,174  

Retailors Ltd.

    13,333       305,510  
   

 

 

 
      1,039,928  
Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals — 0.3%  

Nano Dimension Ltd., ADR(a)(b)

    157,028       447,530  
   

 

 

 
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 

Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods — 0.2%

 

Delta Galil Ltd.(b)

    7,090     $ 334,591  
   

 

 

 
Wireless Telecommunication Services — 0.6%  

Cellcom Israel Ltd.(a)

    74,011       326,140  

Partner Communications Co. Ltd.(a)

    89,840       437,766  
   

 

 

 
      763,906  
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 99.9%
(Cost: $154,127,458)

       139,846,579  
   

 

 

 

Short-Term Securities

   

Money Market Funds — 4.1%

   

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares, 5.50%(c)(d)(e)

    5,663,480       5,666,312  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares, 5.30%(c)(d)

    90,000       90,000  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 4.1%
(Cost: $5,756,185)

      5,756,312  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments — 104.0%
(Cost: $159,883,643)

      145,602,891  

Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets — (4.0)%

 

    (5,538,586
   

 

 

 
Net Assets — 100.0%         $ 140,064,305  
   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Non-income producing security.

(b) 

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(c) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(d) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

(e) 

All or a portion of this security was purchased with the cash collateral from loaned securities.

 

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

                   
Affiliated Issuer   

Value at

08/31/23

      

Purchases

at Cost

      

Proceeds

from Sale

    

Net Realized

Gain (Loss)

      

Change in

Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

      

Value at

02/29/24

      

Shares

Held at

02/29/24

       Income     

Capital

Gain

Distributions

from

Underlying

Funds

 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares

   $ 11,746,318        $        $ (6,081,529 )(a)     $ 1,928        $ (405      $ 5,666,312          5,663,480        $ 74,536 (b)     $  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares

     150,000                   (60,000 )(a)                         90,000          90,000          2,990         
               

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

           

 

 

    

 

 

 
                $ 1,928        $ (405      $ 5,756,312             $ 77,526      $  
               

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

           

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

 
  (b) 

All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities.

 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  17


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Israel ETF

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

 

 
Description   

Number of

Contracts

   

Expiration

Date

   

Notional

Amount

(000)

   

Value/

Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

 

 

 

Long Contracts

        

Euro STOXX 50 Index

     4       03/15/24     $ 212     $ 15,645  
        

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

 

 
    

Commodity

Contracts

    

Credit

Contracts

    

Equity

Contracts

    

Foreign

Currency

Exchange

Contracts

    

Interest

Rate

Contracts

    

Other

Contracts

     Total  

 

 

Assets — Derivative Financial Instruments

                    

Futures contracts

                    

Unrealized appreciation on futures contracts(a)

   $      $      $ 15,645      $      $      $      $ 15,645  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

 

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

 

 
    

Commodity

Contracts

    

Credit

Contracts

    

Equity

Contracts

    

Foreign

Currency

Exchange

Contracts

    

Interest

Rate

Contracts

    

Other

Contracts

     Total  

 

 

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ 9,022      $      $      $      $ 9,022  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ 15,077      $      $      $      $ 15,077  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

 

   

Futures contracts:

  

Average notional value of contracts — long

     $129,992  

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

 

 
     Level 1      Level 2      Level 3      Total  

 

 

Assets

           

Investments

           

Long-Term Investments

           

Common Stocks

   $ 51,952,267      $ 87,894,312      $     —      $ 139,846,579  

Short-Term Securities

           

Money Market Funds

     5,756,312                      5,756,312  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   $  57,708,579      $  87,894,312      $      $ 145,602,891  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

18  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Israel ETF

 

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End (continued)

 

 

 
     Level 1      Level 2      Level 3      Total  

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

           

Assets

           

Equity Contracts

   $        —      $   15,645      $        —      $   15,645  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Derivative financial instruments are futures contracts. Futures contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  19


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) 

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI South Africa ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Common Stocks

   
Banks — 18.4%            

Absa Group Ltd.

    1,122,924     $ 9,586,149  

Capitec Bank Holdings Ltd.

    115,080       12,124,562  

Nedbank Group Ltd.

    580,581       6,642,021  

Standard Bank Group Ltd.

    1,771,789       18,643,507  
   

 

 

 
      46,996,239  
Broadline Retail — 17.3%            

Naspers Ltd., Class N

    242,100       39,825,829  

Woolworths Holdings Ltd./South Africa

    1,241,345       4,153,134  
   

 

 

 
      43,978,963  
Capital Markets — 1.8%            

Reinet Investments SCA

    181,345       4,576,550  
   

 

 

 
Chemicals — 2.3%            

Sasol Ltd.

    759,630       5,724,844  
   

 

 

 
Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail — 9.5%        

Bid Corp. Ltd.

    443,277       10,370,094  

Clicks Group Ltd.

    314,085       4,914,169  

Shoprite Holdings Ltd.

    664,296       8,943,405  
   

 

 

 
       24,227,668  
Financial Services — 10.8%            

FirstRand Ltd.

    6,672,245       22,572,828  

Remgro Ltd.

    664,452       5,039,165  
   

 

 

 
      27,611,993  
Industrial Conglomerates — 1.8%            

Bidvest Group Ltd. (The)

    382,256       4,656,827  
   

 

 

 
Insurance — 8.0%            

Discovery Ltd.

    715,127       5,071,769  

Old Mutual Ltd.

    6,333,790       3,942,042  

OUTsurance Group Ltd., NVS

    1,116,663       2,424,288  

Sanlam Ltd.

    2,329,133       8,931,581  
   

 

 

 
      20,369,680  
Metals & Mining — 18.3%            

Anglo American Platinum Ltd.

    87,675       3,372,740  

Anglogold Ashanti PLC, NVS

    554,665       10,448,979  

Gold Fields Ltd.

    1,180,921       15,556,783  

Harmony Gold Mining Co. Ltd.

    737,443       4,286,788  

Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd.

    1,195,231       4,056,108  

Kumba Iron Ore Ltd.

    84,984       2,379,153  

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Metals & Mining (continued)

   

Northam Platinum Holdings Ltd.

    470,888     $ 2,692,753  

Sibanye Stillwater Ltd.

    3,740,932       3,855,743  
   

 

 

 
      46,649,047  
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels — 1.2%        

Exxaro Resources Ltd.

    323,154       2,998,580  
   

 

 

 
Pharmaceuticals — 2.0%            

Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Ltd.

    501,309       5,122,604  
   

 

 

 
Real Estate Management & Development — 2.1%        

NEPI Rockcastle NV

    742,356       5,296,737  
   

 

 

 
Specialty Retail — 1.0%            

Pepkor Holdings Ltd.(a)

    2,660,859       2,590,106  
   

 

 

 
Wireless Telecommunication Services — 5.4%        

MTN Group Ltd.

    2,241,258       9,757,301  

Vodacom Group Ltd.

    824,467       4,041,522  
   

 

 

 
      13,798,823  
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 99.9%
(Cost: $382,351,971)

       254,598,661  
   

 

 

 

Short-Term Securities

   

Money Market Funds — 0.1%

   

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares, 5.30%(b)(c)

    110,000       110,000  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 0.1%
(Cost: $110,000)

      110,000  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments — 100.0%
(Cost: $382,461,971)

      254,708,661  
Other Assets Less Liabilities — 0.0%         71,669  
   

 

 

 
Net Assets — 100.0%         $ 254,780,330  
   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Security exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration to qualified institutional investors.

(b) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(c) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

 

 
Affiliated Issuer   

Value at

08/31/23

      

Purchases

at Cost

      

Proceeds

from Sale

    

Net Realized

Gain (Loss)

      

Change in

Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

      

Value at

02/29/24

      

Shares

Held at

02/29/24

       Income       

Capital

Gain

Distributions

from

Underlying

Funds

 

 

 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares

   $ 150,000        $        $ (40,000 )(a)     $        $        $ 110,000          110,000        $ 6,773        $  
               

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

           

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

 

 

 

20  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI South Africa ETF

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

 

 
Description   Number of
Contracts
     Expiration
Date
     Notional
Amount
(000)
     Value/
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
 

 

 

Long Contracts

          

FTSE/JSE Top 40 Index

    5        03/20/24      $ 173      $ (6,123
          

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

 

 
    Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
     Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

 

 

Liabilities — Derivative Financial Instruments

                   

Futures contracts

                   

Unrealized depreciation on futures contracts(a)

  $      $      $ 6,123      $      $      $      $ 6,123  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

 

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

 

 
    Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
    Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

 

 

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                  

Futures contracts

  $      $      $ (49,830   $      $      $      $ (49,830
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation
(Depreciation) on

                  

Futures contracts

  $      $      $ 15,285     $      $      $      $  15,285  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

   

Futures contracts:

 

Average notional value of contracts — long

  $ 309,205   

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

 

 
    Level 1      Level 2      Level 3      Total  

 

 

Assets

          

Investments

          

Long-Term Investments

          

Common Stocks

  $ 144,358,725      $ 110,239,936      $      $ 254,598,661  

Short-Term Securities

          

Money Market Funds

    110,000                      110,000  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
  $ 144,468,725      $ 110,239,936      $     —      $ 254,708,661  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  21


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI South Africa ETF

 

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End (continued)

 

 

 
    Level 1      Level 2     Level 3      Total  

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

         

Liabilities

         

Equity Contracts

  $      —      $    (6,123   $     —      $    (6,123
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Derivative financial instruments are futures contracts. Futures contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

22  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Turkey ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Common Stocks

   

Aerospace & Defense — 3.7%

   

Aselsan Elektronik Sanayi Ve Ticaret AS

    3,853,239     $ 7,394,429  

SDT Uzay VE Savunma Teknolojileri A/S, NVS

    34,943       430,469  
   

 

 

 
      7,824,898  
Air Freight & Logistics — 0.2%            

Reysas Tasimacilik ve Lojistik Ticaret AS(a)

    517,798       481,464  
   

 

 

 

Automobile Components — 1.1%

   

Bosch Fren Sistemleri Sanayi ve Ticaret A/S, NVS

    12,266       504,676  

EGE Endustri VE Ticaret AS

    2,374       1,316,868  

Kordsa Teknik Tekstil AS

    123,852       380,897  
   

 

 

 
      2,202,441  
Automobiles — 4.4%            

Ford Otomotiv Sanayi AS

    201,435       6,559,384  

Tofas Turk Otomobil Fabrikasi AS

    299,174       2,558,111  
   

 

 

 
      9,117,495  
Banks — 14.9%            

Akbank TAS

    7,850,261       10,451,430  

Haci Omer Sabanci Holding AS

    2,556,297       6,507,072  

Turkiye Is Bankasi AS, Class C

    21,964,161       7,788,977  

Yapi ve Kredi Bankasi AS

    8,466,958       6,248,492  
   

 

 

 
      30,995,971  
Beverages — 3.2%            

Anadolu Efes Biracilik Ve Malt Sanayii AS

    670,244       3,341,402  

Coca-Cola Icecek A/S

    160,776       3,330,678  
   

 

 

 
      6,672,080  
Building Products — 0.6%            

Bien Yapi Urunleri Sanayi Turizm ve Ticaret A/S, NVS

    222,614       332,872  

Kaleseramik Canakkale Kalebodur Seramik Sanayi A/S, NVS

    215,500       541,728  

Qua Granite Hayal(a)

    2,340,318       323,717  
   

 

 

 
      1,198,317  
Capital Markets — 1.1%            

Is Yatirim Menkul Degerler AS

    1,224,947       1,455,656  

Oyak Yatirim Menkul Degerler AS, NVS(a)

    279,350       414,309  

Verusa Holding A/S

    43,298       370,157  
   

 

 

 
      2,240,122  
Chemicals — 5.1%            

Gubre Fabrikalari TAS(a)

    33,377       214,381  

Hektas Ticaret TAS(a)

    3,308,802       2,020,427  

Kimteks Poliuretan Sanayi VE Ticaret AS, NVS

    198,399       425,619  

Petkim Petrokimya Holding AS(a)

    3,661,493       2,833,372  

Politeknik Metal Sanayi ve Ticaret A/S, NVS

    1,231       965,084  

Sasa Polyester Sanayi AS(a)

    3,302,637       4,183,351  
   

 

 

 
      10,642,234  

Construction & Engineering — 1.8%

   

Enka Insaat ve Sanayi AS

    1       1  

Girisim Elektrik Taahhut Ticaret Ve Sanayi AS(a)

    252,815       627,353  

Kontrolmatik Enerji Ve Muhendislik AS, NVS

    204,266       1,877,090  

Tekfen Holding AS

    800,302       1,203,855  
   

 

 

 
      3,708,299  
Construction Materials — 2.5%            

Akcansa Cimento A/S

    68,687       345,288  

Baticim Bati Anadolu Cimento Sanayii A/S(a)

    149,778       547,657  

Cimsa Cimento Sanayi VE Ticaret AS

    588,594       659,616  

Konya Cimento Sanayii A/S(a)

    1,420       448,879  

Nuh Cimento Sanayi AS

    223,459       2,353,970  

Oyak Cimento Fabrikalari AS(a)

    409,438       930,138  
   

 

 

 
      5,285,548  
Consumer Finance — 0.2%            

Katilimevim Tasarruf Finansman A/S, NVS

    111,225       423,083  
   

 

 

 

Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail — 10.0%

 

BIM Birlesik Magazalar AS

    1,147,892       14,246,584  

Migros Ticaret AS

    279,384       4,412,409  
Security   Shares     Value  

Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail (continued)

 

Sok Marketler Ticaret AS

    1,012,057     $ 2,170,753  
   

 

 

 
      20,829,746  
Diversified REITs — 1.0%            

Is Gayrimenkul Yatirim Ortakligi AS(a)

    695,219       385,324  

Peker Gayrimenkul Yatirim Ortakligi A/S(a)

    804,053       847,008  

Torunlar Gayrimenkul Yatirim Ortakligi A/S

    314,471       376,144  

Ziraat Gayrimenkul Yatirim Ortakligi AS

    2,216,395       493,218  
   

 

 

 
      2,101,694  
Electric Utilities — 1.8%            

Can2 Termik AS(a)

    1,174,930       679,794  

Enerjisa Enerji AS(b)

    936,308       1,870,727  

Izdemir Enerji Elektrik Uretim A/S, NVS

    322,441       328,310  

ODAS Elektrik Uretim ve Sanayi Ticaret AS(a)

    2,434,675       785,546  
   

 

 

 
      3,664,377  
Electrical Equipment — 1.1%            

CW Enerji Muhendislik Ticaret VE Sanayi A/S, NVS

    50,889       503,896  

Europower Enerji VE Otomasyon Teknolojileri Sanayi Ticaret A/S, NVS

    121,762       678,762  

Sarkuysan Elektrolitik Bakir Sanayi ve Ticaret AS

    676,165       735,237  

YEO Teknoloji Enerji VE Endustri A/S, NVS

    60,194       467,961  
   

 

 

 
      2,385,856  
Financial Services — 0.3%            

Turkiye Sinai Kalkinma Bankasi AS(a)

    2,729,264       722,572  
   

 

 

 

Food Products — 1.4%

   

Agrotech Yueksek Teknoloji VE Yatirim AS, NVS

    266,102       310,139  

Kayseri Seker Fabrikasi A/S, NVS

    297,214       339,738  

Ulker Biskuvi Sanayi AS(a)

    660,484       2,245,919  
   

 

 

 
      2,895,796  
Gas Utilities — 0.7%            

Ahlatci Dogal Gaz Dagitim Enerji VE Yatirim AS

    1,320,894       566,735  

Aygaz AS

    111,244       546,754  

Enerya Enerji A/S, NVS

    80,572       381,815  
   

 

 

 
      1,495,304  
Health Care Providers & Services — 1.0%            

MLP Saglik Hizmetleri AS(a)(b)

    293,709       1,608,128  

Selcuk Ecza Deposu Ticaret ve Sanayi AS

    229,652       442,296  
   

 

 

 
      2,050,424  
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure — 0.1%            

TAB Gida Sanayi Ve Ticaret A/S, NVS

    73,017       322,167  
   

 

 

 

Household Durables — 1.1%

   

Vestel Beyaz Esya Sanayi ve Ticaret AS

    1,597,599       1,114,574  

Vestel Elektronik Sanayi ve Ticaret AS(a)

    462,326       1,229,406  
   

 

 

 
      2,343,980  
Independent Power and Renewable Electricity Producers — 0.8%  

Akfen Yenilenebilir Enerji A/S, NVS

    642,521       561,228  

Aksa Enerji Uretim AS, Class B

    325,230       392,173  

Zorlu Enerji Elektrik Uretim AS(a)

    3,952,817       713,827  
   

 

 

 
      1,667,228  
Industrial Conglomerates — 9.6%            

Alarko Holding A/S

    559,437       2,371,373  

Eczacibasi Yatirim Holding Ortakligi A/S

    38,479       328,153  

Kiler Holding AS(a)

    683,290       1,356,450  

KOC Holding AS

    1,914,401       10,310,178  

Turkiye Sise ve Cam Fabrikalari AS

    3,450,151       5,647,552  
   

 

 

 
      20,013,706  
Insurance — 0.5%            

Anadolu Anonim Turk Sigorta Sirketi(a)

    190,308       417,402  

Turkiye Sigorta A/S

    350,036       562,631  
   

 

 

 
      980,033  
Machinery — 0.6%            

Otokar Otomotiv Ve Savunma Sanayi AS(a)

    75,808       1,226,369  
   

 

 

 

Metals & Mining — 5.7%

   

Eregli Demir ve Celik Fabrikalari TAS(a)

    3,611,436       5,261,352  
   

 

 

 
 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

    23  


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Turkey ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 

Metals & Mining (continued)

   

Kardemir Karabuk Demir Celik Sanayi ve Ticaret A/S, Class A

    533,130     $ 384,081  

Kardemir Karabuk Demir Celik Sanayi ve Ticaret A/S, Class D

    2,687,943       2,310,512  

Kocaer Celik Sanayi Ve Ticaret A/S

    238,481       450,137  

Koza Altin Isletmeleri AS

    3,164,019       2,316,487  

Koza Anadolu Metal Madencilik Isletmeleri AS(a)

    747,275       1,219,868  
   

 

 

 
      11,942,437  

Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels — 6.0%

   

Turkiye Petrol Rafinerileri AS

    2,427,592       12,576,546  
   

 

 

 

Passenger Airlines — 7.8%

   

Pegasus Hava Tasimaciligi AS(a)

    136,658       3,751,850  

Turk Hava Yollari AO(a)

    1,390,339       12,542,722  
   

 

 

 
      16,294,572  

Personal Care Products — 0.3%

   

EIS Eczacibasi Ilac ve Sinai ve Finansal Yatirimlar Sanayi ve Ticaret AS

    344,768       592,800  
   

 

 

 
Pharmaceuticals — 0.2%            

GEN Ilac VE Saglik Urunleri Sanayi VE Ticaret AS

    200,509       461,604  
   

 

 

 
Residential REITs — 1.2%            

Emlak Konut Gayrimenkul Yatirim Ortakligi AS

    6,971,903       2,477,887  
   

 

 

 
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment — 0.5%        

Alfa Solar Enerji Sanayi VE Ticaret A/S, NVS

    111,802       379,099  

Smart Gunes Enerjisi Teknolojileri ArGE Uretim Sanayi ve Ticaret AS, NVS(a)

    336,503       700,880  
   

 

 

 
      1,079,979  

Software — 0.6%

   

MIA Teknoloji A/S, NVS

    466,332       1,169,134  
   

 

 

 

Specialty Retail — 1.3%

   

Dogan Sirketler Grubu Holding AS

    3,869,312       1,678,728  

Dogus Otomotiv Servis ve Ticaret AS

    112,502       962,687  
   

 

 

 
      2,641,415  
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 

Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods — 1.9%

   

Aksa Akrilik Kimya Sanayii AS

    494,039     $ 1,683,101  

Mavi Giyim Sanayi Ve Ticaret AS, Class B(b)

    510,479       2,319,356  
   

 

 

 
      4,002,457  

Transportation Infrastructure — 1.6%

   

TAV Havalimanlari Holding AS(a)

    597,750       3,339,813  
   

 

 

 
Wireless Telecommunication Services — 3.5%  

Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri AS

    3,405,056       7,299,313  
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 99.4%
(Cost: $195,788,305)

      207,369,161  
   

 

 

 

Short-Term Securities

   

Money Market Funds — 0.1%

   

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares, 5.30%(c)(d)

    90,000       90,000  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 0.1%
(Cost: $90,000)

      90,000  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments — 99.5%
(Cost: $195,878,305)

      207,459,161  

Other Assets Less Liabilities — 0.5%

      1,102,827  
   

 

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

    $  208,561,988  
   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Non-income producing security.

(b) 

Security exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration to qualified institutional investors.

(c) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(d) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

 

 
Affiliated Issuer   Value at
08/31/23
     Purchases
at Cost
     Proceeds
from Sale
    Net Realized
Gain (Loss)
     Change in
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
    Value at
02/29/24
     Shares
Held at
02/29/24
     Income    

Capital

Gain
Distributions
from
Underlying
Funds

 

 

 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares(a)

  $ 6,180,028      $      $ (6,180,211 )(b)    $ 397      $ (214   $             $ 3,725 (c)    $  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares

    120,000               (30,000 )(b)                    90,000        90,000        4,766        
         

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

       

 

 

   

 

 

 
          $ 397      $ (214   $ 90,000         $ 8,491     $  
         

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

       

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

As of period end, the entity is no longer held.

 
  (b) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

 
  (c) 

All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities.

 

 

 

24  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Turkey ETF

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

 

 
Description   Number of
Contracts
     Expiration
Date
     Notional
Amount
(000)
     Value/
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
 

 

 

Long Contracts

          

MSCI Emerging Markets Index

    22        03/15/24      $ 1,118      $ (416
          

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

 

 
    Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
     Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

 

 

Liabilities — Derivative Financial Instruments

                   

Futures contracts

                   

Unrealized depreciation on futures contracts(a)

  $      $      $ 416      $      $      $      $ 416  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

 

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

 

 
    Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
    Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

 

 

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                  

Futures contracts

  $      $      $ (20,563   $      $      $      $ (20,563
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation
(Depreciation) on

                  

Futures contracts

  $      $      $ 170     $      $      $      $ 170  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

   

Futures contracts:

 

Average notional value of contracts — long

  $ 1,176,178   

 

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

 

 
    Level 1      Level 2      Level 3      Total  

 

 

Assets

          

Investments

          

Long-Term Investments

          

Common Stocks

  $ 129,934,407      $ 77,434,754      $      $ 207,369,161  

Short-Term Securities

          

Money Market Funds

    90,000                      90,000  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
  $ 130,024,407      $ 77,434,754      $     —      $ 207,459,161  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  25


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Turkey ETF

 

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End (continued)

 

         
     Level 1     Level 2      Level 3      Total  

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

         

Liabilities

         

Equity Contracts

  $    (416   $     —      $     —      $     (416
 

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Derivative financial instruments are futures contracts. Futures contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

26  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Statements of Assets and Liabilities (unaudited)

February 29, 2024

 

   

iShares

MSCI Brazil ETF

   

iShares

MSCI Chile

ETF

   

iShares

MSCI Israel

ETF

   

iShares

MSCI South

Africa ETF

 

 

 

ASSETS

       

Investments, at value — unaffiliated(a)(b)

  $ 5,188,843,986     $ 561,464,753     $ 139,846,579     $ 254,598,661  

Investments, at value — affiliated(c)

    3,700,000       1,080,000       5,756,312       110,000  

Cash

    7,036       1,268       1,034       7,312  

Cash pledged for futures contracts

    9,578,000       34,000              

Foreign currency collateral pledged for futures contracts(d)

                19,455       15,433  

Foreign currency, at value(e)

    24,522,093       374,775       240,642       201,682  

Receivables:

       

Investments sold

    92,800,376       15,136,729       1,276,072       603,839  

Securities lending income — affiliated

                16,988        

Dividends — unaffiliated

    64,338,701       277,866       8,882        

Dividends — affiliated

    58,303       5,045       409       399  

Variation margin on futures contracts

          352       466        
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total assets

    5,383,848,495       578,374,788       147,166,839       255,537,326  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

LIABILITIES

       

Collateral on securities loaned, at value

                5,657,125        

Payables:

       

Investments purchased

    29,290,868       15,258,711       1,377,648       632,306  

Capital shares redeemed

    76,841,606                    

Deferred foreign capital gain tax

                4,812        

Investment advisory fees

    2,622,572       253,584       62,949       123,110  

Variation margin on futures contracts

    1,713,775                   1,580  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total liabilities

    110,468,821       15,512,295       7,102,534       756,996  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Commitments and contingent liabilities

       

NET ASSETS

  $ 5,273,379,674     $ 562,862,493     $ 140,064,305     $ 254,780,330  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS CONSIST OF

       

Paid-in capital

  $ 8,174,577,247     $ 898,352,250     $ 217,522,943     $ 678,234,519  

Accumulated loss

    (2,901,197,573     (335,489,757     (77,458,638     (423,454,189
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

  $ 5,273,379,674     $ 562,862,493     $ 140,064,305     $ 254,780,330  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSETVALUE

       

Shares outstanding

    159,600,000       21,350,000       2,200,000       6,800,000  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value

  $ 33.04     $ 26.36     $ 63.67     $ 37.47  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Shares authorized

    2 billion       300 million       500 million       400 million  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Par value

  $ 0.001     $ 0.001     $ 0.001     $ 0.001  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

(a)  Investments, at cost — unaffiliated

  $ 3,047,441,833     $ 520,524,642     $ 154,127,458     $ 382,351,971  

(b)  Securities loaned, at value

  $     $     $ 4,316,876     $  

(c)  Investments, at cost — affiliated

  $ 3,700,000     $ 1,080,000     $ 5,756,185     $ 110,000  

(d)  Foreign currency collateral pledged, at cost

  $     $     $ 20,198     $ 17,771  

(e)  Foreign currency, at cost

  $ 24,442,201     $ 386,224     $ 235,353     $ 203,066  

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  27


Statements of Assets and Liabilities (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

 

   

iShares

MSCI Turkey

ETF

 

 

 

ASSETS

 

Investments, at value — unaffiliated(a)

  $ 207,369,161  

Investments, at value — affiliated(b)

    90,000  

Cash

    3,021  

Foreign currency, at value(c)

    110,279  

Receivables:

 

Investments sold

    7,158,491  

Dividends — unaffiliated

    858  

Dividends — affiliated

    259  
 

 

 

 

Total assets

    214,732,069  
 

 

 

 

LIABILITIES

 

Payables:

 

Investments purchased

    6,071,797  

Investment advisory fees

    97,874  

Variation margin on futures contracts

    410  
 

 

 

 

Total liabilities

    6,170,081  
 

 

 

 

Commitments and contingent liabilities

 

NET ASSETS

  $ 208,561,988  
 

 

 

 

NET ASSETS CONSIST OF

 

Paid-in capital

  $ 492,819,039  

Accumulated loss

    (284,257,051
 

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

  $ 208,561,988  
 

 

 

 

NET ASSETVALUE

 

Shares outstanding

    5,550,000  
 

 

 

 

Net asset value

  $ 37.58  
 

 

 

 

Shares authorized

    200 million  
 

 

 

 

Par value

  $ 0.001  
 

 

 

 

(a)  Investments, at cost — unaffiliated

  $ 195,788,305  

(b)  Investments, at cost — affiliated

  $ 90,000  

(c)  Foreign currency, at cost

  $ 111,753  

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

28  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Statements of Operations (unaudited)

Six Months Ended February 29, 2024

 

   

iShares

MSCI Brazil

ETF

   

iShares

MSCI Chile

ETF

   

iShares

MSCI Israel

ETF

   

iShares

MSCI South

Africa ETF

 

 

 

INVESTMENT INCOME

       

Dividends — unaffiliated

  $ 154,733,353     $ 6,633,665     $ 601,996     $ 5,089,116  

Dividends — affiliated

    558,347       34,625       2,990       6,773  

Securities lending income — affiliated — net

                74,536        

Foreign taxes withheld

    (12,720,312     (1,621,887     (144,291     (728,484
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total investment income

    142,571,388       5,046,403       535,231       4,367,405  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

EXPENSES

       

Investment advisory

    16,136,259       1,645,541       380,468       856,309  

Commitment costs

    19,473       2,930       637       1,439  

Interest expense

          9,154              
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total expenses

    16,155,732       1,657,625       381,105       857,748  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net investment income

    126,415,656       3,388,778       154,126       3,509,657  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS)

       

Net realized gain (loss) from:

       

Investments — unaffiliated(a)

    8,676,745       (19,027,577     (2,630,700     (5,153,552

Investments — affiliated

                1,928        

Foreign currency transactions

    (760,220     (92,678     4,544       (27,333

Futures contracts

    3,840,778       (50,792     9,022       (49,830

In-kind redemptions — unaffiliated(b)

                3,866,790       980,398  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    11,757,303       (19,171,047     1,251,584       (4,250,317
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:

       

Investments — unaffiliated(c)

    434,798,910       (30,134,412     18,485,096       (9,010,167

Investments — affiliated

                (405      

Foreign currency translations

    24,370       (47,412     4,650       5,719  

Futures contracts

    287,751       89,294       15,077       15,285  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    435,111,031       (30,092,530     18,504,418       (8,989,163
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)

    446,868,334       (49,263,577     19,756,002       (13,239,480
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS

  $ 573,283,990     $ (45,874,799   $ 19,910,128     $ (9,729,823
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

(a)  Net of foreign capital gain tax and capital gain tax refund, if applicable of

  $     $     $ 26,816     $  

(b)  See Note 2 of the Notes to Financial Statements.

       

(c)  Net of increase in deferred foreign capital gain tax of

  $     $     $ (1,093   $  

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  29


Statements of Operations (unaudited) (continued)

Six Months Ended February 29, 2024

 

   

iShares

MSCI Turkey

ETF

 

 

 

INVESTMENT INCOME

 

Dividends — unaffiliated

  $ 1,415,345  

Dividends — affiliated

    4,766  

Securities lending income — affiliated — net

    3,725  

Foreign taxes withheld

    (141,466
 

 

 

 

Total investment income

    1,282,370  
 

 

 

 

EXPENSES

 

Investment advisory

    596,729  

Commitment costs

    1,019  

Interest expense

    21  
 

 

 

 

Total expenses

    597,769  
 

 

 

 

Net investment income

    684,601  
 

 

 

 

REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS)

 

Net realized gain (loss) from:

 

Investments — unaffiliated

    1,050,509  

Investments — affiliated

    397  

Foreign currency transactions

    (17,443

Futures contracts

    (20,563

In-kind redemptions — unaffiliated(a)

    10,192,460  
 

 

 

 
    11,205,360  
 

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:

 

Investments — unaffiliated

    (7,309,003

Investments — affiliated

    (214

Foreign currency translations

    (1,063

Futures contracts

    170  
 

 

 

 
    (7,310,110
 

 

 

 

Net realized and unrealized gain

    3,895,250  
 

 

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS

  $ 4,579,851  
 

 

 

 

 

(a) 

See Note 2 of the Notes to Financial Statements.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

30  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Statements of Changes in Net Assets

 

   

iShares

MSCI Brazil ETF

      

iShares

MSCI Chile ETF

 
 

 

 

      

 

 

 
   

 Six Months Ended

02/29/24

(unaudited)

      

Year Ended

08/31/23

      

 Six Months Ended

02/29/24

(unaudited)

      

Year Ended

08/31/23

 

 

 

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS

                

OPERATIONS

                

Net investment income

  $ 126,415,656        $ 354,681,789        $ 3,388,778        $ 32,262,351  

Net realized gain (loss)

    11,757,303          (254,894,384        (19,171,047        (7,137,518

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

    435,111,031          353,986,542          (30,092,530        8,920,570  
 

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

    573,283,990          453,773,947          (45,874,799        34,045,403  
 

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS(a)

                

Decrease in net assets resulting from distributions to shareholders

    (206,283,388        (467,216,704        (3,892,849        (35,771,920
 

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

                

Net increase (decrease) in net assets derived from capital share transactions

    (220,241,628        (96,109,438        (8,379,522        129,656,844  
 

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

                

Total increase (decrease) in net assets

    146,758,974          (109,552,195        (58,147,170        127,930,327  

Beginning of period

    5,126,620,700          5,236,172,895          621,009,663          493,079,336  
 

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

End of period

  $ 5,273,379,674        $ 5,126,620,700        $ 562,862,493        $ 621,009,663  
 

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  31


Statements of Changes in Net Assets (continued)

 

   

iShares

MSCI Israel ETF

    

iShares

MSCI South Africa ETF

 
 

 

 

    

 

 

 
   

Six Months

Ended

02/29/24

(unaudited)

    

Year Ended

08/31/23

    

Six Months

Ended

02/29/24

(unaudited)

    

Year Ended

08/31/23

 

 

 

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS

          

OPERATIONS

          

Net investment income

  $ 154,126      $ 2,645,409      $ 3,509,657      $ 10,097,101  

Net realized gain (loss)

    1,251,584        (948,559      (4,250,317      (8,228,739

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

    18,504,418        (27,800,166      (8,989,163      4,297,983  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

    19,910,128        (26,103,316      (9,729,823      6,166,345  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS(a)

          

Decrease in net assets resulting from distributions to shareholders

    (596,947      (2,361,593      (3,998,230      (10,821,638
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

          

Net increase (decrease) in net assets derived from capital share transactions

    (22,364,610      9,018,373        (2,789,427      (39,808,126
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

          

Total decrease in net assets

    (3,051,429      (19,446,536      (16,517,480      (44,463,419

Beginning of period

    143,115,734        162,562,270        271,297,810        315,761,229  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

End of period

  $ 140,064,305      $ 143,115,734      $ 254,780,330      $ 271,297,810  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

32  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Statements of Changes in Net Assets (continued)

 

    iShares
MSCI Turkey ETF
 
   

Six Months

Ended

02/29/24

(unaudited)

    

Year Ended

08/31/23

 

 

 

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS

    

OPERATIONS

    

Net investment income

  $ 684,601      $ 6,777,537  

Net realized gain

    11,205,360        66,693,899  

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

    (7,310,110      79,342,313  
 

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

    4,579,851        152,813,749  
 

 

 

    

 

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS(a)

    

Decrease in net assets resulting from distributions to shareholders

    (1,941,346      (8,182,455
 

 

 

    

 

 

 

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

    

Net decrease in net assets derived from capital share transactions

    (20,162,021      (208,954,025
 

 

 

    

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

    

Total decrease in net assets

    (17,523,516      (64,322,731

Beginning of period

    226,085,504        290,408,235  
 

 

 

    

 

 

 

End of period

  $ 208,561,988      $ 226,085,504  
 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  33


Financial Highlights

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    iShares MSCI Brazil ETF  
   

Six Months Ended

02/29/24

(unaudited)

   

Year Ended

08/31/23

   

Year Ended

08/31/22

   

Year Ended

08/31/21

   

Year Ended

08/31/20

   

Year Ended

08/31/19

 

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

            $ 30.82     $ 30.48     $ 36.58     $ 29.62     $ 40.92     $ 32.03  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

      0.75       2.14       4.10       1.34       0.86       1.12  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(b)

      2.69       0.98       (6.56     6.52       (11.13     8.88  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

      3.44       3.12       (2.46     7.86       (10.27     10.00  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(c)

      (1.22     (2.78     (3.64     (0.90     (1.03     (1.11
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 33.04     $ 30.82     $ 30.48     $ 36.58     $ 29.62     $ 40.92  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Return(d)

             

Based on net asset value

      11.09 %(e)       11.49     (6.05 )%      26.35     (25.63 )%      31.36
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(f)

             

Total expenses

      0.59 %(g)       0.59     0.58     0.57     0.59     0.59
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net investment income

      4.65 %(g)       7.13     13.01     3.84     2.35     2.75
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

             

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 5,273,380     $ 5,126,621     $ 5,236,173     $ 5,044,685     $ 5,312,367     $ 8,205,744  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(h)

      6 %(i)       22 %(i)       27 %(i)       17 %(i)       29 %(i)       16 %(i)  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

(a)  Based on average shares outstanding.

(b)  The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

(c)  Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(d)  Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

(e)  Not annualized.

(f)   Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

(g)  Annualized.

(h)  Portfolio turnover rate includes portfolio transactions that are executed as a result of the Fund offering and redeeming Creation Units solely for cash in U.S. dollars (“cash creations”).

   

   

   

   

   

    

   

   

(i)   Portfolio turnover rate excluding cash creations was as follows:

      3     12     22     12     11     10
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

34  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Financial Highlights (continued)

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    iShares MSCI Chile ETF  
   

Six Months Ended

02/29/24

(unaudited)

   

Year Ended

08/31/23

   

Year Ended

08/31/22

   

Year Ended

08/31/21

   

Year Ended

08/31/20

   

Year Ended

08/31/19

 

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $ 28.36     $ 27.62     $ 28.52     $ 25.37     $ 35.88     $ 43.71  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

      0.16       1.64       2.17       0.63       0.61       0.74  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(b)

              (1.98     0.96       (1.16     3.16       (10.54     (7.76
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

      (1.82     2.60       1.01       3.79       (9.93     (7.02
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Distributions(c)

             

From net investment income

      (0.18     (1.86     (1.91     (0.64     (0.58     (0.79

Return of capital

                                    (0.02
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total distributions

      (0.18     (1.86     (1.91     (0.64     (0.58     (0.81
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 26.36     $ 28.36     $ 27.62     $ 28.52     $ 25.37     $ 35.88  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Return(d)

             

Based on net asset value

      (6.43 )%(e)      9.54     4.03     14.90     (27.72 )%      (16.22 )% 
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(f)

             

Total expenses

      0.60 %(g)       0.59     0.58     0.57     0.59     0.59
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net investment income

      1.22 %(g)       5.87     8.30     2.17     2.10     1.74
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

             

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 562,862     $ 621,010     $ 493,079     $ 476,286     $ 441,423     $ 330,140  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(h)

      19 %(i)       47 %(i)       94 %(i)       62 %(i)       51 %(i)       75 %(i)  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

(a)  Based on average shares outstanding.

(b)  The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

(c)  Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(d)  Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

(e)  Not annualized.

(f)   Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

(g)  Annualized.

(h)  Portfolio turnover rate includes portfolio transactions that are executed as a result of the Fund offering and redeeming Creation Units solely for cash in U.S. dollars (“cash creations”).

   

   

   

   

   

    

   

   

(i)   Portfolio turnover rate excluding cash creations was as follows:

      9     20     36     17     21     12
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  H I G H L I G H T S

  35


Financial Highlights (continued)

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    iShares MSCI Israel ETF  
   

Six Months Ended

02/29/24

(unaudited)

   

Year Ended

08/31/23

   

Year Ended

08/31/22

   

Year Ended

08/31/21

   

Year Ended

08/31/20

   

Year Ended

08/31/19

 

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

            $ 55.04     $ 66.35     $ 72.22     $ 56.70     $ 53.28     $ 56.62  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

      0.07       1.04       1.16       0.26       0.23       0.33  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(b)

      8.82       (11.47     (5.74     15.38       4.31       (3.42
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

      8.89       (10.43     (4.58     15.64       4.54       (3.09
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(c)

      (0.26     (0.88     (1.29     (0.12     (1.12     (0.25
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 63.67     $ 55.04     $ 66.35     $ 72.22     $ 56.70     $ 53.28  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Return(d)

             

Based on net asset value

      16.19 %(e)      (15.74 )%      (6.38 )%      27.59     8.53     (5.45 )% 
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(f)

             

Total expenses

      0.59 %(g)       0.59     0.58     0.57     0.59     0.59
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net investment income

      0.24 %(g)       1.82     1.64     0.40     0.43     0.60
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

             

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 140,064     $ 143,116     $ 162,562     $ 162,485     $ 104,903     $ 114,553  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(h)

      3     12     13     21     7     17
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Based on average shares outstanding.

(b) 

The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

(c) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(d) 

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

(e) 

Not annualized.

(f) 

Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

(g) 

Annualized.

(h) 

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, if any.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

36  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Financial Highlights (continued)

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    iShares MSCI South Africa ETF  
    Six Months Ended
02/29/24
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
08/31/23
    Year Ended
08/31/22
    Year Ended
08/31/21
    Year Ended
08/31/20
    Year Ended
08/31/19
 

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $ 39.32     $ 39.97     $ 49.35     $ 37.17     $ 47.96     $ 54.87  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

      0.47       1.25       1.43       0.77       4.94       1.31  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(b)

      (1.81     (0.56     (9.35     13.67       (10.38     (5.84
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

      (1.34     0.69       (7.92     14.44       (5.44     (4.53
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(c)

      (0.51     (1.34     (1.46     (2.26     (5.35     (2.38
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 37.47     $ 39.32     $ 39.97     $ 49.35     $ 37.17     $ 47.96  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Return(d)

             

Based on net asset value

      (3.53 )%(e)      1.62     (16.34 )%      39.49     (13.09 )%      (8.45 )% 
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(f)

             

Total expenses

      0.60 %(g)       0.59     0.58     0.57     0.59     0.59
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net investment income

      2.43 %(g)       3.01     3.02     1.69     11.79     2.48
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

             

Net assets, end of period (000)

           $ 254,780     $ 271,298     $ 315,761     $ 276,373     $ 323,418     $ 374,067  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(h)

      3     5     8     20     46     12
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Based on average shares outstanding.

(b) 

The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

(c) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(d) 

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

(e) 

Not annualized.

(f) 

Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

(g) 

Annualized.

(h) 

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, if any.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  H I G H L I G H T S

  37


Financial Highlights (continued)

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    iShares MSCI Turkey ETF  
    Six Months Ended
02/29/24
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
08/31/23
    Year Ended
08/31/22
    Year Ended
08/31/21
    Year Ended
08/31/20
    Year Ended
08/31/19
 

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $ 37.37     $ 22.60     $ 23.91     $ 19.99     $ 24.08     $ 20.09  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

      0.12       0.74       0.66       0.70       0.30       0.60  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(b)

      0.44       15.28       (1.33     3.99       (3.94     4.06  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

      0.56       16.02       (0.67     4.69       (3.64     4.66  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(c)

      (0.35     (1.25     (0.64     (0.77     (0.45     (0.67
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 37.58     $ 37.37     $ 22.60     $ 23.91     $ 19.99     $ 24.08  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Return(d)

             

Based on net asset value

      1.63 %(e)       72.12     (2.41 )%      23.59     (15.48 )%      23.38
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(f)

             

Total expenses

      0.60 %(g)      0.59     0.58     0.57     0.59     0.59
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net investment income

      0.68 %(g)       2.37     3.23     2.98     1.22     2.43
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

             

Net assets, end of period (000)

           $ 208,562     $ 226,086     $ 290,408     $ 301,262     $ 178,947     $ 314,190  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(h)

      10     29     18     22     12     20
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Based on average shares outstanding.

(b) 

The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

(c) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(d) 

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

(e) 

Not annualized.

(f) 

Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

(g) 

Annualized.

(h) 

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, if any.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited)

 

1.

ORGANIZATION

iShares, Inc. (the “Company”) is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), as an open-end management investment company. The Company is organized as a Maryland corporation and is authorized to have multiple series or portfolios.

These financial statements relate only to the following funds (each, a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”):

 

   
iShares ETF   Diversification 
Classification 

MSCI Brazil

  Non-diversified 

MSCI Chile

  Non-diversified 

MSCI Israel

  Non-diversified 

MSCI South Africa

  Non-diversified 

MSCI Turkey

  Non-diversified 

 

2.

SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The financial statements are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”), which may require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Each Fund is considered an investment company under U.S. GAAP and follows the accounting and reporting guidance applicable to investment companies. Below is a summary of significant accounting policies:

Investment Transactions and Income Recognition: For financial reporting purposes, investment transactions are recorded on the dates the transactions are executed. Realized gains and losses on investment transactions are determined using the specific identification method. Dividend income and capital gain distributions, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Non-cash dividends, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date at fair value. Dividends from foreign securities where the ex-dividend date may have passed are subsequently recorded when the Funds are informed of the ex-dividend date. Under the applicable foreign tax laws, a withholding tax at various rates may be imposed on capital gains, dividends and interest. Upon notification from issuers or as estimated by management, a portion of the dividend income received from a real estate investment trust may be redesignated as a reduction of cost of the related investment and/or realized gain. Interest income, including amortization and accretion of premiums and discounts on debt securities, is recognized daily on an accrual basis.

Foreign Currency Translation: Each Fund’s books and records are maintained in U.S. dollars. Securities and other assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars using prevailing market rates as quoted by one or more data service providers. Purchases and sales of investments are recorded at the rates of exchange prevailing on the respective dates of such transactions. Generally, when the U.S. dollar rises in value against a foreign currency, the investments denominated in that currency will lose value; the opposite effect occurs if the U.S. dollar falls in relative value.

Each Fund does not isolate the effect of fluctuations in foreign exchange rates from the effect of fluctuations in the market prices of investments for financial reporting purposes. Accordingly, the effects of changes in exchange rates on investments are not segregated in the Statements of Operations from the effects of changes in market prices of those investments, but are included as a component of net realized and unrealized gain (loss) from investments. Each Fund reports realized currency gains (losses) on foreign currency related transactions as components of net realized gain (loss) for financial reporting purposes, whereas such components are generally treated as ordinary income for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Foreign Taxes: The Funds may be subject to foreign taxes (a portion of which may be reclaimable) on income, stock dividends, capital gains on investments, or certain foreign currency transactions. All foreign taxes are recorded in accordance with the applicable foreign tax regulations and rates that exist in the foreign jurisdictions in which each Fund invests. These foreign taxes, if any, are paid by each Fund and are reflected in its Statements of Operations as follows: foreign taxes withheld at source are presented as a reduction of income, foreign taxes on securities lending income are presented as a reduction of securities lending income, foreign taxes on stock dividends are presented as “Other foreign taxes”, and foreign taxes on capital gains from sales of investments and foreign taxes on foreign currency transactions are included in their respective net realized gain (loss) categories. Foreign taxes payable or deferred as of February 29, 2024, if any, are disclosed in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

The Funds file withholding tax reclaims in certain jurisdictions to recover a portion of amounts previously withheld. The Funds may record a reclaim receivable based on collectability, which includes factors such as the jurisdiction’s applicable laws, payment history and market convention. The Statements of Operations includes tax reclaims recorded as well as professional and other fees, if any, associated with recovery of foreign withholding taxes.

Bank Overdraft: Certain Funds had outstanding cash disbursements exceeding deposited cash amounts at the custodian during the reporting period. The Funds are obligated to repay the custodian for any overdraft, including any related costs or expenses, where applicable. For financial reporting purposes, overdraft fees, if any, are included in interest expense in the Statements of Operations.

Collateralization: If required by an exchange or counterparty agreement, the Funds may be required to deliver/deposit cash and/or securities to/with an exchange, or broker-dealer or custodian as collateral for certain investments.

 

 

N O T E ST O  F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  39


Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

In-kind Redemptions: For financial reporting purposes, in-kind redemptions are treated as sales of securities resulting in realized capital gains or losses to the Funds. Because such gains or losses are not taxable to the Funds and are not distributed to existing Fund shareholders, the gains or losses are reclassified from accumulated net realized gain (loss) to paid-in capital at the end of the Funds’ tax year. These reclassifications have no effect on net assets or net asset value (“NAV”) per share.

Distributions: Dividends and distributions paid by each Fund are recorded on the ex-dividend dates. Distributions are determined on a tax basis and may differ from net investment income and net realized capital gains for financial reporting purposes. Dividends and distributions are paid in U.S. dollars and cannot be automatically reinvested in additional shares of the Funds.

Indemnifications: In the normal course of business, each Fund enters into contracts that contain a variety of representations that provide general indemnification. The Funds’ maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown because it involves future potential claims against the Funds, which cannot be predicted with any certainty.

 

3.

INVESTMENT VALUATION AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

Investment Valuation Policies: Each Fund’s investments are valued at fair value (also referred to as “market value” within the financial statements) each day that the Fund’s listing exchange is open and, for financial reporting purposes, as of the report date. U.S. GAAP defines fair value as the price a fund would receive to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) of each Fund has approved the designation of BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BFA”), the Funds’ investment adviser, as the valuation designee for each Fund. Each Fund determines the fair values of its financial instruments using various independent dealers or pricing services under BFA’s policies. If a security’s market price is not readily available or does not otherwise accurately represent the fair value of the security, the security will be valued in accordance with BFA’s policies and procedures as reflecting fair value. BFA has formed a committee (the “Valuation Committee”) to develop pricing policies and procedures and to oversee the pricing function for all financial instruments, with assistance from other BlackRock pricing committees.

Fair Value Inputs and Methodologies: The following methods and inputs are used to establish the fair value of each Fund’s assets and liabilities:

 

   

Equity investments traded on a recognized securities exchange are valued at that day’s official closing price, as applicable, on the exchange where the stock is primarily traded. Equity investments traded on a recognized exchange for which there were no sales on that day are valued at the last traded price.

 

   

Investments in open-end U.S. mutual funds (including money market funds) are valued at that day’s published NAV.

 

   

Futures contracts are valued based on that day’s last reported settlement or trade price on the exchange where the contract is traded.

Generally, trading in foreign instruments is substantially completed each day at various times prior to the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”). Each business day, the Funds use current market factors supplied by independent pricing services to value certain foreign instruments (“Systematic Fair Value Price”). The Systematic Fair Value Price is designed to value such foreign securities at fair value as of the close of trading on the NYSE, which follows the close of the local markets.

If events (e.g., market volatility, company announcement or a natural disaster) occur that are expected to materially affect the value of such investment, or in the event that application of these methods of valuation results in a price for an investment that is deemed not to be representative of the market value of such investment, or if a price is not available, the investment will be valued by the Valuation Committee, in accordance with BFA’s policies and procedures as reflecting fair value (“Fair Valued Investments”). The fair valuation approaches that may be used by the Valuation Committee include market approach, income approach and cost approach. Valuation techniques such as discounted cash flow, use of market comparables and matrix pricing are types of valuation approaches and are typically used in determining fair value. When determining the price for Fair Valued Investments, the Valuation Committee seeks to determine the price that each Fund might reasonably expect to receive or pay from the current sale or purchase of that asset or liability in an arm’s-length transaction. Fair value determinations shall be based upon all available factors that the Valuation Committee deems relevant and consistent with the principles of fair value measurement.

Fair value pricing could result in a difference between the prices used to calculate a fund’s NAV and the prices used by the fund’s underlying index, which in turn could result in a difference between the fund’s performance and the performance of the fund’s underlying index.

Fair Value Hierarchy: Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. These inputs to valuation techniques are categorized into a fair value hierarchy consisting of three broad levels for financial reporting purposes as follows:

 

   

Level 1 – Unadjusted price quotations in active markets/exchanges for identical assets or liabilities that each Fund has the ability to access;

 

   

Level 2 – Other observable inputs (including, but not limited to, quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in markets that are active, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the assets or liabilities (such as interest rates, yield curves, volatilities, prepayment speeds, loss severities, credit risks and default rates) or other market-corroborated inputs); and

 

   

Level 3 – Unobservable inputs based on the best information available in the circumstances, to the extent observable inputs are not available, (including the Valuation Committee’s assumptions used in determining the fair value of financial instruments).

The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements). Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised in determining fair value is greatest for instruments categorized in Level 3. The inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, for disclosure purposes, the fair value hierarchy classification is

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. Investments classified within Level 3 have significant unobservable inputs used by the Valuation Committee in determining the price for Fair Valued Investments. Level 3 investments include equity or debt issued by privately held companies or funds that may not have a secondary market and/or may have a limited number of investors. The categorization of a value determined for financial instruments is based on the pricing transparency of the financial instruments and is not necessarily an indication of the risks associated with investing in those securities.

 

4.

SECURITIES AND OTHER INVESTMENTS

Securities Lending: Each Fund may lend its securities to approved borrowers, such as brokers, dealers and other financial institutions. The borrower pledges and maintains with the Fund collateral consisting of cash, an irrevocable letter of credit issued by an approved bank, or securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government. The initial collateral received by each Fund is required to have a value of at least 102% of the current market value of the loaned securities for securities traded on U.S. exchanges and a value of at least 105% for all other securities. The collateral is maintained thereafter at a value equal to at least 100% of the current value of the securities on loan. The market value of the loaned securities is determined at the close of each business day of the Fund and any additional required collateral is delivered to the Fund or excess collateral is returned by the Fund, on the next business day. During the term of the loan, each Fund is entitled to all distributions made on or in respect of the loaned securities but does not receive interest income on securities received as collateral. Loans of securities are terminable at any time and the borrower, after notice, is required to return borrowed securities within the standard time period for settlement of securities transactions.

As of period end, any securities on loan were collateralized by cash and/or U.S. Government obligations. Cash collateral invested in money market funds managed by BFA, or its affiliates is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments. Any non-cash collateral received cannot be sold, re-invested or pledged by the Fund, except in the event of borrower default. The securities on loan, if any, are also disclosed in each Fund’s Schedule of Investments. The market value of any securities on loan and the value of any related cash collateral are disclosed in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

Securities lending transactions are entered into by the Funds under Master Securities Lending Agreements (each, an “MSLA”) which provide the right, in the event of default (including bankruptcy or insolvency) for the non-defaulting party to liquidate the collateral and calculate a net exposure to the defaulting party or request additional collateral. In the event that a borrower defaults, the Funds, as lender, would offset the market value of the collateral received against the market value of the securities loaned. When the value of the collateral is greater than that of the market value of the securities loaned, the lender is left with a net amount payable to the defaulting party. However, bankruptcy or insolvency laws of a particular jurisdiction may impose restrictions on or prohibitions against such a right of offset in the event of an MSLA counterparty’s bankruptcy or insolvency. Under the MSLA, absent an event of default, the borrower can resell or re-pledge the loaned securities, and the Funds can reinvest cash collateral received in connection with loaned securities. Upon an event of default, the parties’ obligations to return the securities or collateral to the other party are extinguished, and the parties can resell or re-pledge the loaned securities or the collateral received in connection with the loaned securities in order to satisfy the defaulting party’s net payment obligation for all transactions under the MSLA. The defaulting party remains liable for any deficiency.

As of period end, the following table is a summary of the securities on loan by counterparty which are subject to offset under an MSLA:

 

 

 

iShares ETF and Counterparty

   
Securities Loaned
at Value
 
 
    
Cash Collateral
Received
 
(a)  
   
Non-Cash Collateral
Received, at Fair Value
 
(a) 
    Net Amount  

 

 

MSCI Israel

        

Barclays Bank PLC

  $ 723,968      $ (723,968   $     $  

BofA Securities, Inc.

    351,133        (351,133            

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

    1,226,132        (1,226,132            

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

    397,833        (397,833            

Morgan Stanley

    1,407,091        (1,407,091            

Scotia Capital (USA), Inc.

    9,465        (9,465            

Toronto-Dominion Bank (The)

    200,688        (200,688            

UBS AG

    566        (563           3 (b)  
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  $ 4,316,876      $ (4,316,873   $      —     $    3  
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Collateral received, if any, in excess of the market value of securities on loan is not presented in this table. The total cash collateral received by each Fund is disclosed in the Fund’s Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

 
  (b) 

The market value of the loaned securities is determined as of February 29, 2024. Additional collateral is delivered to the Fund on the next business day in accordance with the MSLA. The net amount would be subject to the borrower default indemnity in the event of default by a counterparty.

 

The risks of securities lending include the risk that the borrower may not provide additional collateral when required or may not return the securities when due. To mitigate these risks, each Fund benefits from a borrower default indemnity provided by BlackRock, Inc. (“BlackRock”). BlackRock’s indemnity allows for full replacement of the securities loaned to the extent the collateral received does not cover the value of the securities loaned in the event of borrower default. Each Fund could incur a loss if the value of an investment purchased with cash collateral falls below the market value of the loaned securities or if the value of an investment purchased with cash collateral falls below the value of the original cash collateral received. Such losses are borne entirely by each Fund.

 

5.

DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

Futures Contracts: Futures contracts are purchased or sold to gain exposure to, or manage exposure to, changes in interest rates (interest rate risk) and changes in the value of equity securities (equity risk) or foreign currencies (foreign currency exchange rate risk).

 

 

N O T E ST O  F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  41


Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

Futures contracts are exchange-traded agreements between the Funds and a counterparty to buy or sell a specific quantity of an underlying instrument at a specified price and on a specified date. Depending on the terms of a contract, it is settled either through physical delivery of the underlying instrument on the settlement date or by payment of a cash amount on the settlement date. Upon entering into a futures contract, the Funds are required to deposit initial margin with the broker in the form of cash or securities in an amount that varies depending on a contract’s size and risk profile. The initial margin deposit must then be maintained at an established level over the life of the contract. Amounts pledged, which are considered restricted, are included in cash pledged for futures contracts in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

Securities deposited as initial margin are designated in the Schedule of Investments and cash deposited, if any, are shown as cash pledged for futures contracts in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. Pursuant to the contract, the Funds agree to receive from or pay to the broker an amount of cash equal to the daily fluctuation in market value of the contract (“variation margin”). Variation margin is recorded as unrealized appreciation (depreciation) and, if any, shown as variation margin receivable (or payable) on futures contracts in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. When the contract is closed, a realized gain or loss is recorded in the Statements of Operations equal to the difference between the notional amount of the contract at the time it was opened and the notional amount at the time it was closed. The use of futures contracts involves the risk of an imperfect correlation in the movements in the price of futures contracts and interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates or underlying assets.

 

6.

INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES

Investment Advisory Fees: Pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement with the Company, BFA manages the investment of each Fund’s assets. BFA is a California corporation indirectly owned by BlackRock. Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, BFA is responsible for substantially all expenses of the Funds, except (i) interest and taxes; (ii) brokerage commissions and other expenses connected with the execution of portfolio transactions; (iii) distribution fees; (iv) the advisory fee payable to BFA; and (v) litigation expenses and any extraordinary expenses (in each case as determined by a majority of the independent directors).

For its investment advisory services to each Fund, BFA is entitled to an annual investment advisory fee, accrued daily and paid monthly by the Funds, based on each Fund’s allocable portion of the aggregate of the average daily net assets of the Fund and certain other iShares funds, as follows:

 

   
Aggregate Average Daily Net Assets   Investment Advisory Fees  

First $2 billion

    0.7400

Over $2 billion, up to and including $4 billion

    0.6900  

Over $4 billion, up to and including $8 billion

    0.6400  

Over $8 billion, up to and including $16 billion

    0.5700  

Over $16 billion, up to and including $24 billion

    0.5100  

Over $24 billion, up to and including $32 billion

    0.4800  

Over $32 billion, up to and including $40 billion

    0.4500  

Over $40 billion

    0.4275  

Distributor: BlackRock Investments, LLC, an affiliate of BFA, is the distributor for each Fund. Pursuant to the distribution agreement, BFA is responsible for any fees or expenses for distribution services provided to the Funds.

Securities Lending: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) has issued an exemptive order which permits BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, N.A. (“BTC”), an affiliate of BFA, to serve as securities lending agent for the Funds, subject to applicable conditions. As securities lending agent, BTC bears all operational costs directly related to securities lending, including any custodial costs. Each Fund is responsible for fees in connection with the investment of cash collateral received for securities on loan (the “collateral investment fees”). The cash collateral is invested in a money market fund, BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional or BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, managed by BFA, or its affiliates. However, BTC has agreed to reduce the amount of securities lending income it receives in order to effectively limit the collateral investment fees each Fund bears to an annual rate of 0.04%. The SL Agency Shares of such money market fund will not be subject to a sales load, distribution fee or service fee. The money market fund in which the cash collateral has been invested may, under certain circumstances, impose a liquidity fee of up to 2% of the value redeemed or temporarily restrict redemptions for up to 10 business days during a 90 day period, in the event that the money market fund’s weekly liquid assets fall below certain thresholds.

Securities lending income is equal to the total of income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral, net of fees and other payments to and from borrowers of securities, and less the collateral investment fees. Each Fund retains a portion of securities lending income and remits the remaining portion to BTC as compensation for its services as securities lending agent.

Pursuant to the current securities lending agreement, each Fund retains 82% of securities lending income (which excludes collateral investment fees), and the amount retained can never be less than 70% of the total of securities lending income plus the collateral investment fees.

In addition, commencing the business day following the date that the aggregate securities lending income plus the collateral investment fees generated across all 1940 Act iShares exchange-traded funds (the “iShares ETF Complex”) in that calendar year exceeds a specified threshold, each Fund, pursuant to the securities lending agreement, will retain for the remainder of that calendar year 85% of securities lending income (which excludes collateral investment fees), and the amount retained can never be less than 70% of the total of securities lending income plus the collateral investment fees.

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

The share of securities lending income earned by each Fund is shown as securities lending income – affiliated – net in its Statements of Operations. For the six months ended February 29, 2024, the Funds paid BTC the following amounts for securities lending agent services:

 

   
iShares ETF   Amounts   

MSCI Israel

  $  16,097   

MSCI Turkey

    786   

Officers and Directors: Certain officers and/or directors of the Company are officers and/or directors of BlackRock or its affiliates.

Other Transactions: Cross trading is the buying or selling of portfolio securities between funds to which BFA (or an affiliate) serves as investment adviser. At its regularly scheduled quarterly meetings, the Board reviews such transactions as of the most recent calendar quarter for compliance with the requirements and restrictions set forth by Rule 17a-7.

For the six months ended February 29, 2024, transactions executed by the Funds pursuant to Rule 17a-7 under the 1940 Act were as follows:

 

       
iShares ETF   Purchases      Sales      Net Realized 
Gain (Loss) 
 

MSCI Israel

  $ 146,779      $ 273,078      $ (14,772)   

Each Fund may invest its positive cash balances in certain money market funds managed by BFA or an affiliate. The income earned on these temporary cash investments is shown as dividends – affiliated in the Statements of Operations.

A fund, in order to improve its portfolio liquidity and its ability to track its underlying index, may invest in shares of other iShares funds that invest in securities in the fund’s underlying index.

 

7.

PURCHASES AND SALES

For the six months ended February 29, 2024, purchases and sales of investments, excluding short-term securities and in-kind transactions, were as follows:

 

     
iShares ETF   Purchases      Sales   

MSCI Brazil

  $  309,474,561      $  566,849,248   

MSCI Chile

    109,860,646        118,424,804   

MSCI Israel

    4,729,466        4,416,975   

MSCI South Africa

    13,042,848        7,780,884   

MSCI Turkey

    20,009,196        20,126,213   

For the six months ended February 29, 2024, in-kind transactions were as follows:

 

     
iShares ETF   In-kind
Purchases
    

In-kind 

Sales 

 

MSCI Israel

  $  10,195,959      $  32,129,004   

MSCI South Africa

    42,785,979        49,741,316   

MSCI Turkey

    19,867,100        41,673,866   

 

8.

INCOME TAX INFORMATION

Each Fund is treated as an entity separate from the Company’s other funds for federal income tax purposes. It is each Fund’s policy to comply with the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, applicable to regulated investment companies, and to distribute substantially all of its taxable income to its shareholders. Therefore, no U.S. federal income tax provision is required.

Management has analyzed tax laws and regulations and their application to the Funds as of February 29, 2024, inclusive of the open tax return years, and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability in the Funds’ financial statements.

 

 

N O T E ST O  F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  43


Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

As of August 31, 2023, the Funds had non-expiring capital loss carryforwards available to offset future realized capital gains as follows:

 

   
iShares ETF  

Non-Expiring

Capital Loss

Carryforwards

 

MSCI Brazil

  $  (4,327,868,826

MSCI Chile

    (288,671,045

MSCI Israel

    (62,850,908

MSCI South Africa

    (280,647,174

MSCI Turkey

    (303,236,149

A fund may own shares in certain foreign investment entities, referred to, under U.S. tax law, as “passive foreign investment companies.” Such fund may elect to mark-to-market annually the shares of each passive foreign investment company and would be required to distribute to shareholders any such marked-to-market gains.

As of February 29, 2024, gross unrealized appreciation and depreciation based on cost of investments (including short positions and derivatives, if any) for U.S. federal income tax purposes were as follows:

 

         
iShares ETF   Tax Cost      Gross Unrealized
Appreciation
    

Gross Unrealized

Depreciation

    

Net Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

 

MSCI Brazil

  $  3,813,018,486      $  2,258,651,226      $  (881,047,479    $  1,377,603,747  

MSCI Chile

    590,318,640        70,263,001        (98,011,073      (27,748,072

MSCI Israel

    161,463,588        15,305,094        (31,150,146      (15,845,052

MSCI South Africa

    392,981,409        5,021,573        (143,300,444      (138,278,871

MSCI Turkey

    200,368,440        33,336,376        (26,246,071      7,090,305  

 

9.

LINE OF CREDIT

The Funds, along with certain other iShares funds (“Participating Funds”), are parties to a $800 million credit agreement (“Syndicated Credit Agreement”) with a group of lenders, which expires on October 16, 2024. The line of credit may be used for temporary or emergency purposes, including redemptions, settlement of trades and rebalancing of portfolio holdings in certain target markets. The Funds may borrow up to the aggregate commitment amount subject to asset coverage and other limitations as specified in the Syndicated Credit Agreement. The Syndicated Credit Agreement has the following terms: a commitment fee of 0.15% per annum on the unused portion of the credit agreement and interest at a rate equal to the higher of (a) Daily Simple Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) plus 0.10% and 1.00% per annum or (b) the U.S. Federal Funds rate plus 1.00% per annum on amounts borrowed. The commitment fee is generally allocated to each Participating Fund based on the lesser of a Participating Fund’s relative exposure to certain target markets or a Participating Fund’s maximum borrowing amount as set forth by the terms of the Syndicated Credit Agreement.

During the six months ended February 29, 2024, the Funds did not borrow under the Syndicated Credit Agreement.

 

10.

PRINCIPAL RISKS

In the normal course of business, each Fund invests in securities or other instruments and may enter into certain transactions, and such activities subject the Fund to various risks, including, among others, fluctuations in the market (market risk) or failure of an issuer to meet all of its obligations. The value of securities or other instruments may also be affected by various factors, including, without limitation: (i) the general economy; (ii) the overall market as well as local, regional or global political and/or social instability; (iii) regulation, taxation or international tax treaties between various countries; or (iv) currency, interest rate or price fluctuations. Local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant impact on the Funds and their investments. Each Fund’s prospectus provides details of the risks to which the Fund is subject.

BFA uses an indexing approach to try to achieve each Fund’s investment objective. The Fund is not actively managed, and BFA generally does not attempt to take defensive positions under any market conditions, including declining markets.

The Funds may be exposed to additional risks when reinvesting cash collateral in money market funds that do not seek to maintain a stable NAV per share of $1.00, which may be subject to redemption gates or liquidity fees under certain circumstances.

Valuation Risk: The market values of equities, such as common stocks and preferred securities or equity related investments, such as futures and options, may decline due to general market conditions which are not specifically related to a particular company. They may also decline due to factors which affect a particular industry or industries. A fund may invest in illiquid investments. An illiquid investment is any investment that a fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. A fund may experience difficulty in selling illiquid investments in a timely manner at the price that it believes the investments are worth. Prices may fluctuate widely over short or extended periods in response to company, market or economic news. Markets also tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising and falling prices. This volatility may cause a fund’s NAV to experience significant increases or decreases over short periods of time. If there is a general decline in the securities and other markets, the NAV of a fund may lose value, regardless of the individual results of the securities and other instruments in which a fund invests.

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

Counterparty Credit Risk: The Funds may be exposed to counterparty credit risk, or the risk that an entity may fail to or be unable to perform on its commitments related to unsettled or open transactions, including making timely interest and/or principal payments or otherwise honoring its obligations. The Funds manage counterparty credit risk by entering into transactions only with counterparties that BFA believes have the financial resources to honor their obligations and by monitoring the financial stability of those counterparties. Financial assets, which potentially expose the Funds to market, issuer and counterparty credit risks, consist principally of financial instruments and receivables due from counterparties. The extent of the Funds’ exposure to market, issuer and counterparty credit risks with respect to these financial assets is approximately their value recorded in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, less any collateral held by the Funds.

A derivative contract may suffer a mark-to-market loss if the value of the contract decreases due to an unfavorable change in the market rates or values of the underlying instrument. Losses can also occur if the counterparty does not perform under the contract.

With exchange-traded futures, there is less counterparty credit risk to the Funds since the exchange or clearinghouse, as counterparty to such instruments, guarantees against a possible default. The clearinghouse stands between the buyer and the seller of the contract; therefore, credit risk is limited to failure of the clearinghouse. While offset rights may exist under applicable law, a fund does not have a contractual right of offset against a clearing broker or clearinghouse in the event of a default (including the bankruptcy or insolvency). Additionally, credit risk exists in exchange-traded futures with respect to initial and variation margin that is held in a clearing broker’s customer accounts. While clearing brokers are required to segregate customer margin from their own assets, in the event that a clearing broker becomes insolvent or goes into bankruptcy and at that time there is a shortfall in the aggregate amount of margin held by the clearing broker for all its clients, typically the shortfall would be allocated on a pro rata basis across all the clearing broker’s customers, potentially resulting in losses to the Funds.

Geographic/Asset Class Risk: A diversified portfolio, where this is appropriate and consistent with a fund’s objectives, minimizes the risk that a price change of a particular investment will have a material impact on the NAV of a fund. The investment concentrations within each Fund’s portfolio are disclosed in its Schedule of Investments.

Certain Funds invest a significant portion of their assets in issuers located in a single country or a limited number of countries. When a fund concentrates its investments in this manner, it assumes the risk that economic, regulatory, political and social conditions in that country or those countries may have a significant impact on the fund and could affect the income from, or the value or liquidity of, the Fund’s portfolio. Unanticipated or sudden political or social developments may cause uncertainty in the markets and as a result adversely affect the Fund’s investments. Foreign issuers may not be subject to the same uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and practices as used in the United States. Foreign securities markets may also be more volatile and less liquid than U.S. securities and may be less subject to governmental supervision not typically associated with investing in U.S. securities.

Certain Funds invest a significant portion of their assets in securities of issuers located in Europe or with significant exposure to European issuers or countries. The European financial markets have recently experienced volatility and adverse trends due to concerns about economic downturns in, or rising government debt levels of, several European countries as well as acts of war in the region. These events may spread to other countries in Europe and may affect the value and liquidity of certain of the Funds’ investments.

Responses to the financial problems by European governments, central banks and others, including austerity measures and reforms, may not work, may result in social unrest and may limit future growth and economic recovery or have other unintended consequences. Further defaults or restructurings by governments and others of their debt could have additional adverse effects on economies, financial markets and asset valuations around the world. The United Kingdom has withdrawn from the European Union, and one or more other countries may withdraw from the European Union and/or abandon the Euro, the common currency of the European Union. These events and actions have adversely affected, and may in the future adversely affect, the value and exchange rate of the Euro and may continue to significantly affect the economies of every country in Europe, including countries that do not use the Euro and non-European Union member states. The impact of these actions, especially if they occur in a disorderly fashion, is not clear but could be significant and far reaching. In addition, Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The extent and duration of the military action, resulting sanctions and resulting future market disruptions in the region are impossible to predict, but have been, and may continue to be, significant and have a severe adverse effect on the region, including significant negative impacts on the economy and the markets for certain securities and commodities, such as oil and natural gas, as well as other sectors.

Certain Funds invests a significant portion of their assets in securities of issuers located in Israel or with significant exposure to Israeli issuers. On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a significant attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip. The extent and duration of the Israel-Hamas war and any related economic and market impacts are impossible to predict but may be significant, and may negatively impact Israel’s economy and issuers of securities in which certain Funds invest.

Certain Funds invest a significant portion of their assets in securities of issuers located in Asia or with significant exposure to Asian issuers or countries. The Asian financial markets have recently experienced volatility and adverse trends due to concerns in several Asian countries regarding monetary policy, government intervention in the markets, rising government debt levels or economic downturns. These events may spread to other countries in Asia and may affect the value and liquidity of certain of the Funds’ investments.

Certain Funds invest a significant portion of their assets in securities within a single or limited number of market sectors. When a fund concentrates its investments in this manner, it assumes the risk that economic, regulatory, political and social conditions affecting such sectors may have a significant impact on the fund and could affect the income from, or the value or liquidity of, the fund’s portfolio. Investment percentages in specific sectors are presented in the Schedule of Investments.

 

 

N O T E ST O  F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  45


Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

Significant Shareholder Redemption Risk: Certain shareholders may own or manage a substantial amount of fund shares and/or hold their fund investments for a limited period of time. Large redemptions of fund shares by these shareholders may force a fund to sell portfolio securities, which may negatively impact the fund’s NAV, increase the fund’s brokerage costs, and/or accelerate the realization of taxable income/gains and cause the fund to make additional taxable distributions to shareholders.

 

11.

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

Capital shares are issued and redeemed by each Fund only in aggregations of a specified number of shares or multiples thereof (“Creation Units”) at NAV. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, shares of each Fund are not redeemable.

Transactions in capital shares were as follows:

 

 

 
    Six Months Ended
02/29/24
    Year Ended
08/31/23
 
iShares ETF   Shares     Amount     Shares     Amount  

 

 

MSCI Brazil

       

Shares sold

    5,950,000     $ 203,986,749       15,250,000     $ 491,201,426  

Shares redeemed

    (12,700,000     (424,228,377     (20,700,000     (587,310,864
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    (6,750,000   $  (220,241,628     (5,450,000   $ (96,109,438
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

MSCI Chile

       

Shares sold

    2,250,000     $ 61,222,920       9,350,000     $ 277,089,683  

Shares redeemed

    (2,800,000     (69,602,442     (5,300,000     (147,432,839
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    (550,000   $ (8,379,522     4,050,000     $ 129,656,844  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

MSCI Israel

       

Shares sold

    200,000     $ 10,343,137       1,050,000     $ 59,945,413  

Shares redeemed

    (600,000     (32,707,747     (900,000     (50,927,040
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    (400,000   $ (22,364,610     150,000     $ 9,018,373  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

MSCI South Africa

       

Shares sold

    1,200,000     $ 47,005,246       2,200,000     $ 93,284,072  

Shares redeemed

    (1,300,000     (49,794,673     (3,200,000     (133,092,198
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    (100,000   $ (2,789,427     (1,000,000   $ (39,808,126
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

MSCI Turkey

       

Shares sold

    650,000     $ 21,813,403       3,400,000     $ 108,374,237  

Shares redeemed

    (1,150,000     (41,975,424     (10,200,000     (317,328,262
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    (500,000   $ (20,162,021     (6,800,000   $  (208,954,025
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

The consideration for the purchase of Creation Units of a fund in the Company generally consists of the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities and a specified amount of cash. Certain funds in the Company may be offered in Creation Units solely or partially for cash in U.S. dollars. Authorized Participants purchasing and redeeming Creation Units may pay a purchase transaction fee and a redemption transaction fee directly to State Street Bank and Trust Company, the Company’s administrator , to offset transfer and other transaction costs associated with the issuance and redemption of Creation Units, including Creation Units for cash. Authorized Participants transacting in Creation Units for cash may also pay an additional variable charge to compensate the relevant fund for certain transaction costs (i.e., stamp taxes, taxes on currency or other financial transactions, and brokerage costs) and market impact expenses relating to investing in portfolio securities. Such variable charges, if any, are included in shares sold in the table above.

From time to time, settlement of securities related to in-kind contributions or in-kind redemptions may be delayed. In such cases, securities related to in-kind transactions are reflected as a receivable or a payable in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

 

12.

SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

Management’s evaluation of the impact of all subsequent events on the Funds’ financial statements was completed through the date the financial statements were available to be issued and the following item was noted:

On April 14, 2024, Iran launched a significant attack on Israel; any related economic and market impacts are impossible to predict but may be significant and may negatively impact Israel’s economy and issuers of securities in which iShares MSCI Israel ETF invests.

 

 

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Statement Regarding Liquidity Risk Management Program (unaudited)

 

In compliance with Rule 22e-4 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Liquidity Rule”), iShares, Inc. (the “Company”) has adopted and implemented a liquidity risk management program (the “Program”) for iShares MSCI Brazil ETF, iShares MSCI Chile ETF, iShares MSCI Israel ETF, iShares MSCI South Africa ETF and iShares MSCI Turkey ETF (the “Funds” or “ETFs”), each a series of the Company, which is reasonably designed to assess and manage each Fund’s liquidity risk.

The Board of Directors (the “Board”) of the Company, on behalf of the Funds, met on December 8, 2023 (the “Meeting”) to review the Program. The Board previously appointed BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BlackRock”), the investment adviser to the Funds, as the program administrator for each Fund’s Program. BlackRock also previously delegated oversight of the Program to the 40 Act Liquidity Risk Management Committee (the “Committee”). At the Meeting, the Committee, on behalf of BlackRock, provided the Board with a report that addressed the operation of the Program and assessed its adequacy and effectiveness of implementation, including the management of each Fund’s Highly Liquid Investment Minimum (“HLIM”) where applicable, and any material changes to the Program (the “Report”). The Report covered the period from October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2023 (the “Program Reporting Period”).

The Report described the Program’s liquidity classification methodology for categorizing each Fund’s investments (including derivative transactions) into one of four liquidity buckets. It also referenced the methodology used by BlackRock to establish each Fund’s HLIM and noted that the Committee reviews and ratifies the HLIM assigned to each Fund no less frequently than annually. The Report also discussed notable events affecting liquidity over the Program Reporting Period, including extended market holidays, delays in the repatriation of the local currency in certain non-U.S. countries, the continued illiquidity of Russian equity securities and the suspension of select sanctions in Venezuela.

The Report noted that the Program complied with the key factors for consideration under the Liquidity Rule for assessing, managing and periodically reviewing each Fund’s liquidity risk, as follows:

 

  a)

The Fund’s investment strategy and liquidity of portfolio investments during both normal and reasonably foreseeable stressed conditions. During the Program Reporting Period, the Committee reviewed whether each Fund’s strategy is appropriate for an open-end fund structure, with a focus on funds with more significant and consistent holdings of less liquid and illiquid assets. The Committee also factored a fund’s concentration in an issuer into the liquidity classification methodology by taking issuer position sizes into account. Derivative exposure was also considered in the calculation of a fund’s liquidity bucketing. Finally, a factor for consideration under the Liquidity Rule is a Fund’s use of borrowings for investment purposes. However, the Funds do not borrow for investment purposes.

 

  b)

Short-term and long-term cash flow projections during both normal and reasonably foreseeable stressed conditions. During the Program Reporting Period, the Committee reviewed historical redemption activity and used this information as a component to establish each ETF’s reasonably anticipated trading size utilized for liquidity classifications. The Committee may also take into consideration a fund’s shareholder ownership concentration (which, depending on product type and distribution channel, may or may not be available), a fund’s distribution channels, and the degree of certainty associated with a fund’s short-term and long-term cash flow projections.

 

  c)

Holdings of cash and cash equivalents, as well as borrowing arrangements. The Committee considered that ETFs generally do not hold more than de minimis amounts of cash. The Committee also considered that ETFs generally do not engage in borrowing.

 

  d)

The relationship between an ETF’s portfolio liquidity and the way in which, and the prices and spreads at which, ETF shares trade, including the efficiency of the arbitrage function and the level of active participation by market participants, including authorized participants. The Committee monitored the prevailing bid/ask spread and the ETF price premium (or discount) to NAV for all ETFs. However, there were no ETFs with persistent deviations of fund premium/discount or bid/ask spreads from long-term averages over the Program Reporting Period.

 

  e)

The effect of the composition of baskets on the overall liquidity of an ETF’s portfolio. In reviewing the linkage between the composition of custom baskets accepted by an ETF and any significant change in the liquidity profile of such ETF, the Committee reviewed changes in the proportion of each ETF’s portfolio comprised of less liquid and illiquid holdings to determine if applicable thresholds were met requiring enhanced review. There were no ETFs for which the custom baskets accepted by the ETF had a significant change in its liquidity profile.

There were no material changes to the Program during the Program Reporting Period other than the enhancement of certain model components in the Program’s classification methodology. The Report provided to the Board stated that the Committee concluded that based on the operation of the functions, as described in the Report, the Program is operating as intended and is effective in implementing the requirements of the Liquidity Rule.

 

 

S T A T E M E N T  R E G A R D I N G  L I Q U I D I T Y  R I S K  M A N A G E M E N T  P R O G R A M

  47


Supplemental Information (unaudited)

 

Tailored Shareholder Reports for Open-End Mutual Funds and ETFs

Effective January 24, 2023, the SEC adopted rule and form amendments to require open-end mutual funds and ETFs to transmit concise and visually engaging streamlined annual and semiannual reports to shareholders that highlight key information. Other information, including financial statements, will no longer appear in a streamlined shareholder report but must be available online, delivered free of charge upon request, and filed on a semiannual basis on Form N-CSR. The rule and form amendments have a compliance date of July 24, 2024. At this time, management is evaluating the impact of these amendments on the shareholder reports for the Funds.

 

 

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General Information

 

Electronic Delivery

Shareholders can sign up for e-mail notifications announcing that the shareholder report or prospectus has been posted on the iShares website at iShares.com. Once you have enrolled, you will no longer receive prospectuses and shareholder reports in the mail.

To enroll in electronic delivery:

 

   

Go to icsdelivery.com.

 

   

If your brokerage firm is not listed, electronic delivery may not be available. Please contact your broker-dealer or financial advisor.

Householding

Householding is an option available to certain fund investors. Householding is a method of delivery, based on the preference of the individual investor, in which a single copy of certain shareholder documents and Rule 30e-3 notices can be delivered to investors who share the same address, even if their accounts are registered under different names. Please contact your broker-dealer if you are interested in enrolling in householding and receiving a single copy of prospectuses and other shareholder documents, or if you are currently enrolled in householding and wish to change your householding status.

Availability of Quarterly Schedule of Investments

The Funds file their complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to their reports on Form N-PORT. The Funds’ Forms N-PORT are available on the SEC’s website at sec.gov. Additionally, each Fund makes its portfolio holdings for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year available at iShares.com/fundreports.

Availability of Proxy Voting Policies and Proxy Voting Records

A description of the policies and procedures that the iShares Funds use to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities and information about how the iShares Funds voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ending June 30 is available without charge, upon request (1) by calling toll-free 1-800-474-2737; (2) on the iShares website at iShares.com; and (3) on the SEC website at sec.gov.

A description of the Company’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio securities is available in the Fund Prospectus. The Fund discloses its portfolio holdings daily and provides information regarding its top holdings in Fund fact sheets at iShares.com.

 

 

G E N E R A L  I N F O R M A T I O N

  49


Glossary of Terms Used in this Report

 

Portfolio Abbreviation
ADR   American Depositary Receipt
NVS   Non-Voting Shares
REIT   Real Estate Investment Trust

 

 

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Want to know more?

iShares.com | 1-800-474-2737

This report is intended for the Funds’ shareholders. It may not be distributed to prospective investors unless it is preceded or accompanied by the current prospectus.

Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal.

The iShares Funds are distributed by BlackRock Investments, LLC (together with its affiliates, “BlackRock”).

The iShares Funds are not sponsored, endorsed, issued, sold or promoted by MSCI Inc., nor does this company make any representation regarding the advisability of investing in the iShares Funds. BlackRock is not affiliated with the company listed above.

©2024 BlackRock, Inc. All rights reserved. iSHARES and BLACKROCK are registered trademarks of BlackRock, Inc. or its subsidiaries. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

iS-SAR-804-0224

 

LOGO

   LOGO   


 

LOGO

  FEBRUARY 29, 2024

 

  

2024 Semi-Annual Report

(Unaudited)

 

iShares, Inc.

· iShares MSCI Australia ETF | EWA | NYSE Arca

· iShares MSCI Canada ETF | EWC | NYSE Arca

· iShares MSCI Japan ETF | EWJ | NYSE Arca

· iShares MSCI Mexico ETF | EWW | NYSE Arca

· iShares MSCI South Korea ETF | EWY | NYSE Arca


The Markets in Review

Dear Shareholder,

The combination of continued economic growth and cooling inflation provided a supportive backdrop for investors during the 12-month reporting period ended February 29, 2024. Significantly tighter monetary policy helped to rein in inflation, and the Consumer Price Index decelerated substantially while remaining above pre-pandemic levels. A moderating labor market helped ease inflationary pressure, although wages continued to grow. Wage and job growth powered robust consumer spending, backstopping the economy. On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a horrific attack on Israel. The ensuing war will have a significant humanitarian impact and could lead to heightened economic and market volatility. We see geopolitics as a structural market risk going forward. See our geopolitical risk dashboard at blackrock.com for more details.

Equity returns were robust during the period, as interest rates stabilized and the economy proved to be more resilient than many investors expected. The U.S. economy continued to show strength, and growth further accelerated in the second half of 2023. Large-capitalization U.S. stocks posted particularly substantial gains, supported by the performance of a few notable technology companies, while small-capitalization U.S. stocks advanced at a significantly slower pace. Meanwhile, international developed market equities also gained strongly, while emerging market stocks advanced at a more modest pace.

The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield rose during the reporting period, as investors reacted to elevated inflation and attempted to anticipate future interest rate changes. However, higher yields drove positive returns overall for 10-year U.S. Treasuries and solid gains in shorter-duration U.S. Treasuries. The corporate bond market benefited from improving economic sentiment, although high-yield corporate bond prices fared significantly better than investment-grade bonds as demand from yield-seeking investors remained strong.

The U.S. Federal Reserve (the “Fed”), attempting to manage persistent inflation, raised interest rates three times during the 12-month period, but paused its tightening after its July meeting. The Fed also continued to reduce its balance sheet by not replacing some of the securities that reach maturity.

Supply constraints appear to have become an embedded feature of the new macroeconomic environment, making it difficult for developed economies to increase production without sparking higher inflation. Geopolitical fragmentation and an aging population risk further exacerbating these constraints, keeping the labor market tight and wage growth high. Although the Fed has stopped tightening for now, we believe that the new economic regime means that the Fed will need to maintain high rates for an extended period despite the market’s hopes for rapid interest rate cuts, as reflected in the recent rally. In this new regime, we anticipate greater volatility and dispersion of returns, creating more opportunities for selective portfolio management.

Looking at developed market stocks, we have an overweight stance on U.S. stocks overall, particularly given the promise of emerging AI technologies. We are also overweight Japanese stocks as shareholder-friendly policies generate increased investor interest, although we maintain an underweight stance on European stocks. In credit, there are selective opportunities in the near term despite tighter credit and financial conditions. For fixed income investing with a six- to twelve-month horizon, we see the most attractive investments in short-term U.S. Treasuries and hard-currency emerging market bonds.

Overall, our view is that investors need to think globally, position themselves to be prepared for a decarbonizing economy, and be nimble as market conditions change. We encourage you to talk with your financial advisor and visit iShares.com for further insight about investing in today’s markets.

 

LOGO

Rob Kapito

President, BlackRock Inc.

LOGO

Rob Kapito

President, BlackRock Inc.

 

 Total Returns as of February 29, 2024
     
     6-Month     12-Month 
   

U.S. large cap equities
(S&P 500® Index)

  13.93%    30.45%
   

U.S. small cap equities
(Russell 2000® Index)

  8.97    10.05
   

International equities
(MSCI Europe, Australasia,
Far East Index)

  9.23    14.41
   

Emerging market equities
(MSCI Emerging Markets Index)

  4.93    8.73
   

3-month Treasury bills
(ICE BofA 3-Month
U.S. Treasury Bill Index)

  2.69    5.22
   

U.S. Treasury securities
(ICE BofA 10-Year U.S. Treasury Index)

  0.58    0.69
   

U.S. investment grade bonds
(Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate
Bond Index)

  2.35    3.33
   

Tax-exempt municipal bonds
(Bloomberg Municipal Bond
Index)

  4.33    5.42
   

U.S. high yield bonds
(Bloomberg U.S. Corporate
High Yield 2% Issuer Capped Index)

  6.18    11.01
Past performance is not an indication of future results. Index performance is shown for illustrative purposes only. You cannot invest directly in an index.
 

 

 

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T H I S  P A G E  I S  N O T  P A R T  O F  Y O U R  F U N D  R E P O R T


Table of Contents

 

    

Page

 

 

 

 

The Markets in Review

     2  

Semi-Annual Report:

  

Fund Summary

     4  

About Fund Performance

     9  

Disclosure of Expenses

     9  

Schedules of Investments

     10  

Financial Statements

  

Statements of Assets and Liabilities

     29  

Statements of Operations

     31  

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

     33  

Financial Highlights

     36  

Notes to Financial Statements

     41  

Statement Regarding Liquidity Risk Management Program

     50  

Supplemental Information

     51  

General Information

     52  

Glossary of Terms Used in this Report

     53  

 

 

 


Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® MSCI Australia ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCI Australia ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of Australian equities, as represented by the MSCI Australia Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

           Average Annual Total Returns            Cumulative Total Returns  
     6-Month
Total Returns
     1 Year      5 Years     10 Years             1 Year      5 Years      10 Years  

Fund NAV

    9.98      8.79      6.59     4.17        8.79      37.61      50.44

Fund Market

    9.92        8.72        6.60       4.10          8.72        37.66        49.51  

Index

    9.55        8.63        7.03       4.57                8.63        40.48        56.31  

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

Actual           Hypothetical 5% Return         
 

Beginning
Account Value
(09/01/23)
 
 
 
      

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a)  
         

Beginning
Account Value
(09/01/23)
 
 
 
      

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a)  
    

Annualized
Expense
Ratio
 
 
 
   $ 1,000.00        $  1,099.80        $   2.61             $  1,000.00        $  1,022.40        $   2.51        0.50

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION

 

   

Sector

   
Percent of
Total Investments
 
(a) 

Financials

    34.8

Materials

    22.2  

Health Care

    10.0  

Consumer Discretionary

    6.5  

Real Estate

    6.0  

Industrials

    5.4  

Energy

    4.9  

Consumer Staples

    4.3  

Communication Services

    2.6  

Information Technology

    1.9  

Utilities

    1.4  

TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS

 

   

Security

   
Percent of
Total Investments
 
(a) 

BHP Group Ltd.

    12.1

Commonwealth Bank of Australia

    10.6  

CSL Ltd.

    7.5  

National Australia Bank Ltd.

    5.8  

Westpac Banking Corp.

    5.0  

ANZ Group Holdings Ltd.

    4.6  

Wesfarmers Ltd.

    4.1  

Macquarie Group Ltd.

    3.9  

Woodside Energy Group Ltd.

    3.1  

Goodman Group

    2.8  
 

 

(a) 

Excludes money market funds.

 

 

4  

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Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® MSCI Canada ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCI Canada ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of Canadian equities, as represented by the MSCI Canada Custom Capped Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

           Average Annual Total Returns            Cumulative Total Returns  
     6-Month
Total Returns
     1 Year      5 Years     10 Years             1 Year      5 Years      10 Years  

Fund NAV

    7.46      10.60      8.07     4.57        10.60      47.40      56.39

Fund Market

    7.44        10.57        8.06       4.56          10.57        47.33        56.21  

Index

    7.77        10.60        8.22       4.74                10.60        48.46        58.88  

Index performance through August 31, 2017 reflects the performance of the MSCI Canada Index. Index performance beginning on September 1, 2017 reflects the performance of the MSCI Canada Custom Capped Index.

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

Actual         Hypothetical 5% Return         
 

Beginning
Account Value
(09/01/23)
 
 
 
      

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a)  
           

Beginning
Account Value
(09/01/23)
 
 
 
      

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a)  
    

Annualized
Expense
Ratio
 
 
 
   $ 1,000.00        $  1,074.60        $  2.58             $  1,000.00        $  1,022.40        $  2.51        0.50

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION

 

   

Sector

   
Percent of
Total Investments
 
(a) 

Financials

    35.6

Energy

    18.1  

Industrials

    13.6  

Information Technology

    9.9  

Materials

    9.0  

Consumer Staples

    4.9  

Consumer Discretionary

    3.8  

Utilities

    2.9  

Communication Services

    1.6  

Real Estate

    0.6  

TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS

 

   

Security

   
Percent of
Total Investments
 
(a) 

Royal Bank of Canada

    7.1

Toronto-Dominion Bank (The)

    5.6  

Shopify Inc., Class A

    4.8  

Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd.

    4.1  

Canadian Natural Resources Ltd.

    3.9  

Enbridge Inc.

    3.8  

Canadian National Railway Co.

    3.7  

Bank of Montreal

    3.4  

Bank of Nova Scotia (The)

    3.1  

Brookfield Corp., Class A

    3.0  
 

 

(a) 

Excludes money market funds.

 

 

F U N D  S U M M A R Y

  5


Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® MSCI Japan ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCI Japan ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of Japanese equities, as represented by the MSCI Japan Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

           Average Annual Total Returns            Cumulative Total Returns  
     6-Month
Total Returns
     1 Year      5 Years     10 Years             1 Year      5 Years      10 Years  

Fund NAV

    14.11      26.53      6.84     5.84        26.53      39.20      76.40

Fund Market

    13.72        26.19        6.75       5.74          26.19        38.66        74.71  

Index

    14.13        26.93        7.25       6.23                26.93        41.90        83.04  

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

Actual         Hypothetical 5% Return         
 

Beginning
Account Value
(09/01/23)
 
 
 
      

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a)  
           

Beginning
Account Value
(09/01/23)
 
 
 
      

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a)  
    

Annualized
Expense
Ratio
 
 
 
   $ 1,000.00        $  1,141.10        $  2.66             $  1,000.00        $  1,022.40        $  2.51        0.50

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION

 

   

Sector

   
Percent of
Total Investments
 
(a) 

Industrials

    22.0

Consumer Discretionary

    19.6  

Information Technology

    15.8  

Financials

    13.0  

Health Care

    8.1  

Communication Services

    7.1  

Consumer Staples

    5.3  

Materials

    4.5  

Real Estate

    2.8  

Utilities

    1.0  

Energy

    0.8  

TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS

 

   

Security

   
Percent of
Total Investments
 
(a) 

Toyota Motor Corp.

    6.6

Tokyo Electron Ltd.

    3.0  

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc.

    2.9  

Sony Group Corp.

    2.8  

Keyence Corp.

    2.3  

Hitachi Ltd.

    2.0  

Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. Ltd.

    2.0  

Mitsubishi Corp.

    1.9  

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc.

    1.8  

SoftBank Group Corp.

    1.6  
 

 

(a) 

Excludes money market funds.

 

 

6  

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Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® MSCI Mexico ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCI Mexico ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of a broad-based index composed of Mexican equities, as represented by the MSCI Mexico IMI 25/50 Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

           Average Annual Total Returns            Cumulative Total Returns  
     6-Month
Total Returns
     1 Year      5 Years     10 Years             1 Year      5 Years      10 Years  

Fund NAV

    7.73      15.84      11.17     3.00        15.84      69.79      34.44

Fund Market

    7.44        15.78        11.16       3.02          15.78        69.76        34.61  

Index

    6.48        16.42        11.61       3.37                16.42        73.22        39.26  

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

Actual         Hypothetical 5% Return         
 

Beginning
Account Value
(09/01/23)
 
 
 
      

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a)  
           

Beginning
Account Value
(09/01/23)
 
 
 
      

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a)  
    

Annualized
Expense
Ratio
 
 
 
   $ 1,000.00        $  1,077.30        $  2.58             $  1,000.00        $  1,022.40        $  2.51        0.50

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION

 

   

Sector

   
Percent of
Total Investments
 
(a) 

Consumer Staples

    33.4

Financials

    21.5  

Industrials

    12.7  

Materials

    12.2  

Communication Services

    10.2  

Real Estate

    8.1  

Consumer Discretionary

    1.5  

Health Care

    0.4  

TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS

 

   

Security

   
Percent of
Total Investments
 
(a) 

Grupo Financiero Banorte SAB de CV, Class O

    12.7

Fomento Economico Mexicano SAB de CV

    11.5  

Wal-Mart de Mexico SAB de CV

    9.9  

America Movil SAB de CV Mexico

    8.3  

Cemex SAB de CV

    4.5  

Grupo Mexico SAB de CV, Series B

    4.4  

Grupo Financiero Inbursa SAB de CV, Class O

    3.2  

Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste SAB de CV, Class B

    2.8  

Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico SAB de CV, Class B

    2.8  

Fibra Uno Administracion SA de CV

    2.7  
 

 

 

(a) 

Excludes money market funds.

 

 

F U N D  S U M M A R Y

  7


Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® MSCI South Korea ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of South Korean equities, as represented by the MSCI Korea 25/50 Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

           Average Annual Total Returns            Cumulative Total Returns  
     6-Month
Total Returns
     1 Year      5 Years     10 Years             1 Year      5 Years      10 Years  

Fund NAV

    5.95      13.18      2.26     2.31        13.18      11.82      25.70

Fund Market

    5.34        12.46        2.15       2.30          12.46        11.21        25.51  

Index

    5.80        13.44        2.63       2.73                13.44        13.88        30.96  

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

Actual         Hypothetical 5% Return         
 

Beginning
Account Value
(09/01/23)
 
 
 
      

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a)  
           

Beginning
Account Value
(09/01/23)
 
 
 
      

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a)  
    

Annualized
Expense
Ratio
 
 
 
   $ 1,000.00        $  1,059.50        $  3.02             $  1,000.00        $  1,021.90        $  2.97        0.59

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION

 

   

Sector

   
Percent of
Total Investments
 
(a) 

Information Technology

    35.3

Industrials

    15.9  

Financials

    12.5  

Consumer Discretionary

    11.2  

Materials

    7.6  

Health Care

    6.5  

Communication Services

    6.3  

Consumer Staples

    2.4  

Energy

    1.6  

Utilities

    0.7  

TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS

 

   

Security

   
Percent of
Total Investments
 
(a) 

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.

    22.5

SK Hynix Inc.

    7.5  

Hyundai Motor Co.

    3.2  

Kia Corp.

    3.0  

POSCO Holdings Inc.

    2.8  

Celltrion Inc.

    2.5  

NAVER Corp.

    2.3  

KB Financial Group Inc.

    2.3  

LG Chem Ltd.

    2.1  

Samsung SDI Co. Ltd.

    1.9  
 

 

(a) 

Excludes money market funds.

 

 

8  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


About Fund Performance

 

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Financial markets have experienced extreme volatility and trading in many instruments has been disrupted. These circumstances may continue for an extended period of time and may continue to affect adversely the value and liquidity of each Fund’s investments. As a result, current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. Performance data current to the most recent month-end is available at iShares.com. Performance results assume reinvestment of all dividends and capital gain distributions and do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. The investment return and principal value of shares will vary with changes in market conditions. Shares may be worth more or less than their original cost when they are redeemed or sold in the market. Performance for certain funds may reflect a waiver of a portion of investment advisory fees. Without such a waiver, performance would have been lower.

Net asset value or “NAV” is the value of one share of a fund as calculated in accordance with the standard formula for valuing mutual fund shares. Beginning August 10, 2020, the price used to calculate market return (“Market Price”) is the closing price. Prior to August 10, 2020, Market Price was determined using the midpoint between the highest bid and the lowest ask on the primary stock exchange on which shares of a fund are listed for trading, as of the time that such fund’s NAV is calculated. Market and NAV returns assume that dividends and capital gain distributions have been reinvested at Market Price and NAV, respectively.

An index is a statistical composite that tracks a specified financial market or sector. Unlike a fund, an index does not actually hold a portfolio of securities and therefore does not incur the expenses incurred by a fund. These expenses negatively impact fund performance. Also, index returns do not include brokerage commissions that may be payable on secondary market transactions. If brokerage commissions were included, index returns would be lower.

Disclosure of Expenses

Shareholders of each Fund may incur the following charges: (1) transactional expenses, including brokerage commissions on purchases and sales of fund shares and (2) ongoing expenses, including management fees and other fund expenses. The expense examples shown (which are based on a hypothetical investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held through the end of the period) are intended to assist shareholders both in calculating expenses based on an investment in each Fund and in comparing these expenses with similar costs of investing in other funds.

The expense examples provide information about actual account values and actual expenses. Annualized expense ratios reflect contractual and voluntary fee waivers, if any. In order to estimate the expenses a shareholder paid during the period covered by this report, shareholders can divide their account value by $1,000 and then multiply the result by the number under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During the Period.”

The expense examples also provide information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on a fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses. In order to assist shareholders in comparing the ongoing expenses of investing in the Funds and other funds, compare the 5% hypothetical examples with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.

The expenses shown in the expense examples are intended to highlight shareholders’ ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional expenses, such as brokerage commissions and other fees paid on purchases and sales of fund shares. Therefore, the hypothetical examples are useful in comparing ongoing expenses only and will not help shareholders determine the relative total expenses of owning different funds. If these transactional expenses were included, shareholder expenses would have been higher.

 

 

A B O U T  F U N D  P E R F O R M A N C E / D I S C L O S U R EO F  E X P E N S E S

  9


Schedule of Investments (unaudited)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Australia ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Common Stocks

   

Banks — 25.8%

   

ANZ Group Holdings Ltd.

    4,848,760     $ 89,874,946  

Commonwealth Bank of Australia

    2,699,902        204,805,050  

National Australia Bank Ltd.

    5,029,263       111,745,799  

Westpac Banking Corp.

    5,645,277       96,868,712  
   

 

 

 
      503,294,507  
Beverages — 0.5%            

Treasury Wine Estates Ltd.

    1,308,196       10,502,664  
   

 

 

 

Biotechnology — 7.4%

   

CSL Ltd.

    778,674       144,961,244  
   

 

 

 

Broadline Retail — 4.1%

   

Wesfarmers Ltd.

    1,830,011       79,429,252  
   

 

 

 

Capital Markets — 4.5%

   

ASX Ltd.

    312,725       13,399,293  

Macquarie Group Ltd.

    589,781       74,890,020  
   

 

 

 
      88,289,313  
Chemicals — 0.5%            

Orica Ltd.

    776,884       8,657,557  
   

 

 

 

Commercial Services & Supplies — 1.1%

   

Brambles Ltd.

    2,241,708       22,011,300  
   

 

 

 

Construction Materials — 1.4%

   

James Hardie Industries PLC(a)

    708,897       28,040,709  
   

 

 

 

Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail — 3.8%

 

Coles Group Ltd.

    2,156,259       23,717,243  

Endeavour Group Ltd./Australia

    2,302,564       8,242,899  

Woolworths Group Ltd.

    1,970,645       41,832,000  
   

 

 

 
      73,792,142  
Diversified Consumer Services — 0.3%            

IDP Education Ltd.

    428,888       5,327,512  
   

 

 

 

Diversified REITs — 1.5%

   

GPT Group (The)

    3,075,813       8,699,066  

Mirvac Group

    6,374,855       9,041,802  

Stockland

    3,858,951       11,275,160  
   

 

 

 
      29,016,028  
Diversified Telecommunication Services — 0.8%  

Telstra Group Ltd.

    6,522,969       16,207,699  
   

 

 

 

Electric Utilities — 0.8%

   

Origin Energy Ltd.

    2,779,912       16,240,007  
   

 

 

 

Financial Services — 0.4%

   

Washington H Soul Pattinson & Co. Ltd.

    376,764       8,475,212  
   

 

 

 

Gas Utilities — 0.5%

   

APA Group

    2,074,241       10,589,558  
   

 

 

 

Ground Transportation — 0.4%

   

Aurizon Holdings Ltd.

    2,972,612       7,367,391  
   

 

 

 

Health Care Equipment & Supplies — 1.2%

 

Cochlear Ltd.

    105,629       24,078,470  
   

 

 

 

Health Care Providers & Services — 1.3%

 

Ramsay Health Care Ltd.

    296,969       10,594,327  

Sonic Healthcare Ltd.

    727,312       14,114,051  
   

 

 

 
      24,708,378  
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure — 2.1%            

Aristocrat Leisure Ltd.

    933,863       28,373,947  
Security   Shares     Value  
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure (continued)  

Lottery Corp. Ltd. (The)

    3,597,997     $ 11,904,842  
   

 

 

 
      40,278,789  
Industrial REITs — 2.8%            

Goodman Group

    2,757,351       53,678,969  
   

 

 

 

Insurance — 3.8%

   

Insurance Australia Group Ltd.

    3,871,829       15,629,273  

Medibank Pvt Ltd.

    4,423,937       10,338,612  

QBE Insurance Group Ltd.

    2,406,593       27,086,137  

Suncorp Group Ltd.

    2,049,170       20,407,784  
   

 

 

 
      73,461,806  
Interactive Media & Services — 1.8%  

CAR Group Ltd.

    575,225       13,781,023  

REA Group Ltd.

    84,874       10,733,960  

SEEK Ltd.

    575,951       9,862,978  
   

 

 

 
      34,377,961  
Metals & Mining — 20.2%            

BHP Group Ltd.

    8,170,512       234,218,432  

BlueScope Steel Ltd.

    718,895       10,690,311  

Fortescue Ltd.

    2,731,784       46,107,069  

IGO Ltd.

    27,454       141,604  

Mineral Resources Ltd.

    283,767       12,313,847  

Northern Star Resources Ltd.

    1,853,876       15,410,656  

Pilbara Minerals Ltd.(b)

    4,620,718       12,618,239  

Rio Tinto Ltd.

    597,958       48,152,902  

South32 Ltd.

    7,317,682       14,018,304  
   

 

 

 
      393,671,364  
Office REITs — 0.4%            

Dexus

    1,727,024       8,270,424  
   

 

 

 

Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels — 4.8%

 

Ampol Ltd.

    385,185       9,874,164  

Santos Ltd.

    5,230,066       24,082,018  

Woodside Energy Group Ltd.

    3,059,399       60,358,221  
   

 

 

 
      94,314,403  
Passenger Airlines — 0.2%            

Qantas Airways Ltd.(a)

    1,360,197       4,546,678  
   

 

 

 

Professional Services — 0.8%

   

Computershare Ltd.

    867,896       14,667,447  
   

 

 

 

Retail REITs — 1.3%

   

Scentre Group

    8,373,242       16,946,271  

Vicinity Ltd.

    6,213,092       7,846,087  
   

 

 

 
      24,792,358  
Software — 1.8%            

WiseTech Global Ltd.

    269,171       16,603,339  

Xero Ltd.(a)

    232,137       19,306,496  
   

 

 

 
      35,909,835  
Trading Companies & Distributors — 0.7%  

Reece Ltd.

    363,055       6,357,092  

Seven Group Holdings Ltd.

    263,780       6,602,807  
   

 

 

 
      12,959,899  
Transportation Infrastructure — 2.3%  

Transurban Group

    4,981,139       43,894,884  
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 99.3%
(Cost: $2,121,083,402)

 

     1,935,813,760  
   

 

 

 
 

 

 

10  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Australia ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Short-Term Securities

   

Money Market Funds — 0.7%

   

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares, 5.50%(c)(d)(e)

    12,964,436     $ 12,970,918  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares, 5.30%(c)(d)

    780,000       780,000  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 0.7%
(Cost: $13,750,488)

      13,750,918  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments — 100.0%
(Cost: $2,134,833,890)

      1,949,564,678  

Other Assets Less Liabilities — 0.0%

 

    727,985  
   

 

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

    $  1,950,292,663  
   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Non-income producing security.

(b) 

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(c) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(d) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

 

(e) 

All or a portion of this security was purchased with the cash collateral from loaned securities.

 

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

                   
Affiliated Issuer   Value at
08/31/23
    Purchases
at Cost
    Proceeds
from Sale
    Net Realized
Gain (Loss)
    Change in
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
    Value at
02/29/24
    Shares
Held at
02/29/24
    Income    

Capital

Gain
Distributions
from

Underlying
Funds

 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares

  $     $  12,970,084 (a)    $     $ 404     $ 430     $ 12,970,918       12,964,436     $ 30,348 (b)    $  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares

    1,220,000             (440,000 )(a)                  780,000       780,000       48,172        
       

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 
        $ 404     $ 430     $  13,750,918       $  78,520     $  
       

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

 
  (b) 

All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities.

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

         
Description    Number of
Contracts
      

Expiration

Date

       Notional
Amount
(000)
       Value/
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
 

Long Contracts

                 

SPI 200 Index

     115          03/21/24        $ 14,348        $ 203,058  
                 

 

 

 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  11


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Australia ETF

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

               
      Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
     Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

Assets — Derivative Financial Instruments

                    

Futures contracts

                    

Unrealized appreciation on futures contracts(a)

   $      $      $ 203,058      $      $      $      $ 203,058  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

 

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

               
      Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
     Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ 50,847      $      $      $      $ 50,847  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

 

                 

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ 21,232      $      $      $      $ 21,232  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

Futures contracts:

        

Average notional value of contracts — long

     $13,838,239  

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

                                                                                                       

 

 
     Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

 

 

Assets

                 

Investments

                 

Long-Term Investments

                 

Common Stocks

   $        $ 1,935,813,760        $        $ 1,935,813,760  

Short-Term Securities

                 

Money Market Funds

     13,750,918                            13,750,918  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $ 13,750,918        $ 1,935,813,760        $        $ 1,949,564,678  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

                 

Assets

                 

Equity Contracts

   $        $ 203,058        $        $ 203,058  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Derivative financial instruments are futures contracts. Futures contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

12  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Canada ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Common Stocks

   
Aerospace & Defense — 0.3%            

CAE Inc.(a)

    461,917     $ 8,624,674  
   

 

 

 

Automobile Components — 0.8%

   

Magna International Inc.

    395,377       21,785,574  
   

 

 

 

Banks — 22.8%

   

Bank of Montreal

    1,047,838       94,843,179  

Bank of Nova Scotia (The)

    1,764,711       85,573,173  

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce

    1,353,601       64,052,062  

National Bank of Canada

    491,650       38,374,892  

Royal Bank of Canada

    2,044,522       198,554,323  

Toronto-Dominion Bank (The)

    2,575,900       154,669,779  
   

 

 

 
       636,067,408  
Broadline Retail — 1.4%            

Canadian Tire Corp. Ltd., Class A, NVS

    76,033       7,736,917  

Dollarama Inc.

    408,366       31,588,449  
   

 

 

 
      39,325,366  
Capital Markets — 4.5%            

Brookfield Asset Management Ltd.

    509,951       20,782,809  

Brookfield Corp., Class A

    2,018,288       83,280,498  

IGM Financial Inc.

    121,001       3,178,489  

Onex Corp.

    95,549       7,115,748  

TMX Group Ltd.

    404,586       10,612,874  
   

 

 

 
      124,970,418  
Chemicals — 1.3%            

Nutrien Ltd.

    718,747       37,516,883  
   

 

 

 

Commercial Services & Supplies — 1.5%

   

Element Fleet Management Corp.

    566,864       9,460,612  

GFL Environmental Inc.

    338,418       12,201,152  

RB Global Inc.

    265,132       20,002,848  
   

 

 

 
      41,664,612  
Construction & Engineering — 1.5%            

Stantec Inc.

    165,892       13,851,735  

WSP Global Inc.

    181,047       28,737,534  
   

 

 

 
      42,589,269  
Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail — 4.6%  

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.

    1,117,701       69,319,451  

Empire Co. Ltd., Class A, NVS

    204,590       5,184,283  

George Weston Ltd.

    87,966       11,521,819  

Loblaw Companies Ltd.

    227,260       24,220,526  

Metro Inc./CN

    330,086       17,871,804  
   

 

 

 
      128,117,883  
Containers & Packaging — 0.4%            

CCL Industries Inc., Class B, NVS

    215,956       11,008,242  
   

 

 

 

Diversified Telecommunication Services — 0.8%

 

BCE Inc.

    106,011       3,933,768  

Quebecor Inc., Class B

    221,629       5,183,292  

TELUS Corp.

    701,744       12,239,090  
   

 

 

 
      21,356,150  
Electric Utilities — 2.0%            

Emera Inc.

    413,282       14,495,246  

Fortis Inc./Canada

    710,037       27,378,135  

Hydro One Ltd.(b)

    477,670       14,237,005  
   

 

 

 
      56,110,386  
Food Products — 0.3%            

Saputo Inc.

    369,827       7,523,799  
   

 

 

 
Security   Shares     Value  
Gas Utilities — 0.3%            

AltaGas Ltd.

    428,192     $ 9,178,135  
   

 

 

 

Ground Transportation — 8.4%

   

Canadian National Railway Co.

    793,389       102,871,947  

Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd.

    1,354,221       114,981,311  

TFI International Inc.

    116,536       17,218,287  
   

 

 

 
       235,071,545  
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure — 1.2%            

Restaurant Brands International Inc.

    431,771       33,526,160  
   

 

 

 

Independent Power and Renewable Electricity Producers — 0.4%

 

Brookfield Renewable Corp., Class A

    195,823       4,649,020  

Northland Power Inc.

    366,553       6,212,076  
   

 

 

 
      10,861,096  
Insurance — 8.2%            

Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd.

    30,868       32,947,777  

Great-West Lifeco Inc.

    405,691       12,495,217  

iA Financial Corp. Inc.

    146,233       9,068,245  

Intact Financial Corp.

    258,582       42,999,511  

Manulife Financial Corp.

    2,626,375       62,333,227  

Power Corp. of Canada

    824,525       23,821,704  

Sun Life Financial Inc.

    848,846       45,083,314  
   

 

 

 
      228,748,995  
IT Services — 6.0%            

CGI Inc.(a)

    299,522       34,389,359  

Shopify Inc., Class A(a)

    1,752,204       133,873,214  
   

 

 

 
      168,262,573  
Leisure Products — 0.1%            

BRP Inc.

    51,428       3,394,555  
   

 

 

 

Metals & Mining — 7.0%

   

Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd.

    720,984       34,578,970  

Barrick Gold Corp.

    2,552,056       37,214,153  

First Quantum Minerals Ltd.

    854,849       8,094,028  

Franco-Nevada Corp.

    279,234       29,235,058  

Ivanhoe Mines Ltd., Class A(a)(c)

    922,575       9,809,348  

Kinross Gold Corp.

    1,776,379       8,691,122  

Lundin Mining Corp.

    953,201       7,536,268  

Pan American Silver Corp.

    531,670       6,597,151  

Teck Resources Ltd., Class B

    669,712       25,734,429  

Wheaton Precious Metals Corp.

    658,390       27,133,149  
   

 

 

 
      194,623,676  
Multi-Utilities — 0.2%            

Canadian Utilities Ltd., Class A, NVS

    188,750       4,250,230  
   

 

 

 

Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels — 18.1%

   

ARC Resources Ltd.

    872,852       14,876,076  

Cameco Corp.

    630,593       25,555,477  

Canadian Natural Resources Ltd.

    1,554,398       108,280,431  

Cenovus Energy Inc.

    2,039,872       35,547,266  

Enbridge Inc.

    3,089,170       106,185,595  

Imperial Oil Ltd.

    272,174       17,030,554  

Keyera Corp.

    333,547       8,206,266  

MEG Energy Corp.(a)

    398,782       8,535,989  

Parkland Corp.

    205,593       6,576,128  

Pembina Pipeline Corp.

    798,447       27,786,650  

Suncor Energy Inc.

    1,874,253       64,397,021  

TC Energy Corp.

    1,507,420       59,623,701  

Tourmaline Oil Corp.

    484,817       21,941,171  
   

 

 

 
      504,542,325  
Paper & Forest Products — 0.2%            

West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd.

    81,725       6,577,021  
   

 

 

 
 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  13


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Canada ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Passenger Airlines — 0.1%

   

Air Canada(a)(c)

    253,537     $ 3,385,101  
   

 

 

 

Professional Services — 1.3%

   

Thomson Reuters Corp.

    230,853       36,442,506  
   

 

 

 

Real Estate Management & Development — 0.3%

 

FirstService Corp.

    58,090       9,559,607  
   

 

 

 

Residential REITs — 0.2%

   

Canadian Apartment Properties REIT

    118,659       4,162,661  
   

 

 

 

Retail REITs — 0.1%

   

RioCan REIT

    212,090       2,794,215  
   

 

 

 

Software — 3.8%

   

Constellation Software Inc./Canada

    29,266       81,478,364  

Descartes Systems Group Inc. (The)(a)

    123,348       10,691,099  

Open Text Corp.

    394,986       15,189,419  
   

 

 

 
      107,358,882  
Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods — 0.3%            

Gildan Activewear Inc.

    222,011       7,731,083  
   

 

 

 

Trading Companies & Distributors — 0.4%

   

Toromont Industries Ltd.

    119,703       10,994,348  
   

 

 

 

Wireless Telecommunication Services — 0.8%

 

Rogers Communications Inc., Class B, NVS

    515,663       22,820,410  
   

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks — 99.6%
(Cost: $3,069,485,296)

      2,780,945,788  
   

 

 

 

Warrants

   
Software — 0.0%            

Constellation Software Inc., (Issued 08/29/23, 1 Share for 1 Warrant, Expires 03/31/40, Strike Price CAD 11.50)(a)(d)

    34,014       0  
   

 

 

 

Total Warrants — 0.0%
(Cost: $—)

      0  
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 99.6%
(Cost: $3,069,485,296)

       2,780,945,788  
   

 

 

 
Security   Shares     Value  

Short-Term Securities

   
Money Market Funds — 0.4%            

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares, 5.50%(e)(f)(g)

    8,560,606     $ 8,564,886  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares, 5.30%(e)(f)

    1,230,000       1,230,000  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 0.4%
(Cost: $9,795,656)

      9,794,886  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments — 100.0%
(Cost: $3,079,280,952)

      2,790,740,674  

Other Assets Less Liabilities — 0.0%

      426,449  
   

 

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

    $  2,791,167,123  
   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Non-income producing security.

(b) 

Security exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration to qualified institutional investors.

(c) 

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(d) 

Security is valued using significant unobservable inputs and is classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.

(e) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(f) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

(g) 

All or a portion of this security was purchased with the cash collateral from loaned securities.

 

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

                   
Affiliated Issuer   Value at
08/31/23
    Purchases
at Cost
    Proceeds
from Sale
    Net Realized
Gain (Loss)
    Change in
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
    Value at
02/29/24
    Shares
Held at
02/29/24
    Income    

Capital

Gain
Distributions
from
Underlying
Funds

 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares

  $ 34,223     $ 8,530,399 (a)    $     $ 1,052     $ (788   $ 8,564,886       8,560,606     $ 11,536 (b)    $  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares

    1,330,000             (100,000 )(a)                  1,230,000       1,230,000       57,563        
       

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 
        $ 1,052     $ (788   $ 9,794,886       $  69,099     $  
       

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

 
  (b) 

All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities.

 

 

 

14  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Canada ETF

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

         
Description    Number of
Contracts
       Expiration
Date
       Notional
Amount
(000)
       Value/
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
 

Long Contracts

                 

S&P/TSE 60 Index

     48          03/14/24        $ 9,129        $ 342,986  
                 

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

               
      Commodity
Contracts
       Credit
Contracts
       Equity
Contracts
       Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
       Interest
Rate
Contracts
       Other
Contracts
       Total  

Assets — Derivative Financial Instruments

                                

Futures contracts

                                

Unrealized appreciation on futures contracts(a)

   $        $        $ 342,986        $        $        $        $ 342,986  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

 

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

               
      Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
     Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ 10,942      $      $      $      $ 10,942  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ 198,652      $      $      $      $ 198,652  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

Futures contracts:

        

Average notional value of contracts — long

   $ 9,688,933   

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

                                                                                                       

 

 
     Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

 

 

Assets

                 

Investments

                 

Long-Term Investments

                 

Common Stocks

   $ 2,780,945,788        $        $        $ 2,780,945,788  

Warrants

                                 

Short-Term Securities

                 

Money Market Funds

     9,794,886                            9,794,886  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $ 2,790,740,674        $        $        $ 2,790,740,674  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  15


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Canada ETF

 

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End (continued)

 

                                                                                                       

 

 
     Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

                 

Assets

                 

Equity Contracts

   $ 342,986        $        $        $ 342,986  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

  (a)

Derivative financial instruments are futures contracts. Futures contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

16  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Japan ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Common Stocks

   
Air Freight & Logistics — 0.3%            

Nippon Express Holdings Inc.

    303,400     $ 16,039,731  

SG Holdings Co. Ltd.

    1,345,000       16,872,765  

Yamato Holdings Co. Ltd.

    1,113,400       16,918,691  
   

 

 

 
      49,831,187  
Automobile Components — 2.0%            

Aisin Corp.

    618,500       23,357,810  

Bridgestone Corp.

    2,396,300       102,903,159  

Denso Corp.

    7,936,800       145,999,919  

Koito Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

    839,800       10,645,360  

Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd.

    2,987,900       44,366,357  
   

 

 

 
      327,272,605  
Automobiles — 9.6%            

Honda Motor Co. Ltd.

    19,386,600       230,362,428  

Isuzu Motors Ltd.

    2,444,800       34,884,674  

Mazda Motor Corp.

    2,379,800       27,635,450  

Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.

    10,097,300       39,779,988  

Subaru Corp.

    2,531,300       57,272,668  

Suzuki Motor Corp.

    1,649,100       72,593,836  

Toyota Motor Corp.

    44,508,200        1,072,042,878  

Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd.

    3,739,800       33,528,545  
   

 

 

 
      1,568,100,467  
Banks — 7.3%            

Chiba Bank Ltd. (The)

    2,234,200       18,195,402  

Concordia Financial Group Ltd.

    4,453,700       22,579,515  

Japan Post Bank Co. Ltd.

    6,073,300       64,757,807  

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc.

    46,603,380       478,747,369  

Mizuho Financial Group Inc.

    10,124,358       189,144,100  

Resona Holdings Inc.

    8,903,200       48,590,238  

Shizuoka Financial Group Inc., NVS

    1,960,000       19,185,212  

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc.

    5,332,900       297,119,915  

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc.

    2,750,064       55,725,179  
   

 

 

 
      1,194,044,737  
Beverages — 0.8%            

Asahi Group Holdings Ltd.

    2,017,700       69,121,293  

Kirin Holdings Co. Ltd.

    3,255,000       45,251,452  

Suntory Beverage & Food Ltd.

    584,900       19,206,543  
   

 

 

 
      133,579,288  
Broadline Retail — 0.4%            

Pan Pacific International Holdings Corp.

    1,598,600       37,686,264  

Rakuten Group Inc.(a)

    6,288,800       34,468,733  
   

 

 

 
      72,154,997  
Building Products — 1.2%            

AGC Inc.

    821,300       29,368,764  

Daikin Industries Ltd.

    1,107,200       156,051,293  

TOTO Ltd.

    594,200       16,089,755  
   

 

 

 
      201,509,812  
Capital Markets — 1.2%            

Daiwa Securities Group Inc.

    5,587,800       41,197,118  

Japan Exchange Group Inc.

    2,107,500       55,177,689  

Nomura Holdings Inc.

    12,613,600       71,817,594  

SBI Holdings Inc.

    1,040,910       28,025,524  
   

 

 

 
      196,217,925  
Chemicals — 3.6%            

Asahi Kasei Corp.

    5,255,900       36,570,411  

JSR Corp.

    743,500       19,976,091  

Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corp.

    5,366,000       30,791,924  

Mitsui Chemicals Inc.

    719,400       19,950,503  

Nippon Paint Holdings Co. Ltd.

    3,976,400       29,540,419  
Security   Shares     Value  
Chemicals (continued)            

Nippon Sanso Holdings Corp.

    728,800     $ 21,137,700  

Nissan Chemical Corp.

    528,100       22,088,767  

Nitto Denko Corp.

    603,100       55,451,398  

Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. Ltd.

    7,561,000       322,660,659  

Toray Industries Inc.

    5,817,300       26,840,631  
   

 

 

 
      585,008,503  
Commercial Services & Supplies — 0.7%            

Dai Nippon Printing Co. Ltd.

    858,600       25,078,899  

Secom Co. Ltd.

    884,300       64,529,266  

Toppan Holdings Inc.

    965,700       23,016,038  
   

 

 

 
      112,624,203  
Construction & Engineering — 0.6%            

Kajima Corp.

    1,765,900       32,784,799  

Obayashi Corp.

    2,727,500       26,406,117  

Shimizu Corp.

    2,184,000       12,668,173  

Taisei Corp.

    713,000       22,417,174  
   

 

 

 
      94,276,263  
Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail — 1.5%        

Aeon Co. Ltd.

    2,744,600       65,532,693  

Kobe Bussan Co. Ltd.

    627,800       16,902,490  

MatsukiyoCocokara & Co.

    1,434,900       23,795,207  

Seven & i Holdings Co. Ltd.

    9,455,340       140,912,326  
   

 

 

 
      247,142,716  
Diversified REITs — 0.2%            

KDX Realty Investment Corp.

    17,363       17,380,232  

Nomura Real Estate Master Fund Inc.

    16,821       16,718,167  
   

 

 

 
      34,098,399  
Diversified Telecommunication Services — 0.9%        

Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp.

    125,413,500       152,523,568  
   

 

 

 
Electric Utilities — 0.6%            

Chubu Electric Power Co. Inc.

    2,693,500       33,523,976  

Kansai Electric Power Co. Inc. (The)

    2,948,200       37,704,199  

Tokyo Electric Power Co. Holdings Inc.(a)

    6,406,000       34,655,161  
   

 

 

 
      105,883,336  
Electrical Equipment — 1.4%            

Fuji Electric Co. Ltd.

    532,600       32,433,990  

Mitsubishi Electric Corp.

    8,110,700       129,187,075  

Nidec Corp.

    1,751,800       66,478,561  
   

 

 

 
      228,099,626  
Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components — 5.1%  

Azbil Corp.

    504,800       14,834,697  

Hamamatsu Photonics KK

    589,500       21,193,777  

Hirose Electric Co. Ltd.

    121,758       12,957,847  

Ibiden Co. Ltd.

    472,100       21,852,077  

Keyence Corp.

    816,604       382,705,975  

Kyocera Corp.

    5,388,600       79,527,596  

Murata Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

    7,232,800       145,755,306  

Omron Corp.

    738,200       27,448,268  

Shimadzu Corp.

    994,100       27,157,066  

TDK Corp.

    1,631,700       85,071,710  

Yokogawa Electric Corp.

    953,500       20,183,495  
   

 

 

 
       838,687,814  
Entertainment — 2.2%            

Capcom Co. Ltd.

    731,800       29,550,690  

Konami Group Corp.

    424,200       28,547,549  

Nexon Co. Ltd.

    1,439,100       23,371,974  

Nintendo Co. Ltd.

    4,360,500       243,665,729  

Square Enix Holdings Co. Ltd.

    360,000       15,251,685  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  17


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Japan ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
Entertainment (continued)            

Toho Co. Ltd./Tokyo

    467,000     $ 15,155,948  
   

 

 

 
      355,543,575  
Financial Services — 0.8%            

Mitsubishi HC Capital Inc.

    3,389,500       23,420,837  

ORIX Corp.

    4,923,500       103,445,367  
   

 

 

 
      126,866,204  
Food Products — 1.1%            

Ajinomoto Co. Inc.

    1,969,600       72,444,391  

Kikkoman Corp.

    573,300       37,551,634  

MEIJI Holdings Co. Ltd.

    985,312       22,174,120  

Nissin Foods Holdings Co. Ltd.

    841,800       24,537,091  

Yakult Honsha Co. Ltd.

    1,075,400       23,173,713  
   

 

 

 
      179,880,949  
Gas Utilities — 0.4%            

Osaka Gas Co. Ltd.

    1,569,300       31,317,879  

Tokyo Gas Co. Ltd.

    1,548,800       33,900,410  
   

 

 

 
      65,218,289  
Ground Transportation — 2.1%            

Central Japan Railway Co.

    3,242,200       81,540,939  

East Japan Railway Co.

    1,269,600       75,111,386  

Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Inc.

    960,500       27,698,543  

Keisei Electric Railway Co. Ltd.

    578,900       27,046,798  

Kintetsu Group Holdings Co. Ltd.

    758,700       23,333,565  

Odakyu Electric Railway Co. Ltd.

    1,308,700       18,399,828  

Tobu Railway Co. Ltd.

    791,300       20,228,803  

Tokyu Corp.

    2,098,700       26,113,763  

West Japan Railway Co.

    921,000       38,296,746  
   

 

 

 
      337,770,371  
Health Care Equipment & Supplies — 2.6%            

Asahi Intecc Co. Ltd.

    909,900       18,938,229  

Hoya Corp.

    1,475,500       192,607,377  

Olympus Corp.

    5,048,500       71,834,509  

Sysmex Corp.

    704,300       39,549,830  

Terumo Corp.

    2,824,200       110,035,588  
   

 

 

 
      432,965,533  
Health Care Technology — 0.2%            

M3 Inc.

    1,850,100       26,610,458  
   

 

 

 
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure — 1.2%            

McDonald’s Holdings Co. Japan Ltd.

    362,700       16,869,097  

Oriental Land Co. Ltd./Japan

    4,579,200       164,119,447  

Zensho Holdings Co. Ltd.

    404,800       17,726,604  
   

 

 

 
      198,715,148  
Household Durables — 3.9%            

Iida Group Holdings Co. Ltd.

    643,780       8,307,269  

Panasonic Holdings Corp.

    9,270,515       87,640,021  

Sekisui Chemical Co. Ltd.

    1,608,200       22,674,758  

Sekisui House Ltd.

    2,501,200       55,715,917  

Sharp Corp./Japan(a)

    1,096,500       5,975,872  

Sony Group Corp.

    5,293,400       456,016,597  
   

 

 

 
       636,330,434  
Household Products — 0.3%            

Unicharm Corp.

    1,692,000       56,112,002  
   

 

 

 
Industrial Conglomerates — 2.1%            

Hikari Tsushin Inc.

    85,100       15,408,257  

Hitachi Ltd.

    3,891,300       329,672,895  
   

 

 

 
      345,081,152  
Industrial REITs — 0.2%            

GLP J-REIT

    19,695       15,625,774  
Security   Shares     Value  
Industrial REITs (continued)            

Nippon Prologis REIT Inc.

    9,532     $ 15,947,521  
   

 

 

 
      31,573,295  
Insurance — 3.7%            

Dai-ichi Life Holdings Inc.

    3,946,800       89,845,561  

Japan Post Holdings Co. Ltd.

    8,715,600       84,115,831  

Japan Post Insurance Co. Ltd.

    797,300       14,694,396  

MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings Inc.

    1,799,940       89,947,007  

Sompo Holdings Inc.

    1,247,150       73,115,198  

T&D Holdings Inc.

    2,090,100       36,376,978  

Tokio Marine Holdings Inc.

    7,564,100       220,997,733  
   

 

 

 
      609,092,704  
Interactive Media & Services — 0.2%            

LY Corp.

    11,205,000       30,971,617  
   

 

 

 
IT Services — 2.3%            

Fujitsu Ltd.

    741,000       115,798,068  

NEC Corp.

    1,030,600       69,562,615  

Nomura Research Institute Ltd.

    1,614,012       45,353,790  

NTT Data Group Corp.

    2,643,400       43,053,321  

Obic Co. Ltd.

    293,700       45,994,613  

Otsuka Corp.

    477,400       20,992,032  

SCSK Corp.

    650,300       11,994,544  

TIS Inc.

    924,700       20,869,290  
   

 

 

 
      373,618,273  
Leisure Products — 0.6%            

Bandai Namco Holdings Inc.

    2,512,294       48,377,438  

Shimano Inc.

    321,500       44,528,240  

Yamaha Corp.

    550,300       12,034,479  
   

 

 

 
      104,940,157  
Machinery — 4.7%            

Daifuku Co. Ltd.

    1,271,400       30,187,621  

FANUC Corp.

    3,999,400       116,580,064  

Hitachi Construction Machinery Co. Ltd.

    450,700       13,043,997  

Hoshizaki Corp.

    456,100       15,568,383  

Komatsu Ltd.

    3,882,700       112,707,302  

Kubota Corp.

    4,204,200       61,702,519  

Makita Corp.

    938,700       24,560,343  

MINEBEA MITSUMI Inc.

    1,523,600       31,594,257  

MISUMI Group Inc.

    1,200,600       18,350,167  

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd.

    1,345,100       106,460,481  

SMC Corp.

    240,300       145,039,375  

Toyota Industries Corp.

    614,800       61,260,469  

Yaskawa Electric Corp.

    1,007,400       41,291,716  
   

 

 

 
      778,346,694  
Marine Transportation — 0.8%            

Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd.

    549,900       26,247,281  

Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd.

    1,443,800       49,444,328  

Nippon Yusen KK

    1,927,100       61,371,289  
   

 

 

 
      137,062,898  
Media — 0.1%            

Dentsu Group Inc.

    850,400       23,560,919  
   

 

 

 
Metals & Mining — 1.0%            

JFE Holdings Inc.

    2,415,350       39,612,482  

Nippon Steel Corp.

    3,581,770       88,883,915  

Sumitomo Metal Mining Co. Ltd.

    1,040,100       27,076,249  
   

 

 

 
       155,572,646  
Office REITs — 0.3%            

Japan Real Estate Investment Corp.

    5,375       19,375,175  

Nippon Building Fund Inc.

    6,398       24,640,062  
   

 

 

 
      44,015,237  
 

 

 

18  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Japan ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares      Value  
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels — 0.8%  

ENEOS Holdings Inc.

    12,071,695      $ 52,084,379  

Idemitsu Kosan Co. Ltd.

    4,068,645        25,728,227  

Inpex Corp.

    4,063,500        54,161,213  
    

 

 

 
       131,973,819  
Passenger Airlines — 0.2%             

ANA Holdings Inc.(a)

    667,400        14,550,818  

Japan Airlines Co. Ltd.

    604,400        11,287,876  
    

 

 

 
       25,838,694  
Personal Care Products — 0.7%             

Kao Corp.

    1,955,400        73,988,450  

Shiseido Co. Ltd.

    1,678,500        45,633,474  
    

 

 

 
       119,621,924  
Pharmaceuticals — 5.2%             

Astellas Pharma Inc.

    7,595,150        83,005,500  

Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

    2,818,800        112,587,445  

Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd.

    7,763,107        255,669,429  

Eisai Co. Ltd.

    1,058,800        43,919,745  

Kyowa Kirin Co. Ltd.

    1,129,300        22,363,808  

Ono Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

    1,520,100        25,172,255  

Otsuka Holdings Co. Ltd.

    1,755,900        71,248,273  

Shionogi & Co. Ltd.

    1,032,100        51,385,029  

Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

    6,641,300        194,232,648  
    

 

 

 
       859,584,132  
Professional Services — 1.5%             

Recruit Holdings Co. Ltd.

    6,050,300        244,043,924  
    

 

 

 
Real Estate Management & Development — 2.1%  

Daito Trust Construction Co. Ltd.

    245,900        29,171,340  

Daiwa House Industry Co. Ltd.

    2,485,700        71,773,209  

Hulic Co. Ltd.

    1,609,900        16,063,493  

Mitsubishi Estate Co. Ltd.

    4,724,300        72,312,299  

Mitsui Fudosan Co. Ltd.

    3,735,500        101,407,090  

Nomura Real Estate Holdings Inc.

    459,500        11,438,296  

Sumitomo Realty & Development Co. Ltd.

    1,200,700        35,615,359  
    

 

 

 
       337,781,086  
Retail REITs — 0.1%             

Japan Metropolitan Fund Invest

    29,231        17,227,292  
    

 

 

 
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment — 6.4%  

Advantest Corp.

    3,215,500        151,372,544  

Disco Corp.

    386,600        125,988,031  

Lasertec Corp.

    316,600        84,949,436  

Renesas Electronics Corp.

    6,164,700        101,859,838  

Rohm Co. Ltd.

    1,383,800        23,575,386  

SCREEN Holdings Co. Ltd.

    341,100        42,626,124  

SUMCO Corp.

    1,462,900        22,958,518  

Tokyo Electron Ltd.

    1,979,456        491,120,618  
    

 

 

 
        1,044,450,495  
Software — 0.2%             

Oracle Corp. Japan

    160,300        12,290,785  

Trend Micro Inc./Japan

    567,000        28,177,856  
    

 

 

 
       40,468,641  
Security   Shares      Value  
Specialty Retail — 1.8%             

Fast Retailing Co. Ltd.

    737,100      $ 213,500,885  

Nitori Holdings Co. Ltd.

    336,200        49,451,730  

USS Co. Ltd.

    851,100        14,815,280  

ZOZO Inc.

    589,400        13,377,112  
    

 

 

 
       291,145,007  
Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals — 1.7%  

Brother Industries Ltd.

    970,800        16,288,290  

Canon Inc.

    4,198,350        122,780,006  

FUJIFILM Holdings Corp.

    1,566,200        99,761,751  

Ricoh Co. Ltd.

    2,306,900        19,214,002  

Seiko Epson Corp.

    1,209,300        19,575,659  
    

 

 

 
       277,619,708  
Tobacco — 0.8%             

Japan Tobacco Inc.

    5,036,400        130,828,064  
    

 

 

 
Trading Companies & Distributors — 6.3%  

ITOCHU Corp.

    4,988,900        216,722,442  

Marubeni Corp.

    6,010,900        99,612,614  

Mitsubishi Corp.

    14,479,600        310,580,690  

Mitsui & Co. Ltd.

    5,432,100        238,591,631  

MonotaRO Co. Ltd.

    1,051,600        10,058,448  

Sumitomo Corp.

    4,354,300        102,221,185  

Toyota Tsusho Corp.

    893,700        57,896,988  
    

 

 

 
       1,035,683,998  
Wireless Telecommunication Services — 3.7%  

KDDI Corp.

    6,281,900        189,912,905  

SoftBank Corp.

    12,075,300        158,832,032  

SoftBank Group Corp.

    4,318,700        255,808,556  
    

 

 

 
       604,553,493  
    

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 99.7%
(Cost: $15,652,348,662)

       16,351,724,278  
    

 

 

 

Short-Term Securities

    
Money Market Funds — 0.0%             

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares, 5.30%(b)(c)

    5,990,000        5,990,000  
    

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 0.0%
(Cost: $5,990,000)

       5,990,000  
    

 

 

 

Total Investments — 99.7%
(Cost: $15,658,338,662)

       16,357,714,278  

Other Assets Less Liabilities — 0.3%

       50,481,111  
    

 

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

     $  16,408,195,389  
    

 

 

 

 

(a)

Non-income producing security.

(b)

Affiliate of the Fund.

(c)

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  19


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Japan ETF

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

                   
Affiliated Issuer   Value at
08/31/23
    Purchases
at Cost
    Proceeds
from Sale
    Net Realized
Gain (Loss)
    Change in
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
    Value at
02/29/24
    Shares
Held at
02/29/24
    Income    

Capital

Gain
Distributions
from

Underlying
Funds

 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares(a)

  $  3,594,331     $     $ (3,593,695 )(b)    $ (636   $     $           $ 10,677 (c)    $  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares

    6,640,000             (650,000 )(b)                   5,990,000       5,990,000       238,409        
       

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 
        $ (636   $     $ 5,990,000       $ 249,086     $  
       

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

  (a)

As of period end, the entity is no longer held.

 
  (b)

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

 
  (c)

All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities.

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

         
Description    Number of
Contracts
       Expiration
Date
       Notional
Amount
(000)
       Value/
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
 

Long Contracts

                 

TOPIX Index

     279          03/07/24        $ 49,964        $ 4,690,095  
                 

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

               
      Commodity
Contracts
       Credit
Contracts
       Equity
Contracts
       Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
       Interest
Rate
Contracts
       Other
Contracts
       Total  

Assets — Derivative Financial Instruments

                                

Futures contracts

                                

Unrealized appreciation on futures contracts(a)

   $        $        $ 4,690,095        $        $        $        $ 4,690,095  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

  (a)

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

 

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

               
      Commodity
Contracts
       Credit
Contracts
       Equity
Contracts
       Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
       Interest
Rate
Contracts
       Other
Contracts
       Total  

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                                

Futures contracts

   $        $        $ 2,388,508        $        $        $        $ 2,388,508  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

                                

Futures contracts

   $        $        $ 3,883,103        $        $        $        $ 3,883,103  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

Futures contracts:

        

Average notional value of contracts — long

   $ 80,654,079  

 

 

20  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Japan ETF

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments (continued)

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

 

 
     Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

 

 

Assets

                 

Investments

                 

Long-Term Investments

                 

Common Stocks

   $        $ 16,351,724,278        $        $ 16,351,724,278  

Short-Term Securities

                 

Money Market Funds

     5,990,000                            5,990,000  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $   5,990,000        $ 16,351,724,278        $        $ 16,357,714,278  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

                 

Assets

                 

Equity Contracts

   $        $ 4,690,095        $    —        $ 4,690,095  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

  (a)

Derivative financial instruments are futures contracts. Futures contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  21


Schedule of Investments (unaudited)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Mexico ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Common Stocks

   
Automobile Components — 0.3%            

Nemak SAB de CV(a)(b)

    26,667,612     $ 5,444,844  
   

 

 

 
Banks — 18.6%            

Banco del Bajio SA(a)

    7,529,428       28,020,688  

Grupo Financiero Banorte SAB de CV, Class O

    23,422,292       242,162,389  

Grupo Financiero Inbursa SAB de CV, Class O(b)(c)

    19,999,514       60,675,880  

Regional SAB de CV

    2,482,051       23,158,577  
   

 

 

 
      354,017,534  
Beverages — 16.4%            

Arca Continental SAB de CV

    4,684,921       50,468,536  

Coca-Cola Femsa SAB de CV

    4,545,151       44,362,839  

Fomento Economico Mexicano SAB de CV

    17,534,930       218,957,077  
   

 

 

 
       313,788,452  
Building Products — 0.3%            

Grupo Rotoplas SAB de CV(c)

    3,470,674       5,933,698  
   

 

 

 
Capital Markets — 0.6%            

Bolsa Mexicana de Valores SAB de CV

    5,208,459       11,233,287  
   

 

 

 
Chemicals — 1.1%            

Alpek SAB de CV(c)

    3,936,054       2,533,319  

Orbia Advance Corp. SAB de CV

    9,880,707       18,272,431  
   

 

 

 
      20,805,750  
Construction Materials — 5.5%            

Cemex SAB de CV, NVS(b)

    112,173,147       85,754,205  

GCC SAB de CV

    1,832,031       19,343,315  
   

 

 

 
      105,097,520  
Consumer Finance — 1.0%            

Gentera SAB de CV

    12,298,279       18,486,112  
   

 

 

 
Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail — 10.6%  

La Comer SAB de CV

    5,551,017       12,978,455  

Wal-Mart de Mexico SAB de CV

    47,111,323       188,647,068  
   

 

 

 
      201,625,523  
Diversified REITs — 3.0%            

Concentradora Fibra Danhos SA de CV

    4,899,882       5,896,216  

Fibra Uno Administracion SA de CV

    28,912,546       52,246,735  
   

 

 

 
      58,142,951  
Diversified Telecommunication Services — 0.8%  

Operadora De Sites Mexicanos SAB de CV

    13,657,813       15,874,050  
   

 

 

 
Entertainment — 0.0%            

Ollamani SAB, NVS

    100,138       169,029  
   

 

 

 
Food Products — 4.5%            

Gruma SAB de CV, Class B

    1,994,311       35,515,392  

Grupo Bimbo SAB de CV, Series A

    12,217,599       51,109,014  
   

 

 

 
      86,624,406  
Ground Transportation — 0.5%            

Grupo Traxion SAB de CV, Class A(a)(b)(c)

    5,090,514       9,219,776  
   

 

 

 
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure — 1.2%            

Alsea SAB de CV(b)

    5,890,579       22,574,922  
   

 

 

 
Household Products — 1.7%            

Kimberly-Clark de Mexico SAB de CV, Class A

    14,775,808       32,838,500  
   

 

 

 
Industrial Conglomerates — 3.5%            

Alfa SAB de CV, Class A

    29,156,438       21,742,132  

Grupo Carso SAB de CV, Series A1

    5,122,207       44,315,276  
   

 

 

 
      66,057,408  
Security   Shares     Value  
Industrial REITs — 3.6%            

FIBRA Macquarie Mexico(a)

    8,352,230     $ 16,430,777  

Prologis Property Mexico SA de CV

    7,161,244       32,188,152  

TF Administradora Industrial S de Real de CV(c)

    8,311,627       19,857,104  
   

 

 

 
      68,476,033  
Insurance — 1.3%            

Qualitas Controladora SAB de CV

    2,231,317       25,063,329  
   

 

 

 
Media — 1.1%            

Grupo Televisa SAB, CPO

    22,481,847       13,440,898  

Megacable Holdings SAB de CV, CPO

    2,745,156       7,073,778  
   

 

 

 
      20,514,676  
Metals & Mining — 5.6%            

Grupo Mexico SAB de CV, Series B

    17,230,837       83,645,772  

Industrias Penoles SAB de CV(b)(c)

    1,808,100       22,657,142  
   

 

 

 
      106,302,914  
Passenger Airlines — 0.3%            

Controladora Vuela Cia. de Aviacion SAB de CV, Class A(b)(c)

    9,234,449       6,718,229  
   

 

 

 
Pharmaceuticals — 0.4%            

Genomma Lab Internacional SAB de CV, Class B

    9,945,492       7,678,993  
   

 

 

 
Real Estate Management & Development — 1.5%  

Corp Inmobiliaria Vesta SAB de CV

    8,084,533       28,340,986  
   

 

 

 
Transportation Infrastructure — 8.1%            

Grupo Aeroportuario del Centro Norte SAB de CV, Class B

    2,847,648       24,681,816  

Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico SAB de CV, Class B

    3,556,499       52,514,138  

Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste SAB de CV, Class B

    1,800,604       52,830,958  

Promotora y Operadora de Infraestructura SAB de CV

    2,302,367       23,928,380  
   

 

 

 
      153,955,292  
Wireless Telecommunication Services — 8.2%  

America Movil SAB de CV

    168,016,881       157,328,684  
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 99.7%
(Cost: $2,019,166,741)

      1,902,312,898  
   

 

 

 

Short-Term Securities

   
Money Market Funds — 0.5%            

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares, 5.50%(d)(e)(f)

    8,479,513       8,483,752  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares, 5.30%(d)(e)

    1,150,000       1,150,000  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 0.5%
(Cost: $9,629,421)

      9,633,752  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments — 100.2%
(Cost: $2,028,796,162)

      1,911,946,650  

Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets — (0.2)%

      (4,123,273
   

 

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

    $  1,907,823,377  
   

 

 

 

 

(a)

Security exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration to qualified institutional investors.

(b)

Non-income producing security.

(c)

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(d)

Affiliate of the Fund.

(e)

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

 

 

 

22  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Mexico ETF

 

(f)

All or a portion of this security was purchased with the cash collateral from loaned securities.

 

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

                   
Affiliated Issuer   Value at
08/31/23
    Purchases
at Cost
    Proceeds
from Sale
    Net Realized
Gain (Loss)
    Change in
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
    Value at
02/29/24
    Shares
Held at
02/29/24
    Income    

Capital

Gain
Distributions
from
Underlying
Funds

 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares

  $ 16,074,705     $     $ (7,592,896 )(a)    $ 2,375     $ (432   $ 8,483,752       8,479,513     $ 86,546 (b)    $  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares

    670,000       480,000 (a)                        1,150,000       1,150,000       46,286        
       

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 
        $ 2,375     $ (432   $ 9,633,752       $ 132,832     $  
       

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

  (a)

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

 
  (b)

All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities.

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

         
Description    Number of
Contracts
       Expiration
Date
       Notional
Amount
(000)
       Value/
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
 

Long Contracts

                 

Mexican BOLSA Index

     151          03/15/24        $ 4,937        $ (259,931
                 

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

               
      Commodity
Contracts
       Credit
Contracts
       Equity
Contracts
       Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
       Interest
Rate
Contracts
       Other
Contracts
       Total  

Liabilities — Derivative Financial Instruments

                                

Futures contracts

                                

Unrealized depreciation on futures contracts(a)

   $        $        $ 259,931        $        $        $        $ 259,931  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

  (a)

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

 

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

               
      Commodity
Contracts
       Credit
Contracts
       Equity
Contracts
       Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
       Interest
Rate
Contracts
       Other
Contracts
       Total  

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                                

Futures contracts

   $        $        $ 169,632        $        $        $        $ 169,632  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

                                

Futures contracts

   $        $        $ (152,667      $        $        $        $ (152,667
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  23


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Mexico ETF

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

 

Futures contracts:

 

Average notional value of contracts — long

   $ 6,283,909  

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

                                                                                                                               

 

 
     Level 1      Level 2      Level 3      Total  

 

 

Assets

           

Investments

           

Long-Term Investments

           

Common Stocks

   $ 1,902,312,898      $      $      $ 1,902,312,898  

Short-Term Securities

           

Money Market Funds

     9,633,752                      9,633,752  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   $ 1,911,946,650      $      $      $ 1,911,946,650  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

           

Liabilities

           

Equity Contracts

   $ (259,931    $      $      $ (259,931
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a)

Derivative financial instruments are futures contracts. Futures contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

24  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI South Korea ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Common Stocks

   
Aerospace & Defense — 1.1%            

Hanwha Aerospace Co. Ltd.

    205,873     $ 29,010,433  

Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd.(a)(b)

    590,116       22,769,370  
   

 

 

 
      51,779,803  
Air Freight & Logistics — 0.5%            

Hyundai Glovis Co. Ltd.(a)

    153,442       21,967,478  
   

 

 

 
Automobile Components — 2.2%            

Hankook Tire & Technology Co. Ltd.

    623,782       25,413,053  

Hanon Systems

    1,653,436       7,661,334  

Hyundai Mobis Co. Ltd.

    369,451       67,386,998  
   

 

 

 
      100,461,385  
Automobiles — 6.1%            

Hyundai Motor Co.

    772,855       145,503,415  

Kia Corp.(a)

    1,482,321       138,816,273  
   

 

 

 
      284,319,688  
Banks — 7.5%            

Hana Financial Group Inc.

    1,758,387       74,815,656  

Industrial Bank of Korea(a)

    2,122,204       22,333,969  

KakaoBank Corp.

    978,278       20,963,819  

KB Financial Group Inc.

    2,200,555       104,953,697  

Shinhan Financial Group Co. Ltd.

    2,577,281       84,250,233  

Woori Financial Group Inc.

    4,028,842       45,142,630  
   

 

 

 
      352,460,004  
Biotechnology — 2.7%            

Celltrion Inc.

    860,863       116,420,009  

SK Bioscience Co. Ltd.(a)(b)

    179,770       8,307,678  
   

 

 

 
      124,727,687  
Broadline Retail — 0.0%            

Lotte Shopping Co. Ltd.

    1       58  
   

 

 

 
Capital Markets — 1.4%            

Korea Investment Holdings Co. Ltd.(a)

    332,953       17,782,722  

Mirae Asset Securities Co. Ltd.(a)

    2,727,421       18,508,682  

NH Investment & Securities Co. Ltd.(a)

    1,470,675       12,985,599  

Samsung Securities Co. Ltd.

    539,682       16,866,675  
   

 

 

 
      66,143,678  
Chemicals — 3.5%            

Hanwha Solutions Corp.

    771,956       16,119,358  

Kum Yang Co. Ltd.(a)

    192,560       13,970,942  

Kumho Petrochemical Co. Ltd.(a)

    164,063       18,220,336  

LG Chem Ltd.

    278,052       94,970,351  

Lotte Chemical Corp.

    155,345       14,283,818  

SKC Co. Ltd.(a)

    126,216       7,864,164  
   

 

 

 
      165,428,969  
Construction & Engineering — 0.8%            

Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd.(a)

    614,523       16,029,248  

Samsung Engineering Co. Ltd.(a)

    1,146,210       21,199,327  
   

 

 

 
      37,228,575  
Diversified Telecommunication Services — 0.5%  

KT Corp.

    416,600       12,220,000  

LG Uplus Corp.

    1,673,996       12,983,468  
   

 

 

 
      25,203,468  
Electric Utilities — 0.7%            

Korea Electric Power Corp.(a)

    1,729,294       32,200,457  
   

 

 

 
Electrical Equipment — 6.2%            

Doosan Enerbility Co. Ltd.(a)

    2,505,615       30,582,196  

Ecopro BM Co. Ltd.(a)(b)

    269,116       54,090,312  

Ecopro Co. Ltd.(a)(b)

    106,963       49,886,024  
Security   Shares     Value  
Electrical Equipment (continued)            

Ecopro Materials Co. Ltd.(a)

    32,518     $ 4,715,550  

L&F Co. Ltd.(a)

    149,480       19,094,999  

LG Energy Solution Ltd.(a)(b)

    247,845       74,901,277  

POSCO Future M Co. Ltd.(a)(b)

    188,600       45,080,393  

SK IE Technology Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    188,220       10,381,741  
   

 

 

 
      288,732,492  
Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components — 3.4%  

LG Display Co. Ltd.(a)(b)

    1,751,003       14,944,392  

LG Innotek Co. Ltd.

    109,211       16,596,493  

Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co. Ltd.

    373,059       39,313,336  

Samsung SDI Co. Ltd.

    306,683       87,125,920  
   

 

 

 
      157,980,141  
Entertainment — 1.6%            

HYBE Co. Ltd.

    121,869       18,252,498  

JYP Entertainment Corp.(a)

    4,636       256,949  

Krafton Inc.(a)

    163,532       27,950,129  

NCSoft Corp.

    113,700       16,583,321  

Netmarble Corp.(a)(c)

    215,680       10,014,940  

Pearl Abyss Corp.(a)

    91,452       2,090,462  
   

 

 

 
      75,148,299  
Financial Services — 1.1%            

Kakaopay Corp.(a)

    202,922       6,725,671  

Meritz Financial Group Inc.

    701,361       43,774,739  
   

 

 

 
      50,500,410  
Food Products — 0.6%            

CJ CheilJedang Corp.

    70,999       16,000,752  

Orion Corp./Republic of Korea

    195,926       13,665,127  
   

 

 

 
      29,665,879  
Health Care Equipment & Supplies — 1.0%            

HLB Inc.(a)(b)

    785,973       48,219,194  
   

 

 

 
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure — 0.3%            

Kangwon Land Inc.(a)

    922,091       12,047,486  
   

 

 

 
Household Durables — 1.4%            

Coway Co. Ltd.

    382,958       15,587,257  

LG Electronics Inc.

    671,785       48,024,380  
   

 

 

 
      63,611,637  
Industrial Conglomerates — 3.9%            

GS Holdings Corp.

    433,577       15,650,721  

LG Corp.

    576,804       40,600,653  

Samsung C&T Corp.

    515,919       60,741,145  

SK Inc.

    249,194       35,944,904  

SK Square Co. Ltd.(a)

    561,465       29,461,564  
   

 

 

 
      182,398,987  
Insurance — 2.3%            

DB Insurance Co. Ltd.(a)

    369,766       27,438,317  

Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Co. Ltd.(a)

    202,748       45,374,797  

Samsung Life Insurance Co. Ltd.

    498,874       36,313,498  
   

 

 

 
      109,126,612  
Interactive Media & Services — 3.7%            

Kakao Corp.

    1,701,256       68,284,996  

NAVER Corp.

    726,728       106,706,254  
   

 

 

 
      174,991,250  
IT Services — 0.9%            

Posco DX Co. Ltd.(a)(b)

    323,503       13,201,221  

Samsung SDS Co. Ltd.

    233,146       28,045,286  
   

 

 

 
      41,246,507  
Life Sciences Tools & Services — 1.3%            

Samsung Biologics Co. Ltd.(a)(b)(c)

    107,554       62,582,323  
   

 

 

 
 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  25


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI South Korea ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares      Value  
Machinery — 1.9%             

Doosan Bobcat Inc.

    498,188      $ 17,588,835  

Hanwha Ocean Co. Ltd.(a)

    399,147        7,084,561  

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co.
Ltd.(a)

    138,869        12,314,263  

HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co. Ltd.(a)

    279,792        23,536,938  

Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Co. Ltd.(a)

    4,180        197,873  

Samsung Heavy Industries Co. Ltd.(a)

    4,660,335        27,705,937  
    

 

 

 
       88,428,407  
Marine Transportation — 0.4%             

HMM Co. Ltd.(a)

    1,478,082        20,279,336  
    

 

 

 
Metals & Mining — 3.7%             

Hyundai Steel Co.(a)

    682,708        18,457,150  

Korea Zinc Co. Ltd.

    69,438        23,345,896  

POSCO Holdings Inc.(b)

    395,896        128,663,734  
    

 

 

 
       170,466,780  
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels — 1.6%  

HD Hyundai Co. Ltd.

    390,059        20,734,922  

SK Innovation Co. Ltd.(a)

    376,271        33,197,614  

S-Oil Corp.

    341,612        19,625,445  
    

 

 

 
       73,557,981  
Passenger Airlines — 0.6%             

Hanjin Kal Corp.

    87,650        4,160,018  

Korean Air Lines Co. Ltd.

    1,360,559        23,505,434  
    

 

 

 
       27,665,452  
Personal Care Products — 0.7%             

Amorepacific Corp.

    220,243        19,803,668  

LG H&H Co. Ltd.

    59,734        14,347,111  
    

 

 

 
       34,150,779  
Pharmaceuticals — 1.4%             

Celltrion Pharm Inc.(a)(b)

    130,866        10,906,185  

Hanmi Pharm Co. Ltd.(a)

    64,601        16,213,451  

SK Biopharmaceuticals Co. Ltd.(a)

    193,701        14,116,702  

Yuhan Corp.

    456,923        23,175,998  
    

 

 

 
       64,412,336  
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment — 7.8%  

Hanmi Semiconductor Co. Ltd.(a)

    271,121        17,346,303  

SK Hynix Inc.

    2,948,526        347,585,310  
    

 

 

 
       364,931,613  
Specialty Retail — 0.0%             

Hotel Shilla Co. Ltd.

    10,034        453,592  
    

 

 

 
Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals — 22.7%  

CosmoAM&T Co. Ltd.(a)

    142,190        19,004,618  

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.

    18,818,962        1,038,672,624  
    

 

 

 
       1,057,677,242  
Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods — 0.0%  

F&F Co. Ltd./New

    4,408        239,975  
    

 

 

 
Tobacco — 1.0%             

KT&G Corp.

    669,907        46,789,456  
    

 

 

 
Trading Companies & Distributors — 0.3%  

Posco International Corp.(a)

    319,575        13,555,295  
    

 

 

 
Security   Shares     Value  
Wireless Telecommunication Services — 0.3%            

SK Telecom Co. Ltd.

    335,041     $ 13,262,345  
   

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks — 97.1%
(Cost: $2,553,496,364)

      4,534,043,056  
   

 

 

 

Preferred Stocks

 

Automobiles — 1.2%            

Hyundai Motor Co.

   

Preference Shares, NVS

    201,539       24,179,159  

Series 2, Preference Shares, NVS

    268,423       32,467,781  
   

 

 

 
      56,646,940  
Chemicals — 0.4%            

LG Chem Ltd., Preference Shares, NVS

    74,263       16,789,266  
   

 

 

 
Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals — 0.1%  

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Preference Shares, NVS

    101,783       4,874,047  
   

 

 

 

Total Preferred Stocks — 1.7%
(Cost: $32,817,760)

 

    78,310,253  
   

 

 

 

Rights

 

Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components — 0.0%  

LG Display Co. Ltd. (Expires 03/14/24, Strike Price KRW 10070)(a)

    522,342       513,869  
   

 

 

 

Total Rights — 0.0%
(Cost: $—)

      513,869  
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 98.8%
(Cost: $2,586,314,124)

 

    4,612,867,178  
   

 

 

 

Short-Term Securities

 

Money Market Funds — 4.1%            

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares, 5.50%(d)(e)(f)

    192,885,684       192,982,127  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 4.1%
(Cost: $192,964,207)

 

    192,982,127  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments — 102.9%
(Cost: $2,779,278,331)

 

    4,805,849,305  

Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets — (2.9)%

 

    (136,574,452
   

 

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

 

  $  4,669,274,853  
   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Non-income producing security.

(b) 

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(c) 

Security exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration to qualified institutional investors.

(d) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(e) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

(f) 

All or a portion of this security was purchased with the cash collateral from loaned securities.

 

 

 

26  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI South Korea ETF

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

                   
Affiliated Issuer   Value at
08/31/23
    Purchases
at Cost
    Proceeds
from Sale
    Net Realized
Gain (Loss)
    Change in
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
    Value at
02/29/24
    Shares
Held at
02/29/24
    Income    

Capital

Gain
Distributions
from

Underlying
Funds

 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares

  $ 208,037,093     $     $ (15,095,009 )(a)    $ 29,953     $ 10,090     $ 192,982,127       192,885,684     $ 1,844,485 (b)    $  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares(c)

    3,110,000             (3,110,000 )(a)                              110,528        
       

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 
        $ 29,953     $ 10,090     $ 192,982,127       $ 1,955,013     $  
       

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

  (a)

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

 
  (b)

All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities.

 
  (c)

As of period end, the entity is no longer held.

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

         
Description    Number of
Contracts
      

Expiration

Date

       Notional
Amount
(000)
       Value/
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
 

Long Contracts

                 

KOSPI 200 Index

     782          03/14/24        $ 52,326        $ 684,314  
                 

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

               
      Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
     Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

Assets — Derivative Financial Instruments

                    

Futures contracts

                    

Unrealized appreciation on futures contracts(a)

   $      $      $ 684,314      $      $      $      $ 684,314  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

 

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

               
      Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
     Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ (145,019    $      $      $      $ (145,019
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ 1,105,428      $      $      $      $ 1,105,428  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

Futures contracts:

        

Average notional value of contracts — long

   $ 36,291,760  

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  27


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

   iShares® MSCI South Korea ETF

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments (continued)

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

                                                                                                                               

 

 
     Level 1      Level 2      Level 3      Total  

 

 

Assets

           

Investments

           

Long-Term Investments

           

Common Stocks

   $ 4,715,550      $ 4,529,327,506      $      $ 4,534,043,056  

Preferred Stocks

            78,310,253               78,310,253  

Rights

            513,869               513,869  

Short-Term Securities

           

Money Market Funds

     192,982,127                      192,982,127  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   $ 197,697,677      $ 4,608,151,628      $      $ 4,805,849,305  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

           

Assets

           

Equity Contracts

   $      $ 684,314      $      $ 684,314  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a)

Derivative financial instruments are futures contracts. Futures contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

28  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


 

Statements of Assets and Liabilities (unaudited)

February 29, 2024

 

    

iShares

MSCI Australia

ETF

   

iShares

MSCI Canada ETF

   

iShares

MSCI Japan ETF

   

iShares

MSCI Mexico ETF

 

ASSETS

 

Investments, at value — unaffiliated(a)(b)

  $ 1,935,813,760     $ 2,780,945,788     $ 16,351,724,278     $ 1,902,312,898  

Investments, at value — affiliated(c)

    13,750,918       9,794,886       5,990,000       9,633,752  

Cash

    6,253       7,677       8,190       3,413  

Foreign currency collateral pledged for futures contracts(d)

    911,950       476,735       1,815,355       466,257  

Foreign currency, at value(e)

    3,257,280       4,825,486       8,703,648       4,074,492  

Receivables:

       

Investments sold

    7,157,225       16,479,361       136,571,650       10,409,279  

Securities lending income — affiliated

    3,112       2,220       1,317       13,606  

Capital shares sold

          72,189              

Dividends — unaffiliated

    10,524,022       4,837,720       22,920,495       897,843  

Dividends — affiliated

    2,426       3,672       16,752       3,882  

Tax reclaims

                31,053        

Variation margin on futures contracts

    103,737       52,390       66,184       17,674  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total assets

    1,971,530,683       2,817,498,124       16,527,848,922       1,927,833,096  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

LIABILITIES

       

Collateral on securities loaned, at value

    12,970,084       8,574,889             8,479,700  

Payables:

       

Investments purchased

    7,496,757       16,372,846       113,454,119       10,486,068  

Capital shares redeemed

          247,290             285,310  

Investment advisory fees

    771,179       1,135,976       6,199,414       758,641  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total liabilities

    21,238,020       26,331,001       119,653,533       20,009,719  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Commitments and contingent liabilities

       

NET ASSETS

  $ 1,950,292,663     $ 2,791,167,123     $ 16,408,195,389     $ 1,907,823,377  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS CONSIST OF

   

Paid-in capital

  $ 2,573,256,041     $ 4,053,282,143     $ 17,563,729,670     $ 2,426,335,894  

Accumulated loss

    (622,963,378     (1,262,115,020     (1,155,534,281     (518,512,517
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

  $ 1,950,292,663     $ 2,791,167,123     $ 16,408,195,389     $ 1,907,823,377  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSET VALUE

   

Shares outstanding

    81,400,000       75,900,000       236,850,000       29,200,000  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value

  $ 23.96     $ 36.77     $ 69.28     $ 65.34  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Shares authorized

    1 billion       1 billion       2.5246 billion       255 million  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Par value

  $ 0.001     $ 0.001     $ 0.001     $ 0.001  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

(a) Investments, at cost — unaffiliated

  $ 2,121,083,402     $ 3,069,485,296     $ 15,652,348,662     $ 2,019,166,741  

(b) Securities loaned, at value

  $ 12,340,994     $ 8,204,846     $     $ 4,066,892  

(c)  Investments, at cost — affiliated

  $ 13,750,488     $ 9,795,656     $ 5,990,000     $ 9,629,421  

(d) Foreign currency collateral pledged, at cost

  $ 933,914     $ 497,869     $ 1,891,112     $ 466,745  

(e) Foreign currency, at cost

  $ 3,240,321     $ 4,838,787     $ 8,748,441     $ 4,059,873  

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  29


 

Statements of Assets and Liabilities (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

 

     iShares
MSCI South Korea
ETF
 

ASSETS

 

Investments, at value — unaffiliated(a)(b)

  $ 4,612,867,178  

Investments, at value — affiliated(c)

    192,982,127  

Cash

    3,296,611  

Foreign currency, at value(d)

    15,272,729  

Receivables:

 

Investments sold

    76,840,748  

Securities lending income — affiliated

    163,946  

Dividends — unaffiliated

    33,572,382  

Dividends — affiliated

    5,574  

Variation margin on futures contracts

    12,462,136  
 

 

 

 

Total assets

    4,947,463,431  
 

 

 

 

LIABILITIES

 

Collateral on securities loaned, at value

    193,064,069  

Payables:

 

Investments purchased

    83,044,632  

Investment advisory fees

    2,079,877  
 

 

 

 

Total liabilities

    278,188,578  
 

 

 

 

Commitments and contingent liabilities

 

NET ASSETS

  $ 4,669,274,853  
 

 

 

 

NET ASSETS CONSIST OF

 

Paid-in capital

  $ 3,250,793,342  

Accumulated earnings

    1,418,481,511  
 

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

  $ 4,669,274,853  
 

 

 

 

NET ASSET VALUE

 

Shares outstanding

    72,200,000  
 

 

 

 

Net asset value

  $ 64.67  
 

 

 

 

Shares authorized

    700 million  
 

 

 

 

Par value

  $ 0.001  
 

 

 

 

(a) Investments, at cost — unaffiliated

  $ 2,586,314,124  

(b) Securities loaned, at value

  $ 186,350,066  

(c)  Investments, at cost — affiliated

  $ 192,964,207  

(d) Foreign currency, at cost

  $ 15,838,421  

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

30  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


 

Statements of Operations (unaudited)

Six Months Ended February 29, 2024

 

    

iShares

MSCI

Australia ETF

   

iShares

MSCI

Canada ETF

   

iShares

MSCI Japan ETF

   

iShares

MSCI Mexico
ETF

 

INVESTMENT INCOME

       

Dividends — unaffiliated

  $ 41,777,471     $ 47,374,106     $ 141,315,251     $ 26,120,557  

Dividends — affiliated

    48,172       57,563       238,409       46,286  

Interest — unaffiliated

    15,304       12,965             27,974  

Securities lending income — affiliated — net

    30,348       11,536       10,677       86,546  

Foreign taxes withheld

    (238,019     (7,108,519     (14,127,016     (2,775,992
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total investment income

    41,633,276       40,347,651       127,437,321       23,505,371  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

EXPENSES

       

Investment advisory

    4,976,584       7,363,605       34,023,493       4,040,681  

Commitment costs

    10,037       14,646       19,473       8,341  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total expenses

    4,986,621       7,378,251       34,042,966       4,049,022  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net investment income

    36,646,655       32,969,400       93,394,355       19,456,349  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS)

       

Net realized gain (loss) from:

       

Investments — unaffiliated

    (31,737,554     (26,389,415     (183,302,699     (8,883,459

Investments — affiliated

    404       1,052       (636     2,375  

Foreign currency transactions

    403,327       10,220       847,207       (55,197

Futures contracts

    50,847       10,942       2,388,508       169,632  

In-kind redemptions — unaffiliated(a)

    5,964,562       52,216,411       242,288,622       91,825,800  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    (25,318,414     25,849,210       62,221,002       83,059,151  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:

       

Investments — unaffiliated

    177,940,725       158,964,887       1,772,818,713       (3,249,667

Investments — affiliated

    430       (788           (432

Foreign currency translations

    (75,497     (832     (1,469,220     48,459  

Futures contracts

    21,232       198,652       3,883,103       (152,667
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    177,886,890       159,161,919       1,775,232,596       (3,354,307
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net realized and unrealized gain

    152,568,476       185,011,129       1,837,453,598       79,704,844  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS

  $ 189,215,131     $ 217,980,529     $ 1,930,847,953     $ 99,161,193  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

See Note 2 of the Notes to Financial Statements.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  31


 

Statements of Operations (unaudited) (continued)

Six Months Ended February 29, 2024

 

     iShares
MSCI South
Korea ETF
 

INVESTMENT INCOME

 

Dividends — unaffiliated

  $ 50,134,139  

Dividends — affiliated

    110,528  

Interest — unaffiliated

    11,908  

Securities lending income — affiliated — net

    1,844,485  

Foreign taxes withheld

    (8,265,620

Other foreign taxes

    (190
 

 

 

 

Total investment income

    43,835,250  
 

 

 

 

EXPENSES

 

Investment advisory

    11,402,412  

Commitment costs

    18,431  
 

 

 

 

Total expenses

    11,420,843  
 

 

 

 

Net investment income

    32,414,407  
 

 

 

 

REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS)

 

Net realized gain (loss) from:

 

Investments — unaffiliated

    (19,201,726

Investments — affiliated

    29,953  

Foreign currency transactions

    (172,510

Futures contracts

    (145,019
 

 

 

 
    (19,489,302
 

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:

 

Investments — unaffiliated

    233,035,569  

Investments — affiliated

    10,090  

Foreign currency translations

    (540,405

Futures contracts

    1,105,428  
 

 

 

 
    233,610,682  
 

 

 

 

Net realized and unrealized gain

    214,121,380  
 

 

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS

  $ 246,535,787  
 

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

32  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


 

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

 

    iShares
MSCI Australia ETF
           iShares
MSCI Canada ETF
 
     Six Months Ended
02/29/24
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
08/31/23
            Six Months Ended
02/29/24
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
08/31/23
 

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS

          

OPERATIONS

          

Net investment income

  $ 36,646,655     $ 86,313,602        $ 32,969,400     $ 83,284,741  

Net realized gain (loss)

    (25,318,414     (8,009,512        25,849,210       (8,286,834

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

    177,886,890       (38,966,533        159,161,919       105,214,335  
 

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

    189,215,131       39,337,557          217,980,529       180,212,242  
 

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS(a)

          

Decrease in net assets resulting from distributions to shareholders

    (43,165,632     (71,404,532        (41,833,751 )(b)       (88,711,145
 

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

          

Net increase (decrease) in net assets derived from capital share transactions

    (268,166,468     489,066,898          (413,282,477     (725,422,853
 

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

          

Total increase (decrease) in net assets

    (122,116,969     456,999,923          (237,135,699     (633,921,756

Beginning of period

    2,072,409,632       1,615,409,709          3,028,302,822       3,662,224,578  
 

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

End of period

  $ 1,950,292,663     $ 2,072,409,632        $ 2,791,167,123     $ 3,028,302,822  
 

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(b) 

A portion of the distributions from net investment income may be deemed a return of capital or net realized gain at fiscal year-end.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  33


 

Statements of Changes in Net Assets (continued)

 

    iShares
MSCI Japan ETF
           iShares
MSCI Mexico ETF
 
     Six Months Ended
02/29/24
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
08/31/23
            Six Months Ended
02/29/24
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
08/31/23
 

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS

          

OPERATIONS

          

Net investment income

  $ 93,394,355     $ 166,125,768        $ 19,456,349     $ 34,712,963  

Net realized gain

    62,221,002       669,279          83,059,151       103,106,421  

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

    1,775,232,596       1,216,919,417          (3,354,307     204,692,188  
 

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

    1,930,847,953       1,383,714,464          99,161,193       342,511,572  
 

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS(a)

          

Decrease in net assets resulting from distributions to shareholders

    (186,681,876     (104,587,537        (30,406,482     (33,094,776
 

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

          

Net increase in net assets derived from capital share transactions

    1,060,161,684       2,663,221,129          305,675,774       417,832,777  
 

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

          

Total increase in net assets

    2,804,327,761       3,942,348,056          374,430,485       727,249,573  

Beginning of period

    13,603,867,628       9,661,519,572          1,533,392,892       806,143,319  
 

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

End of period

  $ 16,408,195,389     $ 13,603,867,628        $ 1,907,823,377     $ 1,533,392,892  
 

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

34  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


 

Statements of Changes in Net Assets (continued)

 

    iShares
MSCI South Korea ETF
 
     Six Months Ended
02/29/24
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
08/31/23
 

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS

   

OPERATIONS

   

Net investment income

  $ 32,414,407     $ 47,333,062  

Net realized loss

    (19,489,302     (46,209,947

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

    233,610,682       208,311,842  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

    246,535,787       209,434,957  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS(a)

   

Decrease in net assets resulting from distributions to shareholders

    (100,547,057     (39,264,408
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

   

Net increase in net assets derived from capital share transactions

    869,095,808       524,571,630  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

   

Total increase in net assets

    1,015,084,538       694,742,179  

Beginning of period

    3,654,190,315       2,959,448,136  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

End of period

  $ 4,669,274,853     $ 3,654,190,315  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

(a) Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  35


Financial Highlights

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

          iShares MSCI Australia ETF  
             

Six Months Ended
02/29/24

(unaudited)

 
 

 

   
Year Ended
08/31/23
 
 
   
Year Ended
08/31/22
 
 
   
Year Ended
08/31/21
 
 
   
Year Ended
08/31/20
 
 
   
Year Ended
08/31/19
 
 

Net asset value, beginning of period

        $ 22.24     $ 21.95     $ 25.96     $ 21.12     $ 21.67     $ 22.56  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

      0.41       1.01       0.93       0.65       0.67       1.00  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(b)

      1.80       0.13       (3.31     4.77       (0.48     (0.70
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

      2.21       1.14       (2.38     5.42       0.19       0.30  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(c)

      (0.49     (0.85     (1.63     (0.58     (0.74     (1.19
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 23.96     $ 22.24     $ 21.95     $ 25.96     $ 21.12     $ 21.67  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Return(d)

             

Based on net asset value

      9.98 %(e)       5.15     (9.53 )%      25.69     0.99     1.75
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(f)

             

Total expenses

      0.50 %(g)       0.50     0.50     0.50     0.51     0.50
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net investment income

      3.67 %(g)       4.48     3.86     2.69     3.23     4.68
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

             

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 1,950,293     $ 2,072,410     $ 1,615,410     $ 1,505,880     $ 1,263,259     $ 1,399,590  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(h)

      4     4     15     4     8     9
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(a)

Based on average shares outstanding.

(b)

The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

(c)

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(d)

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

(e)

Not annualized.

(f)

Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

(g)

Annualized.

(h)

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, if any.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

36  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Financial Highlights (continued)

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

          iShares MSCI Canada ETF  
           

Six Months Ended
02/29/24

(unaudited)

 
 

 

   
Year Ended
08/31/23
 
 
   
Year Ended
08/31/22
 
 
   
Year Ended
08/31/21
 
 
   
Year Ended
08/31/20
 
 
   
Year Ended
08/31/19
 
 

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $ 34.69     $ 33.72     $ 37.38     $ 28.76     $ 28.22     $ 28.79  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

      0.39       0.80       0.77       0.64       0.65       0.62  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(b)

      2.18       1.01       (3.68     8.60       0.54       (0.53
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

      2.57       1.81       (2.91     9.24       1.19       0.09  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(c)

      (0.49 )(d)       (0.84     (0.75     (0.62     (0.65     (0.66
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 36.77     $ 34.69     $ 33.72     $ 37.38     $ 28.76     $ 28.22  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Return(e)

             

Based on net asset value

      7.46 %(f)       5.42     (7.94 )%      32.41     4.32     0.56
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(g)

             

Total expenses

      0.50 %(h)       0.50     0.50     0.50     0.51     0.49
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net investment income

      2.23 %(h)       2.36     2.05     1.91     2.37     2.26
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

             

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 2,791,167     $ 3,028,303     $ 3,662,225     $ 4,157,136     $ 2,266,034     $ 2,618,586  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(i)

      2     6     5     8     9     6
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(a)

Based on average shares outstanding.

(b)

The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

(c)

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(d)

A portion of the distributions from net investment income may be deemed a return of capital or net realized gain at fiscal year-end.

(e)

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

(f)

Not annualized.

(g)

Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

(h)

Annualized.

(i)

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, if any.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  H I G H L I G H T S

  37


Financial Highlights (continued)

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

          iShares MSCI Japan ETF  
           

Six Months Ended
02/29/24

(unaudited)

 
 

 

   
Year Ended
08/31/23
 
 
   
Year Ended
08/31/22
 
 
   
Year Ended
08/31/21
 
 
   
Year Ended
08/31/20
 
 
   
Year Ended
08/31/19
 
 

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $ 61.57     $ 53.72     $ 68.55     $ 58.15     $ 54.05     $ 58.45  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

      0.43       0.92       1.04       0.91       0.90       0.92  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(b)

      8.15       7.48       (14.44     10.25       4.36       (4.43
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

      8.58       8.40       (13.40     11.16       5.26       (3.51
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(c)

      (0.87     (0.55     (1.43     (0.76     (1.16     (0.89
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 69.28     $ 61.57     $ 53.72     $ 68.55     $ 58.15     $ 54.05  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Return(d)

             

Based on net asset value

      14.11 %(e)       15.68     (19.81 )%      19.21     9.76     (5.96 )% 
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(f)

             

Total expenses

      0.50 %(g)       0.50     0.50     0.50     0.51     0.49
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net investment income

      1.37 %(g)       1.61     1.66     1.37     1.60     1.68
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

             

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 16,408,195     $ 13,603,868     $ 9,661,520     $ 11,906,294     $ 9,909,026     $ 12,170,174  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(h)

      3     3     4     6     4     7
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(a)

Based on average shares outstanding.

(b)

The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

(c)

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(d)

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

(e)

Not annualized.

(f)

Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

(g)

Annualized.

(h)

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, if any.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

38  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Financial Highlights (continued)

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

          iShares MSCI Mexico ETF  
           

Six Months Ended
02/29/24

(unaudited)

 
 

 

   
Year Ended
08/31/23
 
 
   
Year Ended
08/31/22
 
 
   
Year Ended
08/31/21
 
 
   
Year Ended
08/31/20
 
 
   
Year Ended
08/31/19
 
 

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $ 61.58     $ 44.29     $ 51.24     $ 33.00     $ 41.47     $ 50.38  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

      0.75       1.65       1.50       0.80       0.61       1.09  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(b)

      4.04       17.14       (7.04     18.32       (8.52     (8.75
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

      4.79       18.79       (5.54     19.12       (7.91     (7.66
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(c)

      (1.03     (1.50     (1.41     (0.88     (0.56     (1.25
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 65.34     $ 61.58     $ 44.29     $ 51.24     $ 33.00     $ 41.47  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Return(d)

             

Based on net asset value

      7.73 %(e)       42.93     (10.98 )%      58.30     (19.36 )%      (15.23 )% 
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(f)

             

Total expenses

      0.50 %(g)       0.50     0.50     0.50     0.51     0.49
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net investment income

      2.40 %(g)       2.88     3.06     1.85     1.59     2.46
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

             

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 1,907,823     $ 1,533,393     $ 806,143     $ 1,178,526     $ 834,927     $ 626,243  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(h)

      2     11     11     15     12     5
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(a)

Based on average shares outstanding.

(b)

The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

(c)

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(d)

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

(e)

Not annualized.

(f)

Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

(g)

Annualized.

(h)

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, if any.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  H I G H L I G H T S

  39


Financial Highlights (continued)

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

          iShares MSCI South Korea ETF  
             

Six Months Ended
02/29/24

(unaudited)

 
 

 

   
Year Ended
08/31/23
 
 
   
Year Ended
08/31/22
 
 
   
Year Ended
08/31/21
 
 
   
Year Ended
08/31/20
 
 
   
Year Ended
08/31/19
 
 

Net asset value, beginning of period

        $ 62.63     $ 58.43     $ 86.98     $ 63.04     $ 53.34     $ 67.65  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

      0.52       0.85       0.97       1.23       0.83       0.97  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(b)

      3.17       4.05       (27.84     23.34       10.18       (14.49
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

      3.69       4.90       (26.87     24.57       11.01       (13.52
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(c)

      (1.65     (0.70     (1.68     (0.63     (1.31     (0.79
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 64.67     $ 62.63     $ 58.43     $ 86.98     $ 63.04     $ 53.34  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Return(d)

             

Based on net asset value

      5.95 %(e)       8.49     (31.39 )%      39.05     20.77     (20.08 )% 
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(f)

             

Total expenses

      0.59 %(g)       0.59     0.58     0.57     0.59     0.59
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net investment income

      1.69 %(g)       1.42     1.35     1.45     1.45     1.62
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

             

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 4,669,275     $ 3,654,190     $ 2,959,448     $ 6,136,724     $ 4,857,482     $ 3,848,564  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(h)

      6 %(i)       29 %(i)       24 %(i)       20 %(i)       15 %(i)       16 %(i)  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

(a)   Based on average shares outstanding.

(b)   The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

(c)   Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(d)   Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

(e)   Not annualized.

(f)   Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

(g)   Annualized.

(h)   Portfolio turnover rate includes portfolio transactions that are executed as a result of the Fund offering and redeeming Creation Units solely for cash in U.S. dollars (“cash creations”).

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

(i) Portfolio turnover rate excluding cash creations was as follows:

      5     9     10     8     9     5
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

40  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited)

 

1.

ORGANIZATION

iShares, Inc. (the “Company”) is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), as an open-end management investment company. The Company is organized as a Maryland corporation and is authorized to have multiple series or portfolios.

These financial statements relate only to the following funds (each, a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”):

 

 

 
iShares ETF    Diversification
Classification
 

 

 

MSCI Australia

     Non-diversified  

MSCI Canada

     Diversified  

MSCI Japan

     Diversified  

MSCI Mexico

     Non-diversified  

MSCI South Korea

     Non-diversified  

 

 

 

2.

SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The financial statements are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”), which may require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Each Fund is considered an investment company under U.S. GAAP and follows the accounting and reporting guidance applicable to investment companies. Below is a summary of significant accounting policies:

Investment Transactions and Income Recognition: For financial reporting purposes, investment transactions are recorded on the dates the transactions are executed. Realized gains and losses on investment transactions are determined using the specific identification method. Dividend income and capital gain distributions, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Non-cash dividends, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date at fair value. Dividends from foreign securities where the ex-dividend date may have passed are subsequently recorded when the Funds are informed of the ex-dividend date. Under the applicable foreign tax laws, a withholding tax at various rates may be imposed on capital gains, dividends and interest. Upon notification from issuers or as estimated by management, a portion of the dividend income received from a real estate investment trust may be redesignated as a reduction of cost of the related investment and/or realized gain. Interest income, including amortization and accretion of premiums and discounts on debt securities, is recognized daily on an accrual basis.

Foreign Currency Translation: Each Fund’s books and records are maintained in U.S. dollars. Securities and other assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars using prevailing market rates as quoted by one or more data service providers. Purchases and sales of investments are recorded at the rates of exchange prevailing on the respective dates of such transactions. Generally, when the U.S. dollar rises in value against a foreign currency, the investments denominated in that currency will lose value; the opposite effect occurs if the U.S. dollar falls in relative value.

Each Fund does not isolate the effect of fluctuations in foreign exchange rates from the effect of fluctuations in the market prices of investments for financial reporting purposes. Accordingly, the effects of changes in exchange rates on investments are not segregated in the Statements of Operations from the effects of changes in market prices of those investments, but are included as a component of net realized and unrealized gain (loss) from investments. Each Fund reports realized currency gains (losses) on foreign currency related transactions as components of net realized gain (loss) for financial reporting purposes, whereas such components are generally treated as ordinary income for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Foreign Taxes: The Funds may be subject to foreign taxes (a portion of which may be reclaimable) on income, stock dividends, capital gains on investments, or certain foreign currency transactions. All foreign taxes are recorded in accordance with the applicable foreign tax regulations and rates that exist in the foreign jurisdictions in which each Fund invests. These foreign taxes, if any, are paid by each Fund and are reflected in its Statements of Operations as follows: foreign taxes withheld at source are presented as a reduction of income, foreign taxes on securities lending income are presented as a reduction of securities lending income, foreign taxes on stock dividends are presented as “Other foreign taxes”, and foreign taxes on capital gains from sales of investments and foreign taxes on foreign currency transactions are included in their respective net realized gain (loss) categories. Foreign taxes payable or deferred as of February 29, 2024, if any, are disclosed in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

The Funds file withholding tax reclaims in certain jurisdictions to recover a portion of amounts previously withheld. The Funds may record a reclaim receivable based on collectability, which includes factors such as the jurisdiction’s applicable laws, payment history and market convention. The Statements of Operations includes tax reclaims recorded as well as professional and other fees, if any, associated with recovery of foreign withholding taxes.

Collateralization: If required by an exchange or counterparty agreement, the Funds may be required to deliver/deposit cash and/or securities to/with an exchange, or broker-dealer or custodian as collateral for certain investments.

In-kind Redemptions: For financial reporting purposes, in-kind redemptions are treated as sales of securities resulting in realized capital gains or losses to the Funds. Because such gains or losses are not taxable to the Funds and are not distributed to existing Fund shareholders, the gains or losses are reclassified from accumulated net realized gain (loss) to paid-in capital at the end of the Funds’ tax year. These reclassifications have no effect on net assets or net asset value (“NAV”) per share.

 

 

N O T E ST O  F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  41


Notes to Financial Statements(unaudited) (continued)

 

Distributions: Dividends and distributions paid by each Fund are recorded on the ex-dividend dates. Distributions are determined on a tax basis and may differ from net investment income and net realized capital gains for financial reporting purposes. Dividends and distributions are paid in U.S. dollars and cannot be automatically reinvested in additional shares of the Funds.

Indemnifications: In the normal course of business, each Fund enters into contracts that contain a variety of representations that provide general indemnification. The Funds’ maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown because it involves future potential claims against the Funds, which cannot be predicted with any certainty.

 

3.

INVESTMENT VALUATION AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

Investment Valuation Policies: Each Fund’s investments are valued at fair value (also referred to as “market value” within the financial statements) each day that the Fund’s listing exchange is open and, for financial reporting purposes, as of the report date. U.S. GAAP defines fair value as the price a fund would receive to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) of each Fund has approved the designation of BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BFA”), the Funds’ investment adviser, as the valuation designee for each Fund. Each Fund determines the fair values of its financial instruments using various independent dealers or pricing services under BFA’s policies. If a security’s market price is not readily available or does not otherwise accurately represent the fair value of the security, the security will be valued in accordance with BFA’s policies and procedures as reflecting fair value. BFA has formed a committee (the “Valuation Committee”) to develop pricing policies and procedures and to oversee the pricing function for all financial instruments, with assistance from other BlackRock pricing committees.

Fair Value Inputs and Methodologies: The following methods and inputs are used to establish the fair value of each Fund’s assets and liabilities:

 

   

Equity investments traded on a recognized securities exchange are valued at that day’s official closing price, as applicable, on the exchange where the stock is primarily traded. Equity investments traded on a recognized exchange for which there were no sales on that day are valued at the last traded price.

 

   

Investments in open-end U.S. mutual funds (including money market funds) are valued at that day’s published NAV.

 

   

Futures contracts are valued based on that day’s last reported settlement or trade price on the exchange where the contract is traded.

Generally, trading in foreign instruments is substantially completed each day at various times prior to the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”). Each business day, the Funds use current market factors supplied by independent pricing services to value certain foreign instruments (“Systematic Fair Value Price”). The Systematic Fair Value Price is designed to value such foreign securities at fair value as of the close of trading on the NYSE, which follows the close of the local markets.

If events (e.g., market volatility, company announcement or a natural disaster) occur that are expected to materially affect the value of such investment, or in the event that application of these methods of valuation results in a price for an investment that is deemed not to be representative of the market value of such investment, or if a price is not available, the investment will be valued by the Valuation Committee, in accordance with BFA’s policies and procedures as reflecting fair value (“Fair Valued Investments”). The fair valuation approaches that may be used by the Valuation Committee include market approach, income approach and cost approach. Valuation techniques such as discounted cash flow, use of market comparables and matrix pricing are types of valuation approaches and are typically used in determining fair value. When determining the price for Fair Valued Investments, the Valuation Committee seeks to determine the price that each Fund might reasonably expect to receive or pay from the current sale or purchase of that asset or liability in an arm’s-length transaction. Fair value determinations shall be based upon all available factors that the Valuation Committee deems relevant and consistent with the principles of fair value measurement.

Fair value pricing could result in a difference between the prices used to calculate a fund’s NAV and the prices used by the fund’s underlying index, which in turn could result in a difference between the fund’s performance and the performance of the fund’s underlying index.

Fair Value Hierarchy: Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. These inputs to valuation techniques are categorized into a fair value hierarchy consisting of three broad levels for financial reporting purposes as follows:

 

   

Level 1 – Unadjusted price quotations in active markets/exchanges for identical assets or liabilities that each Fund has the ability to access;

 

   

Level 2 – Other observable inputs (including, but not limited to, quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in markets that are active, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the assets or liabilities (such as interest rates, yield curves, volatilities, prepayment speeds, loss severities, credit risks and default rates) or other market-corroborated inputs); and

 

   

Level 3 – Unobservable inputs based on the best information available in the circumstances, to the extent observable inputs are not available, (including the Valuation Committee’s assumptions used in determining the fair value of financial instruments).

The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements). Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised in determining fair value is greatest for instruments categorized in Level 3. The inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, for disclosure purposes, the fair value hierarchy classification is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. Investments classified within Level 3 have significant unobservable inputs used by the Valuation Committee in determining the price for Fair Valued Investments. Level 3 investments include equity or debt issued by privately held companies or funds that may not have a secondary market and/or may have a limited number of investors. The categorization of a value determined for financial instruments is based on the pricing transparency of the financial instruments and is not necessarily an indication of the risks associated with investing in those securities.

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements(unaudited) (continued)

 

4.

SECURITIES AND OTHER INVESTMENTS

Warrants: Warrants entitle a fund to purchase a specified number of shares of common stock and are non-income producing. The purchase price and number of shares are subject to adjustment under certain conditions until the expiration date of the warrants, if any. If the price of the underlying stock does not rise above the strike price before the warrant expires, the warrant generally expires without any value and a fund will lose any amount it paid for the warrant. Thus, investments in warrants may involve more risk than investments in common stock. Warrants may trade in the same markets as their underlying stock; however, the price of the warrant does not necessarily move with the price of the underlying stock.

Securities Lending: Each Fund may lend its securities to approved borrowers, such as brokers, dealers and other financial institutions. The borrower pledges and maintains with the Fund collateral consisting of cash, an irrevocable letter of credit issued by an approved bank, or securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government. The initial collateral received by each Fund is required to have a value of at least 102% of the current market value of the loaned securities for securities traded on U.S. exchanges and a value of at least 105% for all other securities. The collateral is maintained thereafter at a value equal to at least 100% of the current value of the securities on loan. The market value of the loaned securities is determined at the close of each business day of the Fund and any additional required collateral is delivered to the Fund or excess collateral is returned by the Fund, on the next business day. During the term of the loan, each Fund is entitled to all distributions made on or in respect of the loaned securities but does not receive interest income on securities received as collateral. Loans of securities are terminable at any time and the borrower, after notice, is required to return borrowed securities within the standard time period for settlement of securities transactions.

As of period end, any securities on loan were collateralized by cash and/or U.S. Government obligations. Cash collateral invested in money market funds managed by BFA, or its affiliates is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments. Any non-cash collateral received cannot be sold, re-invested or pledged by the Fund, except in the event of borrower default. The securities on loan, if any, are also disclosed in each Fund’s Schedule of Investments. The market value of any securities on loan and the value of any related cash collateral are disclosed in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

Securities lending transactions are entered into by the Funds under Master Securities Lending Agreements (each, an “MSLA”) which provide the right, in the event of default (including bankruptcy or insolvency) for the non-defaulting party to liquidate the collateral and calculate a net exposure to the defaulting party or request additional collateral. In the event that a borrower defaults, the Funds, as lender, would offset the market value of the collateral received against the market value of the securities loaned. When the value of the collateral is greater than that of the market value of the securities loaned, the lender is left with a net amount payable to the defaulting party. However, bankruptcy or insolvency laws of a particular jurisdiction may impose restrictions on or prohibitions against such a right of offset in the event of an MSLA counterparty’s bankruptcy or insolvency. Under the MSLA, absent an event of default, the borrower can resell or re-pledge the loaned securities, and the Funds can reinvest cash collateral received in connection with loaned securities. Upon an event of default, the parties’ obligations to return the securities or collateral to the other party are extinguished, and the parties can resell or re-pledge the loaned securities or the collateral received in connection with the loaned securities in order to satisfy the defaulting party’s net payment obligation for all transactions under the MSLA. The defaulting party remains liable for any deficiency.

As of period end, the following table is a summary of the securities on loan by counterparty which are subject to offset under an MSLA:

 

 

 

iShares ETF and Counterparty

   
Securities Loaned
at Value
 
 
    
Cash Collateral
Received
 
(a) 
   
Non-Cash Collateral
Received, at Fair Value
 
(a) 
    Net Amount  

 

 

MSCI Australia

        

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

  $ 2,178,757      $ (2,178,757   $     $  

Morgan Stanley

    10,162,237        (10,162,237            
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  $ 12,340,994      $ (12,340,994   $     $  
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

MSCI Canada

        

Barclays Capital, Inc.

  $ 33,499      $ (33,499   $     $  

Citigroup Global Markets, Inc.

    8,171,347        (8,171,347            
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  $ 8,204,846      $ (8,204,846   $     $  
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

MSCI Mexico

        

BofA Securities, Inc.

  $ 82,376      $ (82,376   $     $  

Citigroup Global Markets, Inc.

    1,081,965        (1,081,965            

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

    438,402        (438,402            

Morgan Stanley

    2,464,149        (2,464,149            
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  $ 4,066,892      $ (4,066,892   $     $  
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

MSCI South Korea

        

BofA Securities, Inc.

  $ 14,060,066      $ (14,060,066   $     $  

Citigroup Global Markets, Inc.

    15,652,272        (15,652,272            

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

    87,052,929        (87,052,929            

HSBC Bank PLC

    32,251,868        (32,251,868            

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

    30,967,046        (30,404,359           562,687 (b)  

Morgan Stanley

    6,365,885        (6,365,885            
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  $ 186,350,066      $ (185,787,379   $     $ 562,687  
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements(unaudited) (continued)

 

  (a) 

Collateral received, if any, in excess of the market value of securities on loan is not presented in this table. The total cash collateral received by each Fund is disclosed in the Fund’s Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

 
  (b) 

The market value of the loaned securities is determined as of February 29, 2024. Additional collateral is delivered to the Fund on the next business day in accordance with the MSLA. The net amount would be subject to the borrower default indemnity in the event of default by a counterparty.

 

The risks of securities lending include the risk that the borrower may not provide additional collateral when required or may not return the securities when due. To mitigate these risks, each Fund benefits from a borrower default indemnity provided by BlackRock, Inc. (“BlackRock”). BlackRock’s indemnity allows for full replacement of the securities loaned to the extent the collateral received does not cover the value of the securities loaned in the event of borrower default. Each Fund could incur a loss if the value of an investment purchased with cash collateral falls below the market value of the loaned securities or if the value of an investment purchased with cash collateral falls below the value of the original cash collateral received. Such losses are borne entirely by each Fund.

 

5.

DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

Futures Contracts: Futures contracts are purchased or sold to gain exposure to, or manage exposure to, changes in interest rates (interest rate risk) and changes in the value of equity securities (equity risk) or foreign currencies (foreign currency exchange rate risk).

Futures contracts are exchange-traded agreements between the Funds and a counterparty to buy or sell a specific quantity of an underlying instrument at a specified price and on a specified date. Depending on the terms of a contract, it is settled either through physical delivery of the underlying instrument on the settlement date or by payment of a cash amount on the settlement date. Upon entering into a futures contract, the Funds are required to deposit initial margin with the broker in the form of cash or securities in an amount that varies depending on a contract’s size and risk profile. The initial margin deposit must then be maintained at an established level over the life of the contract. Amounts pledged, which are considered restricted, are included in cash pledged for futures contracts in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

Securities deposited as initial margin are designated in the Schedule of Investments and cash deposited, if any, are shown as cash pledged for futures contracts in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. Pursuant to the contract, the Funds agree to receive from or pay to the broker an amount of cash equal to the daily fluctuation in market value of the contract (“variation margin”). Variation margin is recorded as unrealized appreciation (depreciation) and, if any, shown as variation margin receivable (or payable) on futures contracts in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. When the contract is closed, a realized gain or loss is recorded in the Statements of Operations equal to the difference between the notional amount of the contract at the time it was opened and the notional amount at the time it was closed. The use of futures contracts involves the risk of an imperfect correlation in the movements in the price of futures contracts and interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates or underlying assets.

 

6.

INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES

Investment Advisory Fees: Pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement with the Company, BFA manages the investment of each Fund’s assets. BFA is a California corporation indirectly owned by BlackRock. Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, BFA is responsible for substantially all expenses of the Funds, except (i) interest and taxes; (ii) brokerage commissions and other expenses connected with the execution of portfolio transactions; (iii) distribution fees; (iv) the advisory fee payable to BFA; and (v) litigation expenses and any extraordinary expenses (in each case as determined by a majority of the independent directors).

For its investment advisory services to each of the iShares MSCI Australia, iShares MSCI Canada, iShares MSCI Japan and iShares MSCI Mexico ETFs, BFA is entitled to an annual investment advisory fee, accrued daily and paid monthly by the Funds, based on each Fund’s allocable portion of the aggregate of the average daily net assets of the Fund and certain other iShares funds, as follows:

 

   
Aggregate Average Daily Net Assets    Investment Advisory Fees  

First $7 billion

     0.59

Over $7 billion, up to and including $11 billion

     0.54  

Over $11 billion, up to and including $24 billion

     0.49  

Over $24 billion, up to and including $48 billion

     0.44  

Over $48 billion, up to and including $72 billion

     0.40  

Over $72 billion, up to and including $96 billion

     0.36  

Over $96 billion

     0.32  

For its investment advisory services to the iShares MSCI South Korea ETF, BFAis entitled to an annual investment advisory fee, accrued daily and paid monthly by the Fund, based on the Fund’s allocable portion of the aggregate of the average daily net assets of the Fund and certain other iShares funds, as follows:

 

   
Aggregate Average Daily Net Assets    Investment Advisory Fees  

First $2 billion

     0.7400

Over $2 billion, up to and including $4 billion

     0.6900  

Over $4 billion, up to and including $8 billion

     0.6400  

Over $8 billion, up to and including $16 billion

     0.5700  

Over $16 billion, up to and including $24 billion

     0.5100  

Over $24 billion, up to and including $32 billion

     0.4800  

Over $32 billion, up to and including $40 billion

     0.4500  

Over $40 billion

     0.4275  

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements(unaudited) (continued)

 

Distributor: BlackRock Investments, LLC, an affiliate of BFA, is the distributor for each Fund. Pursuant to the distribution agreement, BFA is responsible for any fees or expenses for distribution services provided to the Funds.

Securities Lending: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) has issued an exemptive order which permits BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, N.A. (“BTC”), an affiliate of BFA, to serve as securities lending agent for the Funds, subject to applicable conditions. As securities lending agent, BTC bears all operational costs directly related to securities lending, including any custodial costs. Each Fund is responsible for fees in connection with the investment of cash collateral received for securities on loan (the “collateral investment fees”). The cash collateral is invested in a money market fund, BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional or BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, managed by BFA, or its affiliates. However, BTC has agreed to reduce the amount of securities lending income it receives in order to effectively limit the collateral investment fees each Fund bears to an annual rate of 0.04%. The SL Agency Shares of such money market fund will not be subject to a sales load, distribution fee or service fee. The money market fund in which the cash collateral has been invested may, under certain circumstances, impose a liquidity fee of up to 2% of the value redeemed or temporarily restrict redemptions for up to 10 business days during a 90 day period, in the event that the money market fund’s weekly liquid assets fall below certain thresholds.

Securities lending income is equal to the total of income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral, net of fees and other payments to and from borrowers of securities, and less the collateral investment fees. Each Fund retains a portion of securities lending income and remits the remaining portion to BTC as compensation for its services as securities lending agent.

Pursuant to the current securities lending agreement, each Fund retains 82% of securities lending income (which excludes collateral investment fees), and the amount retained can never be less than 70% of the total of securities lending income plus the collateral investment fees.

In addition, commencing the business day following the date that the aggregate securities lending income plus the collateral investment fees generated across all 1940 Act iShares exchange-traded funds (the “iShares ETF Complex”) in that calendar year exceeds a specified threshold, each Fund, pursuant to the securities lending agreement, will retain for the remainder of that calendar year 85% of securities lending income (which excludes collateral investment fees), and the amount retained can never be less than 70% of the total of securities lending income plus the collateral investment fees.

The share of securities lending income earned by each Fund is shown as securities lending income – affiliated – net in its Statements of Operations. For the six months ended February 29, 2024, the Funds paid BTC the following amounts for securities lending agent services:

 

 

 
iShares ETF   Amounts  

 

 

MSCI Australia

  $ 7,464  

MSCI Canada

    3,206  

MSCI Japan

    3,291  

MSCI Mexico

    18,874  

MSCI South Korea

    386,727  

 

 

Officers and Directors: Certain officers and/or directors of the Company are officers and/or directors of BlackRock or its affiliates.

Other Transactions: Cross trading is the buying or selling of portfolio securities between funds to which BFA (or an affiliate) serves as investment adviser. At its regularly scheduled quarterly meetings, the Board reviews such transactions as of the most recent calendar quarter for compliance with the requirements and restrictions set forth by Rule 17a-7.

For the six months ended February 29, 2024, transactions executed by the Funds pursuant to Rule 17a-7 under the 1940 Act were as follows:

 

 

 
iShares ETF   Purchases      Sales      Net Realized
Gain (Loss)
 

 

 

MSCI Australia

  $ 10,634,662      $ 9,487,553      $ (5,493,493

MSCI Japan

    79,851,843        77,583,649        (60,718,273

MSCI South Korea

    43,819,503        20,543,219        (1,734,269

 

 

Each Fund may invest its positive cash balances in certain money market funds managed by BFA or an affiliate. The income earned on these temporary cash investments is shown as dividends – affiliated in the Statements of Operations.

A fund, in order to improve its portfolio liquidity and its ability to track its underlying index, may invest in shares of other iShares funds that invest in securities in the fund’s underlying index.

 

 

N O T E ST O  F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  45


Notes to Financial Statements(unaudited) (continued)

 

7.

PURCHASES AND SALES

For the six months ended February 29, 2024, purchases and sales of investments, excluding short-term securities and in-kind transactions, were as follows:

 

 

 
iShares ETF   Purchases      Sales  

 

 

MSCI Australia

  $ 85,524,106      $ 70,449,467  

MSCI Canada

    63,411,019        58,547,788  

MSCI Japan

    418,858,664        366,200,765  

MSCI Mexico

    56,260,531        36,266,389  

MSCI South Korea

     1,003,795,992         236,107,198  

 

 

For the six months ended February 29, 2024, in-kind transactions were as follows:

 

 

 
iShares ETF  

In-kind

Purchases

    

In-kind

Sales

 

 

 

MSCI Australia

  $      $ 285,744,599  

MSCI Canada

    362,692,701        788,463,358  

MSCI Japan

    2,228,043,177        1,317,119,618  

MSCI Mexico

    1,317,066,598        1,039,006,252  

 

 

 

8.

INCOME TAX INFORMATION

Each Fund is treated as an entity separate from the Company’s other funds for federal income tax purposes. It is each Fund’s policy to comply with the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, applicable to regulated investment companies, and to distribute substantially all of its taxable income to its shareholders. Therefore, no U.S. federal income tax provision is required.

Management has analyzed tax laws and regulations and their application to the Funds as of February 29, 2024, inclusive of the open tax return years, and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability in the Funds’ financial statements.

As of August 31, 2023, the Funds had non-expiring capital loss carryforwards available to offset future realized capital gains as follows:

 

 

 
iShares ETF  

Non-Expiring
Capital Loss

Carryforwards

 

 

 

MSCI Australia

  $ (376,161,464

MSCI Canada

    (988,801,136

MSCI Japan

    (1,787,656,313

MSCI Mexico

    (482,084,858

MSCI South Korea

    (286,276,585

 

 

A fund may own shares in certain foreign investment entities, referred to, under U.S. tax law, as “passive foreign investment companies.” Such fund may elect to mark-to-market annually the shares of each passive foreign investment company and would be required to distribute to shareholders any such marked-to-market gains.

As of February 29, 2024, gross unrealized appreciation and depreciation based on cost of investments (including short positions and derivatives, if any) for U.S. federal income tax purposes were as follows:

 

 

 
iShares ETF   Tax Cost      Gross Unrealized
Appreciation
     Gross Unrealized
Depreciation
    Net Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
 

 

 

MSCI Australia

  $ 2,179,273,819      $ 102,368,985      $ (331,875,068   $ (229,506,083

MSCI Canada

    3,092,081,616        189,865,353        (490,863,309     (300,997,956

MSCI Japan

     15,802,677,529         2,347,198,791         (1,787,471,947     559,726,844  

MSCI Mexico

    2,033,168,488        64,006,424        (185,488,193     (121,481,769

MSCI South Korea

    3,081,640,212        2,149,019,108        (424,125,701      1,724,893,407  

 

 

 

9.

LINE OF CREDIT

The Funds, along with certain other iShares funds (“Participating Funds”), are parties to a $800 million credit agreement (“Syndicated Credit Agreement”) with a group of lenders, which expires on October 16, 2024. The line of credit may be used for temporary or emergency purposes, including redemptions, settlement of trades and rebalancing of portfolio holdings in certain target markets. The Funds may borrow up to the aggregate commitment amount subject to asset coverage and other limitations as specified in the Syndicated Credit Agreement. The Syndicated Credit Agreement has the following terms: a commitment fee of 0.15% per annum on the unused portion of the credit agreement and interest at a rate equal to the higher of (a) Daily Simple Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) plus 0.10% and 1.00% per annum or (b)

 

 

46  

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Notes to Financial Statements(unaudited) (continued)

 

the U.S. Federal Funds rate plus 1.00% per annum on amounts borrowed. The commitment fee is generally allocated to each Participating Fund based on the lesser of a Participating Fund’s relative exposure to certain target markets or a Participating Fund’s maximum borrowing amount as set forth by the terms of the Syndicated Credit Agreement.

During the six months ended February 29, 2024, the Funds did not borrow under the Syndicated Credit Agreement.

 

10.

PRINCIPAL RISKS

In the normal course of business, each Fund invests in securities or other instruments and may enter into certain transactions, and such activities subject the Fund to various risks, including, among others, fluctuations in the market (market risk) or failure of an issuer to meet all of its obligations. The value of securities or other instruments may also be affected by various factors, including, without limitation: (i) the general economy; (ii) the overall market as well as local, regional or global political and/or social instability; (iii) regulation, taxation or international tax treaties between various countries; or (iv) currency, interest rate or price fluctuations. Local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant impact on the Funds and their investments. Each Fund’s prospectus provides details of the risks to which the Fund is subject.

BFA uses an indexing approach to try to achieve each Fund’s investment objective. The Fund is not actively managed, and BFA generally does not attempt to take defensive positions under any market conditions, including declining markets.

The Funds may be exposed to additional risks when reinvesting cash collateral in money market funds that do not seek to maintain a stable NAV per share of $1.00, which may be subject to redemption gates or liquidity fees under certain circumstances.

Valuation Risk: The market values of equities, such as common stocks and preferred securities or equity related investments, such as futures and options, may decline due to general market conditions which are not specifically related to a particular company. They may also decline due to factors which affect a particular industry or industries. A fund may invest in illiquid investments. An illiquid investment is any investment that a fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. A fund may experience difficulty in selling illiquid investments in a timely manner at the price that it believes the investments are worth. Prices may fluctuate widely over short or extended periods in response to company, market or economic news. Markets also tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising and falling prices. This volatility may cause a fund’s NAV to experience significant increases or decreases over short periods of time. If there is a general decline in the securities and other markets, the NAV of a fund may lose value, regardless of the individual results of the securities and other instruments in which a fund invests.

The price each Fund could receive upon the sale of any particular portfolio investment may differ from each Fund’s valuation of the investment, particularly for securities that trade in thin or volatile markets or that are valued using a fair valuation technique or a price provided by an independent pricing service. Changes to significant unobservable inputs and assumptions (i.e., publicly traded company multiples, growth rate, time to exit) due to the lack of observable inputs may significantly impact the resulting fair value and therefore each Fund’s results of operations. As a result, the price received upon the sale of an investment may be less than the value ascribed by each Fund, and each Fund could realize a greater than expected loss or lesser than expected gain upon the sale of the investment. Each Fund’s ability to value its investments may also be impacted by technological issues and/or errors by pricing services or other third-party service providers.

Counterparty Credit Risk: The Funds may be exposed to counterparty credit risk, or the risk that an entity may fail to or be unable to perform on its commitments related to unsettled or open transactions, including making timely interest and/or principal payments or otherwise honoring its obligations. The Funds manage counterparty credit risk by entering into transactions only with counterparties that BFA believes have the financial resources to honor their obligations and by monitoring the financial stability of those counterparties. Financial assets, which potentially expose the Funds to market, issuer and counterparty credit risks, consist principally of financial instruments and receivables due from counterparties. The extent of the Funds’ exposure to market, issuer and counterparty credit risks with respect to these financial assets is approximately their value recorded in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, less any collateral held by the Funds.

A derivative contract may suffer a mark-to-market loss if the value of the contract decreases due to an unfavorable change in the market rates or values of the underlying instrument. Losses can also occur if the counterparty does not perform under the contract.

With exchange-traded futures, there is less counterparty credit risk to the Funds since the exchange or clearinghouse, as counterparty to such instruments, guarantees against a possible default. The clearinghouse stands between the buyer and the seller of the contract; therefore, credit risk is limited to failure of the clearinghouse. While offset rights may exist under applicable law, a fund does not have a contractual right of offset against a clearing broker or clearinghouse in the event of a default (including the bankruptcy or insolvency). Additionally, credit risk exists in exchange-traded futures with respect to initial and variation margin that is held in a clearing broker’s customer accounts. While clearing brokers are required to segregate customer margin from their own assets, in the event that a clearing broker becomes insolvent or goes into bankruptcy and at that time there is a shortfall in the aggregate amount of margin held by the clearing broker for all its clients, typically the shortfall would be allocated on a pro rata basis across all the clearing broker’s customers, potentially resulting in losses to the Funds.

Geographic/Asset Class Risk: A diversified portfolio, where this is appropriate and consistent with a fund’s objectives, minimizes the risk that a price change of a particular investment will have a material impact on the NAV of a fund. The investment concentrations within each Fund’s portfolio are disclosed in its Schedule of Investments.

Certain Funds invest a significant portion of their assets in issuers located in a single country or a limited number of countries. When a fund concentrates its investments in this manner, it assumes the risk that economic, regulatory, political and social conditions in that country or those countries may have a significant impact on the fund and could affect the income from, or the value or liquidity of, the Fund’s portfolio. Unanticipated or sudden political or social developments may cause uncertainty in the markets

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements(unaudited) (continued)

 

and as a result adversely affect the Fund’s investments. Foreign issuers may not be subject to the same uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and practices as used in the United States. Foreign securities markets may also be more volatile and less liquid than U.S. securities and may be less subject to governmental supervision not typically associated with investing in U.S. securities.

Certain Funds invest a significant portion of their assets in securities of issuers located in Asia or with significant exposure to Asian issuers or countries. The Asian financial markets have recently experienced volatility and adverse trends due to concerns in several Asian countries regarding monetary policy, government intervention in the markets, rising government debt levels or economic downturns. These events may spread to other countries in Asia and may affect the value and liquidity of certain of the Funds’ investments.

Certain Funds invest a significant portion of their assets in securities within a single or limited number of market sectors. When a fund concentrates its investments in this manner, it assumes the risk that economic, regulatory, political and social conditions affecting such sectors may have a significant impact on the fund and could affect the income from, or the value or liquidity of, the fund’s portfolio. Investment percentages in specific sectors are presented in the Schedule of Investments.

Significant Shareholder Redemption Risk: Certain shareholders may own or manage a substantial amount of fund shares and/or hold their fund investments for a limited period of time. Large redemptions of fund shares by these shareholders may force a fund to sell portfolio securities, which may negatively impact the fund’s NAV, increase the fund’s brokerage costs, and/or accelerate the realization of taxable income/gains and cause the fund to make additional taxable distributions to shareholders.

 

11.

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

Capital shares are issued and redeemed by each Fund only in aggregations of a specified number of shares or multiples thereof (“Creation Units”) at NAV. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, shares of each Fund are not redeemable.

Transactions in capital shares were as follows:

 

     
    

Six Months Ended

02/29/24

      

Year Ended

08/31/23

 
  

 

 

      

 

 

 
iShares ETF    Shares        Amount        Shares        Amount  

MSCI Australia

                 

Shares sold

     800,000        $ 18,935,583          43,800,000        $ 1,026,265,293  

Shares redeemed

     (12,600,000        (287,102,051        (24,200,000        (537,198,395
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
     (11,800,000      $ (268,166,468        19,600,000        $ 489,066,898  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

MSCI Canada

                 

Shares sold

     10,700,000        $ 378,914,321          21,800,000        $ 745,491,940  

Shares redeemed

     (22,100,000        (792,196,798        (43,100,000        (1,470,914,793
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
     (11,400,000      $ (413,282,477        (21,300,000      $ (725,422,853
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

MSCI Japan

                 

Shares sold

     37,350,000        $ 2,379,987,572          69,000,000        $ 4,154,574,137  

Shares redeemed

     (21,450,000        (1,319,825,888        (27,900,000        (1,491,353,008
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
     15,900,000        $ 1,060,161,684          41,100,000        $ 2,663,221,129  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

MSCI Mexico

                 

Shares sold

     21,200,000        $ 1,350,830,557          34,800,000        $ 1,963,154,619  

Shares redeemed

     (16,900,000        (1,045,154,783        (28,100,000        (1,545,321,842
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
     4,300,000        $ 305,675,774          6,700,000        $ 417,832,777  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

MSCI South Korea

                 

Shares sold

     13,850,000        $ 869,095,808          19,100,000        $ 1,200,313,460  

Shares redeemed

                       (11,400,000        (675,741,830
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
     13,850,000        $ 869,095,808          7,700,000        $ 524,571,630  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

The consideration for the purchase of Creation Units of a fund in the Company generally consists of the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities and a specified amount of cash. Certain funds in the Company may be offered in Creation Units solely or partially for cash in U.S. dollars. Authorized Participants purchasing and redeeming Creation Units may pay a purchase transaction fee and a redemption transaction fee directly to State Street Bank and Trust Company, the Company’s administrator , to offset transfer and other transaction costs associated with the issuance and redemption of Creation Units, including Creation Units for cash. Authorized Participants transacting in Creation Units for cash may also pay an additional variable charge to compensate the relevant fund for certain transaction costs (i.e., stamp taxes, taxes on currency or other financial transactions, and brokerage costs) and market impact expenses relating to investing in portfolio securities. Such variable charges, if any, are included in shares sold in the table above.

From time to time, settlement of securities related to in-kind contributions or in-kind redemptions may be delayed. In such cases, securities related to in-kind transactions are reflected as a receivable or a payable in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements(unaudited) (continued)

 

12.

SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

Management has evaluated the impact of all subsequent events on the Funds through the date the financial statements were available to be issued and has determined that there were no subsequent events requiring adjustment or additional disclosure in the financial statements.

 

 

N O T E ST O  F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  49


Statement Regarding Liquidity Risk Management Program (unaudited)

 

In compliance with Rule 22e-4 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Liquidity Rule”), iShares, Inc. (the “Company”) has adopted and implemented a liquidity risk management program (the “Program”) for iShares MSCI Australia ETF, iShares MSCI Canada ETF, iShares MSCI Japan ETF, iShares MSCI Mexico ETF and iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (the “Funds” or “ETFs”), each a series of the Company, which is reasonably designed to assess and manage each Fund’s liquidity risk.

The Board of Directors (the “Board”) of the Company, on behalf of the Funds, met on December 8, 2023 (the “Meeting”) to review the Program. The Board previously appointed BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BlackRock”), the investment adviser to the Funds, as the program administrator for each Fund’s Program. BlackRock also previously delegated oversight of the Program to the 40 Act Liquidity Risk Management Committee (the “Committee”). At the Meeting, the Committee, on behalf of BlackRock, provided the Board with a report that addressed the operation of the Program and assessed its adequacy and effectiveness of implementation, including the management of each Fund’s Highly Liquid Investment Minimum (“HLIM”) where applicable, and any material changes to the Program (the “Report”). The Report covered the period from October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2023 (the “Program Reporting Period”).

The Report described the Program’s liquidity classification methodology for categorizing each Fund’s investments (including derivative transactions) into one of four liquidity buckets. It also referenced the methodology used by BlackRock to establish each Fund’s HLIM and noted that the Committee reviews and ratifies the HLIM assigned to each Fund no less frequently than annually. The Report also discussed notable events affecting liquidity over the Program Reporting Period, including extended market holidays, delays in the repatriation of the local currency in certain non-U.S. countries, the continued illiquidity of Russian equity securities and the suspension of select sanctions in Venezuela.

The Report noted that the Program complied with the key factors for consideration under the Liquidity Rule for assessing, managing and periodically reviewing each Fund’s liquidity risk, as follows:

 

  a)  

The Fund’s investment strategy and liquidity of portfolio investments during both normal and reasonably foreseeable stressed conditions. During the Program Reporting Period, the Committee reviewed whether each Fund’s strategy is appropriate for an open-end fund structure, with a focus on funds with more significant and consistent holdings of less liquid and illiquid assets. The Committee also factored a fund’s concentration in an issuer into the liquidity classification methodology by taking issuer position sizes into account. Derivative exposure was also considered in the calculation of a fund’s liquidity bucketing. Finally, a factor for consideration under the Liquidity Rule is a Fund’s use of borrowings for investment purposes. However, the Funds do not borrow for investment purposes.

 

  b)  

Short-term and long-term cash flow projections during both normal and reasonably foreseeable stressed conditions. During the Program Reporting Period, the Committee reviewed historical redemption activity and used this information as a component to establish each ETF’s reasonably anticipated trading size utilized for liquidity classifications. The Committee may also take into consideration a fund’s shareholder ownership concentration (which, depending on product type and distribution channel, may or may not be available), a fund’s distribution channels, and the degree of certainty associated with a fund’s short-term and long-term cash flow projections.

 

  c)  

Holdings of cash and cash equivalents, as well as borrowing arrangements. The Committee considered that ETFs generally do not hold more than de minimis amounts of cash. The Committee also considered that ETFs generally do not engage in borrowing.

 

  d)  

The relationship between an ETF’s portfolio liquidity and the way in which, and the prices and spreads at which, ETF shares trade, including the efficiency of the arbitrage function and the level of active participation by market participants, including authorized participants. The Committee monitored the prevailing bid/ask spread and the ETF price premium (or discount) to NAV for all ETFs. However, there were no ETFs with persistent deviations of fund premium/discount or bid/ask spreads from long-term averages over the Program Reporting Period.

 

  e)  

The effect of the composition of baskets on the overall liquidity of an ETF’s portfolio. In reviewing the linkage between the composition of custom baskets accepted by an ETF and any significant change in the liquidity profile of such ETF, the Committee reviewed changes in the proportion of each ETF’s portfolio comprised of less liquid and illiquid holdings to determine if applicable thresholds were met requiring enhanced review. There were no ETFs for which the custom baskets accepted by the ETF had a significant change in its liquidity profile.

There were no material changes to the Program during the Program Reporting Period other than the enhancement of certain model components in the Program’s classification methodology. The Report provided to the Board stated that the Committee concluded that based on the operation of the functions, as described in the Report, the Program is operating as intended and is effective in implementing the requirements of the Liquidity Rule.

 

 

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Supplemental Information (unaudited)

 

Section 19(a) Notices

The amounts and sources of distributions reported are estimates and are being provided pursuant to regulatory requirements and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources for tax reporting purposes will depend upon each Fund’s investment experience during the year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. Shareholders will receive a Form 1099-DIV each calendar year that will inform them how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes.

February 29, 2024

 

    

Total Cumulative Distributions

for the Fiscal Year-to-Date

    

% Breakdown of the Total Cumulative

Distributions for the Fiscal Year-to-Date

 
 

 

 

    

 

 

 
iShares ETF   Net
Investment
Income
     Net Realized
Capital Gains
     Return of
Capital
     Total Per
Share
     Net
Investment
Income
    Net Realized
Capital Gains
    Return of
Capital
    Total Per
Share
 

MSCI Canada(a)

  $ 0.397270      $      $ 0.088604      $ 0.485874        82         18     100

 

  (a)

The Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its net investment income and net realized capital gains; therefore, a portion of the distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur, for example, when some or all of the shareholder’s investment in the Fund is returned to the shareholder. A return of capital does not necessarily reflect the Fund’s investment performance and should not be confused with “yield” or “income”. When distributions exceed total return performance, the difference will incrementally reduce the Fund’s net asset value per share.

 

Tailored Shareholder Reports for Open-End Mutual Funds and ETFs

Effective January 24, 2023, the SEC adopted rule and form amendments to require open-end mutual funds and ETFs to transmit concise and visually engaging streamlined annual and semiannual reports to shareholders that highlight key information. Other information, including financial statements, will no longer appear in a streamlined shareholder report but must be available online, delivered free of charge upon request, and filed on a semiannual basis on Form N-CSR. The rule and form amendments have a compliance date of July 24, 2024. At this time, management is evaluating the impact of these amendments on the shareholder reports for the Funds.

 

 

S U P P L E M E N T A L  I N F O R M A T I O N

  51


General Information

 

Electronic Delivery

Shareholders can sign up for e-mail notifications announcing that the shareholder report or prospectus has been posted on the iShares website at iShares.com. Once you have enrolled, you will no longer receive prospectuses and shareholder reports in the mail.

To enroll in electronic delivery:

 

   

Go to icsdelivery.com.

   

If your brokerage firm is not listed, electronic delivery may not be available. Please contact your broker-dealer or financial advisor.

Householding

Householding is an option available to certain fund investors. Householding is a method of delivery, based on the preference of the individual investor, in which a single copy of certain shareholder documents and Rule 30e-3 notices can be delivered to investors who share the same address, even if their accounts are registered under different names. Please contact your broker-dealer if you are interested in enrolling in householding and receiving a single copy of prospectuses and other shareholder documents, or if you are currently enrolled in householding and wish to change your householding status.

Availability of Quarterly Schedule of Investments

The Funds file their complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to their reports on Form N-PORT. The Funds’ Forms N-PORT are available on the SEC’s website at sec.gov. Additionally, each Fund makes its portfolio holdings for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year available at iShares.com/fundreports.

Availability of Proxy Voting Policies and Proxy Voting Records

A description of the policies and procedures that the iShares Funds use to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities and information about how the iShares Funds voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ending June 30 is available without charge, upon request (1) by calling toll-free 1-800-474-2737; (2) on the iShares website at iShares.com; and (3) on the SEC website at sec.gov.

A description of the Company’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio securities is available in the Fund Prospectus. The Fund discloses its portfolio holdings daily and provides information regarding its top holdings in Fund fact sheets at iShares.com.

 

 

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Glossary of Terms Used in this Report

 

Portfolio Abbreviation
CPO    Certificates of Participation (Ordinary)
NVS    Non-Voting Shares
REIT    Real Estate Investment Trust

 

 

G L O S S A R YO F  T E R M S  U S E DI NT H I S  R E P O R T

  53


 

 

Want to know more?

iShares.com | 1-800-474-2737

This report is intended for the Funds’ shareholders. It may not be distributed to prospective investors unless it is preceded or accompanied by the current prospectus.

Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal.

The iShares Funds are distributed by BlackRock Investments, LLC (together with its affiliates, “BlackRock”).

The iShares Funds are not sponsored, endorsed, issued, sold or promoted by MSCI Inc., nor does this company make any representation regarding the advisability of investing in the iShares Funds. BlackRock is not affiliated with the company listed above.

©2024 BlackRock, Inc. All rights reserved. iSHARES and BLACKROCK are registered trademarks of BlackRock, Inc. or its subsidiaries. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

iS-SAR-815-0224

 

 

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  FEBRUARY 29, 2024

 

  

2024 Semi-Annual Report

(Unaudited)

 

iShares, Inc.

 

·  

iShares MSCI Russia ETF | ERUS |


Table of Contents

 

      Page  

Semi-Annual Report:

  

Fund Summary

     3  

About Fund Performance

     4  

Disclosure of Expenses

     4  

Schedule of Investments

     5  

Financial Statements

  

Statement of Assets and Liabilities

     7  

Statement of Operations

     8  

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

     9  

Statement of Cash Flows

     10  

Financial Highlights

     11  

Notes to Financial Statements

     12  

Statement Regarding Liquidity Risk Management Program

     17  

Supplemental Information

     18  

General Information

     19  

Glossary of Terms Used in this Report

     20  

 

 

 


Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® MSCI Russia ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCI Russia ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of Russian equities, as represented by the MSCI Russia 25/50 Index (the “Index”). Effective June 1, 2022, the index was discontinued by the index provider, MSCI, Inc. Due to the discontinuation of the Fund’s underlying index and ongoing restrictions relating to Russian securities, the Fund will be unable to meet its investment objective. The Fund is in the process of liquidating its assets and winding up its business pursuant to a plan of liquidation.

Performance

 

          Average Annual Total Returns           Cumulative Total Returns  
     6-Month
Total Returns
    1 Year     5 Years      10 Years            1 Year     5 Years      10 Years  

Fund NAV

    1,011.85 %(a)      1,019.71 %(a)      (51.86 )%       (29.87 )%        1,019.71 %(a)      (97.42 )%       (97.12 )% 

Fund Market(b)

    N/A       N/A       (34.39      (13.32       N/A       (71.88      (68.19

Index(c)

    N/A       N/A       (91.92      (71.67             N/A       (99.99      (99.99

 

  (a) 

Total Return includes the impact of proceeds from the sale of certain investments, which were previously being fair valued at a nominal value with all other local Russian equities and Russian exposed ADR and GDR securities. See Plan of Liquidation section in the Notes to the Financial Statements for more information.

 
  (b) 

Effective March 4, 2022, the NYSE Arca, Inc. halted trading of the Fund and the Fund Market returns are as follows: 5 Years return and 10 Years return from February 28, 2019 and February 28, 2014, respectively through March 4, 2022. A 1 Year Fund Market Return is not shown as NYSE ARCA, Inc. halted trading of the Fund prior to September 1, 2022.

 
  (c) 

Effective June 1, 2022, the Index was discontinued by the index provider, MSCI, Inc and the Index returns are as follows: 5 Years return and 10 Years return from February 28, 2019 and February 28, 2014, respectively through May 31, 2022. A 1 Year Index return is not shown as MSCI, Inc discontinued the Index prior to September 1, 2022.

 

Expense Example

 

Actual           Hypothetical 5% Return           
 

Beginning
Account Value
(09/01/23)
 
 
 
      

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a)  
           

Beginning
Account Value
(09/01/23)
 
 
 
      

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a)  
      

Annualized
Expense
Ratio
 
 
 
 $ 1,000.00        $ 11,118.50        $ 0.00             $ 1,000.00        $ 1,024.90        $ 0.00          0.00

 

  (a)

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information. Effective March 3, 2022, BFA implemented a voluntary waiver of its investment advisory fee for the Fund, which was applied to management fees for the six months ended February 29, 2024.

 

Portfolio Information

 

TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS

 

Security   Percent of
Total Investments
 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares

    93.5

Inter RAO UES PJSC

    3.3  

Gazprom PJSC

    0.6  

Surgutneftegas PJSC

    0.5  

Surgutneftegas PJSC (Preferred)

    0.5  

Sberbank of Russia PJSC

    0.5  

VTB Bank PJSC

    0.2  

Alrosa PJSC

    0.2  

United Co. RUSAL International PJSC

    0.1  

Moscow Exchange MICEX-RTS PJSC

    0.1  
 

 

 

F U N D S U M M A R Y

  3


About Fund Performance

 

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Financial markets have experienced extreme volatility and trading in many instruments has been disrupted. These circumstances may continue for an extended period of time and may continue to affect adversely the value and liquidity of the Fund’s investments. As a result, current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. Performance results assume reinvestment of all dividends and capital gain distributions and do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. The investment return and principal value of shares will vary with changes in market conditions. Shares may be worth more or less than their original cost when they are redeemed or sold in the market. Performance for certain funds may reflect a waiver of a portion of investment advisory fees. Without such a waiver, performance would have been lower.

Net asset value or “NAV” is the value of one share of a fund as calculated in accordance with the standard formula for valuing mutual fund shares. Beginning August 10, 2020, the price used to calculate market return (“Market Price”) is the closing price. Prior to August 10, 2020, Market Price was determined using the midpoint between the highest bid and the lowest ask on the primary stock exchange on which shares of a fund are listed for trading, as of the time that such fund’s NAV is calculated. Market and NAV returns assume that dividends and capital gain distributions have been reinvested at Market Price and NAV, respectively. The NYSE ARCA, Inc. halted trading of the Fund effective March 4, 2022, and delisted the Fund effective August 29, 2022 therefore, there is no longer a Market Price.

An index is a statistical composite that tracks a specified financial market or sector. Unlike a fund, an index does not actually hold a portfolio of securities and therefore does not incur the expenses incurred by a fund. These expenses negatively impact fund performance. Also, index returns do not include brokerage commissions that may be payable on secondary market transactions. If brokerage commissions were included, index returns would be lower. Effective June 1, 2022, the index was discontinued by the index provider, MSCI, Inc.

Disclosure of Expenses

Shareholders of the Fund may incur the following charges: (1) transactional expenses, including brokerage commissions on purchases and sales of fund shares and (2) ongoing expenses, including management fees and other fund expenses. The expense example shown (which is based on a hypothetical investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held through the end of the period) is intended to assist shareholders both in calculating expenses based on an investment in the Fund and in comparing these expenses with similar costs of investing in other funds.

The expense example provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. Annualized expense ratios reflect contractual and voluntary fee waivers, if any. In order to estimate the expenses a shareholder paid during the period covered by this report, shareholders can divide their account value by $1,000 and then multiply the result by the number under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During the Period.”

The expense example also provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on a fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses. In order to assist shareholders in comparing the ongoing expenses of investing in the Fund and other funds, compare the 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.

The expenses shown in the expense example are intended to highlight shareholders’ ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional expenses, such as brokerage commissions and other fees paid on purchases and sales of fund shares. Therefore, the hypothetical example is useful in comparing ongoing expenses only and will not help shareholders determine the relative total expenses of owning different funds. If these transactional expenses were included, shareholder expenses would have been higher.

 

 

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Schedule of Investments (unaudited)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Russia ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Common Stocks

   
Banks — 0.7%            

Sberbank of Russia PJSC(a)(b)

    18,835,860     $   2,058  

TCS Group Holding PLC, GDR(a)(b)

    289,152       32  

VTB Bank PJSC(a)(b)

    8,307,845,016       908  
   

 

 

 
      2,998  
Broadline Retail — 0.0%            

Ozon Holdings PLC, ADR(a)(b)

    106,824       12  
   

 

 

 
Capital Markets — 0.1%            

Moscow Exchange MICEX-RTS PJSC(a)(b)

    4,737,800       518  
   

 

 

 
Chemicals — 0.0%            

PhosAgro PJSC(a)(b)

    148,802       17  

PhosAgro PJSC, New(a)(b)

    2,875       29  

PhosAgro PJSC, GDR(a)(b)

    2        
   

 

 

 
      46  
Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail — 0.0%        

X5 Retail Group NV, GDR(a)(b)

    374,475       41  
   

 

 

 
Electric Utilities — 3.2%            

Inter RAO UES PJSC(a)(b)

    136,938,300       14,966  
   

 

 

 
Interactive Media & Services — 0.0%            

VK Co. Ltd.(a)(b)

    393,252       43  

Yandex NV(a)(b)

    361,376       39  
   

 

 

 
      82  
Metals & Mining — 0.5%            

Alrosa PJSC(a)(b)

    7,486,250       818  

MMC Norilsk Nickel PJSC(a)(b)

    96,437       10  

Novolipetsk Steel PJSC(a)(b)

    4,388,590       480  

Polymetal International PLC(a)(b)

    834,056       92  

Polyus PJSC(a)(b)

    89,129       10  

Severstal PAO(a)(b)

    604,068       66  

United Co. RUSAL International PJSC(a)(b)

    5,811,330       635  
   

 

 

 
      2,111  
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels — 1.3%            

Gazprom PJSC(a)(b)

    24,553,290       2,683  

LUKOIL PJSC(a)(b)

    856,438       94  

Novatek PJSC(a)(b)

    1,250,860       137  
Security   Shares     Value  
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels (continued)            

Rosneft Oil Co. PJSC(a)(b)

    2,566,222     $ 280  

Surgutneftegas PJSC(a)(b)

    21,799,946       2,383  

Tatneft PJSC(a)(b)

    3,516,781       384  
   

 

 

 
      5,961  
Wireless Telecommunication Services — 0.1%  

Mobile TeleSystems PJSC(a)(b)

    2,776,444       303  
   

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks — 5.9%
(Cost: $440,387,124)

      27,038  
   

 

 

 

Preferred Stocks

 

Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels — 0.5%  

Surgutneftegas PJSC, Preference Shares, NVS(a)(b)

    21,745,700       2,376  
   

 

 

 

Total Preferred Stocks — 0.5%
(Cost: $11,913,761)

      2,376  
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 6.4%
(Cost: $452,300,885)

      29,414  
   

 

 

 

Short-Term Securities

 

Money Market Funds — 91.2%  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares, 5.30%(c)(d)

    420,000       420,000  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 91.2%
(Cost: $420,000)

 

    420,000  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments — 97.6%
(Cost: $452,720,885)

 

    449,414  

Other Assets Less Liabilities — 2.4%

 

    11,210  
   

 

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

    $ 460,624  
   

 

 

 

 

(a)

Security is valued using significant unobservable inputs and is classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.

(b)

Non-income producing security.

(c)

Affiliate of the Fund.

(d)

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

Affiliated Issuer    Value at
08/31/23
     Purchases
at Cost
     Proceeds
from Sale
     Net Realized
Gain (Loss)
     Change in
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
     Value at
02/29/24
     Shares
Held at
02/29/24
     Income      Capital
Gain
Distributions
from
Underlying
Funds
 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares

   $ 450,000      $      $ (30,000 )(a)     $     —      $     —      $ 420,000        420,000      $ 36,300      $     —  
           

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

       

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a)

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

 

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F I N V E S T M E N T S

  5


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Russia ETF

 

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

      Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

Assets

                 

Investments

                 

Long-Term Investments

                 

Common Stocks

   $        $        $ 27,038        $ 27,038  

Preferred Stocks

                       2,376          2,376  

Short-Term Securities

                 

Money Market Funds

     420,000                            420,000  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $ 420,000        $        $ 29,414        $ 449,414  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

A reconciliation of Level 3 financial instruments is presented when the Fund had a significant amount of Level 3 investments and derivative financial instruments at the beginning and/or end of the period in relation to net assets. The following table is a reconciliation of Level 3 investments for which significant unobservable inputs were used in determining fair value:

 

      Common
Stocks
     Preferred
Stocks
     Total  

Assets:

        

Opening balance, as of August 31, 2023

   $ 25,825      $ 2,268      $ 28,093  

Transfers into Level 3

                    

Transfers out of Level 3

                    

Accrued discounts/premiums

                    

Net realized gain (loss)

     (8,341,437             (8,341,437

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)(a)(b)

     13,151,904        108        13,152,012  

Purchases

                    

Sales

     (4,809,254             (4,809,254
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Closing balance, as of February 29, 2024

   $ 27,038      $ 2,376      $ 29,414  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investment still held at February 29, 2024

   $ (10,575,977    $ 108      $ (10,575,869
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Included in the related net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) in the Statement of Operations.

 
  (b) 

Any difference between net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) and net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments still held at February 29, 2024 is generally due to investments no longer held or categorized as Level 3 at period end.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

6  

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Statement of Assets and Liabilities (unaudited)

February 29, 2024

  

 

     iShares
MSCI Russia
ETF
 

ASSETS

 

Investments, at value — unaffiliated(a)

  $ 29,414  

Investments, at value — affiliated(b)

    420,000  

Cash

    9,156  

Foreign currency, at value(c)

    291  

Receivables:

 

Dividends — affiliated

    1,763  
 

 

 

 

Total assets

    460,624  
 

 

 

 

Commitments and contingent liabilities

 

NET ASSETS

  $ 460,624  
 

 

 

 

NET ASSETS CONSIST OF

 

Paid-in capital

  $ 614,603,100  

Accumulated loss

    (614,142,476
 

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

  $ 460,624  
 

 

 

 

NET ASSET VALUE

 

Shares outstanding

    13,750,000  
 

 

 

 

Net asset value

  $ 0.03  
 

 

 

 

Shares authorized

    1 billion  
 

 

 

 

Par value

  $ 0.001  
 

 

 

 

(a) Investments, at cost — unaffiliated

  $ 452,300,885  

(b) Investments, at cost — affiliated

  $ 420,000  

(c)  Foreign currency, at cost

  $ 272  

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L S T A T E M E N T S 

  7


Statement of Operations (unaudited)

Six Months Ended February 29, 2024

  

 

     iShares
MSCI Russia
ETF
 

INVESTMENT INCOME

 

Dividends — affiliated

  $ 36,300  

Interest — unaffiliated

    653  
 

 

 

 

Total investment income

    36,953  
 

 

 

 

EXPENSES

 

Investment advisory

    3,752  
 

 

 

 

Total expenses

    3,752  

Less:

 

Investment advisory fees waived

    (3,752
 

 

 

 

Total expenses after fees waived

     
 

 

 

 

Net investment income

    36,953  
 

 

 

 

REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS)

 

Net realized gain (loss) from:

 

Investments — unaffiliated

    (8,341,437
 

 

 

 
    (8,341,437
 

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:

 

Investments — unaffiliated

    13,152,012  
 

 

 

 
    13,152,012  
 

 

 

 

Net realized and unrealized gain

    4,810,575  
 

 

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS

  $ 4,847,528  
 

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

8  

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Statements of Changes in Net Assets

 

     iShares
MSCI Russia ETF
 
  Six Months
Ended
02/29/24
(unaudited)
    Year
Ended
08/31/23
 

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS

   

OPERATIONS

   

Net investment income

  $ 36,953     $ 19,157  

Net realized loss

    (8,341,437      

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

    13,152,012       (16,024
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

    4,847,528       3,133  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS(a)

   

Liquidating distribution

    (4,875,008      
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Decrease in net assets resulting from distributions to shareholders

    (4,875,008      
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

   

Net increase in net assets derived from capital share transactions

           
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

   

Total increase (decrease) in net assets

    (27,480     3,133  

Beginning of period

    488,104       484,971  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

End of period

  $ 460,624     $ 488,104  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L S T A T E M E N T S

  9


Statement of Cash Flows (unaudited)

Six Months Ended February 29, 2024

  

 

     iShares
MSCI Russia ETF

CASH PROVIDED BY (USED FOR) OPERATING ACTIVITIES

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

  $ 4,847,528  

Adjustments to reconcile net increase in net assets resulting from operations to net cash provided by operating activities:

 

Proceeds from sales of long-term investments

    4,809,254  

Net proceeds from sales of short-term securities

    30,000  

Net realized (gain) loss on investments

    8,341,437  

Net change in unrealized (appreciation) depreciation on investments

    (13,152,012

(Increase) decrease in assets:

 

Receivables:

 

Dividends — affiliated

    293  
 

 

 

 

Net cash provided by operating activities

    4,876,500  
 

 

 

 

CASH PROVIDED BY (USED FOR) FINANCING ACTIVITIES

 

Cash dividends paid to shareholders

    (4,875,008
 

 

 

 

Net cash used for financing activities

    (4,875,008
 

 

 

 

CASH

 

Net increase in restricted and unrestricted cash

  $ 1,492  

Restricted and unrestricted cash and foreign currency at beginning of period

    7,955  
 

 

 

 

Restricted and unrestricted cash and foreign currency at end of period

  $ 9,447  
 

 

 

 
RECONCILIATION OF RESTRICTED AND UNRESTRICTED CASH AT THE END OF PERIOD TO THE STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES  

Cash

  $ 9,156  

Foreign currency, at value

    291  
 

 

 

 
  $ 9,447  
 

 

 

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

10  

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Financial Highlights

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

          iShares MSCI Russia ETF  
   

Six Months Ended
02/29/24
(unaudited)

     

 

    Year Ended
08/31/23
     Year Ended
08/31/22
     Year Ended
08/31/21
     Year Ended
08/31/20
     Year Ended
08/31/19
 

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

                   $ 0.04        $ 0.04       $ 45.29       $ 34.87       $ 37.81       $ 32.47  
     

 

 

     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

        0.00 (b)         0.00 (b)       0.86        2.05        1.87        2.33  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)

        0.34         (0.00 )(b)       (44.38 )(c)       10.24 (c)        (1.99 )(c)        5.04 (c)  
     

 

 

     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

        0.34         0.00 (b)       (43.52      12.29        (0.12      7.37  
     

 

 

     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Distributions(d)

                            

From net investment income

                       (1.70      (1.87      (2.82      (2.03

Liquidating distribution

        (0.35              (0.03                     
     

 

 

     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total distributions

        (0.35              (1.73      (1.87      (2.82      (2.03
     

 

 

     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

       $ 0.03        $ 0.04       $ 0.04       $ 45.29       $ 34.87       $ 37.81  
     

 

 

     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Return(e)

                     

Based on net asset value

        1,011.85 %(f)(g)        0.64      (99.85 )%       36.07      (1.28 )%       23.64
     

 

 

     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(h)

                     

Total expenses

        0.59 %(i)         0.59      0.58      0.57      0.59      0.59
     

 

 

     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total expenses after fees waived(j)

        0.00 %(i)         0.00      0.50      0.57      0.59      0.59
     

 

 

     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net investment income

        5.84 %(i)         3.94      4.01      5.26      4.97      6.60
     

 

 

     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

                     

Net assets, end of period (000)

       $ 461        $  488       $ 485       $ 586,497       $ 467,203       $ 627,581  
     

 

 

     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(k)

        0       0      7      25      30      18
     

 

 

     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Based on average shares outstanding.

(b) 

Rounds to less than $0.01.

(c) 

The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

(d) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(e) 

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

(f) 

Not annualized.

(g) 

Total Return includes the impact of proceeds from the sale of certain investments, which were previously being fair valued at a nominal value with all other local Russian equities and Russian exposed ADR and GDR securities. See Plan of Liquidation section in the Notes to the Financial Statements for more information.

(h) 

Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

(i) 

Annualized.

(j) 

Effective March 3, 2022, BFA implemented a voluntary waiver of its investment advisory fee for the Fund which was applied to management fees starting with February 1, 2022 for the year ended August 31, 2022, August 31, 2023 and six months ended February 28, 2024.

(k) 

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, if any.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L H I G H L I G H T S 

  11


Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited)

 

1.

ORGANIZATION

iShares, Inc. (the “Company”) is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), as an open-end management investment company. The Company is organized as a Maryland corporation and is authorized to have multiple series or portfolios.

These financial statements relate only to the following fund (the “Fund”):

 

   
iShares ETF    Diversification 
Classification 
 

MSCI Russia

     Non-diversified   

 

2.

PLAN OF LIQUIDATION

Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, creating circumstances that have significantly impacted the Fund’s operations. The United States, and many other countries, imposed economic sanctions on certain Russian individuals and Russian corporate and banking entities, including banning Russia from global payment systems that facilitate cross-border payments. In response, the Russian government imposed capital controls to restrict movements of capital from entering and exiting the country and has closed trading sessions for local Russian equities to non-residents. In addition, trading of depository receipts for Russian-based companies halted on primary trading platforms subsequent to Russia’s invasion.

The consequences of Russia’s invasion and unprecedented market and policy responses of various governments and regulators precipitated the absence of a functioning or orderly market to facilitate the liquidation and repatriation of securities for any Russian-based company held by the Fund. As a result, the fair value of Russian securities and currency experienced significant declines.

Additionally, since February 24, 2022, the following events occurred: (i) the Fund suspended new creations of its shares; (ii) NYSE Arca, Inc. announced a trading halt of the Fund; (iii) BFA wrote down the value of all Russian equity securities to a nominal investment value; (iv) BFA implemented a voluntary waiver of its investment advisory fee for the Fund; (v) Russia signed into law a requirement of Russian issuers to terminate deposit agreements related to their depository receipt program, with holders receiving local shares of most Russian issuers in place of the depository receipts; (vi) the Fund was removed as a borrower from the line of credit facility as the trading halt by NYSE Arca, Inc. resulted in technical default under the Syndicated Credit Agreement; (vii) the Fund’s underlying index, the MSCI Russia 25/50 Index, was discontinued by the index provider, (viii) the Fund suspended redemptions pursuant to an order of the SEC; (ix) NYSE Arca, Inc. delisted the Fund.

On June 15, 2022, the Board unanimously voted to close and liquidate the Fund, contingent on receiving any necessary relief from the SEC, due to the discontinuation of the MSCI Russia 25/50 Index and ongoing restrictions relating to Russian securities. On August 3, 2022, the SEC granted exemptive relief to the Fund permitting the Fund to suspend the right of redemption with respect to shares of the Fund. On August 17, 2022, the Fund made an initial liquidating distribution to shareholders of available cash, less a reserve estimated to meet the Fund’s expected transaction costs associated with the liquidation.

The Fund participated in a tender offer on Magnit PJSC, in which proceeds from the shares tendered were booked into the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) on November 20, 2023. On December 21, 2023, the Fund made a liquidating distribution to shareholders of available cash, less a reserve estimated to the meet the Fund’s expected transaction costs associated with the liquidation.

On December 14, 2023, the Board unanimously voted to continue to have the Fund managed pursuant to the plan of liquidation through December 31, 2024 (absent significant market developments), to allow the Fund to sell its securities, if conditions permit. There are no assurances that the securities will become liquid during that time. If the Fund’s Russian securities have not been sold or are unable to be converted as of the date the Fund is terminated, the Fund’s remaining portfolio assets will be permanently written off, in each case as determined by BFA and approved by the Board. The Fund may be terminated sooner if all of the Russian securities have been sold before that date (or they cease to represent valid interests in their issuers). While the Fund is in the process of liquidating its portfolio, the Fund will hold cash and securities that may not be consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and prior investment strategies. As a result of the delisting by NYSE Arca, Inc. the Fund is no longer considered an exchange-traded fund.

 

3.

SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The financial statements are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”), which may require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The Fund is considered an investment company under U.S. GAAP and follows the accounting and reporting guidance applicable to investment companies. Below is a summary of significant accounting policies:

Investment Transactions and Income Recognition: For financial reporting purposes, investment transactions are recorded on the dates the transactions are executed. Realized gains and losses on investment transactions are determined using the specific identification method. Dividend income and capital gain distributions, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Non-cash dividends, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date at fair value. Dividends from foreign securities where the ex-dividend date may have passed are subsequently recorded when the Fund is informed of the ex-dividend date. Under the applicable foreign tax laws, a withholding tax at various rates may be imposed on capital gains, dividends and interest. Interest income, including amortization and accretion of premiums and discounts on debt securities, is

 

 

12  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S S E M I  - A N N U A L R E P O R T T O S H A R E H O L D E R S


Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

recognized daily on an accrual basis. Certain Russian securities held by the Fund declared dividends during the period, however there is no assurance these dividends can be collected by the Fund due to restrictions imposed by the Russian government. As a result, the Fund has not accrued any investment income associated with these Russian securities.

Foreign Currency Translation: The Fund’s books and records are maintained in U.S. dollars. Securities and other assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars using prevailing market rates as quoted by one or more data service providers. Purchases and sales of investments are recorded at the rates of exchange prevailing on the respective dates of such transactions. Generally, when the U.S. dollar rises in value against a foreign currency, the investments denominated in that currency will lose value; the opposite effect occurs if the U.S. dollar falls in relative value.

The Fund does not isolate the effect of fluctuations in foreign exchange rates from the effect of fluctuations in the market prices of investments for financial reporting purposes. Accordingly, the effects of changes in exchange rates on investments are not segregated in the Statement of Operations from the effects of changes in market prices of those investments, but are included as a component of net realized and unrealized gain (loss) from investments. The Fund reports realized currency gains (losses) on foreign currency related transactions as components of net realized gain (loss) for financial reporting purposes, whereas such components are generally treated as ordinary income for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Distributions: Dividends and distributions paid by the Fund are recorded on the ex-dividend dates. Distributions are determined on a tax basis and may differ from net investment income and net realized capital gains for financial reporting purposes. Dividends and distributions are paid in U.S. dollars and cannot be automatically reinvested in additional shares of the Fund. On December 21, 2023, the Fund made a liquidating distribution to shareholders of available cash, less a reserve estimated to the meet the Fund’s expected transaction costs associated with the liquidation.

Indemnifications: In the normal course of business, the Fund enters into contracts that contain a variety of representations that provide general indemnification. The Fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown because it involves future potential claims against the Fund, which cannot be predicted with any certainty.

 

4.

INVESTMENT VALUATION AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

Investment Valuation Policies: The Fund’s investments are valued at fair value (also referred to as “market value” within the financial statements) each day that the Fund’s listing exchange is open and, for financial reporting purposes, as of the report date. U.S. GAAP defines fair value as the price a fund would receive to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) of the Fund has approved the designation of BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BFA”), the Fund’s investment adviser, as the valuation designee for the Fund. The Fund determines the fair values of its financial instruments using various independent dealers or pricing services under BFA’s policies. If a security’s market price is not readily available or does not otherwise accurately represent the fair value of the security, the security will be valued in accordance with BFA’s policies and procedures as reflecting fair value. BFA has formed a committee (the “Valuation Committee”) to develop pricing policies and procedures and to oversee the pricing function for all financial instruments, with assistance from other BlackRock pricing committees.

Fair Value Inputs and Methodologies: The following methods and inputs are used to establish the fair value of the Fund’s assets and liabilities:

 

   

Equity investments traded on a recognized securities exchange are valued at that day’s official closing price, as applicable, on the exchange where the stock is primarily traded. Equity investments traded on a recognized exchange for which there were no sales on that day are valued at the last traded price.

 

   

Investments in open-end U.S. mutual funds (including money market funds) are valued at that day’s published NAV.

Generally, trading in foreign instruments is substantially completed each day at various times prior to the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”). Each business day, the Fund uses current market factors supplied by independent pricing services to value certain foreign instruments (“Systematic Fair Value Price”). The Systematic Fair Value Price is designed to value such foreign securities at fair value as of the close of trading on the NYSE, which follows the close of the local markets.

If events (e.g., market volatility, company announcement, war or a natural disaster) occur that are expected to materially affect the value of such investment, or in the event that application of these methods of valuation results in a price for an investment that is deemed not to be representative of the market value of such investment, or if a price is not available, the investment will be valued by the Valuation Committee, in accordance with BFA’s policies and procedures as reflecting fair value (“Fair Valued Investments”). The fair valuation approaches that may be used by the Valuation Committee include market approach, income approach and cost approach. Valuation techniques such as discounted cash flow, use of market comparables and matrix pricing are types of valuation approaches and are typically used in determining fair value. When determining the price for Fair Valued Investments, the Valuation Committee seeks to determine the price that the Fund might reasonably expect to receive or pay from the current sale or purchase of that asset or liability in an arm’s-length transaction. Fair value determinations shall be based upon all available factors that the Valuation Committee deems relevant and consistent with the principles of fair value measurement.

Fair value pricing could result in a difference between the prices used to calculate a fund’s NAV and the prices used by the fund’s underlying index, which in turn could result in a difference between the fund’s performance and the performance of the fund’s underlying index.

During the period, the Valuation Committee determined that the local Russian equities and Russian exposed ADR and GDR securities did not have a market for which the Fund could transact and deemed them illiquid. As of February 29, 2024, the securities are being fair valued at a nominal value using a discount of 99% or higher due to illiquidity and uncertainty measures.

Fair Value Hierarchy: Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. These inputs to valuation techniques are categorized into a fair value hierarchy consisting of three broad levels for financial reporting purposes as follows:

 

 

N O T E S T O F I N A N C I A L S T A T E M E N T S

  13


Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

   

Level 1 – Unadjusted price quotations in active markets/exchanges for identical assets or liabilities that the Fund has the ability to access;

 

   

Level 2 – Other observable inputs (including, but not limited to, quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in markets that are active, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the assets or liabilities (such as interest rates, yield curves, volatilities, prepayment speeds, loss severities, credit risks and default rates) or other market-corroborated inputs); and

 

   

Level 3 – Unobservable inputs based on the best information available in the circumstances, to the extent observable inputs are not available, (including the Valuation Committee’s assumptions used in determining the fair value of financial instruments).

The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements). Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised in determining fair value is greatest for instruments categorized in Level 3. The inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, for disclosure purposes, the fair value hierarchy classification is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. Investments classified within Level 3 have significant unobservable inputs used by the Valuation Committee in determining the price for Fair Valued Investments. Level 3 investments include equity or debt issued by privately held companies or funds that may not have a secondary market and/or may have a limited number of investors. The categorization of a value determined for financial instruments is based on the pricing transparency of the financial instruments and is not necessarily an indication of the risks associated with investing in those securities.

 

5.

INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES

Investment Advisory Fees: Pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement with the Company, BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BFA”) manages the investment of the Fund’s assets. BFA is a California corporation indirectly owned by BlackRock, Inc. (“BlackRock”). Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, BFA is responsible for substantially all expenses of the Fund, except (i) interest and taxes; (ii) brokerage commissions and other expenses connected with the execution of portfolio transactions; (iii) distribution fees; (iv) the advisory fee payable to BFA; and (v) litigation expenses and any extraordinary expenses (in each case as determined by a majority of the independent directors).

For its investment advisory services to the Fund, BFA is entitled to an annual investment advisory fee, accrued daily and paid monthly by the Fund, based on the Fund’s allocable portion of the aggregate of the average daily net assets of the Fund and certain other iShares funds, as follows:

 

   
Aggregate Average Daily Net Assets    Investment Advisory Fees  

First $2 billion

   0.7400%

Over $2 billion, up to and including $4 billion

   0.6900  

Over $4 billion, up to and including $8 billion

   0.6400  

Over $8 billion, up to and including $16 billion

   0.5700  

Over $16 billion, up to and including $24 billion

   0.5100  

Over $24 billion, up to and including $32 billion

   0.4800  

Over $32 billion, up to and including $40 billion

   0.4500  

Over $40 billion

   0.4275  

Expense Waivers: Effective March 3, 2022, BFA implemented a voluntary waiver of its investment advisory fee for the Fund, which was applied to management fees for the period ended February 29, 2024.

This amount is included in investment advisory fees waived in the Statement of Operations. For the six months ended February 29, 2024, the amounts waived in investment advisory fees pursuant to this arrangement were as follows:

 

   
iShares ETF    Amounts Waived   

MSCI Russia

   $ 3,752   

Distributor: BlackRock Investments, LLC, an affiliate of BFA, is the distributor for the Fund. Pursuant to the distribution agreement, BFA is responsible for any fees or expenses for distribution services provided to the Fund.

Officers and Directors: Certain officers and/or directors of the Company are officers and/or directors of BlackRock or its affiliates.

Other Transactions: The Fund may invest its positive cash balances in certain money market funds managed by BFA or an affiliate. The income earned on these temporary cash investments is shown as dividends – affiliated in the Statement of Operations.

 

6.

PURCHASES AND SALES

For the six months ended February 29, 2024, purchases and sales of investments, excluding short-term securities and in-kind transactions, were as follows:

 

   
iShares ETF    Sales   

MSCI Russia

   $ 4,809,254   

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

There were no in-kind transactions for the six months ended February 29, 2024.

 

7.

INCOME TAX INFORMATION

The Fund is treated as an entity separate from the Company’s other funds for federal income tax purposes. It is the Fund’s policy to comply with the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, applicable to regulated investment companies, and to distribute substantially all of its taxable income to its shareholders. Therefore, no U.S. federal income tax provision is required.

Management has analyzed tax laws and regulations and their application to the Fund as of February 29, 2024, inclusive of the open tax return years, and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability in the Fund’s financial statements.

As of August 31, 2023, the Fund had non-expiring capital loss carryforwards of $122,219,861 available to offset future realized capital gains.

A fund may own shares in certain foreign investment entities, referred to, under U.S. tax law, as “passive foreign investment companies.” Such fund may elect to mark-to-market annually the shares of each passive foreign investment company and would be required to distribute to shareholders any such marked-to-market gains.

As of February 29, 2024, gross unrealized appreciation and depreciation based on cost of investments (including short positions and derivatives, if any) for U.S. federal income tax purposes were as follows:

 

         
iShares ETF   Tax Cost      Gross Unrealized
Appreciation
     Gross Unrealized
Depreciation
    Net Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
 

MSCI Russia

  $ 479,192,555      $      $ (478,743,141   $ (478,743,141

8. PRINCIPAL RISKS

In the normal course of business, the Fund invests in securities or other instruments and may enter into certain transactions, and such activities subject the Fund to various risks, including, among others, fluctuations in the market (market risk) or failure of an issuer to meet all of its obligations. The value of securities or other instruments may also be affected by various factors, including, without limitation: (i) the general economy; (ii) the overall market as well as local, regional or global political and/or social instability; (iii) regulation, taxation or international tax treaties between various countries; or (iv) currency, interest rate or price fluctuations. Local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant impact on the Fund and its investments. The Fund’s prospectus provides details of the risks to which the Fund is subject.

BFA uses an indexing approach to try to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. The Fund is not actively managed, and BFA generally does not attempt to take defensive positions under any market conditions, including declining markets.

Valuation Risk: The market values of equities, such as common stocks and preferred securities or equity related investments, such as futures and options, may decline due to general market conditions which are not specifically related to a particular company. They may also decline due to factors which affect a particular industry or industries. A fund may invest in illiquid investments. An illiquid investment is any investment that a fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. A fund may experience difficulty in selling illiquid investments in a timely manner at the price that it believes the investments are worth. Prices may fluctuate widely over short or extended periods in response to company, market or economic news. Markets also tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising and falling prices. This volatility may cause a fund’s NAV to experience significant increases or decreases over short periods of time. If there is a general decline in the securities and other markets, the NAV of a fund may lose value, regardless of the individual results of the securities and other instruments in which a fund invests.

The price the Fund could receive upon the sale of any particular portfolio investment may differ from the Fund’s valuation of the investment, particularly for securities that trade in thin or volatile markets or that are valued using a fair valuation technique or a price provided by an independent pricing service. Changes to significant unobservable inputs and assumptions (i.e., publicly traded company multiples, growth rate, time to exit) due to the lack of observable inputs may significantly impact the resulting fair value and therefore the Fund’s results of operations. As a result, the price received upon the sale of an investment may be less than the value ascribed by the Fund, and the Fund could realize a greater than expected loss or lesser than expected gain upon the sale of the investment. The Fund’s ability to value its investments may also be impacted by technological issues and/or errors by pricing services or other third-party service providers.

Geographic/Asset Class Risk: A diversified portfolio, where this is appropriate and consistent with a fund’s objectives, minimizes the risk that a price change of a particular investment will have a material impact on the NAV of a fund. The investment concentrations within the Fund’s portfolio are disclosed in its Schedule of Investments.

The Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in issuers located in a single country or a limited number of countries. When a fund concentrates its investments in this manner, it assumes the risk that economic, regulatory, political and social conditions in that country or those countries may have a significant impact on the fund and could affect the income from, or the value or liquidity of, the Fund’s portfolio. Unanticipated or sudden political or social developments may cause uncertainty in the markets and as a result adversely affect the Fund’s investments. Foreign issuers may not be subject to the same uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and practices as used in the United States. Foreign securities markets may also be more volatile and less liquid than U.S. securities and may be less subject to governmental supervision not typically associated with investing in U.S. securities.

 

 

N O T E S T O F I N A N C I A L S T A T E M E N T S

  15


Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

The Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in securities of issuers located in Russia or with significant exposure to Russian issuers or countries. Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Governments in the U.S. and many other countries have imposed economic sanctions on certain Russian individuals and Russian corporate and banking entities. Jurisdictions have instituted broader sanctions on Russia, including banning Russia from global payments systems that facilitate cross-border payments. The extent and duration of the military action, resulting sanctions and resulting future market disruptions, including declines in Russia’s stock markets and the value of the ruble against the U.S. dollar, are impossible to predict, but have been, and may continue to be, significant. Any such disruptions caused by the Russian military action or any response to such activity from the international community may negatively impact Russia’s economy and Russian issuers of securities in which the Fund invests.

The Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in securities within a single or limited number of market sectors. When a fund concentrates its investments in this manner, it assumes the risk that economic, regulatory, political and social conditions affecting such sectors may have a significant impact on the fund and could affect the income from, or the value or liquidity of, the fund’s portfolio. Investment percentages in specific sectors are presented in the Schedule of Investments.

 

9.

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

On March 1, 2022, the Fund suspended new creations of its shares. On August 3, 2022, the SEC granted exemptive relief to the Fund permitting the Fund to suspend the right of redemption with respect to shares of the Fund. Refer to Note 2 for more information.

 

10.

SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

Management’s evaluation of the impact of all subsequent events on the Fund’s financial statements was completed through the date the financial statements were available to be issued and the following item was noted:

On March 4, 2024 and March 13, 2024, the Fund sold 834,056 shares of Polymetal International PLC, resulting in proceeds of $3,178,988 and a realized loss from investments - unaffiliated of $(7,398,309).

 

 

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Statement Regarding Liquidity Risk Management Program (unaudited)

 

In compliance with Rule 22e-4 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Liquidity Rule”), iShares, Inc. (the “Company”) has adopted and implemented a liquidity risk management program (the “Program”) for iShares MSCI Russia ETF (the “Fund”), a series of the Company, which is reasonably designed to assess and manage the Fund’s liquidity risk.

The Board of Directors (the “Board”) of the Company, on behalf of the Fund, met on December 8, 2023 (the “Meeting”) to review the Program. The Board previously appointed BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BlackRock”), the investment adviser to the Fund, as the program administrator for the Fund’s Program. BlackRock also previously delegated oversight of the Program to the 40 Act Liquidity Risk Management Committee (the “Committee”). At the Meeting, the Committee, on behalf of BlackRock, provided the Board with a report that addressed the operation of the Program and assessed its adequacy and effectiveness of implementation, including the management of the Fund’s Highly Liquid Investment Minimum (“HLIM”) where applicable, and any material changes to the Program (the “Report”). The Report covered the period from October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2023 (the “Program Reporting Period”). As part of its review of the Program with respect to the Fund, the Board was provided information about the continued illiquidity of Russian equity exposure.

The Report described the Program’s liquidity classification methodology for categorizing the Fund’s investments (including derivative transactions) into one of four liquidity buckets. It also referenced the methodology used by BlackRock to establish the Fund’s HLIM and noted that the Committee reviews and ratifies the HLIM assigned to the Fund no less frequently than annually. The Report also discussed notable events affecting liquidity over the Program Reporting Period, including extended market holidays, delays in the repatriation of the local currency in certain non-U.S. countries, the continued illiquidity of Russian equity securities and the suspension of select sanctions in Venezuela.

There were no material changes to the Program during the Program Reporting Period other than the enhancement of certain model components in the Program’s classification methodology. The Report provided to the Board stated that the Committee concluded that based on the operation of the functions, as described in the Report, the Program is operating as intended and is effective in implementing the requirements of the Liquidity Rule.

 

 

S T A T E M E N T R E G A R D I N G L I Q U I D I T Y  R I S K M A N A G E M E N T P R O G R A M

  17


Supplemental Information (unaudited)

 

Section 19(a) Notices

The amounts and sources of distributions reported are estimates and are being provided pursuant to regulatory requirements and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund’s investment experience during the year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. Shareholders will receive a Form 1099-DIV each calendar year that will inform them how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes.

February 29, 2024

 

       
   

Total Cumulative Distributions

for the Fiscal Year-to-Date

           

% Breakdown of the Total Cumulative

Distributions for the Fiscal Year-to-Date

 
iShares ETF  

Net

Investment

Income

     Net Realized
Capital Gains
    

Return of

Capital

    

Total Per

Share

           

Net

Investment

Income

   

Net Realized

Capital Gains

   

Return of

Capital

   

Total Per

Share

 

MSCI Russia(a)

  $      $      $ 0.354546      $ 0.354546                        100     100

 

  (a) 

The Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its net investment income and net realized capital gains; therefore, a portion of the distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur, for example, when some or all of the shareholder’s investment in the Fund is returned to the shareholder. A return of capital does not necessarily reflect the Fund’s investment performance and should not be confused with “yield” or “income”. When distributions exceed total return performance, the difference will incrementally reduce the Fund’s net asset value per share.

 

Tailored Shareholder Reports for Open-End Mutual Funds and ETFs

Effective January 24, 2023, the SEC adopted rule and form amendments to require open-end mutual funds and ETFs to transmit concise and visually engaging streamlined annual and semiannual reports to shareholders that highlight key information. Other information, including financial statements, will no longer appear in a streamlined shareholder report but must be available online, delivered free of charge upon request, and filed on a semiannual basis on Form N-CSR. The rule and form amendments have a compliance date of July 24, 2024. At this time, management is evaluating the impact of these amendments on the shareholder reports for the Funds.

 

 

18  

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General Information

 

Electronic Delivery

Shareholders can sign up for e-mail notifications announcing that the shareholder report or prospectus has been posted on the iShares website at iShares.com. Once you have enrolled, you will no longer receive prospectuses and shareholder reports in the mail.

To enroll in electronic delivery:

 

   

Go to icsdelivery.com.

   

If your brokerage firm is not listed, electronic delivery may not be available. Please contact your broker-dealer or financial advisor.

Householding

Householding is an option available to certain fund investors. Householding is a method of delivery, based on the preference of the individual investor, in which a single copy of certain shareholder documents and Rule 30e-3 notices can be delivered to investors who share the same address, even if their accounts are registered under different names. Please contact your broker-dealer if you are interested in enrolling in householding and receiving a single copy of prospectuses and other shareholder documents, or if you are currently enrolled in householding and wish to change your householding status.

Availability of Quarterly Schedule of Investments

The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to its reports on Form N-PORT. The Fund’s Forms N-PORT are available on the SEC’s website at sec.gov. Additionally, the Fund makes its portfolio holdings for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year available at iShares.com/fundreports.

Availability of Proxy Voting Policies and Proxy Voting Records

A description of the policies and procedures that the iShares Funds use to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities and information about how the iShares Funds voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ending June 30 is available without charge, upon request (1) by calling toll-free 1-800-474-2737; (2) on the iShares website at iShares.com; and (3) on the SEC website at sec.gov.

A description of the Company’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio securities is available in the Fund Prospectus. The Fund discloses its portfolio holdings daily and provides information regarding its top holdings at iShares.com.

 

 

G E N E R A L I N F O R M A T I O N

  19


Glossary of Terms Used in this Report

 

Portfolio Abbreviation

ADR    American Depositary Receipt
GDR    Global Depositary Receipt
NVS    Non-Voting Shares
PJSC    Public Joint Stock Company
 

 

 

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Want to know more?

iShares.com | 1-800-474-2737

This report is intended for the Fund’s shareholders. It may not be distributed to prospective investors unless it is preceded or accompanied by the current prospectus.

Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal.

The iShares Funds are distributed by BlackRock Investments, LLC (together with its affiliates, “BlackRock”).

The iShares Funds are not sponsored, endorsed, issued, sold or promoted by MSCI Inc., nor does this company make any representation regarding the advisability of investing in the iShares Funds. BlackRock is not affiliated with the company listed above.

©2024 BlackRock, Inc. All rights reserved. iSHARES and BLACKROCK are registered trademarks of BlackRock, Inc. or its subsidiaries. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

iS-SAR-821-0224

 

 

 

LOGO

   LOGO


 

LOGO

  FEBRUARY 29, 2024

 

 

 

2024 Semi-Annual Report

(Unaudited)

 

 

 

 

iShares, Inc.

· iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF | IEMG | NYSE Arca

· iShares MSCI BIC ETF | BKF | NYSE Arca

· iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF | EEMA | NASDAQ

· iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF | EEMS | NYSE Arca


The Markets in Review

Dear Shareholder,

The combination of continued economic growth and cooling inflation provided a supportive backdrop for investors during the 12-month reporting period ended February 29, 2024. Significantly tighter monetary policy helped to rein in inflation, and the Consumer Price Index decelerated substantially while remaining above pre-pandemic levels. A moderating labor market helped ease inflationary pressure, although wages continued to grow. Wage and job growth powered robust consumer spending, backstopping the economy. On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a horrific attack on Israel. The ensuing war will have a significant humanitarian impact and could lead to heightened economic and market volatility. We see geopolitics as a structural market risk going forward. See our geopolitical risk dashboard at blackrock.com for more details.

Equity returns were robust during the period, as interest rates stabilized and the economy proved to be more resilient than many investors expected. The U.S. economy continued to show strength, and growth further accelerated in the second half of 2023. Large-capitalization U.S. stocks posted particularly substantial gains, supported by the performance of a few notable technology companies, while small-capitalization U.S. stocks advanced at a significantly slower pace. Meanwhile, international developed market equities also gained strongly, while emerging market stocks advanced at a more modest pace.

The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield rose during the reporting period, as investors reacted to elevated inflation and attempted to anticipate future interest rate changes. However, higher yields drove positive returns overall for 10-year U.S. Treasuries and solid gains in shorter-duration U.S. Treasuries. The corporate bond market benefited from improving economic sentiment, although high-yield corporate bond prices fared significantly better than investment-grade bonds as demand from yield-seeking investors remained strong.

The U.S. Federal Reserve (the “Fed”), attempting to manage persistent inflation, raised interest rates three times during the 12-month period, but paused its tightening after its July meeting. The Fed also continued to reduce its balance sheet by not replacing some of the securities that reach maturity.

Supply constraints appear to have become an embedded feature of the new macroeconomic environment, making it difficult for developed economies to increase production without sparking higher inflation. Geopolitical fragmentation and an aging population risk further exacerbating these constraints, keeping the labor market tight and wage growth high. Although the Fed has stopped tightening for now, we believe that the new economic regime means that the Fed will need to maintain high rates for an extended period despite the market’s hopes for rapid interest rate cuts, as reflected in the recent rally. In this new regime, we anticipate greater volatility and dispersion of returns, creating more opportunities for selective portfolio management.

Looking at developed market stocks, we have an overweight stance on U.S. stocks overall, particularly given the promise of emerging AI technologies. We are also overweight Japanese stocks as shareholder-friendly policies generate increased investor interest, although we maintain an underweight stance on European stocks. In credit, there are selective opportunities in the near term despite tighter credit and financial conditions. For fixed income investing with a six- to twelve-month horizon, we see the most attractive investments in short-term U.S. Treasuries and hard-currency emerging market bonds.

Overall, our view is that investors need to think globally, position themselves to be prepared for a decarbonizing economy, and be nimble as market conditions change. We encourage you to talk with your financial advisor and visit iShares.com for further insight about investing in today’s markets.

 

LOGO

Rob Kapito

President, BlackRock Inc.

LOGO

Rob Kapito

President, BlackRock Inc.

 

Total Returns as of February 29, 2024

 

 
    

 

 6-Month 

 

   

 

 12-Month 

 

 
   

U.S. large cap equities
(S&P 500® Index)

    13.93%        30.45%   
   

U.S. small cap equities

(Russell 2000® Index)

    8.97          10.05     
   

International equities
(MSCI Europe, Australasia, Far East Index)

    9.23          14.41     
   

Emerging market equities
(MSCI Emerging Markets Index)

    4.93          8.73     
   

3-month Treasury bills
(ICE BofA 3-Month
U.S. Treasury Bill Index)

    2.69          5.22     
   

U.S. Treasury securities (ICE BofA 10-Year
U.S. Treasury Index)

    0.58          0.69     
   

U.S. investment grade bonds
(Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index)

    2.35          3.33     
   

Tax-exempt municipal bonds
(Bloomberg Municipal Bond Index)

    4.33          5.42     
   

U.S. high yield bonds
(Bloomberg U.S. Corporate High Yield 2% Issuer Capped Index)

    6.18          11.01     
Past performance is not an indication of future results. Index performance is shown for illustrative purposes only. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

 

 

 

2  

T H I S  P A G EI SN O T  P A R TO F  Y O U R  F U N D  R E P O R T


Table of Contents

 

     Page  

 

 

The Markets in Review

     2  

Semi-Annual Report:

  

Fund Summary

     4  

About Fund Performance

     8  

Disclosure of Expenses

     8  

Schedules of Investments

     9  

Financial Statements

  

Statements of Assets and Liabilities

     74  

Statements of Operations

     75  

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

     76  

Financial Highlights

     78  

Notes to Financial Statements

     82  

Statement Regarding Liquidity Risk Management Program

     93  

Supplemental Information

     94  

General Information

     95  

Glossary of Terms Used in this Report

     96  

 

 

 


Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iSharesCore MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of large-, mid- and small-capitalization emerging market equities, as represented by the MSCI Emerging Markets Investable Market Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

          Average Annual Total Returns            Cumulative Total Returns  
    

6-Month

Total Returns

    1 Year     5 Years     10 Years             1 Year     5 Years     10 Years  

Fund NAV

    5.08     10.04     2.53     3.23        10.04     13.30     37.41

Fund Market

    4.67       9.52       2.50       3.23          9.52       13.17       37.42  

Index

    5.33       10.44       2.73       3.30                10.44       14.39       38.34  

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

      Actual            Hypothetical 5% Return               
         

Beginning

Account Value

(09/01/23)

 

 

 

            

Ending

Account Value

(02/29/24)

 

 

 

            

Expenses

Paid During

the Period

 

 

(a) 

            

Beginning

Account Value

(09/01/23)

 

 

 

             

Ending

Account Value

(02/29/24)

 

 

 

            

Expenses

Paid During

the Period

 

 

(a) 

            

 Annualized

Expense

Ratio

 

 

 

        $    1,000.00               $   1,050.80               $    0.46                $   1,000.00                $   1,024.40               $    0.45                0.09

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION

 

   
Sector  

Percent of  

Total Investments(a)

 

Information Technology

    21.9%  

Financials

    21.1    

Consumer Discretionary

    12.5    

Industrials

    8.5    

Materials

    7.9    

Communication Services

    7.7    

Consumer Staples

    5.8    

Energy

    5.0    

Health Care

    4.5    

Utilities

    2.9    

Real Estate

    2.2    

GEOGRAPHIC ALLOCATION

 

   
Country/Geographic Region  

Percent of  

Total Investments(a)

 

China

    22.8%  

India

    19.2    

Taiwan

    17.6    

South Korea

    12.6    

Brazil

    5.4    

Saudi Arabia

    4.5    

South Africa

    2.6    

Mexico

    2.5    

Indonesia

    1.9    

Thailand

    1.8    

Malaysia

    1.5    

United Arab Emirates

    1.2    

Poland

    1.0    

Turkey

    1.0    

Other (each representing less than 1%)

    4.4    
 

 

  (a) 

Excludes money market funds.

 

 

 

4  

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Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® MSCI BIC ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCI BIC ETF(the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of Chinese equities that are available to international investors, and Brazilian, and Indian equities, as represented by the MSCI BIC Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

          Average Annual Total Returns            Cumulative Total Returns  
    

6-Month

Total Returns

    1 Year     5 Years     10 Years             1 Year     5 Years     10 Years  

Fund NAV

    0.02     1.87     (2.37 )%      1.67        1.87     (11.29 )%      18.01

Fund Market

    (0.99     1.73       (2.45     1.71          1.73       (11.68     18.46  

Index

    1.38       3.70       (1.61     2.31                3.70       (7.79     25.70  

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

    Actual            Hypothetical 5% Return               
     

Beginning

Account Value

(09/01/23)

 

 

 

            

Ending

Account Value

(02/29/24)


 

 

             

Expenses

Paid During

the Period

 

 

(a) 

            

Beginning

Account Value

(09/01/23)

 

 

 

            

Ending

Account Value

(02/29/24)

 

 

 

            

Expenses

Paid During

the Period

 

 

(a) 

            

 Annualized

Expense

Ratio

 

 

 

    $   1,000.00               $ 1,000.20                $    3.58                $   1,000.00               $   1,021.30               $    3.62                0.72

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION

 

   
Sector  

Percent of  

Total Investments(a)

 

Financials

    21.0%  

Consumer Discretionary

    20.5    

Communication Services

    11.4    

Energy

    8.6    

Information Technology

    7.8    

Industrials

    6.9    

Consumer Staples

    6.5    

Materials

    6.5    

Health Care

    4.9    

Utilities

    4.3    

Real Estate

    1.6    

GEOGRAPHIC ALLOCATION

 

   
Country/Geographic Region  

Percent of  

Total Investments(a)

 

China

    51.9%  

India

    36.8    

Brazil

    11.3    

Russia

    0.0    

Kazakhstan

    0.0    
 

 

  (a) 

Excludes money market funds.

 

 

 

F U N D  S U M M A R Y

  5


Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of Asian emerging market equities, as represented by the MSCI EM Asia Custom Capped Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

          Average Annual Total Returns            Cumulative Total Returns  
    

6-Month

Total Returns

    1 Year     5 Years     10 Years             1 Year     5 Years     10 Years  

Fund NAV

    3.59     5.79     1.90     3.78        5.79     9.88     44.98

Fund Market

    2.70       4.91       1.78       3.71          4.91       9.20       43.96  

Index

    4.28       6.87       2.61       4.35                6.87       13.77       53.04  

Index performance through May 31, 2018 reflects the performance of the MSCI Emerging Markets Asia. Index performance beginning on June 1, 2018 reflects the performance of the MSCI EM Asia Custom Capped Index.

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

    Actual            Hypothetical 5% Return               
     

Beginning

Account Value

(09/01/23)

 

 

 

            

Ending

Account Value

(02/29/24)

 

 

 

             

Expenses

Paid During

the Period

 

 

(a) 

            

Beginning

Account Value

(09/01/23)

 

 

 

            

Ending

Account Value

(02/29/24)

 

 

 

            

Expenses

Paid During

the Period

 

 

(a) 

            

 Annualized
Expense
Ratio
 
 
 
    $   1,000.00               $ 1,035.90                $    2.48                $   1,000.00               $   1,022.40               $    2.46                0.49

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION

 

   
Sector  

Percent of  

Total Investments(a)

 

Information Technology

    28.7%  

Financials

    18.1    

Consumer Discretionary

    14.9    

Communication Services

    8.9    

Industrials

    7.2    

Materials

    5.2    

Consumer Staples

    4.8    

Energy

    4.4    

Health Care

    4.1    

Utilities

    2.4    

Real Estate

    1.3    

GEOGRAPHIC ALLOCATION

 

   
Country/Geographic Region  

Percent of  

Total Investments(a)

 

China

    32.4%  

India

    22.9    

Taiwan

    21.5    

South Korea

    16.0    

Indonesia

    2.5    

Thailand

    2.0    

Malaysia

    1.8    

Philippines

    0.9    
 

 

  (a) 

Excludes money market funds.

 

 

 

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Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF(the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of small-capitalization emerging market equities, as represented by the MSCI Emerging Markets Small Cap Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

          Average Annual Total Returns            Cumulative Total Returns  
    

6-Month

Total Returns

    1 Year     5 Years     10 Years             1 Year     5 Years     10 Years  

Fund NAV

    6.80     19.99     8.05     4.77        19.99     47.25     59.34

Fund Market

    6.44       20.13       8.07       4.80          20.13       47.42       59.74  

Index

    7.75       21.59       8.70       5.30                21.59       51.77       67.59  

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

    Actual            Hypothetical 5% Return               
     

Beginning

Account Value

(09/01/23)

 

 

 

            

Ending

Account Value

(02/29/24)

 

 

 

             

Expenses

Paid During

the Period

 

 

(a) 

            

Beginning

Account Value

(09/01/23)

 

 

 

            

Ending

Account Value

(02/29/24)

 

 

 

            

Expenses

Paid During

the Period

 

 

(a) 

            

 Annualized
Expense
Ratio
 
 
 
    $   1,000.00               $ 1,068.00                $    3.75                $   1,000.00               $   1,021.20               $    3.67                0.73

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION

 

   
Sector   

Percent of  

Total Investments(a)

 

Information Technology

     17.7%  

Industrials

     17.3    

Materials

     12.1    

Consumer Discretionary

     11.7    

Financials

     10.8    

Health Care

     9.3    

Consumer Staples

     6.2    

Real Estate

     6.0    

Communication Services

     3.8    

Utilities

     3.2    

Energy

     1.9    

GEOGRAPHIC ALLOCATION

 

   
Country/Geographic Region  

Percent of  

Total Investments(a)

 

India

    26.1%  

Taiwan

    22.1    

South Korea

    13.2    

China

    8.2    

Brazil

    4.7    

Saudi Arabia

    4.2    

Thailand

    3.1    

South Africa

    3.0    

Turkey

    2.6    

Malaysia

    2.3    

Mexico

    2.0    

Indonesia

    1.8    

Poland

    1.3    

Kuwait

    1.1    

United Arab Emirates

    1.0    

Other (each representing less than 1%)

    3.3    
 

 

  (a) 

Excludes money market funds.

 

 

 

F U N D  S U M M A R Y

  7


About Fund Performance

 

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Financial markets have experienced extreme volatility and trading in many instruments has been disrupted. These circumstances may continue for an extended period of time and may continue to affect adversely the value and liquidity of each Fund’s investments. As a result, current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. Performance data current to the most recent month-end is available at iShares.com. Performance results assume reinvestment of all dividends and capital gain distributions and do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. The investment return and principal value of shares will vary with changes in market conditions. Shares may be worth more or less than their original cost when they are redeemed or sold in the market. Performance for certain funds may reflect a waiver of a portion of investment advisory fees. Without such a waiver, performance would have been lower.

Net asset value or “NAV” is the value of one share of a fund as calculated in accordance with the standard formula for valuing mutual fund shares. Beginning August 10, 2020, the price used to calculate market return (“Market Price”) is the closing price. Prior to August 10, 2020, Market Price was determined using the midpoint between the highest bid and the lowest ask on the primary stock exchange on which shares of a fund are listed for trading, as of the time that such fund’s NAV is calculated. Market and NAV returns assume that dividends and capital gain distributions have been reinvested at Market Price and NAV, respectively.

An index is a statistical composite that tracks a specified financial market or sector. Unlike a fund, an index does not actually hold a portfolio of securities and therefore does not incur the expenses incurred by a fund. These expenses negatively impact fund performance. Also, index returns do not include brokerage commissions that may be payable on secondary market transactions. If brokerage commissions were included, index returns would be lower.

Disclosure of Expenses

Shareholders of each Fund may incur the following charges: (1) transactional expenses, including brokerage commissions on purchases and sales of fund shares and (2) ongoing expenses, including management fees and other fund expenses. The expense examples shown (which are based on a hypothetical investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held through the end of the period) are intended to assist shareholders both in calculating expenses based on an investment in each Fund and in comparing these expenses with similar costs of investing in other funds.

The expense examples provide information about actual account values and actual expenses. Annualized expense ratios reflect contractual and voluntary fee waivers, if any. In order to estimate the expenses a shareholder paid during the period covered by this report, shareholders can divide their account value by $1,000 and then multiply the result by the number under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During the Period.”

The expense examples also provide information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on a fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses. In order to assist shareholders in comparing the ongoing expenses of investing in the Funds and other funds, compare the 5% hypothetical examples with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.

The expenses shown in the expense examples are intended to highlight shareholders’ ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional expenses, such as brokerage commissions and other fees paid on purchases and sales of fund shares. Therefore, the hypothetical examples are useful in comparing ongoing expenses only and will not help shareholders determine the relative total expenses of owning different funds. If these transactional expenses were included, shareholder expenses would have been higher.

 

 

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2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Common Stocks

 

Brazil — 3.9%  

3R Petroleum Oleo E Gas SA(a)

    2,245,952     $ 12,627,861  

AES Brasil Energia SA(a)

    3,901,302       8,193,276  

Allos SA, NVS

    4,441,520       22,059,731  

Alupar Investimento SA

    1,631,840       9,775,743  

Ambev SA

    41,494,373        105,006,782  

Arezzo Industria e Comercio SA

    649,147       7,734,501  

Armac Locacao Logistica E Servicos SA

    345,145       880,376  

Atacadao SA

    4,888,740       11,889,696  

Auren Energia SA

    2,681,671       6,921,172  

B3 SA - Brasil Bolsa Balcao

    50,829,185       131,185,943  

Banco Bradesco SA

    13,941,162       34,494,638  

Banco BTG Pactual SA

    10,879,318       79,639,996  

Banco do Brasil SA

    7,643,711       88,967,254  

Banco Santander Brasil SA

    2,968,469       17,078,356  

BB Seguridade Participacoes SA

    6,175,178       41,415,468  

BRF SA(a)

    5,585,299       16,965,665  

Caixa Seguridade Participacoes S/A

    2,974,714       8,599,030  

Camil Alimentos SA

    1,713,660       2,947,395  

CCR SA

    9,687,480       26,853,911  

Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA

    10,785,366       94,378,190  

Cia de Saneamento de Minas Gerais Copasa MG

    2,716,971       11,297,256  

Cia. Brasileira de Aluminio

    2,521,056       2,028,570  

Cia. de Saneamento Basico do Estado de Sao Paulo

    3,035,793       48,342,092  

Cia. de Saneamento do Parana

    1,685,968       8,760,345  

Cia. Siderurgica Nacional SA

    6,000,250       20,302,188  

Cielo SA

    10,360,644       11,150,338  

Cogna Educacao SA(a)

    17,839,834       9,043,548  

Cosan SA

    10,996,850       37,606,656  

CPFL Energia SA

    1,485,297       10,574,050  

Cury Construtora e Incorporadora SA

    1,231,020       4,774,409  

Cyrela Brazil Realty SA Empreendimentos e Participacoes

    2,716,792       13,143,740  

Dexco SA

    4,631,646       7,584,156  

Direcional Engenharia SA

    1,323,276       6,300,807  

EcoRodovias Infraestrutura e Logistica SA

    3,239,247       5,981,832  

Embraer SA(a)

    6,525,648       32,069,679  

Enauta Participacoes SA

    1,581,399       8,105,660  

Energisa SA

    1,653,837       16,913,977  

Eneva SA(a)

    7,651,984       19,749,141  

Engie Brasil Energia SA

    1,436,963       12,146,444  

Equatorial Energia SA

    9,335,821       64,190,695  

Ez Tec Empreendimentos e Participacoes SA

    1,441,135       4,893,557  

Fleury SA

    3,433,387       10,988,551  

GPS Participacoes e Empreendimentos SA(b)

    2,932,154       10,564,036  

Grendene SA

    4,626,834       6,003,315  

Grupo De Moda Soma SA

    4,826,635       6,796,573  

Grupo Mateus SA(a)

    5,770,204       9,367,252  

Grupo SBF SA

    1,284,683       3,181,277  

Hapvida Participacoes e Investimentos
SA(a)(b)

    45,006,882       33,227,104  

Hidrovias do Brasil SA(a)

    6,139,505       4,742,552  

Hypera SA

    3,438,533       22,743,249  

Iguatemi SA

    1,997,053       9,448,751  

Intelbras SA Industria de Telecomunicacao Eletronica Brasileira

    1,085,250       4,628,211  

Iochpe Maxion SA

    1,704,595       4,306,836  

Irani Papel e Embalagem SA

    227,563       416,572  

IRB-Brasil Resseguros SA(a)

    653,353       5,102,123  

JBS SA

    6,645,036       30,825,075  
Security   Shares     Value  
Brazil (continued)            

JHSF Participacoes SA

    4,260,147     $ 3,822,143  

Klabin SA

    6,763,146       30,706,324  

Localiza Rent a Car SA

    8,272,450       88,197,753  

Localiza Rent a Car SA, NVS(a)

    29,864       303,981  

LOG Commercial Properties e
Participacoes SA

    749,606       3,296,330  

Lojas Renner SA

    8,705,284       27,668,622  

LWSA SA(b)

    4,036,763       4,523,098  

M. Dias Branco SA

    879,799       7,295,229  

Magazine Luiza SA(a)

    27,279,683       11,688,706  

Magazine Luiza SA, NVS

    2,613,125       1,119,663  

Marfrig Global Foods SA(a)

    4,737,490       9,434,763  

Minerva SA

    2,948,877       4,039,720  

Movida Participacoes SA

    1,824,064       3,129,944  

MRV Engenharia e Participacoes SA(a)

    3,601,928       5,521,251  

Multiplan Empreendimentos Imobiliarios SA

    2,386,374       12,678,107  

Natura & Co. Holding SA(a)

    8,212,063       26,943,483  

Odontoprev SA

    3,425,202       8,302,727  

Oncoclinicas do Brasil Servicos
Medicos SA(a)

    2,279,522       4,723,115  

Pet Center Comercio e Participacoes SA

    4,290,613       3,599,174  

Petroleo Brasileiro SA

    34,085,957        282,638,279  

Petroreconcavo SA

    1,465,938       6,782,518  

PRIO SA

    7,230,754       63,578,737  

Raia Drogasil SA

    11,461,473       61,421,746  

Rede D’Or Sao Luiz SA(b)

    5,238,851       26,683,774  

Rumo SA

    11,731,183       53,616,398  

Santos Brasil Participacoes SA

    5,475,869       11,621,254  

Sao Martinho SA

    1,487,070       8,465,748  

Sendas Distribuidora SA

    12,013,408       34,316,428  

Serena Energia SA, NVS

    3,475,942       6,544,792  

SIMPAR SA

    4,393,460       6,796,425  

SLC Agricola SA

    2,168,394       8,575,693  

Smartfit Escola de Ginastica e Danca SA

    2,501,904       12,310,469  

Suzano SA

    7,087,930       80,345,367  

Telefonica Brasil SA

    3,539,979       38,795,851  

TIM SA/Brazil

    7,553,134       27,607,661  

TOTVS SA

    4,841,895       29,892,329  

Transmissora Alianca de Energia Eletrica SA

    1,436,023       10,226,150  

Ultrapar Participacoes SA

    6,672,503       39,408,720  

Vale SA

    30,576,233       412,041,972  

Vamos Locacao de Caminhoes Maquinas e Equipamentos SA

    3,984,157       6,996,780  

Vibra Energia SA

    10,491,801       54,579,062  

Vivara Participacoes SA

    1,458,344       9,593,017  

WEG SA

    14,999,346       110,705,076  

YDUQS Participacoes SA

    2,463,015       10,087,704  
   

 

 

 
      2,915,541,684  
Chile — 0.4%            

Aguas Andinas SA, Class A

    32,445,518       9,538,255  

Banco de Chile

    409,209,935       47,450,555  

Banco de Credito e Inversiones SA

    639,146       17,730,900  

Banco Itau Chile SA, NVS

    802,252       7,889,152  

Banco Santander Chile

    593,344,109       28,854,632  

CAP SA

    768,281       5,270,575  

Cencosud SA

    12,777,553       22,947,906  

Cia. Cervecerias Unidas SA

    1,172,804       6,804,708  

Cia. Sud Americana de Vapores SA

    142,654,159       9,960,068  

Colbun SA

    76,284,120       10,482,493  

Empresa Nacional de Telecomunicaciones SA

    1,753,855       5,711,657  

Empresas CMPC SA

    10,239,494       18,177,683  

Empresas Copec SA

    3,402,440       21,836,250  

Enel Americas SA

    198,888,675       20,278,797  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  9


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
Chile (continued)            

Enel Chile SA

    242,413,405     $ 14,561,466  

Engie Energia Chile SA(a)

    6,786,095       5,795,218  

Falabella SA(a)

    6,992,440       17,734,926  

Inversiones Aguas Metropolitanas SA

    5,617,449       4,215,732  

Latam Airlines Group SA(a)

    1,574,011,666       19,796,122  

Parque Arauco SA

    6,243,117       9,958,640  

SMU SA

    31,811,600       5,368,780  

Vina Concha y Toro SA

    5,690,528       5,905,765  
   

 

 

 
       316,270,280  
China — 22.7%            

360 Security Technology Inc., Class A(a)

    4,006,588       4,871,085  

361 Degrees International Ltd.

    9,851,000       5,259,897  

37 Interactive Entertainment Network Technology Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,433,837       3,861,989  

3SBio Inc.(b)(c)

    14,806,500       9,769,105  

AAC Technologies Holdings Inc.

    6,321,000       15,714,955  

Accelink Technologies Co. Ltd., Class A

    400,700       1,664,577  

ACM Research Shanghai Inc.

    86,800       1,181,719  

Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment Inc., Class A

    388,217       7,919,385  

AECC Aviation Power Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,370,877       6,544,607  

Agile Group Holdings Ltd.(a)(c)

    14,094,500       1,363,621  

Agricultural Bank of China Ltd., Class A

    41,029,235       23,833,440  

Agricultural Bank of China Ltd., Class H

    253,997,000       104,201,122  

Aier Eye Hospital Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,828,146       9,789,132  

AIM Vaccine Co. Ltd., NVS(c)

    802,600       721,669  

AIMA Technology Group Co. Ltd.

    565,300       2,583,428  

Air China Ltd., Class A(a)

    4,698,400       4,865,974  

Air China Ltd., Class H(a)

    17,592,000       9,420,268  

AK Medical Holdings Ltd.(b)(c)

    5,800,000       3,763,203  

Akeso Inc.(a)(b)(c)

    4,666,000       27,979,312  

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.

    146,619,904       1,347,976,094  

Alibaba Health Information Technology Ltd.(a)(c)

    49,096,000       21,452,648  

Alibaba Pictures Group Ltd.(a)

    121,850,000       6,989,501  

A-Living Smart City Services Co. Ltd., Class A(b)

    6,912,500       3,539,512  

Alphamab Oncology(a)(b)(c)

    5,219,000       3,337,750  

Aluminum Corp. of China Ltd., Class A

    6,064,900       5,071,929  

Aluminum Corp. of China Ltd., Class H

    37,188,000       18,530,510  

Amlogic Shanghai Co. Ltd.

    287,186       2,227,079  

ANE Cayman Inc.(a)

    3,544,500       1,859,609  

Angelalign Technology Inc.(b)(c)

    359,800       3,017,967  

Anhui Conch Cement Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,680,029       5,576,737  

Anhui Conch Cement Co. Ltd., Class H

    11,056,500       24,058,765  

Anhui Gujing Distillery Co. Ltd., Class A

    250,255       7,585,083  

Anhui Gujing Distillery Co. Ltd., Class B

    981,600       13,878,246  

Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Corp. Ltd.(a)

    1,142,500       2,446,379  

Anhui Kouzi Distillery Co. Ltd., Class A

    406,548       2,400,020  

Anhui Yingjia Distillery Co. Ltd., Class A

    493,700       4,365,507  

Anjoy Foods Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    233,000       2,816,895  

Anker Innovations Technology Co. Ltd.

    246,776       2,803,311  

ANTA Sports Products Ltd.

    11,460,000       111,724,098  

Ascentage Pharma Group
International(a)(b)(c)

    2,455,400       8,119,714  

Asia - Potash International Investment Guangzhou Co. Ltd.(a)

    966,500       3,022,558  

Asia Cement China Holdings Corp.

    5,899,500       1,591,712  

Asymchem Laboratories Tianjin Co. Ltd., Class A

    218,540       3,067,174  

Autobio Diagnostics Co. Ltd., Class A

    400,600       3,687,970  

Autohome Inc., ADR

    639,411       16,618,292  

Avary Holding Shenzhen Co. Ltd., Class A

    985,900       2,880,443  
Security   Shares     Value  
China (continued)            

AVIC Industry-Finance Holdings Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,014,291     $ 2,766,543  

AviChina Industry & Technology Co. Ltd., Class H

    23,967,000       9,833,890  

BAIC BluePark New Energy Technology Co. Ltd.

    2,631,700       2,166,138  

Baidu Inc.(a)

    20,268,862        256,469,953  

Bairong Inc. (a)(b)

    2,037,500       3,432,693  

Bank of Beijing Co. Ltd., Class A

    10,531,106       7,569,930  

Bank of Chengdu Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,548,508       4,672,413  

Bank of China Ltd., Class A

    17,145,100       10,623,926  

Bank of China Ltd., Class H

    714,947,000       280,474,635  

Bank of Communications Co. Ltd., Class A

    19,723,880       17,139,848  

Bank of Communications Co. Ltd., Class H

    78,691,000       51,554,068  

Bank of Hangzhou Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,730,897       5,732,614  

Bank of Jiangsu Co. Ltd., Class A

    7,542,908       8,019,726  

Bank of Nanjing Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,359,381       7,715,551  

Bank of Ningbo Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,560,493       10,974,587  

Bank of Shanghai Co. Ltd., Class A

    10,949,165       9,919,867  

Baoshan Iron & Steel Co. Ltd., Class A

    11,172,330       10,323,679  

BeiGene Ltd.(a)

    6,238,164       80,314,774  

Beijing Capital International Airport Co. Ltd., Class H(a)

    17,810,000       5,743,321  

Beijing Dabeinong Technology Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,872,200       2,826,345  

Beijing Enlight Media Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,135,394       2,681,346  

Beijing Enterprises Holdings Ltd.

    4,070,500       15,312,480  

Beijing Enterprises Water Group Ltd.

    38,832,000       9,109,255  

Beijing Kingsoft Office Software Inc., Class A

    254,651       9,579,490  

Beijing New Building Materials PLC, Class A

    1,220,819       4,753,173  

Beijing Oriental Yuhong Waterproof Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    443,500       1,060,339  

Beijing Roborock Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    135,200       6,114,762  

Beijing Tiantan Biological Products Corp. Ltd., Class A

    497,600       1,954,107  

Beijing Tong Ren Tang Chinese Medicine Co. Ltd.(c)

    3,713,000       4,419,366  

Beijing Tongrentang Co. Ltd., Class A

    893,600       5,519,254  

Beijing Wantai Biological Pharmacy Enterprise Co. Ltd., Class A

    515,858       5,292,336  

Beijing-Shanghai High Speed Railway Co. Ltd., Class A

    25,722,001       18,022,830  

Bethel Automotive Safety Systems Co. Ltd.

    369,300       3,223,619  

Bilibili Inc.(a)(c)

    1,783,177       17,291,905  

Bloomage Biotechnology Corp. Ltd.

    273,586       2,424,476  

BOC Aviation Ltd.(b)

    1,851,000       13,625,498  

BOC International China Co. Ltd., Class A

    713,300       1,078,928  

BOE Technology Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    15,521,900       8,586,774  

BOE Varitronix Ltd.(c)

    3,835,000       2,672,677  

Bosideng International Holdings Ltd.

    33,878,000       17,039,857  

Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Ltd.

    27,426,000       15,964,454  

BYD Co. Ltd., Class A

    912,486       24,101,156  

BYD Co. Ltd., Class H(c)

    9,467,500       233,185,154  

BYD Electronic International Co. Ltd.

    7,174,500       27,089,955  

By-health Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,474,600       3,454,481  

C&D International Investment Group Ltd.

    6,534,000       10,623,834  

Caitong Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    5,200,150       5,754,177  

Cambricon Technologies Corp. Ltd.(a)

    251,358       5,882,914  

Canaan Inc., ADR(a)(c)

    1,780,093       2,794,746  

Canggang Railway Ltd., NVS(c)

    10,944,000       2,047,307  

Canmax Technologies Co. Ltd., Class A

    894,280       2,830,864  

CanSino Biologics Inc., Class H(a)(b)(c)

    524,000       1,215,914  
 

 

 

10  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
China (continued)            

Canvest Environmental Protection Group Co. Ltd.(c)

    11,014,000     $ 5,781,664  

Cathay Biotech Inc.

    169,400       1,133,387  

CGN Mining Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    24,990,000       6,080,979  

CGN New Energy Holdings Co. Ltd.(c)

    16,052,000       3,972,047  

CGN Power Co. Ltd., Class H(b)

    95,126,000       28,888,088  

Changchun High & New Technology Industry Group Inc., Class A

    239,542       4,276,851  

Changjiang Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    5,977,228       4,560,259  

Changzhou Xingyu Automotive Lighting Systems Co. Ltd., Class A

    222,669       4,339,734  

Chaozhou Three-Circle Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,516,453       5,336,098  

Chengxin Lithium Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    919,800       2,793,471  

China Aircraft Leasing Group Holdings
Ltd.(c)

    5,464,000       2,386,727  

China Animal Healthcare Ltd.(d)

    1,237,000       2  

China Aoyuan Group Ltd.(a)(c)

    10,526,000       225,860  

China Baoan Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,702,000       4,457,578  

China BlueChemical Ltd., Class H

    17,216,000       5,167,065  

China Cinda Asset Management Co. Ltd., Class H

    70,899,000       6,788,728  

China CITIC Bank Corp. Ltd., Class H

    79,878,000       42,470,182  

China Coal Energy Co. Ltd., Class H

    18,848,000       20,297,754  

China Communications Services Corp. Ltd., Class H

    22,254,000       9,453,031  

China Conch Venture Holdings Ltd.

    12,369,000       12,386,341  

China Construction Bank Corp., Class A

    4,018,822       3,899,779  

China Construction Bank Corp., Class H

    863,526,000        535,520,896  

China CSSC Holdings Ltd., Class A

    2,437,001       12,010,188  

China Datang Corp. Renewable Power Co. Ltd., Class H

    23,732,000       5,389,130  

China East Education Holdings Ltd.(b)

    5,978,500       1,999,649  

China Eastern Airlines Corp. Ltd.,
Class A(a)

    11,645,975       6,147,829  

China Education Group Holdings Ltd.

    9,842,000       5,638,711  

China Energy Engineering Corp. Ltd.

    40,785,244       12,323,840  

China Everbright Bank Co. Ltd., Class A

    22,758,082       10,159,221  

China Everbright Bank Co. Ltd., Class H

    25,385,000       7,936,620  

China Everbright Environment Group Ltd.(c)

    32,537,148       12,086,045  

China Everbright Ltd.

    9,742,000       5,340,648  

China Feihe Ltd.(b)

    30,879,000       15,358,929  

China Fiber Optic Network System Group Ltd.(d)

    10,394,800       13  

China Foods Ltd.

    11,650,000       4,196,053  

China Galaxy Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,050,700       3,456,324  

China Galaxy Securities Co. Ltd., Class H

    37,297,500       19,597,396  

China Gas Holdings Ltd.

    25,093,200       22,964,847  

China Great Wall Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    795,600       872,811  

China Greatwall Technology Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,210,300       3,181,543  

China High Speed Transmission Equipment Group Co. Ltd.(a)

    472,000       87,247  

China Hongqiao Group Ltd.(c)

    20,881,000       16,159,419  

China Huiyuan Juice Group Ltd.(d)

    10,877,000       14  

China International Capital Corp. Ltd., Class A

    1,517,200       7,356,484  

China International Capital Corp. Ltd., Class H(b)

    13,454,000       16,865,372  

China Jinmao Holdings Group Ltd.

    53,576,000       4,353,646  

China Jushi Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,927,762       4,064,292  

China Lesso Group Holdings Ltd.

    11,134,000       5,295,273  

China Life Insurance Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,425,621       5,983,607  

China Life Insurance Co. Ltd., Class H

    66,949,000       82,065,391  

China Lilang Ltd.(c)

    6,020,000       3,227,636  
Security   Shares     Value  
China (continued)            

China Literature Ltd.(a)(b)

    3,649,000     $ 11,186,730  

China Longyuan Power Group Corp. Ltd., Class H

    29,435,000       20,743,229  

China Medical System Holdings Ltd.

    12,705,000       20,885,441  

China Meidong Auto Holdings Ltd.(c)

    5,886,000       2,315,458  

China Mengniu Dairy Co. Ltd.

    28,566,000       71,424,756  

China Merchants Bank Co. Ltd., Class A

    10,929,782       48,400,734  

China Merchants Bank Co. Ltd., Class H

    35,293,464        136,480,477  

China Merchants Energy Shipping Co. Ltd., Class A

    5,375,200       5,370,426  

China Merchants Port Holdings Co. Ltd.

    12,724,270       15,794,020  

China Merchants Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,521,981       6,890,901  

China Merchants Shekou Industrial Zone Holdings Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,090,466       5,337,144  

China Metal Recycling Holdings Ltd.(d)

    62,400        

China Minsheng Banking Corp. Ltd., Class A

    20,239,517       11,339,393  

China Minsheng Banking Corp. Ltd., Class H

    55,703,220       19,604,367  

China Modern Dairy Holdings Ltd.

    34,021,000       2,822,711  

China National Building Material Co. Ltd., Class H

    34,238,850       12,877,477  

China National Chemical Engineering Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,295,122       4,156,844  

China National Nuclear Power Co. Ltd., Class A

    9,052,709       10,897,897  

China National Software & Service Co. Ltd., Class A

    515,780       2,303,764  

China New Higher Education Group Ltd.(b)

    10,035,000       3,159,172  

China Nonferrous Mining Corp Ltd.

    19,023,000       13,214,640  

China Northern Rare Earth Group High-Tech Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,479,700       6,485,559  

China Oilfield Services Ltd., Class H

    15,722,000       13,835,236  

China Oriental Group Co. Ltd.(c)

    15,524,000       2,335,722  

China Overseas Grand Oceans Group Ltd.

    17,473,500       4,472,281  

China Overseas Land & Investment Ltd.

    34,146,500       50,428,159  

China Overseas Property Holdings Ltd.

    12,900,000       10,845,441  

China Pacific Insurance Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,468,142       12,280,834  

China Pacific Insurance Group Co. Ltd., Class H

    24,104,200       45,722,107  

China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., Class A

    16,352,100       14,150,198  

China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., Class H

    219,930,200       121,171,245  

China Power International Development Ltd.

    45,341,000       18,314,695  

China Railway Group Ltd., Class A

    11,678,866       10,273,602  

China Railway Group Ltd., Class H

    36,640,000       17,846,916  

China Rare Earth Resources & Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    799,300       3,092,190  

China Renaissance Holdings Ltd.(a)(b)(c)(d)

    2,502,500       1,425,586  

China Renewable Energy Investment Ltd.(d)

    8,046        

China Resources Beer Holdings Co. Ltd.

    14,682,000       63,264,077  

China Resources Building Materials Technology Holdings Ltd.(c)

    22,082,000       3,830,363  

China Resources Gas Group Ltd.

    8,507,500       25,673,255  

China Resources Land Ltd.

    29,097,777       88,874,924  

China Resources Medical Holdings Co. Ltd.

    11,018,500       6,004,489  

China Resources Microelectronics Ltd.

    879,012       5,217,382  

China Resources Mixc Lifestyle Services Ltd.(b)

    6,267,800       18,890,011  

China Resources Pharmaceutical Group
Ltd.(b)

    14,593,500       9,870,129  

China Resources Power Holdings Co. Ltd.

    17,514,000       37,701,574  

China Resources Sanjiu Medical & Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Class A

    619,827       4,728,864  

China Risun Group Ltd.(c)

    12,024,000       4,703,159  

China Ruyi Holdings Ltd.(a)(c)

    52,979,200       10,399,311  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  11


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
China (continued)            

China Shenhua Energy Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,319,129     $ 17,732,832  

China Shenhua Energy Co. Ltd., Class H

    30,629,000       117,850,905  

China Shineway Pharmaceutical Group Ltd.

    4,636,000       5,218,492  

China South City Holdings Ltd.(c)

    50,390,000       1,070,447  

China Southern Airlines Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    6,636,584       5,441,733  

China State Construction Engineering Corp. Ltd., Class A

    21,231,919       15,734,837  

China State Construction International Holdings Ltd.

    19,186,000       21,379,195  

China Taiping Insurance Holdings Co. Ltd.

    12,953,508       11,254,280  

China Three Gorges Renewables Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    13,605,570       8,716,808  

China Tobacco International HK Co. Ltd.

    4,359,000       5,451,275  

China Tourism Group Duty Free Corp.
Ltd.(b)(c)

    721,900       7,069,064  

China Tourism Group Duty Free Corp. Ltd., Class A

    1,171,979       14,112,901  

China Tower Corp. Ltd., Class H(b)

    382,626,000       46,377,330  

China Traditional Chinese Medicine Holdings Co. Ltd.

    25,784,000       14,226,564  

China Travel International Investment Hong Kong Ltd.(c)

    34,862,000       5,964,223  

China United Network Communications Ltd., Class A

    17,467,525       11,622,853  

China Vanke Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,999,768       6,946,398  

China Vanke Co. Ltd., Class H

    18,708,287       14,423,763  

China Water Affairs Group Ltd.

    9,078,000       6,226,306  

China XLX Fertiliser Ltd.

    5,154,000       2,081,640  

China Yangtze Power Co. Ltd., Class A

    12,868,525       44,731,981  

China Zhenhua Group Science & Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    336,600       2,676,718  

China Zheshang Bank Co. Ltd., Class A

    18,500,796       7,130,845  

China Zhongwang Holdings Ltd., NVS

    4,116,641       215,919  

Chinasoft International Ltd.(c)

    24,512,000       15,943,313  

Chongqing Brewery Co. Ltd., Class A

    319,900       2,898,374  

Chongqing Changan Automobile Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,681,664       9,657,343  

Chongqing Hongjiu Fruit Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    3,250,200       1,429,487  

Chongqing Taiji Industry Group Co. Ltd.(a)

    241,500       1,271,441  

Chongqing Zhifei Biological Products Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,248,663       9,258,806  

Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Ltd.

    19,579,200       29,174,393  

CIMC Enric Holdings Ltd.

    8,180,000       6,577,780  

CITIC Ltd.

    52,573,000       52,886,947  

CITIC Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    5,869,849       17,319,360  

CITIC Securities Co. Ltd., Class H

    17,229,400        31,847,732  

ClouDr Group Ltd., NVS

    1,234,500       841,973  

CMGE Technology Group Ltd.(a)

    22,120,000       2,737,910  

CMOC Group Ltd., Class A

    9,597,233       8,169,020  

CMOC Group Ltd., Class H

    34,398,000       21,220,365  

CNGR Advanced Material Co. Ltd.

    430,500       2,831,293  

CNPC Capital Co. Ltd., NVS

    3,964,000       3,403,411  

COFCO Joycome Foods Ltd.(a)(c)

    28,892,000       5,643,795  

Concord New Energy Group Ltd.

    83,070,000       6,885,935  

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,357,151       53,312,736  

COSCO Shipping Energy Transportation Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,058,900       5,834,075  

COSCO Shipping Energy Transportation Co. Ltd., Class H

    8,500,000       8,042,040  

COSCO Shipping Holdings Co. Ltd., Class A

    5,340,546       7,781,379  

COSCO Shipping Holdings Co. Ltd., Class H

    29,771,100       32,049,795  
Security   Shares     Value  
China (continued)            

COSCO Shipping International Hong Kong Co. Ltd.

    12,230,000     $ 5,437,087  

COSCO Shipping Ports Ltd.

    15,740,000       9,391,992  

Country Garden Holdings Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    107,784,733       8,758,888  

Country Garden Services Holdings Co. Ltd.(c)

    19,737,000       15,023,534  

CRRC Corp. Ltd., Class A

    11,309,000       10,007,625  

CRRC Corp. Ltd., Class H

    41,678,000       21,458,008  

CSC Financial Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,023,794       6,526,943  

CSG Holding Co. Ltd.

    3,734,481       1,149,511  

CSPC Innovation Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

    637,700       3,005,080  

CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Ltd.

    80,373,760       62,599,082  

CSSC Science & Technology Co. Ltd.

    840,100       2,044,079  

Dada Nexus Ltd., ADR(a)(c)

    763,798       1,603,976  

Daqin Railway Co. Ltd., Class A

    7,311,019       7,568,301  

Daqo New Energy Corp., ADR(a)(c)

    527,750       11,230,520  

DaShenLin Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,034,333       3,410,042  

Digital China Holdings Ltd.

    10,251,000       3,488,937  

Dong-E-E-Jiao Co. Ltd., Class A

    356,000       2,869,677  

Dongfang Electric Corp. Ltd., Class A

    1,767,524       4,008,170  

Dongfeng Motor Group Co. Ltd., Class H

    23,354,000       9,989,854  

Dongxing Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,033,067       4,744,972  

Dongyue Group Ltd.

    13,488,000       12,073,084  

East Buy Holding Ltd.(a)(b)(c)

    4,028,500       12,417,768  

East Money Information Co. Ltd., Class A

    8,479,688       16,471,607  

Eastroc Beverage Group Co. Ltd.

    259,100       6,428,176  

Ecovacs Robotics Co. Ltd., Class A

    420,300       2,172,827  

Empyrean Technology Co. Ltd., NVS

    106,700       1,346,318  

ENN Energy Holdings Ltd.

    7,153,100        58,082,003  

ENN Natural Gas Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,966,228       5,106,047  

Eoptolink Technology Inc. Ltd.

    409,200       3,416,623  

Eve Energy Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,151,977       6,112,576  

Everbright Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,416,686       5,662,329  

Everdisplay Optronics Shanghai Co. Ltd.(a)

    4,958,400       1,644,452  

Everest Medicines Ltd.(a)(b)(c)

    2,122,000       6,526,217  

Fangda Carbon New Material Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    4,670,984       3,189,072  

Far East Horizon Ltd.(c)

    11,518,000       9,253,237  

Fenbi Ltd., NVS(c)

    4,719,500       2,965,699  

FinVolution Group, ADR

    1,315,787       6,881,566  

First Capital Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,359,900       5,049,400  

Flat Glass Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,116,100       3,377,232  

Flat Glass Group Co. Ltd., Class H(c)

    3,677,000       6,797,928  

Focus Media Information Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    8,326,699       7,259,722  

Foshan Haitian Flavouring & Food Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,519,774       14,161,625  

Fosun International Ltd.

    22,708,000       13,101,076  

Founder Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,810,100       4,028,190  

Foxconn Industrial Internet Co. Ltd., Class A

    7,028,925       18,227,125  

Fu Shou Yuan International Group Ltd.

    11,430,000       7,465,508  

Fufeng Group Ltd.(c)

    16,348,400       10,022,877  

Fuyao Glass Industry Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,028,100       6,173,473  

Fuyao Glass Industry Group Co. Ltd., Class H(b)

    5,533,600       27,736,753  

GalaxyCore Inc., NVS

    1,074,600       2,943,076  

Ganfeng Lithium Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    854,157       4,736,600  

Ganfeng Lithium Group Co. Ltd., Class H(b)(c)

    3,570,600       11,828,746  

GCL Technology Holdings Ltd.

    183,682,000       25,549,968  

GD Power Development Co. Ltd., Class A

    13,011,800       8,450,159  

GDS Holdings Ltd.(a)(c)

    8,119,876       6,880,562  

Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd.

    54,678,000       59,504,525  
 

 

 

12  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
China (continued)            

Gemdale Properties & Investment Corp. Ltd.(c)

    71,244,000     $ 2,404,124  

Genertec Universal Medical Group Co. Ltd.(b)

    12,919,500       7,084,133  

Genscript Biotech Corp.(a)(c)

    10,808,000       21,849,843  

GF Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,720,830       3,380,743  

GF Securities Co. Ltd., Class H

    11,137,400       11,958,708  

Giant Biogene Holding Co. Ltd.(a)(b)

    1,568,800       7,173,260  

Giant Network Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    853,800       1,338,068  

GigaDevice Semiconductor Inc., Class A

    385,735       3,919,381  

Ginlong Technologies Co. Ltd., Class A

    240,550       2,171,297  

GoerTek Inc., Class A

    1,953,962       4,514,948  

Goldwind Science & Technology Co Ltd., Class A

    2,862,037       3,031,988  

Gongniu Group Co. Ltd.

    335,900       4,748,338  

GoodWe Technologies Co. Ltd., NVS

    99,188       1,490,828  

Gotion High-tech Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    1,358,200       3,728,151  

Grand Pharmaceutical Group Ltd., Class A

    16,143,500       7,369,710  

Great Wall Motor Co. Ltd.

    1,074,400       3,483,448  

Great Wall Motor Co. Ltd., Class H(c)

    21,801,000       24,605,807  

Gree Electric Appliances Inc. of Zhuhai, Class A

    1,682,700       9,106,260  

Greentown China Holdings Ltd.(c)

    8,845,500       7,072,805  

Greentown Management Holdings Co. Ltd.(b)

    8,836,000       5,562,077  

Greentown Service Group Co. Ltd.

    13,368,000       4,803,025  

GRG Banking Equipment Co. Ltd., Class A

    766,500       1,225,605  

Guangdong Haid Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,065,920       6,368,255  

Guangdong Investment Ltd.

    26,860,000        15,939,200  

Guanghui Energy Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,446,180       4,619,980  

Guangzhou Automobile Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,200,699       2,716,239  

Guangzhou Automobile Group Co. Ltd., Class H

    25,569,200       11,063,745  

Guangzhou Baiyunshan Pharmaceutical Holdings Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,087,388       4,465,447  

Guangzhou Haige Communications Group Inc. Co., Class A

    597,500       957,615  

Guangzhou Kingmed Diagnostics Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    345,100       2,877,522  

Guangzhou R&F Properties Co. Ltd., Class H(a)(c)

    15,128,400       1,961,098  

Guangzhou Shiyuan Electronic Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    420,583       2,286,049  

Guangzhou Tinci Materials Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,230,396       3,522,382  

Guangzhou Yuexiu Financial Holdings Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,017,800       868,744  

Guolian Securities Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    2,660,700       4,043,123  

Guosen Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    5,877,867       7,023,347  

Guotai Junan Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,800,591       5,858,759  

Guoyuan Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,627,471       3,507,187  

Gushengtang Holdings Ltd.

    1,564,000       8,585,613  

H World Group Ltd., ADR

    1,872,336       68,452,604  

Haichang Ocean Park Holdings Ltd.(a)(b)(c)

    32,005,000       3,069,492  

Haidilao International Holding Ltd.(b)

    15,254,000       27,740,481  

Haier Smart Home Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,262,537       10,867,221  

Haier Smart Home Co. Ltd., Class H

    22,229,400       67,324,867  

Hainan Airlines Holding Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    27,455,441       5,449,865  

Hainan Airport Infrastructure Co. Ltd., NVS(a)

    7,024,003       3,651,156  

Hainan Meilan International Airport Co. Ltd., Class H(a)

    2,024,000       1,906,439  

Haitian International Holdings Ltd.

    5,956,000       15,080,994  

Haitong Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,123,131       5,223,083  

Haitong Securities Co. Ltd., Class H

    22,780,000       11,307,812  
Security   Shares     Value  
China (continued)            

Hang Zhou Great Star Industrial Co. Ltd., Class A

    431,400     $ 1,299,389  

Hangzhou Binjiang Real Estate Group Co. Ltd.

    2,251,594        2,356,192  

Hangzhou Chang Chuan Technology Co. Ltd.

    452,126       1,814,148  

Hangzhou First Applied Material Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,122,808       4,328,605  

Hangzhou Oxygen Plant Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    780,900       3,031,943  

Hangzhou Robam Appliances Co. Ltd., Class A

    810,309       2,804,420  

Hangzhou Silan Microelectronics Co. Ltd., Class A

    903,900       2,617,946  

Hangzhou Steam Turbine Power Group Co. Ltd., Class B

    6,736,634       6,036,925  

Hangzhou Tigermed Consulting Co. Ltd., Class A

    255,574       1,595,527  

Hansoh Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd.(b)

    10,204,000       17,985,210  

Harbin Electric Co. Ltd., Class H

    8,374,000       2,551,464  

Helens International Holdings Co. Ltd. (c)

    4,646,000       1,973,377  

Hello Group Inc., ADR

    1,352,936       8,915,848  

Henan Shenhuo Coal & Power Co. Ltd.

    1,906,300       4,865,579  

Henan Shuanghui Investment & Development Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,600,932       10,528,927  

Hengan International Group Co. Ltd.

    5,660,000       17,445,259  

Hengdian Group DMEGC Magnetics Co. Ltd.

    1,385,255       2,758,438  

Hengli Petrochemical Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    3,872,630       6,841,266  

Hengtong Optic-Electric Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,327,400       2,251,602  

Hengyi Petrochemical Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    3,310,561       3,173,069  

Hisense Visual Technology Co. Ltd.

    907,705       3,255,094  

Hithink RoyalFlush Information Network Co. Ltd., Class A

    310,602       5,893,620  

HLA Group Corp. Ltd., Class A

    1,013,600       1,211,796  

Hongfa Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    572,568       1,974,362  

Hopson Development Holdings Ltd.(a)(c)

    10,799,671       5,161,015  

Hoshine Silicon Industry Co. Ltd., Class A

    469,523       3,448,583  

Hua Han Health Industry Holdings Ltd.(d)

    19,424,288       25  

Hua Hong Semiconductor Ltd.(a)(b)(c)

    5,197,000       11,138,372  

Huabao International Holdings Ltd.(c)

    9,052,000       2,695,281  

Huadian Power International Corp. Ltd., Class A

    5,504,800       4,728,396  

Huadong Medicine Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,021,051       4,754,528  

Huafon Chemical Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,389,655       6,044,327  

Huagong Tech Co. Ltd., Class A

    526,900       2,321,033  

Huaibei Mining Holdings Co. Ltd.

    1,551,300       4,067,683  

Hualan Biological Engineering Inc., Class A

    1,439,420       3,933,510  

Huaneng Power International Inc., Class A(a)

    5,447,426       6,665,003  

Huaneng Power International Inc., Class H(a)

    37,538,000       21,053,623  

Huatai Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,264,251       6,573,395  

Huatai Securities Co. Ltd., Class H(b)

    13,501,200       15,935,732  

Huaxia Bank Co. Ltd., Class A

    9,837,330       8,649,723  

Huayu Automotive Systems Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,365,860       5,724,214  

Hubei Jumpcan Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Class A

    230,800       1,185,431  

Huizhou Desay Sv Automotive Co. Ltd., Class A

    343,400       4,871,083  

Humanwell Healthcare Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,195,600       3,646,799  

Hunan Valin Steel Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,633,000       5,225,447  

Hundsun Technologies Inc., Class A

    1,092,749       3,695,221  

HUTCHMED China Ltd.(a)

    4,791,080       14,804,316  

HUYA Inc., ADR(a)(c)

    867,012       3,034,542  

Hwatsing Technology Co. Ltd., NVS

    156,800       4,390,699  

Hygeia Healthcare Holdings Co. Ltd.(b)(c)

    3,322,600       12,472,507  

Hygon Information Technology Co. Ltd., NVS

    1,014,853       11,979,167  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  13


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
China (continued)            

iDreamSky Technology Holdings Ltd.(a)(b)(c)

    8,220,000     $ 2,127,623  

IEIT Systems Co. Ltd., Class A

    871,372       4,521,065  

Iflytek Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,261,996       8,659,520  

Imeik Technology Development Co. Ltd., Class A

    134,780       6,119,412  

Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd., Class A

    31,670,880       23,404,562  

Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd., Class H

    585,268,000        300,015,800  

Industrial Bank Co. Ltd., Class A

    10,290,490       23,738,914  

Industrial Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,275,451       5,054,540  

INESA Intelligent Tech Inc., Class B

    2,977,852       1,705,252  

Ingenic Semiconductor Co. Ltd., Class A

    301,303       2,728,182  

Inner Mongolia BaoTou Steel Union Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    40,078,700       8,563,129  

Inner Mongolia Junzheng Energy & Chemical Industry Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    12,688,400       6,841,575  

Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,461,862       13,591,370  

Inner Mongolia Yitai Coal Co. Ltd., Class B

    9,681,095       19,445,883  

InnoCare Pharma Ltd.(a)(b)(c)

    3,329,000       2,190,914  

Innovent Biologics Inc.(a)(b)

    10,817,000       58,332,836  

iQIYI Inc., ADR(a)(c)

    4,024,816       14,851,571  

iRay Technology Co. Ltd.

    56,200       1,930,705  

Isoftstone Information Technology Group Co. Ltd., NVS(a)

    503,400       3,182,535  

JA Solar Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,782,080       4,629,029  

Jason Furniture Hangzhou Co. Ltd., Class A

    754,657       3,918,417  

JCET Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,148,600       4,169,023  

JD Health International Inc.(a)(b)(c)

    10,115,500       38,151,352  

JD Logistics Inc.(a)(b)

    17,785,700       17,561,613  

JD.com Inc.

    21,150,054       238,696,981  

Jiangsu Eastern Shenghong Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,967,900       5,775,733  

Jiangsu Expressway Co. Ltd., Class H

    10,732,000       11,023,770  

Jiangsu Hengli Hydraulic Co. Ltd., Class A

    888,596       6,996,146  

Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,283,055       19,375,246  

Jiangsu King’s Luck Brewery JSC Ltd., Class A

    865,256       6,425,089  

Jiangsu Pacific Quartz Co. Ltd., NVS

    246,282       2,725,755  

Jiangsu Phoenix Publishing & Media Corp. Ltd.

    1,031,600       1,488,586  

Jiangsu Yanghe Brewery Joint-Stock Co. Ltd., Class A

    740,151       10,327,965  

Jiangsu Yangnong Chemical Co. Ltd., Class A

    373,260       2,829,705  

Jiangsu Yoke Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    208,700       1,457,956  

Jiangsu Yuyue Medical Equipment & Supply Co. Ltd., Class A

    793,600       3,936,493  

Jiangsu Zhongtian Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,788,000       3,242,356  

Jiangxi Copper Co. Ltd., Class H

    12,438,000       18,459,403  

Jiangxi Special Electric Motor Co. Ltd., NVS(a)

    1,115,800       1,616,224  

Jinchuan Group International Resources Co. Ltd.

    36,943,000       3,103,585  

Jinduicheng Molybdenum Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,151,300       1,609,509  

Jinke Smart Services Group Co. Ltd.(a)

    1,416,000       1,672,648  

Jinko Solar Co. Ltd.

    3,561,499       4,367,334  

JinkoSolar Holding Co. Ltd., ADR

    377,058       10,195,648  

Jinxin Fertility Group Ltd.(a)(b)(c)

    15,310,000       4,744,364  

JiuGui Liquor Co. Ltd., Class A

    279,400       2,356,321  

Jiumaojiu International Holdings Ltd.(b)

    7,900,000       5,483,297  

Jizhong Energy Resources Co. Ltd.

    3,732,800       4,209,980  

JNBY Design Ltd.

    2,882,000       5,507,617  
Security   Shares     Value  
China (continued)            

Jonjee Hi-Tech Industrial & Commercial Holding Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    852,742     $ 2,988,694  

JOYY Inc., ADR

    353,797       11,144,606  

Kangji Medical Holdings Ltd.

    4,889,000       3,979,850  

Kanzhun Ltd., ADR

    2,019,929       31,611,889  

KE Holdings Inc., ADR

    5,920,439       80,458,766  

Keda Industrial Group Co. Ltd.

    1,801,800       2,999,650  

Keymed Biosciences Inc.(a)(b)(c)

    1,688,500       7,313,231  

Kingboard Holdings Ltd.

    6,200,700       12,162,475  

Kingboard Laminates Holdings Ltd.(c)

    9,051,000       5,605,360  

Kingdee International Software Group Co.
Ltd.(a)

    25,081,000       26,969,275  

Kingnet Network Co. Ltd.

    1,169,900       2,029,273  

Kingsoft Cloud Holdings Ltd., ADR(a)(c)

    1,063,584       3,052,486  

Kingsoft Corp. Ltd.

    8,741,200       24,288,629  

Kuaishou Technology(a)(b)

    21,108,000        119,194,985  

Kuang-Chi Technologies Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    1,558,050       3,206,239  

Kunlun Energy Co. Ltd.

    36,060,000       30,741,630  

Kunlun Tech Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    755,200       4,235,862  

Kweichow Moutai Co. Ltd., Class A

    669,520       157,062,025  

LB Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,083,807       5,422,057  

Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing Ltd.(c)

    14,794,000       4,218,228  

Legend Biotech Corp., ADR(a)(c)

    655,757       42,729,126  

Lenovo Group Ltd.

    69,724,000       77,026,145  

Lens Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,376,715       5,665,754  

Lepu Medical Technology Beijing Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,313,582       2,750,604  

LexinFintech Holdings Ltd., ADR

    308,468       567,581  

Li Auto Inc.(a)

    10,406,404       237,494,535  

Li Ning Co. Ltd.

    21,440,500       53,046,149  

Lifetech Scientific Corp. (a)(c)

    35,722,000       9,058,866  

Lingyi iTech Guangdong Co., Class A

    6,240,733       4,750,438  

LK Technology Holdings Ltd.

    5,657,500       2,474,401  

Longfor Group Holdings Ltd.(b)(c)

    17,365,000       21,749,736  

LONGi Green Energy Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,674,449       10,816,947  

Lonking Holdings Ltd.

    23,752,000       3,990,873  

Lufax Holding Ltd., Class A, ADR(c)

    1,479,512       4,616,077  

Luxshare Precision Industry Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,786,289       14,488,579  

Luye Pharma Group Ltd. (a)(b)(c)

    19,949,000       7,368,199  

Luzhou Laojiao Co. Ltd., Class A

    784,308       19,018,193  

Mango Excellent Media Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,161,632       3,988,676  

Maoyan Entertainment(a)(b)

    5,422,000       5,978,609  

Maxscend Microelectronics Co. Ltd., Class A

    316,812       4,723,998  

Medlive Technology Co. Ltd.(b)(c)

    793,500       754,967  

Meinian Onehealth Healthcare Holdings Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    4,093,552       3,158,664  

Meitu Inc.(b)(c)

    22,379,000       7,364,850  

Meituan, Class B(a)(b)

    45,768,460       464,649,017  

Metallurgical Corp. of China Ltd., Class A

    12,805,800       5,909,870  

MH Development Ltd.(d)

    3,308,000       15,405  

Microport Scientific Corp.(a)(c)

    6,759,300       6,614,899  

Midea Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,546,700       13,442,193  

Midea Real Estate Holding Ltd.(b)(c)

    3,594,400       2,002,446  

Ming Yang Smart Energy Group Ltd., Class A

    1,232,400       1,744,201  

Ming Yuan Cloud Group Holdings Ltd.(a)(c)

    7,973,000       2,272,606  

MINISO Group Holding Ltd.

    3,608,304       16,584,103  

Minth Group Ltd.(c)

    6,938,000       11,794,075  

MMG Ltd.(a)

    27,947,999       7,481,747  

Mobvista Inc.(a)(b)

    7,213,000       3,020,842  

Montage Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    662,400       4,803,048  

Muyuan Foods Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,805,983       14,949,318  
 

 

 

14  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
China (continued)            

NARI Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,740,936     $ 12,021,728  

National Silicon Industry Group Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    1,931,200       4,128,754  

NAURA Technology Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    288,975       11,388,429  

NetDragon Websoft Holdings Ltd.

    3,031,000       4,354,666  

NetEase Inc.

    17,466,235       379,411,537  

New China Life Insurance Co. Ltd., Class A

    963,201       4,373,712  

New China Life Insurance Co. Ltd., Class H

    7,849,400       15,078,960  

New Hope Liuhe Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    3,841,744       4,713,442  

New Horizon Health Ltd.(a)(b)(c)

    2,592,000       6,749,408  

New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc.(a)

    13,475,090        126,642,662  

Nexteer Automotive Group Ltd.

    8,604,000       3,964,348  

Nine Dragons Paper Holdings Ltd.(a)(c)

    15,284,000       7,071,697  

Ninestar Corp., Class A

    900,034       2,926,514  

Ningbo Deye Technology Co. Ltd., NVS

    278,760       3,236,911  

Ningbo Joyson Electronic Corp., Class A

    429,000       989,423  

Ningbo Orient Wires & Cables Co. Ltd.

    437,300       2,349,426  

Ningbo Sanxing Medical Electric Co. Ltd.

    706,500       2,650,944  

Ningbo Shanshan Co. Ltd.

    1,880,800       2,985,113  

Ningbo Tuopu Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    727,000       5,904,985  

Ningxia Baofeng Energy Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,427,900       9,361,293  

NIO Inc., ADR(a)(c)

    12,627,504       72,608,148  

Noah Holdings Ltd., ADR

    334,077       3,714,936  

Nongfu Spring Co. Ltd., Class H(b)

    18,248,200       103,189,927  

Offcn Education Technology Co. Ltd.,
Class A(a)

    1,751,600       848,624  

Offshore Oil Engineering Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,793,400       2,395,514  

OFILM Group Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    1,747,400       1,978,628  

Oppein Home Group Inc., Class A

    357,380       3,438,291  

Orient Overseas International Ltd.

    1,255,000       19,434,092  

Orient Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,950,367       6,043,175  

Oriental Pearl Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    840,600       861,738  

Pangang Group Vanadium Titanium & Resources Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    5,812,100       2,566,871  

PDD Holdings Inc., ADR(a)

    5,385,921       670,762,601  

Peijia Medical Ltd.(a)(b)

    5,367,000       3,490,674  

People.cn Co. Ltd.

    614,600       2,262,003  

People’s Insurance Co. Group of China Ltd. (The), Class H

    88,375,000       29,438,023  

Perfect World Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,228,586       1,992,109  

PetroChina Co. Ltd., Class A

    10,158,937       12,435,807  

PetroChina Co. Ltd., Class H

    191,422,000       150,134,454  

Pharmaron Beijing Co. Ltd., Class A

    866,125       2,799,081  

PICC Property & Casualty Co. Ltd., Class H

    62,577,040       85,550,235  

Ping An Bank Co. Ltd., Class A

    9,195,236       13,482,001  

Ping An Healthcare and Technology Co. Ltd.(a)(b)(c)

    4,697,200       7,254,055  

Ping An Insurance Group Co. of China Ltd., Class A

    5,557,154       32,961,088  

Ping An Insurance Group Co. of China Ltd., Class H

    60,417,500       268,686,712  

Piotech Inc., NVS

    199,200       5,907,005  

Poly Developments and Holdings Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    5,823,611       7,870,965  

Poly Property Group Co. Ltd.

    21,670,000       3,981,504  

Pop Mart International Group Ltd.(b)

    4,788,800       11,938,350  

Postal Savings Bank of China Co. Ltd., Class A

    14,069,500       9,450,300  

Postal Savings Bank of China Co. Ltd., Class H(b)

    71,556,000       37,593,637  

Power Construction Corp. of China Ltd., Class A

    9,424,544       6,673,605  
Security   Shares     Value  
China (continued)            

Q Technology Group Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    5,346,000     $ 2,103,972  

Qi An Xin Technology Group Inc.(a)

    168,000       815,780  

Qifu Technology Inc.

    1,065,204        16,457,402  

Qinghai Salt Lake Industry Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    2,911,550       6,522,208  

Range Intelligent Computing Technology Group Co. Ltd.

    823,200       2,964,358  

Redco Properties Group Ltd.(a)(b)(c)(d)

    11,872,000       875,931  

RLX Technology Inc., ADR(c)

    5,138,648       10,020,364  

Rongsheng Petrochemical Co. Ltd., Class A

    5,242,071       7,453,547  

SAIC Motor Corp. Ltd., Class A

    3,159,490       6,549,062  

Sailun Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,185,300       6,365,795  

Sanan Optoelectronics Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,741,600       4,728,490  

Sangfor Technologies Inc., Class A(a)

    258,200       2,272,011  

Sany Heavy Equipment International Holdings Co. Ltd.

    11,109,000       8,590,205  

Sany Heavy Industry Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,061,556       7,836,158  

Satellite Chemical Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    2,782,607       6,388,055  

SciClone Pharmaceuticals Holdings Ltd.(b)

    2,515,500       4,190,332  

SDIC Capital Co. Ltd., Class A

    5,393,800       5,165,004  

SDIC Power Holdings Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,000,800       8,000,046  

Seazen Group Ltd.(a)(c)

    21,108,000       2,977,283  

Seazen Holdings Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    1,318,226       1,894,556  

Seres Group Co. Ltd., NVS(a)

    819,300       10,448,494  

SF Holding Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,523,492       13,382,161  

SG Micro Corp., Class A

    300,750       2,950,506  

Shaanxi Coal Industry Co. Ltd., Class A

    5,137,490       18,369,759  

Shan Xi Hua Yang Group New Energy Co. Ltd.

    2,526,600       3,545,578  

Shandong Chenming Paper Holdings Ltd., Class B(a)

    311,200       50,775  

Shandong Gold Mining Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,762,801       5,290,356  

Shandong Gold Mining Co. Ltd., Class H(b)

    6,039,000       9,542,023  

Shandong Hualu Hengsheng Chemical Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,699,599       6,473,793  

Shandong Linglong Tyre Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,288,241       3,953,943  

Shandong Nanshan Aluminum Co. Ltd., Class A

    11,552,400       4,967,197  

Shandong Weigao Group Medical Polymer Co. Ltd., Class H

    22,874,800       14,871,030  

Shanghai Aiko Solar Energy Co. Ltd.

    1,074,020       2,250,870  

Shanghai Bairun Investment Holding Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    887,604       2,473,681  

Shanghai Baosight Software Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,058,330       6,871,702  

Shanghai Baosight Software Co. Ltd., Class B

    5,580,897       12,539,572  

Shanghai BOCHU Electronic Technology Corp. Ltd., Class A

    129,600       5,058,544  

Shanghai Chlor-Alkali Chemical Co. Ltd., Class B

    7,706,109       3,691,226  

Shanghai Construction Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    10,434,700       3,543,463  

Shanghai Electric Group Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    11,984,600       7,044,279  

Shanghai Electric Power Co. Ltd., Class A

    759,600       878,275  

Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    633,600       2,157,748  

Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd., Class H

    4,622,000       8,328,290  

Shanghai Fudan Microelectronics Group Co. Ltd.

    176,184       905,507  

Shanghai Haixin Group Co., Class B

    8,108,291       2,464,920  

Shanghai Industrial Holdings Ltd.

    5,812,000       7,600,741  

Shanghai International Airport Co. Ltd.,
Class A(a)

    932,503       4,541,410  

Shanghai International Port Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    8,482,770       6,390,411  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  15


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
China (continued)            

Shanghai Jinjiang International Hotels Co. Ltd., Class A

    570,878     $ 2,297,962  

Shanghai Junshi Biosciences Co. Ltd.(a)

    542,050       2,363,837  

Shanghai M&G Stationery Inc., Class A

    736,547       3,636,748  

Shanghai Moons’ Electric Co. Ltd.

    202,800       1,624,961  

Shanghai Pharmaceuticals Holding Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,233,700       3,099,157  

Shanghai Pharmaceuticals Holding Co. Ltd., Class H

    7,102,300       11,421,214  

Shanghai Pudong Development Bank Co. Ltd., Class A

    13,384,746       13,261,877  

Shanghai Putailai New Energy Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,301,494       3,387,382  

Shanghai RAAS Blood Products Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,858,034       6,841,391  

Shanghai Rural Commercial Bank Co. Ltd.

    5,198,200       4,652,585  

Shanghai United Imaging Healthcare Co. Ltd., NVS

    425,624       8,411,684  

Shanghai Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone Group Co. Ltd.

    1,393,038       1,014,132  

Shanghai Zhangjiang High-Tech Park Development Co. Ltd., Class A

    841,800       2,329,489  

Shanxi Coal International Energy Group Co. Ltd.

    898,900       2,292,984  

Shanxi Coking Coal Energy Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,654,000       5,900,455  

Shanxi Lu’an Environmental Energy Development Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,149,300       7,704,043  

Shanxi Meijin Energy Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    3,911,369       3,723,992  

Shanxi Xinghuacun Fen Wine Factory Co. Ltd., Class A

    673,839       21,694,030  

Shede Spirits Co. Ltd.

    231,400       2,596,537  

Shengyi Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,789,908       4,253,332  

Shennan Circuits Co. Ltd., Class A

    311,071       3,026,188  

Shenwan Hongyuan Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    13,547,792       8,601,705  

Shenzhen Capchem Technology Co. Ltd.

    482,103       2,716,238  

Shenzhen Goodix Technology Co. Ltd.,
Class A(a)

    171,300       1,503,531  

Shenzhen Inovance Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    908,142       7,952,570  

Shenzhen International Holdings Ltd.

    11,150,750       9,402,805  

Shenzhen Investment Ltd.

    29,170,000       3,905,490  

Shenzhen Kaifa Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    759,600       1,501,112  

Shenzhen Kangtai Biological Products Co. Ltd., Class A

    765,200       2,571,329  

Shenzhen Kedali Industry Co. Ltd., Class A

    101,100       1,024,094  

Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co. Ltd., Class A

    628,946        25,147,953  

Shenzhen New Industries Biomedical Engineering Co. Ltd., Class A

    488,200       5,480,303  

Shenzhen Overseas Chinese Town Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    6,015,702       2,557,668  

Shenzhen Salubris Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., Class A

    241,000       975,070  

Shenzhen SC New Energy Technology Corp., Class A

    206,000       1,846,123  

Shenzhen SED Industry Co. Ltd., NVS

    553,900       1,519,566  

Shenzhen Transsion Holding Co. Ltd., Class A

    471,653       10,396,414  

Shenzhou International Group Holdings Ltd.

    7,426,700       60,917,413  

Shijiazhuang Yiling Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Class A

    962,518       2,863,441  

Shoucheng Holdings Ltd.(c)

    29,632,800       5,714,693  
Security   Shares     Value  
China (continued)            

Shougang Fushan Resources Group Ltd.

    22,932,000     $ 9,548,496  

Shui On Land Ltd.

    50,000,666       4,525,062  

Sichuan Changhong Electric Co. Ltd.

    2,494,300       1,780,094  

Sichuan Chuantou Energy Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,133,478       8,982,330  

Sichuan Kelun Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,154,920       4,389,693  

Sichuan Road & Bridge Co. Ltd., Class A

    5,942,760       6,724,537  

Sichuan Swellfun Co. Ltd., Class A

    350,100       2,434,189  

Sieyuan Electric Co. Ltd.

    476,300       3,778,674  

Sihuan Pharmaceutical Holdings Group
Ltd.(c)

    49,326,000       3,591,156  

Simcere Pharmaceutical Group Ltd.(b)

    3,912,000       2,783,044  

Sino Biopharmaceutical Ltd.

    91,239,000       36,263,829  

Sinofert Holdings Ltd.

    27,726,000       2,865,033  

Sinolink Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    801,800       1,010,588  

Sinoma International Engineering Co.

    1,742,600       2,708,367  

Sinoma Science & Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,281,200       2,779,770  

Sinomine Resource Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    517,636       2,688,854  

Sinopec Engineering Group Co. Ltd., Class H

    17,476,500       9,582,111  

Sinopec Kantons Holdings Ltd.

    14,674,000       6,653,388  

Sinopharm Group Co. Ltd., Class H

    12,223,200       34,205,814  

Sinotruk Hong Kong Ltd.

    5,611,000       14,834,625  

Skshu Paint Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    387,748       2,074,286  

Skyworth Group Ltd.

    14,870,000       5,227,678  

Smoore International Holdings Ltd.(b)(c)

    16,260,000       11,303,434  

SOHO China Ltd.(a)(c)

    21,700,000       1,904,531  

Songcheng Performance Development Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,720,356       2,572,936  

SooChow Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,915,900       3,960,946  

Southwest Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,554,700       930,035  

Spring Airlines Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    673,200       5,355,033  

SSY Group Ltd.

    13,440,411       7,528,527  

StarPower Semiconductor Ltd., Class A

    102,700       2,158,570  

Sun King Technology Group Ltd.(a)

    364,000       53,000  

Sunac Services Holdings Ltd.(b)(c)

    9,850,000       2,504,168  

Sungrow Power Supply Co. Ltd., Class A

    794,200       9,588,589  

Sunny Optical Technology Group Co. Ltd.

    6,346,400       40,844,847  

Sunresin New Materials Co. Ltd., NVS

    159,800       1,112,703  

Sunwoda Electronic Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,432,800       2,821,660  

SUPCON Technology Co. Ltd.

    1,090,629       6,956,695  

Superb Summit International Group Ltd.(d)

    998,771       1  

Suzhou Dongshan Precision Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,170,300       2,428,333  

Suzhou Maxwell Technologies Co. Ltd., Class A

    178,292       3,000,837  

Suzhou TFC Optical Communication Co. Ltd.

    217,100       4,104,330  

SY Holdings Group Ltd.(c)

    8,895,000       4,820,499  

TAL Education Group, ADR(a)(c)

    3,988,986       58,757,764  

TBEA Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,534,287       7,295,958  

TCL Electronics Holdings Ltd.

    10,341,000       3,779,570  

TCL Technology Group Corp., Class A(a)

    13,435,412       8,430,048  

TCL Zhonghuan Renewable Energy Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,082,238       3,902,324  

Tencent Holdings Ltd.

    59,618,400        2,088,469,315  

Tencent Music Entertainment Group, ADR(a)

    6,803,569       71,233,367  

Thunder Software Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    306,300       2,572,131  

Tianfeng Securities Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    2,680,300       1,160,080  

Tiangong International Co. Ltd.

    14,842,000       3,405,787  

Tianli International Holdings Ltd.

    5,180,000       3,109,522  

Tianma Microelectronics Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    3,347,505       4,249,431  

Tianneng Power International Ltd.(c)

    7,274,000       6,557,751  

Tianqi Lithium Corp., Class A

    861,900       6,398,458  
 

 

 

16  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
China (continued)            

Tianshan Aluminum Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,412,200     $ 1,108,125  

Tianshui Huatian Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,207,236       3,636,972  

Tingyi Cayman Islands Holding Corp.

    17,798,000       19,792,365  

Tong Ren Tang Technologies Co. Ltd., Class H

    7,098,000       4,654,682  

Tongcheng Travel Holdings Ltd.(a)

    11,096,400       27,895,800  

Tongdao Liepin Group(a)(c)

    3,298,000       1,631,620  

TongFu Microelectronics Co. Ltd., Class A

    647,600       1,994,351  

Tongling Nonferrous Metals Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    7,942,300       3,606,204  

Tongwei Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,177,477       7,993,163  

Topchoice Medical Corp., Class A(a)

    205,999       1,873,976  

Topsports International Holdings Ltd.(b)

    15,618,000       10,569,003  

Towngas Smart Energy Co. Ltd.(c)

    11,463,000       4,137,163  

TravelSky Technology Ltd., Class H

    8,179,000       9,777,733  

Trina Solar Co. Ltd.

    1,193,816       4,149,605  

Trip.com Group Ltd.(a)

    4,974,141        225,777,621  

Tsinghua Tongfang Co. Ltd.(a)

    1,584,100       1,486,518  

Tsingtao Brewery Co. Ltd., Class A

    400,800       4,452,846  

Tsingtao Brewery Co. Ltd., Class H

    5,454,000       34,898,632  

Tuya Inc.(a)

    2,410,195       4,748,084  

Unigroup Guoxin Microelectronics Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    479,033       4,746,487  

Unisplendour Corp. Ltd., Class A(a)

    1,774,661       5,439,104  

Untrade Cteg(d)

    33,362,000       43  

Untrade SMI Holdings(d)

    12,466,353       16  

Untradelumena Newmat, NVS(d)

    43,450        

Up Fintech Holding Ltd., ADR(a)(c)

    1,032,815       4,151,916  

Venus MedTech Hangzhou Inc.,
Class H(a)(b)(d)

    2,600,500       1,531,095  

Verisilicon Microelectronics Shanghai Co. Ltd.(a)

    178,800       1,007,035  

Vinda International Holdings Ltd.

    2,906,000       8,606,265  

Vipshop Holdings Ltd., ADR(a)

    3,128,799       60,229,381  

Vnet Group Inc., ADR(a)(c)

    937,210       1,452,676  

Walvax Biotechnology Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,151,589       2,936,193  

Wanhua Chemical Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,592,186       17,515,237  

Want Want China Holdings Ltd.

    43,531,000       24,018,637  

Weibo Corp., ADR

    623,305       5,684,542  

Weichai Power Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,148,100       7,376,114  

Weichai Power Co. Ltd., Class H

    17,537,000       34,519,159  

Weihai Guangwei Composites Co. Ltd., Class A

    564,560       2,142,424  

Weimob Inc.(a)(b)(c)

    21,042,000       5,634,504  

Wens Foodstuffs Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,027,541       8,057,870  

West China Cement Ltd.

    34,048,000       3,912,661  

Western Mining Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,731,300       3,991,387  

Western Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,665,291       7,369,512  

Western Superconducting Technologies Co. Ltd., Class A

    528,120       2,932,860  

Will Semiconductor Co. Ltd. Shanghai, Class A

    582,469       7,732,928  

Wingtech Technology Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    707,100       3,739,240  

Wuhan Guide Infrared Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,329,096       3,783,062  

Wuliangye Yibin Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,041,574       40,166,575  

WUS Printed Circuit Kunshan Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,274,696       4,672,247  

WuXi AppTec Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,228,439       9,257,828  

WuXi AppTec Co. Ltd., Class H(b)(c)

    3,279,507       20,216,545  

Wuxi Biologics Cayman Inc.(a)(b)

    34,734,000       82,271,233  

XCMG Construction Machinery Co. Ltd., Class A

    8,979,609       7,384,046  

XD Inc.(a)(c)

    3,181,400       5,925,719  

Xiamen C&D Inc., Class A

    2,007,200       2,890,806  

Xiaomi Corp., Class B(a)(b)

    138,333,200       232,458,328  

Xinjiang Daqo New Energy Co. Ltd.

    936,850       3,792,858  
Security   Shares     Value  
China (continued)            

Xinyi Solar Holdings Ltd.

    43,486,800     $ 26,333,228  

XPeng Inc.(a)(c)

    10,196,250       47,721,432  

Xtep International Holdings Ltd.(c)

    12,452,500       6,868,163  

Yadea Group Holdings Ltd.(b)(c)

    11,482,000       18,039,023  

Yangzhou Yangjie Electronic Technology Co. Ltd.

    393,800       2,171,563  

Yankuang Energy Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,571,509       5,635,033  

Yankuang Energy Group Co. Ltd., Class H(a)

    21,443,000       49,448,465  

Yantai Jereh Oilfield Services Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    843,368       3,530,074  

Yeahka Ltd.(a)(c)

    2,614,800       4,233,155  

Yealink Network Technology Corp. Ltd., Class A

    817,006       3,324,004  

YiChang HEC ChangJiang Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Class H(a)(b)

    994,200       1,291,772  

Yidu Tech Inc. (a)(b)

    5,247,800       2,821,540  

Yifeng Pharmacy Chain Co. Ltd., Class A

    819,459       4,474,794  

Yihai International Holding Ltd.

    4,189,000       5,864,248  

Yihai Kerry Arawana Holdings Co. Ltd., Class A

    957,301       4,284,120  

Yintai Gold Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,024,300       2,124,025  

YongXing Special Materials Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    413,660       3,161,546  

Yonyou Network Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,942,583       3,415,995  

Youdao Inc., ADR(a)(c)

    82,093       357,925  

Youngor Fashion Co. Ltd., Class A

    928,700       947,484  

Youyuan International Holdings Ltd.(d)

    5,307,000       5,884  

YTO Express Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,172,853       3,839,872  

Yuexiu Property Co. Ltd.

    15,002,576       9,976,980  

Yuexiu REIT(c)

    27,591,751       3,693,471  

Yuexiu Transport Infrastructure Ltd.

    11,988,000       6,811,770  

Yum China Holdings Inc.

    3,662,056        157,065,582  

Yunda Holding Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,878,037       1,876,493  

Yunnan Aluminium Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,777,353       4,451,668  

Yunnan Baiyao Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    884,792       6,108,430  

Yunnan Botanee Bio-Technology Group Co. Ltd.

    214,400       1,948,970  

Yunnan Energy New Material Co. Ltd., Class A

    550,132       3,499,714  

Yunnan Yuntianhua Co. Ltd.

    1,180,600       2,985,538  

Yutong Bus Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,454,900       3,769,286  

Zai Lab Ltd.(a)

    8,312,290       17,739,885  

Zangge Mining Co. Ltd.

    1,483,246       6,021,708  

Zhangzhou Pientzehuang Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Class A

    286,569       8,855,523  

Zhaojin Mining Industry Co. Ltd., Class H(c)

    11,136,000       11,514,243  

Zhejiang Century Huatong Group Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    4,556,895       3,092,143  

Zhejiang China Commodities City Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,947,020       3,354,635  

Zhejiang Chint Electrics Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,400,673       3,993,575  

Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,044,258       5,239,159  

Zhejiang Dingli Machinery Co. Ltd., Class A

    447,516       3,661,140  

Zhejiang Expressway Co. Ltd., Class H

    18,493,800       14,103,743  

Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,070,262       2,066,710  

Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt Co. Ltd., Class A

    988,391       3,791,421  

Zhejiang Jingsheng Mechanical & Electrical Co. Ltd., Class A

    823,394       4,225,294  

Zhejiang Juhua Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,908,100       5,385,820  

Zhejiang Leapmotor Technology Co.
Ltd.(a)(b)(c)

    4,308,200       15,072,780  

Zhejiang NHU Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,416,458       6,031,537  

Zhejiang Sanhua Intelligent Controls Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,316,000       4,546,172  

Zhejiang Supor Co. Ltd., Class A

    437,640       3,363,064  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  17


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
China (continued)            

Zhejiang Weiming Environment Protection Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,522,973     $ 3,782,918  

Zhejiang Zheneng Electric Power Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    6,076,000       4,536,090  

Zheshang Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,760,000       5,340,472  

ZhongAn Online P&C Insurance Co. Ltd., Class H(a)(b)

    6,454,600       10,164,197  

Zhongji Innolight Co. Ltd., Class A

    472,074       10,167,900  

Zhongjin Gold Corp. Ltd., Class A

    3,362,118       4,843,399  

Zhongsheng Group Holdings Ltd.

    6,465,500       11,771,310  

Zhongtai Securities Co. Ltd.

    5,190,300       4,999,870  

Zhou Hei Ya International Holdings Co. Ltd.(b)(c)

    10,537,500       2,434,317  

Zhuzhou CRRC Times Electric Co. Ltd.

    5,379,100       15,771,236  

Zijin Mining Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    9,444,200       17,114,843  

Zijin Mining Group Co. Ltd., Class H

    50,758,000       81,533,763  

Zonqing Environmental Ltd., NVS(c)

    56,000       159,142  

Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science and Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,976,300       7,740,084  

ZTE Corp., Class A

    1,875,939       7,761,616  

ZTE Corp., Class H

    7,219,640       16,262,123  

ZTO Express Cayman Inc., ADR

    3,831,260       73,521,879  
   

 

 

 
       16,966,849,120  
Colombia — 0.1%            

Bancolombia SA

    2,232,913       18,739,402  

Interconexion Electrica SA ESP

    4,293,966       18,291,748  
   

 

 

 
      37,031,150  
Czech Republic — 0.1%            

CEZ AS

    1,457,664       49,800,976  

Komercni Banka AS

    714,574       24,868,579  

Moneta Money Bank AS(b)

    3,620,592       15,893,158  
   

 

 

 
      90,562,713  
Egypt — 0.1%            

Commercial International Bank - Egypt (CIB)

    22,032,406       31,452,477  

Eastern Co. S.A.E

    9,912,413       7,011,633  

EFG Holding S.A.E.(a)

    15,569,131       5,714,251  

E-Finance for Digital & Financial Investments, NVS

    5,507,837       2,317,053  

EISewedy Electric Co.

    8,670,920       5,921,604  

Ezz Steel Co. SAE(a)

    639,021       977,838  

Fawry for Banking & Payment Technology Services SAE(a)

    19,640,703       2,835,926  

Talaat Moustafa Group

    9,739,310       12,701,971  

Telecom Egypt Co.

    4,706,598       3,544,872  
   

 

 

 
      72,477,625  
Greece — 0.5%            

Aegean Airlines SA(a)

    153,453       2,086,417  

Alpha Services and Holdings SA(a)

    20,794,368       39,171,127  

Athens Water Supply & Sewage Co. SA(c)

    444,043       2,649,166  

Autohellas Tourist and Trading SA

    43,676       637,268  

Eurobank Ergasias Services and Holdings SA, Class A(a)

    24,230,613       50,059,192  

FF Group(d)

    343,633       4  

GEK Terna Holding Real Estate Construction SA

    609,784       9,384,932  

Hellenic Energy Holdings SA

    393,085       3,572,956  

Hellenic Telecommunications Organization SA

    1,648,680       24,875,219  

Holding Co. ADMIE IPTO SA

    1,946,341       4,806,524  

Intracom SA Technical & Steel Constructions(a)

    421,107       2,503,227  

Intralot SA-Integrated Information Systems & Gaming Services(a)

    2,274,366       3,072,667  

JUMBO SA

    1,069,522       31,256,586  
Security   Shares     Value  
Greece (continued)            

LAMDA Development SA(a)

    829,044     $ 6,057,165  

Motor Oil Hellas Corinth Refineries SA

    605,145       17,289,786  

Mytilineos SA

    910,758       35,436,484  

National Bank of Greece SA(a)

    7,081,587       55,604,343  

OPAP SA

    1,738,560       31,699,316  

Piraeus Financial Holdings SA(a)

    6,514,650       28,781,134  

Public Power Corp. SA(a)

    1,847,330       24,130,492  

Sarantis SA(c)

    254,153       2,518,893  

Terna Energy SA

    500,759       8,966,522  

Titan Cement International SA(c)

    516,521       14,654,210  
   

 

 

 
      399,213,630  
Hungary — 0.2%            

Magyar Telekom Telecommunications PLC

    5,532,873       12,560,619  

MOL Hungarian Oil & Gas PLC

    3,821,179       30,403,105  

OTP Bank Nyrt

    2,057,710       98,657,557  

Richter Gedeon Nyrt

    1,232,730       32,818,381  
   

 

 

 
      174,439,662  
India — 19.1%            

360 ONE WAM Ltd.

    1,560,296       13,482,403  

3M India Ltd.

    32,300       12,456,884  

Aarti Industries Ltd.

    1,848,524       14,621,835  

Aarti Pharmalabs Ltd., NVS

    517,417       3,048,786  

Aavas Financiers Ltd.(a)

    384,621       6,742,239  

ABB India Ltd.

    541,371       35,488,396  

Action Construction Equipment Ltd.

    273,206       4,163,145  

Adani Enterprises Ltd.

    1,562,789       61,899,283  

Adani Green Energy Ltd.(a)

    2,884,018       65,914,200  

Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone Ltd.

    4,870,557       77,324,284  

Adani Power Ltd.(a)

    7,035,803       46,563,862  

Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd.(a)

    3,754,311       10,183,582  

Aegis Logistics Ltd.

    1,797,353       9,534,757  

Affle India Ltd.(a)

    717,605       9,652,147  

AGI Greenpac Ltd.

    140,028       1,382,895  

AIA Engineering Ltd.

    436,530       19,231,019  

Ajanta Pharma Ltd.

    497,366       13,244,498  

Alembic Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

    601,738       7,385,611  

Alkyl Amines Chemicals

    194,911       5,040,653  

Alok Industries Ltd.(a)

    13,428,124       4,667,131  

Amara Raja Energy & Mobility Ltd.

    1,263,308       12,781,013  

Amber Enterprises India Ltd.(a)

    211,712       9,400,020  

Ambuja Cements Ltd.

    5,639,888       41,189,977  

Anand Rathi Wealth Ltd.

    84,368       3,708,692  

Anant Raj Ltd.

    592,673       2,501,748  

Angel One Ltd.

    371,852       12,480,589  

Apar Industries Ltd.

    134,543       10,150,166  

APL Apollo Tubes Ltd.

    1,676,810       31,230,032  

Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd.

    951,171       70,024,539  

Apollo Tyres Ltd.

    3,575,854       22,324,521  

Aptus Value Housing Finance India Ltd.

    60,556       257,185  

Archean Chemical Industries Ltd., NVS

    345,749       3,151,375  

Arvind Ltd.

    901,363       3,053,697  

Ashok Leyland Ltd.

    14,660,844       30,029,077  

Ashoka Buildcon Ltd.(a)

    986,508       2,214,827  

Asian Paints Ltd.

    3,505,881        119,580,410  

Astra Microwave Products Ltd.

    369,954       2,755,171  

Astral Ltd.

    1,212,353       30,253,475  

AstraZeneca Pharma India Ltd.

    80,281       5,341,223  

Atul Ltd.

    125,367       9,395,937  

AU Small Finance Bank Ltd.(b)

    1,693,170       11,606,710  

Aurobindo Pharma Ltd.

    2,368,782       29,364,678  

Avanti Feeds Ltd.

    861,238       5,259,862  
 

 

 

18  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
India (continued)            

Avenue Supermarts Ltd.(a)(b)

    1,528,814     $ 72,198,348  

Axis Bank Ltd.

    20,797,505        269,224,230  

Bajaj Auto Ltd.

    649,620       61,914,646  

Bajaj Electricals Ltd.

    532,503       6,394,048  

Bajaj Finance Ltd.

    2,485,646       193,924,138  

Bajaj Finserv Ltd.

    3,548,055       68,104,269  

Bajaj Holdings & Investment Ltd.

    276,310       30,479,596  

Bajel Projects Ltd., NVS

    348,496       913,099  

Balaji Amines Ltd.

    124,007       3,249,924  

Balkrishna Industries Ltd.

    825,726       22,179,207  

Balrampur Chini Mills Ltd.

    1,764,954       7,928,208  

Bandhan Bank Ltd.(b)

    6,049,894       14,247,037  

Bank of Baroda

    10,135,215       32,427,871  

BASF India Ltd.

    131,577       5,227,612  

Bata India Ltd.

    540,644       9,190,253  

Bayer CropScience Ltd.

    156,172       10,678,169  

BEML Ltd., (Acquired 02/10/22, Cost: $6,224,140)(e)

    209,128       7,853,021  

Berger Paints India Ltd.

    2,852,616       20,873,154  

Bharat Dynamics Ltd.

    552,025       12,031,560  

Bharat Electronics Ltd.

    33,127,439       81,828,003  

Bharat Forge Ltd.

    2,482,381       34,421,175  

Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd.

    7,704,876       21,144,764  

Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd.

    7,016,749       50,993,316  

Bharti Airtel Ltd.

    20,589,606       278,762,642  

Biocon Ltd.

    3,916,546       13,029,893  

Birla Corp. Ltd.

    333,339       6,585,250  

Birlasoft Ltd.

    1,920,201       17,946,517  

BLS International Services Ltd.

    933,285       4,109,449  

Blue Dart Express Ltd.

    75,157       5,469,977  

Blue Star Ltd.

    1,092,075       16,714,575  

Borosil Renewables Ltd.(a)

    724,275       4,688,123  

Brigade Enterprises Ltd.

    1,251,736       15,065,384  

Brightcom Group Ltd.(a)

    15,808,592       3,279,306  

Britannia Industries Ltd.

    1,020,471       61,155,438  

BSE Ltd.

    637,063       18,197,591  

Can Fin Homes Ltd.

    1,036,192       9,669,534  

Carborundum Universal Ltd.

    1,000,713       12,893,480  

Castrol India Ltd.

    1,447,702       3,638,624  

Ceat Ltd.

    277,875       9,559,666  

Central Depository Services India Ltd.

    575,625       13,313,027  

Century Plyboards India Ltd.

    561,348       4,789,006  

Century Textiles & Industries Ltd.

    753,634       12,809,052  

CESC Ltd.

    8,990,014       13,771,150  

CG Power and Industrial Solutions Ltd.

    5,934,018       31,710,294  

Chambal Fertilisers and Chemicals Ltd.

    2,395,025       10,131,536  

Chennai Petroleum Corp. Ltd.

    435,882       4,651,396  

Cholamandalam Financial Holdings Ltd.

    1,051,060       13,290,245  

Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Co. Ltd.

    4,017,460       52,629,923  

CIE Automotive India Ltd.

    1,441,705       7,649,292  

Cipla Ltd.

    4,741,788       84,681,656  

City Union Bank Ltd.

    4,768,444       7,753,142  

Clean Science & Technology Ltd.

    293,715       4,996,506  

Coal India Ltd.

    14,492,830       76,106,459  

Cochin Shipyard Ltd., NVS

    981,430       10,330,431  

Coforge Ltd.

    529,243       41,836,694  

Colgate-Palmolive India Ltd.

    1,191,315       36,229,248  

Computer Age Management Services Ltd.

    339,557       12,549,477  

Concord Biotech Ltd., NVS

    122,676       2,145,657  

Container Corp. of India Ltd.

    2,592,099       30,536,623  

Coromandel International Ltd.

    916,876       11,885,261  
Security   Shares     Value  
India (continued)            

CreditAccess Grameen Ltd.(a)

    514,618     $ 9,114,291  

CRISIL Ltd.

    181,128       10,938,395  

Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals Ltd.

    5,406,717       18,938,491  

Cummins India Ltd.

    1,355,070       44,771,840  

Cyient Ltd.

    899,867       21,989,719  

D B Realty Ltd.(a)

    646,507       2,090,795  

Dabur India Ltd.

    5,945,538       38,609,106  

Data Patterns India Ltd.(a)

    215,895       6,454,165  

Deepak Fertilisers & Petrochemicals Corp. Ltd.

    828,283       5,046,300  

Deepak Nitrite Ltd.

    669,790       17,838,076  

Delhivery Ltd.(a)

    2,885,577       16,403,253  

Devyani International Ltd.(a)

    3,740,616       6,905,922  

Divi’s Laboratories Ltd.

    1,109,745       46,679,228  

Dixon Technologies India Ltd.

    294,630       23,685,445  

DLF Ltd.

    6,193,181       67,280,664  

Dodla Dairy Ltd., NVS

    73,595       883,899  

Dr Lal PathLabs Ltd.(b)

    326,913       9,262,175  

Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd.

    1,001,527       77,658,316  

Easy Trip Planners Ltd., NVS

    6,436,024       3,750,713  

eClerx Services Ltd.

    122,497       3,730,861  

Edelweiss Financial Services Ltd.

    5,755,950       5,275,219  

Eicher Motors Ltd.

    1,283,150       58,635,826  

EID Parry India Ltd.

    1,025,644       7,788,782  

EIH Ltd.

    2,311,305       11,238,107  

Elecon Engineering Co. Ltd.

    290,857       3,512,152  

Electronics Mart India Ltd., NVS

    404,435       1,006,922  

Electrosteel Castings Ltd.

    2,593,557       4,996,718  

Elgi Equipments Ltd.

    1,794,102       14,115,714  

Emami Ltd.

    1,962,517       11,004,760  

Embassy Office Parks REIT

    6,102,956       27,513,123  

Endurance Technologies Ltd.(b)

    391,832       8,770,767  

Engineers India Ltd.

    4,272,927       10,788,308  

Equitas Small Finance Bank Ltd.(b)

    3,836,202       4,605,292  

Exide Industries Ltd.

    5,007,256       19,304,633  

Federal Bank Ltd.

    16,907,011       30,640,061  

Fine Organic Industries Ltd.

    102,750       5,363,555  

Finolex Cables Ltd.

    880,808       9,767,623  

Finolex Industries Ltd.

    3,212,911       8,454,767  

Firstsource Solutions Ltd.

    4,728,430       11,695,411  

Five-Star Business Finance Ltd., NVS

    724,670       6,168,884  

Fortis Healthcare Ltd.

    4,648,196       22,831,696  

Gabriel India Ltd.

    247,289       1,029,186  

GAIL India Ltd.

    23,016,967       50,508,245  

Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd.

    188,610       1,847,348  

GHCL Ltd.

    853,261       5,251,925  

Gland Pharma Ltd.(a)(b)

    357,546       7,613,536  

GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

    383,043       10,010,215  

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

    1,552,016       17,321,707  

Global Health Ltd., NVS(a)

    300,187       4,938,016  

GMM Pfaudler Ltd.

    397,208       6,227,041  

GMR Airports Infrastructure Ltd.(a)

    23,026,904        23,305,807  

Godawari Power and Ispat Ltd.

    214,923       1,917,713  

Godrej Consumer Products Ltd.

    3,783,630       57,284,323  

Godrej Industries Ltd.(a)

    1,029,717       9,947,586  

Godrej Properties Ltd.(a)

    1,178,696       34,095,924  

Gokaldas Exports Ltd.

    402,747       4,092,700  

Granules India Ltd.

    1,993,959       11,168,079  

Graphite India Ltd.

    1,037,721       7,487,212  

Grasim Industries Ltd.

    2,620,594       69,170,190  

Great Eastern Shipping Co. Ltd. (The)

    1,142,004       13,855,836  

Grindwell Norton Ltd.

    432,814       10,882,362  

Gujarat Fluorochemicals Ltd.

    292,865       13,080,653  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  19


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
India (continued)            

Gujarat Gas Ltd.

    1,666,804     $ 11,371,881  

Gujarat Mineral Development Corp. Ltd.

    687,363       3,232,635  

Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers & Chemicals Ltd.

    1,055,299       8,145,722  

Gujarat Pipavav Port Ltd.

    4,381,319       11,026,399  

Gujarat State Fertilizers & Chemicals Ltd.

    2,845,975       7,456,749  

Gujarat State Petronet Ltd.

    2,576,828       11,458,314  

Happiest Minds Technologies Ltd.

    937,248       9,565,672  

Havells India Ltd.

    2,471,301       45,596,555  

HBL Power Systems Ltd.

    985,961       6,175,594  

HCL Technologies Ltd.

    8,663,543       173,618,836  

HDFC Asset Management Co. Ltd.(b)

    722,631       32,704,222  

HDFC Bank Ltd.

    25,394,201       428,881,469  

HDFC Life Insurance Co. Ltd.(b)

    9,022,621       63,337,290  

Hero MotoCorp Ltd.

    1,052,337       56,082,754  

HFCL Ltd.

    9,929,497       12,827,020  

Himadri Speciality Chemical Ltd.

    1,415,757       6,285,768  

Hindalco Industries Ltd.

    11,739,883       71,213,246  

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd., NVS

    1,809,727       67,192,007  

Hindustan Construction Co. Ltd.(a)

    10,273,974       5,154,639  

Hindustan Copper Ltd.

    2,168,823       7,048,514  

Hindustan Petroleum Corp. Ltd.

    5,369,315       33,008,682  

Hindustan Unilever Ltd.

    7,526,980       218,995,627  

Hitachi Energy India Ltd.

    128,262       9,275,433  

ICICI Bank Ltd.

    47,102,884       598,242,561  

ICICI Lombard General Insurance Co. Ltd.(b)

    2,230,130       46,072,446  

ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Co. Ltd.(b)

    3,291,728       21,155,777  

ICICI Securities Ltd.(b)

    853,788       8,411,613  

IDFC First Bank Ltd.(a)

    31,980,641       31,245,764  

IDFC Ltd.(a)

    12,360,561       17,338,545  

IFCI Ltd.(a)

    6,427,869       3,549,355  

IIFL Finance Ltd.

    1,450,429       10,305,820  

India Cements Ltd. (The)(a)

    2,425,067       6,682,208  

Indiabulls Housing Finance Ltd.

    3,965,891       9,040,057  

Indiabulls Real Estate Ltd.(a)

    5,346,033       7,688,342  

IndiaMART Intermesh Ltd.(b)

    306,950       9,837,326  

Indian Energy Exchange Ltd.(b)

    5,033,544       8,605,170  

Indian Hotels Co. Ltd., Class A

    7,947,152       56,250,061  

Indian Oil Corp. Ltd.

    26,034,548       51,917,706  

Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corp. Ltd.

    2,456,350       27,465,739  

Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd., NVS

    4,802,774       8,691,375  

Indraprastha Gas Ltd.

    2,927,196       15,023,260  

IndusInd Bank Ltd.

    2,605,294       46,279,728  

Infibeam Avenues Ltd.

    9,942,433       4,406,668  

Info Edge India Ltd.

    697,174       44,226,590  

Infosys Ltd.

    29,995,209       603,638,304  

Inox Wind Ltd.(a)

    935,448       6,803,510  

Intellect Design Arena Ltd.

    986,868       13,142,180  

InterGlobe Aviation Ltd.(a)(b)

    1,287,307       48,881,584  

Ipca Laboratories Ltd.

    1,243,941       17,867,969  

IRB Infrastructure Developers Ltd., NVS

    14,252,697       10,791,561  

IRCON International Ltd.(b)

    3,360,628       9,261,952  

ITC Ltd.

    27,289,213        133,554,745  

Jai Balaji Industries Ltd., NVS

    172,408       2,655,756  

Jai Corp. Ltd.

    319,239       1,211,976  

Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd.(a)

    1,892,885       1,252,551  

Jaiprakash Power Ventures Ltd.(a)

    25,796,665       5,651,692  

Jammu & Kashmir Bank Ltd. (The)

    2,556,397       4,405,144  

JB Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd., NVS

    278,569       5,247,258  

JBM Auto Ltd.

    128,632       3,361,617  

Jindal Saw Ltd.

    997,626       5,752,553  
Security   Shares     Value  
India (continued)            

Jindal Steel & Power Ltd.

    3,472,247     $ 32,394,171  

Jio Financial Services Ltd., NVS(a)

    27,147,402        101,346,617  

JK Cement Ltd.

    328,461       17,868,433  

JK Lakshmi Cement Ltd.

    327,198       3,624,388  

JK Paper Ltd.

    1,218,146       5,484,085  

JK Tyre & Industries Ltd.

    855,711       5,355,832  

JM Financial Ltd.

    5,126,438       5,943,807  

JSW Steel Ltd.

    6,153,394       59,325,728  

Jubilant Foodworks Ltd.

    3,886,695       21,740,353  

Jubilant Ingrevia Ltd.

    895,170       5,197,497  

Jubilant Pharmova Ltd., Class A

    735,134       5,029,097  

Jupiter Wagons Ltd., NVS

    928,743       4,165,083  

Just Dial Ltd.(a)

    377,317       4,208,430  

Jyothy Labs Ltd.

    1,945,478       10,840,897  

Kajaria Ceramics Ltd.

    887,596       13,655,740  

Kalpataru Projects International Ltd.

    240,291       2,793,094  

Kalyan Jewellers India Ltd.

    2,318,892       11,113,925  

Kansai Nerolac Paints Ltd.

    2,261,902       7,899,667  

Karnataka Bank Ltd. (The)

    1,366,283       3,738,418  

Karur Vysya Bank Ltd. (The)

    5,285,270       11,683,256  

Kaveri Seed Co. Ltd.

    392,255       3,139,948  

Kaynes Technology India Ltd., NVS

    127,668       4,525,195  

KEC International Ltd.

    1,353,146       11,838,758  

KEI Industries Ltd.

    555,403       21,464,546  

Kirloskar Oil Engines Ltd.

    417,001       4,596,708  

Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd.

    9,966,446       202,767,132  

KPI Green Energy Ltd.(b)

    93,097       1,953,812  

KPIT Technologies Ltd.

    1,647,860       31,142,830  

KPR Mill Ltd.

    1,052,798       9,754,205  

Krishna Institute Of Medical Sciences Ltd.(a)(b)

    346,115       9,406,197  

L&T Finance Holdings Ltd.

    8,101,995       16,302,005  

Lakshmi Machine Works Ltd.

    58,432       10,197,358  

Larsen & Toubro Ltd.

    6,104,936       255,957,344  

Laurus Labs Ltd.(b)

    3,221,180       15,774,473  

Lemon Tree Hotels Ltd.(a)(b)

    6,125,889       10,294,453  

LIC Housing Finance Ltd.

    2,905,911       22,682,524  

Lloyds Engineering Works Ltd., NVS

    3,028,536       2,136,145  

LT Foods Ltd.

    501,724       1,088,687  

LTIMindtree Ltd.(b)

    824,019       52,685,312  

Lupin Ltd.

    1,839,275       35,977,784  

Macrotech Developers Ltd.

    2,184,677       30,611,554  

Mahanagar Gas Ltd.

    734,049       13,119,719  

Maharashtra Seamless Ltd.

    230,871       2,559,311  

Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services Ltd.

    5,172,818       17,642,055  

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.

    8,576,637       199,704,636  

Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd.

    910,699       6,344,273  

Man Infraconstruction Ltd.

    572,493       1,481,432  

Manappuram Finance Ltd.

    5,734,451       12,195,224  

Marico Ltd.

    5,170,547       32,577,006  

Marksans Pharma Ltd.

    984,433       1,808,005  

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd.

    1,252,982       170,523,938  

Mastek Ltd.

    218,408       7,719,160  

Max Financial Services Ltd.(a)

    2,244,175       26,187,868  

Max Healthcare Institute Ltd.

    7,400,878       70,831,373  

Medplus Health Services Ltd.(a)

    465,595       3,909,052  

Metropolis Healthcare Ltd.(b)

    322,237       6,221,714  

Mindspace Business Parks REIT(b)

    1,865,362       7,649,674  

Motherson Sumi Wiring India Ltd.

    21,517,073       18,173,601  

Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd.

    444,911       8,644,082  

Mphasis Ltd.

    748,901       23,625,530  

MRF Ltd.

    19,143       33,747,889  

Mrs Bectors Food Specialities Ltd.

    96,363       1,234,260  
 

 

 

20  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
India (continued)            

MTAR Technologies Ltd.(a)

    287,125     $ 6,632,617  

Multi Commodity Exchange of India Ltd.

    224,717       10,179,437  

Muthoot Finance Ltd.

    1,184,764       18,583,565  

Narayana Hrudayalaya Ltd.

    866,669       14,023,070  

Natco Pharma Ltd.

    1,007,954       12,088,992  

National Aluminium Co. Ltd.

    9,734,208       18,255,300  

Navin Fluorine International Ltd.

    328,421       11,971,959  

NBCC India Ltd.

    5,432,338       8,819,830  

NCC Ltd./India

    4,981,165       14,844,388  

Nestle India Ltd., NVS

    3,173,167       99,375,756  

Neuland Laboratories Ltd.

    53,226       4,579,301  

Newgen Software Technologies Ltd.

    257,698       2,637,464  

Nexus Select Trust, NVS

    2,328,365       3,543,532  

NIIT Learning Systems Ltd., NVS

    824,502       5,165,303  

Nippon Life India Asset Management Ltd.(b)

    1,766,630       10,993,199  

NLC India Ltd.

    1,922,179       5,155,586  

NMDC Ltd.

    6,710,525       18,282,395  

NMDC Steel Ltd., NVS(a)

    6,601,557       4,888,064  

NTPC Ltd.

    40,257,358       162,674,191  

Nuvama Wealth Management Ltd., NVS

    65,803       3,262,471  

Nuvoco Vistas Corp. Ltd.(a)

    1,187,612       4,742,260  

Oil & Natural Gas Corp. Ltd.

    28,779,510       91,558,686  

Olectra Greentech Ltd.

    400,695       9,490,610  

One 97 Communications Ltd., NVS(a)

    2,183,210       10,567,318  

Orient Cement Ltd.

    652,492       1,786,499  

Orient Electric Ltd.

    1,337,913       3,361,944  

Orissa Minerals Development Co. Ltd.
(The)(a)

    589       48,152  

Page Industries Ltd.

    55,875       23,119,530  

Paisalo Digital Ltd.

    1,332,125       2,961,750  

PB Fintech Ltd.(a)

    2,187,093       30,764,367  

PCBL Ltd.

    1,435,091       4,951,759  

Persistent Systems Ltd.

    475,043       49,434,438  

Petronet LNG Ltd.

    6,997,451       23,039,228  

PG Electroplast Ltd.(a)

    16,553       362,463  

Phoenix Mills Ltd. (The)

    902,281       29,938,802  

PI Industries Ltd.

    774,091       34,287,967  

Pidilite Industries Ltd.

    1,518,284       50,130,107  

Piramal Enterprises Ltd.

    1,030,904       11,375,101  

Piramal Pharma Ltd., NVS(a)

    5,565,332       8,852,471  

PNB Housing Finance Ltd.(a)(b)

    1,136,727       9,511,256  

Polycab India Ltd.

    376,745       21,567,236  

Polyplex Corp. Ltd.

    189,146       1,965,437  

Poonawalla Fincorp Ltd.

    2,377,187       13,378,792  

Power Finance Corp. Ltd.

    13,198,184       63,848,918  

Power Grid Corp. of India Ltd.

    42,503,650        145,212,684  

Praj Industries Ltd.

    1,685,708       10,128,361  

Procter & Gamble Health Ltd.

    71,357       4,381,313  

PTC India Ltd.

    1,700,898       4,149,019  

Punjab National Bank

    16,914,357       24,856,580  

PVR Inox Ltd.(a)

    705,512       11,666,688  

Quess Corp. Ltd.(b)

    887,899       5,501,877  

Radico Khaitan Ltd.

    811,380       15,344,315  

Railtel Corp. of India Ltd.

    1,230,770       6,664,683  

Rain Industries Ltd.

    2,580,221       5,721,832  

Rainbow Children’s Medicare Ltd.

    219,622       3,591,670  

Rajesh Exports Ltd.(a)

    729,651       2,712,285  

Rallis India Ltd.

    1,396,046       4,170,072  

Ramco Cements Ltd. (The)

    1,161,670       11,693,304  

Ramkrishna Forgings Ltd.

    570,388       5,379,433  

Ratnamani Metals & Tubes Ltd.

    57,168       2,092,773  

RattanIndia Enterprises Ltd.(a)

    3,041,626       3,064,880  

RattanIndia Power Ltd.(a)

    11,456,660       1,388,623  
Security   Shares     Value  
India (continued)            

Raymond Ltd.

    435,233     $ 9,622,626  

RBL Bank Ltd.(b)

    4,738,313       14,862,176  

REC Ltd.

    11,669,857       62,141,088  

Redington Ltd.

    5,577,312       13,890,032  

Relaxo Footwears Ltd.

    726,196       7,325,248  

Reliance Industries Ltd.

    27,483,969       967,305,008  

Reliance Infrastructure Ltd.(a)

    1,360,026       3,614,813  

Reliance Power Ltd.(a)

    30,101,911       8,793,359  

Religare Enterprises Ltd.(a)

    983,876       2,798,647  

Rhi Magnesita India Ltd.

    337,530       2,322,269  

RITES Ltd.

    425,989       4,013,993  

Route Mobile Ltd.

    460,577       8,857,690  

Safari Industries India Ltd.

    82,201       2,018,635  

Samvardhana Motherson International Ltd.

    21,721,634       31,206,993  

Sanofi India Ltd.

    99,845       10,347,578  

Sarda Energy & Minerals Ltd., NVS

    934,415       2,412,029  

Saregama India Ltd.

    753,225       3,654,579  

SBI Cards & Payment Services Ltd.

    2,418,576       20,982,185  

SBI Life Insurance Co. Ltd.(b)

    4,353,321       81,341,777  

Sheela Foam Ltd.(a)

    344,559       4,305,707  

Shipping Corp. of India Ltd.

    421,582       1,202,977  

Shree Cement Ltd.

    93,332       28,643,008  

Shree Renuka Sugars Ltd.(a)

    8,466,764       4,751,873  

Shriram Finance Ltd.

    2,579,908       75,785,376  

Shyam Metalics & Energy Ltd.

    397,621       3,115,403  

Siemens Ltd.

    822,522       46,374,724  

SJVN Ltd.

    6,712,033       9,827,358  

SKF India Ltd.

    146,014       8,317,029  

Sobha Ltd.

    249,002       4,688,188  

Sona Blw Precision Forgings Ltd.(b)

    3,703,509       30,761,637  

Sonata Software Ltd.

    1,774,680       17,328,857  

South Indian Bank Ltd. (The)

    10,324,254       4,015,021  

Spandana Sphoorty Financial Ltd.(a)

    303,486       3,344,218  

SRF Ltd.

    1,420,439       40,948,455  

Star Health & Allied Insurance Co. Ltd.(a)

    822,427       5,555,303  

State Bank of India

    16,455,243       148,176,162  

Sterling and Wilson Renewable Energy Ltd.(a)

    691,020       5,035,790  

Sterlite Technologies Ltd.

    2,096,164       3,464,624  

Strides Pharma Science Ltd.

    851,910       8,081,285  

Sumitomo Chemical India Ltd.

    1,213,488       5,477,975  

Sun Pharma Advanced Research Co. Ltd.(a)

    1,549,158       6,811,774  

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

    8,768,274        166,693,901  

Sun TV Network Ltd.

    1,021,535       7,582,830  

Sundram Fasteners Ltd.

    850,353       10,969,130  

Sunteck Realty Ltd.

    664,576       3,699,522  

Supreme Industries Ltd.

    626,271       31,321,119  

Surya Roshni Ltd., NVS

    444,963       3,217,542  

Suven Pharmaceuticals Ltd.(a)

    1,520,255       11,533,719  

Suzlon Energy Ltd.(a)

    78,730,413       42,893,603  

Swan Energy Ltd.

    915,548       8,228,379  

Symphony Ltd.

    227,100       2,414,361  

Syngene International Ltd.(b)

    1,335,422       11,359,391  

Syrma SGS Technology Ltd.

    416,832       2,630,282  

Tanla Platforms Ltd.

    718,176       8,462,505  

Tata Chemicals Ltd.

    1,337,141       15,106,722  

Tata Communications Ltd.

    905,403       20,967,851  

Tata Consultancy Services Ltd.

    8,191,521       404,096,728  

Tata Consumer Products Ltd.

    5,274,130       75,635,742  

Tata Elxsi Ltd.

    330,049       31,079,063  

Tata Investment Corp. Ltd.

    98,190       8,569,801  

Tata Motors Ltd.

    15,059,647       172,419,727  

Tata Motors Ltd., Class A

    4,147,049       31,577,848  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  21


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
India (continued)            

Tata Power Co. Ltd. (The)

    13,736,415     $ 61,605,910  

Tata Steel Ltd.

    68,987,779       116,946,392  

Tata Teleservices Maharashtra Ltd.(a)

    5,037,583       5,309,902  

TeamLease Services Ltd.(a)

    121,289       4,400,220  

Tech Mahindra Ltd.

    4,963,478       76,274,883  

Tejas Networks Ltd.(a)(b)

    925,213       8,327,922  

Texmaco Rail & Engineering Ltd.

    1,396,988       3,181,722  

Tilaknagar Industries Ltd.

    477,903       1,237,252  

Timken India Ltd.

    228,165       7,477,412  

Titagarh Rail System Ltd.

    576,172       6,511,668  

Titan Co. Ltd.

    3,280,700       143,371,442  

Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

    932,112       30,031,284  

Trent Ltd.

    1,759,357       82,226,048  

Trident Ltd.

    15,569,558       7,934,339  

Triveni Turbine Ltd.

    880,494       5,282,451  

TTK Prestige Ltd.

    636,532       5,737,400  

Tube Investments of India Ltd.

    1,014,129       42,571,012  

TV18 Broadcast Ltd.(a)

    6,474,852       4,650,171  

TVS Motor Co. Ltd.

    2,278,537       58,715,810  

Ujjivan Small Finance Bank Ltd.(b)

    5,533,566       3,545,618  

UltraTech Cement Ltd.

    1,058,604       126,298,110  

Union Bank of India Ltd.

    10,223,829       18,039,241  

United Spirits Ltd.

    2,905,344       40,839,486  

UNO Minda Ltd.

    1,545,342       12,449,966  

UPL Ltd.

    4,347,342       24,620,704  

Usha Martin Ltd.

    863,642       3,425,949  

UTI Asset Management Co. Ltd.

    501,352       5,406,926  

Vardhman Textiles Ltd.

    1,334,180       6,871,006  

Varun Beverages Ltd.

    4,433,181       75,339,218  

Vedanta Ltd.

    7,911,211       25,492,086  

V-Guard Industries Ltd.

    2,184,275       8,550,105  

Vinati Organics Ltd.

    338,743       6,806,559  

VIP Industries Ltd.

    812,077       5,409,416  

V-Mart Retail Ltd.(a)

    124,072       2,857,585  

Voltamp Transformers Ltd.

    38,787       4,110,657  

Voltas Ltd.

    1,931,538       25,814,060  

Welspun Corp. Ltd.

    1,413,677       8,704,322  

Welspun Living Ltd.

    3,366,553       6,271,952  

Westlife Foodworld Ltd.

    703,739       6,351,474  

Whirlpool of India Ltd.

    386,563       5,860,014  

Wipro Ltd.

    11,815,880       73,717,193  

Wockhardt Ltd.(a)

    341,458       2,488,815  

Wonderla Holidays Ltd.

    51,169       581,203  

Yes Bank Ltd.(a)

    114,545,503       33,682,128  

Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd.(a)

    7,665,204       14,837,115  

Zen Technologies Ltd.

    209,879       2,178,991  

Zensar Technologies Ltd.

    1,369,661       9,070,619  

Zomato Ltd.(a)

    53,577,562       106,641,337  
   

 

 

 
       14,264,552,298  
Indonesia — 1.9%            

Ace Hardware Indonesia Tbk PT

    73,043,100       3,881,716  

Adaro Energy Indonesia Tbk PT

    132,497,000       20,420,505  

AKR Corporindo Tbk PT

    111,132,900       12,022,013  

Amman Mineral Internasional PT(a)

    54,087,328       29,234,636  

Aneka Tambang Tbk

    76,748,643       7,128,069  

Astra Agro Lestari Tbk PT

    6,280,200       2,679,015  

Astra International Tbk PT

    183,592,800       61,117,706  

Astrindo Nusantara Infrastructure Tbk PT(a)

    461,282,900       2,406,949  

Bank Aladin Syariah Tbk PT(a)

    52,180,500       3,552,856  

Bank BTPN Syariah Tbk PT

    27,826,200       2,434,682  

Bank Central Asia Tbk PT

    498,253,900       313,534,197  

Bank Jago Tbk PT(a)

    31,301,000       5,416,215  
Security   Shares     Value  
Indonesia (continued)            

Bank Mandiri Persero Tbk PT

    341,778,200     $ 152,663,264  

Bank Negara Indonesia Persero Tbk PT

    133,705,400       51,100,085  

Bank Pembangunan Daerah Jawa Barat Dan Banten Tbk PT

    24,167,519       1,853,125  

Bank Rakyat Indonesia Persero Tbk PT

    619,126,395       241,263,456  

Bank Tabungan Negara Persero Tbk PT

    53,781,176       4,897,951  

Barito Pacific Tbk PT

    264,570,615       16,445,271  

Berkah Beton Sadaya Tbk PT(a)

    179,871,000       572,291  

BFI Finance Indonesia Tbk PT

    80,082,700       7,032,397  

Bukalapak.com PT Tbk(a)

    567,360,300       5,680,958  

Bukit Asam Tbk PT

    41,102,900       6,692,283  

Bumi Resources Minerals Tbk PT(a)

    561,865,000       5,148,493  

Bumi Resources Tbk PT(a)

    390,890,000       2,164,011  

Bumi Serpong Damai Tbk PT(a)

    94,904,500       6,121,733  

Charoen Pokphand Indonesia Tbk PT

    70,862,700       21,848,378  

Ciputra Development Tbk PT

    101,033,127       8,164,942  

GoTo Gojek Tokopedia Tbk PT(a)

    7,492,686,600       33,914,712  

Hanson International Tbk PT(a)(d)

    783,666,700       1  

Harum Energy Tbk PT(a)

    29,984,600       2,388,970  

Indah Kiat Pulp & Paper Tbk PT

    25,480,000       14,161,175  

Indika Energy Tbk PT

    16,450,900       1,423,686  

Indo Tambangraya Megah Tbk PT

    3,941,200       6,568,693  

Indocement Tunggal Prakarsa Tbk PT

    14,705,100       8,491,087  

Indofood CBP Sukses Makmur Tbk PT

    21,133,300       15,581,227  

Indofood Sukses Makmur Tbk PT

    38,792,000       16,353,611  

Industri Jamu Dan Farmasi Sido Muncul Tbk PT

    45,611,000       1,784,968  

Inti Agri Resources Tbk PT(a)(d)

    291,349,000        

Japfa Comfeed Indonesia Tbk PT

    56,678,100       4,147,618  

Jasa Marga Persero Tbk PT

    23,401,780       8,083,098  

Kalbe Farma Tbk PT

    193,169,900       18,287,237  

Medco Energi Internasional Tbk PT

    76,340,380       6,347,909  

Media Nusantara Citra Tbk PT

    66,967,500       1,389,208  

Medikaloka Hermina Tbk PT

    43,458,000       3,498,210  

Merdeka Copper Gold Tbk PT(a)

    102,821,685       14,788,582  

Metro Healthcare Indonesia TBK PT(a)

    259,760,900       2,429,835  

Mitra Adiperkasa Tbk PT

    99,857,300       12,199,045  

Pabrik Kertas Tjiwi Kimia Tbk PT

    15,255,800       6,649,840  

Pakuwon Jati Tbk PT

    204,872,300       5,292,915  

Panin Financial Tbk PT(a)

    184,962,600       3,062,492  

Perusahaan Gas Negara Tbk PT

    96,892,600       6,721,915  

Perusahaan Perkebunan London Sumatra Indonesia Tbk PT

    38,513,200       2,072,690  

Pool Advista Indonesia Tbk PT(a)(d)

    12,679,400        

Sarana Menara Nusantara Tbk PT

    209,566,000       12,288,822  

Semen Indonesia Persero Tbk PT

    30,695,509       11,923,785  

Smartfren Telecom Tbk PT(a)

    975,297,800       3,289,264  

Sugih Energy Tbk PT(a)(d)

    27,492,211        

Sumber Alfaria Trijaya Tbk PT

    154,735,700       27,077,517  

Summarecon Agung Tbk PT

    133,419,941       4,664,709  

Surya Citra Media Tbk PT

    260,750,700       2,474,805  

Surya Esa Perkasa Tbk PT

    78,828,500       2,583,308  

Telkom Indonesia Persero Tbk PT

    439,699,200       112,083,425  

Trada Alam Minera Tbk PT(a)(d)

    280,960,700        

Transcoal Pacific Tbk PT

    11,105,200       5,567,671  

Unilever Indonesia Tbk PT

    65,050,100       11,300,463  

United Tractors Tbk PT

    14,403,000       21,571,293  

Waskita Karya Persero Tbk PT(a)(d)

    135,029,644       1,388,533  

XL Axiata Tbk PT

    43,042,900       6,518,747  
   

 

 

 
       1,413,848,263  
Kazakhstan — 0.0%            

Polymetal International PLC(a)(d)

    3,035,664       334  
   

 

 

 
 

 

 

22  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
Kuwait — 0.9%            

Agility Public Warehousing Co. KSC(a)

    14,058,307     $ 27,490,831  

Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait KSCP

    10,841,541       9,034,324  

Arabi Group Holding KSC(a)

    1,153,861       1,964,657  

Arzan Financial Group for Financing & Investment KPSC

    3,789,767       2,758,433  

Boubyan Bank KSCP

    13,848,871       28,956,493  

Boubyan Petrochemicals Co. KSCP

    4,332,453       8,590,139  

Boursa Kuwait Securities Co. KPSC

    415,916       2,757,006  

Gulf Bank KSCP

    16,557,395       15,885,200  

Gulf Cable & Electrical Industries Co. KSCP

    1,033,068       5,011,764  

Humansoft Holding Co. KSC

    870,043       9,527,360  

Jazeera Airways Co. KSCP

    1,048,675       3,847,129  

Kuwait Finance House KSCP

    78,198,110       206,025,530  

Kuwait International Bank KSCP

    16,561,808       8,885,363  

Kuwait Projects Co. Holding KSCP(a)

    21,246,858       8,699,371  

Kuwait Real Estate Co. KSC

    6,828,990       5,109,261  

Mabanee Co. KPSC

    6,356,773       16,896,313  

Mobile Telecommunications Co. KSCP

    18,871,586       30,864,349  

National Bank of Kuwait SAKP

    68,536,942       218,368,830  

National Industries Group Holding SAK

    20,949,886       16,306,193  

National Investments Co. KSCP

    4,101,341       3,798,155  

National Real Estate Co. KPSC(a)

    9,621,577       2,482,508  

Salhia Real Estate Co. KSCP

    4,848,634       7,247,349  

Shamal Az-Zour Al-Oula for the First Phase of Az-Zour Power Plant KSC

    6,417,388       3,550,551  

Warba Bank KSCP

    16,490,199       10,083,536  
   

 

 

 
       654,140,645  
Malaysia — 1.5%            

AFFIN Bank Bhd

    3,140,500       1,708,798  

Alliance Bank Malaysia Bhd

    8,970,100       6,732,102  

AMMB Holdings Bhd

    15,427,700       14,122,293  

Axiata Group Bhd

    25,016,600       14,664,467  

Bermaz Auto Bhd

    13,250,200       6,812,873  

British American Tobacco Malaysia Bhd(c)

    1,575,400       2,772,013  

Bursa Malaysia Bhd

    6,113,600       9,634,469  

Carlsberg Brewery Malaysia Bhd

    1,880,400       7,552,507  

CELCOMDIGI Bhd

    31,951,300       29,339,461  

CIMB Group Holdings Bhd

    59,305,600       80,761,080  

CTOS Digital Bhd(c)

    14,749,900       4,696,427  

D&O Green Technologies Bhd(a)(c)

    6,358,100       4,453,173  

Dialog Group Bhd

    31,890,896       14,112,093  

DRB-Hicom Bhd

    10,575,000       3,102,481  

Fraser & Neave Holdings Bhd

    1,514,600       9,415,383  

Frontken Corp. Bhd(c)

    13,107,600       10,165,515  

Gamuda Bhd

    17,339,600       19,329,151  

Gas Malaysia Bhd

    1,194,700       858,482  

Genting Bhd

    18,160,200       18,268,028  

Genting Malaysia Bhd

    26,164,200       15,846,287  

Greatech Technology Bhd(a)(c)

    4,829,900       4,865,021  

Hartalega Holdings Bhd(a)

    15,181,000       8,034,007  

Heineken Malaysia Bhd

    1,440,200       6,877,027  

Hibiscus Petroleum Bhd

    6,678,440       3,558,392  

Hong Leong Bank Bhd

    5,906,500       24,560,385  

IHH Healthcare Bhd

    16,542,700       21,438,754  

IJM Corp. Bhd

    27,175,300       12,271,450  

Inari Amertron Bhd

    25,894,700       17,334,912  

IOI Corp. Bhd

    22,745,700       19,071,858  

IOI Properties Group Bhd

    6,441,400       3,121,951  

Kossan Rubber Industries Bhd

    12,703,000       5,032,481  

KPJ Healthcare Bhd(c)

    34,752,400       12,078,193  

Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd

    3,980,900       18,811,671  

Lotte Chemical Titan Holding Bhd(a)(b)

    5,556,700       1,381,710  
Security   Shares     Value  
Malaysia (continued)            

Magnum Bhd

    11,641,586     $ 2,772,098  

Malayan Banking Bhd

    46,828,400       94,083,402  

Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd

    7,215,800       12,894,318  

Malaysia Building Society Bhd(c)

    35,688,900       5,725,844  

Malaysian Pacific Industries Bhd(c)

    957,000       5,863,126  

Malaysian Resources Corp. Bhd

    32,690,900       4,038,874  

Maxis Bhd(c)

    21,606,400       16,937,269  

Mega First Corp. Bhd

    8,203,100       6,827,994  

MISC Bhd

    12,151,200       19,480,943  

MR DIY Group M Bhd(b)

    24,390,450       8,016,474  

My EG Services Bhd

    54,918,600       9,327,644  

Nationgate Holdings Bhd, NVS

    6,670,200       1,986,588  

Nestle Malaysia Bhd(c)

    565,000       14,870,614  

Padini Holdings Bhd

    4,020,000       2,871,731  

Pentamaster Corp. Bhd

    7,230,400       6,544,477  

Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd

    23,721,800       35,012,902  

Petronas Dagangan Bhd

    2,794,200       13,448,431  

Petronas Gas Bhd

    7,089,000       26,799,423  

PPB Group Bhd

    6,458,020       21,202,392  

Press Metal Aluminium Holdings Bhd

    32,994,000       32,563,163  

Public Bank Bhd

    129,754,600       120,429,221  

QL Resources Bhd

    11,617,543       14,218,073  

RHB Bank Bhd

    11,990,966       14,161,797  

Sam Engineering & Equipment M Bhd

    952,100       957,015  

Scientex Bhd

    8,883,800       7,282,110  

Sime Darby Bhd

    24,720,200       14,125,113  

Sime Darby Plantation Bhd

    18,594,300       16,993,000  

Sime Darby Property Bhd(c)

    38,526,100       6,264,869  

SP Setia Bhd Group(c)

    21,527,100       3,840,497  

Sports Toto Bhd

    8,781,129       2,646,089  

Sunway REIT(c)

    24,733,700       8,130,771  

Supermax Corp. Bhd

    16,154,527       2,826,704  

Telekom Malaysia Bhd

    9,804,800       12,506,574  

Tenaga Nasional Bhd

    23,301,900       55,290,147  

TIME dotCom Bhd

    12,757,700       14,802,389  

Top Glove Corp. Bhd(a)

    45,493,600       7,721,238  

UEM Sunrise Bhd(c)

    11,607,300       2,550,316  

UWC Bhd(a)(c)

    4,791,400       3,468,655  

ViTrox Corp. Bhd(c)

    3,724,800       5,886,840  

VS Industry Bhd

    33,605,150       5,243,954  

Yinson Holdings Bhd

    16,041,560       8,619,951  

YTL Corp. Bhd

    19,954,649       11,227,250  

YTL Power International Bhd(c)

    22,035,800       18,399,858  
   

 

 

 
       1,131,645,033  
Mexico — 2.5%            

Alfa SAB de CV, Class A

    25,106,900       18,722,367  

Alsea SAB de CV(a)

    5,071,395       19,435,500  

America Movil SAB de CV

    169,469,438       158,688,838  

Arca Continental SAB de CV

    4,371,779       47,095,199  

Banco del Bajio SA(b)

    7,399,097       27,535,663  

Bolsa Mexicana de Valores SAB de CV

    3,721,078       8,025,394  

Cemex SAB de CV, NVS(a)

    137,917,983       105,435,635  

Coca-Cola Femsa SAB de CV

    4,430,200       43,240,863  

Controladora Vuela Cia. de Aviacion SAB de CV, Class A(a)(c)

    7,749,559       5,637,944  

Corp Inmobiliaria Vesta SAB de CV

    6,588,410       23,096,205  

FIBRA Macquarie Mexico(b)(c)

    10,172,000       20,010,687  

Fibra Uno Administracion SA de CV

    28,554,900       51,600,447  

Fomento Economico Mexicano SAB de CV

    17,615,962       219,968,916  

GCC SAB de CV

    1,714,057       18,097,699  

Genomma Lab Internacional SAB de CV, Class B

    8,734,724       6,744,149  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  23


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
Mexico (continued)            

Gentera SAB de CV

    10,939,492     $ 16,443,656  

Gruma SAB de CV, Class B

    1,795,660       31,977,745  

Grupo Aeroportuario del Centro Norte SAB de CV, Class B

    2,648,573       22,956,345  

Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico SAB de CV, Class B

    3,485,806       51,470,308  

Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste SAB de CV, Class B

    1,710,805       50,196,194  

Grupo Bimbo SAB de CV, Series A

    12,381,002       51,792,566  

Grupo Carso SAB de CV, Series A1(c)

    4,925,736       42,615,488  

Grupo Financiero Banorte SAB de CV, Class O

    23,431,978       242,262,532  

Grupo Financiero Inbursa SAB de CV, Class O(a)

    18,089,442       54,880,974  

Grupo Mexico SAB de CV, Series B

    27,973,920       135,797,242  

Grupo Televisa SAB, CPO

    20,878,756       12,482,481  

Industrias Penoles SAB de CV(a)(c)

    1,688,770       21,161,829  

Kimberly-Clark de Mexico SAB de CV, Class A

    13,584,575       30,191,044  

La Comer SAB de CV

    5,555,096       12,987,992  

Nemak SAB de CV(a)(b)

    15,812,924       3,228,595  

Ollamani SAB, NVS

    92,538       156,200  

Operadora De Sites Mexicanos SAB de CV

    12,703,895       14,765,341  

Orbia Advance Corp. SAB de CV

    9,027,483       16,694,561  

Prologis Property Mexico SA de CV

    6,038,493       27,141,643  

Promotora y Operadora de Infraestructura SAB de CV

    1,812,410       18,836,282  

Qualitas Controladora SAB de CV

    1,768,678       19,866,724  

Regional SAB de CV

    2,169,347       20,240,917  

TF Administradora Industrial S de Realde CV(c)

    8,571,849       20,478,794  

Wal-Mart de Mexico SAB de CV

    46,703,676       187,014,734  
   

 

 

 
       1,878,975,693  
Netherlands — 0.1%            

NEPI Rockcastle NV

    4,474,834       31,928,104  

Pepco Group NV(a)(c)

    1,376,237       6,906,468  
   

 

 

 
      38,834,572  
Peru — 0.3%            

Cia. de Minas Buenaventura SAA, ADR

    1,890,923       28,552,937  

Credicorp Ltd.

    608,422       103,967,152  

Southern Copper Corp.

    769,906       62,254,599  
   

 

 

 
      194,774,688  
Philippines — 0.7%            

Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc.

    16,656,190       15,708,268  

Alliance Global Group Inc.

    40,547,800       7,443,801  

Ayala Corp.

    2,257,695       27,246,521  

Ayala Land Inc.

    63,729,040       39,720,016  

Bank of the Philippine Islands

    18,157,448       40,427,995  

BDO Unibank Inc.

    22,334,185       60,845,101  

Bloomberry Resorts Corp.(a)

    46,347,800       9,250,597  

Cebu Air Inc.(a)

    3,124,730       1,812,082  

Converge Information and Communications Technology Solutions Inc.(a)

    20,782,500       3,328,811  

D&L Industries Inc.

    35,417,800       4,259,083  

DMCI Holdings Inc.

    37,947,300       7,398,424  

GT Capital Holdings Inc.

    940,580       11,762,479  

International Container Terminal Services Inc.

    9,230,580       47,369,775  

JG Summit Holdings Inc.

    29,369,201       21,420,213  

Jollibee Foods Corp.

    4,316,900       21,025,833  

Manila Electric Co.

    1,991,560       13,816,746  

Manila Water Co. Inc.

    13,037,800       4,508,669  

Megaworld Corp.

    118,815,200       4,082,458  

Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co.

    16,115,543       17,774,271  
Security   Shares     Value  
Philippines (continued)            

PLDT Inc.

    683,425     $ 15,947,027  

Puregold Price Club Inc.

    10,067,150       4,924,782  

Robinsons Land Corp.

    23,788,913       6,928,705  

Security Bank Corp.

    3,394,470       4,287,243  

Semirara Mining & Power Corp., Class A

    8,233,000       4,730,515  

SM Investments Corp.

    2,271,622       38,011,552  

SM Prime Holdings Inc.

    94,150,896       52,924,812  

Universal Robina Corp.

    8,303,090       17,285,258  

Wilcon Depot Inc.

    13,466,200       5,174,240  
   

 

 

 
      509,415,277  
Poland — 1.0%            

Alior Bank SA(a)

    901,499       21,655,874  

Allegro.eu SA (a)(b)(c)

    4,396,705       35,531,592  

AmRest Holdings SE(a)

    821,627       5,149,042  

Asseco Poland SA

    580,734       10,905,822  

Bank Millennium SA(a)(c)

    6,557,644       16,408,071  

Bank Polska Kasa Opieki SA

    1,668,077       72,350,152  

Budimex SA

    134,172       24,528,702  

CCC SA(a)(c)

    447,462       8,529,354  

CD Projekt SA(c)

    582,636       16,013,046  

Cyfrowy Polsat SA(a)(c)

    1,966,177       5,774,247  

Dino Polska SA(a)(b)(c)

    448,449       52,182,273  

Enea SA(a)

    2,773,041       6,791,349  

Eurocash SA

    993,544       4,200,287  

Grupa Azoty SA(a)(c)

    507,937       2,867,094  

Grupa Kety SA

    58,383       10,310,929  

Jastrzebska Spolka Weglowa SA, Class S(a)(c)

    547,965       5,663,404  

KGHM Polska Miedz SA

    1,227,156       33,167,100  

KRUK SA

    169,185       17,839,001  

LPP SA

    10,299       46,270,832  

mBank SA(a)

    146,098       25,457,278  

Orange Polska SA

    5,602,223       11,465,820  

ORLEN SA

    5,173,459       80,361,011  

PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna SA(a)

    8,013,597       16,014,725  

Powszechna Kasa Oszczednosci Bank
Polski SA

    7,846,255       109,340,712  

Powszechny Zaklad Ubezpieczen SA

    5,349,961       65,832,454  

Santander Bank Polska SA

    333,093       45,936,135  

Tauron Polska Energia SA(a)

    10,723,471       9,727,580  

Warsaw Stock Exchange(c)

    467,667       5,160,454  
   

 

 

 
       765,434,340  
Qatar — 0.8%            

Al Meera Consumer Goods Co. QSC

    1,404,893       4,993,120  

Baladna(a)

    10,376,072       3,631,483  

Barwa Real Estate Co.

    15,689,470       13,163,958  

Commercial Bank PSQC (The)

    30,078,212       41,718,129  

Doha Bank QPSC

    14,991,294       6,778,322  

Dukhan Bank

    11,858,078       13,544,042  

Estithmar Holding QPSC(a)

    9,384,731       5,095,782  

Gulf International Services QSC

    9,147,989       7,205,264  

Industries Qatar QSC

    14,069,277       49,815,619  

Masraf Al Rayan QSC

    49,770,228       34,570,566  

Medicare Group

    1,719,872       2,181,853  

Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding Co. QSC

    44,246,184       22,933,028  

Ooredoo QPSC

    6,969,445       21,731,137  

Qatar Aluminum Manufacturing Co.

    28,593,361       9,964,345  

Qatar Electricity & Water Co. QSC

    4,726,539       22,413,270  

Qatar Fuel QSC

    3,661,760       15,014,973  

Qatar Gas Transport Co. Ltd.

    22,487,466       24,653,959  

Qatar International Islamic Bank QSC

    9,272,292       29,013,260  

Qatar Islamic Bank SAQ

    15,588,195       86,137,976  
 

 

 

24  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
Qatar (continued)            

Qatar National Bank QPSC

    42,325,563     $ 176,777,273  

Qatar Navigation QSC

    6,363,551       19,196,232  

United Development Co. QSC

    21,064,728       5,981,684  

Vodafone Qatar QSC

    26,066,600       12,366,713  
   

 

 

 
       628,881,988  
Russia — 0.0%            

Aeroflot PJSC(a)(d)

    12,448,217       1,360  

Alrosa PJSC(a)(d)

    22,555,750       2,465  

Credit Bank of Moscow PJSC(a)(d)

    131,641,331       14,387  

Detsky Mir PJSC(a)(b)(d)

    5,639,776       616  

Federal Grid Co. Rosseti PJSC(a)(d)

    2,175,770,000       238  

Gazprom PJSC(a)(d)

    101,307,770       11,072  

Globaltrans Investment PLC, GDR(a)(d)(f)

    1,523,220       166  

Inter RAO UES PJSC(a)(d)

    270,997,905       29,617  

LSR Group PJSC, Class A(d)

    498,324       54  

LUKOIL PJSC(a)(d)

    3,545,225       387  

MMC Norilsk Nickel PJSC(a)(d)

    542,170       59  

Mobile TeleSystems PJSC(a)(d)

    7,617,292       832  

Moscow Exchange MICEX-RTS PJSC(a)(d)

    12,320,031       1,346  

Novatek PJSC(a)(d)

    7,792,960       852  

Novolipetsk Steel PJSC(a)(d)

    12,759,568       1,395  

OGK-2 PJSC(d)

    319,608,000       34,930  

Ozon Holdings PLC, ADR(a)(d)

    453,223       50  

PhosAgro PJSC(a)(d)

    409,067       45  

PhosAgro PJSC, GDR(a)(d)(f)

    1        

PhosAgro PJSC, New(a)(d)

    7,905       79  

Polyus PJSC(a)(d)

    290,787       32  

Ros Agro PLC, GDR(a)(d)(f)

    300,309       33  

Rosneft Oil Co. PJSC(a)(d)

    9,721,202       1,062  

Rostelecom PJSC(d)

    8,098,021       885  

Sberbank of Russia PJSC(a)(d)

    91,862,230       10,040  

Segezha Group PJSC(a)(b)(d)

    34,454,100       3,765  

Severstal PAO(a)(d)

    1,835,503       201  

Sistema AFK PAO(d)

    30,748,700       3,361  

Sovcomflot PJSC(d)

    4,464,400       488  

Surgutneftegas PJSC(a)(d)

    60,550,132       6,618  

Tatneft PJSC(a)(d)

    11,775,415       1,287  

TCS Group Holding PLC, GDR(a)(d)(f)

    1,042,828       114  

Unipro PJSC(a)(d)

    160,829,082       17,577  

United Co. RUSAL International
PJSC(a)(d)

    26,465,860       2,892  

VK Co. Ltd.(a)(d)

    956,753       105  

VTB Bank PJSC(a)(d)

    25,685,534,000       2,807  

X5 Retail Group NV, GDR(a)(d)

    1,023,928       112  

Yandex NV(a)(d)

    2,640,123       289  
   

 

 

 
      151,618  
Saudi Arabia — 4.5%            

Abdullah Al Othaim Markets Co.

    4,322,820       15,385,538  

ACWA Power Co.

    862,380       60,715,559  

Ades Holding Co.(a)

    1,768,112       9,429,176  

Advanced Petrochemical Co.

    1,217,444       12,396,162  

Al Hammadi Holding

    884,519       15,778,856  

Al Masane Al Kobra Mining Co.

    629,262       9,815,702  

Al Moammar Information Systems Co.

    206,226       8,006,815  

Al Rajhi Bank

    17,722,612       420,880,364  

Al Rajhi Co. for Co-operative Insurance(a)

    151,488       3,427,894  

Al-Dawaa Medical Services Co.

    94,325       2,882,649  

Aldrees Petroleum and Transport Services Co.

    378,583       18,224,804  

Alinma Bank

    8,966,091       105,237,044  

AlKhorayef Water & Power Technologies Co.(a)

    46,735       3,023,201  

Almarai Co. JSC

    2,278,862       35,729,698  

Almunajem Foods Co.

    148,895       4,160,786  
Security   Shares     Value  
Saudi Arabia (continued)            

Alujain Corp.(a)

    558,494     $ 6,289,320  

Anglogold Ashanti PLC, NVS

    3,750,060       70,644,981  

Arab National Bank

    5,875,231       43,684,996  

Arabian Cement Co./Saudi Arabia

    820,991       7,189,400  

Arabian Contracting Services Co.

    182,755       12,796,700  

Arabian Internet & Communications Services Co.

    237,524       23,262,541  

Arriyadh Development Co.

    1,497,024       9,435,276  

Astra Industrial Group

    404,315       18,219,672  

Bank AlBilad

    4,551,226       60,068,602  

Bank Al-Jazira(a)

    3,679,143       19,110,893  

Banque Saudi Fransi

    5,543,515       56,364,237  

Bupa Arabia for Cooperative Insurance Co.

    746,827       45,694,820  

Catrion Catering Holding Co.

    472,022       16,815,225  

City Cement Co.

    975,392       4,972,010  

Co. for Cooperative Insurance (The)

    745,758       32,214,168  

Dallah Healthcare Co.

    334,982       16,756,692  

Dar Al Arkan Real Estate Development Co.(a)

    4,914,959       18,317,409  

Dr Sulaiman Al Habib Medical
Services Group Co.

    806,348       71,006,739  

Eastern Province Cement Co.

    668,387       6,394,993  

Electrical Industries Co.

    4,636,527       5,204,858  

Elm Co.

    222,709       62,816,989  

Emaar Economic City(a)

    4,024,304       8,748,847  

Etihad Etisalat Co.

    3,532,550       52,089,170  

Fawaz Abdulaziz Al Hokair & Co.(a)

    554,498       2,652,506  

First Milling Co., NVS

    123,050       2,680,419  

Herfy Food Services Co.

    365,521       3,569,183  

Jahez International Co., NVS

    100,714       958,721  

Jamjoom Pharmaceuticals Factory Co., NVS

    186,326       7,169,549  

Jarir Marketing Co.

    5,404,392       22,463,438  

Leejam Sports Co. JSC

    283,499       16,282,880  

Lumi Rental Co.(a)

    124,080       3,877,603  

Maharah Human Resources Co.

    1,999,687       3,910,306  

Methanol Chemicals Co.(a)

    677,549       3,139,206  

Middle East Healthcare Co.(a)

    404,968       13,130,712  

Middle East Paper Co.

    502,241       5,920,808  

Mobile Telecommunications Co. Saudi Arabia

    3,950,803       15,696,602  

Mouwasat Medical Services Co.

    941,738       31,034,792  

Nahdi Medical Co.

    368,103       13,937,719  

National Agriculture Development Co. (The)(a)

    1,872,209       16,528,285  

National Gas & Industrialization Co.

    478,450       10,937,101  

National Industrialization Co.(a)

    3,033,732       10,680,884  

National Medical Care Co.

    284,277       15,255,210  

Perfect Presentation For Commercial Services Co., NVS(a)

    317,345       2,961,650  

Power & Water Utility Co. for Jubail & Yanbu

    550,712       11,173,038  

Qassim Cement Co. (The)

    548,522       8,702,520  

Rabigh Refining & Petrochemical Co.(a)

    191,292       421,998  

Reinet Investments SCA

    1,331,654       33,606,559  

Retal Urban Development Co., NVS

    862,979       2,197,544  

Riyad Bank

    13,236,598        109,891,540  

SABIC Agri-Nutrients Co.

    2,110,274       70,550,332  

Sahara International Petrochemical Co.

    3,373,829       27,568,921  

Saudi Arabian Mining Co.(a)

    11,704,899       155,322,568  

Saudi Arabian Oil Co.(b)

    23,531,102       198,952,446  

Saudi Aramco Base Oil Co.

    405,004       18,168,073  

Saudi Automotive Services Co.

    228,538       5,753,531  

Saudi Awwal Bank

    8,957,511       98,634,693  

Saudi Basic Industries Corp.

    8,060,208       169,336,949  

Saudi Cement Co.

    699,000       8,704,184  

Saudi Ceramic Co.

    519,972       4,294,051  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  25


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
Saudi Arabia (continued)            

Saudi Chemical Co. Holding

    2,871,685     $ 4,101,194  

Saudi Electricity Co.

    7,510,277       40,090,336  

Saudi Ground Services Co.(a)

    1,229,980       13,577,893  

Saudi Industrial Investment Group

    2,998,215       16,574,920  

Saudi Investment Bank (The)

    4,351,602       18,801,883  

Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Co.(a)

    6,667,389       17,156,042  

Saudi National Bank (The)

    26,535,894       299,888,150  

Saudi Pharmaceutical Industries & Medical Appliances Corp.(a)

    761,382       7,770,546  

Saudi Real Estate Co.(a)

    2,149,403       11,504,943  

Saudi Research & Media Group(a)

    354,843       23,433,229  

Saudi Tadawul Group Holding Co.

    442,207       28,548,648  

Saudi Telecom Co.

    18,061,776       204,451,941  

Saudia Dairy & Foodstuff Co.

    188,872       19,142,528  

Savola Group (The)

    2,306,412       32,594,682  

Seera Group Holding(a)

    1,759,017       15,665,725  

Southern Province Cement Co.

    709,066       7,553,312  

Theeb Rent A Car Co.

    340,184       6,707,695  

United Electronics Co.

    479,540       12,224,240  

United International Transportation Co.

    495,607       11,680,326  

Yamama Cement Co.

    1,261,502       12,139,002  

Yanbu Cement Co.

    1,017,940       8,550,012  

Yanbu National Petrochemical Co.

    2,323,764       23,190,413  
   

 

 

 
       3,354,606,967  
South Africa — 2.6%            

Absa Group Ltd.

    7,555,810       64,502,247  

Adcock Ingram Holdings Ltd.

    784,597       2,294,476  

AECI Ltd.

    1,415,190       7,172,409  

African Rainbow Minerals Ltd.

    1,057,984       9,313,348  

Anglo American Platinum Ltd.

    587,202       22,588,875  

Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Ltd.

    3,411,676       34,862,064  

Astral Foods Ltd.(c)

    538,009       4,114,450  

AVI Ltd.

    2,475,287       11,540,155  

Barloworld Ltd.

    1,732,262       6,073,755  

Bid Corp. Ltd.

    3,084,995       72,170,868  

Bidvest Group Ltd. (The)

    2,604,819       31,733,160  

Capitec Bank Holdings Ltd.

    783,548       82,552,801  

Clicks Group Ltd.

    2,231,923       34,920,635  

Coronation Fund Managers Ltd.

    3,025,142       4,922,559  

DataTec Ltd.

    2,139,685       4,490,215  

Dis-Chem Pharmacies Ltd.(b)

    4,366,349       6,952,466  

Discovery Ltd.

    4,806,038       34,085,015  

DRDGOLD Ltd.

    5,450,845       3,699,118  

Equites Property Fund Ltd.(c)

    9,250,653       6,319,917  

Exxaro Resources Ltd.

    2,256,014       20,933,793  

FirstRand Ltd.

    44,798,391       151,557,135  

Fortress REIT Ltd., Series B, Class B(a)(c)

    12,693,310       10,999,104  

Foschini Group Ltd. (The)

    2,986,687       16,311,367  

Gold Fields Ltd.

    8,050,656       106,054,777  

Grindrod Ltd.

    7,242,799       4,871,330  

Growthpoint Properties Ltd.

    33,228,935       20,287,322  

Harmony Gold Mining Co. Ltd.

    5,177,541       30,097,267  

Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd.

    7,810,276       26,504,773  

Investec Ltd.

    2,687,677       16,902,377  

JSE Ltd.

    1,076,355       4,918,235  

Kumba Iron Ore Ltd.

    589,203       16,494,919  

Life Healthcare Group Holdings Ltd.

    12,497,816       11,435,697  

Momentum Metropolitan Holdings

    10,499,663       11,408,393  

Motus Holdings Ltd.

    1,474,947       7,124,809  

Mr. Price Group Ltd.

    2,220,202       19,688,865  

MTN Group Ltd.

    15,289,774       66,563,928  

MultiChoice Group(a)(c)

    2,644,031       14,393,289  
Security   Shares     Value  
South Africa (continued)            

Naspers Ltd., Class N

    1,656,794     $ 272,545,204  

Nedbank Group Ltd.

    3,877,816       44,363,382  

Netcare Ltd.

    10,287,900       7,273,406  

Ninety One Ltd.

    2,521,781       5,143,330  

Northam Platinum Holdings Ltd.

    3,224,256       18,437,768  

Oceana Group Ltd.

    799,025       2,969,467  

Old Mutual Ltd.

    45,098,017       28,068,228  

Omnia Holdings Ltd.

    1,485,975       4,834,455  

OUTsurance Group Ltd., NVS

    6,958,124       15,106,167  

Pepkor Holdings Ltd.(b)(c)

    13,884,789       13,515,590  

Pick n Pay Stores Ltd.(c)

    3,580,582       3,778,466  

PSG Financial Services Ltd.

    5,550,610       4,395,921  

Redefine Properties Ltd.(c)

    57,935,570       12,092,392  

Remgro Ltd.

    4,518,425       34,267,471  

Resilient REIT Ltd.

    4,487,819       11,030,020  

Reunert Ltd.

    1,983,858       6,741,807  

Sanlam Ltd.

    16,042,593       61,518,911  

Santam Ltd.

    267,080       4,215,074  

Sappi Ltd.

    5,099,053       12,274,415  

Sasol Ltd.

    5,120,473       38,589,719  

Shoprite Holdings Ltd.

    4,562,825       61,429,232  

Sibanye Stillwater Ltd.

    25,355,741       26,133,920  

SPAR Group Ltd. (The)(a)

    1,588,370       8,086,774  

Standard Bank Group Ltd.

    11,954,415       125,789,366  

Super Group Ltd./South Africa

    4,424,518       6,092,363  

Telkom SA SOC Ltd.(a)

    3,166,263       4,770,855  

Thungela Resources Ltd.

    1,187,660       6,501,788  

Tiger Brands Ltd.

    1,436,747       14,944,266  

Truworths International Ltd.(c)

    3,234,773       12,121,123  

Vodacom Group Ltd.

    5,498,627       26,954,166  

Vukile Property Fund Ltd.

    11,454,723       8,820,973  

Wilson Bayly Holmes-Ovcon Ltd.(a)

    688,068       4,665,445  

Woolworths Holdings Ltd./South Africa

    8,808,458       29,470,216  
   

 

 

 
       1,937,797,593  
South Korea — 12.0%            

ABLBio Inc.(a)(c)

    378,134       6,462,977  

Advanced Nano Products Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    85,647       8,997,811  

AfreecaTV Co. Ltd.

    81,895       7,923,351  

Ahnlab Inc.(c)

    65,640       3,529,888  

Alteogen Inc.(a)

    335,310       40,353,351  

Amorepacific Corp.(c)

    259,620       23,344,344  

Amorepacific Group

    261,577       5,246,022  

Ananti Inc.(a)(c)

    893,122       4,223,652  

Asiana Airlines Inc.(a)

    435,531       3,808,574  

BGF retail Co. Ltd.

    71,537       7,098,237  

BH Co. Ltd.(c)

    281,691       3,621,945  

Bioneer Corp.(a)(c)

    223,061       4,105,694  

BNK Financial Group Inc.

    2,081,802       11,738,324  

Boryung(c)

    408,246       3,652,840  

Canariabio Inc.(a)(c)

    709,241       529,427  

Caregen Co. Ltd.(c)

    79,409       1,391,678  

Cellivery Therapeutics Inc.(a)(c)(d)

    290,576       1,166,145  

Celltrion Inc.

    1,375,171       185,973,169  

Celltrion Pharm Inc.(a)(c)

    170,391       14,200,142  

Chabiotech Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    525,626       6,616,359  

Cheil Worldwide Inc.

    476,406       6,618,466  

Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical Corp.(c)

    88,829       7,213,843  

Chunbo Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    48,344       3,290,142  

CJ CGV Co. Ltd.(a)

    652,279       3,030,800  

CJ CheilJedang Corp.

    69,355       15,630,250  

CJ Corp.(a)

    122,390       8,913,913  

CJ ENM Co. Ltd.(a)

    97,474       5,819,188  
 

 

 

26  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
South Korea (continued)            

CJ Logistics Corp.(a)

    88,884     $ 8,306,487  

Classys Inc.(c)

    203,326       4,917,023  

Com2uSCorp.(c)

    96,961       3,109,269  

Cosmax Inc.(a)

    82,484       6,668,603  

CosmoAM&T Co. Ltd.(a)

    225,049       30,079,262  

Cosmochemical Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    273,721       7,236,479  

Coway Co. Ltd.

    443,646       18,057,396  

Creative & Innovative System(a)(c)

    574,298       4,801,314  

CS Wind Corp.

    227,957       8,872,789  

Cuckoo Homesys Co. Ltd.(a)

    71,844       1,083,093  

Curexo Inc.(a)

    219,387       2,461,091  

Daeduck Electronics Co. Ltd./New(a)

    361,129       6,060,132  

Daejoo Electronic Materials Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    128,302       7,269,824  

Daesang Corp.(a)

    308,337       4,551,711  

Daewoo Engineering & Construction Co.
Ltd.(a)(c)

    1,924,857       5,759,385  

Daewoong Co. Ltd.

    204,307       3,373,877  

Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

    54,737       4,712,950  

Daishin Securities Co. Ltd.(a)

    439,020       5,418,659  

Daou Technology Inc.

    317,670       5,187,479  

Dawonsys Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    367,245       3,555,396  

DB HiTek Co. Ltd.

    304,443       10,640,858  

DB Insurance Co. Ltd.(a)

    428,667       31,809,039  

Dentium Co. Ltd.(a)

    72,028       7,815,607  

Devsisters Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    78,823       2,460,750  

DGB Financial Group Inc.

    1,167,611       7,773,318  

DI Dong Il Corp.

    82,502       1,773,105  

DL E&C Co. Ltd.

    271,497       7,556,108  

DL Holdings Co. Ltd.(a)

    118,530       4,237,389  

Dong-A Socio Holdings Co. Ltd.

    42,215       3,454,152  

Dong-A ST Co. Ltd.(c)

    83,392       4,697,604  

Dongjin Semichem Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    330,296       9,269,911  

DongKook Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.(c)

    316,630       3,927,019  

Dongkuk Steel Mill Co. Ltd/New

    516,139       5,017,231  

Dongsuh Companies Inc.

    373,255       4,901,570  

Dongwha Enterprise Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    47,285       2,449,372  

Dongwon F&B Co. Ltd.(a)

    59,970       1,433,856  

Doosan Bobcat Inc.

    497,837       17,576,443  

Doosan Co. Ltd.(a)

    73,142       5,009,396  

Doosan Enerbility Co. Ltd.(a)

    3,997,895        48,796,167  

Doosan Fuel Cell Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    438,151       6,548,341  

Doosan Tesna Inc.(a)(c)

    96,757       3,114,166  

DoubleUGames Co. Ltd.

    131,490       4,577,956  

Douzone Bizon Co. Ltd.(a)

    190,644       6,533,431  

Dreamtech Co. Ltd.(a)

    201,429       1,665,465  

Duk San Neolux Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    147,342       4,308,086  

Ecopro BM Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    444,587       89,358,677  

Ecopro Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    180,440       84,154,653  

Ecopro HN Co. Ltd.

    112,575       5,075,399  

Ecopro Materials Co. Ltd.(a)

    83,136       12,055,844  

E-MART Inc.(a)

    133,382       7,419,327  

EMRO Inc., NVS

    60,618       2,464,633  

EM-Tech Co. Ltd.

    135,628       3,694,689  

Enchem Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    79,162       16,731,130  

Eo Technics Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    83,621       12,900,035  

Eoflow Co. Ltd.(a)

    152,631       590,588  

ESR Kendall Square REIT Co. Ltd.

    719,516       2,154,407  

Eugene Technology Co. Ltd.(c)

    207,207       5,875,485  

F&F Co. Ltd./New

    136,955       7,455,950  

Fila Holdings Corp.(c)

    435,239       12,544,196  

Foosung Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    594,290       3,732,385  

Gaonchips Co. Ltd.(a)

    46,501       3,719,102  
Security   Shares     Value  
South Korea (continued)            

GC Cell Corp.

    117,005     $ 3,489,775  

GemVax & Kael Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    369,518       3,403,119  

GOLFZON Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    49,274       2,904,941  

Grand Korea Leisure Co. Ltd.(c)

    403,146       3,797,813  

Green Cross Corp.

    56,428       4,996,411  

Green Cross Holdings Corp.(c)

    215,318       2,664,547  

GS Engineering & Construction Corp.(a)

    564,651       6,773,690  

GS Holdings Corp.

    350,748       12,660,863  

GS Retail Co. Ltd.

    389,924       6,534,493  

HAESUNG DS Co. Ltd.

    121,858       4,236,046  

Hana Financial Group Inc.

    2,630,588        111,925,968  

Hana Materials Inc.(c)

    103,591       3,708,515  

Hana Micron Inc.(a)(c)

    358,312       6,993,426  

Hana Technology Co. Ltd., NVS(a)

    39,378       1,695,317  

Hana Tour Service Inc.(a)

    152,160       7,523,690  

Hanall Biopharma Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    335,256       8,771,639  

Hancom Inc.

    140,740       2,478,487  

Handsome Co. Ltd.

    147,304       2,113,397  

Hanil Cement Co. Ltd./New

    297,096       2,713,358  

Hanjin Kal Corp.

    143,260       6,799,363  

Hankook & Co. Co. Ltd.

    310,160       3,968,057  

Hankook Tire & Technology Co. Ltd.

    658,091       26,810,811  

Hanmi Pharm Co. Ltd.(a)

    61,004       15,310,682  

Hanmi Science Co. Ltd.(a)

    196,076       6,071,306  

Hanmi Semiconductor Co. Ltd.(a)

    401,828       25,708,928  

Hanon Systems

    1,683,791       7,801,987  

Hansae Co. Ltd.

    213,969       3,281,347  

Hansol Chemical Co. Ltd.(a)

    81,859       10,491,433  

Hanssem Co. Ltd.

    99,882       3,635,936  

Hanwha Aerospace Co. Ltd.

    328,902       46,346,969  

Hanwha Corp.

    331,143       7,328,820  

Hanwha Investment & Securities Co. Ltd.(a)

    1,164,703       3,897,316  

Hanwha Life Insurance Co. Ltd.(a)

    3,508,668       8,314,767  

Hanwha Ocean Co. Ltd.(a)

    582,361       10,336,472  

Hanwha Solutions Corp.

    916,289       19,133,202  

Hanwha Systems Co. Ltd.

    762,396       9,562,140  

HD Hyundai Co. Ltd.

    388,340       20,643,543  

HD Hyundai Construction Equipment Co. Ltd.

    125,059       5,064,366  

HD Hyundai Electric Co. Ltd.

    211,704       19,831,134  

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd.(a)

    197,825       17,542,209  

HD Hyundai Infracore Co. Ltd.

    1,198,168       7,256,039  

HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co. Ltd.(a)

    379,590       31,932,244  

HDC Hyundai Development Co-Engineering & Construction, Class E

    418,874       6,255,008  

Hite Jinro Co. Ltd.

    370,012       5,553,147  

HK inno N Corp.(a)(c)

    134,118       3,858,075  

HL Mando Co. Ltd.

    273,872       6,837,676  

HLB Inc.(a)(c)

    1,064,887       65,330,479  

HLB Life Science Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    841,102       8,918,730  

HMM Co. Ltd.(a)

    2,209,772       30,318,148  

Hotel Shilla Co. Ltd.

    271,573       12,276,588  

HPSP Co. Ltd.(c)

    342,564       13,260,453  

HSD Engine Co. Ltd.(a)

    509,626       3,494,031  

Hugel Inc.(a)(c)

    71,423       9,846,342  

HYBE Co. Ltd.

    189,960       28,450,587  

Hyosung Advanced Materials Corp.

    25,906       6,499,326  

Hyosung Corp.

    104,277       4,685,337  

Hyosung Heavy Industries Corp.

    44,893       6,498,577  

Hyosung TNC Corp.(c)

    25,715       5,596,787  

Hyundai Bioscience Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    356,059       5,546,953  

Hyundai Department Store Co. Ltd.

    153,580       6,052,308  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  27


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
South Korea (continued)            

Hyundai Elevator Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    265,073     $ 7,946,185  

Hyundai Engineering & Construction
Co. Ltd.(a)

    633,344       16,520,176  

Hyundai Glovis Co. Ltd.(a)

    168,341       24,100,489  

Hyundai Home Shopping Network Corp.

    62,548       2,200,564  

Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance Co. Ltd.(a)

    504,436       11,930,773  

Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Co. Ltd.(a)

    217,140       10,279,007  

Hyundai Mobis Co. Ltd.

    540,196       98,530,487  

Hyundai Motor Co.

    1,235,975       232,693,821  

Hyundai Rotem Co. Ltd.

    687,605       17,314,424  

Hyundai Steel Co.(a)

    824,583       22,292,770  

Hyundai Wia Corp.(a)

    176,976       8,008,241  

Il Dong Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.(a)

    158,724       1,874,896  

Iljin Hysolus Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    127,678       2,257,634  

Industrial Bank of Korea(a)

    2,171,766       22,855,557  

Innocean Worldwide Inc.

    208,722       3,437,435  

Innox Advanced Materials Co. Ltd.(c)

    156,819       3,738,533  

Intellian Technologies Inc.(a)(c)

    99,553       4,099,404  

INTOPS Co. Ltd.(c)

    116,548       2,543,107  

IS Dongseo Co. Ltd.

    171,085       3,562,632  

ISC Co. Ltd.(c)

    104,187       5,650,451  

i-SENS Inc.

    104,969       1,808,823  

ISU Specialty Chemical, NVS(a)

    39,707       9,783,551  

IsuPetasys Co. Ltd.

    412,183       9,511,615  

JB Financial Group Co. Ltd.

    1,232,736       12,183,771  

Jeisys Medical Inc.(a)

    527,614       3,126,842  

Jeju Air Co. Ltd.(a)

    411,273       3,438,017  

Jeju Semiconductor Corp.(a)

    99,700       2,029,040  

Jusung Engineering Co. Ltd.(c)

    333,105       9,216,628  

JW Pharmaceutical Corp.

    166,188       4,115,918  

JYP Entertainment Corp.(a)

    267,095       14,803,649  

Kakao Corp.

    2,800,624       112,411,418  

Kakao Games Corp.(a)

    332,472       5,872,861  

KakaoBank Corp.(c)

    1,529,291       32,771,646  

Kakaopay Corp.(a)(c)

    241,223       7,995,124  

Kangwon Land Inc.(a)

    614,544       8,029,262  

KB Financial Group Inc.

    3,439,627       164,050,237  

KCC Corp.

    45,557       9,094,600  

KCC Glass Corp.

    118,075       3,639,966  

KEPCO Engineering & Construction
Co. Inc.(a)

    149,729       7,983,365  

KEPCO Plant Service & Engineering
Co. Ltd.(a)

    252,573       7,063,248  

KG Dongbusteel

    262,847       1,482,344  

KG Mobility Co.(a)(c)

    474,687       2,942,205  

Kia Corp.(a)

    2,347,365        219,825,841  

KIWOOM Securities Co. Ltd.(a)

    119,516       11,297,313  

KMW Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    279,335       2,985,074  

Koh Young Technology Inc.(c)

    570,347       8,245,463  

Kolmar BNH Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    136,823       1,587,493  

Kolmar Korea Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    181,188       6,464,911  

Kolon Industries Inc.

    191,155       5,575,212  

Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd.(a)

    673,556       25,988,865  

Korea Electric Power Corp.(a)

    2,258,703       42,058,359  

Korea Gas Corp.(a)

    197,257       4,298,721  

Korea Investment Holdings Co. Ltd.(a)

    322,491       17,223,956  

Korea Line Corp.(a)

    1,803,878       2,783,846  

Korea Petrochemical Ind Co. Ltd.(c)

    37,899       4,059,966  

Korea Zinc Co. Ltd.

    74,579       25,074,362  

Korean Air Lines Co. Ltd.

    1,676,629       28,965,956  

Korean Reinsurance Co.(a)

    1,390,089       8,404,395  

Krafton Inc.(a)

    254,997       43,582,902  

KT Corp.

    388,291       11,389,621  

KT&G Corp.(c)

    907,412       63,377,923  

Kum Yang Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    305,490       22,164,433  
Security   Shares     Value  
South Korea (continued)            

Kumho Petrochemical Co. Ltd.(a)

    147,695     $ 16,402,556  

Kumho Tire Co. Inc.(a)(c)

    1,339,342       6,347,112  

Kyung Dong Navien Co. Ltd.

    102,716       4,095,945  

L&C Bio Co. Ltd.(c)

    231,796       4,144,337  

L&F Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    233,080       29,774,300  

Lake Materials Co. Ltd.(a)

    358,605       5,638,478  

LEENO Industrial Inc.

    83,485       13,079,474  

LegoChem Biosciences Inc.(a)(c)

    247,865       9,895,201  

LG Chem Ltd.

    441,065       150,648,433  

LG Corp.

    821,930       57,854,826  

LG Display Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    2,000,303       17,072,107  

LG Electronics Inc.

    943,751       67,466,610  

LG Energy Solution Ltd.(a)(c)

    420,292       127,016,512  

LG H&H Co. Ltd.

    81,096       19,477,907  

LG Innotek Co. Ltd.

    126,071       19,158,660  

LG Uplus Corp.

    1,291,870       10,019,709  

LIG Nex1 Co. Ltd.

    113,306       12,204,133  

Lotte Chemical Corp.

    164,725       15,146,299  

Lotte Chilsung Beverage Co. Ltd.

    45,798       4,320,664  

Lotte Corp.

    132,853       3,013,037  

Lotte Energy Materials Corp.

    225,496       5,910,945  

Lotte Fine Chemical Co. Ltd.

    177,133       6,324,207  

LOTTE REIT Co. Ltd.

    1,788,287       4,204,494  

Lotte Rental Co. Ltd.

    111,219       2,256,278  

Lotte Shopping Co. Ltd.

    108,454       6,326,294  

Lotte Tour Development Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    449,299       3,054,778  

Lotte Wellfood Co. Ltd.(c)

    29,595       2,917,863  

LS Corp.

    161,583       10,684,027  

LS Electric Co. Ltd.

    149,101       7,189,491  

Lunit Inc.(a)

    172,533       7,915,803  

LX Holdings Corp.(c)

    615,968       3,202,908  

LX International Corp.

    298,509       6,162,089  

LX Semicon Co. Ltd.

    110,750       6,275,471  

Mcnex Co. Ltd.

    147,794       2,826,346  

Medytox Inc.

    49,279       5,863,324  

MegaStudyEdu Co. Ltd.(c)

    103,737       4,843,332  

Meritz Financial Group Inc.

    929,101       57,988,902  

Mezzion Pharma Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    206,322       6,263,380  

Mirae Asset Securities Co. Ltd.(a)

    1,979,897       13,435,874  

MNTech Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    260,481       4,391,640  

Myoung Shin Industrial Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    385,158       4,665,447  

Naturecell Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    559,140       2,928,397  

NAVER Corp.

    1,165,057        171,066,572  

NCSoft Corp.

    125,545       18,310,933  

Neowiz Games Corp.(c)

    132,670       2,209,156  

Netmarble Corp.(a)(b)

    237,853       11,044,527  

Nexen Tire Corp.(a)

    370,470       2,589,061  

Nexon Games Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    296,389       3,104,222  

NEXTIN Inc.(a)(c)

    44,244       2,540,219  

NH Investment & Securities Co. Ltd.(a)

    922,289       8,143,522  

NHN Corp.

    198,391       3,959,456  

NICE Holdings Co. Ltd.(a)

    271,641       2,619,308  

NICE Information Service Co. Ltd.(a)

    399,641       3,216,599  

NKMax Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    821,636       1,003,261  

NongShim Co. Ltd.(c)

    30,450       7,952,280  

OCI Co. Ltd.

    55,181       3,507,965  

OCI Holdings Co. Ltd.

    118,920       8,405,325  

Orion Corp./Republic of Korea

    207,137       14,447,054  

Orion Holdings Corp.

    279,897       3,006,428  

Oscotec Inc.(a)(c)

    310,994       5,189,750  

Ottogi Corp.

    18,591       5,602,871  

Pan Ocean Co. Ltd.

    2,300,324       8,422,335  
 

 

 

28  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
South Korea (continued)            

Paradise Co. Ltd.(c)

    503,906     $ 4,795,515  

Park Systems Corp.(c)

    66,446       8,624,598  

Partron Co. Ltd.

    580,062       3,428,799  

Pearl Abyss Corp.(a)

    247,941       5,667,576  

People & Technology Inc.(a)(c)

    186,685       5,678,516  

Peptron Inc.(a)

    151,368       2,620,094  

PharmaResearch Co. Ltd.(c)

    80,109       5,665,193  

PI Advanced Materials Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    177,681       2,811,554  

Poongsan Corp.

    279,146       9,053,419  

Posco DX Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    492,132       20,082,483  

POSCO Future M Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    281,667       67,325,870  

POSCO Holdings Inc.

    647,386       210,396,418  

Posco International Corp.(a)

    481,424       20,420,384  

Posco M-Tech Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    162,770       2,998,847  

PSK Inc.

    243,242       4,650,528  

Rainbow Robotics(a)(c)

    83,721       10,179,066  

S&S Tech Corp.(c)

    192,730       6,390,505  

S-1 Corp.

    161,252       7,028,076  

Sam Chun Dang Pharm Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    143,375       7,708,889  

Sam-A Aluminum Co. Ltd.

    46,680       3,478,413  

Sambu Engineering & Construction
Co. Ltd.(a)

    1,688,999       3,063,182  

Samsung Biologics Co. Ltd.(a)(b)

    159,224       92,647,487  

Samsung C&T Corp.

    726,542       85,538,608  

Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co. Ltd.

    483,764       50,979,542  

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.

    42,958,333        2,370,993,918  

Samsung Engineering Co. Ltd.(a)

    1,432,031       26,485,629  

Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance
Co. Ltd.(a)

    277,206       62,038,421  

Samsung Heavy Industries Co. Ltd.(a)

    5,987,215       35,594,308  

Samsung Life Insurance Co. Ltd.

    712,886       51,891,629  

Samsung SDI Co. Ltd.(c)

    491,342       139,585,904  

Samsung SDS Co. Ltd.

    306,725       36,896,152  

Samsung Securities Co. Ltd.

    471,161       14,725,190  

Samyang Foods Co. Ltd.

    46,123       5,920,192  

Samyang Holdings Corp.

    46,866       2,566,173  

SD Biosensor Inc.(a)(c)

    341,758       3,221,497  

Sebang Global Battery Co. Ltd.

    80,763       4,831,665  

Seegene Inc.

    349,664       6,539,456  

Seobu T&D(c)

    684,082       3,848,056  

Seojin System Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    327,434       5,040,866  

Seoul Semiconductor Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    500,426       3,748,444  

SFA Engineering Corp.(c)

    259,629       4,872,697  

SFA Semicon Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    946,766       4,270,268  

Shin Poong Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    321,774       2,910,807  

Shinhan Financial Group Co. Ltd.

    3,878,794       126,796,146  

Shinsegae Inc.

    53,386       7,013,103  

Shinsegae International Inc.(c)

    157,537       1,954,633  

Shinsung Delta Tech Co. Ltd.

    135,276       12,495,455  

Shinyoung Securities Co. Ltd.

    7,976       395,925  

SIMMTECH Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    246,891       5,301,438  

SK Biopharmaceuticals Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    277,301       20,209,372  

SK Bioscience Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    222,811       10,296,723  

SK Chemicals Co. Ltd.

    114,417       5,842,835  

SK D&D Co. Ltd.(d)

    100,101       1,856,785  

SK Discovery Co. Ltd.

    122,075       4,012,558  

SK Gas Ltd.

    39,381       4,687,510  

SK Hynix Inc.

    4,903,303       578,023,084  

SK IE Technology Co. Ltd.(a)(b)

    223,092       12,305,192  

SK Inc.

    298,021       42,987,938  

SK Innovation Co. Ltd.(a)

    541,894       47,810,190  

SK Networks Co. Ltd.(a)

    1,561,199       7,688,658  

SK oceanplant Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    439,141       4,292,438  

SK REITs Co. Ltd.

    566,314       1,653,456  
Security   Shares     Value  
South Korea (continued)            

SK Square Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    895,344     $ 46,981,085  

SK Telecom Co. Ltd.

    370,573       14,668,853  

SKC Co. Ltd.(a)

    161,498       10,062,486  

SL Corp.(c)

    175,464       4,460,049  

SM Entertainment Co. Ltd.

    105,008       6,180,247  

SNT Motiv Co. Ltd.

    98,945       3,305,304  

S-Oil Corp.

    387,252       22,247,441  

SOLUM Co. Ltd.(a)

    423,920       9,240,685  

Solus Advanced Materials Co. Ltd.

    370,606       3,374,592  

Soulbrain Co. Ltd.(c)

    47,450       9,726,663  

SPG Co. Ltd.

    152,780       3,324,153  

Ssangyong C&E Co. Ltd.

    1,436,803       7,531,455  

ST Pharm Co. Ltd.(c)

    115,640       5,519,486  

STCUBE(a)(c)

    468,220       2,216,243  

Studio Dragon Corp.(a)(c)

    124,720       4,243,824  

Sungeel Hitech Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    39,399       2,907,787  

Sungwoo Hitech Co. Ltd.(c)

    502,205       3,714,670  

Synopex Inc.(a)

    693,930       4,601,533  

Taihan Electric Wire Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    612,351       4,319,298  

TCC Steel(a)

    154,814       7,904,081  

Tera Resource Co. Ltd.(a)(d)

    49,111        

TKG Huchems Co. Ltd.

    288,395       4,344,382  

Tokai Carbon Korea Co. Ltd.(c)

    55,096       3,922,695  

Tongyang Life Insurance Co. Ltd.(a)

    633,193       2,771,241  

Unid Co. Ltd.

    36,691       2,146,888  

Vaxcell-Bio Therapeutics Co. Ltd.(a)

    175,375       2,527,623  

Voronoi Inc.(a)

    56,108       1,883,400  

VT Co. Ltd.(a)

    181,279       2,267,274  

Webzen Inc.

    156,475       1,961,060  

Wemade Co. Ltd.(a)

    187,036       6,562,377  

Won Tech Co. Ltd.(a)

    314,279       2,003,061  

Wonik Holdings Co. Ltd.(a)

    1       3  

WONIK IPS Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    308,476       7,621,411  

Wonik QnC Corp.(a)(c)

    209,056       4,418,850  

Woori Financial Group Inc.

    5,418,958       60,718,692  

W-Scope Chungju Plant Co. Ltd.(a)

    108,444       3,677,890  

Wysiwyg Studious Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    1,273,355       2,640,388  

YG Entertainment Inc.(c)

    130,216       4,008,042  

Youlchon Chemical Co. Ltd.

    142,900       4,456,104  

Youngone Corp.(a)

    216,907       7,162,755  

Youngone Holdings Co. Ltd.

    69,775       4,784,648  

Yuanta Securities Korea Co. Ltd.(a)

    1,125,123       2,269,675  

Yuhan Corp.

    505,124       25,620,845  

Yunsung F&C Co. Ltd.

    25,391       1,757,469  
   

 

 

 
       8,963,177,452  
Taiwan — 17.5%            

Ability Opto-Electronics Technology
Co. Ltd.(c)

    533,000       4,783,237  

AcBel Polytech Inc.(c)

    4,987,565       6,729,257  

Accton Technology Corp.

    4,618,000       75,995,818  

Acer Inc.(c)

    26,348,872       37,683,383  

Acter Group Corp. Ltd.

    639,000       3,943,690  

Actron Technology Corp.(c)

    837,548       4,464,492  

ADATA Technology Co. Ltd.(c)

    2,956,845       9,354,077  

Adimmune Corp.(a)(c)

    3,467,000       3,230,542  

Advanced Ceramic X Corp.(c)

    444,000       3,176,904  

Advanced Energy Solution Holding
Co. Ltd.(c)

    294,000       6,639,426  

Advanced Wireless Semiconductor Co.(a)(c)

    1,536,000       6,866,178  

Advantech Co. Ltd.(c)

    3,932,584       48,535,801  

AIC Inc.(c)

    174,000       2,356,952  

Airoha Technology Corp., NVS

    272,000       5,954,666  

Airtac International Group(c)

    1,259,292       48,247,557  

Alchip Technologies Ltd.(c)

    666,000       87,367,510  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  29


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
Taiwan (continued)            

Alexander Marine Co. Ltd.(c)

    278,000     $ 3,188,773  

Allied Supreme Corp.(c)

    447,000       5,739,727  

Allis Electric Co. Ltd.

    450,000       1,423,623  

Amazing Microelectronic Corp.(c)

    888,448       3,279,206  

Ambassador Hotel (The)

    1,021,000       1,556,880  

Andes Technology Corp.(c)

    418,000       6,572,888  

AP Memory Technology Corp.(c)

    891,000       12,841,576  

Apex International Co. Ltd.(c)

    1,327,000       1,928,512  

Arcadyan Technology Corp.(c)

    1,855,391       10,821,929  

Ardentec Corp.(c)

    4,835,546       10,860,107  

ASE Technology Holding Co. Ltd.

    28,081,222       123,968,520  

Asia Cement Corp.(c)

    19,033,050       24,363,444  

Asia Optical Co. Inc.(c)

    2,929,000       6,222,514  

Asia Vital Components Co. Ltd.(c)

    2,998,884       50,588,050  

ASMedia Technology Inc.(c)

    252,000       18,809,544  

ASPEED Technology Inc.(c)

    283,800       24,580,759  

ASROCK Inc.

    556,000       4,467,002  

Asustek Computer Inc.

    6,375,000       91,855,190  

AUO Corp.

    58,805,400       32,614,770  

AURAS Technology Co. Ltd.(c)

    520,000       8,787,529  

Bank of Kaohsiung Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    29,244,396       10,501,635  

BES Engineering Corp.(c)

    21,216,000       8,192,570  

Bizlink Holding Inc.(c)

    1,132,726       8,702,228  

Bora Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd.(c)

    514,099       10,880,660  

Brighton-Best International Taiwan Inc.(c)

    5,087,000       5,461,712  

Capital Securities Corp.

    24,993,050       13,255,254  

Career Technology MFG. Co. Ltd.(c)

    5,287,124       3,489,692  

Catcher Technology Co. Ltd.

    5,316,000       33,121,947  

Cathay Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    82,118,951        117,170,300  

Cathay Real Estate Development Co. Ltd.

    8,825,900       5,166,635  

Center Laboratories Inc.(c)

    4,976,770       7,499,764  

Century Iron & Steel Industrial Co. Ltd.(c)

    1,686,000       13,732,892  

Chailease Holding Co. Ltd.(c)

    13,474,776       74,500,019  

Chang Hwa Commercial Bank Ltd.

    45,708,508       25,754,696  

Channel Well Technology Co. Ltd.(c)

    2,034,000       5,284,261  

Charoen Pokphand Enterprise

    3,079,700       9,466,892  

Chenbro Micom Co. Ltd.(c)

    493,000       4,140,909  

Cheng Loong Corp.(c)

    9,377,000       8,602,432  

Cheng Shin Rubber Industry Co. Ltd.

    15,386,650       22,871,702  

Cheng Uei Precision Industry Co. Ltd.

    4,101,000       5,899,702  

Chicony Electronics Co. Ltd.(c)

    4,871,787       28,920,412  

Chicony Power Technology Co. Ltd.

    1,534,000       8,238,323  

Chief Telecom Inc.

    370,300       4,247,671  

China Airlines Ltd.(c)

    26,925,000       17,051,657  

China Bills Finance Corp.(c)

    16,643,000       7,686,769  

China Development Financial Holding Corp.(a)(c)

    141,660,649       56,309,354  

China General Plastics Corp.(c)

    4,140,386       2,666,091  

China Man-Made Fiber Corp.(a)(c)

    18,761,574       4,586,998  

China Metal Products

    5,057,146       6,191,338  

China Motor Corp.

    2,647,800       10,520,270  

China Petrochemical Development
Corp.(a)(c)

    32,508,490       9,677,220  

China Steel Chemical Corp.(c)

    1,663,000       5,892,017  

China Steel Corp.(c)

    105,024,529       81,792,407  

Chin-Poon Industrial Co. Ltd.

    3,925,000       6,502,003  

Chipbond Technology Corp.(c)

    3,417,000       7,676,250  

ChipMOS Technologies Inc.

    4,791,000       6,687,587  

Chlitina Holding Ltd.

    557,000       3,356,855  

Chong Hong Construction Co. Ltd.

    1,923,122       4,752,060  

Chroma ATE Inc.

    3,394,000       25,053,434  

Chung Hung Steel Corp.(c)

    9,599,000       7,041,050  
Security   Shares     Value  
Taiwan (continued)            

Chung-Hsin Electric & Machinery Manufacturing Corp.(c)

    3,721,000     $ 20,177,910  

Chunghwa Precision Test Tech Co. Ltd.(c)

    223,000       3,895,055  

Chunghwa Telecom Co. Ltd.(c)

    32,871,000       125,227,320  

Cleanaway Co. Ltd.(c)

    1,299,000       7,335,801  

Clevo Co.(c)

    5,063,175       6,425,261  

Compal Electronics Inc.

    37,203,000       42,960,751  

Compeq Manufacturing Co. Ltd.(c)

    7,326,000       17,656,547  

Continental Holdings Corp.(c)

    6,228,600       5,281,229  

Coretronic Corp.(c)

    2,123,200       4,775,786  

Co-Tech Development Corp.(c)

    2,616,000       4,902,504  

CSBC Corp. Taiwan(a)(c)

    8,810,541       5,124,939  

CTBC Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    157,299,599       146,432,244  

CTCI Corp.(c)

    6,198,000       8,425,497  

Cub Elecparts Inc.(c)

    889,797       3,620,687  

CyberPower Systems Inc.(c)

    330,000       2,168,495  

Darfon Electronics Corp.(c)

    3,189,000       5,372,244  

Delta Electronics Inc.

    17,504,000        163,113,732  

Dynamic Holding Co. Ltd.(c)

    2,038,000       4,839,681  

E Ink Holdings Inc.(c)

    7,805,000       60,764,110  

E.Sun Financial Holding Co. Ltd.(c)

    123,211,926       98,503,389  

Eclat Textile Co. Ltd.

    1,617,683       27,649,045  

EirGenix Inc.(a)(c)

    1,954,000       5,860,238  

Elan Microelectronics Corp.

    2,248,100       11,809,797  

Elite Material Co. Ltd.(c)

    2,452,000       38,484,038  

Elite Semiconductor Microelectronics Technology Inc.(c)

    2,571,000       7,615,052  

eMemory Technology Inc.

    578,000       49,628,371  

Ennoconn Corp.

    884,219       8,368,622  

ENNOSTAR Inc.(a)(c)

    5,117,185       6,949,435  

Episil Technologies Inc.(c)

    2,621,036       4,999,446  

Episil-Precision Inc.(c)

    1,170,077       2,007,473  

Eternal Materials Co. Ltd.(c)

    7,972,369       8,113,256  

Etron Technology Inc.(c)

    2,555,916       4,354,057  

Eva Airways Corp.(c)

    23,609,326       23,503,325  

Evergreen International Storage & Transport Corp.(c)

    5,221,000       5,517,970  

Evergreen Marine Corp. Taiwan Ltd.(c)

    9,162,979       48,002,192  

Evergreen Steel Corp.

    745,000       2,545,437  

Everlight Chemical Industrial Corp.(c)

    6,445,781       4,386,562  

Everlight Electronics Co. Ltd.

    4,006,000       6,337,374  

Far Eastern Department Stores Ltd.(c)

    10,890,167       8,389,755  

Far Eastern International Bank

    36,548,441       14,279,784  

Far Eastern New Century Corp.(c)

    25,231,916       26,025,641  

Far EasTone Telecommunications Co. Ltd.

    13,383,000       33,342,387  

Faraday Technology Corp.(c)

    2,041,000       25,057,896  

Farglory Land Development Co. Ltd.(c)

    2,908,782       5,171,871  

Feng Hsin Steel Co. Ltd.(c)

    4,816,000       10,390,901  

Feng TAY Enterprise Co. Ltd.(c)

    4,322,833       22,613,704  

First Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    97,610,526       83,718,188  

Fitipower Integrated Technology Inc.(c)

    918,504       7,024,965  

FLEXium Interconnect Inc.(c)

    2,122,616       5,800,309  

FocalTech Systems Co. Ltd.(c)

    1,881,000       5,808,855  

Formosa Chemicals & Fibre Corp.(c)

    29,996,210       54,326,594  

Formosa International Hotels Corp.(a)(c)

    810,000       5,346,879  

Formosa Petrochemical Corp.(c)

    9,186,000       21,602,709  

Formosa Plastics Corp.(c)

    32,814,800       74,472,694  

Formosa Sumco Technology Corp.(c)

    773,000       3,830,084  

Formosa Taffeta Co. Ltd.(c)

    8,502,000       6,349,534  

Fortune Electric Co. Ltd.(c)

    1,122,000       19,136,328  

Foxconn Technology Co. Ltd.(c)

    6,624,424       10,420,932  

Foxsemicon Integrated Technology Inc.

    780,000       5,925,539  
 

 

 

30  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Taiwan (continued)            

Fubon Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    68,423,289     $ 147,310,403  

Fulgent Sun International Holding Co. Ltd.(c)

    1,481,221       5,885,175  

Fusheng Precision Co. Ltd.(c)

    1,204,000       8,579,644  

General Interface Solution Holding Ltd.(c)

    2,407,000       4,434,942  

Genius Electronic Optical Co. Ltd.(c)

    683,287       9,166,098  

Getac Holdings Corp.(c)

    4,123,000       15,598,308  

Giant Manufacturing Co. Ltd.(c)

    2,886,575       18,654,531  

Gigabyte Technology Co. Ltd.(c)

    4,653,000       50,893,062  

Global Brands Manufacture Ltd.

    972,000       2,008,483  

Global Mixed Mode Technology Inc.(c)

    798,000       6,557,771  

Global PMX Co. Ltd.(c)

    524,000       1,899,710  

Global Unichip Corp.(c)

    797,000       40,168,739  

Globalwafers Co. Ltd.(c)

    1,831,000       32,339,758  

Gloria Material Technology Corp.(c)

    4,965,000       7,388,117  

Gold Circuit Electronics Ltd.(c)

    3,061,800       24,928,965  

Goldsun Building Materials Co. Ltd.(c)

    11,755,425       12,276,767  

Gourmet Master Co. Ltd.(c)

    1,129,471       3,163,238  

Grand Pacific Petrochemical(c)

    11,756,292       5,264,596  

Grand Process Technology Corp.

    209,000       5,448,236  

Grape King Bio Ltd.

    1,411,000       6,924,506  

Great Tree Pharmacy Co. Ltd.(c)

    816,996       7,914,742  

Great Wall Enterprise Co. Ltd.

    5,977,412       11,048,744  

Greatek Electronics Inc.

    3,557,000       6,733,441  

Gudeng Precision Industrial Co. Ltd.(c)

    685,797       9,761,951  

Hannstar Board Corp.(c)

    2,392,000       4,285,927  

HannStar Display Corp.(a)(c)

    22,222,640       7,988,955  

Highwealth Construction Corp.(c)

    7,459,030       9,368,855  

Hiwin Technologies Corp.(c)

    2,436,498       18,513,676  

Holtek Semiconductor Inc.(c)

    1,872,000       3,552,890  

Holy Stone Enterprise Co. Ltd.(c)

    1,518,846       4,657,816  

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd.

    111,415,928        363,268,924  

Hota Industrial Manufacturing Co. Ltd.(c)

    2,553,261       4,556,391  

Hotai Finance Co. Ltd.

    2,414,200       9,245,988  

Hotai Motor Co. Ltd.

    2,863,560       60,814,238  

Hsin Kuang Steel Co. Ltd.

    3,124,000       6,598,521  

HTC Corp.(a)(c)

    6,138,000       9,484,422  

Hu Lane Associate Inc.

    828,000       4,389,742  

Hua Nan Financial Holdings Co. Ltd.

    79,208,650       55,162,042  

Huaku Development Co. Ltd.

    3,431,000       10,725,549  

Ibase Technology Inc.(c)

    449,000       1,241,455  

IBF Financial Holdings Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    21,767,076       8,469,725  

Innodisk Corp.(c)

    1,013,661       9,802,725  

Innolux Corp.

    76,400,974       36,658,219  

International CSRC Investment Holdings Co.(c)

    9,325,685       5,372,912  

International Games System Co. Ltd.

    1,085,000       29,263,371  

Inventec Corp.(c)

    24,526,000       42,720,448  

ITE Technology Inc.(c)

    1,873,000       9,782,206  

ITEQ Corp.

    1,932,604       5,455,714  

Jentech Precision Industrial Co. Ltd.(c)

    748,670       21,799,788  

Jinan Acetate Chemical Co. Ltd.(c)

    406,480       12,464,405  

Johnson Health Tech Co. Ltd.(c)

    1,222,000       2,565,667  

Kaori Heat Treatment Co. Ltd.(c)

    785,000       6,909,989  

Kenda Rubber Industrial Co. Ltd.(c)

    6,279,913       6,010,666  

Kenmec Mechanical Engineering Co. Ltd.(c)

    1,112,000       2,999,392  

Kindom Development Co. Ltd.

    4,265,300       5,329,138  

King Slide Works Co. Ltd.(c)

    531,000       22,813,882  

King Yuan Electronics Co. Ltd.(c)

    10,296,000       28,992,831  

King’s Town Bank Co. Ltd.

    7,212,000       10,187,311  

Kinik Co.(c)

    1,268,000       10,358,240  

Kinpo Electronics(c)

    13,051,000       6,360,573  

Kinsus Interconnect Technology Corp.(c)

    2,314,000       7,084,470  

L&K Engineering Co. Ltd.(c)

    1,351,000       7,205,956  
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Taiwan (continued)            

LandMark Optoelectronics Corp.(c)

    775,900     $ 3,650,064  

Largan Precision Co. Ltd.

    887,000       72,795,552  

Lien Hwa Industrial Holdings Corp.(c)

    9,715,421       20,144,588  

Lite-On Technology Corp.

    18,374,238       63,752,293  

Longchen Paper & Packaging Co. Ltd.(c)

    8,622,863       3,806,408  

Lotes Co. Ltd.(c)

    721,849       23,419,892  

Lotus Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.(c)

    1,088,000       9,979,038  

LuxNet Corp.(c)

    919,957       4,544,349  

M31 Technology Corp.

    244,401       13,960,699  

Macronix International Co. Ltd.(c)

    14,314,554       12,898,133  

Makalot Industrial Co. Ltd.

    1,930,510       22,721,426  

Marketech International Corp.

    1,291,000       6,495,539  

MediaTek Inc.

    13,653,572       492,707,077  

Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp.(a)(c)

    2,386,607       4,620,774  

Mega Financial Holding Co. Ltd.(c)

    101,918,180        124,863,982  

Mercuries Life Insurance Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    32,242,333       5,049,570  

Merida Industry Co. Ltd.(c)

    1,703,850       11,258,992  

Merry Electronics Co. Ltd.

    1,953,751       7,299,630  

Microbio Co. Ltd.(c)

    4,123,572       6,065,991  

Micro-Star International Co. Ltd.

    6,303,000       38,143,078  

Mitac Holdings Corp.(c)

    8,403,053       11,252,623  

momo.com Inc.

    26,000       366,303  

MPI Corp.(c)

    586,000       5,992,806  

Nan Kang Rubber Tire Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    5,367,000       6,684,004  

Nan Pao Resins Chemical Co. Ltd.(c)

    562,000       5,353,578  

Nan Ya Plastics Corp.(c)

    41,562,440       78,596,517  

Nan Ya Printed Circuit Board Corp.(c)

    1,884,000       12,622,571  

Nantex Industry Co. Ltd.

    2,612,000       2,921,835  

Nanya Technology Corp.(c)

    10,529,000       22,416,244  

Nien Made Enterprise Co. Ltd.

    1,299,000       15,206,390  

North-Star International Co. Ltd., NVS

    276,000       469,710  

Novatek Microelectronics Corp.(c)

    5,212,000       99,201,817  

Nuvoton Technology Corp.(c)

    2,128,000       8,693,362  

OBI Pharma Inc.(a)(c)

    1,636,339       3,467,143  

Oneness Biotech Co. Ltd.(c)

    2,609,450       14,582,691  

Orient Semiconductor Electronics Ltd.(c)

    3,865,000       8,867,340  

Oriental Union Chemical Corp.(c)

    7,983,000       4,856,333  

Pan Jit International Inc.(c)

    3,293,200       6,507,516  

Pan-International Industrial Corp.(c)

    5,155,366       5,357,272  

Parade Technologies Ltd.(c)

    682,000       21,938,060  

Pegatron Corp.

    16,725,000       45,287,258  

Pegavision Corp.(c)

    377,166       4,778,421  

PharmaEngine Inc.(c)

    930,000       3,045,129  

PharmaEssentia Corp.(a)(c)

    2,189,000       22,749,063  

Pharmally International Holding Co. Ltd.(d)

    597,543        

Phihong Technology Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    3,459,266       6,717,350  

Phison Electronics Corp.(c)

    1,406,000       27,966,170  

Pixart Imaging Inc.

    1,446,000       7,833,113  

Polaris Group/Tw(a)(c)

    2,865,000       6,405,898  

Pou Chen Corp.(c)

    17,276,000       16,689,995  

Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp.(c)

    25,849,000       22,596,484  

Powertech Technology Inc.

    5,010,000       24,756,484  

Poya International Co. Ltd.

    490,577       7,628,154  

President Chain Store Corp.

    4,771,000       40,677,886  

President Securities Corp.(c)

    8,688,603       5,636,889  

Primax Electronics Ltd.

    4,334,000       9,986,049  

Prince Housing & Development Corp.(c)

    11,327,995       3,675,620  

Qisda Corp.(c)

    13,675,000       19,964,119  

Quanta Computer Inc.(c)

    24,396,000       179,269,836  

Quanta Storage Inc.(c)

    1,841,000       4,512,776  

Radiant Opto-Electronics Corp.(c)

    3,174,000       14,822,033  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  31


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Taiwan (continued)            

Raydium Semiconductor Corp.

    595,000     $ 8,426,714  

Realtek Semiconductor Corp.

    4,328,110       78,005,702  

RichWave Technology Corp.(a)(c)

    901,226       6,437,687  

Ritek Corp.(a)

    1        

Ruentex Development Co. Ltd.

    13,726,812       15,796,561  

Ruentex Industries Ltd.(c)

    5,607,788       10,511,510  

Sanyang Motor Co. Ltd.(c)

    5,048,000       11,940,608  

ScinoPharm Taiwan Ltd.(c)

    2,966,027       2,381,955  

SDI Corp.(c)

    1,351,000       4,428,046  

Sensortek Technology Corp.(c)

    281,000       4,172,145  

Sercomm Corp.

    2,602,000        11,165,010  

Shanghai Commercial & Savings Bank Ltd. (The)

    34,326,542       48,873,907  

Shihlin Electric & Engineering Corp.(c)

    1,875,000       11,107,756  

Shin Kong Financial Holding Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    116,976,255       30,710,346  

Shin Zu Shing Co. Ltd.(c)

    1,627,904       8,707,356  

Shinfox Energy Co. Ltd.(c)

    514,000       2,483,671  

Shinkong Synthetic Fibers Corp.(c)

    14,017,000       6,768,140  

Shiny Chemical Industrial Co. Ltd.(c)

    876,750       4,246,472  

Sigurd Microelectronics Corp.(c)

    5,842,700       13,016,173  

Silergy Corp.(c)

    2,839,000       37,460,887  

Silicon Integrated Systems Corp.(c)

    4,642,000       6,338,325  

Simplo Technology Co. Ltd.

    1,262,400       17,041,954  

Sinbon Electronics Co. Ltd.

    1,943,809       15,896,285  

Sino-American Silicon Products Inc.(c)

    4,503,000       26,460,080  

SinoPac Financial Holdings Co. Ltd.

    98,902,579       62,934,165  

Sinyi Realty Inc.

    5,008,704       4,666,393  

Sitronix Technology Corp.

    1,134,000       10,416,506  

Soft-World International Corp.(c)

    917,000       3,883,795  

Solar Applied Materials Technology Corp.(c)

    5,710,710       7,993,063  

Sporton International Inc.

    906,252       6,748,993  

St. Shine Optical Co. Ltd.

    451,000       2,853,678  

Standard Foods Corp.(c)

    4,900,096       5,844,407  

Sunny Friend Environmental Technology Co. Ltd.(c)

    727,507       2,429,738  

Sunonwealth Electric Machine Industry Co. Ltd.(c)

    1,587,000       6,384,773  

Sunplus Technology Co. Ltd.(c)

    5,393,000       5,653,285  

Supreme Electronics Co. Ltd.

    5,482,009       10,828,841  

Synmosa Biopharma Corp.(c)

    3,134,899       3,867,858  

Synnex Technology International Corp.

    11,856,250       29,208,345  

Systex Corp.(c)

    1,944,000       6,954,685  

T3EX Global Holdings Corp.(c)

    1,270,000       3,700,375  

TA Chen Stainless Pipe(c)

    15,476,412       17,587,553  

Ta Ya Electric Wire & Cable(c)

    8,095,958       9,610,709  

Taichung Commercial Bank Co. Ltd.

    30,150,453       15,885,780  

TaiDoc Technology Corp.

    702,000       3,529,526  

Taigen Biopharmaceuticals Holdings Ltd.(a)(c)

    4,032,000       1,929,429  

TaiMed Biologics Inc.(a)(c)

    1,854,000       6,488,320  

Tainan Spinning Co. Ltd.(c)

    11,307,894       5,529,389  

Taishin Financial Holding Co. Ltd.(c)

    102,945,880       56,686,940  

Taiwan Business Bank

    57,461,152       25,459,009  

Taiwan Cement Corp.(c)

    55,227,182       56,147,600  

Taiwan Cogeneration Corp.(c)

    6,532,199       10,254,710  

Taiwan Cooperative Financial Holding Co. Ltd.(c)

    93,686,032       76,976,074  

Taiwan Fertilizer Co. Ltd.(c)

    6,372,000       13,431,694  

Taiwan Glass Industry Corp.(a)(c)

    11,261,053       6,504,026  

Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp.(c)

    15,881,000       15,175,960  

Taiwan Hon Chuan Enterprise Co. Ltd.(c)

    2,680,674       12,336,059  

Taiwan Mask Corp.(c)

    2,306,000       5,081,457  

Taiwan Mobile Co. Ltd.

    14,133,000       44,290,644  
Security   Shares      Value  

 

 
Taiwan (continued)             

Taiwan Paiho Ltd.(c)

    2,874,000      $ 5,267,060  

Taiwan Secom Co. Ltd.(c)

    3,121,185        11,702,658  

Taiwan Semiconductor Co. Ltd.(c)

    2,305,000        5,839,389  

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

    221,643,000         4,857,198,905  

Taiwan Shin Kong Security Co. Ltd.

    6,375,577        8,078,010  

Taiwan Surface Mounting Technology Corp.

    2,511,000        7,801,660  

Taiwan TEA Corp.(a)(c)

    7,997,000        5,259,055  

Taiwan Union Technology Corp.(c)

    2,311,000        11,450,648  

Taiwan-Asia Semiconductor Corp.(c)

    3,673,000        4,884,175  

Tatung Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    14,270,000        23,455,568  

TCI Co. Ltd.(c)

    973,444        4,952,252  

Teco Electric and Machinery Co. Ltd.(c)

    11,234,000        17,505,099  

Test Research Inc.

    1,903,400        4,395,400  

Thinking Electronic Industrial Co. Ltd.(c)

    880,000        4,737,326  

Ton Yi Industrial Corp.(c)

    12,601,000        6,181,237  

Tong Hsing Electronic Industries Ltd.(c)

    1,668,600        7,998,891  

Tong Yang Industry Co. Ltd.

    3,922,400        12,273,497  

Topco Scientific Co. Ltd.

    1,452,342        8,939,332  

TPK Holding Co. Ltd.

    3,494,000        3,868,539  

Transcend Information Inc.

    3,266,000        8,269,366  

Tripod Technology Corp.

    4,010,000        26,438,221  

TSEC Corp.(c)

    5,005,756        4,413,206  

TSRC Corp.(c)

    6,364,900        4,594,877  

TTY Biopharm Co. Ltd.

    2,498,124        6,401,495  

Tung Ho Steel Enterprise Corp.

    5,328,560        13,026,702  

Tung Thih Electronic Co. Ltd.(c)

    745,000        3,132,336  

TXC Corp.

    3,063,000        9,680,686  

U-Ming Marine Transport Corp.(c)

    4,771,000        8,392,021  

Unimicron Technology Corp.(c)

    12,442,000        70,694,599  

Union Bank of Taiwan(c)

    14,191,260        6,376,207  

Uni-President Enterprises Corp.

    42,917,369        104,213,674  

United Integrated Services Co. Ltd.(c)

    1,370,400        12,720,801  

United Microelectronics Corp.(c)

    99,740,000        153,781,959  

United Renewable Energy Co. Ltd.(c)

    12,731,238        4,997,822  

Universal Vision Biotechnology Co.
Ltd.(c)

    612,007        5,837,156  

UPC Technology Corp.

    9,556,365        4,432,513  

UPI Semiconductor Corp.(a)(c)

    440,000        4,377,294  

USI Corp.

    7,869,300        4,536,090  

Vanguard International Semiconductor Corp.(c)

    7,378,000        16,853,881  

VIA Labs Inc.

    314,000        2,661,764  

Via Technologies Inc.(c)

    1,661,000        6,934,854  

Visco Vision Inc.(c)

    364,000        2,996,177  

VisEra Technologies Co. Ltd.(c)

    1,054,000        10,242,066  

Visual Photonics Epitaxy Co. Ltd.

    1,721,000        8,900,254  

Vivotek Inc.(c)

    458,000        2,117,725  

Voltronic Power Technology Corp.

    574,493        29,196,375  

Wafer Works Corp.(c)

    5,252,839        6,620,140  

Waffer Technology Corp.(c)

    1,429,000        4,665,869  

Wah Lee Industrial Corp.(c)

    2,665,580        9,411,225  

Walsin Lihwa Corp.(c)

    26,264,570        30,763,837  

Walsin Technology Corp.(c)

    2,669,597        9,482,336  

Wan Hai Lines Ltd.(c)

    5,833,620        9,293,059  

Win Semiconductors Corp.

    2,680,427        12,897,194  

Winbond Electronics Corp.(c)

    27,643,087        24,439,462  

WinWay Technology Co. Ltd.(c)

    228,000        5,535,757  

Wisdom Marine Lines Co. Ltd.(c)

    4,968,000        9,643,443  

Wistron Corp.(c)

    23,578,004        86,337,133  

Wistron NeWeb Corp.(c)

    3,048,565        14,817,375  

Wiwynn Corp.

    795,000        58,693,116  

Wowprime Corp.(c)

    766,361        5,824,835  

WPG Holdings Ltd.

    13,591,200        39,905,192  

WT Microelectronics Co. Ltd.(c)

    5,070,206        27,537,823  
 

 

 

32  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Taiwan (continued)            

XinTec Inc.(c)

    1,708,000     $ 7,138,224  

XPEC Entertainment Inc.(d)

    31,000        

Xxentria Technology Materials Corp.

    2,553,500       5,818,976  

Yageo Corp.(c)

    2,969,824       52,471,941  

Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp.

    15,259,677       24,074,966  

Yankey Engineering Co. Ltd.(c)

    194,000       2,345,402  

YFY Inc.(c)

    10,547,000       10,095,945  

Yieh Phui Enterprise Co. Ltd.(c)

    11,518,077       5,555,839  

Yuanta Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    87,881,291       76,370,778  

Yulon Finance Corp.(c)

    2,264,002       11,871,486  

Yulon Motor Co. Ltd.(c)

    5,461,276       12,239,328  

YungShin Global Holding Corp.

    3,650,650       5,432,902  

Zhen Ding Technology Holding Ltd.(c)

    5,320,950       16,933,796  

ZillTek Technology Corp.(c)

    132,000       1,972,423  

Zyxel Group Corp.(c)

    1,274,000       1,816,233  
   

 

 

 
       13,103,524,911  
Thailand — 1.8%            

Advanced Info Service PCL, NVDR

    10,714,100       60,109,811  

Airports of Thailand PCL, NVDR(c)

    37,905,200       67,173,707  

Amata Corp. PCL, NVDR

    13,308,630       8,354,171  

AP Thailand PCL, NVDR

    29,406,290       8,616,049  

Asset World Corp. PCL, NVDR(c)

    66,955,600       7,193,763  

B Grimm Power PCL, NVDR(c)

    9,409,700       6,760,566  

Bangchak Corp. PCL, NVDR

    11,172,300       12,940,301  

Bangkok Airways PCL, NVDR(c)

    15,695,300       6,961,204  

Bangkok Chain Hospital PCL, NVDR

    16,389,150       9,642,021  

Bangkok Commercial Asset Management PCL, NVDR

    17,580,500       4,122,556  

Bangkok Dusit Medical Services PCL, NVDR

    95,508,000       75,877,270  

Bangkok Expressway & Metro PCL, NVDR

    69,419,885       15,604,642  

Bangkok Land PCL, NVDR(a)

    183,366,000       3,476,617  

Banpu PCL, NVDR(c)

    69,427,200       10,835,885  

BCPG PCL, NVDR

    18,263,025       3,950,969  

Berli Jucker PCL, NVDR

    495,400       334,844  

Betagro PCL, NVS(c)

    7,446,300       4,612,548  

BTS Group Holdings PCL, NVDR(c)

    76,755,600       11,030,562  

Bumrungrad Hospital PCL, NVDR

    5,385,900       33,604,503  

Carabao Group PCL, NVDR

    3,527,900       6,845,187  

Central Pattana PCL, NVDR

    18,215,700       32,884,508  

Central Plaza Hotel PCL, NVDR(a)(c)

    5,477,200       6,571,742  

Central Retail Corp. PCL, NVDR

    17,703,817       17,184,868  

CH Karnchang PCL, NVDR(c)

    14,856,400       9,643,922  

Charoen Pokphand Foods PCL, NVDR(c)

    31,323,900       16,504,505  

Chularat Hospital PCL, NVDR(c)

    87,950,600       7,217,678  

CK Power PCL, NVDR(c)

    30,214,400       3,321,309  

Com7 PCL, NVDR(c)

    9,896,500       5,730,785  

CP ALL PCL, NVDR

    52,873,900       84,781,205  

CP Axtra PCL, NVDR(c)

    14,680,600       13,632,279  

Delta Electronics Thailand PCL, NVDR(c)

    28,495,900       56,727,211  

Dohome PCL, NVDR(c)

    8,885,900       2,978,212  

Dynasty Ceramic PCL, NVDR(c)

    79,452,320       4,120,488  

Eastern Polymer Group PCL, NVDR(c)

    15,702,700       3,116,965  

Electricity Generating PCL, NVDR(c)

    2,256,700       7,395,132  

Energy Absolute PCL, NVDR(c)

    15,757,900       15,509,558  

GFPT PCL, NVDR(c)

    10,255,700       3,400,202  

Global Power Synergy PCL, NVDR(c)

    6,634,000       9,435,193  

Gulf Energy Development PCL, NVDR

    28,495,844       34,212,002  

Gunkul Engineering PCL, NVDR(c)

    53,727,841       4,105,674  

Hana Microelectronics PCL, NVDR

    5,339,200       5,532,326  

Home Product Center PCL, NVDR(c)

    58,247,775       18,192,470  

Indorama Ventures PCL, NVDR(c)

    14,322,800       9,308,073  

Intouch Holdings PCL, NVDR

    9,060,025       17,120,565  
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Thailand (continued)            

IRPC PCL, NVDR(c)

    106,709,100     $ 5,801,821  

Jasmine International PCL, NVDR

    73,641,800       4,198,720  

Jaymart Group Holdings PCL, NVDR(c)

    7,242,600       2,850,150  

JMT Network Services PCL, NVDR(c)

    6,456,100       4,030,242  

Kasikornbank PCL, NVDR

    5,058,100       17,357,457  

KCE Electronics PCL, NVDR(c)

    6,773,000       7,170,125  

Khon Kaen Sugar Industry PCL, NVDR(c)

    26,009,886       1,798,537  

Kiatnakin Phatra Bank PCL, NVDR(c)

    4,603,400       6,613,612  

Krung Thai Bank PCL, NVDR(c)

    30,741,200       13,796,861  

Krungthai Card PCL, NVDR(c)

    8,242,300       9,828,818  

Land & Houses PCL, NVDR(c)

    63,396,800       13,422,526  

Major Cineplex Group PCL, NVDR(c)

    10,632,700       4,120,857  

MBK PCL, NVDR(c)

    11,934,800       5,501,002  

Mega Lifesciences PCL, NVDR

    5,041,000       5,848,373  

Minor International PCL, NVDR

    31,433,060       27,833,129  

Muangthai Capital PCL, NVDR(c)

    7,514,800       9,616,997  

Ngern Tid Lor PCL, NVDR

    11,637,100       7,310,398  

Origin Property PCL, NVDR(c)

    17,620,800       3,736,241  

Osotspa PCL, NVDR(c)

    12,506,200       7,094,020  

Plan B Media PCL, NVDR

    30,253,488       7,393,068  

Precious Shipping PCL, NVDR(c)

    10,813,600       2,679,252  

Prima Marine PCL, NVDR(c)

    20,268,600       3,703,573  

PSG Corp. PCL, NVS(a)

    90,427,100       1,843,084  

PTG Energy PCL, NVDR(c)

    12,347,400       3,136,944  

PTT Exploration & Production PCL, NVDR

    11,755,801       49,366,617  

PTT Global Chemical PCL, NVDR(c)

    19,346,100       20,475,776  

PTT Oil & Retail Business PCL, NVDR(c)

    24,823,800       12,523,048  

PTT PCL, NVDR

    90,194,600       86,088,866  

Quality Houses PCL, NVDR(c)

    110,750,417       6,670,038  

Ratch Group PCL, NVDR(c)

    8,052,300       6,508,504  

Ratchthani Leasing PCL, NVDR

    39,728,947       2,284,081  

Regional Container Lines PCL, NVDR(c)

    6,279,400       3,899,012  

RS PCL, NVDR

    8,704,090       3,449,436  

Sansiri PCL, NVDR(c)

    139,617,400       7,168,969  

Sappe PCL(c)

    1,716,200       4,137,522  

SCB X PCL, NVDR(c)

    7,325,600       23,009,163  

SCG Packaging PCL, NVDR(c)

    11,233,000       8,771,172  

Siam Cement PCL (The), NVDR

    6,919,500       51,899,907  

Siamgas & Petrochemicals PCL, NVDR(c)

    12,291,700       2,895,995  

Sino-Thai Engineering & Construction PCL, NVDR(c)

    13,631,328       3,838,298  

SISB PCL(c)

    3,557,500       4,125,701  

Sri Trang Agro-Industry PCL, NVDR(c)

    10,182,060       5,479,328  

Sri Trang Gloves Thailand PCL, NVDR(c)

    10,887,200       2,606,645  

Srisawad Corp. PCL, NVDR

    6,959,949       7,400,718  

Supalai PCL, NVDR(c)

    16,134,000       9,446,576  

Super Energy Corp. PCL, NVDR(a)

    146,740,200       1,391,096  

Thai Oil PCL, NVDR

    9,471,100       14,786,844  

Thai Union Group PCL, NVDR

    25,904,500       10,410,008  

Thai Vegetable Oil PCL, NVDR(c)

    8,121,110       4,755,146  

Thanachart Capital PCL, NVDR(c)

    4,786,000       6,638,882  

Thonburi Healthcare Group PCL, NVDR(c)

    3,708,800       4,498,335  

Tisco Financial Group PCL, NVDR

    3,141,700       8,803,593  

TMBThanachart Bank PCL, NVDR

    134,764,900       6,922,242  

TPI Polene PCL, NVDR

    80,091,000       3,104,043  

True Corp. PCL, NVDR(a)

    98,674,456       19,434,752  

TTW PCL, NVDR(c)

    27,610,200       7,237,755  

WHA Corp. PCL, NVDR(c)

    97,793,200       12,546,983  
   

 

 

 
       1,345,934,906  
Turkey — 1.0%            

Ahlatci Dogal Gaz Dagitim Enerji VE Yatirim AS

    3,216,380       1,380,001  

Akbank TAS

    28,635,455       38,123,760  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  33


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Turkey (continued)            

Akcansa Cimento A/S

    88,741     $ 446,099  

Akfen Yenilenebilir Enerji A/S, NVS

    3,064,920       2,677,137  

Aksa Akrilik Kimya Sanayii AS

    1,697,204       5,782,063  

Alarko Holding A/S(c)

    2,277,402       9,653,581  

Alfa Solar Enerji Sanayi VE Ticaret A/S, NVS

    815,118       2,763,908  

Anadolu Anonim Turk Sigorta Sirketi(a)

    1,629,287       3,573,513  

Anadolu Efes Biracilik Ve Malt Sanayii AS

    2,345,778       11,694,527  

Aselsan Elektronik Sanayi Ve Ticaret AS

    13,276,975        25,478,732  

Baticim Bati Anadolu Cimento Sanayii A/S(a)

    562,824       2,057,944  

BIM Birlesik Magazalar AS

    4,273,964       53,044,525  

Bosch Fren Sistemleri Sanayi ve Ticaret A/S, NVS

    41,163       1,693,625  

Can2 Termik AS(a)

    2,792,913       1,615,931  

Cimsa Cimento Sanayi VE Ticaret AS

    3,355,246       3,760,102  

Coca-Cola Icecek A/S

    342,600       7,097,392  

CW Enerji Muhendislik Ticaret VE Sanayi A/S, NVS

    278,760       2,760,243  

Dogan Sirketler Grubu Holding AS

    16,475,922       7,148,192  

Dogus Otomotiv Servis ve Ticaret AS

    551,604       4,720,112  

EGE Endustri VE Ticaret AS

    10,399       5,768,369  

Emlak Konut Gayrimenkul Yatirim Ortakligi AS

    29,398,798       10,448,639  

Enerjisa Enerji AS(b)(c)

    4,332,161       8,655,583  

Enerya Enerji A/S, NVS

    368,309       1,745,345  

Eregli Demir ve Celik Fabrikalari TAS(a)

    13,519,281       19,695,681  

Europower Enerji VE Otomasyon Teknolojileri Sanayi Ticaret A/S, NVS

    594,693       3,315,116  

Ford Otomotiv Sanayi AS

    692,409       22,547,106  

Girisim Elektrik Taahhut Ticaret Ve Sanayi AS(a)

    1,329,866       3,300,021  

Gubre Fabrikalari TAS(a)

    301,197       1,934,589  

Haci Omer Sabanci Holding AS

    8,872,299       22,584,499  

Hektas Ticaret TAS(a)

    10,356,132       6,323,683  

Is Gayrimenkul Yatirim Ortakligi AS(a)

    6,507,060       3,606,526  

Is Yatirim Menkul Degerler AS

    4,828,347       5,737,728  

Izdemir Enerji Elektrik Uretim A/S, NVS

    944,696       961,892  

Kaleseramik Canakkale Kalebodur Seramik Sanayi A/S, NVS

    872,496       2,193,298  

Kardemir Karabuk Demir Celik Sanayi ve Ticaret A/S, Class A(c)

    695,710       501,208  

Kardemir Karabuk Demir Celik Sanayi ve Ticaret A/S, Class D

    9,116,112       7,836,061  

Kayseri Seker Fabrikasi A/S, NVS

    1,083,358       1,238,361  

KOC Holding AS

    7,197,498       38,762,761  

Kontrolmatik Enerji Ve Muhendislik AS, NVS

    816,979       7,507,580  

Konya Cimento Sanayii A/S(a)

    6,077       1,921,011  

Koza Altin Isletmeleri AS

    9,391,131       6,875,568  

Koza Anadolu Metal Madencilik
Isletmeleri AS(a)

    2,631,254       4,295,316  

Mavi Giyim Sanayi Ve Ticaret AS, Class B(b)

    2,163,642       9,830,485  

MIA Teknoloji A/S, NVS

    2,225,595       5,579,754  

Migros Ticaret AS

    1,089,671       17,209,555  

MLP Saglik Hizmetleri AS(a)(b)

    1,179,098       6,455,846  

Nuh Cimento Sanayi AS

    370,458       3,902,492  

ODAS Elektrik Uretim ve Sanayi Ticaret AS(a)

    11,233,412       3,624,449  

Otokar Otomotiv Ve Savunma Sanayi AS(a)

    213,803       3,458,756  

Oyak Cimento Fabrikalari AS(a)

    2,086,701       4,740,452  

Pegasus Hava Tasimaciligi AS(a)

    472,590       12,974,630  

Peker Gayrimenkul Yatirim Ortakligi A/S(a)

    2,473,120       2,605,243  

Petkim Petrokimya Holding AS(a)

    12,751,528       9,867,511  

Sasa Polyester Sanayi AS(a)

    11,420,178       14,465,595  

SDT Uzay VE Savunma Teknolojileri A/S, NVS

    118,208       1,456,226  

Smart Gunes Enerjisi Teknolojileri ArGE Uretim Sanayi ve Ticaret AS, NVS(a)

    1,527,708       3,181,961  
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Turkey (continued)            

Sok Marketler Ticaret AS

    3,606,572     $ 7,735,709  

TAB Gida Sanayi Ve Ticaret A/S, NVS

    485,092       2,140,329  

TAV Havalimanlari Holding AS(a)(c)

    2,667,029       14,901,512  

Tekfen Holding AS

    2,899,292       4,361,262  

Tofas Turk Otomobil Fabrikasi AS

    1,105,905       9,456,127  

Torunlar Gayrimenkul Yatirim Ortakligi A/S

    1,113,597       1,331,991  

Turk Hava Yollari AO(a)

    5,077,914       45,809,592  

Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri AS

    11,510,000       24,673,631  

Turkiye Is Bankasi AS, Class C

    81,288,392       28,826,660  

Turkiye Petrol Rafinerileri AS

    8,795,127       45,564,624  

Turkiye Sigorta A/S

    1,853,320       2,978,937  

Turkiye Sinai Kalkinma Bankasi AS(a)

    16,975,371       4,494,225  

Turkiye Sise ve Cam Fabrikalari AS

    13,276,425       21,732,179  

Ulker Biskuvi Sanayi AS(a)

    2,348,316       7,985,244  

Vestel Elektronik Sanayi ve Ticaret AS(a)(c)

    1,280,252       3,404,413  

Yapi ve Kredi Bankasi AS

    30,939,239       22,832,710  

YEO Teknoloji Enerji VE Endustri A/S, NVS

    311,805       2,424,035  

Zorlu Enerji Elektrik Uretim AS(a)

    20,463,285       3,695,401  
   

 

 

 
       726,928,864  
United Arab Emirates — 1.2%            

Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank PJSC

    27,572,252       64,333,628  

Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank PJSC

    13,614,186       41,662,275  

Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. for
Distribution PJSC

    29,458,910       28,071,764  

Agthia Group PJSC

    3,295,002       4,725,175  

Air Arabia PJSC

    25,263,877       19,687,397  

Ajman Bank PJSC(a)

    12,305,475       6,030,536  

AL Yah Satellite Communications Co-PJSC-Yah Sat

    13,184,704       8,076,773  

Aldar Properties PJSC

    36,562,960       55,049,257  

Amanat Holdings PJSC

    25,230,853       7,006,758  

Americana Restaurants International PLC

    21,594,418       20,166,039  

Aramex PJSC

    6,142,288       4,063,698  

Dana Gas PJSC

    45,490,708       7,827,530  

Dubai Financial Market PJSC

    16,324,625       5,879,723  

Dubai Investments PJSC

    22,876,214       14,574,209  

Dubai Islamic Bank PJSC

    26,763,694       46,926,364  

Emaar Properties PJSC

    60,839,549       134,501,460  

Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corp.

    18,145,805       8,102,240  

Emirates NBD Bank PJSC

    17,678,313       88,079,916  

Emirates Telecommunications Group Co. PJSC

    31,656,919       156,002,732  

First Abu Dhabi Bank PJSC

    40,306,919       149,738,961  

Gulf Navigation Holding PJSC(a)

    3,387,106       5,711,945  

Multiply Group PJSC(a)

    35,863,118       22,179,575  

National Central Cooling Co. PJSC

    2,764,406       2,623,004  

RAK Properties PJSC(a)

    7,415,952       2,685,366  

Taaleem Holdings PJSC, NVS

    3,311,815       3,336,205  
   

 

 

 
      907,042,530  
   

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks — 97.4%
(Cost: $66,677,260,566)

      72,792,053,836  
   

 

 

 

Preferred Stocks

   
Brazil — 1.5%            

Alpargatas SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    2,348,086       4,803,773  

Azul SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    2,687,944       6,537,234  

Banco ABC Brasil SA

   

Preference Shares, NVS

    1,896,464       9,007,164  

Preference Shares, NVS

    62,963       278,648  

Banco Bradesco SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    47,334,250       130,925,939  
 

 

 

34  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Brazil (continued)            

Banco do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul SA, Class B, Preference Shares, NVS

    2,884,353     $ 8,952,861  

Banco Pan SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    3,667,382       6,462,607  

Bradespar SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    2,239,327       9,549,945  

Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA, Class B, Preference Shares, NVS

    2,334,159       22,495,938  

Cia. de Saneamento do Parana, Preference Shares, NVS

    1,793,854       1,901,714  

Cia. Energetica de Minas Gerais, Preference Shares, NVS

    12,477,768       30,045,439  

Cia. Ferro Ligas da Bahia - FERBASA, Preference Shares, NVS

    2,097,848       4,072,385  

Companhia Paranaense de Energia, Preference Shares, NVS

    6,793,113       13,965,846  

Gerdau SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    10,373,703       44,866,250  

Itau Unibanco Holding SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    43,009,811       293,647,882  

Itausa SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    48,959,891       101,443,720  

Marcopolo SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    7,260,176       12,822,986  

Metalurgica Gerdau SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    6,395,413       13,006,704  

Petroleo Brasileiro SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    42,228,986       340,985,194  

Randon SA Implementos e Participacoes, Preference Shares, NVS

    2,959,588       6,554,900  

Unipar Carbocloro SA, Class B, Preference Shares, NVS

    547,992       7,294,287  

Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais SA Usiminas, Class A, Preference
Shares, NVS

    5,442,585       12,119,936  
   

 

 

 
       1,081,741,352  
Chile — 0.1%            

Embotelladora Andina SA, Class B, Preference Shares, NVS

    4,807,792       12,133,198  

Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile SA, Class B, Preference Shares

    1,298,612       64,401,541  
   

 

 

 
      76,534,739  
Colombia — 0.0%            

Bancolombia SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    4,148,344       33,905,446  
   

 

 

 
Russia — 0.0%            

Surgutneftegas PJSC, Preference Shares, NVS(a)(d)

    58,972,077       6,445  
   

 

 

 
South Korea — 0.6%            

Hyundai Motor Co.

   

Preference Shares, NVS

    205,860       24,697,560  

Series 2, Preference Shares, NVS

    319,411       38,635,164  

LG Chem Ltd., Preference Shares, NVS

    73,170       16,542,162  

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Preference Shares, NVS

    7,387,499       353,762,610  
   

 

 

 
      433,637,496  
   

 

 

 

Total Preferred Stocks — 2.2%
(Cost: $1,318,391,230)

      1,625,825,478  
   

 

 

 
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 

Rights

   
China — 0.0%            

Kangmei Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., (Expires 12/31/49)(a)

    535,426     $ 1  
   

 

 

 
India — 0.0%            

South Indian Bank Ltd. (The),
(Expires 03/27/24, Strike Price
IDR 22)(a)

    1,645,077       203,272  
   

 

 

 
South Korea — 0.0%            

Foosung Co. Ltd., (Expires 04/18/24, Strike Price KRW 6870)(a)

    81,272       89,719  

LG Display Co. Ltd., (Expires 03/14/24, Strike Price KRW 10070)(a)

    635,883       625,568  

Taihan Electric Wire Co. Ltd.,
(Expires 03/12/24)(a)

    306,948       378,038  
   

 

 

 
      1,093,325  
   

 

 

 

Total Rights — 0.0%
(Cost: $—)

      1,296,598  
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 99.6%
(Cost: $67,995,651,796)

       74,419,175,912  
   

 

 

 

Short-Term Securities

   
Money Market Funds — 4.2%            

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares, 5.50%(g)(h)(i)

    2,995,710,990       2,997,208,846  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares, 5.30%(g)(h)

    187,320,000       187,320,000  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 4.2%
(Cost: $3,182,975,557)

      3,184,528,846  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments — 103.8%
(Cost: $71,178,627,353)

      77,603,704,758  

Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets — (3.8)%

 

    (2,860,024,171
   

 

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

    $ 74,743,680,587  
   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Non-income producing security.

(b) 

Security exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration to qualified institutional investors.

(c) 

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(d) 

Security is valued using significant unobservable inputs and is classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.

(e) 

Restricted security as to resale, excluding 144A securities. The Fund held restricted securities with a current value of $7,853,021, representing less than 0.05% of its net assets as of period end, and an original cost of $6,224,140.

(f) 

This security may be resold to qualified foreign investors and foreign institutional buyers under Regulation S of the Securities Act of 1933.

(g) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(h) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

(i) 

All or a portion of this security was purchased with the cash collateral from loaned securities.

 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  35


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

 

 

   
  Affiliated Issuer  

Value at

08/31/23

   

Purchases

at Cost

   

Proceeds

from Sale

   

Net Realized

Gain (Loss)

   

Change in

Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

   

Value at

02/29/24

   

Shares

Held at

02/29/24

    Income    

Capital

Gain

Distributions

from

Underlying

Funds

   

 
 

 

   
 

BlackRock Cash Funds: In-stitutional, SL Agency Shares

  $ 3,362,199,335     $     $ (365,557,563 )(a)    $ 216,172     $ 350,902     $ 2,997,208,846       2,995,710,990     $ 36,274,865 (b)    $    
 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares

    74,110,000       113,210,000 (a)                        187,320,000       187,320,000       6,528,718          
         

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

   
          $ 216,172     $ 350,902     $ 3,184,528,846       $ 42,803,583     $    
         

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

  (a) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

 
  (b) 

All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities.

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

 

 
Description  

Number of

Contracts

    

Expiration

Date

    

Notional

Amount

(000)

    

Value/

Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

 

 

 

Long Contracts

          

MSCI Emerging Markets Index

    5,093        03/15/24      $ 258,928      $ 1,411,196  
          

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

 

 
   

Commodity

Contracts

    

Credit

Contracts

    

Equity

Contracts

    

Foreign

Currency

Exchange

Contracts

    

Interest

Rate

Contracts

    

Other

Contracts

     Total  

 

 

Assets — Derivative Financial Instruments

                   

Futures contracts

                   

Unrealized appreciation on futures contracts(a)

  $      $      $ 1,411,196      $      $      $      $ 1,411,196  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

 

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

 

 
   

Commodity

Contracts

    

Credit

Contracts

    

Equity

Contracts

   

Foreign

Currency

Exchange

Contracts

    

Interest

Rate

Contracts

    

Other

Contracts

     Total  

 

 

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                  

Futures contracts

  $      $      $ (2,847,626   $      $      $      $ (2,847,626
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

                  

Futures contracts

  $      $      $ 4,068,433     $      $      $      $ 4,068,433  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

36  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

 

 

Futures contracts:

  

Average notional value of contracts — long

   $ 203,299,140   

 

 

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

 

 
     Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

 

 

Assets

                 

Investments

                 

Long-Term Investments

                 

Common Stocks

   $ 11,924,725,692        $ 60,858,910,709        $ 8,417,435        $ 72,792,053,836  

Preferred Stocks

     1,127,779,996          498,039,037          6,445          1,625,825,478  

Rights

              1,296,598                   1,296,598  

Short-Term Securities

                 

Money Market Funds

     3,184,528,846                            3,184,528,846  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $ 16,237,034,534        $ 61,358,246,344        $   8,423,880        $ 77,603,704,758  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

                 

Assets

                 

Equity Contracts

   $ 1,411,196        $        $        $ 1,411,196  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Derivative financial instruments are futures contracts. Futures contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  37


Schedule of Investments (unaudited)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI BIC ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 

Common Stocks

   
Brazil — 8.0%            

Ambev SA

    94,358     $ 238,785  

Atacadao SA

    14,555       35,399  

B3 SA - Brasil Bolsa Balcao

    118,941       306,977  

Banco Bradesco SA

    28,085       69,491  

Banco BTG Pactual SA

    23,758       173,916  

Banco do Brasil SA

    17,466       203,292  

Banco Santander Brasil SA

    6,191       35,618  

BB Seguridade Participacoes SA

    13,981       93,767  

Caixa Seguridade Participacoes S/A

    6,232       18,015  

CCR SA

    21,648       60,009  

Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA

    24,851       217,461  

Cia. de Saneamento Basico do Estado de Sao Paulo

    6,806       108,379  

Cia. Siderurgica Nacional SA

    13,899       47,028  

Cosan SA

    25,912       88,613  

CPFL Energia SA

    4,633       32,983  

Energisa SA

    5,216       53,345  

Eneva SA(a)

    17,630       45,502  

Engie Brasil Energia SA

    4,180       35,333  

Equatorial Energia SA

    19,661       135,184  

Hapvida Participacoes e Investimentos SA(a)(b)

    102,213       75,460  

Hypera SA

    7,667       50,711  

JBS SA

    13,489       62,573  

Klabin SA

    14,678       66,642  

Localiza Rent a Car SA

    18,605       198,359  

Localiza Rent a Car SA, NVS(a)

    66       672  

Lojas Renner SA

    20,008       63,593  

Magazine Luiza SA(a)

    65,436       28,038  

Magazine Luiza SA, NVS

    6,268       2,686  

Natura & Co. Holding SA(a)

    18,245       59,861  

Petroleo Brasileiro SA

    76,014       630,302  

PRIO SA

    16,564       145,644  

Raia Drogasil SA

    25,787       138,192  

Rede D’Or Sao Luiz SA(b)

    11,839       60,301  

Rumo SA

    27,552       125,924  

Sendas Distribuidora SA

    28,044       80,108  

Suzano SA

    16,400       185,902  

Telefonica Brasil SA

    7,011       76,836  

TIM SA/Brazil

    16,739       61,183  

TOTVS SA

    10,742       66,318  

Ultrapar Participacoes SA

    15,285       90,275  

Vale SA

    69,044       930,429  

Vibra Energia SA

    23,587       122,701  

WEG SA

    34,358       253,585  
   

 

 

 
       5,575,392  
China — 51.8%            

360 Security Technology Inc., Class A(a)

    9,331       11,344  

37 Interactive Entertainment Network Technology Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,100       11,043  

AAC Technologies Holdings Inc.

    20,500       50,966  

Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment Inc., Class A

    867       17,686  

AECC Aviation Power Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,100       19,574  

Agricultural Bank of China Ltd., Class A

    98,400       57,159  

Agricultural Bank of China Ltd., Class H

    574,000       235,481  

Aier Eye Hospital Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    12,612       25,571  

Air China Ltd., Class A(a)

    32,800       33,970  

Akeso Inc.(a)(b)(c)

    12,000       71,957  

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.

    327,920       3,014,791  

Alibaba Health Information Technology Ltd.(a)(c)

    116,000       50,687  

Aluminum Corp. of China Ltd., Class A

    16,400       13,715  

Aluminum Corp. of China Ltd., Class H

    82,000       40,860  
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
China (continued)            

Anhui Conch Cement Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,100     $ 13,610  

Anhui Conch Cement Co. Ltd., Class H

    20,500       44,608  

Anhui Gujing Distillery Co. Ltd., Class A

    600       18,186  

Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Corp. Ltd.(a)

    4,100       8,807  

ANTA Sports Products Ltd.

    25,840       251,915  

Autohome Inc., ADR

    1,517       39,427  

AVIC Industry-Finance Holdings Co. Ltd., Class A

    16,499       7,589  

AviChina Industry & Technology Co. Ltd., Class H

    70,000       28,722  

BAIC BluePark New Energy Technology Co. Ltd.

    8,200       6,770  

Baidu Inc.(a)

    45,106       570,744  

Bank of Beijing Co. Ltd., Class A

    28,790       20,695  

Bank of Changsha Co. Ltd., Class A

    8,200       8,864  

Bank of Chengdu Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,100       7,517  

Bank of China Ltd., Class A

    46,200       28,628  

Bank of China Ltd., Class H

    1,599,000       627,290  

Bank of Communications Co. Ltd., Class A

    53,300       46,317  

Bank of Communications Co. Ltd., Class H

    164,200       107,575  

Bank of Hangzhou Co. Ltd., Class A

    8,299       12,752  

Bank of Jiangsu Co. Ltd., Class A

    24,660       26,219  

Bank of Nanjing Co. Ltd., Class A

    12,300       14,923  

Bank of Ningbo Co. Ltd., Class A

    9,110       28,080  

Bank of Shanghai Co. Ltd., Class A

    28,790       26,084  

Baoshan Iron & Steel Co. Ltd., Class A

    24,600       22,731  

BeiGene Ltd.(a)

    14,086       181,354  

Beijing Dabeinong Technology Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    12,300       8,978  

Beijing Enlight Media Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,100       5,148  

Beijing Enterprises Holdings Ltd.

    8,500       31,975  

Beijing Enterprises Water Group Ltd.

    82,000       19,236  

Beijing Kingsoft Office Software Inc., Class A

    578       21,743  

Beijing New Building Materials PLC, Class A

    3,100       12,070  

Beijing Oriental Yuhong Waterproof Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,100       9,826  

Beijing Tiantan Biological Products Corp. Ltd., Class A

    4,100       16,101  

Beijing Tongrentang Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,100       25,323  

Beijing Yanjing Brewery Co. Ltd., Class A

    12,300       14,952  

Beijing-Shanghai High Speed Railway Co. Ltd., Class A

    57,400       40,219  

Bilibili Inc.(a)(c)

    4,245       41,165  

BOC Aviation Ltd.(b)

    4,100       30,181  

BOC International China Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,100       6,213  

BOE Technology Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    45,100       24,949  

Bosideng International Holdings Ltd.

    82,000       41,244  

Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Ltd.

    52,000       30,269  

BYD Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,700       71,314  

BYD Co. Ltd., Class H

    20,500       504,916  

BYD Electronic International Co. Ltd.

    20,500       77,405  

C&D International Investment Group Ltd.

    13,000       21,137  

Caitong Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    12,520       13,854  

Cambricon Technologies Corp. Ltd.(a)

    1,000       23,405  

CGN Power Co. Ltd.

    24,600       13,177  

CGN Power Co. Ltd., Class H(b)

    205,000       62,255  

Changchun High & New Technology Industry Group Inc., Class A

    710       12,677  

Changjiang Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    16,400       12,512  

Chaozhou Three-Circle Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,100       14,427  

China Baoan Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    8,200       13,528  

China Cinda Asset Management Co. Ltd., Class H

    123,000       11,778  

China CITIC Bank Corp. Ltd., Class H

    164,000       87,197  

China Coal Energy Co. Ltd., Class H

    41,000       44,154  

China Communications Services Corp. Ltd.,
Class H

    82,800       35,172  

China Construction Bank Corp., Class A

    8,200       7,957  

China Construction Bank Corp., Class H

    1,927,370        1,195,270  
 

 

 

38  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI BIC ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
China (continued)            

China CSSC Holdings Ltd., Class A

    7,100     $ 34,991  

China Eastern Airlines Corp. Ltd., Class A(a)

    32,921       17,379  

China Energy Engineering Corp. Ltd.

    20,500       6,194  

China Everbright Bank Co. Ltd., Class A

    65,600       29,284  

China Everbright Bank Co. Ltd., Class H

    41,000       12,819  

China Feihe Ltd.(b)

    84,000       41,781  

China Galaxy Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    8,200       13,825  

China Galaxy Securities Co. Ltd., Class H

    82,000       43,086  

China Gas Holdings Ltd.

    58,600       53,630  

China Greatwall Technology Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,000       8,636  

China Hongqiao Group Ltd.

    41,000       31,729  

China International Capital Corp. Ltd., Class A

    4,100       19,880  

China International Capital Corp. Ltd., Class H(b)

    32,800       41,117  

China Jushi Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,473       8,986  

China Life Insurance Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,193       17,599  

China Life Insurance Co. Ltd., Class H

    164,000        201,029  

China Literature Ltd.(a)(b)

    8,200       25,139  

China Longyuan Power Group Corp. Ltd., Class H

    82,000       57,786  

China Medical System Holdings Ltd.

    41,000       67,399  

China Mengniu Dairy Co. Ltd.

    66,000       165,023  

China Merchants Bank Co. Ltd., Class A

    22,900       101,409  

China Merchants Bank Co. Ltd., Class H

    82,456       318,859  

China Merchants Energy Shipping Co. Ltd., Class A

    12,300       12,289  

China Merchants Port Holdings Co. Ltd.

    28,000       34,755  

China Merchants Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    14,550       28,468  

China Merchants Shekou Industrial Zone Holdings Co. Ltd., Class A

    9,381       12,240  

China Minsheng Banking Corp. Ltd., Class A

    41,000       22,971  

China Minsheng Banking Corp. Ltd., Class H

    123,000       43,289  

China National Building Material Co. Ltd., Class H

    82,000       30,841  

China National Chemical Engineering Co. Ltd., Class A

    9,200       8,904  

China National Nuclear Power Co. Ltd., Class A

    20,500       24,678  

China Northern Rare Earth Group High-Tech Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,100       10,723  

China Oilfield Services Ltd., Class H

    44,000       38,720  

China Overseas Land & Investment Ltd.

    82,300       121,542  

China Pacific Insurance Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    10,100       35,765  

China Pacific Insurance Group Co. Ltd., Class H

    49,200       93,325  

China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., Class A

    38,700       33,489  

China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., Class H

    492,600       271,400  

China Power International Development Ltd.

    123,000       49,684  

China Railway Group Ltd., Class A

    24,600       21,640  

China Railway Group Ltd., Class H

    82,000       39,941  

China Renewable Energy Investment Ltd.(d)

    7,709        

China Resources Beer Holdings Co. Ltd.

    32,000       137,887  

China Resources Gas Group Ltd.

    20,500       61,863  

China Resources Land Ltd.

    64,444       196,835  

China Resources Microelectronics Ltd.

    1,600       9,497  

China Resources Mixc Lifestyle Services Ltd.(b)

    16,400       49,427  

China Resources Pharmaceutical Group Ltd.(b)

    41,000       27,730  

China Resources Power Holdings Co. Ltd.

    46,200       99,453  

China Ruyi Holdings Ltd.(a)(c)

    164,000       32,192  

China Shenhua Energy Co. Ltd., Class A

    9,500       50,755  

China Shenhua Energy Co. Ltd., Class H

    62,000       238,557  

China Southern Airlines Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    20,500       16,809  

China State Construction Engineering Corp. Ltd., Class A

    49,200       36,462  

China State Construction International Holdings Ltd.

    40,000       44,572  

China Taiping Insurance Holdings Co. Ltd.

    24,640       21,408  

China Three Gorges Renewables Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    49,200       31,521  

China Tourism Group Duty Free Corp. Ltd., Class A

    4,000       48,168  
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
China (continued)            

China Tower Corp. Ltd., Class H(b)

    820,000     $ 99,391  

China United Network Communications Ltd., Class A

    45,000       29,943  

China Vanke Co. Ltd., Class A

    12,338       17,142  

China Vanke Co. Ltd., Class H

    41,001       31,611  

China Yangtze Power Co. Ltd., Class A

    28,756       99,958  

China Zheshang Bank Co. Ltd., Class A

    33,540       12,927  

Chongqing Changan Automobile Co. Ltd., Class A

    11,152       23,004  

Chongqing Zhifei Biological Products Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,150       15,942  

Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Ltd.

    41,000       61,093  

CITIC Ltd.

    123,000        123,734  

CITIC Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    12,475       36,808  

CITIC Securities Co. Ltd., Class H

    41,050       75,879  

CMOC Group Ltd., Class A

    20,500       17,449  

CMOC Group Ltd., Class H

    69,000       42,567  

CNPC Capital Co. Ltd., NVS

    12,300       10,561  

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    5,240       118,515  

COSCO Shipping Energy Transportation Co. Ltd., Class A

    16,400       31,279  

COSCO Shipping Holdings Co. Ltd., Class A

    16,570       24,143  

COSCO Shipping Holdings Co. Ltd., Class H

    61,849       66,583  

Country Garden Holdings Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    252,046       20,482  

Country Garden Services Holdings Co. Ltd.(c)

    43,000       32,731  

CRRC Corp. Ltd., Class A

    37,000       32,742  

CRRC Corp. Ltd., Class H

    73,000       37,584  

CSC Financial Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,900       22,253  

CSPC Innovation Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

    2,957       13,934  

CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Ltd.

    168,160       130,971  

Daqin Railway Co. Ltd., Class A

    28,700       29,710  

Dongfang Electric Corp. Ltd., Class A

    4,100       9,302  

Dongxing Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    8,299       9,764  

East Buy Holding Ltd.(a)(b)(c)

    8,500       26,201  

East Money Information Co. Ltd., Class A

    16,488       32,028  

Eastroc Beverage Group Co. Ltd.

    700       17,367  

ENN Energy Holdings Ltd.

    17,100       138,849  

ENN Natural Gas Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,100       10,647  

Eve Energy Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,800       20,163  

Everbright Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,197       14,520  

Everdisplay Optronics Shanghai Co. Ltd.(a)

    16,400       5,439  

Fangda Carbon New Material Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    20,540       14,023  

Far East Horizon Ltd.

    41,000       32,938  

First Capital Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    12,700       10,083  

Flat Glass Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,100       12,391  

Focus Media Information Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    22,439       19,564  

Foshan Haitian Flavouring & Food Co. Ltd., Class A

    5,741       32,266  

Fosun International Ltd.

    41,000       23,654  

Founder Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    7,800       8,246  

Foxconn Industrial Internet Co. Ltd., Class A

    16,400       42,528  

Fujian Sunner Development Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,100       9,246  

Fuyao Glass Industry Group Co. Ltd., Class H(b)

    16,400       82,204  

Ganfeng Lithium Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,100       22,736  

Ganfeng Lithium Group Co. Ltd., Class H(b)

    8,200       27,165  

GCL Technology Holdings Ltd.

    451,000       62,734  

GD Power Development Co. Ltd., Class A

    27,300       17,729  

Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd.

    123,000       133,857  

GEM Co. Ltd., Class A

    20,599       15,309  

Genscript Biotech Corp.(a)(c)

    26,000       52,563  

GF Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    8,200       16,110  

GF Securities Co. Ltd., Class H

    16,400       17,609  

Giant Biogene Holding Co. Ltd.(a)(b)

    8,200       37,494  

GigaDevice Semiconductor Inc., Class A

    2,400       24,386  

GoerTek Inc., Class A

    4,100       9,474  

Goldwind Science & Technology Co Ltd., Class A

    9,653       10,226  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  39


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI BIC ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
China (continued)            

Great Wall Motor Co. Ltd.

    4,100     $ 13,293  

Great Wall Motor Co. Ltd., Class H

    41,000       46,275  

Gree Electric Appliances Inc. of Zhuhai, Class A

    4,100       22,188  

Greenland Holdings Corp. Ltd., Class A(a)

    12,300       3,755  

Guangdong Investment Ltd.

    82,000       48,660  

Guanghui Energy Co. Ltd., Class A

    8,000       8,313  

Guangzhou Automobile Group Co. Ltd., Class H

    82,235       35,583  

Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    8,200       11,527  

Guangzhou Baiyunshan Pharmaceutical Holdings Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,100       16,837  

Guangzhou Tinci Materials Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,000       8,588  

Guolian Securities Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    4,100       6,241  

Guosen Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    8,200       9,798  

Guotai Junan Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,600       5,439  

Guoyuan Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    12,320       11,911  

H World Group Ltd., ADR

    4,100       149,896  

Haidilao International Holding Ltd.(b)

    32,000       58,194  

Haier Smart Home Co. Ltd., Class A

    8,279       27,577  

Haier Smart Home Co. Ltd., Class H

    49,200       149,009  

Hainan Airport Infrastructure Co. Ltd., NVS(a)

    8,200       4,267  

Haitian International Holdings Ltd.

    16,000       40,513  

Haitong Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    12,300       15,581  

Haitong Securities Co. Ltd., Class H

    49,200       24,422  

Hangzhou First Applied Material Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,100       11,951  

Hangzhou Tigermed Consulting Co. Ltd., Class A

    100       624  

Hansoh Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd.(b)

    24,000       42,302  

Henan Shenhuo Coal & Power Co. Ltd.

    4,100       10,514  

Henan Shuanghui Investment & Development Co. Ltd., Class A

    8,200       33,195  

Hengan International Group Co. Ltd.

    14,000       43,151  

Hengli Petrochemical Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    8,200       14,486  

Hengyi Petrochemical Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    4,130       3,958  

Hesteel Co. Ltd., Class A

    28,700       8,671  

Hisense Visual Technology Co. Ltd.

    4,100       14,735  

Hithink RoyalFlush Information Network Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,200       22,770  

Huadian Power International Corp. Ltd., Class A

    12,300       10,565  

Huadong Medicine Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,900       13,504  

Hualan Biological Engineering Inc., Class A

    1,950       5,329  

Huaneng Power International Inc., Class A(a)

    12,300       15,049  

Huaneng Power International Inc., Class H(a)

    82,000       45,991  

Huatai Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    10,100       20,339  

Huatai Securities Co. Ltd., Class H(b)

    16,400       19,357  

Huaxia Bank Co. Ltd., Class A

    20,500       18,025  

Huayu Automotive Systems Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,199       10,160  

Hubei Jumpcan Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,100       21,051  

Huizhou Desay Sv Automotive Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,700       24,114  

Hunan Valin Steel Co. Ltd., Class A

    12,300       9,690  

Hundsun Technologies Inc., Class A

    3,100       10,483  

Hygeia Healthcare Holdings Co. Ltd.(b)(c)

    8,200       30,781  

Hygon Information Technology Co. Ltd., NVS

    2,729       32,213  

IEIT Systems Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,983       10,289  

Iflytek Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,129       21,470  

Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd., Class A

    73,800       54,538  

Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd.,
Class H

    1,312,050        672,573  

Industrial Bank Co. Ltd., Class A

    24,600       56,749  

Industrial Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    12,300       9,907  

Inner Mongolia BaoTou Steel Union Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    77,900       16,644  

Inner Mongolia Dian Tou Energy Corp. Ltd.

    4,100       9,439  
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
China (continued)            

Inner Mongolia Junzheng Energy & Chemical Industry Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    32,800     $ 17,686  

Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co. Ltd.,
Class A

    8,200       32,193  

Inner Mongolia Yitai Coal Co. Ltd., Class B

    24,600       49,413  

Innovent Biologics Inc.(a)(b)

    20,500       110,550  

iQIYI Inc., ADR(a)

    9,245       34,114  

JA Solar Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,700       12,208  

JCET Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,400       8,711  

JD Health International Inc.(a)(b)(c)

    22,550       85,049  

JD Logistics Inc.(a)(b)

    36,900       36,435  

JD.com Inc.

    47,170       532,355  

Jiangsu Eastern Shenghong Co. Ltd., Class A

    8,200       11,936  

Jiangsu Expressway Co. Ltd., Class H

    38,000       39,033  

Jiangsu Hengli Hydraulic Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,700       21,258  

Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., Class A

    8,368       49,384  

Jiangsu King’s Luck Brewery JSC Ltd., Class A

    2,200       16,336  

Jiangsu Yanghe Brewery Joint-Stock Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,900       26,512  

Jiangsu Zhongtian Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,100       7,435  

Jiangxi Copper Co. Ltd., Class A

    12,300       33,344  

Jinduicheng Molybdenum Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,100       5,732  

Jinko Solar Co. Ltd.

    8,200       10,055  

Juneyao Airlines Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    4,100       7,584  

Kanzhun Ltd., ADR

    4,100       64,165  

KE Holdings Inc., ADR

    13,653       185,544  

Kingboard Holdings Ltd.

    20,500       40,210  

Kingdee International Software Group Co. Ltd.(a)

    53,000       56,990  

Kingsoft Corp. Ltd.

    16,600       46,125  

Kuaishou Technology(a)(b)

    49,200       277,828  

Kunlun Energy Co. Ltd.

    82,000       69,906  

Kweichow Moutai Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,600       375,342  

LB Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    5,300       13,791  

Legend Biotech Corp., ADR(a)

    1,312       85,490  

Lenovo Group Ltd.

    164,000       181,176  

Lens Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    9,000       15,101  

Lepu Medical Technology Beijing Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,100       8,585  

Li Auto Inc.(a)

    23,318       532,162  

Li Ning Co. Ltd.

    53,500       132,365  

Lingyi iTech Guangdong Co., Class A

    11,600       8,830  

Livzon Pharmaceutical Group Inc., Class A

    4,100       21,898  

Longfor Group Holdings Ltd.(b)

    41,000       51,353  

LONGi Green Energy Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    9,848       28,991  

Luxshare Precision Industry Co. Ltd., Class A

    8,702       33,299  

Luzhou Laojiao Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,600       38,797  

Mango Excellent Media Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,200       10,988  

Maxscend Microelectronics Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,400       20,875  

Meinian Onehealth Healthcare Holdings Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    8,453       6,522  

Meituan, Class B(a)(b)

    103,960        1,055,419  

Metallurgical Corp. of China Ltd., Class A

    32,800       15,137  

Midea Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,100       35,633  

MINISO Group Holding Ltd.

    9,020       41,457  

Montage Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,600       26,104  

Muyuan Foods Co. Ltd., Class A

    8,678       46,233  

Nanjing King-Friend Biochemical Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,145       8,239  

NARI Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    13,088       42,059  

NAURA Technology Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,200       47,292  

NetEase Inc.

    39,275       853,154  

New China Life Insurance Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,100       18,617  

New China Life Insurance Co. Ltd., Class H

    12,300       23,629  

New Hope Liuhe Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    12,300       15,091  

New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc.(a)

    28,730       270,013  
 

 

 

40  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI BIC ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
China (continued)            

Ninestar Corp., Class A

    2,500     $ 8,129  

Ningbo Sanxing Medical Electric Co. Ltd.

    4,100       15,384  

Ningbo Shanshan Co. Ltd.

    4,100       6,507  

Ningbo Tuopu Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,500       28,428  

Ningxia Baofeng Energy Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    13,000       27,484  

NIO Inc., ADR(a)(c)

    28,413       163,375  

Nongfu Spring Co. Ltd., Class H(b)

    41,000       231,847  

Offshore Oil Engineering Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,124       3,537  

Orient Overseas International Ltd.

    2,500       38,713  

Orient Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    12,688       15,489  

Pangang Group Vanadium Titanium & Resources Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    20,500       9,054  

PDD Holdings Inc., ADR(a)

    12,095        1,506,311  

People’s Insurance Co. Group of China Ltd. (The), Class A

    12,300       8,941  

People’s Insurance Co. Group of China Ltd. (The), Class H

    164,000       54,629  

Perfect World Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,150       6,729  

PetroChina Co. Ltd., Class A

    24,600       30,113  

PetroChina Co. Ltd., Class H

    420,000       329,411  

PICC Property & Casualty Co. Ltd., Class H

    140,322       191,837  

Ping An Bank Co. Ltd., Class A

    20,500       30,057  

Ping An Insurance Group Co. of China Ltd., Class A

    13,100       77,700  

Ping An Insurance Group Co. of China Ltd.,
Class H

    138,500       615,933  

Poly Developments and Holdings Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    12,300       16,624  

Pop Mart International Group Ltd.(b)

    8,200       20,442  

Postal Savings Bank of China Co. Ltd., Class A

    36,900       24,785  

Postal Savings Bank of China Co. Ltd., Class H(b)

    164,000       86,161  

Power Construction Corp. of China Ltd., Class A

    24,600       17,419  

Qifu Technology Inc.

    2,574       39,768  

Qinghai Salt Lake Industry Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    8,200       18,369  

Rongsheng Petrochemical Co. Ltd., Class A

    13,950       19,835  

SAIC Motor Corp. Ltd., Class A

    12,300       25,496  

Sailun Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,100       8,193  

Sanan Optoelectronics Co. Ltd., Class A

    8,200       14,143  

Sany Heavy Equipment International Holdings Co. Ltd.

    41,000       31,704  

Sany Heavy Industry Co. Ltd., Class A

    12,353       23,833  

Satellite Chemical Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    4,100       9,439  

SDIC Power Holdings Co. Ltd., Class A

    8,200       16,397  

Seres Group Co. Ltd., NVS(a)

    2,700       34,433  

SF Holding Co. Ltd., Class A

    8,200       43,485  

Shaanxi Coal Industry Co. Ltd., Class A

    11,505       41,138  

Shandong Gold Mining Co. Ltd., Class A

    7,180       21,548  

Shandong Gold Mining Co. Ltd., Class H(b)

    10,250       16,196  

Shandong Hualu Hengsheng Chemical Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,040       7,770  

Shandong Nanshan Aluminum Co. Ltd., Class A

    45,100       19,392  

Shandong Weigao Group Medical Polymer Co. Ltd., Class H

    49,200       31,985  

Shanghai Baosight Software Co. Ltd., Class B

    16,480       37,028  

Shanghai Construction Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    12,300       4,177  

Shanghai Electric Group Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    41,000       24,099  

Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    8,600       29,288  

Shanghai Pharmaceuticals Holding Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,100       10,300  

Shanghai Pharmaceuticals Holding Co. Ltd.,
Class H

    16,400       26,373  

Shanghai Pudong Development Bank Co. Ltd., Class A

    36,900       36,561  

Shanghai Putailai New Energy Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,100       10,671  

Shanghai RAAS Blood Products Co. Ltd., Class A

    16,800       16,759  

Shanghai Rural Commercial Bank Co. Ltd.

    24,600       22,018  
Security   Shares     Value  
China (continued)            

Shanghai United Imaging Healthcare Co. Ltd., NVS

    1,215     $ 24,012  

Shanghai Yuyuan Tourist Mart Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    8,200       7,512  

Shanxi Coal International Energy Group Co. Ltd.

    4,100       10,463  

Shanxi Coking Coal Energy Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    8,200       13,241  

Shanxi Lu’an Environmental Energy Development Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,652       13,090  

Shanxi Meijin Energy Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    8,200       7,807  

Shanxi Taigang Stainless Steel Co. Ltd., Class A

    12,300       6,466  

Shanxi Xinghuacun Fen Wine Factory Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,360       43,785  

Shengyi Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    5,200       12,357  

Shenwan Hongyuan Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    38,994       24,758  

Shenzhen Energy Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    5,520       5,044  

Shenzhen Inovance Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,997       26,245  

Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,600       63,975  

Shenzhen New Industries Biomedical Engineering Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,800       31,431  

Shenzhen Overseas Chinese Town Co. Ltd.,
Class A(a)

    12,300       5,230  

Shenzhen Transsion Holding Co. Ltd., Class A

    927       20,433  

Shenzhou International Group Holdings Ltd.

    16,400       134,521  

Shijiazhuang Yiling Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,500       7,437  

Sichuan Changhong Electric Co. Ltd.

    8,200       5,849  

Sichuan Chuantou Energy Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,105       8,920  

Sichuan Road & Bridge Co. Ltd., Class A

    13,688       15,489  

Sino Biopharmaceutical Ltd.

    181,000       71,940  

Sinopharm Group Co. Ltd., Class H

    32,800       91,789  

Sinotruk Hong Kong Ltd.

    20,500       54,199  

Smoore International Holdings Ltd.(b)

    41,000       28,502  

Songcheng Performance Development Co. Ltd., Class A

    8,380       12,533  

SooChow Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    8,252       8,347  

Sungrow Power Supply Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,900       35,012  

Sunny Optical Technology Group Co. Ltd.

    12,400       79,805  

Sunwoda Electronic Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,000       7,877  

TAL Education Group, ADR(a)

    9,102       134,072  

TBEA Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,560       13,542  

TCL Technology Group Corp., Class A(a)

    18,650       11,702  

TCL Zhonghuan Renewable Energy Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,150       4,029  

Tencent Holdings Ltd.

    133,800        4,687,096  

Tencent Music Entertainment Group, ADR(a)

    14,924       156,254  

Tianma Microelectronics Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    3,600       4,570  

Tianqi Lithium Corp., Class A

    3,600       26,725  

Tianshui Huatian Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,600       7,484  

Tingyi Cayman Islands Holding Corp.

    46,000       51,155  

Tongcheng Travel Holdings Ltd.(a)

    16,400       41,229  

TongFu Microelectronics Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,800       8,623  

Tongling Nonferrous Metals Group Co. Ltd.,
Class A

    28,700       13,031  

Tongwei Co. Ltd., Class A

    5,795       21,272  

Topsports International Holdings Ltd.(b)

    41,000       27,745  

TravelSky Technology Ltd., Class H

    18,000       21,518  

Trina Solar Co. Ltd.

    3,100       10,775  

Trip.com Group Ltd.(a)

    11,100       503,832  

Tsingtao Brewery Co. Ltd., Class H

    12,000       76,785  

Unigroup Guoxin Microelectronics Co. Ltd.,
Class A(a)

    1,100       10,899  

Unisplendour Corp. Ltd., Class A(a)

    4,380       13,424  

Vipshop Holdings Ltd., ADR(a)

    7,216       138,908  

Walvax Biotechnology Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,100       10,454  

Wanhua Chemical Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,300       36,302  

Want Want China Holdings Ltd.

    82,000       45,244  

Weichai Power Co. Ltd., Class A

    7,200       16,870  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  41


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI BIC ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
China (continued)            

Weichai Power Co. Ltd., Class H

    41,100     $ 80,900  

Wens Foodstuffs Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    10,240       27,254  

Western Mining Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,056       9,371  

Western Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    12,300       13,600  

Will Semiconductor Co. Ltd. Shanghai, Class A

    1,475       19,582  

Wingtech Technology Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    2,300       12,163  

Wuhan Guide Infrared Co. Ltd., Class A

    12,924       11,294  

Wuliangye Yibin Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,400       86,567  

WUS Printed Circuit Kunshan Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,160       11,583  

WuXi AppTec Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,128       31,110  

WuXi AppTec Co. Ltd., Class H(b)(c)

    8,287       51,085  

Wuxi Biologics Cayman Inc.(a)(b)

    82,000       194,226  

XCMG Construction Machinery Co. Ltd.,
Class A

    19,000       15,624  

Xiamen C & D Inc., Class A

    4,100       5,905  

Xiaomi Corp., Class B(a)(b)

    311,600       523,620  

Xinyi Solar Holdings Ltd.

    124,000       75,088  

XPeng Inc.(a)(c)

    22,826       106,832  

Yadea Group Holdings Ltd.(b)

    28,000       43,990  

Yankuang Energy Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    8,200       29,448  

Yankuang Energy Group Co. Ltd., Class H(a)

    43,000       99,160  

Yifeng Pharmacy Chain Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,100       22,405  

Yonyou Network Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    530       932  

Youngor Fashion Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,100       4,183  

Yuexiu Property Co. Ltd.

    41,400       27,532  

Yum China Holdings Inc.

    8,487       364,007  

Yunda Holding Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,230       6,225  

Yunnan Aluminium Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,075       6,532  

Yunnan Baiyao Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,108       28,361  

Yunnan Energy New Material Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,700       10,815  

Yunnan Yuntianhua Co. Ltd.

    4,100       10,377  

Yutong Bus Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,100       10,622  

Zai Lab Ltd.(a)

    21,050       44,924  

Zangge Mining Co. Ltd.

    4,100       16,664  

Zhangzhou Pientzehuang Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Class A

    900       27,812  

Zhaojin Mining Industry Co. Ltd., Class H(c)

    41,000       42,393  

Zhejiang Century Huatong Group Co. Ltd.,
Class A(a)

    4,100       2,782  

Zhejiang Chint Electrics Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,100       11,690  

Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,100       10,508  

Zhejiang Jingsheng Mechanical & Electrical Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,300       11,803  

Zhejiang Juhua Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,100       11,573  

Zhejiang Leapmotor Technology Co. Ltd.(a)(b)

    9,200       32,187  

Zhejiang NHU Co. Ltd., Class A

    8,243       20,575  

Zheshang Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    5,100       7,244  

ZhongAn Online P&C Insurance Co. Ltd.,
Class H(a)(b)

    12,300       19,369  

Zhongji Innolight Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,600       34,462  

Zhongsheng Group Holdings Ltd.

    20,500       37,323  

Zhongtai Securities Co. Ltd.

    16,400       15,798  

Zhuzhou CRRC Times Electric Co. Ltd.

    12,300       36,063  

Zijin Mining Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    24,600       44,580  

Zijin Mining Group Co. Ltd., Class H

    119,000       191,152  

Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science and Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    11,300       12,537  

ZTE Corp., Class A

    4,100       16,964  

ZTE Corp., Class H

    16,448       37,049  

ZTO Express Cayman Inc., ADR

    8,856       169,947  
   

 

 

 
       36,026,124  
India — 36.8%  

ABB India Ltd.

    1,107       72,567  

Adani Enterprises Ltd.

    3,522       139,500  

Adani Green Energy Ltd.(a)

    6,478       148,055  
Security   Shares     Value  
India (continued)            

Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone Ltd.

    10,865     $ 172,491  

Adani Power Ltd.(a)

    15,990       105,824  

Ambuja Cements Ltd.

    12,218       89,232  

APL Apollo Tubes Ltd.

    2,961       55,148  

Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd.

    2,050       150,920  

Ashok Leyland Ltd.

    28,700       58,785  

Asian Paints Ltd.

    7,749       264,307  

Astral Ltd.

    2,460       61,388  

AU Small Finance Bank Ltd.(b)

    3,454       23,677  

Aurobindo Pharma Ltd.

    5,658       70,140  

Avenue Supermarts Ltd.(a)(b)

    3,362       158,771  

Axis Bank Ltd.

    46,737       605,012  

Bajaj Auto Ltd.

    1,394       132,861  

Bajaj Finance Ltd.

    5,576       435,026  

Bajaj Finserv Ltd.

    7,958       152,752  

Bajaj Holdings & Investment Ltd.

    574       63,318  

Balkrishna Industries Ltd.

    1,665       44,722  

Bandhan Bank Ltd.(b)

    15,558       36,638  

Bank of Baroda

    22,140       70,837  

Berger Paints India Ltd.

    6,397       46,808  

Bharat Electronics Ltd.

    75,236       185,840  

Bharat Forge Ltd.

    5,359       74,309  

Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd.

    22,127       60,724  

Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd.

    15,252       110,842  

Bharti Airtel Ltd.

    45,510       616,160  

Britannia Industries Ltd.

    2,173       130,225  

CG Power and Industrial Solutions Ltd.

    13,325       71,206  

Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Co. Ltd.

    8,938       117,090  

Cipla Ltd.

    10,496       187,444  

Coal India Ltd.

    32,513       170,736  

Colgate-Palmolive India Ltd.

    2,573       78,248  

Container Corp. of India Ltd.

    5,822       68,587  

Cummins India Ltd.

    2,419       79,924  

Dabur India Ltd.

    12,177       79,075  

Divi’s Laboratories Ltd.

    2,501       105,200  

DLF Ltd.

    14,031       152,428  

Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd.

    2,173       168,494  

Eicher Motors Ltd.

    2,788       127,403  

GAIL India Ltd.

    45,958       100,850  

GMR Airports Infrastructure Ltd.(a)

    46,658       47,268  

Godrej Consumer Products Ltd.

    8,118       122,907  

Godrej Properties Ltd.(a)

    2,911       84,206  

Grasim Industries Ltd.

    5,658       149,342  

Havells India Ltd.

    5,125       94,558  

HCL Technologies Ltd.

    19,106       382,887  

HDFC Asset Management Co. Ltd.(b)

    1,681       76,077  

HDFC Bank Ltd.

    57,020       963,008  

HDFC Life Insurance Co. Ltd.(b)

    20,336       142,755  

Hero MotoCorp Ltd.

    2,355       125,506  

Hindalco Industries Ltd.

    25,707       155,937  

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd., NVS

    3,854       143,092  

Hindustan Petroleum Corp. Ltd.

    11,808       72,591  

Hindustan Unilever Ltd.

    16,523       480,733  

ICICI Bank Ltd.

    105,520        1,340,184  

ICICI Lombard General Insurance Co. Ltd.(b)

    4,841       100,011  

ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Co. Ltd.(b)

    7,545       48,491  

IDFC First Bank Ltd.(a)

    63,394       61,937  

Indian Hotels Co. Ltd., Class A

    17,653       124,948  

Indian Oil Corp. Ltd.

    55,063       109,806  

Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corp. Ltd.

    4,860       54,342  

Indraprastha Gas Ltd.

    6,929       35,562  

IndusInd Bank Ltd.

    4,665       82,868  
 

 

 

42  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI BIC ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
India (continued)            

Info Edge India Ltd.

    1,558     $ 98,835  

Infosys Ltd.

    67,240       1,353,171  

InterGlobe Aviation Ltd.(a)(b)

    2,870       108,980  

ITC Ltd.

    61,090       298,977  

Jindal Steel & Power Ltd.

    7,913       73,824  

Jio Financial Services Ltd., NVS(a)

    57,778       215,697  

JSW Steel Ltd.

    12,792       123,329  

Jubilant Foodworks Ltd.

    8,077       45,179  

Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd.

    22,427       456,277  

Larsen & Toubro Ltd.

    13,719       575,187  

LTIMindtree Ltd.(b)

    1,830       117,005  

Lupin Ltd.

    4,100       80,199  

Macrotech Developers Ltd.

    4,822       67,566  

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.

    19,193       446,904  

Marico Ltd.

    9,594       60,447  

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd.

    2,747       373,852  

Max Healthcare Institute Ltd.

    16,113       154,212  

Mphasis Ltd.

    1,599       50,444  

MRF Ltd.

    41       72,280  

Muthoot Finance Ltd.

    3,075       48,233  

Nestle India Ltd., NVS

    6,560       205,443  

NMDC Ltd.

    18,532       50,489  

NTPC Ltd.

    85,977       347,421  

Oil & Natural Gas Corp. Ltd.

    62,115       197,612  

One 97 Communications Ltd., NVS(a)

    5,183       25,087  

Page Industries Ltd.

    123       50,894  

Persistent Systems Ltd.

    950       98,860  

Petronet LNG Ltd.

    16,113       53,052  

PI Industries Ltd.

    1,804       79,907  

Pidilite Industries Ltd.

    3,321       109,651  

Polycab India Ltd.

    823       47,114  

Power Finance Corp. Ltd.

    30,465       147,381  

Power Grid Corp. of India Ltd.

    89,161       304,616  

Punjab National Bank

    41,615       61,156  

REC Ltd.

    25,420       135,360  

Reliance Industries Ltd.

    61,787        2,174,609  

Samvardhana Motherson International Ltd.

    48,093       69,094  

SBI Cards & Payment Services Ltd.

    5,494       47,663  

SBI Life Insurance Co. Ltd.(b)

    9,266       173,135  

Shree Cement Ltd.

    205       62,913  

Shriram Finance Ltd.

    5,822       171,023  

Siemens Ltd.

    1,804       101,712  

Sona Blw Precision Forgings Ltd.(b)

    9,143       75,942  

SRF Ltd.

    3,116       89,828  

State Bank of India

    36,777       331,169  

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

    19,352       367,901  

Supreme Industries Ltd.

    1,230       61,515  

Suzlon Energy Ltd.(a)

    173,588       94,574  

Tata Communications Ltd.

    1,895       43,885  

Tata Consultancy Services Ltd.

    18,409       908,136  

Tata Consumer Products Ltd.

    11,585       166,139  

Tata Elxsi Ltd.

    738       69,494  

Tata Motors Ltd.

    34,227       391,869  

Tata Motors Ltd., Class A

    7,351       55,974  

Tata Power Co. Ltd. (The)

    29,192       130,922  

Tata Steel Ltd.

    149,691       253,752  

Tech Mahindra Ltd.

    11,070       170,115  

Titan Co. Ltd.

    7,257       317,142  

Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

    2,091       67,369  

Trent Ltd.

    3,813       178,206  

Tube Investments of India Ltd.

    2,255       94,660  

TVS Motor Co. Ltd.

    5,002       128,897  
Security   Shares     Value  
India (continued)            

UltraTech Cement Ltd.

    2,337     $ 278,819  

Union Bank of India Ltd.

    27,839       49,120  

United Spirits Ltd.

    6,068       85,296  

UPL Ltd.

    9,635       54,567  

Varun Beverages Ltd.

    9,717       165,134  

Vedanta Ltd.

    15,252       49,146  

Wipro Ltd.

    26,149       163,139  

Yes Bank Ltd.(a)

    282,900       83,187  

Zomato Ltd.(a)

    120,950       240,740  
   

 

 

 
       25,544,007  
Kazakhstan — 0.0%            

Polymetal International PLC(a)(d)

    10,488       1  
   

 

 

 
Russia — 0.0%            

Alrosa PJSC(a)(d)

    83,790       9  

Gazprom PJSC(a)(d)

    376,774       41  

Inter RAO UES PJSC(a)(d)

    1,065,900       117  

LUKOIL PJSC(a)(d)

    12,996       1  

MMC Norilsk Nickel PJSC(a)(d)

    1,995        

Mobile TeleSystems PJSC(a)(d)

    16,644       2  

Moscow Exchange MICEX-RTS PJSC(a)(d)

    41,040       5  

Novatek PJSC(a)(d)

    29,170       3  

Novolipetsk Steel PJSC(a)(d)

    41,610       5  

Ozon Holdings PLC, ADR(a)(d)

    1,881        

PhosAgro PJSC(a)(d)

    1,464        

PhosAgro PJSC, GDR(a)(d)(e)

    1        

PhosAgro PJSC, New(a)(d)

    28        

Polyus PJSC(a)(d)

    1,083        

Rosneft Oil Co. PJSC(a)(d)

    37,278       4  

Sberbank of Russia PJSC(a)(d)

    331,170       36  

Severstal PAO(a)(d)

    6,669       1  

Surgutneftegas PJSC(a)(d)

    182,410       20  

Tatneft PJSC(a)(d)

    41,097       5  

TCS Group Holding PLC, GDR(a)(d)(e)

    3,884        

United Co. RUSAL International PJSC(a)(d)

    95,760       11  

VK Co. Ltd.(a)(d)

    4,446       1  

VTB Bank PJSC(a)(d)

    153,340,001       17  

X5 Retail Group NV, GDR(a)(d)

    2,622        

Yandex NV(a)(d)

    9,690       1  
   

 

 

 
      279  
   

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks — 96.6%
(Cost: $90,995,137)

 

    67,145,803  
   

 

 

 

Preferred Stocks

 

Brazil — 3.2%  

Banco Bradesco SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    107,594       297,604  

Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA, Class B, Preference Shares, NVS

    4,510       43,466  

Cia. Energetica de Minas Gerais, Preference Shares, NVS

    27,902       67,186  

Companhia Paranaense de Energia, Preference Shares, NVS

    19,680       40,460  

Gerdau SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    22,962       99,311  

Itau Unibanco Holding SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    98,277       670,982  

Itausa SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    111,343       230,700  

Petroleo Brasileiro SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    96,770       781,386  
   

 

 

 
      2,231,095  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  43


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI BIC ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Russia — 0.0%            

Surgutneftegas PJSC, Preference Shares, NVS(a)(d)

    193,800     $ 21  
   

 

 

 

Total Preferred Stocks — 3.2%
(Cost: $1,380,445)

 

    2,231,116  
   

 

 

 

Rights

 

China — 0.0%  

Kangmei Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.,
(Expires 12/31/49)(a)

    2,278        
   

 

 

 

Total Rights — 0.0%
(Cost: $—)

 

     
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 99.8%
(Cost: $92,375,582)

 

    69,376,919  
   

 

 

 

Short-Term Securities

 

Money Market Funds — 2.1%  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares, 5.50%(f)(g)(h)

    830,356       830,771  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares, 5.30%(f)(g)

    640,000       640,000  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 2.1%
(Cost: $1,470,411)

 

    1,470,771  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments — 101.9%
(Cost: $93,845,993)

 

    70,847,690  

Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets — (1.9)%

 

    (1,325,608
   

 

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

 

  $  69,522,082  
   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Non-income producing security.

(b) 

Security exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration to qualified institutional investors.

(c) 

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(d) 

Security is valued using significant unobservable inputs and is classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.

(e) 

This security may be resold to qualified foreign investors and foreign institutional buyers under Regulation S of the Securities Act of 1933.

(f) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(g) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

(h) 

All or a portion of this security was purchased with the cash collateral from loaned securities.

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

 

 
Affiliated Issuer   Value at
08/31/23
     Purchases
at Cost
   

Proceeds

from Sale

   

Net Realized

Gain (Loss)

   

Change in

Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

    

Value at

02/29/24

    

Shares

Held at
02/29/24

     Income    

Capital

Gain

Distributions

from

Underlying

Funds

 

 

 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares

  $ 1,086,148      $     $ (255,243 )(a)    $ (212   $ 78      $ 830,771        830,356      $ 5,895 (b)    $  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares

    330,000        310,000 (a)                         640,000        640,000        23,531        
        

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

       

 

 

   

 

 

 
         $ (212   $ 78      $ 1,470,771         $ 29,426     $  
        

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

       

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

 
  (b) 

All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities.

 

 

 

44  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI BIC ETF

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

 

 
Description   Number of
Contracts
     Expiration
Date
     Notional
Amount
(000)
     Value/
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
 

 

 

Long Contracts

          

MSCI China Index

    2        03/15/24      $ 40      $ (1,215

MSCI Emerging Markets Index

    1        03/15/24        51        (147
          

 

 

 
           $ (1,362
          

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

 

 
    Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
     Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

 

 

Liabilities — Derivative Financial Instruments

                   

Futures contracts

                   

Unrealized depreciation on futures contracts(a)

  $      $      $ 1,362      $      $      $      $ 1,362  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

 

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

 

 
    Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
    Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

 

 

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                  

Futures contracts

  $      $      $ (14,063   $      $      $      $ (14,063
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

                  

Futures contracts

  $      $      $ 86     $      $      $      $ 86  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

 

 

Futures contracts:

 

Average notional value of contracts — long

  $ 127,588   

 

 

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

 

 
    Level 1      Level 2      Level 3      Total  

 

 

Assets

          

Investments

          

Long-Term Investments

          

Common Stocks

  $ 9,588,003      $ 57,557,520      $ 280      $ 67,145,803  

Preferred Stocks

    2,231,095               21        2,231,116  

Rights

                          

Short-Term Securities

          

Money Market Funds

    1,470,771                      1,470,771  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
  $ 13,289,869      $ 57,557,520      $   301      $ 70,847,690  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  45


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI BIC ETF

 

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End (continued)

 

 

 
    Level 1     Level 2     Level 3      Total  

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

        

Liabilities

        

Equity Contracts

  $   (147   $   (1,215   $    —      $   (1,362
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Derivative financial instruments are futures contracts. Futures contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

46  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) 

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Common Stocks

   
China — 32.3%            

360 Security Technology Inc., Class A(a)

    31,099     $ 37,809  

37 Interactive Entertainment Network Technology Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    11,700       31,514  

AAC Technologies Holdings Inc.

    62,500       155,384  

Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment Inc., Class A

    4,600       93,837  

AECC Aero-Engine Control Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,500       15,945  

AECC Aviation Power Co. Ltd., Class A

    15,400       73,520  

Agricultural Bank of China Ltd., Class A

    427,800       248,504  

Agricultural Bank of China Ltd., Class H

    2,018,000       827,875  

Aier Eye Hospital Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    37,426       75,882  

Air China Ltd., Class A(a)

    57,300       59,344  

Air China Ltd., Class H(a)

    124,000       66,400  

Akeso Inc.(a)(b)(c)

    35,000       209,875  

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.

    1,216,820        11,187,051  

Alibaba Health Information Technology Ltd.(a)(c)

    372,000       162,547  

Aluminum Corp. of China Ltd., Class A

    102,800       85,969  

Aluminum Corp. of China Ltd., Class H

    244,000       121,583  

Amlogic Shanghai Co. Ltd.

    2,875       22,295  

Anhui Conch Cement Co. Ltd., Class A

    13,600       45,144  

Anhui Conch Cement Co. Ltd., Class H

    98,500       214,334  

Anhui Gujing Distillery Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,000       90,928  

Anhui Gujing Distillery Co. Ltd., Class B

    6,525       92,253  

Anhui Yingjia Distillery Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,200       55,019  

ANTA Sports Products Ltd.

    99,200       967,106  

Asymchem Laboratories Tianjin Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,220       45,192  

Autohome Inc., ADR

    4,843       125,870  

Avary Holding Shenzhen Co. Ltd., Class A

    5,100       14,900  

AVIC Industry-Finance Holdings Co. Ltd., Class A

    80,600       37,076  

AviChina Industry & Technology Co. Ltd.,
Class H

    231,000       94,782  

Baidu Inc.(a)

    167,442       2,118,710  

Bank of Beijing Co. Ltd., Class A

    103,000       74,038  

Bank of Chengdu Co. Ltd., Class A

    18,800       34,468  

Bank of China Ltd., Class A

    178,000       110,297  

Bank of China Ltd., Class H

    5,909,000       2,318,108  

Bank of Communications Co. Ltd., Class A

    192,000       166,846  

Bank of Communications Co. Ltd., Class H

    620,000       406,190  

Bank of Hangzhou Co. Ltd., Class A

    30,600       47,018  

Bank of Jiangsu Co. Ltd., Class A

    92,458       98,303  

Bank of Nanjing Co. Ltd., Class A

    49,700       60,299  

Bank of Ningbo Co. Ltd., Class A

    31,000       95,552  

Bank of Shanghai Co. Ltd., Class A

    69,070       62,577  

Baoshan Iron & Steel Co. Ltd., Class A

    117,800       108,852  

BeiGene Ltd.(a)

    49,575       638,266  

Beijing Dabeinong Technology Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    14,700       10,730  

Beijing Enlight Media Co. Ltd., Class A

    14,000       17,579  

Beijing Enterprises Holdings Ltd.

    30,000       112,855  

Beijing Enterprises Water Group Ltd.

    372,000       87,264  

Beijing Kingsoft Office Software Inc., Class A

    2,947       110,861  

Beijing New Building Materials PLC, Class A

    9,200       35,820  

Beijing Tongrentang Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,300       38,911  

Beijing Wantai Biological Pharmacy Enterprise Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,160       63,197  

Beijing-Shanghai High Speed Railway Co. Ltd., Class A

    198,600       139,155  

Bilibili Inc.(a)(c)

    12,407       120,314  

Bloomage Biotechnology Corp. Ltd.

    4,071       36,077  

BOC Aviation Ltd.(b)

    12,400       91,278  

BOE Technology Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    168,500       93,215  

Bosideng International Holdings Ltd.

    270,000       135,804  

Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Ltd.

    124,000       72,179  
Security   Shares     Value  
China (continued)            

BYD Co. Ltd., Class A

    9,200     $ 242,996  

BYD Co. Ltd., Class H

    76,500       1,884,200  

BYD Electronic International Co. Ltd.

    62,000       234,104  

C&D International Investment Group Ltd.

    63,000       102,434  

Caitong Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    13,380       14,806  

Cambricon Technologies Corp. Ltd.(a)

    2,910       68,107  

Canmax Technologies Co. Ltd., Class A

    5,360       16,967  

CGN Power Co. Ltd.

    93,000       49,814  

CGN Power Co. Ltd., Class H(b)

    868,000       263,596  

Changchun High & New Technology Industry Group Inc., Class A

    3,400       60,705  

Changjiang Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    52,200       39,825  

Chaozhou Three-Circle Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,899       24,276  

Chengxin Lithium Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,200       18,830  

China Cinda Asset Management Co. Ltd., Class H

    807,000       77,272  

China CITIC Bank Corp. Ltd., Class H

    670,000       356,231  

China Coal Energy Co. Ltd., Class H

    127,000       136,769  

China Communications Services Corp. Ltd.,
Class H

    248,000       105,345  

China Construction Bank Corp., Class A

    43,500       42,211  

China Construction Bank Corp., Class H

    7,187,000        4,457,062  

China CSSC Holdings Ltd., Class A

    23,200       114,336  

China Eastern Airlines Corp. Ltd., Class A(a)

    143,672       75,843  

China Energy Engineering Corp. Ltd.

    156,500       47,289  

China Everbright Bank Co. Ltd., Class A

    237,600       106,065  

China Everbright Bank Co. Ltd., Class H

    191,000       59,716  

China Feihe Ltd.(b)

    249,000       123,850  

China Galaxy Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    18,600       31,349  

China Galaxy Securities Co. Ltd., Class H

    208,000       109,290  

China Gas Holdings Ltd.

    186,000       170,224  

China Great Wall Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    25,200       27,646  

China Hongqiao Group Ltd.

    171,000       132,334  

China International Capital Corp. Ltd., Class A

    12,500       60,609  

China International Capital Corp. Ltd., Class H(b)

    99,200       124,353  

China Jushi Co. Ltd., Class A

    19,400       26,931  

China Life Insurance Co. Ltd., Class A

    7,800       32,738  

China Life Insurance Co. Ltd., Class H

    579,000       709,732  

China Literature Ltd.(a)(b)

    25,200       77,256  

China Longyuan Power Group Corp. Ltd.,
Class H

    229,000       161,379  

China Medical System Holdings Ltd.

    125,000       205,484  

China Mengniu Dairy Co. Ltd.

    259,000       647,588  

China Merchants Bank Co. Ltd., Class A

    86,800       384,379  

China Merchants Bank Co. Ltd., Class H

    279,331       1,080,178  

China Merchants Energy Shipping Co. Ltd.,
Class A

    25,000       24,978  

China Merchants Expressway Network & Technology Holdings Co. Ltd.

    62,000       90,767  

China Merchants Port Holdings Co. Ltd.

    128,000       158,880  

China Merchants Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    43,470       85,051  

China Merchants Shekou Industrial Zone Holdings Co. Ltd., Class A

    41,475       54,116  

China Minsheng Banking Corp. Ltd., Class A

    198,600       111,268  

China Minsheng Banking Corp. Ltd., Class H

    447,660       157,551  

China National Building Material Co. Ltd., Class H

    224,000       84,248  

China National Chemical Engineering Co. Ltd., Class A

    46,000       44,519  

China National Nuclear Power Co. Ltd., Class A

    81,100       97,630  

China Northern Rare Earth Group High-Tech Co. Ltd., Class A

    21,300       55,709  

China Oilfield Services Ltd., Class H

    176,000       154,879  

China Overseas Land & Investment Ltd.

    280,000       413,509  

China Overseas Property Holdings Ltd.

    120,000       100,888  

China Pacific Insurance Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    33,400       118,271  

China Pacific Insurance Group Co. Ltd., Class H

    180,800       342,951  

China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., Class A

    131,000       113,360  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  47


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
China (continued)            

China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., Class H

    1,794,600     $ 988,741  

China Power International Development Ltd.

    388,000       156,726  

China Railway Group Ltd., Class A

    86,896       76,440  

China Railway Group Ltd., Class H

    303,000       147,588  

China Renewable Energy Investment Ltd.(d)

    2,513        

China Resources Beer Holdings Co. Ltd.

    126,000       542,928  

China Resources Gas Group Ltd.

    66,400       200,377  

China Resources Land Ltd.

    249,777       762,907  

China Resources Microelectronics Ltd.

    8,542       50,701  

China Resources Mixc Lifestyle Services Ltd.(b)

    50,000       150,691  

China Resources Pharmaceutical Group Ltd.(b)

    125,000       84,542  

China Resources Power Holdings Co. Ltd.

    158,000       340,119  

China Resources Sanjiu Medical & Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,490       49,514  

China Ruyi Holdings Ltd.(a)(c)

    396,000       77,731  

China Shenhua Energy Co. Ltd., Class A

    32,200       172,032  

China Shenhua Energy Co. Ltd., Class H

    248,000       954,227  

China Southern Airlines Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    68,800       56,413  

China State Construction Engineering Corp. Ltd., Class A

    175,140       129,795  

China State Construction International Holdings Ltd.

    134,000       149,318  

China Taiping Insurance Holdings Co. Ltd.

    112,500       97,742  

China Three Gorges Renewables Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    117,800       75,472  

China Tourism Group Duty Free Corp. Ltd.(b)(c)

    6,200       60,712  

China Tourism Group Duty Free Corp. Ltd., Class A

    10,300       124,032  

China Tower Corp. Ltd., Class H(b)

    3,348,000       405,804  

China United Network Communications Ltd., Class A

    147,000       97,813  

China Vanke Co. Ltd., Class A

    58,900       81,832  

China Vanke Co. Ltd., Class H

    130,200       100,382  

China Yangtze Power Co. Ltd., Class A

    105,500       366,726  

China Zhenhua Group Science & Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,900       31,014  

China Zheshang Bank Co. Ltd., Class A

    172,010       66,299  

Chongqing Brewery Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,199       28,984  

Chongqing Changan Automobile Co. Ltd., Class A

    43,412       89,550  

Chongqing Zhifei Biological Products Co. Ltd., Class A

    8,250       61,174  

Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Ltd.

    148,800       221,723  

CITIC Ltd.

    434,000       436,592  

CITIC Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    49,690       146,613  

CITIC Securities Co. Ltd., Class H

    125,225       231,473  

CMOC Group Ltd., Class A

    52,300       44,517  

CMOC Group Ltd., Class H

    315,000       194,326  

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    21,420       484,466  

COSCO Shipping Energy Transportation Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,300       2,479  

COSCO Shipping Energy Transportation Co. Ltd., Class H

    128,000       121,104  

COSCO Shipping Holdings Co. Ltd., Class A

    50,250       73,216  

COSCO Shipping Holdings Co. Ltd., Class H

    217,950       234,632  

COSCO Shipping Ports Ltd.

    68,000       40,575  

Country Garden Holdings Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    930,828       75,642  

Country Garden Services Holdings Co. Ltd.

    177,000       134,730  

CRRC Corp. Ltd., Class A

    125,700       111,235  

CRRC Corp. Ltd., Class H

    306,000       157,545  

CSC Financial Co. Ltd., Class A

    19,100       61,599  

CSPC Innovation Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

    6,200       29,450  

CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Ltd.

    621,200        483,821  

CSSC Science & Technology Co. Ltd.

    6,200       15,085  

Daqin Railway Co. Ltd., Class A

    73,300       75,880  

Dong-E-E-Jiao Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,500       52,462  

Dongfang Electric Corp. Ltd., Class A

    6,200       14,060  
Security   Shares     Value  
China (continued)            

Dongfeng Motor Group Co. Ltd., Class H

    256,000     $ 109,506  

Dongxing Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    12,400       14,589  

East Buy Holding Ltd.(a)(b)(c)

    31,000       95,557  

East Money Information Co. Ltd., Class A

    56,298       109,358  

Ecovacs Robotics Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,600       18,611  

Empyrean Technology Co. Ltd., NVS

    6,200       78,292  

ENN Energy Holdings Ltd.

    62,100       504,242  

ENN Natural Gas Co. Ltd., Class A

    12,400       32,201  

Eve Energy Co. Ltd., Class A

    12,400       65,796  

Everbright Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    18,600       43,580  

Fangda Carbon New Material Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    31,440       21,465  

Far East Horizon Ltd.

    133,000       106,848  

First Capital Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    40,400       32,075  

Flat Glass Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,000       9,078  

Flat Glass Group Co. Ltd., Class H

    51,000       94,287  

Focus Media Information Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    79,000       68,877  

Foshan Haitian Flavouring & Food Co. Ltd., Class A

    18,748       105,367  

Fosun International Ltd.

    188,500       108,753  

Founder Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    43,400       45,884  

Foxconn Industrial Internet Co. Ltd., Class A

    49,800        129,139  

Fuyao Glass Industry Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,300       37,830  

Fuyao Glass Industry Group Co. Ltd., Class H(b)

    53,600       268,666  

Ganfeng Lithium Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    10,920       60,555  

Ganfeng Lithium Group Co. Ltd., Class H(b)(c)

    30,880       102,300  

GCL Technology Holdings Ltd.

    1,612,000       224,227  

GD Power Development Co. Ltd., Class A

    87,600       56,889  

Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd.

    440,000       478,840  

GEM Co. Ltd., Class A

    45,700       33,964  

Genscript Biotech Corp.(a)(c)

    102,000       206,207  

GF Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    29,800       58,545  

GF Securities Co. Ltd., Class H

    69,800       74,947  

Giant Biogene Holding Co. Ltd.(a)(b)

    12,400       56,698  

GigaDevice Semiconductor Inc., Class A

    5,000       50,804  

Ginlong Technologies Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,800       25,274  

GoerTek Inc., Class A

    21,700       50,141  

Goldwind Science & Technology Co Ltd., Class A

    25,102       26,593  

Gongniu Group Co. Ltd.

    6,200       87,755  

Gotion High-tech Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    9,000       24,704  

Great Wall Motor Co. Ltd.

    12,600       40,852  

Great Wall Motor Co. Ltd., Class H

    159,500       180,020  

Gree Electric Appliances Inc. of Zhuhai, Class A

    12,400       67,105  

Guangdong Haid Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,800       16,728  

Guangdong Investment Ltd.

    256,000       151,915  

Guanghui Energy Co. Ltd., Class A

    21,300       22,133  

Guangzhou Automobile Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    49,900       61,590  

Guangzhou Automobile Group Co. Ltd., Class H

    92,800       40,154  

Guangzhou Baiyunshan Pharmaceutical Holdings Co. Ltd., Class A

    13,200       54,207  

Guangzhou Haige Communications Group Inc. Co., Class A

    43,400       69,619  

Guangzhou Shiyuan Electronic Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    5,000       27,177  

Guangzhou Tinci Materials Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    18,600       53,273  

Guosen Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    31,500       37,639  

Guotai Junan Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    37,600       78,658  

Guoyuan Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    31,240       30,204  

H World Group Ltd., ADR

    15,500       566,680  

Haidilao International Holding Ltd.(b)

    134,000       243,689  

Haier Smart Home Co. Ltd., Class A

    31,200       103,924  

Haier Smart Home Co. Ltd., Class H

    173,600       525,772  

Hainan Airlines Holding Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    155,000       30,767  
 

 

 

48  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
China (continued)            

Hainan Airport Infrastructure Co. Ltd., NVS(a)

    91,900     $ 47,771  

Haitian International Holdings Ltd.

    64,000       162,052  

Haitong Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    50,400       63,846  

Haitong Securities Co. Ltd., Class H

    173,600       86,174  

Hangzhou First Applied Material Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,664       25,691  

Hangzhou Robam Appliances Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,300       21,804  

Hangzhou Silan Microelectronics Co. Ltd., Class A

    10,900       31,569  

Hangzhou Tigermed Consulting Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,400       21,226  

Hansoh Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd.(b)

    104,000       183,307  

Henan Shuanghui Investment & Development Co. Ltd., Class A

    14,656       59,329  

Hengan International Group Co. Ltd.

    57,000       175,685  

Hengli Petrochemical Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    37,300       65,893  

Hengyi Petrochemical Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    37,290       35,741  

Hesteel Co. Ltd., Class A

    74,400       22,478  

Hithink RoyalFlush Information Network Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,700       70,207  

HLA Group Corp. Ltd., Class A

    18,600       22,237  

Hongfa Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    5,840       20,138  

Hoshine Silicon Industry Co. Ltd., Class A

    12,400       91,197  

Hua Hong Semiconductor Ltd.(a)(b)

    53,000       113,591  

Huadian Power International Corp. Ltd., Class A

    39,200       33,671  

Huadong Medicine Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,372       29,671  

Hualan Biological Engineering Inc., Class A

    12,600       34,432  

Huaneng Power International Inc., Class A(a)

    50,800       62,155  

Huaneng Power International Inc., Class H(a)

    280,000       157,041  

Huatai Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    37,300       75,113  

Huatai Securities Co. Ltd., Class H(b)

    76,800       90,649  

Huaxia Bank Co. Ltd., Class A

    68,200       59,967  

Huayu Automotive Systems Co. Ltd., Class A

    21,500       52,019  

Huizhou Desay Sv Automotive Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,100       58,158  

Hunan Valin Steel Co. Ltd., Class A

    24,900       19,616  

Hundsun Technologies Inc., Class A

    2,775       9,384  

Hygeia Healthcare Holdings Co. Ltd.(b)(c)

    19,800       74,326  

Hygon Information Technology Co. Ltd., NVS

    7,874       92,943  

IEIT Systems Co. Ltd., Class A

    8,500       44,102  

Iflytek Co. Ltd., Class A

    9,700       66,559  

Imeik Technology Development Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,500       68,104  

Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd., Class A

    291,700       215,564  

Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd., Class H

    4,851,000        2,486,684  

Industrial Bank Co. Ltd., Class A

    93,200       215,001  

Industrial Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    56,240       45,298  

Ingenic Semiconductor Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,600       32,597  

Inner Mongolia BaoTou Steel Union Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    217,000       46,364  

Inner Mongolia Junzheng Energy & Chemical Industry Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    83,100       44,807  

Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    31,100       122,100  

Inner Mongolia Yitai Coal Co. Ltd., Class B

    80,600       161,897  

Innovent Biologics Inc.(a)(b)

    93,000       501,521  

iQIYI Inc., ADR(a)

    33,915       125,146  

JA Solar Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    13,488       35,036  

JCET Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,700       13,430  

JD Health International Inc.(a)(b)(c)

    80,200       302,480  

JD Logistics Inc.(a)(b)

    130,200       128,560  

JD.com Inc.

    176,444       1,991,326  

Jiangsu Eastern Shenghong Co. Ltd., Class A

    25,300       36,827  

Jiangsu Expressway Co. Ltd., Class H

    134,000       137,643  

Jiangsu Hengli Hydraulic Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,820       30,076  

Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., Class A

    28,176       166,283  

Jiangsu King’s Luck Brewery JSC Ltd., Class A

    6,300       46,782  

Jiangsu Yanghe Brewery Joint-Stock Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,503       34,927  

Jiangsu Yangnong Chemical Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,990       22,667  
Security   Shares     Value  
China (continued)            

Jiangsu Zhongtian Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    7,900     $ 14,326  

Jiangxi Copper Co. Ltd., Class A

    24,400       66,147  

Jiangxi Copper Co. Ltd., Class H

    78,000       115,761  

Jinko Solar Co. Ltd.

    24,993       30,648  

JiuGui Liquor Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,400       20,240  

Joincare Pharmaceutical Group Industry Co. Ltd., Class A

    12,929       21,603  

Jointown Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    24,853       28,073  

Juneyao Airlines Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    18,800       34,647  

Kanzhun Ltd., ADR

    16,678       261,011  

KE Holdings Inc., ADR

    49,043       666,494  

Kingboard Holdings Ltd.

    62,000       121,611  

Kingdee International Software Group Co. Ltd.(a)

    225,000       241,940  

Kingsoft Corp. Ltd.

    64,600       179,500  

Kuaishou Technology(a)(b)

    176,900       998,938  

Kunlun Energy Co. Ltd.

    232,000       197,783  

Kunlun Tech Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    6,400       35,897  

Kweichow Moutai Co. Ltd., Class A

    5,818       1,364,839  

LB Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    18,700       48,657  

Legend Biotech Corp., ADR(a)

    5,084       331,273  

Lenovo Group Ltd.

    602,000       665,047  

Lens Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    24,900       41,779  

Lepu Medical Technology Beijing Co. Ltd., Class A

    5,200       10,889  

Li Auto Inc.(a)

    86,748        1,979,759  

Li Ning Co. Ltd.

    155,000       383,487  

Longfor Group Holdings Ltd.(b)

    155,500       194,764  

LONGi Green Energy Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    31,256       92,012  

Luxshare Precision Industry Co. Ltd., Class A

    31,141       119,164  

Luzhou Laojiao Co. Ltd., Class A

    7,700       186,712  

Mango Excellent Media Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,300       21,632  

Maxscend Microelectronics Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,820       42,049  

Meinian Onehealth Healthcare Holdings Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    12,384       9,556  

Meituan, Class B(a)(b)

    378,750       3,845,133  

Metallurgical Corp. of China Ltd., Class A

    55,800       25,752  

MGI Tech Co. Ltd., NVS

    3,782       37,535  

Midea Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    18,600       161,650  

Ming Yang Smart Energy Group Ltd., Class A

    12,300       17,408  

MINISO Group Holding Ltd.

    30,940       142,203  

Montage Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    8,400       60,908  

Muyuan Foods Co. Ltd., Class A

    29,211       155,626  

NARI Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    33,793       108,596  

National Silicon Industry Group Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    12,400       26,510  

NAURA Technology Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,400       133,993  

NetEase Inc.

    142,700       3,099,811  

New China Life Insurance Co. Ltd., Class A

    12,600       57,214  

New China Life Insurance Co. Ltd., Class H

    48,200       92,594  

New Hope Liuhe Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    43,500       53,370  

New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc.(a)

    111,860       1,051,292  

Ninestar Corp., Class A

    7,200       23,411  

Ningbo Deye Technology Co. Ltd., NVS

    2,700       31,352  

Ningbo Orient Wires & Cables Co. Ltd.

    6,200       33,310  

Ningbo Sanxing Medical Electric Co. Ltd.

    12,400       46,528  

Ningbo Shanshan Co. Ltd.

    18,600       29,521  

Ningbo Tuopu Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,700       54,420  

Ningxia Baofeng Energy Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    43,500       91,966  

NIO Inc., ADR(a)(c)

    102,929       591,842  

Nongfu Spring Co. Ltd., Class H(b)

    148,800       841,434  

OFILM Group Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    14,900       16,872  

Oppein Home Group Inc., Class A

    3,800       36,559  

Orient Overseas International Ltd.

    12,500       193,567  

Orient Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    37,444       45,710  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  49


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
China (continued)            

Pangang Group Vanadium Titanium & Resources Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    43,400     $ 19,167  

PDD Holdings Inc., ADR(a)

    44,635       5,558,843  

People’s Insurance Co. Group of China Ltd. (The), Class A

    25,100       18,246  

People’s Insurance Co. Group of China Ltd. (The), Class H

    683,000       227,510  

Perfect World Co. Ltd., Class A

    12,996       21,073  

PetroChina Co. Ltd., Class A

    105,400       129,023  

PetroChina Co. Ltd., Class H

    1,524,000       1,195,291  

Pharmaron Beijing Co. Ltd., Class A

    5,400       17,451  

PICC Property & Casualty Co. Ltd., Class H

    550,740       752,927  

Ping An Bank Co. Ltd., Class A

    86,536       126,879  

Ping An Insurance Group Co. of China Ltd., Class A

    43,600       258,604  

Ping An Insurance Group Co. of China Ltd., Class H

    491,500        2,185,783  

Poly Developments and Holdings Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    53,400       72,173  

Pop Mart International Group Ltd.(b)

    32,000       79,775  

Postal Savings Bank of China Co. Ltd., Class A

    149,200       100,216  

Postal Savings Bank of China Co. Ltd.,
Class H(b)

    581,000       305,242  

Power Construction Corp. of China Ltd., Class A

    87,200       61,747  

Qifu Technology Inc.

    8,333       128,745  

Qinghai Salt Lake Industry Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    18,700       41,890  

Range Intelligent Computing Technology Group Co. Ltd.

    12,400       44,618  

Rongsheng Petrochemical Co. Ltd., Class A

    49,128       69,854  

SAIC Motor Corp. Ltd., Class A

    44,422       92,079  

Sanan Optoelectronics Co. Ltd., Class A

    24,800       42,773  

Sany Heavy Equipment International Holdings Co. Ltd.

    63,000       48,716  

Sany Heavy Industry Co. Ltd., Class A

    37,400       72,158  

Satellite Chemical Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    31,012       71,195  

SDIC Capital Co. Ltd., Class A

    24,900       23,844  

SDIC Power Holdings Co. Ltd., Class A

    37,200       74,386  

Seazen Holdings Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    14,900       21,414  

Seres Group Co. Ltd., NVS(a)

    6,200       79,068  

SF Holding Co. Ltd., Class A

    25,100       133,106  

SG Micro Corp., Class A

    3,510       34,435  

Shaanxi Coal Industry Co. Ltd., Class A

    43,573       155,801  

Shan Xi Hua Yang Group New Energy Co. Ltd.

    16,650       23,365  

Shandong Gold Mining Co. Ltd., Class A

    24,860       74,608  

Shandong Gold Mining Co. Ltd., Class H(b)

    46,500       73,473  

Shandong Hualu Hengsheng Chemical Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,100       23,235  

Shandong Linglong Tyre Co. Ltd., Class A

    12,405       38,074  

Shandong Nanshan Aluminum Co. Ltd., Class A

    136,500       58,691  

Shandong Weigao Group Medical Polymer Co. Ltd., Class H

    197,200       128,201  

Shanghai Aiko Solar Energy Co. Ltd.

    9,880       20,706  

Shanghai Baosight Software Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,040       26,232  

Shanghai Baosight Software Co. Ltd., Class B

    33,276       74,767  

Shanghai Electric Group Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    81,600       47,963  

Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,300       21,455  

Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd., Class H

    43,500       78,382  

Shanghai International Airport Co. Ltd.,
Class A(a)

    6,900       33,604  

Shanghai International Port Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    24,300       18,306  

Shanghai Jinjiang International Hotels Co. Ltd., Class A

    7,056       28,403  

Shanghai Junshi Biosciences Co. Ltd.(a)

    5,200       22,677  

Shanghai M&G Stationery Inc., Class A

    200       988  

Shanghai Pharmaceuticals Holding Co. Ltd., Class A

    18,900       47,478  
Security   Shares     Value  
China (continued)            

Shanghai Pharmaceuticals Holding Co. Ltd., Class H

    51,600     $ 82,978  

Shanghai Pudong Development Bank Co. Ltd., Class A

    155,500       154,073  

Shanghai Putailai New Energy Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    11,275       29,345  

Shanghai RAAS Blood Products Co. Ltd., Class A

    23,700       23,642  

Shanghai Rural Commercial Bank Co. Ltd.

    56,000       50,092  

Shanghai United Imaging Healthcare Co. Ltd., NVS

    3,696       73,045  

Shanghai Zhangjiang High-Tech Park Development Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,200       17,157  

Shanxi Coal International Energy Group Co. Ltd.

    12,700       32,396  

Shanxi Coking Coal Energy Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    25,080       40,499  

Shanxi Lu’an Environmental Energy Development Co. Ltd., Class A

    24,800       88,925  

Shanxi Meijin Energy Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    33,900       32,276  

Shanxi Taigang Stainless Steel Co. Ltd., Class A

    74,400       39,113  

Shanxi Xinghuacun Fen Wine Factory Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,220       200,251  

Shede Spirits Co. Ltd.

    6,200       69,946  

Shennan Circuits Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,800       36,967  

Shenwan Hongyuan Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    110,700       70,285  

Shenzhen Energy Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    31,420       28,712  

Shenzhen Goodix Technology Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    6,200       54,460  

Shenzhen Inovance Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,650       58,234  

Shenzhen Kangtai Biological Products Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,020       3,428  

Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,400       255,899  

Shenzhen New Industries Biomedical Engineering Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,200       69,598  

Shenzhen Overseas Chinese Town Co. Ltd.,
Class A(a)

    37,200       15,816  

Shenzhen Salubris Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,300       25,489  

Shenzhen Transsion Holding Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,212       70,801  

Shenzhou International Group Holdings Ltd.

    58,000       475,744  

Shijiazhuang Yiling Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Class A

    10,620       31,594  

Sichuan Changhong Electric Co. Ltd.

    24,800       17,699  

Sichuan Chuantou Energy Co. Ltd., Class A

    24,000       52,154  

Sichuan Kelun Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Class A

    7,300       27,746  

Sichuan Road & Bridge Co. Ltd., Class A

    33,720       38,156  

Sichuan Swellfun Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,700       25,726  

Sino Biopharmaceutical Ltd.

    746,250        296,604  

Sinoma International Engineering Co.

    6,400       9,947  

Sinoma Science & Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    18,900       41,007  

Sinopharm Group Co. Ltd., Class H

    112,800       315,663  

Sinotruk Hong Kong Ltd.

    41,500       109,720  

Smoore International Holdings Ltd.(b)(c)

    153,000       106,361  

Songcheng Performance Development Co. Ltd., Class A

    10,600       15,853  

SooChow Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    25,036       25,324  

Spring Airlines Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    6,145       48,920  

StarPower Semiconductor Ltd., Class A

    1,300       27,324  

Sungrow Power Supply Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,900       35,012  

Sunny Optical Technology Group Co. Ltd.

    49,800       320,508  

Sunwoda Electronic Co. Ltd., Class A

    13,600       26,783  

SUPCON Technology Co. Ltd.

    2,391       15,251  

Suzhou Dongshan Precision Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Class A

    13,600       28,220  

Suzhou Maxwell Technologies Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,080       35,009  

TAL Education Group, ADR(a)

    32,302       475,808  

TBEA Co. Ltd., Class A

    24,200       49,957  

TCL Technology Group Corp., Class A(a)

    111,170       69,754  

TCL Zhonghuan Renewable Energy Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    8,075       15,133  
 

 

 

50  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
China (continued)            

Tencent Holdings Ltd.

    496,000     $  17,375,186  

Tencent Music Entertainment Group, ADR(a)

    56,513       591,691  

Thunder Software Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,200       26,872  

Tianfeng Securities Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    167,400       72,476  

Tianma Microelectronics Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    24,800       31,482  

Tianqi Lithium Corp., Class A

    7,300       54,193  

Tingyi Cayman Islands Holding Corp.

    180,000       200,170  

Tongcheng Travel Holdings Ltd.(a)

    97,200       244,356  

Tongling Nonferrous Metals Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    95,800       43,498  

Tongwei Co. Ltd., Class A

    18,900       69,379  

Topsports International Holdings Ltd.(b)

    136,000       92,034  

TravelSky Technology Ltd., Class H

    80,000       95,637  

Trina Solar Co. Ltd.

    12,385       43,049  

Trip.com Group Ltd.(a)

    41,647       1,890,369  

Tsingtao Brewery Co. Ltd., Class A

    464       5,155  

Tsingtao Brewery Co. Ltd., Class H

    48,000       307,139  

Unigroup Guoxin Microelectronics Co. Ltd.,
Class A(a)

    6,159       61,026  

Unisplendour Corp. Ltd., Class A(a)

    12,480       38,250  

Vinda International Holdings Ltd.

    24,000       71,077  

Vipshop Holdings Ltd., ADR(a)

    26,102       502,464  

Walvax Biotechnology Co. Ltd., Class A

    11,200       28,557  

Wanhua Chemical Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    15,900       174,912  

Want Want China Holdings Ltd.

    372,000       205,254  

Weichai Power Co. Ltd., Class A

    25,124       58,866  

Weichai Power Co. Ltd., Class H

    162,200       319,268  

Wens Foodstuffs Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    31,360       83,465  

Western Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    28,900       31,953  

Will Semiconductor Co. Ltd. Shanghai, Class A

    7,530       99,969  

Wingtech Technology Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    2,700       14,278  

Wuhan Guide Infrared Co. Ltd., Class A

    54,505       47,630  

Wuliangye Yibin Co. Ltd., Class A

    19,100       375,779  

WUS Printed Circuit Kunshan Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,500       23,825  

WuXi AppTec Co. Ltd., Class A

    12,604       94,987  

WuXi AppTec Co. Ltd., Class H(b)(c)

    24,996       154,088  

Wuxi Biologics Cayman Inc.(a)(b)

    295,500       699,924  

XCMG Construction Machinery Co. Ltd.,
Class A

    62,400       51,312  

Xiamen C & D Inc., Class A

    14,700       21,171  

Xiamen Faratronic Co. Ltd.

    1,700       24,559  

Xiaomi Corp., Class B(a)(b)

    1,142,000       1,919,043  

Xinjiang Daqo New Energy Co. Ltd.

    56       227  

Xinyi Solar Holdings Ltd.

    290,000       175,608  

XPeng Inc.(a)(c)

    80,652       377,475  

Yadea Group Holdings Ltd.(b)

    122,000       191,671  

Yankuang Energy Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    50       179  

Yankuang Energy Group Co. Ltd., Class H(a)

    151,000       348,212  

Yantai Jereh Oilfield Services Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,000       12,557  

Yealink Network Technology Corp. Ltd., Class A

    6,780       27,585  

Yifeng Pharmacy Chain Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,840       37,351  

Yihai Kerry Arawana Holdings Co. Ltd., Class A

    13,500       60,415  

Yintai Gold Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,200       12,857  

YongXing Special Materials Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,900       29,807  

Yonyou Network Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    18,618       32,739  

YTO Express Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,200       10,957  

Yuexiu Property Co. Ltd.

    124,600       82,861  

Yum China Holdings Inc.

    30,504       1,308,317  

Yunda Holding Co. Ltd., Class A

    9,880       9,872  

Yunnan Aluminium Co. Ltd., Class A

    18,600       29,813  

Yunnan Baiyao Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,280       43,356  

Yunnan Botanee Bio-Technology Group Co. Ltd.

    2,100       19,090  

Yunnan Energy New Material Co. Ltd., Class A

    5,600       35,625  

Zai Lab Ltd.(a)

    72,320       154,344  
Security   Shares     Value  
China (continued)            

Zangge Mining Co. Ltd.

    24,800     $ 100,798  

Zhangzhou Pientzehuang Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,800       117,427  

Zhaojin Mining Industry Co. Ltd., Class H

    93,000       96,159  

Zhejiang China Commodities City Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    24,800       28,230  

Zhejiang Chint Electrics Co. Ltd., Class A

    19,800       56,453  

Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    15,800       40,493  

Zhejiang Expressway Co. Ltd., Class H

    94,320       71,930  

Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Class A

    13,900       26,841  

Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,320       16,571  

Zhejiang Jingsheng Mechanical & Electrical Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,200       31,816  

Zhejiang Juhua Co. Ltd., Class A

    18,600       52,679  

Zhejiang Leapmotor Technology Co. Ltd.(a)(b)(c)

    34,866       121,983  

Zhejiang NHU Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,660       16,624  

Zhejiang Sanhua Intelligent Controls Co. Ltd., Class A

    18,600       64,319  

Zhejiang Weiming Environment Protection Co. Ltd., Class A

    12,700       31,546  

Zhejiang Zheneng Electric Power Co. Ltd.,
Class A(a)

    93,000       69,430  

Zheshang Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    25,200       35,793  

ZhongAn Online P&C Insurance Co. Ltd.,
Class H(a)(b)(c)

    43,400       68,343  

Zhongji Innolight Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,200       133,491  

Zhongjin Gold Corp. Ltd., Class A

    55,800       80,683  

Zhongsheng Group Holdings Ltd.

    57,000       103,776  

Zhongtai Securities Co. Ltd.

    50,200       48,358  

Zhuzhou CRRC Times Electric Co. Ltd.

    43,000       126,074  

Zijin Mining Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    93,000       168,535  

Zijin Mining Group Co. Ltd., Class H

    448,000       719,633  

Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science and Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    34,700       38,499  

ZTE Corp., Class A

    12,400       51,304  

ZTE Corp., Class H

    57,760       130,103  

ZTO Express Cayman Inc., ADR

    31,091       596,636  
   

 

 

 
       132,895,515  
India — 22.9%            

ABB India Ltd.

    3,954       259,196  

Adani Enterprises Ltd.

    12,543       496,806  

Adani Green Energy Ltd.(a)

    23,499       537,069  

Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone Ltd.

    39,615       628,922  

Adani Power Ltd.(a)

    56,681       375,122  

Ambuja Cements Ltd.

    44,083       321,953  

APL Apollo Tubes Ltd.

    12,648       235,565  

Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd.

    7,502       552,292  

Ashok Leyland Ltd.

    106,268       217,663  

Asian Paints Ltd.

    28,521       972,809  

Astral Ltd.

    9,238       230,528  

AU Small Finance Bank Ltd.(b)

    12,480       85,551  

Aurobindo Pharma Ltd.

    19,532       242,129  

Avenue Supermarts Ltd.(a)(b)

    12,400       585,591  

Axis Bank Ltd.

    172,111       2,227,981  

Bajaj Auto Ltd.

    4,904       467,395  

Bajaj Finance Ltd.

    20,321       1,585,396  

Bajaj Finserv Ltd.

    29,142       559,375  

Bajaj Holdings & Investment Ltd.

    2,046       225,693  

Balkrishna Industries Ltd.

    6,405       172,040  

Bandhan Bank Ltd.(b)

    55,039       129,613  

Bank of Baroda

    83,068       265,778  

Berger Paints India Ltd.

    21,962       160,700  

Bharat Electronics Ltd.

    266,662       658,681  

Bharat Forge Ltd.

    20,039       277,865  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  51


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
India (continued)            

Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd.

    73,814     $ 202,570  

Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd.

    55,404       402,641  

Bharti Airtel Ltd.

    166,657        2,256,369  

Britannia Industries Ltd.

    8,194       491,055  

CG Power and Industrial Solutions Ltd.

    46,004       245,837  

Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Co. Ltd.

    31,462       412,162  

Cipla Ltd.

    38,316       684,270  

Coal India Ltd.

    113,336       595,163  

Colgate-Palmolive India Ltd.

    9,052       275,282  

Container Corp. of India Ltd.

    22,072       260,023  

Cummins India Ltd.

    10,540       348,244  

Dabur India Ltd.

    46,190       299,948  

Divi’s Laboratories Ltd.

    8,860       372,678  

DLF Ltd.

    55,394       601,782  

Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd.

    8,710       675,373  

Eicher Motors Ltd.

    10,122       462,543  

GAIL India Ltd.

    175,364       384,817  

GMR Airports Infrastructure Ltd.(a)

    172,161       174,411  

Godrej Consumer Products Ltd.

    30,467       461,272  

Godrej Properties Ltd.(a)

    9,651       279,173  

Grasim Industries Ltd.

    20,866       550,755  

Havells India Ltd.

    18,065       333,307  

HCL Technologies Ltd.

    69,874       1,400,287  

HDFC Asset Management Co. Ltd.(b)

    6,448       291,818  

HDFC Bank Ltd.

    209,470       3,537,729  

HDFC Life Insurance Co. Ltd.(b)

    73,848       518,401  

Hero MotoCorp Ltd.

    8,657       461,362  

Hindalco Industries Ltd.

    99,373       602,789  

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd., NVS

    15,128       561,676  

Hindustan Petroleum Corp. Ltd.

    41,318       254,009  

Hindustan Unilever Ltd.

    60,699       1,766,022  

ICICI Bank Ltd.

    388,951       4,939,974  

ICICI Lombard General Insurance Co. Ltd.(b)

    18,280       377,648  

ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Co. Ltd.(b)

    27,972       179,775  

IDFC First Bank Ltd.(a)

    267,010       260,874  

Indian Hotels Co. Ltd., Class A

    67,828       480,088  

Indian Oil Corp. Ltd.

    211,322       421,415  

Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corp. Ltd.

    18,662       208,670  

Indraprastha Gas Ltd.

    23,872       122,518  

IndusInd Bank Ltd.

    21,575       383,252  

Info Edge India Ltd.

    5,234       332,029  

Infosys Ltd.

    248,993       5,010,857  

InterGlobe Aviation Ltd.(a)(b)

    11,516       437,285  

ITC Ltd.

    221,607       1,084,555  

Jindal Steel & Power Ltd.

    26,498       247,212  

Jio Financial Services Ltd., NVS(a)

    213,193       795,892  

JSW Steel Ltd.

    45,884       442,374  

Jubilant Foodworks Ltd.

    29,515       165,093  

Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd.

    82,399       1,676,406  

Larsen & Toubro Ltd.

    50,246       2,106,629  

LTIMindtree Ltd.(b)

    6,405       409,517  

Lupin Ltd.

    15,882       310,665  

Macrotech Developers Ltd.

    17,050       238,903  

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.

    69,874       1,626,997  

Marico Ltd.

    37,076       233,597  

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd.

    10,355       1,409,258  

Max Healthcare Institute Ltd.

    60,451       578,557  

Mphasis Ltd.

    5,660       178,556  

MRF Ltd.

    143       252,100  

Muthoot Finance Ltd.

    10,203       160,039  

Nestle India Ltd., NVS

    24,782       776,111  

NMDC Ltd.

    65,018       177,137  
Security   Shares     Value  
India (continued)            

NTPC Ltd.

    327,805     $ 1,324,613  

Oil & Natural Gas Corp. Ltd.

    228,812       727,939  

One 97 Communications Ltd., NVS(a)

    16,492       79,826  

Page Industries Ltd.

    475       196,542  

Persistent Systems Ltd.

    3,472       361,307  

Petronet LNG Ltd.

    53,194       175,142  

PI Industries Ltd.

    6,131       271,570  

Pidilite Industries Ltd.

    12,116       400,041  

Polycab India Ltd.

    3,096       177,234  

Power Finance Corp. Ltd.

    110,541       534,765  

Power Grid Corp. of India Ltd.

    349,667       1,194,629  

Punjab National Bank

    161,592       237,468  

REC Ltd.

    97,712       520,309  

Reliance Industries Ltd.

    227,526       8,007,833  

Samvardhana Motherson International Ltd.

    175,150       251,634  

SBI Cards & Payment Services Ltd.

    21,308       184,856  

SBI Life Insurance Co. Ltd.(b)

    33,280       621,837  

Shree Cement Ltd.

    689       211,450  

Shriram Finance Ltd.

    20,914       614,353  

Siemens Ltd.

    6,455       363,940  

Sona Blw Precision Forgings Ltd.(b)

    31,067       258,045  

SRF Ltd.

    11,215       323,306  

State Bank of India

    136,155       1,226,048  

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

    70,544       1,341,114  

Supreme Industries Ltd.

    4,712       235,657  

Suzlon Energy Ltd.(a)

    665,508       362,580  

Tata Communications Ltd.

    8,990       208,196  

Tata Consultancy Services Ltd.

    68,638       3,385,988  

Tata Consumer Products Ltd.

    42,660       611,783  

Tata Elxsi Ltd.

    2,546       239,744  

Tata Motors Ltd.

    122,596       1,403,616  

Tata Motors Ltd., Class A

    34,884       265,625  

Tata Power Co. Ltd. (The)

    106,787       478,925  

Tata Steel Ltd.

    549,631       931,721  

Tech Mahindra Ltd.

    40,134       616,748  

Titan Co. Ltd.

    26,585       1,161,804  

Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

    7,073       227,882  

Trent Ltd.

    13,470       629,540  

Tube Investments of India Ltd.

    7,935       333,095  

TVS Motor Co. Ltd.

    18,968       488,788  

UltraTech Cement Ltd.

    8,795       1,049,299  

Union Bank of India Ltd.

    104,757       184,836  

United Spirits Ltd.

    21,331       299,843  

UPL Ltd.

    33,907       192,029  

Varun Beverages Ltd.

    33,604       571,080  

Vedanta Ltd.

    65,080       209,706  

Wipro Ltd.

    96,784       603,818  

Yes Bank Ltd.(a)

    1,007,616       296,290  

Zomato Ltd.(a)

    442,991       881,734  
   

 

 

 
       94,135,592  
Indonesia — 2.4%            

Adaro Energy Indonesia Tbk PT

    1,023,000       157,665  

Amman Mineral Internasional PT(a)

    452,600       244,634  

Aneka Tambang Tbk

    725,700       67,400  

Astra International Tbk PT

    1,481,800       493,289  

Bank Central Asia Tbk PT

    4,167,600       2,622,529  

Bank Mandiri Persero Tbk PT

    2,831,400       1,264,711  

Bank Negara Indonesia Persero Tbk PT

    1,132,200       432,709  

Bank Rakyat Indonesia Persero Tbk PT

    5,147,777       2,006,005  

Barito Pacific Tbk PT

    2,139,093       132,962  

Charoen Pokphand Indonesia Tbk PT

    545,600       168,219  

GoTo Gojek Tokopedia Tbk PT(a)

    63,965,500       289,532  
 

 

 

52  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
Indonesia (continued)            

Indah Kiat Pulp & Paper Tbk PT

    187,600     $ 104,264  

Indofood CBP Sukses Makmur Tbk PT

    142,700       105,210  

Indofood Sukses Makmur Tbk PT

    327,700       138,149  

Kalbe Farma Tbk PT

    1,478,200       139,940  

Merdeka Copper Gold Tbk PT(a)

    706,866       101,667  

Sarana Menara Nusantara Tbk PT

    1,612,000       94,527  

Semen Indonesia Persero Tbk PT

    249,925       97,084  

Sumber Alfaria Trijaya Tbk PT

    1,326,800       232,179  

Telkom Indonesia Persero Tbk PT

    3,703,000       943,929  

Unilever Indonesia Tbk PT

    560,000       97,283  

United Tractors Tbk PT

    105,400       157,857  
   

 

 

 
       10,091,744  
Malaysia — 1.8%            

AMMB Holdings Bhd

    141,100       129,161  

Axiata Group Bhd

    220,700       129,372  

CELCOMDIGI Bhd

    235,900       216,617  

CIMB Group Holdings Bhd

    477,300       649,977  

Gamuda Bhd

    147,100       163,978  

Genting Bhd

    151,600       152,500  

Genting Malaysia Bhd

    246,000       148,989  

Hong Leong Bank Bhd

    50,800       211,236  

IHH Healthcare Bhd

    147,700       191,414  

Inari Amertron Bhd

    149,000       99,746  

IOI Corp. Bhd

    180,000       150,927  

Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd

    36,600       172,953  

Malayan Banking Bhd

    413,000       829,762  

Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd

    62,056       110,891  

Maxis Bhd

    192,800       151,136  

MISC Bhd

    84,300       135,151  

MR DIY Group M Bhd(b)

    173,600       57,058  

Nestle Malaysia Bhd

    6,300       165,814  

Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd

    202,000       298,148  

Petronas Dagangan Bhd

    22,900       110,217  

Petronas Gas Bhd

    60,500       228,716  

PPB Group Bhd

    49,680       163,105  

Press Metal Aluminium Holdings Bhd

    298,200       294,306  

Public Bank Bhd

    1,157,650       1,074,451  

QL Resources Bhd

    87,650       107,270  

RHB Bank Bhd

    111,762       131,995  

Sime Darby Bhd

    195,900       111,937  

Sime Darby Plantation Bhd

    163,900       149,785  

Telekom Malaysia Bhd

    92,700       118,244  

Tenaga Nasional Bhd

    192,200       456,047  

YTL Corp. Bhd

    196,900       110,784  

YTL Power International Bhd

    167,400       139,338  
   

 

 

 
      7,361,025  
Philippines — 0.8%            

Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc.

    135,290       127,591  

Ayala Corp.

    18,330       221,212  

Ayala Land Inc.

    512,060       319,149  

Bank of the Philippine Islands

    138,984       309,451  

BDO Unibank Inc.

    180,034       490,467  

International Container Terminal Services Inc.

    78,660       403,670  

JG Summit Holdings Inc.

    226,575       165,251  

Jollibee Foods Corp.

    34,870       169,837  

Manila Electric Co.

    18,920       131,260  

Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co.

    143,842       158,647  

PLDT Inc.

    5,855       136,620  

SM Investments Corp.

    18,424       308,293  

SM Prime Holdings Inc.

    744,150       418,307  
Security   Shares     Value  
Philippines (continued)            

Universal Robina Corp.

    62,650     $ 130,424  
   

 

 

 
      3,490,179  
South Korea — 15.1%            

Amorepacific Corp.

    2,051       184,421  

Celltrion Inc.

    11,436        1,546,563  

Celltrion Pharm Inc.(a)

    1,381       115,091  

CJ CheilJedang Corp.

    600       135,220  

CosmoAM&T Co. Ltd.(a)

    1,729       231,092  

Coway Co. Ltd.

    4,430       180,311  

DB Insurance Co. Ltd.(a)

    3,530       261,942  

Doosan Bobcat Inc.

    4,051       143,023  

Doosan Enerbility Co. Ltd.(a)

    33,650       410,714  

Ecopro BM Co. Ltd.(a)

    3,584       720,357  

Ecopro Co. Ltd.(a)

    1,488       693,982  

Ecopro Materials Co. Ltd.(a)

    682       98,899  

GS Holdings Corp.

    3,519       127,024  

Hana Financial Group Inc.

    21,763       925,970  

Hanjin Kal Corp.

    1,550       73,566  

Hankook Tire & Technology Co. Ltd.

    5,622       229,042  

Hanmi Pharm Co. Ltd.(a)

    506       126,995  

Hanmi Semiconductor Co. Ltd.(a)

    2,976       190,404  

Hanon Systems

    14,881       68,952  

Hanwha Aerospace Co. Ltd.

    2,732       384,978  

Hanwha Ocean Co. Ltd.(a)

    4,896       86,900  

Hanwha Solutions Corp.

    7,836       163,625  

HD Hyundai Co. Ltd.

    3,550       188,712  

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd.(a)

    1,676       148,620  

HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co. Ltd.(a)

    3,157       265,576  

HLB Inc.(a)

    8,832       541,840  

HMM Co. Ltd.(a)

    17,670       242,433  

HYBE Co. Ltd.

    1,610       241,132  

Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd.(a)

    5,775       150,635  

Hyundai Glovis Co. Ltd.(a)

    1,357       194,275  

Hyundai Mobis Co. Ltd.

    4,673       852,344  

Hyundai Motor Co.

    10,102       1,901,877  

Hyundai Steel Co.(a)

    6,300       170,322  

Industrial Bank of Korea(a)

    22,610       237,947  

Kakao Corp.

    23,466       941,878  

KakaoBank Corp.

    12,210       261,652  

Kakaopay Corp.(a)

    2,185       72,420  

Kangwon Land Inc.(a)

    7,810       102,041  

KB Financial Group Inc.

    28,939        1,380,222  

Kia Corp.(a)

    19,436       1,820,141  

Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd.(a)

    5,643       217,733  

Korea Electric Power Corp.(a)

    19,219       357,869  

Korea Investment Holdings Co. Ltd.(a)

    3,444       183,941  

Korea Zinc Co. Ltd.

    658       221,228  

Korean Air Lines Co. Ltd.

    13,666       236,098  

Krafton Inc.(a)

    2,147       366,955  

KT Corp.

    5,222       153,175  

KT&G Corp.

    7,518       525,092  

Kum Yang Co. Ltd.(a)

    2,717       197,128  

Kumho Petrochemical Co. Ltd.(a)

    1,291       143,375  

L&F Co. Ltd.(a)

    1,958       250,120  

LG Chem Ltd.

    3,722       1,271,272  

LG Corp.

    7,099       499,691  

LG Display Co. Ltd.(a)

    17,548       149,768  

LG Electronics Inc.

    8,019       573,260  

LG Energy Solution Ltd.(a)

    3,514       1,061,967  

LG H&H Co. Ltd.

    733       176,054  

LG Innotek Co. Ltd.

    1,054       160,173  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  53


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
South Korea (continued)            

LG Uplus Corp.

    15,810     $ 122,622  

Lotte Chemical Corp.

    1,472       135,349  

Meritz Financial Group Inc.

    7,647       477,280  

Mirae Asset Securities Co. Ltd.(a)

    17,796       120,766  

NAVER Corp.

    9,865       1,448,489  

NCSoft Corp.

    1,011       147,456  

Netmarble Corp.(a)(b)

    1,830       84,975  

NH Investment & Securities Co. Ltd.(a)

    12,602       111,272  

Orion Corp./Republic of Korea

    1,798       125,404  

Pearl Abyss Corp.(a)

    203       4,640  

Posco DX Co. Ltd.(a)

    4,030       164,453  

POSCO Future M Co. Ltd.(a)

    2,306       551,195  

POSCO Holdings Inc.

    5,392       1,752,366  

Posco International Corp.(a)

    3,973       168,521  

Samsung Biologics Co. Ltd.(a)(b)

    1,246       725,009  

Samsung C&T Corp.

    6,209       731,010  

Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co. Ltd.

    4,095       431,535  

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.

    355,431        19,617,259  

Samsung Engineering Co. Ltd.(a)

    11,379       210,456  

Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Co. Ltd.(a)

    2,275       509,143  

Samsung Heavy Industries Co. Ltd.(a)

    49,632       295,065  

Samsung Life Insurance Co. Ltd.

    6,080       442,569  

Samsung SDI Co. Ltd.

    4,145       1,177,558  

Samsung SDS Co. Ltd.

    2,851       342,949  

Samsung Securities Co. Ltd.

    4,778       149,327  

Shinhan Financial Group Co. Ltd.

    33,109       1,082,319  

SK Biopharmaceuticals Co. Ltd.(a)

    2,409       175,565  

SK Bioscience Co. Ltd.(a)

    1,759       81,288  

SK Hynix Inc.

    40,684       4,796,010  

SK IE Technology Co. Ltd.(a)(b)

    1,990       109,763  

SK Inc.

    2,668       384,845  

SK Innovation Co. Ltd.(a)

    4,713       415,818  

SK Square Co. Ltd.(a)

    7,713       404,722  

SK Telecom Co. Ltd.

    3,154       124,849  

SKC Co. Ltd.(a)

    1,554       96,825  

S-Oil Corp.

    3,253       186,883  

Woori Financial Group Inc.

    45,623       511,200  

Yuhan Corp.

    4,208       213,438  
   

 

 

 
      62,188,230  
Taiwan — 21.4%            

Accton Technology Corp.

    41,000       674,714  

Acer Inc.

    189,062       270,391  

Advantech Co. Ltd.

    39,158       483,287  

Airtac International Group

    11,161       427,614  

Alchip Technologies Ltd.

    6,000       787,095  

ASE Technology Holding Co. Ltd.

    227,484       1,004,260  

Asia Cement Corp.

    179,229       229,424  

Asustek Computer Inc.

    54,000       778,067  

AUO Corp.

    449,200       249,136  

Catcher Technology Co. Ltd.

    47,000       292,839  

Cathay Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    706,888       1,008,613  

Chailease Holding Co. Ltd.

    124,514       688,419  

Chang Hwa Commercial Bank Ltd.

    371,518       209,334  

Cheng Shin Rubber Industry Co. Ltd.

    113,776       169,124  

China Airlines Ltd.

    186,000       117,794  

China Development Financial Holding Corp.(a)

    1,118,400       444,558  

China Steel Corp.

    860,867       670,437  

Chunghwa Telecom Co. Ltd.

    285,000       1,085,753  

Compal Electronics Inc.

    284,000       327,953  

CTBC Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    1,302,265       1,212,295  

Delta Electronics Inc.

    150,000       1,397,798  

E Ink Holdings Inc.

    69,000       537,184  
Security   Shares     Value  
Taiwan (continued)            

E.Sun Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    1,021,582     $ 816,717  

Eclat Textile Co. Ltd.

    15,604       266,700  

eMemory Technology Inc.

    5,000       429,311  

Eva Airways Corp.

    186,000       185,165  

Evergreen Marine Corp. Taiwan Ltd.

    77,746       407,289  

Far Eastern New Century Corp.

    186,460       192,325  

Far EasTone Telecommunications Co. Ltd.

    134,000       333,847  

Feng TAY Enterprise Co. Ltd.

    48,391       253,144  

First Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    778,783       667,943  

Formosa Chemicals & Fibre Corp.

    234,950       425,522  

Formosa Petrochemical Corp.

    101,000       237,522  

Formosa Plastics Corp.

    281,400       638,633  

Fubon Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    561,435       1,208,729  

Gigabyte Technology Co. Ltd.

    40,000       437,508  

Global Unichip Corp.

    7,000       352,799  

Globalwafers Co. Ltd.

    16,000       282,598  

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd.

    943,651       3,076,751  

Hotai Motor Co. Ltd.

    23,600       501,200  

Hua Nan Financial Holdings Co. Ltd.

    584,033       406,729  

Innolux Corp.

    635,992       305,158  

Inventec Corp.

    164,980       287,369  

Largan Precision Co. Ltd.

    7,000       574,486  

Lite-On Technology Corp.

    160,032       555,256  

MediaTek Inc.

    114,176       4,120,191  

Mega Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    826,651       1,012,763  

Micro-Star International Co. Ltd.

    62,000       375,198  

Nan Ya Plastics Corp.

    324,090       612,869  

Nan Ya Printed Circuit Board Corp.

    22,000       147,397  

Nanya Technology Corp.

    64,000       136,256  

Nien Made Enterprise Co. Ltd.

    16,000       187,300  

Novatek Microelectronics Corp.

    42,000       799,401  

Parade Technologies Ltd.

    7,000       225,171  

Pegatron Corp.

    172,000       465,734  

PharmaEssentia Corp.(a)

    21,000       218,241  

Pou Chen Corp.

    125,000       120,760  

Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp.

    186,000       162,596  

President Chain Store Corp.

    44,000       375,147  

Quanta Computer Inc.

    204,000       1,499,059  

Realtek Semiconductor Corp.

    39,140       705,422  

Ruentex Development Co. Ltd.

    103,242       118,809  

Shanghai Commercial & Savings Bank Ltd. (The)

    272,981       388,669  

Shin Kong Financial Holding Co. Ltd.(a)

    930,033       244,166  

Silergy Corp.

    24,000       316,682  

SinoPac Financial Holdings Co. Ltd.

    739,441       470,525  

Synnex Technology International Corp.

    62,050       152,863  

Taishin Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    788,881       434,396  

Taiwan Business Bank

    449,552       199,181  

Taiwan Cement Corp.

    496,754       505,033  

Taiwan Cooperative Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    732,075       601,501  

Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp.

    137,000       130,918  

Taiwan Mobile Co. Ltd.

    127,000       397,998  

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

    1,836,004        40,235,138  

Unimicron Technology Corp.

    103,000       585,239  

Uni-President Enterprises Corp.

    387,650       941,307  

United Microelectronics Corp.

    823,000       1,268,925  

Vanguard International Semiconductor Corp.

    77,000       175,894  

Voltronic Power Technology Corp.

    6,000       304,927  

Walsin Lihwa Corp.

    204,884       239,982  

Wan Hai Lines Ltd.

    62,000       98,767  

Winbond Electronics Corp.

    160,592       141,981  

Wistron Corp.

    200,000       732,353  

Wiwynn Corp.

    8,000       590,623  
 

 

 

54  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
Taiwan (continued)            

WPG Holdings Ltd.

    129,320     $ 379,697  

Yageo Corp.

    25,936       458,247  

Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp.

    89,000       140,414  

Yuanta Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    696,163       604,981  

Zhen Ding Technology Holding Ltd.

    63,455       201,944  
   

 

 

 
      88,133,455  
Thailand — 2.0%            

Advanced Info Service PCL, NVDR

    86,000       482,490  

Airports of Thailand PCL, NVDR

    318,400       564,253  

Asset World Corp. PCL, NVDR(c)

    675,800       72,608  

Bangkok Dusit Medical Services PCL, NVDR

    856,700       680,614  

Bangkok Expressway & Metro PCL, NVDR

    601,500       135,209  

Berli Jucker PCL, NVDR

    4,100       2,771  

BTS Group Holdings PCL, NVDR

    576,600       82,863  

Bumrungrad Hospital PCL, NVDR

    44,400       277,027  

Central Pattana PCL, NVDR

    148,800       268,626  

Central Retail Corp. PCL, NVDR

    148,474       144,122  

Charoen Pokphand Foods PCL, NVDR(c)

    260,400       137,204  

CP ALL PCL, NVDR

    428,100       686,441  

CP Axtra PCL, NVDR

    146,900       136,410  

Delta Electronics Thailand PCL, NVDR(c)

    229,400       456,670  

Energy Absolute PCL, NVDR

    125,600       123,621  

Global Power Synergy PCL, NVDR

    62,100       88,322  

Gulf Energy Development PCL, NVDR

    208,000       249,724  

Home Product Center PCL, NVDR

    455,949       142,406  

Indorama Ventures PCL, NVDR

    130,600       84,874  

Intouch Holdings PCL, NVDR

    87,900       166,103  

Kasikornbank PCL, NVDR

    45,300       155,452  

Krung Thai Bank PCL, NVDR

    254,750       114,334  

Krungthai Card PCL, NVDR

    74,600       88,959  

Land & Houses PCL, NVDR

    613,800       129,955  

Minor International PCL, NVDR

    243,580       215,684  

Muangthai Capital PCL, NVDR

    49,600       63,475  

PTT Exploration & Production PCL, NVDR

    100,510       422,076  

PTT Global Chemical PCL, NVDR

    164,600       174,211  

PTT Oil & Retail Business PCL, NVDR

    237,900       120,015  

PTT PCL, NVDR

    751,000       716,814  

SCB X PCL, NVDR

    62,500       196,308  

SCG Packaging PCL, NVDR

    99,200       77,459  

Siam Cement PCL (The), NVDR

    59,000       442,531  

Thai Oil PCL, NVDR

    93,400       145,822  

TMBThanachart Bank PCL, NVDR

    1,488,000       76,432  

True Corp. PCL, NVDR(a)

    775,042       152,651  
   

 

 

 
      8,274,536  
   

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks — 98.7%
(Cost: $397,340,996)

       406,570,276  
   

 

 

 

Preferred Stocks

   

South Korea — 0.9%

   

Hyundai Motor Co.

   

Preference Shares, NVS

    1,800       215,951  
Security   Shares     Value  
South Korea (continued)            

Series 2, Preference Shares, NVS

    2,860     $ 345,938  

LG Chem Ltd., Preference Shares, NVS

    497       112,361  

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Preference Shares, NVS

    61,652       2,952,308  
   

 

 

 
      3,626,558  
   

 

 

 

Total Preferred Stocks — 0.9%
(Cost: $3,487,538)

      3,626,558  
   

 

 

 

Rights

   
China — 0.0%            

Kangmei Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.,
(Expires 12/31/49)(a)

    1,386        
   

 

 

 
South Korea — 0.0%            

LG Display Co. Ltd., (Expires 03/14/24, Strike Price KRW 10070)(a)

    5,578       5,488  
   

 

 

 

Total Rights — 0.0%
(Cost: $—)

      5,488  
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 99.6%
(Cost: $400,828,534)

       410,202,322  
   

 

 

 

Short-Term Securities

   
Money Market Funds — 1.1%            

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares, 5.50%(e)(f)(g)

    2,946,697       2,948,171  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares, 5.30%(e)(f)

    1,500,000       1,500,000  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 1.1%
(Cost: $4,445,329)

      4,448,171  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments — 100.7%
(Cost: $405,273,863)

      414,650,493  

Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets — (0.7)%

 

    (3,001,310
   

 

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

    $ 411,649,183  
   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Non-income producing security.

(b) 

Security exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration to qualified institutional investors.

(c)

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(d)

Security is valued using significant unobservable inputs and is classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.

(e) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(f) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

(g) 

All or a portion of this security was purchased with the cash collateral from loaned securities.

 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  55


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

 

 
Affiliated Issuer   

Value at

08/31/23

    

Purchases

at Cost

    

Proceeds

from Sale

    

Net Realized

Gain (Loss)

    

Change in

Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

    

Value at

02/29/24

    

Shares

Held at

02/29/24

     Income     

Capital

Gain

Distributions

from

Underlying

Funds

 

 

 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares

   $ 5,293,612      $      $ (2,345,811 )(a)     $ (72    $ 442      $ 2,948,171        2,946,697      $ 32,145 (b)     $  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares

            1,500,000 (a)                            1,500,000        1,500,000        70,845         
           

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

       

 

 

    

 

 

 
            $ (72    $ 442      $ 4,448,171         $ 102,990      $  
           

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

       

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

 
  (b) 

All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities.

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

 

 
Description   

Number of

Contracts

    

Expiration

Date

    

Notional

Amount

(000)

    

Value/

Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

 

 

 

Long Contracts

           

MSCI China Index

     7        03/15/24      $ 142      $ (130

MSCI Emerging Markets Index

     19        03/15/24        966        12,248  
           

 

 

 
            $ 12,118  
           

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

 

 
    

Commodity

Contracts

      

Credit

Contracts

      

Equity

Contracts

      

Foreign

Currency

Exchange

Contracts

      

Interest

Rate

Contracts

      

Other

Contracts

       Total  

 

 

Assets — Derivative Financial Instruments

                                

Futures contracts

                                

Unrealized appreciation on futures contracts(a)

   $        $        $ 12,248        $        $        $        $ 12,248  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Liabilities — Derivative Financial Instruments

                                

Futures contracts

                                

Unrealized depreciation on futures contracts(a)

   $        $        $ 130        $        $        $        $ 130  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

  (a)

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

 

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

 

 
    

Commodity

Contracts

      

Credit

Contracts

      

Equity

Contracts

      

Foreign

Currency

Exchange

Contracts

      

Interest

Rate

Contracts

      

Other

Contracts

       Total  

 

 

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                                

Futures contracts

   $        $        $ (44,841      $        $        $        $ (44,841
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

                                

Futures contracts

   $        $        $ 26,344        $        $        $        $ 26,344  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

56  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

 

 

Futures contracts:

  

Average notional value of contracts — long

   $ 1,063,169   

 

 

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

                                                                                       

 

 
     Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

 

 

Assets

                 

Investments

                 

Long-Term Investments

                 

Common Stocks

   $ 18,172,443        $ 388,397,833        $        $ 406,570,276  

Preferred Stocks

              3,626,558                   3,626,558  

Rights

              5,488                   5,488  

Short-Term Securities

                 

Money Market Funds

     4,448,171                            4,448,171  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $ 22,620,614        $ 392,029,879        $        $ 414,650,493  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

                 

Assets

                 

Equity Contracts

   $ 12,248        $        $        $ 12,248  

Liabilities

                 

Equity Contracts

              (130                 (130
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $ 12,248        $ (130      $   —          12,118  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

  (a)

Derivative financial instruments are futures contracts. Futures contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  57


Schedule of Investments (unaudited)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Common Stocks

   
Brazil — 3.9%            

3R Petroleum Oleo E Gas SA(a)

    72,416     $ 407,159  

AES Brasil Energia SA(a)

    64,232       134,896  

Allos SA, NVS

    128,464       638,043  

Alupar Investimento SA

    31,062       186,081  

Ambipar Participacoes e Empreendimentos SA

    22,568       67,099  

Arezzo Industria e Comercio SA

    21,360       254,502  

Armac Locacao Logistica E Servicos SA

    33,790       86,190  

Auren Energia SA

    56,110       144,815  

BrasilAgro - Co. Brasileira de Propriedades Agricolas

    19,096       91,118  

BRF SA(a)

    177,878       540,315  

Cia de Saneamento de Minas Gerais Copasa MG

    57,660       239,752  

Cia. Brasileira de Aluminio

    76,183       61,301  

Cia. de Saneamento do Parana

    50,344       261,589  

Cielo SA

    368,156       396,217  

CM Hospitalar SA(a)

    40,052       68,081  

Cogna Educacao SA(a)

    547,646       277,618  

Cury Construtora e Incorporadora SA

    44,082       170,968  

Cyrela Brazil Realty SA Empreendimentos e Participacoes

    85,126       411,836  

Dexco SA

    118,110       193,401  

Direcional Engenharia SA

    41,416       197,203  

EcoRodovias Infraestrutura e Logistica SA

    82,920       153,126  

Embraer SA(a)

    207,452        1,019,503  

Enauta Participacoes SA

    44,700       229,116  

Ez Tec Empreendimentos e Participacoes SA

    36,720       124,687  

Fleury SA

    67,084       214,702  

GPS Participacoes e Empreendimentos SA(b)

    111,290       400,958  

Grendene SA

    117,420       152,352  

Grupo De Moda Soma SA

    165,240       232,681  

Grupo Mateus SA(a)

    164,926       267,738  

Grupo SBF SA

    31,620       78,301  

Hidrovias do Brasil SA(a)

    216,318       167,098  

Iguatemi SA

    67,208       317,984  

Intelbras SA Industria de Telecomunicacao Eletronica Brasileira

    30,420       129,731  

Iochpe Maxion SA

    36,332       91,797  

IRB-Brasil Resseguros SA(a)

    18,901       147,601  

JHSF Participacoes SA

    116,808       104,798  

LOG Commercial Properties e Participacoes SA

    14,570       64,070  

LWSA SA(b)

    121,768       136,438  

M. Dias Branco SA

    20,760       172,140  

Marfrig Global Foods SA(a)

    112,220       223,487  

Mills Locacao Servicos e Logistica SA

    38,100       95,421  

Minerva SA

    72,478       99,289  

Movida Participacoes SA

    52,638       90,323  

MRV Engenharia e Participacoes SA(a)

    118,481       181,615  

Multiplan Empreendimentos Imobiliarios SA

    75,206       399,548  

Odontoprev SA

    79,608       192,971  

Oncoclinicas do Brasil Servicos Medicos SA(a)

    78,802       163,276  

Orizon Valorizacao de Residuos SA(a)

    19,592       132,030  

Pet Center Comercio e Participacoes SA

    115,620       96,988  

Petroreconcavo SA

    46,438       214,857  

Santos Brasil Participacoes SA

    158,038       335,399  

Sao Martinho SA

    48,720       277,358  

Serena Energia SA, NVS

    60,780       114,442  

SIMPAR SA

    122,460       189,438  

SLC Agricola SA

    58,032       229,508  

Smartfit Escola de Ginastica e Danca SA

    81,344       400,248  

Transmissora Alianca de Energia Eletrica SA

    41,044       292,281  

Tres Tentos Agroindustrial SA

    36,960       79,034  
Security   Shares     Value  
Brazil (continued)            

Tupy SA

    24,000     $ 123,594  

Vamos Locacao de Caminhoes Maquinas e Equipamentos SA

    137,330       241,172  

Vivara Participacoes SA

    45,260       297,721  

Vulcabras SA

    29,636       110,589  

Wilson Sons SA, NVS

    68,758       238,594  

YDUQS Participacoes SA

    80,042       327,826  
   

 

 

 
       14,180,014  
Chile — 0.7%            

Aguas Andinas SA, Class A

    741,842       218,085  

Banco Itau Chile SA, NVS

    20,580       202,379  

CAP SA

    27,420       188,107  

Cia. Cervecerias Unidas SA

    44,950       260,804  

Colbun SA

    2,611,800       358,898  

Empresa Nacional de Telecomunicaciones SA

    52,411       170,683  

Engie Energia Chile SA(a)

    164,548       140,521  

Inversiones La Construccion SA

    5,108       44,045  

Parque Arauco SA

    208,444       332,497  

Plaza SA(a)

    136,980       202,763  

SMU SA

    1,133,298       191,264  

Sociedad de Inversiones Oro Blanco SA

    11,491,452       81,765  

Vina Concha y Toro SA

    173,724       180,295  
   

 

 

 
      2,572,106  
China — 8.2%            

361 Degrees International Ltd.

    300,000       160,184  

3SBio Inc.(b)

    434,000       286,580  

AIM Vaccine Co. Ltd., NVS

    86,800       78,047  

AK Medical Holdings Ltd.(b)(c)

    240,000       155,719  

Alibaba Pictures Group Ltd.(a)

    3,600,000       206,501  

A-Living Smart City Services Co. Ltd.,
Class A(b)

    240,000       122,891  

Alphamab Oncology(a)(b)

    186,000       118,954  

ANE Cayman Inc.(a)

    248,000       130,112  

Angelalign Technology Inc.(b)(c)

    12,400       104,010  

Anhui Expressway Co. Ltd., Class H

    138,000       153,343  

Anxin-China Holdings Ltd.(d)

    1,084,000       1  

Arrail Group Ltd., NVS(a)(b)(c)

    93,000       71,863  

Ascentage Pharma Group International(a)(b)(c)

    74,400       246,032  

Asia Cement China Holdings Corp.

    279,000       75,275  

Ausnutria Dairy Corp. Ltd.

    98,000       31,667  

Bairong Inc. (a)(b)

    93,000       156,682  

Beijing Capital International Airport Co. Ltd., Class H(a)

    620,000       199,936  

Beijing Chunlizhengda Medical Instruments Co. Ltd., Class H(c)

    62,000       78,396  

Beijing Jingneng Clean Energy Co. Ltd.,
Class H

    620,000       131,182  

Beijing Tong Ren Tang Chinese Medicine Co. Ltd.(c)

    120,000       142,829  

Binjiang Service Group Co. Ltd.

    37,500       79,231  

BOE Varitronix Ltd.(c)

    120,000       83,630  

Boshiwa International Holding Ltd.(d)

    32,000        

Canaan Inc., ADR(a)(c)

    59,245       93,015  

Canggang Railway Ltd., NVS(c)

    496,000       92,787  

Canvest Environmental Protection Group Co. Ltd.

    186,000       97,638  

CARsgen Therapeutics Holdings Ltd.,
NVS(a)(b)(c)

    124,000       105,478  

CGN Mining Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    930,000       226,303  

CGN New Energy Holdings Co. Ltd.(c)

    620,000       153,418  

Chervon Holdings Ltd.(c)

    39,600       75,665  

China Animal Healthcare Ltd.(d)

    126,000        

China Aoyuan Group Ltd.(a)

    603,000       12,939  

China BlueChemical Ltd., Class H

    600,000       180,079  

China Conch Venture Holdings Ltd.

    496,000       496,695  
 

 

 

58  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
China (continued)            

China Datang Corp. Renewable Power Co. Ltd., Class H

    780,000     $  177,125  

China East Education Holdings Ltd.(b)

    248,000       82,949  

China Education Group Holdings Ltd.

    372,000       213,127  

China Everbright Environment Group Ltd.

    1,082,000       402,148  

China Everbright Ltd.

    372,000       203,934  

China Foods Ltd.

    372,000       133,986  

China High Speed Transmission Equipment Group Co. Ltd.(a)

    15,000       2,773  

China Huiyuan Juice Group Ltd.(d)

    379,000        

China Jinmao Holdings Group Ltd.

    1,800,000       146,270  

China Lesso Group Holdings Ltd.

    372,000       176,921  

China Lilang Ltd.

    186,000       99,724  

China Metal Recycling Holdings Ltd.(d)

    12,000        

China Modern Dairy Holdings Ltd.

    1,240,000       102,882  

China New Higher Education Group Ltd.(b)

    300,000       94,445  

China Nonferrous Mining Corp Ltd.

    434,000       301,485  

China Oriental Group Co. Ltd.

    620,000       93,284  

China Overseas Grand Oceans Group Ltd.

    552,000       141,282  

China Renaissance Holdings Ltd.(a)(b)(c)(d)

    172,500       98,267  

China Resources Building Materials Technology Holdings Ltd.

    868,000       150,564  

China Resources Medical Holdings Co. Ltd.(c)

    341,000       185,827  

China Risun Group Ltd.(c)

    600,000       234,689  

China Shineway Pharmaceutical Group Ltd.

    120,000       135,077  

China South City Holdings Ltd.(c)

    2,040,000       43,336  

China Tobacco International HK Co. Ltd.

    124,000       155,072  

China Traditional Chinese Medicine Holdings Co. Ltd.

    868,000       478,927  

China Travel International Investment Hong Kong Ltd.

    868,000       148,498  

China Water Affairs Group Ltd.(c)

    248,000       170,095  

China XLX Fertiliser Ltd.

    262,000       105,819  

China Youran Dairy Group Ltd.(b)(c)

    558,000       89,669  

Chinasoft International Ltd.

    620,000       403,857  

CIMC Enric Holdings Ltd.

    240,000       192,991  

Cloud Music Inc.(a)(b)(c)

    19,550       219,536  

CMGE Technology Group Ltd.(a)(c)

    620,000       76,741  

COFCO Joycome Foods Ltd.(a)(c)

    1,116,000       218,001  

Concord New Energy Group Ltd.

    2,480,000       205,575  

Cosmopolitan International Holdings Ltd., NVS(c)

    144,000       33,694  

CSG Holding Co. Ltd.

    384,400       118,322  

Dada Nexus Ltd., ADR(a)(c)

    28,954       60,803  

Daqo New Energy Corp., ADR(a)

    11,718       249,359  

Digital China Holdings Ltd.

    310,000       105,509  

Dongyue Group Ltd.

    480,000       429,647  

DPC Dash Ltd., NVS(c)

    12,400       89,648  

Everest Medicines Ltd.(a)(b)

    60,000       184,530  

FIH Mobile Ltd. (a)(c)

    1,980,000       122,500  

FinVolution Group, ADR

    49,166       257,138  

Fu Shou Yuan International Group Ltd.

    481,000       314,165  

Fufeng Group Ltd.

    434,400       266,322  

GDS Holdings Ltd.(a)

    279,000       236,969  

Gemdale Properties & Investment Corp. Ltd.(c)

    2,644,000       89,222  

Genertec Universal Medical Group Co. Ltd.(b)

    310,000       169,982  

Global New Material International Holdings Ltd.(a)

    372,000       182,218  

Golden Solar New Energy Technology Holdings Ltd. (a)(c)

    288,800       141,643  

Grand Pharmaceutical Group Ltd., Class A

    403,000       183,975  

Greentown China Holdings Ltd.

    279,000       224,141  

Greentown Management Holdings Co. Ltd.(b)

    240,000       151,075  

Greentown Service Group Co. Ltd.

    438,000       157,370  

Guangzhou R&F Properties Co. Ltd., Class H(a)(c)

    504,000       65,334  

Gushengtang Holdings Ltd.(c)

    48,000       263,497  
Security   Shares     Value  
China (continued)            

Haichang Ocean Park Holdings Ltd.(a)(b)(c)

    960,000     $ 92,070  

Hainan Meilan International Airport Co. Ltd.,
Class H(a)(c)

    62,000       58,399  

Hangzhou Steam Turbine Power Group Co. Ltd., Class B

    132,057        118,341  

Harbin Electric Co. Ltd., Class H

    240,000       73,125  

Helens International Holdings Co. Ltd. (c)

    150,000       63,712  

Hello Group Inc., ADR

    46,490       306,369  

Hopson Development Holdings Ltd.(a)(c)

    341,087       163,001  

Hua Han Health Industry Holdings Ltd.(d)

    1,112,400       1  

Huabao International Holdings Ltd.(c)

    300,000       89,327  

HUTCHMED China Ltd.(a)(c)

    180,000       556,195  

HUYA Inc., ADR(a)(c)

    31,992       111,972  

iDreamSky Technology Holdings Ltd.(a)(b)(c)

    396,800       102,706  

InnoCare Pharma Ltd.(a)(b)

    248,000       163,216  

Jinchuan Group International Resources Co. Ltd.

    1,054,000       88,547  

JinkoSolar Holding Co. Ltd., ADR

    13,440       363,418  

Jinxin Fertility Group Ltd.(a)(b)(c)

    713,000       220,949  

Jiumaojiu International Holdings Ltd.(b)

    310,000       215,167  

JOYY Inc., ADR

    9,610       302,715  

Kangji Medical Holdings Ltd.

    217,000       176,647  

Keymed Biosciences Inc.(a)(b)(c)

    60,000       259,872  

Kingboard Laminates Holdings Ltd.

    217,000       134,698  

Kingsoft Cloud Holdings Ltd.(a)

    116,000       23,557  

Kingsoft Cloud Holdings Ltd., ADR(a)(c)

    33,660       96,604  

Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing Ltd.

    420,000       119,755  

Legend Holdings Corp., Class H(b)

    83,100       69,414  

Lepu Biopharma Co. Ltd.(c)

    241,000       114,813  

LexinFintech Holdings Ltd., ADR

    10,050       18,492  

Lifetech Scientific Corp. (a)(c)

    1,364,000       345,902  

LK Technology Holdings Ltd.

    180,000       78,726  

Lonking Holdings Ltd.

    744,000       125,009  

Lufax Holding Ltd., Class A, ADR

    49,600       154,752  

Luye Pharma Group Ltd. (a)(b)(c)

    589,000       217,548  

Maoyan Entertainment(a)(b)

    124,000       136,730  

Medlive Technology Co. Ltd.(b)

    93,000       88,484  

Meitu Inc.(b)(c)

    806,000       265,252  

MH Development Ltd.(d)

    32,500       151  

Microport Cardioflow Medtech Corp.(a)(b)(c)

    480,000       79,371  

Microport Scientific Corp.(a)

    229,400       225,020  

Midea Real Estate Holding Ltd.(b)

    108,000       60,167  

Ming Yuan Cloud Group Holdings Ltd.(a)(c)

    310,000       88,362  

Minth Group Ltd.

    222,000       377,679  

MMG Ltd.(a)

    960,000       256,994  

Mobvista Inc.(a)(b)(c)

    240,000       100,513  

National Agricultural Holdings Ltd., NVS(d)

    354,000        

Nayuki Holdings Ltd.(a)

    180,000       70,632  

NetDragon Websoft Holdings Ltd.(c)

    105,000       150,855  

New Horizon Health Ltd.(a)(b)(c)

    91,000       236,958  

Nexteer Automotive Group Ltd.(c)

    300,000       138,227  

Nine Dragons Paper Holdings Ltd.(a)

    434,000       201,216  

Noah Holdings Ltd., ADR

    11,580       128,770  

Ocumension Therapeutics(a)(b)

    125,000       82,383  

Peijia Medical Ltd.(a)(b)(c)

    186,000       120,974  

Ping An Healthcare and Technology Co. Ltd.(a)(b)

    136,400       211,494  

Poly Property Group Co. Ltd.

    637,000       117,038  

Qingdao Ainnovation Technology Group Co.
Ltd.(a)(b)

    80,600       71,671  

Radiance Holdings Group Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    248,000       67,785  

Redco Properties Group Ltd.(a)(b)(c)(d)

    570,000       42,055  

RLX Technology Inc., ADR

    178,064       347,225  

SciClone Pharmaceuticals Holdings Ltd.(b)

    124,000       206,560  

Seazen Group Ltd.(a)(c)

    720,000       101,556  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  59


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
China (continued)            

Shanghai Industrial Holdings Ltd.

    186,000     $ 243,245  

Shenzhen International Holdings Ltd.

    480,000       404,757  

Shenzhen Investment Ltd.

    840,000       112,465  

Shoucheng Holdings Ltd.(c)

    879,200       169,554  

Shougang Fushan Resources Group Ltd.

    620,000       258,157  

Shui On Land Ltd.

    964,000       87,242  

Sihuan Pharmaceutical Holdings Group Ltd.(c)

    1,860,000       135,416  

Simcere Pharmaceutical Group Ltd.(b)

    186,000       132,323  

Sinopec Engineering Group Co. Ltd., Class H

    502,500       275,513  

Sinopec Kantons Holdings Ltd.

    372,000       168,670  

Skyworth Group Ltd.

    396,000       139,217  

SOHO China Ltd.(a)

    1,085,000       95,227  

SSY Group Ltd.

    480,000       268,868  

Sun King Technology Group Ltd.(a)

    10,000       1,456  

Sunac Services Holdings Ltd.(b)(c)

    372,000       94,574  

Superb Summit International Group Ltd.(d)

    11,913        

SY Holdings Group Ltd.(c)

    248,000       134,400  

TCL Electronics Holdings Ltd.

    372,000       135,964  

Tiangong International Co. Ltd.

    496,000       113,817  

Tianli International Holdings Ltd.

    434,000       260,560  

Tianneng Power International Ltd.(c)

    240,000       216,368  

Tong Ren Tang Technologies Co. Ltd., Class H

    220,000       144,270  

Tongdao Liepin Group(a)

    124,000       61,347  

Towngas Smart Energy Co. Ltd.(c)

    360,000       129,929  

Triumph New Energy Co. Ltd., Class H (a)(c)

    120,000       81,096  

Tuya Inc.(a)

    72,420       142,667  

Untrade SMI Holdings(d)

    468,800       1  

Untradelumena Newmat, NVS(d)

    5,249        

Up Fintech Holding Ltd., ADR(a)(c)

    33,590       135,032  

Venus MedTech Hangzhou Inc., Class H(a)(b)(d)

    103,500       60,938  

Vnet Group Inc., ADR(a)(c)

    40,176       62,273  

Wasion Holdings Ltd.

    240,000       150,280  

Weibo Corp., ADR

    18,538       169,067  

Weimob Inc.(a)(b)(c)

    806,000       215,826  

West China Cement Ltd.

    1,080,000       124,109  

XD Inc.(a)(c)

    86,800       161,675  

Xinte Energy Co. Ltd.(a)

    99,200       132,529  

Xtep International Holdings Ltd.

    341,000       188,585  

Yeahka Ltd.(a)(c)

    72,000       116,562  

Yidu Tech Inc. (a)(b)

    235,600       126,673  

Yihai International Holding Ltd.

    180,000       251,985  

Youdao Inc., ADR(a)

    2,466       10,752  

Yuexiu REIT

    992,000       132,791  

Yuexiu Transport Infrastructure Ltd.

    464,000       263,652  

Zhou Hei Ya International Holdings Co. Ltd.(b)

    496,000       114,583  

Zonqing Environmental Ltd., NVS(c)

    18,000       51,153  
   

 

 

 
       29,603,730  
Czech Republic — 0.0%            

Colt CZ Group SE

    2,622       68,779  

Philip Morris CR AS(c)

    141       93,338  
   

 

 

 
      162,117  
Egypt — 0.4%            

Abou Kir Fertilizers & Chemical Industries

    49,650       65,021  

Cairo For Investment & Real Estate Developments - CIRA Education

    134,772       35,107  

Cleopatra Hospital(a)

    470,267       55,389  

E-Finance for Digital & Financial Investments, NVS

    136,613       57,471  

EISewedy Electric Co.

    267,345       182,577  

Ezz Steel Co. SAE(a)

    66,310       101,468  

Fawry for Banking & Payment Technology Services SAE(a)

    339,221       48,980  
Security   Shares     Value  
Egypt (continued)            

Misr Fertilizers Production Co. SAE

    159,225     $ 195,783  

Talaat Moustafa Group

    499,040       650,846  

Telecom Egypt Co.

    212,632       160,148  
   

 

 

 
      1,552,790  
Greece — 0.5%            

Aegean Airlines SA(a)

    17,608       239,406  

Athens Water Supply & Sewage Co. SA(c)

    14,136       84,336  

GEK Terna Holding Real Estate Construction SA

    19,323       297,392  

Hellenic Energy Holdings SA

    25,544       232,745  

Holding Co. ADMIE IPTO SA

    52,700       130,144  

LAMDA Development SA(a)

    28,830       210,638  

Sarantis SA

    13,516       133,956  

Terna Energy SA

    17,484       313,066  

Titan Cement International SA

    12,462       353,559  
   

 

 

 
      1,995,242  
Hungary — 0.1%            

Magyar Telekom Telecommunications PLC

    112,778       256,026  
   

 

 

 
India — 26.0%            

360 ONE WAM Ltd.

    42,036       363,230  

3M India Ltd.

    1,020       393,375  

Aarti Drugs Ltd.

    16,616       99,627  

Aarti Industries Ltd.

    55,986       442,850  

Aarti Pharmalabs Ltd., NVS

    17,608       103,752  

Aavas Financiers Ltd.(a)

    15,126       265,152  

Action Construction Equipment Ltd.

    9,144       139,410  

Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd.(a)

    113,088       306,752  

Advanced Enzyme Technologies Ltd.

    33,480       155,234  

Aegis Logistics Ltd.

    47,280       250,815  

Affle India Ltd.(a)

    19,800       266,320  

AGI Greenpac Ltd.

    9,052       89,396  

AIA Engineering Ltd.

    13,020       573,587  

Ajanta Pharma Ltd.

    13,640       363,223  

Alembic Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

    16,262       199,597  

Alkyl Amines Chemicals

    6,014       155,530  

Allcargo Logistics Ltd.

    104,718       107,665  

Alok Industries Ltd.(a)

    386,520       134,340  

Amara Raja Energy & Mobility Ltd.

    35,154       355,657  

Amber Enterprises India Ltd.(a)

    6,060       269,064  

Anand Rathi Wealth Ltd.

    6,200       272,543  

Angel One Ltd.

    11,904       399,538  

Apar Industries Ltd.

    5,642       425,643  

Apollo Tyres Ltd.

    100,440       627,060  

Aptus Value Housing Finance India Ltd.

    58,218       246,924  

Archean Chemical Industries Ltd., NVS

    18,228       166,142  

Asahi India Glass Ltd.

    33,780       218,275  

Aster DM Healthcare Ltd.(a)(b)

    46,748       266,828  

AstraZeneca Pharma India Ltd.

    1,922       127,874  

Atul Ltd.

    4,278       320,625  

Avanti Feeds Ltd.

    15,424       94,199  

Bajaj Electricals Ltd.

    14,074       168,994  

Bajel Projects Ltd., NVS

    10,015       26,240  

Balaji Amines Ltd.

    4,154       108,866  

Balrampur Chini Mills Ltd.

    43,752       196,535  

BASF India Ltd.

    5,084       201,990  

Bata India Ltd.

    18,538       315,122  

Bayer CropScience Ltd.

    4,526       309,463  

BEML Ltd., (Acquired 02/10/22, Cost: $142,261)(e)

    6,572       246,787  

Bharat Dynamics Ltd.

    14,880       324,314  

Biocon Ltd.

    123,132       409,646  

Birla Corp. Ltd.

    9,060       178,984  

Birlasoft Ltd.

    53,100       496,281  
 

 

 

60  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
India (continued)            

BLS International Services Ltd.

    41,788     $ 184,001  

Blue Dart Express Ltd.

    2,046       148,909  

Blue Star Ltd.

    40,140       614,356  

Borosil Renewables Ltd.(a)

    20,040       129,716  

Brigade Enterprises Ltd.

    40,362       485,781  

Brightcom Group Ltd.(a)

    508,152       105,410  

Brookfield India Real Estate Trust(b)

    61,256       187,093  

BSE Ltd.

    20,398       582,665  

Campus Activewear Ltd.(a)

    23,746       69,749  

Can Fin Homes Ltd.

    27,528       256,886  

Carborundum Universal Ltd.

    34,100       439,354  

Castrol India Ltd.

    114,191       286,632  

CCL Products India Ltd.

    29,202       221,790  

CE Info Systems Ltd.

    5,952       129,506  

Ceat Ltd.

    6,944       238,893  

Central Depository Services India Ltd.

    16,554       382,860  

Century Plyboards India Ltd.

    18,972       161,855  

Century Textiles & Industries Ltd.

    17,050       289,788  

Cera Sanitaryware Ltd.

    1,860       169,934  

CESC Ltd.

    195,600       299,625  

Chalet Hotels Ltd.(a)

    26,102       254,618  

Chambal Fertilisers and Chemicals Ltd.

    59,280       250,769  

Chemplast Sanmar Ltd.(a)

    26,820       152,216  

Chennai Petroleum Corp. Ltd.

    10,292       109,733  

Cholamandalam Financial Holdings Ltd.

    31,062       392,767  

CIE Automotive India Ltd.

    45,322       240,466  

City Union Bank Ltd.

    110,280       179,307  

Clean Science & Technology Ltd.

    7,680       130,648  

CMS Info Systems Ltd.

    47,306       219,078  

Cochin Shipyard Ltd., NVS

    26,970       283,883  

Coforge Ltd.

    17,732       1,401,716  

Computer Age Management Services Ltd.

    13,589       502,227  

Coromandel International Ltd.

    36,180       468,993  

Craftsman Automation Ltd.

    2,728       137,720  

CreditAccess Grameen Ltd.(a)

    18,360       325,170  

CRISIL Ltd.

    5,828       351,955  

Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals Ltd.

    184,946       647,823  

Cyient Ltd.

    25,606       625,724  

Data Patterns India Ltd.(a)

    6,944       207,590  

Deepak Fertilisers & Petrochemicals Corp. Ltd.

    24,180       147,316  

Deepak Nitrite Ltd.

    19,980       532,114  

Delhivery Ltd.(a)

    109,740       623,824  

Devyani International Ltd.(a)

    110,988       204,906  

Dixon Technologies India Ltd.

    9,920       797,474  

Dr Lal PathLabs Ltd.(b)

    12,247       346,985  

Easy Trip Planners Ltd., NVS

    224,564       130,869  

eClerx Services Ltd.

    8,112       247,065  

Edelweiss Financial Services Ltd.

    187,736       172,057  

EID Parry India Ltd.

    32,882       249,707  

EIH Ltd.

    63,302       307,789  

Elecon Engineering Co. Ltd.

    13,620       164,464  

Electronics Mart India Ltd., NVS

    41,292       102,805  

Electrosteel Castings Ltd.

    75,144       144,912  

Elgi Equipments Ltd.

    58,320       458,853  

Emami Ltd.

    60,003       336,465  

Embassy Office Parks REIT

    251,472        1,133,677  

Endurance Technologies Ltd.(b)

    10,500       235,032  

Engineers India Ltd.

    88,102       222,440  

EPL Ltd.

    55,862       126,076  

Equitas Small Finance Bank Ltd.(b)

    191,880       230,349  

Eris Lifesciences Ltd.(a)(b)

    16,058       170,766  

Exide Industries Ltd.

    149,640       576,912  
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
India (continued)            

Federal Bank Ltd.

    545,160     $ 987,977  

Fine Organic Industries Ltd.

    2,640       137,808  

Finolex Cables Ltd.

    22,382       248,203  

Finolex Industries Ltd.

    87,720       230,835  

Firstsource Solutions Ltd.

    129,394       320,046  

Five-Star Business Finance Ltd., NVS

    36,518       310,866  

Fortis Healthcare Ltd.

    138,922       682,378  

Galaxy Surfactants Ltd.

    3,591       109,835  

GE T&D India Ltd.(a)

    5,566       61,180  

Genus Power Infrastructures Ltd.

    23,460       70,706  

GHCL Ltd.

    23,374       143,870  

Gland Pharma Ltd.(a)(b)

    9,224       196,415  

GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

    12,896       337,016  

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

    45,120       503,574  

Global Health Ltd., NVS(a)

    27,218       447,731  

GMM Pfaudler Ltd.

    11,718       183,703  

Go Fashion India Ltd.(a)

    10,920       148,978  

Godawari Power and Ispat Ltd.

    21,762       194,178  

Godfrey Phillips India Ltd.

    4,529       161,089  

Godrej Industries Ltd.(a)

    23,684       228,799  

Gokaldas Exports Ltd.

    16,430       166,961  

Granules India Ltd.

    44,330       248,290  

Graphite India Ltd.

    32,340       233,335  

Gravita India Ltd.

    8,308       95,539  

Great Eastern Shipping Co. Ltd. (The)

    33,914        411,476  

Greaves Cotton Ltd.

    63,302       115,274  

Greenpanel Industries Ltd.

    21,824       101,452  

Grindwell Norton Ltd.

    13,980       351,503  

Gujarat Ambuja Exports Ltd.

    25,620       121,179  

Gujarat Fluorochemicals Ltd.

    8,494       379,380  

Gujarat Gas Ltd.

    41,416       282,563  

Gujarat Mineral Development Corp. Ltd.

    27,466       129,171  

Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers & Chemicals Ltd.

    29,946       231,150  

Gujarat Pipavav Port Ltd.

    48,608       122,639  

Gujarat State Fertilizers & Chemicals Ltd.

    82,620       216,473  

Gujarat State Petronet Ltd.

    93,620       416,298  

Happiest Minds Technologies Ltd.

    24,676       251,846  

HBL Power Systems Ltd.

    33,720       211,206  

HFCL Ltd.

    241,440       311,895  

HG Infra Engineering Ltd.

    11,618       123,219  

Himadri Speciality Chemical Ltd.

    56,854       252,424  

Hindustan Construction Co. Ltd.(a)

    262,384       131,957  

Hindustan Copper Ltd.

    78,058       253,683  

Hindustan Foods Ltd.(a)

    16,058       100,151  

Hitachi Energy India Ltd.

    3,534       255,566  

ICICI Securities Ltd.(b)

    33,687       331,888  

IDFC Ltd.(a)

    385,454       540,688  

IFCI Ltd.(a)

    214,024       118,180  

IIFL Finance Ltd.

    64,728       459,916  

India Cements Ltd. (The)(a)

    56,544       155,806  

Indiabulls Housing Finance Ltd.

    130,386       297,209  

Indiabulls Real Estate Ltd.(a)

    147,932       212,747  

IndiaMART Intermesh Ltd.(b)

    9,052       290,104  

Indian Energy Exchange Ltd.(b)

    138,600       236,946  

Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd., NVS

    190,446       344,642  

Indigo Paints Ltd.

    4,898       82,611  

Indo Count Industries Ltd.

    31,000       126,996  

Infibeam Avenues Ltd.

    285,758       126,653  

Inox Wind Ltd.(a)

    30,690       223,208  

Intellect Design Arena Ltd.

    28,080       373,943  

ION Exchange India Ltd., NVS

    27,000       157,349  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

    61  


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
India (continued)            

Ipca Laboratories Ltd.

    42,284     $ 607,367  

IRB Infrastructure Developers Ltd., NVS

    391,778       296,638  

IRCON International Ltd.(b)

    112,964       311,331  

Jai Balaji Industries Ltd., NVS

    7,936       122,754  

Jai Corp. Ltd.

    18,972       72,026  

Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd.(a)

    128,588       85,089  

Jaiprakash Associates Ltd.(a)

    359,878       86,371  

Jaiprakash Power Ventures Ltd.(a)

    1,110,482        243,291  

Jammu & Kashmir Bank Ltd. (The)

    72,044       124,380  

JB Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd., NVS

    21,638       407,901  

JBM Auto Ltd.

    8,556       223,333  

Jindal Saw Ltd.

    37,944       218,794  

JK Cement Ltd.

    11,408       620,601  

JK Lakshmi Cement Ltd.

    19,964       221,142  

JK Paper Ltd.

    28,148       126,722  

JK Tyre & Industries Ltd.

    23,498       147,493  

JM Financial Ltd.

    164,424       190,640  

Jubilant Ingrevia Ltd.

    24,311       141,153  

Jubilant Pharmova Ltd., Class A

    25,296       173,052  

Jupiter Wagons Ltd., NVS

    37,200       166,829  

Just Dial Ltd.(a)

    9,908       110,510  

Jyothy Labs Ltd.

    49,352       275,007  

Kajaria Ceramics Ltd.

    26,880       413,551  

Kalpataru Projects International Ltd.

    29,884       347,366  

Kalyan Jewellers India Ltd.

    81,902       392,538  

Kansai Nerolac Paints Ltd.

    62,496       218,267  

Karnataka Bank Ltd. (The)

    61,814       169,135  

Karur Vysya Bank Ltd. (The)

    134,520       297,361  

Kaveri Seed Co. Ltd.

    13,920       111,428  

Kaynes Technology India Ltd., NVS

    8,308       294,477  

KEC International Ltd.

    41,168       360,181  

KEI Industries Ltd.

    17,223       665,614  

Kirloskar Brothers Ltd.

    6,120       67,838  

Kirloskar Ferrous Industries Ltd.

    25,668       164,528  

Kirloskar Oil Engines Ltd.

    28,334       312,333  

KNR Constructions Ltd.

    57,288       184,739  

KPI Green Energy Ltd.(b)

    4,762       99,939  

KPIT Technologies Ltd.

    52,140       985,392  

KPR Mill Ltd.

    27,652       256,197  

KRBL Ltd.

    22,754       88,311  

Krishna Institute Of Medical Sciences Ltd.(a)(b)

    15,624       424,606  

KSB Ltd.

    4,898       216,179  

L&T Finance Holdings Ltd.

    240,622       484,155  

Lakshmi Machine Works Ltd.

    1,626       283,764  

Laurus Labs Ltd.(b)

    105,958       518,888  

Laxmi Organic Industries Ltd.

    35,774       109,090  

Lemon Tree Hotels Ltd.(a)(b)

    168,454       283,084  

LIC Housing Finance Ltd.

    95,976       749,155  

Lloyds Engineering Works Ltd., NVS

    170,906       120,547  

LT Foods Ltd.

    57,480       124,725  

Mahanagar Gas Ltd.

    16,058       287,006  

Maharashtra Seamless Ltd.

    16,740       185,571  

Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services Ltd.

    156,860       534,976  

Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd.

    31,868       222,005  

Manappuram Finance Ltd.

    177,780       378,078  

Mastek Ltd.

    7,130       251,995  

Max Financial Services Ltd.(a)

    76,756       895,686  

Medplus Health Services Ltd.(a)

    18,166       152,519  

Metropolis Healthcare Ltd.(b)

    9,060       174,929  

Mindspace Business Parks REIT(b)

    62,040       254,420  

Mishra Dhatu Nigam Ltd.(b)

    19,468       95,210  

Motherson Sumi Wiring India Ltd.

    599,040       505,957  
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
India (continued)            

Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd.

    12,896     $ 250,554  

MTAR Technologies Ltd.(a)

    7,068       163,272  

Multi Commodity Exchange of India Ltd.

    8,494       384,769  

Narayana Hrudayalaya Ltd.

    23,002       372,182  

Natco Pharma Ltd.

    24,651       295,654  

National Aluminium Co. Ltd.

    257,486       482,883  

Navin Fluorine International Ltd.

    9,734       354,834  

Nazara Technologies Ltd.(a)

    11,966       107,569  

NBCC India Ltd.

    182,838       296,852  

NCC Ltd./India

    152,768       455,264  

Network18 Media & Investments Ltd.(a)

    72,420       93,246  

Neuland Laboratories Ltd.

    2,666       229,369  

Newgen Software Technologies Ltd.

    22,444       229,708  

Nexus Select Trust, NVS

    152,086       231,459  

NIIT Learning Systems Ltd., NVS

    28,148       176,340  

Nippon Life India Asset Management Ltd.(b)

    42,284       263,120  

NLC India Ltd.

    44,268       118,763  

NMDC Steel Ltd., NVS(a)

    244,714       181,196  

Nuvama Wealth Management Ltd., NVS

    2,480       122,957  

Nuvoco Vistas Corp. Ltd.(a)

    31,186       124,529  

Olectra Greentech Ltd.

    12,090       286,356  

Orient Cement Ltd.

    42,842       117,300  

Orient Electric Ltd.

    40,858       102,669  

Orissa Minerals Development Co. Ltd. (The)(a)

    660       53,957  

Paisalo Digital Ltd.

    67,642       150,390  

Patel Engineering Ltd.(a)

    106,640       86,721  

PB Fintech Ltd.(a)

    76,074       1,070,082  

PCBL Ltd.

    91,800       316,754  

PDS Ltd.

    9,176       56,637  

Phoenix Mills Ltd. (The)

    30,628        1,016,275  

Piramal Enterprises Ltd.

    33,170       366,001  

Piramal Pharma Ltd., NVS(a)

    162,613       258,660  

PNB Housing Finance Ltd.(a)(b)

    35,340       295,698  

PNC Infratech Ltd.

    42,036       216,983  

Poly Medicure Ltd.

    12,028       226,441  

Polyplex Corp. Ltd.

    6,263       65,080  

Poonawalla Fincorp Ltd.

    82,020       461,608  

Praj Industries Ltd.

    41,602       249,960  

Pricol Ltd.(a)

    28,272       137,618  

Procter & Gamble Health Ltd.

    2,760       169,464  

PTC Industries Ltd., NVS

    1,302       132,045  

PVR Inox Ltd.(a)

    22,072       364,993  

Quess Corp. Ltd.(b)

    24,240       150,203  

Radico Khaitan Ltd.

    24,490       463,140  

Rain Industries Ltd.

    70,432       156,188  

Rainbow Children’s Medicare Ltd.

    18,240       298,295  

Rajesh Exports Ltd.(a)

    21,700       80,664  

Rajratan Global Wire Ltd.

    8,760       66,463  

Ramco Cements Ltd. (The)

    33,108       333,263  

Ramkrishna Forgings Ltd.

    31,558       297,629  

Ratnamani Metals & Tubes Ltd.

    9,238       337,609  

RattanIndia Enterprises Ltd.(a)

    153,060       154,230  

Raymond Ltd.

    11,940       263,983  

RBL Bank Ltd.(b)

    146,568       459,725  

Redington Ltd.

    181,226       451,335  

Relaxo Footwears Ltd.

    23,100       233,013  

Reliance Infrastructure Ltd.(a)

    73,153       194,433  

Reliance Power Ltd.(a)

    871,906       254,701  

Restaurant Brands Asia Ltd.(a)

    117,924       152,045  

Rhi Magnesita India Ltd.

    20,760       142,833  

Route Mobile Ltd.

    11,460       220,396  

Safari Industries India Ltd.

    8,742       214,680  
 

 

 

62  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
India (continued)            

Sanofi India Ltd.

    2,451     $ 254,013  

Sapphire Foods India Ltd.(a)

    11,532       208,842  

Saregama India Ltd.

    30,660       148,760  

Sharda Cropchem Ltd.

    8,760       37,860  

Sheela Foam Ltd.(a)

    13,206       165,026  

Shivalik Bimetal Controls Ltd., NVS

    7,936       51,645  

Shoppers Stop Ltd.(a)

    18,042       161,475  

Shree Renuka Sugars Ltd.(a)

    261,268       146,634  

SJVN Ltd.

    239,100        350,076  

SKF India Ltd.

    7,874       448,507  

Sobha Ltd.

    13,680       257,566  

Sonata Software Ltd.

    55,180       538,805  

South Indian Bank Ltd. (The)

    356,700       138,718  

Star Health & Allied Insurance Co. Ltd.(a)

    42,656       288,131  

Sterling and Wilson Renewable Energy Ltd.(a)

    22,692       165,367  

Sterlite Technologies Ltd.

    64,800       107,104  

Sumitomo Chemical India Ltd.

    33,294       150,297  

Sun TV Network Ltd.

    25,320       187,950  

Sundram Fasteners Ltd.

    35,526       458,268  

Suprajit Engineering Ltd.

    40,500       207,778  

Supreme Petrochem Ltd., NVS

    23,808       209,578  

Surya Roshni Ltd., NVS

    12,710       91,906  

Suven Pharmaceuticals Ltd.(a)

    34,740       263,562  

Swan Energy Ltd.

    5,836       52,450  

Syngene International Ltd.(b)

    54,292       461,820  

Tamilnad Mercantile Bank Ltd., NVS

    22,402       130,654  

Tanla Platforms Ltd.

    21,240       250,278  

Tata Chemicals Ltd.

    42,904       484,720  

Tata Investment Corp. Ltd.

    3,906       340,907  

Tata Teleservices Maharashtra Ltd.(a)

    187,674       197,819  

TCI Express Ltd.

    4,740       63,944  

TeamLease Services Ltd.(a)

    4,154       150,702  

Tejas Networks Ltd.(a)(b)

    23,400       210,625  

Texmaco Rail & Engineering Ltd.

    68,963       157,067  

Thanga Mayil Jewellery Ltd., NVS

    5,201       85,786  

Timken India Ltd.

    9,238       302,747  

Titagarh Rail System Ltd.

    20,340       229,875  

Transport Corp. of India Ltd.

    9,920       99,205  

Trident Ltd.

    428,110       218,167  

Triveni Engineering & Industries Ltd.

    33,840       134,616  

Triveni Turbine Ltd.

    47,740       286,412  

TTK Prestige Ltd.

    15,600       140,611  

TV18 Broadcast Ltd.(a)

    226,020       162,325  

UNO Minda Ltd.

    63,860       514,485  

Usha Martin Ltd.

    51,578       204,603  

UTI Asset Management Co. Ltd.

    14,460       155,947  

Vardhman Textiles Ltd.

    36,390       187,408  

Varroc Engineering Ltd.(a)(b)

    17,360       101,826  

V-Guard Industries Ltd.

    55,920       218,893  

Vijaya Diagnostic Centre Pvt Ltd.

    17,918       139,275  

Vinati Organics Ltd.

    9,780       196,515  

VIP Industries Ltd.

    24,420       162,667  

V-Mart Retail Ltd.(a)

    4,320       99,497  

Voltamp Transformers Ltd.

    1,429       151,781  

Voltas Ltd.

    58,590       783,027  

Welspun Corp. Ltd.

    35,960       221,414  

Welspun Living Ltd.

    80,104       149,235  

West Coast Paper Mills Ltd.

    10,230       76,538  

Westlife Foodworld Ltd.

    21,576       194,730  

Whirlpool of India Ltd.

    9,238       140,041  

Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd.(a)

    241,304       467,079  

Zen Technologies Ltd.

    11,543       119,841  
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
India (continued)            

Zensar Technologies Ltd.

    38,502     $ 254,981  

ZF Commercial Vehicle Control Systems India Ltd.

    1,680       294,278  
   

 

 

 
       94,160,078  
Indonesia — 1.8%            

Ace Hardware Indonesia Tbk PT

    2,281,600       121,251  

AKR Corporindo Tbk PT

    2,517,200       272,303  

Astra Agro Lestari Tbk PT

    90,000       38,392  

Astrindo Nusantara Infrastructure Tbk PT(a)

    13,640,000       71,173  

Bank Aladin Syariah Tbk PT(a)

    2,380,800       162,103  

Bank BTPN Syariah Tbk PT

    756,000       66,147  

Bank Bukopin Tbk PT(a)

    15,975,352       78,276  

Bank Jago Tbk PT(a)

    1,295,800       224,221  

Bank Pembangunan Daerah Jawa Barat Dan Banten Tbk PT

    840,064       64,415  

Bank Tabungan Negara Persero Tbk PT

    1,339,200       121,963  

Berkah Beton Sadaya Tbk PT(a)

    7,350,000       23,385  

BFI Finance Indonesia Tbk PT

    2,932,600       257,524  

Bukalapak.com PT Tbk(a)

    17,492,400       175,151  

Bukit Asam Tbk PT

    1,153,200       187,761  

Bumi Resources Minerals Tbk PT(a)

    18,336,000       168,017  

Bumi Resources Tbk PT(a)

    16,524,100       91,479  

Bumi Serpong Damai Tbk PT(a)

    1,605,800       103,581  

Ciputra Development Tbk PT

    2,982,063       240,994  

Elang Mahkota Teknologi Tbk PT

    3,831,600       114,647  

Energi Mega Persada Tbk PT, NVS(a)

    3,858,000       49,591  

Erajaya Swasembada Tbk PT

    2,592,000       78,181  

Hanson International Tbk PT(a)(d)

    25,794,200        

Harum Energy Tbk PT(a)

    840,000       66,926  

Indika Energy Tbk PT

    576,000       49,848  

Indo Tambangraya Megah Tbk PT

    117,800       196,334  

Indocement Tunggal Prakarsa Tbk PT

    316,200       182,582  

Industri Jamu Dan Farmasi Sido Muncul Tbk PT

    2,219,657       86,865  

Inti Agri Resources Tbk PT(a)(d)

    12,327,500        

Japfa Comfeed Indonesia Tbk PT

    1,560,000       114,158  

Jasa Marga Persero Tbk PT

    682,000       235,566  

Lippo Karawaci Tbk PT(a)

    10,912,000       52,078  

Map Aktif Adiperkasa PT

    3,515,400       246,067  

Medco Energi Internasional Tbk PT

    1,908,512       158,698  

Media Nusantara Citra Tbk PT

    1,612,000       33,440  

Medikaloka Hermina Tbk PT

    1,767,000       142,237  

Metro Healthcare Indonesia TBK PT(a)

    6,324,000       59,155  

Mitra Adiperkasa Tbk PT

    2,591,600       316,602  

Pabrik Kertas Tjiwi Kimia Tbk PT

    480,000       209,227  

Pacific Strategic Financial Tbk PT(a)

    2,394,000       169,096  

Pakuwon Jati Tbk PT

    4,878,000       126,024  

Panin Financial Tbk PT(a)

    3,740,500       61,933  

Perusahaan Gas Negara Tbk PT

    2,926,400       203,019  

Perusahaan Perkebunan London Sumatra Indonesia Tbk PT

    990,000       53,279  

Sawit Sumbermas Sarana Tbk PT

    1,104,000       79,735  

Smartfren Telecom Tbk PT(a)

    56,351,800       190,051  

Sugih Energy Tbk PT(a)(d)

    1,824,800        

Summarecon Agung Tbk PT

    3,150,050       110,134  

Surya Citra Media Tbk PT

    7,872,000       74,714  

Surya Esa Perkasa Tbk PT

    2,718,000       89,072  

Transcoal Pacific Tbk PT

    318,000       159,432  

Waskita Karya Persero Tbk PT(a)(d)

    3,225,094       33,164  

XL Axiata Tbk PT

    1,314,000       199,002  
   

 

 

 
      6,408,993  
Kuwait — 1.1%            

Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait KSCP

    319,424       266,178  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

    63  


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Kuwait (continued)            

Ali Alghanim Sons Automotive Co. KSCC, NVS

    48,794     $ 186,263  

Boubyan Petrochemicals Co. KSCP

    117,741       233,450  

Boursa Kuwait Securities Co. KPSC

    34,380       228,214  

Burgan Bank SAK

    286,860       193,000  

Commercial Real Estate Co. Ksc

    418,128       163,039  

Gulf Cable & Electrical Industries Co. KSCP

    38,254       185,583  

Humansoft Holding Co. KSC

    30,341       332,248  

Jazeera Airways Co. KSCP

    32,222       118,208  

Kuwait International Bank KSCP

    274,298       147,160  

Kuwait Projects Co. Holding KSCP(a)

    630,292       258,068  

Kuwait Telecommunications Co.

    131,502       258,883  

National Industries Group Holding SAK

    610,824       475,431  

National Investments Co. KSCP

    152,644       141,360  

National Real Estate Co. KPSC(a)

    408,084       105,292  

Salhia Real Estate Co. KSCP

    133,672       199,802  

Shamal Az-Zour Al-Oula for the First Phase of Az-Zour Power Plant KSC

    179,924       99,547  

Warba Bank KSCP

    458,490       280,361  
   

 

 

 
       3,872,087  
Malaysia — 2.3%            

AFFIN Bank Bhd

    179,800       97,832  

Alliance Bank Malaysia Bhd

    336,000       252,170  

Axis Real Estate Investment Trust

    427,800       159,563  

Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd

    168,400       87,380  

Bermaz Auto Bhd

    426,100       219,088  

British American Tobacco Malaysia Bhd

    54,144       95,270  

Bumi Armada Bhd(a)(c)

    840,000       97,354  

Bursa Malaysia Bhd

    186,050       293,198  

Carlsberg Brewery Malaysia Bhd

    60,000       240,986  

Chin Hin Group Bhd, NVS(a)

    222,000       181,642  

CTOS Digital Bhd

    452,600       144,110  

D&O Green Technologies Bhd(a)

    180,000       126,071  

Dialog Group Bhd

    992,000       438,984  

DRB-Hicom Bhd

    348,000       102,096  

Fraser & Neave Holdings Bhd

    43,400       269,792  

Frontken Corp. Bhd

    434,050       336,625  

Greatech Technology Bhd(a)

    136,400       137,392  

HAP Seng Consolidated Bhd

    73,700       68,645  

Hartalega Holdings Bhd(a)

    522,000       276,250  

Heineken Malaysia Bhd

    48,200       230,157  

Hibiscus Petroleum Bhd

    255,080       135,911  

IJM Corp. Bhd

    630,000       284,487  

IOI Properties Group Bhd(c)

    489,800       237,412  

Kossan Rubber Industries Bhd

    468,000       185,405  

Lotte Chemical Titan Holding Bhd(a)(b)

    210,000       52,218  

Magnum Bhd

    99,250       23,633  

Malaysia Building Society Bhd(c)

    1,074,100       172,326  

Malaysian Pacific Industries Bhd(c)

    24,000       147,038  

My EG Services Bhd

    1,831,500       311,071  

Padini Holdings Bhd

    180,000       128,585  

Pentamaster Corp. Bhd

    222,050       200,985  

PMB Technology Bhd(a)

    130,200       76,822  

Sam Engineering & Equipment M Bhd

    99,200       99,712  

Scientex Bhd

    276,000       226,239  

Sime Darby Property Bhd

    1,074,500       174,728  

SP Setia Bhd Group(c)

    606,100       108,130  

Sports Toto Bhd

    148,806       44,841  

Sunway REIT

    483,600       158,975  

Supermax Corp. Bhd

    628,616       109,995  

Syarikat Takaful Malaysia Keluarga Bhd

    30,144       23,630  

TIME dotCom Bhd

    389,400       451,809  

Top Glove Corp. Bhd(a)

    1,866,000       316,700  
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Malaysia (continued)            

TSH Resources Bhd

    260,400     $ 57,097  

Unisem M Bhd(c)

    120,000       84,371  

United Plantations Bhd

    49,600       231,198  

UWC Bhd(a)

    174,000       125,964  

ViTrox Corp. Bhd

    89,600       141,608  

VS Industry Bhd

    905,250       141,261  

Yinson Holdings Bhd

    353,400       189,900  
   

 

 

 
       8,496,656  
Mexico — 2.0%            

Alsea SAB de CV(a)

    148,800       570,258  

Bolsa Mexicana de Valores SAB de CV

    119,500       257,730  

Concentradora Fibra Danhos SA de CV(c)

    49,600       59,686  

Controladora Vuela Cia. de Aviacion SAB de CV, Class A(a)(c)

    297,600       216,509  

Corp Inmobiliaria Vesta SAB de CV

    248,035       869,507  

FIBRA Macquarie Mexico(b)

    223,461       439,600  

GCC SAB de CV

    49,620       523,908  

Genomma Lab Internacional SAB de CV, Class B

    204,600       157,973  

Gentera SAB de CV

    347,200       521,892  

Grupo Rotoplas SAB de CV

    80,626       137,844  

Grupo Televisa SAB, CPO

    706,800       422,564  

Grupo Traxion SAB de CV, Class A(a)(b)

    108,337       196,217  

La Comer SAB de CV

    148,800       347,899  

Megacable Holdings SAB de CV, CPO

    86,800       223,668  

Nemak SAB de CV(a)(b)

    882,096       180,101  

Ollamani SAB, NVS

    3,200       5,402  

Qualitas Controladora SAB de CV

    62,000       696,417  

Regional SAB de CV

    74,400       694,183  

TF Administradora Industrial S de Real de CV(c)

    241,800       577,678  
   

 

 

 
      7,099,036  
Panama — 0.1%            

Intercorp Financial Services Inc.

    7,502       204,805  
   

 

 

 
Philippines — 0.7%            

Alliance Global Group Inc.

    806,000       147,966  

AREIT Inc.

    240,000       148,999  

Bloomberry Resorts Corp.(a)

    1,260,000       251,485  

Century Pacific Food Inc.

    415,400       247,548  

Converge Information and Communications Technology Solutions Inc.(a)

    600,000       96,104  

D&L Industries Inc.

    840,100       101,024  

DMCI Holdings Inc.

    924,000       180,148  

GT Capital Holdings Inc.

    30,380       379,919  

LT Group Inc.

    731,600       123,636  

Manila Water Co. Inc.

    372,000       128,643  

Megaworld Corp.

    1,984,000       68,170  

Puregold Price Club Inc.

    310,000       151,650  

Robinsons Land Corp.

    612,000       178,250  

Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc.

    49,600       33,087  

Security Bank Corp.

    110,400       139,436  

Semirara Mining & Power Corp., Class A

    260,400       149,621  

Wilcon Depot Inc.

    474,000       182,129  
   

 

 

 
      2,707,815  
Poland — 1.3%            

Alior Bank SA(a)

    28,024       673,195  

AmRest Holdings SE(a)

    24,720       154,917  

Asseco Poland SA

    14,788       277,709  

Bank Millennium SA(a)

    189,420       473,953  

CCC SA(a)

    13,950       265,910  

Enea SA(a)

    93,109       228,030  

Grupa Azoty SA(a)(c)

    17,633       99,531  
 

 

 

64  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Poland (continued)            

Grupa Kety SA

    2,852     $ 503,687  

Jastrzebska Spolka Weglowa SA,
Class S(a)(c)

    16,920       174,874  

KRUK SA

    5,580       588,360  

Orange Polska SA

    203,112       415,700  

Tauron Polska Energia SA(a)

    347,924       315,612  

Text SA

    5,700       136,465  

Warsaw Stock Exchange

    6,360       70,179  

XTB SA(b)

    17,732       214,129  
   

 

 

 
       4,592,251  
Qatar — 0.7%            

Al Meera Consumer Goods Co. QSC

    22,568       80,209  

Baladna(a)

    290,100       101,531  

Doha Bank QPSC

    557,504       252,076  

Estithmar Holding QPSC(a)

    258,480       140,351  

Gulf International Services QSC

    276,656       217,903  

Gulf Warehousing Co.

    74,834       64,501  

Medicare Group

    68,356       86,717  

Qatar Aluminum Manufacturing Co.

    731,972       255,081  

Qatar Navigation QSC

    288,300       869,683  

Qatari Investors Group QSC

    114,290       59,468  

United Development Co. QSC

    408,022       115,865  

Vodafone Qatar QSC

    534,254       253,465  
   

 

 

 
      2,496,850  
Russia — 0.0%            

Credit Bank of Moscow PJSC(a)(d)

    4,743,600       518  

Detsky Mir PJSC(a)(b)(d)

    238,520       26  

Federal Grid Co. Rosseti PJSC(a)(d)

    142,040,000       16  

Globaltrans Investment PLC, GDR(a)(d)(f)

    36,180       4  

IPJSC United Medical Group, GDR(d)(f)

    11,658       1  

Lenta PJSC, GDR(a)(d)

    58,692       6  

LSR Group PJSC, Class A(d)

    16,818       2  

Mosenergo PJSC(d)

    4,900,000       536  

QIWI PLC, ADR(a)(d)

    20,971       2  

Rostelecom PJSC(d)

    373,860       41  

Segezha Group PJSC(a)(b)(d)

    1,675,000       183  

Sistema AFK PAO(d)

    1,865,280       204  

Sovcomflot PJSC(d)

    338,350       37  

Unipro PJSC(a)(d)

    4,288,000       469  
   

 

 

 
      2,045  
Saudi Arabia — 4.1%            

Abdullah Al Othaim Markets Co.

    136,524       485,908  

Al Hammadi Holding

    25,920       462,385  

Al Jouf Agricultural Development Co.

    6,518       94,199  

Al Masane Al Kobra Mining Co.

    9,982       155,707  

Al Moammar Information Systems Co.

    5,260       204,222  

Al Rajhi Co. for Co-operative Insurance(a)

    13,950       315,663  

Al Rajhi REIT

    73,253       175,793  

Alamar Foods, NVS

    3,240       93,132  

Al-Dawaa Medical Services Co.

    11,594       354,322  

Aldrees Petroleum and Transport Services Co.

    11,346       546,191  

AlKhorayef Water & Power Technologies
Co.(a)

    4,657       301,253  

Almunajem Foods Co.

    6,448       180,606  

Alujain Corp.(a)

    14,136       159,188  

Arabian Cement Co./Saudi Arabia

    17,422       152,564  

Arabian Contracting Services Co.

    5,078       355,567  

Arriyadh Development Co.

    32,580       205,342  

Astra Industrial Group

    12,338       555,988  

Catrion Catering Holding Co.

    13,454       479,283  

City Cement Co.

    27,387       139,604  

Eastern Province Cement Co.

    15,180       145,239  

Electrical Industries Co.

    148,428       166,622  
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Saudi Arabia (continued)            

Emaar Economic City(a)

    122,450     $ 266,207  

Fawaz Abdulaziz Al Hokair & Co.(a)

    19,964       95,500  

Halwani Brothers Co.(a)

    6,882       102,241  

Herfy Food Services Co.

    6,060       59,174  

Jadwa REIT Saudi Fund

    61,256       213,970  

Jahez International Co., NVS

    26,670       253,688  

Jamjoom Pharmaceuticals Factory Co., NVS

    6,448       248,109  

Leejam Sports Co. JSC

    8,280       475,565  

Maharah Human Resources Co.

    74,958       146,577  

Methanol Chemicals Co.(a)

    16,802       77,847  

Middle East Healthcare Co.(a)

    12,710       412,110  

Middle East Paper Co.

    13,702       161,530  

National Agriculture Development Co. (The)(a)

    49,600       437,880  

National Co. for Learning & Education

    6,262       282,519  

National Gas & Industrialization Co.

    12,400       283,457  

National Industrialization Co.(a)

    39,618       139,233  

National Medical Care Co.

    7,688       412,563  

Perfect Presentation For Commercial Services Co., NVS(a)

    19,778       184,580  

Qassim Cement Co. (The)

    13,380       212,279  

Saudi Arabia Refineries Co.

    4,650       114,691  

Saudi Automotive Services Co.

    10,122       254,825  

Saudi Cement Co.

    22,072       274,848  

Saudi Ceramic Co.

    15,314       126,467  

Saudi Chemical Co. Holding

    142,800       203,940  

Saudi Ground Services Co.(a)

    33,960       374,888  

Saudi Pharmaceutical Industries & Medical Appliances Corp.(a)

    18,120       184,930  

Saudi Public Transport Co.(a)

    28,080       155,438  

Saudi Real Estate Co.(a)

    53,320       285,402  

Saudia Dairy & Foodstuff Co.

    5,040       510,813  

Seera Group Holding(a)

    49,980       445,120  

Sinad Holding Co.(a)

    23,374       87,256  

Southern Province Cement Co.

    17,940       191,105  

Sustained Infrastructure Holding Co.

    18,352       152,921  

Tanmiah Food Co.

    2,511       89,230  

Theeb Rent A Car Co.

    8,928       176,041  

United Electronics Co.

    12,745       324,890  

United International Transportation Co.

    13,950       328,770  

Yamama Cement Co.

    34,380       330,827  

Yanbu Cement Co.

    24,420       205,112  
   

 

 

 
       15,011,321  
South Africa — 3.0%            

Adcock Ingram Holdings Ltd.

    16,554       48,411  

AECI Ltd.

    17,090       86,615  

African Rainbow Minerals Ltd.

    30,938       272,345  

Astral Foods Ltd.

    13,578       103,838  

AVI Ltd.

    101,256       472,070  

Barloworld Ltd.

    40,300       141,302  

Burstone Group Ltd.

    243,102       97,089  

Coronation Fund Managers Ltd.

    75,480       122,822  

Dis-Chem Pharmacies Ltd.(b)

    124,868       198,825  

DRDGOLD Ltd.

    156,420       106,152  

Equites Property Fund Ltd.

    238,920       163,227  

Fortress REIT Ltd., Series B, Class B(a)

    392,150       339,809  

Foschini Group Ltd. (The)

    100,800       550,505  

Grindrod Ltd.

    228,360       153,589  

Growthpoint Properties Ltd.

    977,554       596,828  

Hosken Consolidated Investments Ltd.(a)

    13,740       126,123  

Hyprop Investments Ltd.(c)

    118,769       194,049  

Investec Ltd.

    77,252       485,826  

JSE Ltd.

    23,374       106,804  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

    65  


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
South Africa (continued)            

Life Healthcare Group Holdings Ltd.(c)

    385,206     $ 352,469  

Momentum Metropolitan Holdings

    320,044       347,743  

Motus Holdings Ltd.

    50,964       246,184  

Mr. Price Group Ltd.

    78,180       693,304  

MultiChoice Group(a)

    84,506       460,025  

Netcare Ltd.

    319,052       225,565  

Ninety One Ltd.

    55,268       112,723  

Oceana Group Ltd.

    35,650       132,488  

Omnia Holdings Ltd.

    28,946       94,173  

Pick n Pay Stores Ltd.

    117,004       123,470  

PSG Financial Services Ltd.

    340,689       269,816  

Redefine Properties Ltd.(c)

    2,083,944       434,964  

Resilient REIT Ltd.(c)

    93,540       229,900  

Reunert Ltd.

    55,180       187,520  

Santam Ltd.

    13,920       219,686  

Sappi Ltd.

    156,178       375,951  

SPAR Group Ltd. (The)(a)

    54,808       279,041  

Super Group Ltd./South Africa

    111,352       153,327  

Telkom SA SOC Ltd.(a)

    92,340       139,136  

Thungela Resources Ltd.

    39,060       213,832  

Tiger Brands Ltd.

    48,732       506,884  

Truworths International Ltd.(c)

    117,300       439,539  

Vukile Property Fund Ltd.

    272,493       209,839  

Wilson Bayly Holmes-Ovcon Ltd.(a)

    23,160       157,036  
   

 

 

 
       10,970,844  
South Korea — 13.1%            

ABLBio Inc.(a)

    11,842       202,401  

Advanced Nano Products Co. Ltd.(a)

    2,914       306,136  

AfreecaTV Co. Ltd.

    2,480       239,940  

Ahnlab Inc.(c)

    2,040       109,704  

Alteogen Inc.(a)(c)

    11,160       1,343,066  

Amorepacific Group

    9,362       187,758  

Asiana Airlines Inc.(a)

    16,980       148,484  

BGF retail Co. Ltd.

    2,542       252,229  

BH Co. Ltd.

    8,006       102,940  

Bioneer Corp.(a)

    7,200       132,524  

BNK Financial Group Inc.

    75,144       423,702  

Boryung

    13,144       117,608  

Canariabio Inc.(a)

    44,392       33,137  

Caregen Co. Ltd.

    5,100       89,380  

Cellivery Therapeutics Inc.(a)(c)(d)

    10,519       42,215  

Chabiotech Co. Ltd.(a)

    14,323       180,292  

Cheil Worldwide Inc.

    19,034       264,430  

Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical Corp.

    2,356       191,332  

Chunbo Co. Ltd.(a)

    1,984       135,025  

CJ CGV Co. Ltd.(a)

    25,143       116,826  

CJ Corp.(a)

    4,092       298,029  

CJ ENM Co. Ltd.(a)

    3,300       197,010  

CJ Logistics Corp.(a)

    2,852       266,528  

Classys Inc.

    6,882       166,427  

Com2uSCorp

    2,880       92,354  

Cosmax Inc.(a)

    2,542       205,514  

Cosmochemical Co. Ltd.(a)

    8,509       224,956  

Creative & Innovative System(a)(c)

    20,274       169,497  

CS Wind Corp.

    8,060       313,720  

Cuckoo Homesys Co. Ltd.(a)

    4,712       71,036  

Curexo Inc.(a)

    8,946       100,357  

Daeduck Electronics Co. Ltd./New(a)(c)

    10,478       175,832  

Daejoo Electronic Materials Co. Ltd.(a)

    4,278       242,399  

Daesang Corp.(a)

    9,480       139,945  

Daewoo Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd.(a)

    53,568       160,281  

Daewoong Co. Ltd.

    8,100       133,761  
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
South Korea (continued)            

Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

    1,620     $ 139,485  

Daishin Securities Co. Ltd.(a)

    13,020       160,701  

Daou Technology Inc.

    7,316       119,469  

Dawonsys Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    10,354       100,240  

DB HiTek Co. Ltd.

    9,920       346,723  

Dentium Co. Ltd.(a)

    2,356       255,645  

DGB Financial Group Inc.

    45,446       302,555  

DL E&C Co. Ltd.

    8,804       245,027  

DL Holdings Co. Ltd.(a)

    3,968       141,854  

Dong-A Socio Holdings Co. Ltd.

    1,302       106,533  

Dong-A ST Co. Ltd.

    1,922       108,269  

Dongjin Semichem Co. Ltd.(a)

    10,920       306,475  

DongKook Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

    10,049       124,633  

Dongkuk Steel Mill Co. Ltd/New

    12,338       119,934  

Dongsuh Companies Inc.

    15,004       197,032  

Dongwha Enterprise Co. Ltd.(a)

    2,326       120,487  

Dongwon F&B Co. Ltd.(a)

    3,385       80,934  

Doosan Co. Ltd.(a)

    2,340       160,263  

Doosan Fuel Cell Co. Ltd.(a)

    14,446        215,901  

Doosan Tesna Inc.(a)

    4,216       135,694  

DoubleUGames Co. Ltd.

    3,844       133,833  

Douzone Bizon Co. Ltd.(a)

    5,332       182,729  

Duk San Neolux Co. Ltd.(a)

    3,480       101,751  

Ecopro HN Co. Ltd.

    3,840       173,125  

E-MART Inc.(a)

    5,642       313,834  

EMRO Inc., NVS

    2,480       100,833  

EM-Tech Co. Ltd.

    4,650       126,672  

Enchem Co. Ltd.(a)

    2,542       537,259  

Eo Technics Co. Ltd.(a)

    2,700       416,523  

Eoflow Co. Ltd.(a)

    3,492       13,512  

ESR Kendall Square REIT Co. Ltd.

    50,816       152,156  

Eugene Technology Co. Ltd.

    5,208       147,676  

F&F Co. Ltd./New

    2,852       155,065  

Fila Holdings Corp.

    14,322       412,780  

Foosung Co. Ltd.(a)

    17,655       110,881  

Gaonchips Co. Ltd.(a)

    1,364       109,091  

GC Cell Corp.

    3,410       101,706  

GemVax & Kael Co. Ltd.(a)

    10,440       96,148  

GOLFZON Co. Ltd.(a)

    1,984       116,966  

Green Cross Corp.

    2,046       181,163  

Green Cross Holdings Corp.

    9,660       119,542  

GS Engineering & Construction Corp.(a)

    19,344       232,055  

GS Retail Co. Ltd.

    11,780       197,414  

HAESUNG DS Co. Ltd.

    3,667       127,473  

Hana Materials Inc.(c)

    3,348       119,857  

Hana Micron Inc.(a)

    11,656       227,498  

Hana Tour Service Inc.(a)

    4,195       207,426  

Hanall Biopharma Co. Ltd.(a)

    10,788       282,257  

Handsome Co. Ltd.

    5,882       84,390  

Hanil Cement Co. Ltd./New

    11,780       107,586  

Hankook & Co. Co. Ltd.

    7,874       100,737  

Hanmi Science Co. Ltd.(a)

    6,696       207,335  

Hansae Co. Ltd.

    5,958       91,370  

Hansol Chemical Co. Ltd.(a)

    2,790       357,580  

Hanssem Co. Ltd.

    2,852       103,819  

Hanwha Corp.

    12,772       282,669  

Hanwha Investment & Securities Co. Ltd.(a)

    47,678       159,540  

Hanwha Life Insurance Co. Ltd.(a)

    93,372       221,271  

Hanwha Systems Co. Ltd.

    21,390       268,278  

HD Hyundai Construction Equipment Co. Ltd.

    3,780       153,074  

HD Hyundai Electric Co. Ltd.

    6,758       633,048  

HD Hyundai Infracore Co. Ltd.

    40,740       246,719  
 

 

 

66  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
South Korea (continued)            

HDC Hyundai Development Co-Engineering & Construction, Class E

    12,276     $ 183,316  

Hite Jinro Co. Ltd.(c)

    10,020       150,380  

HL Mando Co. Ltd.

    10,503       262,225  

HLB Life Science Co. Ltd.(a)

    26,288       278,748  

Hotel Shilla Co. Ltd.

    6,944       313,408  

HPSP Co. Ltd.

    11,594        448,797  

Hugel Inc.(a)

    1,984       273,513  

Hyosung Advanced Materials Corp.

    930       233,319  

Hyosung Corp.

    2,976       133,717  

Hyosung Heavy Industries Corp.

    1,550       224,373  

Hyosung TNC Corp.

    806       175,423  

Hyundai Bioscience Co. Ltd.(a)

    10,850       169,029  

Hyundai Department Store Co. Ltd.

    4,838       190,657  

Hyundai Elevator Co. Ltd.(a)

    7,502       224,890  

Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance Co. Ltd.(a)

    16,740       395,930  

Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Co. Ltd.(a)

    4,960       234,293  

Hyundai Rotem Co. Ltd.(c)

    23,374       588,575  

Hyundai Wia Corp.(a)

    5,394       244,081  

Il Dong Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.(a)

    6,135       72,468  

Iljin Hysolus Co. Ltd.(a)

    6,448       114,015  

Innocean Worldwide Inc.

    5,766       94,960  

Innox Advanced Materials Co. Ltd.

    5,270       125,636  

Intellian Technologies Inc.(a)

    2,852       117,440  

IS Dongseo Co. Ltd.

    5,520       114,947  

ISC Co. Ltd.

    3,472       188,300  

i-SENS Inc.

    6,572       113,249  

ISU Specialty Chemical, NVS(a)

    1,240       305,528  

IsuPetasys Co. Ltd.

    14,460       333,682  

JB Financial Group Co. Ltd.

    31,864       314,928  

Jeisys Medical Inc.(a)

    21,328       126,398  

Jeju Semiconductor Corp.(a)

    7,750       157,724  

Jin Air Co. Ltd.(a)

    11,520       108,156  

JR Global REIT

    63,054       195,181  

Jusung Engineering Co. Ltd.

    10,354       286,483  

JW Pharmaceutical Corp.

    4,774       118,236  

JYP Entertainment Corp.(a)

    7,688       425,507  

K Car Co. Ltd., NVS

    8,680       80,088  

Kakao Games Corp.(a)

    13,516       238,750  

KCC Corp.

    1,500       299,447  

KCC Glass Corp.

    4,774       147,171  

KEPCO Engineering & Construction Co. Inc.(a)

    5,208       277,684  

KEPCO Plant Service & Engineering Co. Ltd.(a)

    7,800       218,128  

KG Dongbusteel

    16,864       95,106  

KIWOOM Securities Co. Ltd.(a)

    4,364       412,509  

KMW Co. Ltd.(a)

    8,308       88,782  

Koh Young Technology Inc.

    17,174       248,283  

Kolmar Korea Co. Ltd.(a)

    4,514       161,063  

Kolon Industries Inc.

    6,180       180,245  

KoMiCo Ltd.

    2,542       118,440  

Korea Electric Terminal Co. Ltd.

    1,860       88,802  

Korea Gas Corp.(a)

    8,665       188,832  

Korea Line Corp.(a)

    62,806       96,926  

Korea Petrochemical Ind Co. Ltd.

    1,302       139,478  

Korean Reinsurance Co.(a)

    39,494       238,778  

Kumho Tire Co. Inc.(a)

    41,974       198,914  

Kyung Dong Navien Co. Ltd.

    2,943       117,356  

L&C Bio Co. Ltd.

    8,122       145,215  

Lake Materials Co. Ltd.(a)

    11,883       186,841  

LEENO Industrial Inc.

    2,976       466,246  

LegoChem Biosciences Inc.(a)

    8,308       331,670  

LIG Nex1 Co. Ltd.

    3,720       400,679  
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
South Korea (continued)            

Lotte Corp.

    2,389     $ 54,181  

Lotte Energy Materials Corp.

    7,254       190,150  

Lotte Fine Chemical Co. Ltd.

    5,332       190,369  

LOTTE REIT Co. Ltd.

    47,460       111,585  

Lotte Rental Co. Ltd.

    4,526       91,818  

Lotte Shopping Co. Ltd.

    3,410       198,911  

Lotte Tour Development Co. Ltd.(a)

    15,996       108,757  

LS Corp.

    5,394       356,657  

LS Electric Co. Ltd.

    4,800       231,451  

Lunit Inc.(a)

    6,060       278,032  

LX International Corp.

    8,866       183,020  

LX Semicon Co. Ltd.

    3,660       207,388  

Mcnex Co. Ltd.

    4,581       87,605  

Medytox Inc.

    1,612       191,799  

MegaStudyEdu Co. Ltd.

    2,820       131,662  

Mezzion Pharma Co. Ltd.(a)

    7,192        218,330  

Myoung Shin Industrial Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    11,904       144,194  

Naturecell Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    20,088       105,207  

Neowiz Games Corp.

    3,360       55,949  

Nexon Games Co. Ltd.(a)

    9,734       101,949  

NEXTIN Inc.(a)

    2,976       170,864  

NHN Corp.

    5,332       106,415  

NICE Information Service Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    12,772       102,798  

NKMax Co. Ltd.(a)

    25,080       30,624  

NongShim Co. Ltd.

    992       259,069  

OCI Co. Ltd.

    1,922       122,185  

OCI Holdings Co. Ltd.

    4,650       328,664  

Orion Holdings Corp.

    7,080       76,048  

Oscotec Inc.(a)

    9,362       156,230  

Ottogi Corp.(c)

    660       198,908  

Pan Ocean Co. Ltd.

    84,134       308,046  

Paradise Co. Ltd.

    14,818       141,018  

Park Systems Corp.

    1,800       233,637  

Partron Co. Ltd.

    13,260       78,381  

Pearl Abyss Corp.(a)

    6,448       146,964  

People & Technology Inc.(a)

    6,267       190,627  

Peptron Inc.(a)

    7,006       121,270  

PharmaResearch Co. Ltd.

    2,160       152,752  

PI Advanced Materials Co. Ltd.(a)

    6,420       101,588  

Poongsan Corp.

    5,084       164,887  

Posco M-Tech Co. Ltd.(a)

    6,200       114,228  

PSK Inc.

    8,618       164,767  

Rainbow Robotics(a)(c)

    2,820       342,865  

S&S Tech Corp.

    5,456       180,909  

S-1 Corp.

    4,898       213,477  

Sam Chun Dang Pharm Co. Ltd.(a)

    4,320       232,275  

Sam-A Aluminum Co. Ltd.

    1,560       116,245  

Sambu Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd.(a)

    67,794       122,952  

Samyang Foods Co. Ltd.

    1,364       175,078  

Samyang Holdings Corp.

    1,612       88,266  

SD Biosensor Inc.(a)(c)

    16,740       157,795  

Sebang Global Battery Co. Ltd.

    2,220       132,812  

Seegene Inc.

    11,718       219,151  

Seojin System Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    9,360       144,098  

Seoul Semiconductor Co. Ltd.(a)

    13,206       98,920  

SFA Engineering Corp.(c)

    6,014       112,870  

SFA Semicon Co. Ltd.(a)

    26,640       120,156  

Shin Poong Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.(a)

    11,491       103,949  

Shinsegae Inc.

    2,170       285,064  

Shinsegae International Inc.(c)

    5,952       73,849  

Shinsung Delta Tech Co. Ltd.

    5,084       469,610  

SIMMTECH Co. Ltd.(a)

    7,254       155,764  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

    67  


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
South Korea (continued)            

SK Chemicals Co. Ltd.

    4,920     $ 251,245  

SK Networks Co. Ltd.(a)

    34,782       171,296  

SK oceanplant Co. Ltd.(a)

    9,486       92,722  

SK REITs Co. Ltd.

    50,282       146,807  

SL Corp.

    5,952       151,291  

SM Entertainment Co. Ltd.

    3,540       208,347  

SNT Motiv Co. Ltd.

    3,660       122,264  

SOLUM Co. Ltd.(a)

    13,330       290,570  

Solus Advanced Materials Co. Ltd.

    12,022       109,468  

Soulbrain Co. Ltd.

    1,240       254,185  

Ssangyong C&E Co. Ltd.

    9,602       50,332  

ST Pharm Co. Ltd.

    3,596       171,637  

STCUBE(a)(c)

    17,050       80,703  

Studio Dragon Corp.(a)

    3,840       130,663  

Sungeel Hitech Co. Ltd.(a)

    1,712       126,352  

Synopex Inc.(a)

    18,508       122,729  

Taekwang Industrial Co. Ltd.(a)

    120       70,849  

Taihan Electric Wire Co. Ltd.(a)

    18,699       131,896  

TCC Steel(a)

    5,146       262,731  

TKG Huchems Co. Ltd.

    7,347       110,675  

Tokai Carbon Korea Co. Ltd.

    1,680       119,612  

Tongyang Life Insurance Co. Ltd.(a)

    15,190       66,481  

Unid Co. Ltd.

    1,295       75,774  

Vaxcell-Bio Therapeutics Co. Ltd.(a)

    6,572       94,720  

Voronoi Inc.(a)

    2,666       89,491  

Webzen Inc.

    7,874       98,683  

Wemade Co. Ltd.(a)

    5,881       206,342  

WONIK IPS Co. Ltd.(a)

    8,556       211,390  

Wonik QnC Corp.(a)

    5,880       124,286  

W-Scope Chungju Plant Co. Ltd.(a)

    3,534       119,856  

Wysiwyg Studious Co. Ltd.(a)

    36,193       75,049  

YG Entertainment Inc.

    3,972       122,258  

Youngone Corp.(a)

    8,060       266,159  
   

 

 

 
       47,464,167  
Taiwan — 22.1%            

AcBel Polytech Inc.

    186,773       251,995  

Acter Group Corp. Ltd.

    60,000       370,300  

ADATA Technology Co. Ltd.

    124,405       393,559  

Adimmune Corp.(a)

    124,000       115,543  

Advanced Ceramic X Corp.

    18,000       128,793  

Advanced Energy Solution Holding Co. Ltd.

    10,000       225,831  

Advanced Wireless Semiconductor Co.(a)

    60,596       270,874  

Airoha Technology Corp., NVS

    1,000       21,892  

Allis Electric Co. Ltd.

    16,000       50,618  

Andes Technology Corp.

    13,000       204,420  

AP Memory Technology Corp.

    28,000       403,551  

Arcadyan Technology Corp.

    60,541       353,117  

Ardentec Corp.

    129,000       289,720  

Asia Optical Co. Inc.

    124,000       263,432  

Asia Vital Components Co. Ltd.

    106,533       1,797,101  

ASMedia Technology Inc.

    8,000       597,128  

ASPEED Technology Inc.

    8,800       762,194  

AURAS Technology Co. Ltd.

    17,000       287,285  

BES Engineering Corp.

    496,000       191,531  

Bizlink Holding Inc.

    44,570       342,411  

Bora Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd.

    16,184       342,527  

Brighton-Best International Taiwan Inc.

    120,000       128,839  

Capital Securities Corp.

    600,530       318,496  

Career Technology MFG. Co. Ltd.

    127,986       84,475  

Cathay Real Estate Development Co. Ltd.

    186,300       109,059  

Center Laboratories Inc.

    171,435       258,345  

Century Iron & Steel Industrial Co. Ltd.

    60,000       488,715  
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Taiwan (continued)            

Chang Wah Electromaterials Inc.

    120,000     $ 146,360  

Chang Wah Technology Co. Ltd.

    153,500       167,834  

Channel Well Technology Co. Ltd.

    62,000       161,074  

Charoen Pokphand Enterprise

    73,300       225,322  

Cheng Loong Corp.

    240,000       220,175  

Cheng Uei Precision Industry Co. Ltd.

    120,000       172,632  

Chicony Electronics Co. Ltd.

    180,000        1,068,535  

Chicony Power Technology Co. Ltd.

    62,000       332,970  

China General Plastics Corp.

    124,700       80,297  

China Man-Made Fiber Corp.(a)

    500,031       122,252  

China Motor Corp.

    66,200       263,027  

China Petrochemical Development Corp.(a)

    1,178,145       350,714  

China Steel Chemical Corp.

    60,000       212,580  

Chin-Poon Industrial Co. Ltd.

    120,000       198,787  

Chipbond Technology Corp.

    175,000       393,135  

ChipMOS Technologies Inc.

    124,000       173,087  

Chong Hong Construction Co. Ltd.

    62,424       154,251  

Chroma ATE Inc.

    120,000       885,802  

Chung Hung Steel Corp.

    300,000       220,056  

Chung Hwa Pulp Corp.

    124,000       88,459  

Chung-Hsin Electric & Machinery Manufacturing Corp.

    120,000       650,725  

Cleanaway Co. Ltd.

    40,000       225,891  

Clevo Co.

    120,000       152,282  

Compeq Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

    300,000       723,036  

Coretronic Corp.

    62,400       140,358  

Co-Tech Development Corp.

    62,000       116,191  

CSBC Corp. Taiwan(a)

    248,361       144,467  

CTCI Corp.

    180,000       244,690  

Cub Elecparts Inc.

    46,615       189,682  

Darfon Electronics Corp.

    120,000       202,154  

Dynamic Holding Co. Ltd.

    62,000       147,233  

Dynapack International Technology Corp.

    61,000       156,894  

EirGenix Inc.(a)

    62,000       185,944  

Elan Microelectronics Corp.

    89,000       467,538  

Elite Material Co. Ltd.

    80,000       1,255,597  

Elite Semiconductor Microelectronics Technology Inc.

    84,000       248,800  

Ennoconn Corp.

    26,000       246,075  

ENNOSTAR Inc.(a)

    186,184       252,849  

Episil Technologies Inc.

    124,425       237,332  

Eternal Materials Co. Ltd.

    276,129       281,009  

Etron Technology Inc.

    124,506       212,099  

Evergreen International Storage & Transport Corp.

    186,000       196,580  

Everlight Electronics Co. Ltd.

    120,000       189,836  

Far Eastern Department Stores Ltd.

    248,000       191,059  

Far Eastern International Bank

    704,102       275,099  

Faraday Technology Corp.

    62,000       761,190  

Farglory Land Development Co. Ltd.

    92,000       163,578  

Feng Hsin Steel Co. Ltd.

    124,000       267,540  

Fitipower Integrated Technology Inc.

    332       2,539  

FLEXium Interconnect Inc.

    60,418       165,100  

FocalTech Systems Co. Ltd.

    62,000       191,467  

Formosa Sumco Technology Corp.

    29,000       143,690  

Formosa Taffeta Co. Ltd.

    240,000       179,239  

Fortune Electric Co. Ltd.

    38,000       648,111  

Foxconn Technology Co. Ltd.

    248,000       390,131  

Foxsemicon Integrated Technology Inc.

    25,200       191,440  

Fulgent Sun International Holding Co. Ltd.

    56,330       223,810  

Fusheng Precision Co. Ltd.

    26,000       185,275  

General Interface Solution Holding Ltd.

    62,000       114,236  

Genius Electronic Optical Co. Ltd.

    24,585       329,801  

Getac Holdings Corp.

    120,000       453,989  
 

 

 

68  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Taiwan (continued)            

Giant Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

    120,000     $ 775,502  

Global Brands Manufacture Ltd.

    117,000       241,762  

Global Mixed Mode Technology Inc.

    24,000       197,226  

Gloria Material Technology Corp.

    186,000       276,775  

Gold Circuit Electronics Ltd.

    116,600       949,349  

Goldsun Building Materials Co. Ltd.

    310,426       324,193  

Gourmet Master Co. Ltd.

    49,821       139,531  

Grand Pacific Petrochemical

    372,161       166,658  

Grape King Bio Ltd.

    62,000       304,266  

Great Tree Pharmacy Co. Ltd.

    19,649       190,352  

Great Wall Enterprise Co. Ltd.

    248,284       458,932  

Greatek Electronics Inc.

    63,000       119,260  

Gudeng Precision Industrial Co. Ltd.

    18,000        256,220  

Hannstar Board Corp.

    120,481       215,875  

HannStar Display Corp.(a)

    720,320       258,952  

Highwealth Construction Corp.

    366,909       460,853  

Hiwin Technologies Corp.

    62,044       471,440  

Holtek Semiconductor Inc.

    60,000       113,875  

Holy Stone Enterprise Co. Ltd.

    68,152       209,000  

Hota Industrial Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

    62,773       112,021  

Hotai Finance Co. Ltd.

    66,800       255,833  

Hsin Kuang Steel Co. Ltd.

    122,000       257,689  

HTC Corp.(a)

    248,000       383,209  

Huaku Development Co. Ltd.

    62,080       194,066  

IBF Financial Holdings Co. Ltd.(a)

    744,172       289,563  

Innodisk Corp.

    28,559       276,183  

International CSRC Investment Holdings Co.

    300,945       173,387  

International Games System Co. Ltd.

    36,000       970,951  

I-Sunny Construction & Development Co. Ltd.

    24,000       67,878  

ITE Technology Inc.

    60,000       313,365  

ITEQ Corp.

    62,559       176,603  

Jentech Precision Industrial Co. Ltd.

    24,399       710,451  

Jinan Acetate Chemical Co. Ltd.

    13,692       419,855  

Johnson Health Tech Co. Ltd.

    55,000       115,476  

Kaori Heat Treatment Co. Ltd.

    25,047       220,477  

Kenda Rubber Industrial Co. Ltd.

    248,260       237,616  

Kindom Development Co. Ltd.

    186,400       232,891  

King Slide Works Co. Ltd.

    17,000       730,388  

King Yuan Electronics Co. Ltd.

    310,000       872,939  

King’s Town Bank Co. Ltd.

    240,000       339,012  

Kinik Co.

    45,000       367,603  

Kinpo Electronics

    372,000       181,299  

Kinsus Interconnect Technology Corp.

    62,000       189,817  

KMC Kuei Meng International Inc.

    27,000       131,970  

L&K Engineering Co. Ltd.

    60,000       320,028  

Lien Hwa Industrial Holdings Corp.

    310,412       643,628  

Longchen Paper & Packaging Co. Ltd.

    249,775       110,259  

Lotes Co. Ltd.

    23,181       752,091  

Lotus Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

    62,000       568,658  

LuxNet Corp.

    58,082       286,910  

M31 Technology Corp.

    2,000       114,244  

Macronix International Co. Ltd.

    558,000       502,786  

Makalot Industrial Co. Ltd.

    62,391       734,320  

Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp.(a)

    83,071       160,836  

Mercuries & Associates Holding Ltd.(a)

    142,030       57,095  

Mercuries Life Insurance Co. Ltd.(a)

    558,558       87,477  

Merida Industry Co. Ltd.

    74,000       488,990  

Merry Electronics Co. Ltd.

    61,616       230,210  

Microbio Co. Ltd.

    141,827       208,635  

Mitac Holdings Corp.

    265,383       355,377  

MPI Corp.

    25,000       255,461  

Nan Kang Rubber Tire Co. Ltd.(a)

    160,000       199,262  
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Taiwan (continued)            

Nantex Industry Co. Ltd.

    124,000     $ 138,709  

Nuvoton Technology Corp.

    60,000       245,114  

OBI Pharma Inc.(a)

    67,769       143,592  

Oneness Biotech Co. Ltd.

    88,260       493,234  

Orient Semiconductor Electronics Ltd.

    124,000       284,489  

Oriental Union Chemical Corp.

    186,000       113,150  

Pan Jit International Inc.

    115,000       227,245  

Pan-International Industrial Corp.

    124,722       129,607  

PharmaEngine Inc.

    36,000       117,876  

Pharmally International Holding Co. Ltd.(d)

    21,603        

Phihong Technology Co. Ltd.(a)

    124,432       241,627  

Phison Electronics Corp.

    58,000        1,153,654  

Pixart Imaging Inc.

    60,635       328,465  

Polaris Group/Tw(a)

    124,000       277,254  

Powertech Technology Inc.

    186,000       919,103  

Poya International Co. Ltd.

    17,326       269,408  

President Securities Corp.

    240,623       156,109  

Primax Electronics Ltd.

    124,000       285,711  

Prince Housing & Development Corp.

    372,917       121,001  

Qisda Corp.

    434,000       633,596  

Quanta Storage Inc.

    56,000       137,271  

Radiant Opto-Electronics Corp.

    135,000       630,427  

Raydium Semiconductor Corp.

    18,000       254,926  

RichWave Technology Corp.(a)

    490       3,500  

Ruentex Industries Ltd.

    186,735       350,025  

Run Long Construction Co. Ltd.

    62,220       202,828  

Sanyang Motor Co. Ltd.

    180,820       427,714  

ScinoPharm Taiwan Ltd.

    120,708       96,938  

SDI Corp.

    61,000       199,934  

Sercomm Corp.

    62,000       266,038  

Shihlin Electric & Engineering Corp.

    62,000       367,296  

Shin Zu Shing Co. Ltd.

    60,856       325,507  

Shinfox Energy Co. Ltd.

    60,000       289,923  

Shinkong Synthetic Fibers Corp.

    420,135       202,863  

Sigurd Microelectronics Corp.

    124,124       276,519  

Silicon Integrated Systems Corp.

    180,000       245,777  

Simplo Technology Co. Ltd.

    60,600       818,079  

Sinbon Electronics Co. Ltd.

    62,000       507,030  

Sincere Navigation Corp.

    124,000       108,467  

Sino-American Silicon Products Inc.

    124,000       728,636  

Sinyi Realty Inc.

    120,778       112,524  

Sitronix Technology Corp.

    43,000       394,982  

Solar Applied Materials Technology Corp.

    180,943       253,259  

Sporton International Inc.

    27,300       203,307  

Standard Foods Corp.

    120,000       143,126  

Sunny Friend Environmental Technology Co. Ltd.

    37,106       123,927  

Sunonwealth Electric Machine Industry Co. Ltd.

    62,000       249,437  

Sunplus Technology Co. Ltd.

    180,000       188,687  

Supreme Electronics Co. Ltd.

    155,017       306,212  

Synmosa Biopharma Corp.

    124,866       154,060  

Systex Corp.

    60,000       214,651  

TA Chen Stainless Pipe

    510,232       579,833  

Ta Ya Electric Wire & Cable

    248,904       295,474  

Taichung Commercial Bank Co. Ltd.

    1,054,301       555,494  

TaiMed Biologics Inc.(a)

    60,000       209,978  

Tainan Spinning Co. Ltd.

    434,190       212,312  

Taiwan Cogeneration Corp.

    186,860       293,346  

Taiwan Fertilizer Co. Ltd.

    186,000       392,074  

Taiwan Glass Industry Corp.(a)

    360,000       207,925  

Taiwan Hon Chuan Enterprise Co. Ltd.

    109,004       501,620  

Taiwan Mask Corp.

    68,000       149,843  

Taiwan Paiho Ltd.

    106,050       194,353  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

    69  


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Taiwan (continued)            

Taiwan Secom Co. Ltd.

    80,450     $ 301,641  

Taiwan Semiconductor Co. Ltd.

    73,000       184,935  

Taiwan Shin Kong Security Co. Ltd.

    109,366       138,569  

Taiwan Surface Mounting Technology Corp.

    62,000       192,634  

Taiwan TEA Corp.(a)

    186,000       122,319  

Taiwan Union Technology Corp.

    62,000       307,200  

Taiwan-Asia Semiconductor Corp.

    120,000       159,570  

Tatung Co. Ltd.(a)

    480,000       788,975  

TCI Co. Ltd.

    37,528       190,918  

Teco Electric and Machinery Co. Ltd.

    360,000       560,961  

Test Research Inc.

    60,000       138,554  

Ton Yi Industrial Corp.

    300,000       147,161  

Tong Hsing Electronic Industries Ltd.

    62,478       299,505  

Tong Yang Industry Co. Ltd.

    120,133       375,906  

Topco Scientific Co. Ltd.

    62,704       385,950  

TPK Holding Co. Ltd.

    120,000       132,863  

Transcend Information Inc.

    62,000       156,981  

Tripod Technology Corp.

    124,000       817,541  

TSEC Corp.

    180,997       159,572  

TSRC Corp.

    248,000       179,033  

TTY Biopharm Co. Ltd.

    60,450       154,904  

Tung Ho Steel Enterprise Corp.

    186,750       456,547  

TXC Corp.

    124,000       391,905  

U-Ming Marine Transport Corp.

    124,000       218,112  

Union Bank of Taiwan

    248,372       111,595  

United Integrated Services Co. Ltd.

    60,400       560,666  

United Renewable Energy Co. Ltd.

    431,059       169,218  

UPC Technology Corp.

    360,741       167,322  

UPI Semiconductor Corp.(a)

    18,000       179,071  

USI Corp.

    240,070       138,383  

Via Technologies Inc.

    62,000       258,857  

VisEra Technologies Co. Ltd.

    32,000       310,955  

Visual Photonics Epitaxy Co. Ltd.

    60,425       312,491  

Wafer Works Corp.

    186,918       235,572  

Waffer Technology Corp.

    60,000       195,908  

Wah Lee Industrial Corp.

    61,340       216,570  

Walsin Technology Corp.

    120,000       426,237  

Win Semiconductors Corp.

    114,000       548,525  

Wisdom Marine Lines Co. Ltd.

    142,000       275,638  

Wistron NeWeb Corp.

    116,240       564,978  

WT Microelectronics Co. Ltd.

    186,711       1,014,084  

XinTec Inc.

    60,000       250,757  

Xxentria Technology Materials Corp.

    78,600       179,116  

YFY Inc.

    360,000       344,604  

Yieh Phui Enterprise Co. Ltd.

    310,586       149,814  

Yulon Finance Corp.

    62,285       326,597  

Yulon Motor Co. Ltd.

    186,955       418,987  

YungShin Global Holding Corp.

    60,200       89,590  
   

 

 

 
       79,923,343  
Thailand — 3.1%            

AEON Thana Sinsap Thailand PCL, NVDR(c)

    31,000       129,789  

Amata Corp. PCL, NVDR

    415,476       260,805  

AP Thailand PCL, NVDR

    674,800       197,717  

B Grimm Power PCL, NVDR(c)

    279,000       200,453  

Bangchak Corp. PCL, NVDR

    255,600       296,048  

Bangkok Chain Hospital PCL, NVDR

    427,300       251,388  

Bangkok Commercial Asset Management PCL, NVDR(c)

    582,800       136,664  

Bangkok Land PCL, NVDR(a)

    6,058,100       114,862  

Bangkok Life Assurance PCL, NVDR

    196,500       98,136  

Banpu PCL, NVDR

    1,258,600       196,519  

BCPG PCL, NVDR

    558,000       120,716  
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Thailand (continued)            

Betagro PCL, NVS

    223,200     $ 138,259  

Beyond Securities PCL, NVDR(a)(c)

    731,600       75,189  

Carabao Group PCL, NVDR

    111,600       216,538  

Central Plaza Hotel PCL, NVDR(a)(c)

    192,600       231,088  

CH Karnchang PCL, NVDR(c)

    440,200       285,753  

Chularat Hospital PCL, NVDR

    2,178,000       178,738  

CK Power PCL, NVDR

    1,097,500       120,642  

Com7 PCL, NVDR(c)

    384,400       222,595  

Dhipaya Group Holdings PCL, NVDR(c)

    142,600       116,222  

Ditto Thailand PCL, NVDR(c)

    99,200       66,575  

Eastern Polymer Group PCL, NVDR

    551,800       109,532  

Electricity Generating PCL, NVDR(c)

    74,400       243,806  

Erawan Group PCL (The), NVDR(a)

    1,249,900       165,416  

GFPT PCL, NVDR(c)

    260,400       86,334  

Gunkul Engineering PCL, NVDR(c)

    1,760,899       134,561  

Hana Microelectronics PCL, NVDR(c)

    192,200       199,152  

IRPC PCL, NVDR(c)

    3,038,000       165,177  

I-TAIL Corp. PCL, NVS

    248,000       125,963  

Jasmine International PCL, NVDR

    1,630,600       92,969  

Jaymart Group Holdings PCL, NVDR(c)

    246,000       96,807  

JMT Network Services PCL, NVDR

    217,000       135,463  

KCE Electronics PCL, NVDR(c)

    256,100       271,116  

Khon Kaen Sugar Industry PCL, NVDR

    1,426,030       98,607  

Kiatnakin Phatra Bank PCL, NVDR(c)

    99,232       142,565  

Major Cineplex Group PCL, NVDR(c)

    270,800       104,952  

MBK PCL, NVDR

    415,400       191,467  

Mega Lifesciences PCL, NVDR

    144,000       167,063  

MK Restaurants Group PCL, NVDR

    105,400       110,292  

Ngern Tid Lor PCL, NVDR(c)

    390,600       245,374  

Plan B Media PCL, NVDR

    984,080       240,480  

Pruksa Holding PCL, NVDR

    341,000       117,130  

PTG Energy PCL, NVDR(c)

    360,400       91,562  

Quality Houses PCL, NVDR(c)

    2,304,067       138,764  

Ratch Group PCL, NVDR(c)

    322,400       260,589  

Sansiri PCL, NVDR

    5,400,200       277,285  

Sappe PCL(c)

    49,600       119,579  

Siam Global House PCL, NVDR

    476,201       225,360  

Siamgas & Petrochemicals PCL, NVDR

    324,000       76,336  

Sino-Thai Engineering & Construction PCL, NVDR(c)

    466,128       131,252  

SISB PCL(c)

    130,200       150,995  

Sri Trang Agro-Industry PCL, NVDR(c)

    359,680       193,557  

Srisawad Corp. PCL, NVDR

    223,200       237,335  

Star Petroleum Refining PCL, NVDR

    688,200       171,366  

Supalai PCL, NVDR

    421,600       246,850  

Super Energy Corp. PCL, NVDR(a)

    4,741,300       44,948  

Thai Union Group PCL, NVDR

    793,600       318,917  

Thai Vegetable Oil PCL, NVDR

    285,260       167,028  

Thanachart Capital PCL, NVDR

    105,400       146,205  

Thonburi Healthcare Group PCL, NVDR(c)

    114,000       138,269  

Tipco Asphalt PCL, NVDR

    297,600       131,935  

TOA Paint Thailand PCL, NVDR(c)

    260,800       145,603  

TPI Polene Power PCL, NVDR

    1,822,800       171,785  

TTW PCL, NVDR(c)

    732,000       191,887  

VGI PCL, NVDR(c)

    2,399,450       95,838  

WHA Corp. PCL, NVDR(c)

    3,137,200       402,507  
   

 

 

 
       11,174,674  
Turkey — 2.6%            

Agrotech Yueksek Teknoloji VE Yatirim AS, NVS

    87,968       102,526  

Ahlatci Dogal Gaz Dagitim Enerji VE Yatirim AS

    248,248       106,512  

Akcansa Cimento A/S

    16,244       81,658  

Akfen Yenilenebilir Enerji A/S, NVS

    121,830       106,416  

Aksa Akrilik Kimya Sanayii AS

    46,376       157,995  
 

 

 

70  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
Turkey (continued)            

Alarko Holding A/S

    60,636     $ 257,027  

Alfa Solar Enerji Sanayi VE Ticaret A/S, NVS

    26,970       91,450  

Anadolu Anonim Turk Sigorta Sirketi(a)

    65,472       143,600  

Anadolu Efes Biracilik Ve Malt Sanayii AS(c)

    66,526       331,656  

Aygaz AS

    23,498       115,491  

Baticim Bati Anadolu Cimento Sanayii A/S(a)

    29,140       106,549  

Bien Yapi Urunleri Sanayi Turizm ve Ticaret A/S, NVS

    54,870       82,046  

Bosch Fren Sistemleri Sanayi ve Ticaret A/S, NVS

    1,580       65,008  

Can2 Termik AS(a)

    146,940       85,017  

Cimsa Cimento Sanayi VE Ticaret AS

    135,660       152,029  

Dogan Sirketler Grubu Holding AS

    378,324       164,138  

Dogus Otomotiv Servis ve Ticaret AS

    16,560       141,705  

Eczacibasi Yatirim Holding Ortakligi A/S

    9,362       79,840  

EGE Endustri VE Ticaret AS

    434        240,742  

EIS Eczacibasi Ilac ve Sinai ve Finansal Yatirimlar Sanayi ve Ticaret AS

    55,924       96,157  

Emlak Konut Gayrimenkul Yatirim Ortakligi AS

    615,722       218,834  

Enerjisa Enerji AS(b)

    89,962       179,743  

Enerya Enerji A/S, NVS

    15,686       74,333  

Europower Enerji VE Otomasyon Teknolojileri Sanayi Ticaret A/S, NVS

    20,100       112,047  

GEN Ilac VE Saglik Urunleri Sanayi VE Ticaret AS

    29,264       67,371  

Girisim Elektrik Taahhut Ticaret Ve Sanayi AS(a)

    46,314       114,927  

Hektas Ticaret TAS(a)

    306,963       187,438  

Is Gayrimenkul Yatirim Ortakligi AS(a)

    119,846       66,424  

Is Yatirim Menkul Degerler AS

    172,360       204,823  

Izdemir Enerji Elektrik Uretim A/S, NVS

    54,064       55,048  

Kardemir Karabuk Demir Celik Sanayi ve Ticaret A/S, Class D

    308,760       265,405  

Kayseri Seker Fabrikasi A/S, NVS

    52,762       60,311  

Kiler Holding AS(a)

    82,336       163,451  

Kimteks Poliuretan Sanayi VE Ticaret AS, NVS

    37,696       80,868  

Kizilbuk Gayrimenkul Yatirim Ortakligi AS, NVS(a)

    1        

Kontrolmatik Enerji Ve Muhendislik AS, NVS

    28,582       262,653  

Koza Altin Isletmeleri AS

    252,464       185,115  

Koza Anadolu Metal Madencilik Isletmeleri AS(a)

    62,186       101,514  

Mavi Giyim Sanayi Ve Ticaret AS, Class B(b)

    54,002       245,358  

MIA Teknoloji A/S, NVS

    67,022       168,030  

Migros Ticaret AS

    30,628       483,719  

MLP Saglik Hizmetleri AS(a)(b)(c)

    29,264       160,227  

Nuh Cimento Sanayi AS

    19,158       201,815  

ODAS Elektrik Uretim ve Sanayi Ticaret AS(a)

    401,884       129,668  

Otokar Otomotiv Ve Savunma Sanayi AS(a)

    15,810       255,763  

Oyak Cimento Fabrikalari AS(a)

    52,171       118,519  

Oyak Yatirim Menkul Degerler AS, NVS(a)

    30,814       45,701  

Peker Gayrimenkul Yatirim Ortakligi A/S(a)

    132,420       139,494  

Petkim Petrokimya Holding AS(a)

    361,708       279,900  

Politeknik Metal Sanayi ve Ticaret A/S, NVS

    229       179,532  

Qua Granite Hayal(a)

    336,536       46,550  

Sarkuysan Elektrolitik Bakir Sanayi ve Ticaret AS

    135,001       146,795  

SDT Uzay VE Savunma Teknolojileri A/S, NVS

    4,320       53,219  

Selcuk Ecza Deposu Ticaret ve Sanayi AS

    39,680       76,421  

Smart Gunes Enerjisi Teknolojileri ArGE Uretim Sanayi ve Ticaret AS, NVS(a)

    58,962       122,808  

Sok Marketler Ticaret AS

    107,136       229,795  

TAV Havalimanlari Holding AS(a)

    63,860       356,806  

Torunlar Gayrimenkul Yatirim Ortakligi A/S

    92,752       110,942  

Turkiye Sinai Kalkinma Bankasi AS(a)

    465,120       123,140  

Ulker Biskuvi Sanayi AS(a)

    63,550       216,096  

Verusa Holding A/S

    9,238       78,976  

Vestel Elektronik Sanayi ve Ticaret AS(a)

    47,740       126,949  
Security   Shares     Value  
Turkey (continued)            

Zorlu Enerji Elektrik Uretim AS(a)

    719,572     $ 129,945  
   

 

 

 
      9,334,035  
United Arab Emirates — 1.0%            

Agthia Group PJSC

    124,682       178,799  

Air Arabia PJSC

    714,120       556,493  

Ajman Bank PJSC(a)

    377,518       185,010  

Al Waha Capital PJSC

    369,520       172,036  

AL Yah Satellite Communications Co-PJSC-Yah Sat

    289,726       177,482  

Amanat Holdings PJSC

    379,561       105,406  

Aramex PJSC

    246,191       162,878  

Dana Gas PJSC

    1,838,920       316,421  

Drake & Scull International PJSC(a)(d)

    241,185       1  

Dubai Financial Market PJSC

    497,160       179,065  

Dubai Investments PJSC

    608,158       387,451  

Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corp.

    558,000       249,151  

Gulf Navigation Holding PJSC(a)

    121,396       204,720  

National Central Cooling Co. PJSC

    221,040       209,734  

Ras Al Khaimah Ceramics

    174,368       137,673  

Sharjah Islamic Bank

    391,492       234,493  

Taaleem Holdings PJSC, NVS

    76,384       76,947  
   

 

 

 
       3,533,760  
   

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks — 98.8%
(Cost: $313,736,264)

      357,774,785  
   

 

 

 

Preferred Stocks

   
Brazil — 0.8%            

Alpargatas SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    68,460       140,057  

Azul SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    89,340       217,280  

Banco ABC Brasil SA

   

Preference Shares, NVS

    31,196       148,164  

Preference Shares, NVS

    1,035       4,580  

Banco do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul SA, Class B, Preference Shares, NVS

    54,600       169,475  

Banco Pan SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    103,620       182,598  

Bradespar SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    84,506       360,388  

Cia. de Saneamento do Parana, Preference Shares, NVS

    83,390       88,404  

Marcopolo SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    220,720       389,838  

Metalurgica Gerdau SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    189,286       384,961  

Randon SA Implementos e Participacoes, Preference Shares, NVS

    56,110       124,273  

Unipar Carbocloro SA, Class B, Preference Shares, NVS

    14,384       191,464  

Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais SA Usiminas, Class A, Preference Shares, NVS

    139,500       310,649  
   

 

 

 
      2,712,131  
Chile — 0.1%            

Embotelladora Andina SA, Class B, Preference Shares, NVS

    122,178       308,335  
   

 

 

 

Total Preferred Stocks — 0.9%
(Cost: $2,238,384)

      3,020,466  
   

 

 

 

Rights

   
India — 0.0%            

South Indian Bank Ltd. (The),
(Expires 03/27/24, Strike Price IDR 22)(a)

    89,175       11,019  
   

 

 

 
 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  71


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
South Korea — 0.0%  

Foosung Co. Ltd., (Expires 04/18/24, Strike Price KRW 6870)(a)

    2,414     $ 2,665  

Taihan Electric Wire Co. Ltd., (Expires 03/12/24)(a)

    9,373       11,544  
   

 

 

 
      14,209  
   

 

 

 

Total Rights — 0.0%
(Cost: $—)

 

    25,228  
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 99.7%
(Cost: $315,974,648)

 

    360,820,479  
   

 

 

 

Short-Term Securities

 

Money Market Funds — 3.9%  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares, 5.50%(g)(h)(i)

    14,063,853       14,070,885  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 3.9%
(Cost: $14,063,149)

 

    14,070,885  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments — 103.6%
(Cost: $330,037,797)

 

    374,891,364  

Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets — (3.6)%

 

    (12,860,455
   

 

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

 

  $ 362,030,909  
   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Non-income producing security.

(b) 

Security exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration to qualified institutional investors.

(c) 

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(d) 

Security is valued using significant unobservable inputs and is classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.

(e) 

Restricted security as to resale, excluding 144A securities. The Fund held restricted securities with a current value of $246,787, representing 0.1% of its net assets as of period end, and an original cost of $142,261.

(f) 

This security may be resold to qualified foreign investors and foreign institutional buyers under Regulation S of the Securities Act of 1933.

(g) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(h) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

(i) 

All or a portion of this security was purchased with the cash collateral from loaned securities.

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

                   
Affiliated Issuer  

Value at

08/31/23

   

Purchases

at Cost

   

Proceeds

from Sale

   

Net Realized

Gain (Loss)

    Change in
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
    Value at
02/29/24
   

Shares

Held at

02/29/24

    Income    

Capital

Gain
Distributions
from
Underlying
Funds

 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares

  $ 19,798,508           $  —     $  (5,731,179 )(a)    $ 3,773     $ (217   $ 14,070,885       14,063,853     $ 422,507 (b)    $  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares(c)

                  0 (a)                              45,202        
         

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 
          $ 3,773     $ (217   $ 14,070,885       $ 467,709     $  
         

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

 
  (b) 

All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities.

 
  (c) 

As of period end, the entity is no longer held.

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

         
Description  

Number of

Contracts

   

Expiration

Date

   

Notional

Amount

(000)

   

Value/

Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

 

Long Contracts

       

MSCI Emerging Markets Index

    7       03/15/24     $ 356     $ 612  
       

 

 

 

 

 

72  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

 

 
    

Commodity

Contracts

    

Credit

Contracts

    

Equity

Contracts

    

Foreign

Currency

Exchange

Contracts

    

Interest

Rate

Contracts

    

Other

Contracts

     Total  

 

 

Assets — Derivative Financial Instruments

                    

Futures contracts

                    

Unrealized appreciation on futures contracts(a)

   $      $      $ 612      $      $      $      $  612  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

 

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

 

 
     Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
     Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

 

 

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ 83,805      $      $      $      $  83,805  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ 612      $      $      $      $ 612  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

 

 

Futures contracts:

  

Average notional value of contracts — long

   $ 177,940   

 

 

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

 

 
     Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

 

 

Assets

                 

Investments

                 

Long-Term Investments

                 

Common Stocks

   $ 78,048,289        $ 279,447,657        $ 278,839        $ 357,774,785  

Preferred Stocks

     3,020,466                            3,020,466  

Rights

              25,228                   25,228  

Short-Term Securities

                 

Money Market Funds

     14,070,885                            14,070,885  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $ 95,139,640        $ 279,472,885        $ 278,839        $ 374,891,364  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

                 

Assets

                 

Equity Contracts

   $ 612        $        $     —        $ 612  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Derivative financial instruments are futures contracts. Futures contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

 

The Fund may hold assets and/or liabilities in which the fair value approximates the carrying amount for financial statement purposes. As of period end, bank borrowings payable of $10,400,926 are categorized as Level 2 within the fair value hierarchy.

   

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  73


Statements of Assets and Liabilities (unaudited)

February 29, 2024

 

   

iShares

Core MSCI

Emerging Markets

ETF

      

iShares

MSCI BIC

ETF

      

iShares

MSCI

Emerging

Markets Asia

ETF

      

iShares

MSCI

Emerging

Markets

Small-Cap

ETF

 

 

 

ASSETS

                      

Investments, at value — unaffiliated(a)(b)

  $ 74,419,175,912           $ 69,376,919           $ 410,202,322        $ 360,820,479  

Investments, at value — affiliated(c)

    3,184,528,846             1,470,771             4,448,171          14,070,885  

Cash

    275,407,933             475,188             1,660,563          8,541,777  

Cash pledged for futures contracts

    8,277,000             2,000             19,000          36,000  

Foreign currency, at value(d)

    170,731,011             492,979             2,496,742          504,215  

Receivables:

                      

Investments sold

    481,120,040             568,856             2,402,659          21,549,613  

Securities lending income — affiliated

    4,699,618             606             2,197          45,993  

Loans

                                     5,200,000  

Dividends — unaffiliated

    138,170,805             105,429             582,410          684,115  

Dividends — affiliated

    1,671,614             4,435             12,750          11,328  

Tax reclaims

    764,743                                  14,606  

Variation margin on futures contracts

    51,108                                  1,234  
 

 

 

         

 

 

         

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total assets

    78,684,598,630             72,497,183             421,826,814          411,480,245  
 

 

 

         

 

 

         

 

 

      

 

 

 

LIABILITIES

                      

Bank borrowings

                                     10,400,926  

Collateral on securities loaned, at value

    2,997,029,825             830,888             2,950,743          14,068,802  

Payables:

                      

Investments purchased

    563,150,285             964,185             4,003,794          22,069,599  

Deferred foreign capital gain tax

    374,371,316             1,136,749             3,062,550          2,702,479  

Foreign taxes

    994,242             3,750                      3,273  

Investment advisory fees

    5,130,185             39,050             157,379          204,257  

Professional fees

    242,190                                   

Variation margin on futures contracts

                479             3,165           
 

 

 

         

 

 

         

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total liabilities

    3,940,918,043             2,975,101             10,177,631          49,449,336  
 

 

 

         

 

 

         

 

 

      

 

 

 

Commitments and contingent liabilities

                      

NET ASSETS

  $ 74,743,680,587           $ 69,522,082           $ 411,649,183        $ 362,030,909  
 

 

 

         

 

 

         

 

 

      

 

 

 

NET ASSETS CONSIST OF

                      

Paid-in capital

  $ 78,885,610,031           $ 322,932,981           $ 543,447,527        $ 336,547,597  

Accumulated earnings (loss)

    (4,141,929,444           (253,410,899           (131,798,344        25,483,312  
 

 

 

         

 

 

         

 

 

      

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

  $ 74,743,680,587           $ 69,522,082           $ 411,649,183        $ 362,030,909  
 

 

 

         

 

 

         

 

 

      

 

 

 

NET ASSET VALUE

                      

Shares outstanding

    1,477,800,000             2,050,000             6,200,000          6,200,000  
 

 

 

         

 

 

         

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net asset value

  $ 50.58           $ 33.91           $ 66.40        $ 58.39  
 

 

 

         

 

 

         

 

 

      

 

 

 

Shares authorized

    15 billion             500 million             500 million          500 million  
 

 

 

         

 

 

         

 

 

      

 

 

 

Par value

  $ 0.001           $ 0.001           $ 0.001        $ 0.001  
 

 

 

         

 

 

         

 

 

      

 

 

 

(a) Investments, at cost — unaffiliated

  $ 67,995,651,796           $ 92,375,582           $ 400,828,534        $ 315,974,648  

(b) Securities loaned, at value

  $ 2,807,810,207           $ 765,855           $ 2,498,086        $ 12,749,201  

(c)  Investments, at cost — affiliated

  $ 3,182,975,557           $ 1,470,411           $ 4,445,329        $ 14,063,149  

(d) Foreign currency, at cost

  $ 171,495,302           $ 493,103           $ 2,497,517        $ 516,416  

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

74  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Statements of Operations (unaudited)

Six Months Ended February 29, 2024

 

   

iShares

Core MSCI

Emerging Markets

ETF

   

iShares

MSCI BIC

ETF

   

iShares

MSCI

Emerging

Markets Asia

ETF

   

iShares

MSCI

Emerging

Markets

Small-Cap

ETF

 

 

 

INVESTMENT INCOME

             

Dividends — unaffiliated

  $ 618,653,282       $ 512,886       $ 2,967,058       $ 2,536,728  

Dividends — affiliated

    6,528,718             23,531             70,845             45,202  

Interest — unaffiliated

    375,767         575         3,785         4,845  

Securities lending income — affiliated — net(a)

    36,274,865         5,895         32,145         422,507  

Other income — unaffiliated

    3,459,078                          

Foreign taxes withheld

    (73,366,350       (48,112       (406,330       (303,751

Foreign withholding tax claims

    253,609                          

Other foreign taxes

                    (7,148       (13,530
 

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total investment income

    592,178,969         494,775         2,660,355         2,692,001  
 

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

EXPENSES

             

Investment advisory

    31,915,318         246,455         1,049,798         1,216,856  

Interest expense

    497,021                 4,854         15,282  

Professional

    270,103                          

Commitment costs

    19,473         566         3,522         2,788  
 

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total expenses

    32,701,915         247,021         1,058,174         1,234,926  

Less:

             

Investment advisory fees waived

    (786,597                        
 

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total expenses after fees waived

    31,915,318         247,021         1,058,174         1,234,926  
 

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net investment income

    560,263,651         247,754         1,602,181         1,457,075  
 

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS)

             

Net realized gain (loss) from:

             

Investments — unaffiliated(b)

    (774,356,912       (2,402,537       (8,258,216       2,671,819  

Investments — affiliated

    216,172         (212       (72       3,773  

Foreign currency transactions

    (2,044,188       (3,879       (43,105       (54,759

Futures contracts

    (2,847,626       (14,063       (44,841       83,805  

In-kind redemptions — unaffiliated(c)

    19,183,362                 (3,504,531        
 

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 
    (759,849,192       (2,420,691       (11,850,765       2,704,638  
 

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:

             

Investments — unaffiliated(d)

    3,784,099,266         2,159,436         22,584,642         18,697,828  

Investments — affiliated

    350,902         78         442         (217

Foreign currency translations

    (3,239,273       (373       (7,921       (19,607

Futures contracts

    4,068,433         86         26,344         612  
 

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 
    3,785,279,328         2,159,227         22,603,507         18,678,616  
 

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)

    3,025,430,136         (261,464       10,752,742         21,383,254  
 

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS

  $ 3,585,693,787       $ (13,710     $ 12,354,923       $ 22,840,329  
 

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

(a) Net of securities lending income tax paid of

  $ 3,684,387       $       $       $  

(b) Net of foreign capital gain tax and capital gain tax refund, if applicable of

  $ (125,921     $ (30,921     $ (784,670     $ (842,972

(c)  See Note 2 of the Notes to Financial Statements

             

(d) Net of increase in deferred foreign capital gain tax of

  $ (210,874,838     $ (427,244     $ (996,029     $ (897,388

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  75


Statements of Changes in Net Assets

 

   

iShares

Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

   

iShares

MSCI BIC ETF

 
 

 

 

   

 

 

 
    Six Months Ended                 Six Months Ended        
    02/29/24         Year Ended (a)      02/29/24         Year Ended  
    (unaudited)           08/31/23           (unaudited)           08/31/23  

 

 

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS

             

OPERATIONS

             

Net investment income

  $ 560,263,651           $ 1,889,943,041              $ 247,754           $ 1,403,185  

Net realized gain (loss)

    (759,849,192       339,899,724         (2,420,691       (11,178,976

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

    3,785,279,328         (144,518,923       2,159,227         7,015,413  
 

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

    3,585,693,787         2,085,323,842         (13,710       (2,760,378
 

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS(b)

             

Decrease in net assets resulting from distributions to shareholders

    (1,415,120,113       (1,577,225,963       (664,095 )(c)        (1,466,684
 

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

             

Net increase (decrease) in net assets derived from capital share transactions

    1,361,333,521         5,471,592,469                 (15,553,387
 

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

             

Total increase (decrease) in net assets

    3,531,907,195         5,979,690,348         (677,805       (19,780,449

Beginning of period

    71,211,773,392         65,232,083,044         70,199,887         89,980,336  
 

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

End of period

  $ 74,743,680,587       $ 71,211,773,392       $ 69,522,082       $ 70,199,887  
 

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Consolidated Statement of Changes in Net Assets.

(b) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(c) 

A portion of the distributions from net investment income may be deemed a return of capital or net realized gain at fiscal year-end.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

76  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Statements of Changes in Net Assets (continued)

 

   

iShares

MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF

   

iShares

MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap

ETF

 
 

 

 

   

 

 

 
   

Six Months

Ended

                     

Six Months

Ended

       
    02/29/24         Year Ended       02/29/24         Year Ended (a) 
    (unaudited)           08/31/23           (unaudited)           08/31/23  

 

 

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS

             

OPERATIONS

             

Net investment income

  $ 1,602,181           $ 9,398,020              $ 1,457,075           $ 8,372,097  

Net realized gain (loss)

    (11,850,765       (63,641,649       2,704,638         7,121,698  

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

    22,603,507         45,884,457         18,678,616         34,787,933  
 

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

    12,354,923         (8,359,172       22,840,329         50,281,728  
 

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS(b)

             

Decrease in net assets resulting from distributions to shareholders

    (7,498,490 )(c)        (8,905,772       (7,351,098       (5,397,487
 

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

             

Net increase (decrease) in net assets derived from capital share transactions

    (121,958,657       (25,364,343       28,074,204         (62,550,583
 

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

             

Total increase (decrease) in net assets

    (117,102,224       (42,629,287       43,563,435         (17,666,342

Beginning of period

    528,751,407         571,380,694         318,467,474         336,133,816  
 

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

End of period

  $ 411,649,183       $ 528,751,407       $ 362,030,909       $ 318,467,474  
 

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Consolidated Statement of Changes in Net Assets.

(b) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(c) 

A portion of the distributions from net investment income may be deemed a return of capital or net realized gain at fiscal year-end.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  77


Financial Highlights

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF  
 

 

 

 
    Six Months Ended                                                              
    02/29/24           Year Ended           Year Ended           Year Ended           Year Ended           Year Ended  
    (unaudited)         08/31/23 (a)        08/31/22 (a)        08/31/21 (a)        08/31/20 (a)        08/31/19 (a) 

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $ 49.10       $ 48.75       $ 64.18       $ 53.34       $ 48.31       $ 52.27  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net investment income(b)

          0.38             1.35             1.67                1.33             1.46             1.40  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(c)

      2.08         0.14         (15.13       10.70         5.21         (4.01
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

      2.46         1.49         (13.46       12.03         6.67         (2.61
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(d)

      (0.98       (1.14       (1.97       (1.19       (1.64       (1.35
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 50.58       $ 49.10       $ 48.75       $ 64.18       $ 53.34       $ 48.31  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total Return(e)

                       

Based on net asset value

      5.08 %(f)        3.13       (21.40 )%        22.67       13.97       (4.93 )%(g) 
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(h)

                       

Total expenses

      0.09 %(i)        0.10       0.10       0.12       0.14       0.14
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total expenses after fees waived

      0.09 %(i)        0.09       0.10       0.12       0.14       0.14
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total expenses excluding professional fees for foreign withholding tax claims

      0.09 %(i)        N/A         0.10       0.11       0.14       0.14
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net investment income

      1.58 %(i)        2.81       2.97       2.12       2.97       2.79
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

                       

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 74,743,681       $ 71,211,773       $ 65,232,083       $ 80,599,322       $ 54,628,381       $ 53,020,298  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(j)

      2       21       7       9       15       15
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Consolidated Financial Highlights.

(b) 

Based on average shares outstanding.

(c) 

The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

 
(d) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

 
(e) 

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

 
(f) 

Not annualized.

 
(g) 

Reflects the one-time, positive effect of foreign withholding tax claims, net of the associated professional fees, which resulted in the following increases for the year ended August 31, 2019:

 
 

Total return by 0.01%.

(h) 

Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

(i) 

Annualized.

(j) 

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, if any.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

78  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Financial Highlights (continued)

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    iShares MSCI BIC ETF  
 

 

 

 
    Six Months Ended                                                              
    02/29/24     Year Ended     Year Ended     Year Ended     Year Ended     Year Ended  
    (unaudited)         08/31/23         08/31/22         08/31/21 (a)        08/31/20 (a)        08/31/19 (a) 

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $ 34.24       $ 35.99       $ 50.27       $ 47.46       $ 40.23       $ 41.01  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net investment income(b)

      0.12         0.62             0.91             0.62             0.55             0.69  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(c)

      (0.13       (1.72       (13.74       2.74         7.34         (0.59
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

      (0.01       (1.10       (12.83       3.36         7.89         0.10  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(d)

      (0.32 )(e)        (0.65       (1.45       (0.55       (0.66       (0.88
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

           $ 33.91           $ 34.24       $ 35.99       $ 50.27       $ 47.46       $ 40.23  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total Return(f)

                       

Based on net asset value

      0.02 %(g)        (3.05 )%        (26.03 )%        7.09       19.78       0.35
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(h)

                       

Total expenses

      0.72 %(i)        0.70       0.69       0.70       0.70       0.69
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net investment income

      0.72 %(i)        1.80       2.15       1.20       1.29       1.69
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

                       

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 69,522       $ 70,200       $ 89,980       $ 158,342       $ 147,123       $ 160,926  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(j)

      4       9       12       80       42       53
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

(a)

Consolidated Financial Highlights.

(b)

Based on average shares outstanding.

(c)

The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

(d)

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(e)

A portion of the distributions from net investment income may be deemed a return of capital or net realized gain at fiscal year-end.

(f) 

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

(g)

Not annualized.

(h)

Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

(i)

Annualized.

(j)

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, if any.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  H I G H L I G H T S

  79


Financial Highlights (continued)

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

   

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF

 
 

 

 

 
    Six Months Ended                                                              
    02/29/24     Year Ended     Year Ended     Year Ended     Year Ended     Year Ended  
    (unaudited)         08/31/23         08/31/22         08/31/21 (a)        08/31/20 (a)        08/31/19 (a) 

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $ 65.28           $ 66.44       $ 88.19       $ 75.48       $ 62.82       $ 69.38  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net investment income(b)

      0.24         1.16         1.25         1.28         1.12         1.26  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(c)

             2.05         (1.22           (20.98           12.32             12.79             (6.52
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

      2.29         (0.06       (19.73       13.60         13.91         (5.26
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(d)

      (1.17 )(e)        (1.10       (2.02       (0.89       (1.25       (1.30
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 66.40       $ 65.28       $ 66.44       $ 88.19       $ 75.48       $ 62.82  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total Return(f)

                       

Based on net asset value

      3.59 %(g)        (0.08 )%        (22.77 )%        18.11       22.31       (7.52 )% 
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(h)

                       

Total expenses

      0.49 %(i)        0.49       0.49       0.50       0.50       0.50
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net investment income

      0.75 %(i)        1.79       1.62       1.46       1.68       1.94
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

                       

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 411,649       $ 528,751       $ 571,381       $ 881,929       $ 558,558       $ 452,328  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(j)

      3       31       24       48       20       16
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

(a)

Consolidated Financial Highlights.

(b) 

Based on average shares outstanding.

(c)

The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

(d) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(e)

A portion of the distributions from net investment income may be deemed a return of capital or net realized gain at fiscal year-end.

(f) 

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

(g) 

Not annualized.

(h) 

Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

(i) 

Annualized.

(j)

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, if any.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

80  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Financial Highlights (continued)

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF  
 

 

 

 
    Six Months Ended                                                              
    02/29/24     Year Ended     Year Ended     Year Ended     Year Ended     Year Ended  
    (unaudited)         08/31/23 (a)        08/31/22 (a)        08/31/21 (a)        08/31/20 (a)        08/31/19 (a) 

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $ 55.87       $ 50.17       $ 62.28       $ 44.74       $ 41.51           $ 47.64  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net investment income(b)

      0.24         1.17         1.24             0.96         0.85         0.99  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(c)

      3.51         5.26         (11.56       17.81             3.52         (5.98
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

      3.75         6.43         (10.32       18.77         4.37         (4.99
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(d)

      (1.23       (0.73       (1.79       (1.23       (1.14       (1.14
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 58.39       $ 55.87       $ 50.17       $ 62.28       $ 44.74       $ 41.51  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total Return(e)

                                  

Based on net asset value

      6.80 %(f)            12.99       (17.00 )%        42.38       10.68       (10.50 )% 
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(g)

                       

Total expenses

      0.73 %(h)        0.71       0.70       0.69       0.71       0.69
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net investment income

      0.86 %(h)        2.30       2.20       1.72       2.07       2.25
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

                       

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 362,031       $ 318,467       $ 336,134       $ 417,274       $ 212,511       $ 238,702  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(i)

      15       43       53       34       46       29
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Consolidated Financial Highlights.

(b) 

Based on average shares outstanding.

(c) 

The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

(d) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(e) 

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

(f) 

Not annualized.

(g) 

Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

(h) 

Annualized.

(i) 

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, if any.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  H I G H L I G H T S

  81


Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited)

 

1.

ORGANIZATION

iShares, Inc. (the “Company”) is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), as an open-end management investment company. The Company is organized as a Maryland corporation and is authorized to have multiple series or portfolios.

These consolidated financial statements relate only to the following funds (each, a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”):

 

   
iShares ETF  

Diversification 

Classification 

Core MSCI Emerging Markets

  Diversified 

MSCI BIC

  Diversified 

MSCI Emerging Markets Asia

  Diversified 

MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap

  Diversified 

Basis of Consolidation: The accompanying consolidated financial statements for Core MSCI Emerging Markets and MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap included the accounts of its subsidiary in the Republic of Mauritius, which was a wholly-owned subsidiary (each, a “Subsidiary”) of the Fund that invested in Indian securities. On April 26, 2023, each Fund filed to liquidate its Subsidiary with the Mauritius Financial Services Commission.

 

2.

SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The financial statements are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”), which may require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Each Fund is considered an investment company under U.S. GAAP and follows the accounting and reporting guidance applicable to investment companies. Below is a summary of significant accounting policies:

Investment Transactions and Income Recognition: For financial reporting purposes, investment transactions are recorded on the dates the transactions are executed. Realized gains and losses on investment transactions are determined using the specific identification method. Dividend income and capital gain distributions, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Non-cash dividends, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date at fair value. Dividends from foreign securities where the ex-dividend date may have passed are subsequently recorded when the Funds are informed of the ex-dividend date. Under the applicable foreign tax laws, a withholding tax at various rates may be imposed on capital gains, dividends and interest. Upon notification from issuers or as estimated by management, a portion of the dividend income received from a real estate investment trust may be redesignated as a reduction of cost of the related investment and/or realized gain. Interest income, including amortization and accretion of premiums and discounts on debt securities, is recognized daily on an accrual basis.

Foreign Currency Translation: Each Fund’s books and records are maintained in U.S. dollars. Securities and other assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars using prevailing market rates as quoted by one or more data service providers. Purchases and sales of investments are recorded at the rates of exchange prevailing on the respective dates of such transactions. Generally, when the U.S. dollar rises in value against a foreign currency, the investments denominated in that currency will lose value; the opposite effect occurs if the U.S. dollar falls in relative value.

Each Fund does not isolate the effect of fluctuations in foreign exchange rates from the effect of fluctuations in the market prices of investments for financial reporting purposes. Accordingly, the effects of changes in exchange rates on investments are not segregated in the Statements of Operations from the effects of changes in market prices of those investments, but are included as a component of net realized and unrealized gain (loss) from investments. Each Fund reports realized currency gains (losses) on foreign currency related transactions as components of net realized gain (loss) for financial reporting purposes, whereas such components are generally treated as ordinary income for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Foreign Taxes: The Funds may be subject to foreign taxes (a portion of which may be reclaimable) on income, stock dividends, capital gains on investments, or certain foreign currency transactions. All foreign taxes are recorded in accordance with the applicable foreign tax regulations and rates that exist in the foreign jurisdictions in which each Fund invests. These foreign taxes, if any, are paid by each Fund and are reflected in its Statements of Operations as follows: foreign taxes withheld at source are presented as a reduction of income, foreign taxes on securities lending income are presented as a reduction of securities lending income, foreign taxes on stock dividends are presented as “Other foreign taxes”, and foreign taxes on capital gains from sales of investments and foreign taxes on foreign currency transactions are included in their respective net realized gain (loss) categories. Foreign taxes payable or deferred as of February 29, 2024, if any, are disclosed in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

The Funds file withholding tax reclaims in certain jurisdictions to recover a portion of amounts previously withheld. The Funds may record a reclaim receivable based on collectability, which includes factors such as the jurisdiction’s applicable laws, payment history and market convention. The Statements of Operations includes tax reclaims recorded as well as professional and other fees, if any, associated with recovery of foreign withholding taxes.

Bank Overdraft: Certain Funds had outstanding cash disbursements exceeding deposited cash amounts at the custodian during the reporting period. The Funds are obligated to repay the custodian for any overdraft, including any related costs or expenses, where applicable. For financial reporting purposes, overdraft fees, if any, are included in interest expense in the Statements of Operations.

Collateralization: If required by an exchange or counterparty agreement, the Funds may be required to deliver/deposit cash and/or securities to/with an exchange, or broker-dealer or custodian as collateral for certain investments.

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

In-kind Redemptions: For financial reporting purposes, in-kind redemptions are treated as sales of securities resulting in realized capital gains or losses to the Funds. Because such gains or losses are not taxable to the Funds and are not distributed to existing Fund shareholders, the gains or losses are reclassified from accumulated net realized gain (loss) to paid-in capital at the end of the Funds’ tax year. These reclassifications have no effect on net assets or net asset value (“NAV”) per share.

Distributions: Dividends and distributions paid by each Fund are recorded on the ex-dividend dates. Distributions are determined on a tax basis and may differ from net investment income, net realized capital gains and/or return of capital for financial reporting purposes. Dividends and distributions are paid in U.S. dollars and cannot be automatically reinvested in additional shares of the Funds.

The portion of distributions that exceeds each Fund’s current and accumulated earning and profits will constitute a non-taxable return of capital. Distributions in excess of each Fund’s minimum distribution requirements, but not in excess of the Fund’s earnings and profits, will be taxable to the Fund’s shareholders and will not constitute non-taxable returns of capital. Return of capital distributions will reduce a shareholder’s cost basis and will result in higher capital gains or lower capital losses when each Fund’s shares on which distributions were received are sold. Once a shareholder’s cost basis is reduced to zero, further distributions will be treated as capital gains.

Indemnifications: In the normal course of business, each Fund enters into contracts that contain a variety of representations that provide general indemnification. The Funds’ maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown because it involves future potential claims against the Funds, which cannot be predicted with any certainty.

 

3.

INVESTMENT VALUATION AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

Investment Valuation Policies: Each Fund’s investments are valued at fair value (also referred to as “market value” within the financial statements) each day that the Fund’s listing exchange is open and, for financial reporting purposes, as of the report date. U.S. GAAP defines fair value as the price a fund would receive to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) of each Fund has approved the designation of BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BFA”), the Funds’ investment adviser, as the valuation designee for each Fund. Each Fund determines the fair values of its financial instruments using various independent dealers or pricing services under BFA’s policies. If a security’s market price is not readily available or does not otherwise accurately represent the fair value of the security, the security will be valued in accordance with BFA’s policies and procedures as reflecting fair value. BFA has formed a committee (the “Valuation Committee”) to develop pricing policies and procedures and to oversee the pricing function for all financial instruments, with assistance from other BlackRock pricing committees.

Fair Value Inputs and Methodologies: The following methods and inputs are used to establish the fair value of each Fund’s assets and liabilities:

 

   

Equity investments traded on a recognized securities exchange are valued at that day’s official closing price, as applicable, on the exchange where the stock is primarily traded. Equity investments traded on a recognized exchange for which there were no sales on that day are valued at the last traded price.

 

   

Investments in open-end U.S. mutual funds (including money market funds) are valued at that day’s published NAV.

 

   

Futures contracts are valued based on that day’s last reported settlement or trade price on the exchange where the contract is traded.

Generally, trading in foreign instruments is substantially completed each day at various times prior to the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”). Each business day, the Funds use current market factors supplied by independent pricing services to value certain foreign instruments (“Systematic Fair Value Price”). The Systematic Fair Value Price is designed to value such foreign securities at fair value as of the close of trading on the NYSE, which follows the close of the local markets.

If events (e.g., market volatility, company announcement or a natural disaster) occur that are expected to materially affect the value of such investment, or in the event that application of these methods of valuation results in a price for an investment that is deemed not to be representative of the market value of such investment, or if a price is not available, the investment will be valued by the Valuation Committee, in accordance with BFA’s policies and procedures as reflecting fair value (“Fair Valued Investments”). The fair valuation approaches that may be used by the Valuation Committee include market approach, income approach and cost approach. Valuation techniques such as discounted cash flow, use of market comparables and matrix pricing are types of valuation approaches and are typically used in determining fair value. When determining the price for Fair Valued Investments, the Valuation Committee seeks to determine the price that each Fund might reasonably expect to receive or pay from the current sale or purchase of that asset or liability in an arm’s-length transaction. Fair value determinations shall be based upon all available factors that the Valuation Committee deems relevant and consistent with the principles of fair value measurement.

Fair value pricing could result in a difference between the prices used to calculate a fund’s NAV and the prices used by the fund’s underlying index, which in turn could result in a difference between the fund’s performance and the performance of the fund’s underlying index.

Fair Value Hierarchy: Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. These inputs to valuation techniques are categorized into a fair value hierarchy consisting of three broad levels for financial reporting purposes as follows:

 

   

Level 1 – Unadjusted price quotations in active markets/exchanges for identical assets or liabilities that each Fund has the ability to access;

 

   

Level 2 – Other observable inputs (including, but not limited to, quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in markets that are active, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the assets or liabilities (such as interest rates, yield curves, volatilities, prepayment speeds, loss severities, credit risks and default rates) or other market-corroborated inputs); and

 

 

N O T E ST O  F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  83


Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

   

Level 3 – Unobservable inputs based on the best information available in the circumstances, to the extent observable inputs are not available, (including the Valuation Committee’s assumptions used in determining the fair value of financial instruments).

The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements). Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised in determining fair value is greatest for instruments categorized in Level 3. The inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, for disclosure purposes, the fair value hierarchy classification is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. Investments classified within Level 3 have significant unobservable inputs used by the Valuation Committee in determining the price for Fair Valued Investments. Level 3 investments include equity or debt issued by privately held companies or funds that may not have a secondary market and/or may have a limited number of investors. The categorization of a value determined for financial instruments is based on the pricing transparency of the financial instruments and is not necessarily an indication of the risks associated with investing in those securities.

 

4.

SECURITIES AND OTHER INVESTMENTS

Securities Lending: Each Fund may lend its securities to approved borrowers, such as brokers, dealers and other financial institutions. The borrower pledges and maintains with the Fund collateral consisting of cash, an irrevocable letter of credit issued by an approved bank, or securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government. The initial collateral received by each Fund is required to have a value of at least 102% of the current market value of the loaned securities for securities traded on U.S. exchanges and a value of at least 105% for all other securities. The collateral is maintained thereafter at a value equal to at least 100% of the current value of the securities on loan. The market value of the loaned securities is determined at the close of each business day of the Fund and any additional required collateral is delivered to the Fund or excess collateral is returned by the Fund, on the next business day. During the term of the loan, each Fund is entitled to all distributions made on or in respect of the loaned securities but does not receive interest income on securities received as collateral. Loans of securities are terminable at any time and the borrower, after notice, is required to return borrowed securities within the standard time period for settlement of securities transactions.

As of period end, any securities on loan were collateralized by cash and/or U.S. Government obligations. Cash collateral invested in money market funds managed by BFA, or its affiliates is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments. Any non-cash collateral received cannot be sold, re-invested or pledged by the Fund, except in the event of borrower default. The securities on loan, if any, are also disclosed in each Fund’s Schedule of Investments. The market value of any securities on loan and the value of any related cash collateral are disclosed in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

Securities lending transactions are entered into by the Funds under Master Securities Lending Agreements (each, an “MSLA”) which provide the right, in the event of default (including bankruptcy or insolvency) for the non-defaulting party to liquidate the collateral and calculate a net exposure to the defaulting party or request additional collateral. In the event that a borrower defaults, the Funds, as lender, would offset the market value of the collateral received against the market value of the securities loaned. When the value of the collateral is greater than that of the market value of the securities loaned, the lender is left with a net amount payable to the defaulting party. However, bankruptcy or insolvency laws of a particular jurisdiction may impose restrictions on or prohibitions against such a right of offset in the event of an MSLA counterparty’s bankruptcy or insolvency. Under the MSLA, absent an event of default, the borrower can resell or re-pledge the loaned securities, and the Funds can reinvest cash collateral received in connection with loaned securities. Upon an event of default, the parties’ obligations to return the securities or collateral to the other party are extinguished, and the parties can resell or re-pledge the loaned securities or the collateral received in connection with the loaned securities in order to satisfy the defaulting party’s net payment obligation for all transactions under the MSLA. The defaulting party remains liable for any deficiency.

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

As of period end, the following table is a summary of the securities on loan by counterparty which are subject to offset under an MSLA:

 

 

 
iShares ETF and Counterparty    

Securities Loaned

at Value

 

 

    
Cash Collateral
Received
 
(a) 
   

Non-Cash Collateral

Received, at Fair Value

 

(a) 

    Net Amount  

 

 

Core MSCI Emerging Markets

        

Barclays Bank PLC

  $ 11,510,777      $ (11,510,777   $     $  

Barclays Capital, Inc.

    52,153,158        (52,153,158            

BNP Paribas SA

    37,549,637        (37,549,637            

BofA Securities, Inc.

    291,984,228        (291,984,228            

Citigroup Global Markets Ltd.

    86,007,137        (86,007,137            

Citigroup Global Markets, Inc.

    52,261,622        (52,261,622            

Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC

    562        (562            

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

    234,352,985        (234,352,985            

Goldman Sachs International

    418,117,179        (418,117,179            

HSBC Bank PLC

    961,144        (961,144            

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

    124,226,261        (124,226,261            

J.P. Morgan Securities PLC

    422,644,607        (422,644,607            

Jefferies LLC

    691,929        (691,929            

Macquarie Bank Ltd.

    4,483,545        (4,483,545            

Mizuho Securities USA LLC

    25,089        (25,089            

Morgan Stanley

    1,025,180,179        (1,025,180,179            

Nomura Securities International, Inc.

    324,311        (324,311            

SG Americas Securities LLC

    871,428        (871,428            

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

    1,294,592        (1,294,592            

Toronto-Dominion Bank (The)

    31,850        (31,850            

UBS AG

    10,427,921        (10,427,921            

UBS Europe SE

    31,969,466        (31,969,466            

UBS Securities LLC

    589,548        (589,548            

Wells Fargo Bank N.A.

    151,052        (151,052            
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  $ 2,807,810,207      $ (2,807,810,207   $     $  
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

MSCI BIC

        

BofA Securities, Inc.

  $ 81,664      $ (81,664   $     $  

Morgan Stanley

    684,191        (684,191            
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  $ 765,855      $ (765,855   $     $  
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

MSCI Emerging Markets Asia

        

BNP Paribas SA

  $ 585,919      $ (585,427   $     $ 492 (b) 

BofA Securities, Inc.

    575,947        (575,947            

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

    24,806        (24,806            

HSBC Bank PLC

    18,883        (18,883            

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

    1,138        (1,138            

Morgan Stanley

    1,212,495        (1,212,495            

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

    9,921        (9,921            

UBS AG

    68,977        (68,977            
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  $ 2,498,086      $ (2,497,594   $     $ 492  
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

N O T E ST O  F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  85


Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

 

 
iShares ETF and Counterparty    

Securities Loaned

at Value

 

 

    

Cash Collateral

Received

 

(a) 

   

Non-Cash Collateral

Received, at Fair Value

 

(a) 

    Net Amount  

 

 

MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap

        

Barclays Bank PLC

  $ 66,220      $ (66,220   $     $  

Barclays Capital, Inc.

    766,994        (766,994            

BNP Paribas SA

    381,401        (381,401            

BofA Securities, Inc.

    4,003,027        (4,003,027            

Citigroup Global Markets Ltd.

    49,257        (49,257            

Citigroup Global Markets, Inc.

    249,255        (249,255            

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

    1,082,792        (1,082,792            

HSBC Bank PLC

    946,666        (946,666            

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

    1,276,834        (1,276,834            

Jefferies LLC

    137,174        (137,174            

Macquarie Bank Ltd.

    10,721        (10,721            

Mizuho Securities USA LLC

    9,757        (9,757            

Morgan Stanley

    3,031,097        (3,031,097            

Morgan Stanley

                        

SG Americas Securities LLC

    103,698        (103,698            

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

    69,752        (69,752            

UBS AG

    564,556        (564,556            
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  $ 12,749,201      $ (12,749,201   $     $  
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Collateral received, if any, in excess of the market value of securities on loan is not presented in this table. The total cash collateral received by each Fund is disclosed in the Fund’s Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

 
  (b) 

The market value of the loaned securities is determined as of February 29, 2024. Additional collateral is delivered to the Fund on the next business day in accordance with the MSLA.

 
 

The net amount would be subject to the borrower default indemnity in the event of default by a counterparty.

 

The risks of securities lending include the risk that the borrower may not provide additional collateral when required or may not return the securities when due. To mitigate these risks, each Fund benefits from a borrower default indemnity provided by BlackRock, Inc. (“BlackRock”). BlackRock’s indemnity allows for full replacement of the securities loaned to the extent the collateral received does not cover the value of the securities loaned in the event of borrower default. Each Fund could incur a loss if the value of an investment purchased with cash collateral falls below the market value of the loaned securities or if the value of an investment purchased with cash collateral falls below the value of the original cash collateral received. Such losses are borne entirely by each Fund.

 

5.

DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

Futures Contracts: Futures contracts are purchased or sold to gain exposure to, or manage exposure to, changes in interest rates (interest rate risk) and changes in the value of equity securities (equity risk) or foreign currencies (foreign currency exchange rate risk).

Futures contracts are exchange-traded agreements between the Funds and a counterparty to buy or sell a specific quantity of an underlying instrument at a specified price and on a specified date. Depending on the terms of a contract, it is settled either through physical delivery of the underlying instrument on the settlement date or by payment of a cash amount on the settlement date. Upon entering into a futures contract, the Funds are required to deposit initial margin with the broker in the form of cash or securities in an amount that varies depending on a contract’s size and risk profile. The initial margin deposit must then be maintained at an established level over the life of the contract Amounts pledged, which are considered restricted, are included in cash pledged for futures contracts in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

Securities deposited as initial margin are designated in the Schedule of Investments and cash deposited, if any, are shown as cash pledged for futures contracts in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. Pursuant to the contract, the Funds agree to receive from or pay to the broker an amount of cash equal to the daily fluctuation in market value of the contract (“variation margin”). Variation margin is recorded as unrealized appreciation (depreciation) and, if any, shown as variation margin receivable (or payable) on futures contracts in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. When the contract is closed, a realized gain or loss is recorded in the Statements of Operations equal to the difference between the notional amount of the contract at the time it was opened and the notional amount at the time it was closed. The use of futures contracts involves the risk of an imperfect correlation in the movements in the price of futures contracts and interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates or underlying assets.

 

6.

INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES

Investment Advisory Fees: Pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement with the Company, BFA manages the investment of each Fund’s assets. BFA is a California corporation indirectly owned by BlackRock. Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, BFA is responsible for substantially all expenses of the Funds, except (i) interest and taxes; (ii) brokerage commissions and other expenses connected with the execution of portfolio transactions; (iii) distribution fees; (iv) the advisory fee payable to BFA; and (v) litigation expenses and any extraordinary expenses (in each case as determined by a majority of the independent directors).

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

For its investment advisory services to each of the following Funds, BFA is entitled to an annual investment advisory fee, accrued daily and paid monthly by the Funds, based on the average daily net assets of each Fund as follows:

 

   
iShares ETF   Investment Advisory Fees    

Core MSCI Emerging Markets

    0.09%  

MSCI Emerging Markets Asia

    0.49    

For its investment advisory services to each of the iShares MSCI BIC and iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETFs, BFA is entitled to an annual investment advisory fee, accrued daily and paid monthly by the Funds, based on each Fund’s allocable portion of the aggregate of the average daily net assets of the Fund and certain other iShares funds, as follows:

 

   
Aggregate Average Daily Net Assets   Investment Advisory Fees    

First $14 billion

    0.75%  

Over $14 billion, up to and including $28 billion

    0.68    

Over $28 billion, up to and including $42 billion

    0.61    

Over $42 billion, up to and including $56 billion

    0.54    

Over $56 billion, up to and including $70 billion

    0.47    

Over $70 billion, up to and including $84 billion

    0.41    

Over $84 billion

    0.35    

Expense Waivers: The total of the investment advisory fee and any fund other expenses are a fund’s total annual operating expenses. For the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, BFA has contractually agreed to waive a portion of its investment advisory fee through December 31, 2025 in order to limit the Fund’s total annual operating expenses after fee waiver to 0.09% of average daily net assets.

This amount is included in investment advisory fees waived in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. For the six months ended February 29, 2024, the amounts waived in investment advisory fees pursuant to this arrangement were as follows:

 

   
iShares ETF   Amounts Waived    

Core MSCI Emerging Markets

  $ 786,597    

Distributor: BlackRock Investments, LLC, an affiliate of BFA, is the distributor for each Fund. Pursuant to the distribution agreement, BFA is responsible for any fees or expenses for distribution services provided to the Funds.

Securities Lending: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) has issued an exemptive order which permits BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, N.A. (“BTC”), an affiliate of BFA, to serve as securities lending agent for the Funds, subject to applicable conditions. As securities lending agent, BTC bears all operational costs directly related to securities lending, including any custodial costs. Each Fund is responsible for fees in connection with the investment of cash collateral received for securities on loan (the “collateral investment fees”). The cash collateral is invested in a money market fund, BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional or BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, managed by BFA, or its affiliates. However, BTC has agreed to reduce the amount of securities lending income it receives in order to effectively limit the collateral investment fees each Fund bears to an annual rate of 0.04%. The SL Agency Shares of such money market fund will not be subject to a sales load, distribution fee or service fee. The money market fund in which the cash collateral has been invested may, under certain circumstances, impose a liquidity fee of up to 2% of the value redeemed or temporarily restrict redemptions for up to 10 business days during a 90 day period, in the event that the money market fund’s weekly liquid assets fall below certain thresholds.

Securities lending income is equal to the total of income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral, net of fees and other payments to and from borrowers of securities, and less the collateral investment fees. Each Fund retains a portion of securities lending income and remits the remaining portion to BTC as compensation for its services as securities lending agent.

Pursuant to the current securities lending agreement, each Fund retains 82% of securities lending income (which excludes collateral investment fees), and the amount retained can never be less than 70% of the total of securities lending income plus the collateral investment fees.

In addition, commencing the business day following the date that the aggregate securities lending income plus the collateral investment fees generated across all 1940 Act iShares exchange-traded funds (the “iShares ETF Complex”) in that calendar year exceeds a specified threshold, each Fund, pursuant to the securities lending agreement, will retain for the remainder of that calendar year 85% of securities lending income (which excludes collateral investment fees), and the amount retained can never be less than 70% of the total of securities lending income plus the collateral investment fees.

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

The share of securities lending income earned by each Fund is shown as securities lending income – affiliated – net in its Statements of Operations. For the six months ended February 29, 2024, the Funds paid BTC the following amounts for securities lending agent services:

 

   
iShares ETF   Amounts  

Core MSCI Emerging Markets

  $  8,198,546   

MSCI BIC

    1,307  

MSCI Emerging Markets Asia

    7,095  

MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap

    83,119  

Officers and Directors: Certain officers and/or directors of the Company are officers and/or directors of BlackRock or its affiliates.

Other Transactions: Cross trading is the buying or selling of portfolio securities between funds to which BFA (or an affiliate) serves as investment adviser. At its regularly scheduled quarterly meetings, the Board reviews such transactions as of the most recent calendar quarter for compliance with the requirements and restrictions set forth by Rule 17a-7.

For the six months ended February 29, 2024, transactions executed by the Funds pursuant to Rule 17a-7 under the 1940 Act were as follows:

 

       
iShares ETF   Purchases      Sales     

Net Realized

Gain (Loss)

 

Core MSCI Emerging Markets

  $  2,221,977      $  69,999,687      $  (24,247,622

MSCI BIC

           258,354        (790,610

MSCI Emerging Markets Asia

    168,539        954,721        (1,344,619

MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap

    9,731,757        2,504,866        1,367,159   

Each Fund may invest its positive cash balances in certain money market funds managed by BFA or an affiliate. The income earned on these temporary cash investments is shown as dividends – affiliated in the Statements of Operations.

A fund, in order to improve its portfolio liquidity and its ability to track its underlying index, may invest in shares of other iShares funds that invest in securities in the fund’s underlying index.

 

7.

PURCHASES AND SALES

For the six months ended February 29, 2024, purchases and sales of investments, excluding short-term securities and in-kind transactions, were as follows:

 

     
iShares ETF   Purchases      Sales  

Core MSCI Emerging Markets

  $  1,988,962,857      $  1,773,966,558  

MSCI BIC

    2,603,924        3,390,557  

MSCI Emerging Markets Asia

    11,031,047        98,737,969  

MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap

    66,443,387        50,060,395   

For the six months ended February 29, 2024, in-kind transactions were as follows:

 

     
iShares ETF  

In-kind

Purchases

    

In-kind

Sales

 

Core MSCI Emerging Markets

  $  13,357,435      $  56,433,398  

MSCI Emerging Markets Asia

           42,274,459   

MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap

    2,676,327         

 

8.

INCOME TAX INFORMATION

Each Fund is treated as an entity separate from the Company’s other funds for federal income tax purposes. It is each Fund’s policy to comply with the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, applicable to regulated investment companies, and to distribute substantially all of its taxable income to its shareholders Therefore, no U.S. federal income tax provision is required.

Management has analyzed tax laws and regulations and their application to the Funds as of February 29, 2024, inclusive of the open tax return years, and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability in the Funds’ financial statements.

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

As of August 31, 2023, the Funds had non-expiring capital loss carryforwards available to offset future realized capital gains as follows:

 

   
iShares ETF  

Non-Expiring

Capital Loss

Carryforwards

 

Core MSCI Emerging Markets

  $ (9,993,717,670

MSCI BIC

    (226,979,021 )  

MSCI Emerging Markets Asia

    (115,044,765

MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap

    (6,287,765

A fund may own shares in certain foreign investment entities, referred to, under U.S. tax law, as “passive foreign investment companies.” Such fund may elect to mark-to-market annually the shares of each passive foreign investment company and would be required to distribute to shareholders any such marked-to-market gains.

As of February 29, 2024, gross unrealized appreciation and depreciation based on cost of investments (including short positions and derivatives, if any) for U.S. federal income tax purposes were as follows:

 

         
iShares ETF   Tax Cost     

Gross Unrealized

Appreciation

    

Gross Unrealized

Depreciation

   

Net Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

 

Core MSCI Emerging Markets

    $ 70,753,613,005        $ 19,014,029,834        $ (12,162,526,885     $ 6,851,502,949  

MSCI BIC

    93,410,817        15,814,774        (38,379,263     (22,564,489

MSCI Emerging Markets Asia

    416,627,802        116,849,950        (118,815,141     (1,965,191

MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap

    343,746,904        86,036,243        (54,891,171     31,145,072   

 

9.

LINE OF CREDIT

The Funds, along with certain other iShares funds (“Participating Funds”), are parties to a $800 million credit agreement (“Syndicated Credit Agreement”) with a group of lenders, which expires on October 16, 2024. The line of credit may be used for temporary or emergency purposes, including redemptions, settlement of trades and rebalancing of portfolio holdings in certain target markets. The Funds may borrow up to the aggregate commitment amount subject to asset coverage and other limitations as specified in the Syndicated Credit Agreement. The Syndicated Credit Agreement has the following terms: a commitment fee of 0.15% per annum on the unused portion of the credit agreement and interest at a rate equal to the higher of (a) Daily Simple Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) plus 0.10% and 1.00% per annum or (b) the U.S. Federal Funds rate plus 1.00% per annum on amounts borrowed. The commitment fee is generally allocated to each Participating Fund based on the lesser of a Participating Fund’s relative exposure to certain target markets or a Participating Fund’s maximum borrowing amount as set forth by the terms of the Syndicated Credit Agreement.

During the six months ended February 29, 2024, the iShares MSCI BIC ETF did not borrow under the Syndicated Credit Agreement.

For the six months ended February 29, 2024, the maximum amount borrowed, the average daily borrowing and the weighted average interest rate, if any, under the Syndicated Credit Agreement were as follows:

 

       
iShares ETF  

Maximum

Amount

Borrowed

    

Average

Borrowing

    

Weighted

Average

Interest Rates

 

Core MSCI Emerging Markets

  $  380,000,000      $  14,079,209        6.44%  

MSCI Emerging Markets Asia

    2,730,000        149,011        6.44  

MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap

    6,933,000        390,758        6.98   

 

10.

PRINCIPAL RISKS

In the normal course of business, each Fund invests in securities or other instruments and may enter into certain transactions, and such activities subject the Fund to various risks, including, among others, fluctuations in the market (market risk) or failure of an issuer to meet all of its obligations. The value of securities or other instruments may also be affected by various factors, including, without limitation: (i) the general economy; (ii) the overall market as well as local, regional or global political and/or social instability; (iii) regulation, taxation or international tax treaties between various countries; or (iv) currency, interest rate or price fluctuations. Local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant impact on the Funds and their investments. Each Fund’s prospectus provides details of the risks to which the Fund is subject.

BFA uses an indexing approach to try to achieve each Fund’s investment objective. The Fund is not actively managed, and BFA generally does not attempt to take defensive positions under any market conditions, including declining markets.

The Funds may be exposed to additional risks when reinvesting cash collateral in money market funds that do not seek to maintain a stable NAV per share of $1.00, which may be subject to redemption gates or liquidity fees under certain circumstances.

 

 

N O T E ST O  F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

Market Risk: Investments in the securities of issuers domiciled in countries with emerging capital markets involve certain additional risks that do not generally apply to investments in securities of issuers in more developed capital markets, such as (i) low or nonexistent trading volume, resulting in a lack of liquidity and increased volatility in prices for such securities; (ii) lack of reliable settlement procedures and significant delays in registereing the transfer of securities; (iii) uncertain national policies and social, political and economic instability, increasing the potential for expropriation of assets, confiscatory taxation, high rates of inflation or unfavorable diplomatic developments; (iv) lack of publicly available or reliable information about issuers as a result of not being subject to the same degree of regulatory requirements and accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards; and (v) possible fluctuations in exchange rates, differing legal systems and the existence or possible imposition of exchange controls, custodial restrictions or other foreign or U.S. governmental laws or restrictions applicable to such investments.

Valuation Risk: The market values of equities, such as common stocks and preferred securities or equity related investments, such as futures and options, may decline due to general market conditions which are not specifically related to a particular company. They may also decline due to factors which affect a particular industry or industries. A fund may invest in illiquid investments. An illiquid investment is any investment that a fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. A fund may experience difficulty in selling illiquid investments in a timely manner at the price that it believes the investments are worth. Prices may fluctuate widely over short or extended periods in response to company, market or economic news. Markets also tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising and falling prices. This volatility may cause a fund’s NAV to experience significant increases or decreases over short periods of time. If there is a general decline in the securities and other markets, the NAV of a fund may lose value, regardless of the individual results of the securities and other instruments in which a fund invests.

The price each Fund could receive upon the sale of any particular portfolio investment may differ from each Fund’s valuation of the investment, particularly for securities that trade in thin or volatile markets or that are valued using a fair valuation technique or a price provided by an independent pricing service. Changes to significant unobservable inputs and assumptions (i.e., publicly traded company multiples, growth rate, time to exit) due to the lack of observable inputs may significantly impact the resulting fair value and therefore each Fund’s results of operations. As a result, the price received upon the sale of an investment may be less than the value ascribed by each Fund, and each Fund could realize a greater than expected loss or lesser than expected gain upon the sale of the investment. Each Fund’s ability to value its investments may also be impacted by technological issues and/or errors by pricing services or other third-party service providers.

Counterparty Credit Risk: The Funds may be exposed to counterparty credit risk, or the risk that an entity may fail to or be unable to perform on its commitments related to unsettled or open transactions, including making timely interest and/or principal payments or otherwise honoring its obligations. The Funds manage counterparty credit risk by entering into transactions only with counterparties that BFA believes have the financial resources to honor their obligations and by monitoring the financial stability of those counterparties. Financial assets, which potentially expose the Funds to market, issuer and counterparty credit risks, consist principally of financial instruments and receivables due from counterparties. The extent of the Funds’ exposure to market, issuer and counterparty credit risks with respect to these financial assets is approximately their value recorded in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, less any collateral held by the Funds.

A derivative contract may suffer a mark-to-market loss if the value of the contract decreases due to an unfavorable change in the market rates or values of the underlying instrument. Losses can also occur if the counterparty does not perform under the contract.

With exchange-traded futures, there is less counterparty credit risk to the Funds since the exchange or clearinghouse, as counterparty to such instruments, guarantees against a possible default. The clearinghouse stands between the buyer and the seller of the contract; therefore, credit risk is limited to failure of the clearinghouse. While offset rights may exist under applicable law, a fund does not have a contractual right of offset against a clearing broker or clearinghouse in the event of a default (including the bankruptcy or insolvency). Additionally, credit risk exists in exchange-traded futures with respect to initial and variation margin that is held in a clearing broker’s customer accounts. While clearing brokers are required to segregate customer margin from their own assets, in the event that a clearing broker becomes insolvent or goes into bankruptcy and at that time there is a shortfall in the aggregate amount of margin held by the clearing broker for all its clients, typically the shortfall would be allocated on a pro rata basis across all the clearing broker’s customers, potentially resulting in losses to the Funds.

Geographic/Asset Class Risk: A diversified portfolio, where this is appropriate and consistent with a fund’s objectives, minimizes the risk that a price change of a particular investment will have a material impact on the NAV of a fund. The investment concentrations within each Fund’s portfolio are disclosed in its Schedule of Investments.

Certain Funds invest a significant portion of their assets in issuers located in a single country or a limited number of countries. When a fund concentrates its investments in this manner, it assumes the risk that economic, regulatory, political and social conditions in that country or those countries may have a significant impact on the fund and could affect the income from, or the value or liquidity of, the Fund’s portfolio. Unanticipated or sudden political or social developments may cause uncertainty in the markets and as a result adversely affect the Fund’s investments. Foreign issuers may not be subject to the same uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and practices as used in the United States. Foreign securities markets may also be more volatile and less liquid than U.S. securities and may be less subject to governmental supervision not typically associated with investing in U.S. securities. Investment percentages in specific countries are presented in the Schedule of Investments.

Certain Funds invest a significant portion of their assets in securities of issuers located in China or with significant exposure to Chinese issuers. Investments in Chinese securities, including certain Hong Kong-listed securities, involve risks specific to China. China may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability and demonstrates significantly higher volatility from time to time in comparison to developed markets. 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 may 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. Incidents involving China’s or the region’s security may cause uncertainty in Chinese markets and may adversely affect the Chinese economy and a fund’s investments. Reduction in spending on Chinese products and services, supply chain diversification, institution of tariffs, sanctions 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. In

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

addition, measures may be taken to limit the flow of capital and/or sanctions may be imposed, which could prohibit or restrict the ability to own or transfer fund assets and may also include retaliatory actions, such as seizure of fund assets.

Certain Funds invest a significant portion of their assets in securities of issuers located in Asia or with significant exposure to Asian issuers or countries. The Asian financial markets have recently experienced volatility and adverse trends due to concerns in several Asian countries regarding monetary policy, government intervention in the markets, rising government debt levels or economic downturns. These events may spread to other countries in Asia and may affect the value and liquidity of certain of the Funds’ investments.

Certain Funds invest a significant portion of their assets in securities within a single or limited number of market sectors. When a fund concentrates its investments in this manner, it assumes the risk that economic, regulatory, political and social conditions affecting such sectors may have a significant impact on the fund and could affect the income from, or the value or liquidity of, the fund’s portfolio.

Significant Shareholder Redemption Risk: Certain shareholders may own or manage a substantial amount of fund shares and/or hold their fund investments for a limited period of time. Large redemptions of fund shares by these shareholders may force a fund to sell portfolio securities, which may negatively impact the fund’s NAV, increase the fund’s brokerage costs, and/or accelerate the realization of taxable income/gains and cause the fund to make additional taxable distributions to shareholders.

 

11.

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

Capital shares are issued and redeemed by each Fund only in aggregations of a specified number of shares or multiples thereof (“Creation Units”) at NAV. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, shares of each Fund are not redeemable.

Transactions in capital shares were as follows:

 

 

 
   

Six Months Ended

02/29/24

   

Year Ended

08/31/23

 
 

 

 

   

 

 

 
iShares ETF   Shares     Amount     Shares     Amount  

 

 

Core MSCI Emerging Markets

       

Shares sold

    31,200,000     $ 1,528,507,023       138,000,000     $ 6,641,906,049  

Shares redeemed

    (3,600,000     (167,173,502     (25,800,000     (1,170,313,580
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    27,600,000     $  1,361,333,521       112,200,000     $ 5,471,592,469  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

MSCI BIC

       

Shares sold

        $           $ (15,669

Shares redeemed

                (450,000     (15,537,718
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
        $       (450,000   $ (15,553,387
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

MSCI Emerging Markets Asia

       

Shares sold

        $ (27,273     2,200,000     $ 149,886,468  

Shares redeemed

    (1,900,000     (121,931,384     (2,700,000     (175,250,811
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    (1,900,000   $ (121,958,657     (500,000   $ (25,364,343
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap

       

Shares sold

    500,000     $ 28,074,204       1,400,000     $ 70,564,319  

Shares redeemed

                (2,400,000     (133,114,902
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    500,000     $ 28,074,204       (1,000,000   $ (62,550,583
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

The consideration for the purchase of Creation Units of a fund in the Company generally consists of the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities and a specified amount of cash. Certain funds in the Company may be offered in Creation Units solely or partially for cash in U.S. dollars. Authorized Participants purchasing and redeeming Creation Units may pay a purchase transaction fee and a redemption transaction fee directly to State Street Bank and Trust Company, the Company’s administrator , to offset transfer and other transaction costs associated with the issuance and redemption of Creation Units, including Creation Units for cash. Authorized Participants transacting in Creation Units for cash may also pay an additional variable charge to compensate the relevant fund for certain transaction costs (i.e., stamp taxes, taxes on currency or other financial transactions, and brokerage costs) and market impact expenses relating to investing in portfolio securities. Such variable charges, if any, are included in shares sold in the table above.

From time to time, settlement of securities related to in-kind contributions or in-kind redemptions may be delayed. In such cases, securities related to in-kind transactions are reflected as a receivable or a payable in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

 

12.

FOREIGN WITHHOLDING TAX CLAIMS

The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) has issued guidance to address U.S. income tax liabilities attributable to fund shareholders resulting from the recovery of foreign taxes withheld in prior calendar years. These withheld foreign taxes were passed through to shareholders in the form of foreign tax credits in the year the taxes were withheld. Assuming there are sufficient foreign taxes paid which iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF is able to pass through to shareholders as a foreign tax credit in the

 

 

N O T E ST O  F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

current year, the Fund will be able to offset the prior years’ withholding taxes recovered against the foreign taxes paid in the current year. Accordingly, no federal income tax liability is recorded by the Fund.

 

13.

SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

Management has evaluated the impact of all subsequent events on the Funds through the date the financial statements were available to be issued and has determined that there were no subsequent events requiring adjustment or additional disclosure in the financial statements.

 

 

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Statement Regarding Liquidity Risk Management Program (unaudited)

 

In compliance with Rule 22e-4 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Liquidity Rule”), iShares, Inc. (the “Company”) has adopted and implemented a liquidity risk management program (the “Program”) for iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares MSCI BIC ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF and iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF (the “Funds” or “ETFs”), each a series of the Company, which is reasonably designed to assess and manage each Fund’s liquidity risk.

The Board of Directors (the “Board”) of the Company, on behalf of the Funds, met on December 8, 2023 (the “Meeting”) to review the Program. The Board previously appointed BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BlackRock”), the investment adviser to the Funds, as the program administrator for each Fund’s Program. BlackRock also previously delegated oversight of the Program to the 40 Act Liquidity Risk Management Committee (the “Committee”). At the Meeting, the Committee, on behalf of BlackRock, provided the Board with a report that addressed the operation of the Program and assessed its adequacy and effectiveness of implementation, including the management of each Fund’s Highly Liquid Investment Minimum (“HLIM”) where applicable, and any material changes to the Program (the “Report”). The Report covered the period from October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2023 (the “Program Reporting Period”).

The Report described the Program’s liquidity classification methodology for categorizing each Fund’s investments (including derivative transactions) into one of four liquidity buckets. It also referenced the methodology used by BlackRock to establish each Fund’s HLIM and noted that the Committee reviews and ratifies the HLIM assigned to each Fund no less frequently than annually. The Report also discussed notable events affecting liquidity over the Program Reporting Period, including extended market holidays, delays in the repatriation of the local currency in certain non-U.S. countries, the continued illiquidity of Russian equity securities and the suspension of select sanctions in Venezuela.

The Report noted that the Program complied with the key factors for consideration under the Liquidity Rule for assessing, managing and periodically reviewing each Fund’s liquidity risk, as follows:

 

  a)

The Fund’s investment strategy and liquidity of portfolio investments during both normal and reasonably foreseeable stressed conditions. During the Program Reporting Period, the Committee reviewed whether each Fund’s strategy is appropriate for an open-end fund structure, with a focus on funds with more significant and consistent holdings of less liquid and illiquid assets. The Committee also factored a fund’s concentration in an issuer into the liquidity classification methodology by taking issuer position sizes into account. Derivative exposure was also considered in the calculation of a fund’s liquidity bucketing. Finally, a factor for consideration under the Liquidity Rule is a Fund’s use of borrowings for investment purposes. However, the Funds do not borrow for investment purposes.

 

  b)

Short-term and long-term cash flow projections during both normal and reasonably foreseeable stressed conditions. During the Program Reporting Period, the Committee reviewed historical redemption activity and used this information as a component to establish each ETF’s reasonably anticipated trading size utilized for liquidity classifications. The Committee may also take into consideration a fund’s shareholder ownership concentration (which, depending on product type and distribution channel, may or may not be available), a fund’s distribution channels, and the degree of certainty associated with a fund’s short-term and long-term cash flow projections.

 

  c)

Holdings of cash and cash equivalents, as well as borrowing arrangements. The Committee considered that ETFs generally do not hold more than de minimis amounts of cash. The Committee also considered that ETFs generally do not engage in borrowing.

 

  d)

The relationship between an ETF’s portfolio liquidity and the way in which, and the prices and spreads at which, ETF shares trade, including the efficiency of the arbitrage function and the level of active participation by market participants, including authorized participants. The Committee monitored the prevailing bid/ask spread and the ETF price premium (or discount) to NAV for all ETFs. However, there were no ETFs with persistent deviations of fund premium/discount or bid/ask spreads from long-term averages over the Program Reporting Period.

 

  e)

The effect of the composition of baskets on the overall liquidity of an ETF’s portfolio. In reviewing the linkage between the composition of custom baskets accepted by an ETF and any significant change in the liquidity profile of such ETF, the Committee reviewed changes in the proportion of each ETF’s portfolio comprised of less liquid and illiquid holdings to determine if applicable thresholds were met requiring enhanced review. There were no ETFs for which the custom baskets accepted by the ETF had a significant change in its liquidity profile.

There were no material changes to the Program during the Program Reporting Period other than the enhancement of certain model components in the Program’s classification methodology. The Report provided to the Board stated that the Committee concluded that based on the operation of the functions, as described in the Report, the Program is operating as intended and is effective in implementing the requirements of the Liquidity Rule.

 

 

S T A T E M E N T  R E G A R D I N G  L I Q U I D I T Y  R I S K  M A N A G E M E N T  P R O G R A M

  93


Supplemental Information (unaudited)

 

Section 19(a) Notices

The amounts and sources of distributions reported are estimates and are being provided pursuant to regulatory requirements and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources for tax reporting purposes will depend upon each Fund’s investment experience during the year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. Shareholders will receive a Form 1099-DIV each calendar year that will inform them how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes.

February 29, 2024

 

         
    Total Cumulative Distributions
for the Fiscal Year-to-Date
            % Breakdown of the Total Cumulative
Distributions for the Fiscal Year-to-Date
       
iShares ETF  

Net

Investment

Income

    

Net Realized

Capital Gains

    

Return of

Capital

    

Total Per

Share

            

Net

Investment

Income

   

Net Realized

Capital Gains

   

Return of

Capital

   

Total Per

Share

        

MSCI BIC(a)

  $  0.156960      $      $  0.166989      $  0.323949           48         52     100  

MSCI Emerging Markets Asia(a)

    1.151981               0.019658        1.171639                 98             2       100          

 

  (a) 

The Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its net investment income and net realized capital gains; therefore, a portion of the distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur, for example, when some or all of the shareholder’s investment in the Fund is returned to the shareholder. A return of capital does not necessarily reflect the Fund’s investment performance and should not be confused with “yield” or “income”. When distributions exceed total return performance, the difference will incrementally reduce the Fund’s net asset value per share.

 

Tailored Shareholder Reports for Open-End Mutual Funds and ETFs

Effective January 24, 2023, the SEC adopted rule and form amendments to require open-end mutual funds and ETFs to transmit concise and visually engaging streamlined annual and semiannual reports to shareholders that highlight key information. Other information, including financial statements, will no longer appear in a streamlined shareholder report but must be available online, delivered free of charge upon request, and filed on a semiannual basis on Form N-CSR. The rule and form amendments have a compliance date of July 24, 2024. At this time, management is evaluating the impact of these amendments on the shareholder reports for the Funds.

 

 

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General Information

 

Electronic Delivery

Shareholders can sign up for e-mail notifications announcing that the shareholder report or prospectus has been posted on the iShares website at iShares.com. Once you have enrolled, you will no longer receive prospectuses and shareholder reports in the mail.

To enroll in electronic delivery:

 

   

Go to icsdelivery.com.

   

If your brokerage firm is not listed, electronic delivery may not be available. Please contact your broker-dealer or financial advisor.

Householding

Householding is an option available to certain fund investors. Householding is a method of delivery, based on the preference of the individual investor, in which a single copy of certain shareholder documents and Rule 30e-3 notices can be delivered to investors who share the same address, even if their accounts are registered under different names. Please contact your broker-dealer if you are interested in enrolling in householding and receiving a single copy of prospectuses and other shareholder documents, or if you are currently enrolled in householding and wish to change your householding status.

Availability of Quarterly Schedule of Investments

The Funds file their complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to their reports on Form N-PORT. The Funds’ Forms N-PORT are available on the SEC’s website at sec.gov. Additionally, each Fund makes its portfolio holdings for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year available at iShares.com/fundreports.

Availability of Proxy Voting Policies and Proxy Voting Records

A description of the policies and procedures that the iShares Funds use to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities and information about how the iShares Funds voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ending June 30 is available without charge, upon request (1) by calling toll-free 1-800-474-2737; (2) on the iShares website at iShares.com; and (3) on the SEC website at sec.gov.

A description of the Company’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio securities is available in the Fund Prospectus. The Fund discloses its portfolio holdings daily and provides information regarding its top holdings in Fund fact sheets at iShares.com.

 

 

G E N E R A L  I N F O R M A T I O N

  95


Glossary of Terms Used in this Report

 

Portfolio Abbreviation
ADR    American Depositary Receipt
CPO    Certificates of Participation (Ordinary)
GDR    Global Depositary Receipt
NVDR    Non-Voting Depositary Receipt
NVS    Non-Voting Shares
PJSC    Public Joint Stock Company
REIT    Real Estate Investment Trust

 

 

 

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Want to know more?

iShares.com  |  1-800-474-2737

This report is intended for the Funds’ shareholders. It may not be distributed to prospective investors unless it is preceded or accompanied by the current prospectus.

Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal.

The iShares Funds are distributed by BlackRock Investments, LLC (together with its affiliates, “BlackRock”).

The iShares Funds are not sponsored, endorsed, issued, sold or promoted by MSCI Inc., nor does this company make any representation regarding the advisability of investing in the iShares Funds. BlackRock is not affiliated with the company listed above.

©2024 BlackRock, Inc. All rights reserved. iSHARES and BLACKROCK are registered trademarks of BlackRock, Inc. or its subsidiaries. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

iS-SAR-810-0224

 

 

LOGO

   LOGO     


 

LOGO

  FEBRUARY 29, 2024

 

  

2024 Semi-Annual Report

(Unaudited)

 

 

 

iShares, Inc.

 

·  

iShares Frontier and Select EM ETF | FM | NYSE Arca

 

·  

iShares MSCI World ETF | URTH | NYSE Arca

 


The Markets in Review

Dear Shareholder,

The combination of continued economic growth and cooling inflation provided a supportive backdrop for investors during the 12-month reporting period ended February 29, 2024. Significantly tighter monetary policy helped to rein in inflation, and the Consumer Price Index decelerated substantially while remaining above pre-pandemic levels. A moderating labor market helped ease inflationary pressure, although wages continued to grow. Wage and job growth powered robust consumer spending, backstopping the economy. On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a horrific attack on Israel. The ensuing war will have a significant humanitarian impact and could lead to heightened economic and market volatility. We see geopolitics as a structural market risk going forward. See our geopolitical risk dashboard at blackrock.com for more details.

Equity returns were robust during the period, as interest rates stabilized and the economy proved to be more resilient than many investors expected. The U.S. economy continued to show strength, and growth further accelerated in the second half of 2023. Large-capitalization U.S. stocks posted particularly substantial gains, supported by the performance of a few notable technology companies, while small-capitalization U.S. stocks advanced at a significantly slower pace. Meanwhile, international developed market equities also gained strongly, while emerging market stocks advanced at a more modest pace.

The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield rose during the reporting period, as investors reacted to elevated inflation and attempted to anticipate future interest rate changes. However, higher yields drove positive returns overall for 10-year U.S. Treasuries and solid gains in shorter-duration U.S. Treasuries. The corporate bond market benefited from improving economic sentiment, although high-yield corporate bond prices fared significantly better than investment-grade bonds as demand from yield-seeking investors remained strong.

The U.S. Federal Reserve (the “Fed”), attempting to manage persistent inflation, raised interest rates three times during the 12-month period, but paused its tightening after its July meeting. The Fed also continued to reduce its balance sheet by not replacing some of the securities that reach maturity.

Supply constraints appear to have become an embedded feature of the new macroeconomic environment, making it difficult for developed economies to increase production without sparking higher inflation. Geopolitical fragmentation and an aging population risk further exacerbating these constraints, keeping the labor market tight and wage growth high. Although the Fed has stopped tightening for now, we believe that the new economic regime means that the Fed will need to maintain high rates for an extended period despite the market’s hopes for rapid interest rate cuts, as reflected in the recent rally. In this new regime, we anticipate greater volatility and dispersion of returns, creating more opportunities for selective portfolio management.

Looking at developed market stocks, we have an overweight stance on U.S. stocks overall, particularly given the promise of emerging AI technologies. We are also overweight Japanese stocks as shareholder-friendly policies generate increased investor interest, although we maintain an underweight stance on European stocks. In credit, there are selective opportunities in the near term despite tighter credit and financial conditions. For fixed income investing with a six- to twelve-month horizon, we see the most attractive investments in short-term U.S. Treasuries and hard-currency emerging market bonds.

Overall, our view is that investors need to think globally, position themselves to be prepared for a decarbonizing economy, and be nimble as market conditions change. We encourage you to talk with your financial advisor and visit iShares.com for further insight about investing in today’s markets.

 

LOGO

Rob Kapito

President, BlackRock Inc.

LOGO

Rob Kapito

President, BlackRock, Inc.

 

Total Returns as of February 29, 2024

 

     
     6-Month    12-Month
   

U.S. large cap equities

(S&P 500® Index)

  13.93%   30.45%
   

U.S. small cap equities

(Russell 2000® Index)

  8.97    10.05 
   

International equities

(MSCI Europe, Australasia, Far East Index)

  9.23    14.41 
   

Emerging market equities

(MSCI Emerging Markets Index)

  4.93    8.73 
   

3-month Treasury bills

(ICE BofA 3-Month U.S. Treasury Bill Index)

  2.69    5.22 
   

U.S. Treasury securities

(ICE BofA 10-Year U.S. Treasury Index)

  0.58    0.69 
   

U.S. investment grade bonds

(Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index)

  2.35    3.33 
   

Tax-exempt municipal bonds

(Bloomberg Municipal Bond Index)

  4.33    5.42 
   

U.S. high yield bonds

(Bloomberg U.S. Corporate High Yield 2% Issuer Capped Index)

  6.18    11.01 
Past performance is not an indication of future results. Index performance is shown for illustrative purposes only. You cannot invest directly in an index.
 

 

 

2  

T H I S  P A G EI SN O T  P A R TO F  Y O U R  F U N D  R E P O R T


Table of Contents

 

      Page  

The Markets in Review

     2  

Semi-Annual Report:

  

Fund Summary

     4  

About Fund Performance

     6  

Disclosure of Expenses

     6  

Schedules of Investments

     7  

Financial Statements

  

Statements of Assets and Liabilities

     27  

Statements of Operations

     28  

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

     29  

Financial Highlights

     30  

Notes to Financial Statements

     32  

Statement Regarding Liquidity Risk Management Program

     41  

Supplemental Information

     42  

General Information

     43  

Glossary of Terms Used in this Report

     44  

 

 

 


Fund Summaryas of February 29, 2024    iShares® Frontier and Select EM ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares Frontier and Select EM ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to provide exposure to frontier market equities along with select emerging market equities. The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund that does not seek to replicate the performance of a specified index.

Performance 

 

            Average Annual Total Returns             Cumulative Total Returns  
      

6-Month

Total Returns

 

 

     1 Year        5 Years        10 Years                 1 Year        5 Years        10 Years  

Fund NAV

     1.97      13.57      2.25      1.41         13.57      11.78      15.06

Fund Market

     1.93        13.32        1.94        1.24           13.32        10.08        13.07  

MSCI Frontier and Emerging Markets Select Index

     2.96        12.80        4.34        3.20                 12.80        23.64        37.03  

The MSCI Frontier and Emerging Markets Select Index aims to reflect the performance of Frontier Markets (FM) and the lower size spectrum of Emerging Markets (EM), while putting stronger emphasis on the tradability & investability of the constituents compared to its Parent Index.

Index performance through February 28, 2021 reflects the performance of the MSCI Frontier Markets 100 Index. Index performance beginning on March 1, 2021 reflects the performance of the MSCI Frontier and Emerging Markets Select Index.

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

Actual           Hypothetical 5% Return           

 

 

     

 

 

      
 

Beginning
Account Value
(09/01/23)
 
 
 
      

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a) 
           

Beginning
Account Value
(09/01/23)
 
 
 
      

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a) 
      

Annualized
Expense
Ratio
 
 
 
$ 1,000.00        $ 1,019.70        $ 4.02             $ 1,000.00        $ 1,020.90        $ 4.02          0.80

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION

 

   

Sector

   

Percent of

Total Investments

 

(a) 

Financials

    34.8

Materials

    12.3  

Real Estate

    10.7  

Energy

    9.5  

Industrials

    7.9  

Consumer Staples

    7.8  

Utilities

    7.1  

Communication Services

    5.9  

Health Care

    2.8  

Other (each representing less than 1%)

    1.2  

 

  (a)

Excludes money market funds.

 

TEN LARGEST COUNTRIES

 

   

Country/Geographic Region

   

Percent of

Total Investments

 

(a) 

Vietnam

    30.7

Kazakhstan

    11.9  

Romania

    10.3  

Morocco

    6.0  

Egypt

    5.8  

Philippines

    4.5  

Peru

    4.4  

Bangladesh

    4.3  

Pakistan

    3.8  

Colombia

    3.7  
 

 

 

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Fund Summaryas of February 29, 2024    iShares® MSCI World ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCI World ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of developed market equities, as represented by the MSCI World Index (the Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance 

 

            Average Annual Total Returns             Cumulative Total Returns  
      

6-Month

Total Returns

 

 

     1 Year        5 Years        10 Years                 1 Year        5 Years        10 Years  

Fund NAV

     12.62      25.31      11.86      9.28         25.31      75.13      142.89

Fund Market

     12.53        25.31        11.89        9.25           25.31        75.35        142.23  

Index

     12.46        24.96        11.66        9.06                 24.96        73.55        138.12  

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

Actual           Hypothetical 5% Return           
 

Beginning
Account Value
(09/01/23)
 
 
 
      

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a) 
           

Beginning
Account Value
(09/01/23)
 
 
 
      

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a) 
      

Annualized
Expense
Ratio
 
 
 
$ 1,000.00        $ 1,126.20        $ 1.27             $ 1,000.00        $ 1,023.70        $ 1.21          0.24

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION

 

   

Sector

   
Percent of
Total Investments
 
(a) 

Information Technology

    24.0

Financials

    15.1  

Health Care

    12.1  

Industrials

    11.2  

Consumer Discretionary

    11.0  

Communication Services

    7.4  

Consumer Staples

    6.6  

Energy

    4.2  

Materials

    3.8  

Utilities

    2.3  

Real Estate

    2.3  

 

  (a)

Excludes money market funds. 

 

 

TEN LARGEST COUNTRIES

 

   

Country/Geographic Region

   
Percent of
Total Investments
 
(a) 

United States

    70.8

Japan

    6.2  

United Kingdom

    3.6  

France

    3.1  

Canada

    3.1  

Switzerland

    2.6  

Germany

    2.2  

Australia

    1.9  

Netherlands

    1.4  

Denmark

    0.9  
 

 

 

F U N D  S U M M A R Y

  5


About Fund Performance

 

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Financial markets have experienced extreme volatility and trading in many instruments has been disrupted. These circumstances may continue for an extended period of time and may continue to affect adversely the value and liquidity of each Fund’s investments. As a result, current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. Performance data current to the most recent month-end is available at iShares.com. Performance results assume reinvestment of all dividends and capital gain distributions and do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. The investment return and principal value of shares will vary with changes in market conditions. Shares may be worth more or less than their original cost when they are redeemed or sold in the market. Performance for certain funds may reflect a waiver of a portion of investment advisory fees. Without such a waiver, performance would have been lower.

Net asset value or “NAV” is the value of one share of a fund as calculated in accordance with the standard formula for valuing mutual fund shares. Beginning August 10, 2020, the price used to calculate market return (“Market Price”) is the closing price. Prior to August 10, 2020, Market Price was determined using the midpoint between the highest bid and the lowest ask on the primary stock exchange on which shares of a fund are listed for trading, as of the time that such fund’s NAV is calculated. Market and NAV returns assume that dividends and capital gain distributions have been reinvested at Market Price and NAV, respectively.

An index is a statistical composite that tracks a specified financial market or sector. Unlike a fund, an index does not actually hold a portfolio of securities and therefore does not incur the expenses incurred by a fund. These expenses negatively impact fund performance. Also, index returns do not include brokerage commissions that may be payable on secondary market transactions. If brokerage commissions were included, index returns would be lower.

Disclosure of Expenses

Shareholders of each Fund may incur the following charges: (1) transactional expenses, including brokerage commissions on purchases and sales of fund shares and (2) ongoing expenses, including management fees and other fund expenses. The expense examples shown (which are based on a hypothetical investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held through the end of the period) are intended to assist shareholders both in calculating expenses based on an investment in each Fund and in comparing these expenses with similar costs of investing in other funds.

The expense examples provide information about actual account values and actual expenses. Annualized expense ratios reflect contractual and voluntary fee waivers, if any. In order to estimate the expenses a shareholder paid during the period covered by this report, shareholders can divide their account value by $1,000 and then multiply the result by the number under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During the Period.”

The expense examples also provide information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on a fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses. In order to assist shareholders in comparing the ongoing expenses of investing in the Funds and other funds, compare the 5% hypothetical examples with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.

The expenses shown in the expense examples are intended to highlight shareholders’ ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional expenses, such as brokerage commissions and other fees paid on purchases and sales of fund shares. Therefore, the hypothetical examples are useful in comparing ongoing expenses only and will not help shareholders determine the relative total expenses of owning different funds. If these transactional expenses were included, shareholder expenses would have been higher.

 

 

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Schedule of Investments (unaudited)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Frontier and Select EM ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 

Common Stocks

   
Bahrain — 0.8%            

Aluminium Bahrain BSC

    1,152,509     $ 3,515,611  
   

 

 

 
Bangladesh — 4.2%            

Bangladesh Export Import Co. Ltd.

    2,820,442       2,970,780  

Beacon Pharmaceuticals PLC/Bangladesh

    500,516       1,078,105  

Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

    1,080,296       1,309,152  

BRAC Bank PLC

    2,475,792       963,247  

British American Tobacco Bangladesh Co. Ltd.

    314,507       1,374,947  

City Bank PLC

    1,425,856       271,530  

GrameenPhone Ltd.

    320,080       762,942  

IFIC Bank PLC

    1,479,220       167,167  

LafargeHolcim Bangladesh Ltd.

    1,340,443       908,588  

National Bank Ltd.(a)

    4,690,373       311,979  

Olympic Industries Ltd.

    241,143       319,034  

Renata PLC

    75,181       646,385  

Robi Axiata Ltd., NVS

    5,138,805       1,404,685  

Square Pharmaceuticals PLC

    2,658,221       5,249,523  

Summit Power Ltd.(a)

    219,294       50,752  
   

 

 

 
      17,788,816  
Colombia — 2.1%            

Bancolombia SA

    443,182       3,719,341  

Interconexion Electrica SA ESP

    1,227,873       5,230,583  
   

 

 

 
      8,949,924  
Egypt — 5.6%            

Abou Kir Fertilizers & Chemical Industries

    2,419,215       3,168,146  

Commercial International Bank - Egypt (CIB)

    9,005,325       12,855,600  

Eastern Co. S.A.E

    7,548,289       5,339,349  

EFG Holding S.A.E.(a)

    6,937,716       2,546,311  
   

 

 

 
      23,909,406  
Estonia — 1.4%            

Enefit Green AS, NVS

    544,648       1,955,513  

LHV Group AS, NVS

    508,540       1,920,956  

Tallink Grupp AS(a)

    2,076,944       1,571,541  

Tallinna Kaubamaja Grupp A/S

    47,041       526,722  
   

 

 

 
      5,974,732  
Jordan — 2.1%            

Arab Bank PLC

    329,256       2,081,223  

Capital Bank of Jordan

    100,321       287,470  

Jordan Ahli Bank, NVS

    128,620       196,068  

Jordan Islamic Bank

    84,449       487,332  

Jordan Petroleum Refinery Co.

    474,572       3,371,503  

Jordan Phosphate Mines Co.

    120,446       1,990,014  

Jordanian Electric Power Co.

    235,323       664,051  
   

 

 

 
      9,077,661  
Kazakhstan — 11.5%            

Halyk Savings Bank of Kazakhstan JSC, GDR(b)

    276,487       4,755,576  

Kaspi.KZ JSC

    306,309       31,611,089  

NAC Kazatomprom JSC, GDR(b)

    324,006       12,863,038  
   

 

 

 
      49,229,703  
Kenya — 1.2%            

Equity Group Holdings PLC/Kenya

    5,895,022       1,541,693  

KCB Group PLC

    6,616,516       885,510  

Safaricom PLC

    32,918,560       2,820,010  
   

 

 

 
      5,247,213  
Lithuania — 0.9%            

AB Ignitis Grupe

    151,892       3,056,749  

Siauliu Bankas AB

    1,157,987       878,589  
   

 

 

 
          3,935,338  
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Malta — 0.5%            

MAS P.L.C.(c)

    2,461,100     $ 2,142,876  
   

 

 

 
Morocco — 5.9%            

Akdital Holding, NVS

    24,612       1,704,258  

Attijariwafa Bank

    132,207       6,624,699  

Banque Centrale Populaire

    59,893       1,812,212  

Douja Promotion Groupe Addoha SA

    584,589       1,043,893  

Hightech Payment Systems SA, NVS

    14,866       840,624  

Itissalat Al-Maghrib

    903,726       9,324,018  

Societe d’Exploitation des Ports

    130,940       3,786,552  
   

 

 

 
       25,136,256  
Nigeria — 3.1%            

Access Bank PLC

    87,072,126       969,437  

Afriland Properties PLC(a)

    8,020       9  

Dangote Cement PLC

    11,938,113       4,766,222  

FBN Holdings PLC

    84,216,832       1,366,075  

Guaranty Trust Holding Co. PLC

    63,861,123       1,470,291  

MTN Nigeria Communications PLC

    11,008,838       1,426,669  

Nestle Nigeria PLC

    1,310,924       685,949  

United Bank for Africa PLC

    79,997,106       1,048,799  

Zenith Bank PLC

    69,373,073       1,411,661  
   

 

 

 
      13,145,112  
Oman — 3.1%            

Abraj Energy Services SAOG, NVS

    912,870       737,409  

Bank Muscat SAOG

    5,665,022       3,855,158  

Bank Nizwa SAOG

    3,278,080       825,906  

National Bank of Oman SAOG

    714,407       468,473  

Oman Telecommunications Co. SAOG

    2,029,384       5,692,601  

Omani Qatari Telecommunications Co. SAOG

    1,374,118       1,209,938  

Renaissance Services SAOG

    554,998       612,660  
   

 

 

 
      13,402,145  
Pakistan — 3.7%            

Engro Corp. Ltd./Pakistan

    877,897       1,016,070  

Engro Fertilizers Ltd.

    2,532,428       1,331,463  

Fauji Fertilizer Co. Ltd.

    1,254,682       536,155  

Habib Bank Ltd.

    957,574       397,672  

Hub Power Co. Ltd. (The)

    4,961,075       2,025,667  

Lucky Cement Ltd.

    1,209,309       3,259,970  

Mari Petroleum Co. Ltd.

    96,528       811,367  

MCB Bank Ltd.

    733,013       519,737  

Millat Tractors Ltd.

    791,197       1,716,464  

Oil & Gas Development Co. Ltd.

    2,512,976       1,124,934  

Pakistan Oilfields Ltd.

    581,262       888,062  

Pakistan Petroleum Ltd.

    2,337,563       949,102  

Systems Ltd.

    674,197       990,077  

United Bank Ltd./Pakistan

    205,776       141,491  
   

 

 

 
      15,708,231  
Peru — 4.3%            

Cia. de Minas Buenaventura SAA, ADR

    184,658       2,788,336  

Credicorp Ltd.

    50,180       8,574,759  

Southern Copper Corp.

    85,290       6,896,549  
   

 

 

 
      18,259,644  
Philippines — 4.4%            

Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc.

    1,123,840       1,059,881  

Alliance Global Group Inc.

    1,558,700       286,148  

AREIT Inc.

    954,100       592,335  

Ayala Corp.

    130,900       1,579,739  

Ayala Land Inc.

    2,908,000       1,812,452  

Bank of the Philippine Islands

    290,188       646,111  

BDO Unibank Inc.

    431,698       1,176,076  

Bloomberry Resorts Corp.(a)

    2,173,500       433,811  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  7


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Frontier and Select EM ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Philippines (continued)  

Century Pacific Food Inc.

    668,700     $ 398,496  

Converge Information and Communications Technology Solutions Inc.(a)

    2,216,200       354,977  

GT Capital Holdings Inc.

    79,170       990,065  

International Container Terminal Services Inc.

    296,320       1,520,664  

JG Summit Holdings Inc.

    400,510       292,109  

Jollibee Foods Corp.

    135,140       658,211  

LT Group Inc.

    976,600       165,040  

Manila Electric Co.

    108,720       754,261  

Megaworld Corp.

    20,093,000       690,390  

Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co.

    54,100       59,668  

PLDT Inc.

    61,855       1,443,323  

Puregold Price Club Inc.

    888,200       434,501  

Robinsons Land Corp.

    427,800       124,600  

Security Bank Corp.

    41,050       51,846  

SM Prime Holdings Inc.

    3,795,800       2,133,724  

Universal Robina Corp.

    142,110       295,843  

Wilcon Depot Inc.

    1,670,800       641,987  
   

 

 

 
      18,596,258  
Romania — 10.0%            

Banca Transilvania SA

    1,682,095       9,510,698  

BRD-Groupe Societe Generale SA

    535,500       2,261,002  

MED Life SA(a)

    1,166,652       991,989  

OMV Petrom SA

    73,767,394       9,897,788  

One United Properties SA

    2,334,815       504,444  

Societatea De Producere A Energiei Electrice in Hidrocentrale Hidroelectrica SA(a)

    356,378       9,617,699  

Societatea Energetica Electrica SA

    552,426       1,405,557  

Societatea Nationala de Gaze Naturale ROMGAZ SA

    473,897       5,159,273  

Societatea Nationala Nuclearelectrica SA

    216,614       2,222,141  

Teraplast SA(a)

    1,644,050       209,151  

TTS Transport Trade Services SA, NVS

    164,783       1,078,617  
   

 

 

 
      42,858,359  
Sri Lanka — 1.0%            

Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC(a)

    1,179,135       343,994  

John Keells Holdings PLC

    5,966,905       3,592,715  

Sampath Bank PLC

    2,131,353       505,721  
   

 

 

 
      4,442,430  
Vietnam — 29.8%            

Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam JSC(a)

    1,549,710       6,119,203  

Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam JSC(a)

    834,903       1,798,966  

Binh Dinh Pharmaceutical & Medical Equipment JSC, NVS

    271,500       611,288  

CEO Group JSC

    756,900       687,684  

DABACO Vietnam Group JSC, NVS

    468,600       570,048  

Dat Xanh Group JSC(a)

    391,710       290,834  

Development Investment Construction JSC(a)

    1,264,554       1,404,934  

Digiworld Corp., NVS

    376,400       854,265  

Duc Giang Chemicals JSC

    703,894       3,200,251  

EVN Finance JSC, NVS

    1,632,200       1,271,328  

FPT Digital Retail JSC

    203,845       1,201,998  

FPT Securities JSC, NVS

    395,200       913,850  

Gelex Group JSC(a)

    1,945,584       1,765,879  

Ha Do Group JSC(a)

    399,585       431,029  

HAGL JSC(a)

    2,149,500       1,119,547  

Hoa Phat Group JSC(a)

    11,623,503       14,635,831  

Hoa Sen Group(a)

    1,231,940       1,140,828  

Hoang Huy Investment Financial Services JSC

    1,311,300       698,591  

IDICO Corp. JSC

    364,650       871,314  

Khang Dien House Trading and Investment JSC(a)

    1,449,196       2,042,628  
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Vietnam (continued)  

KIDO Group Corp.

    535,672     $ 1,373,406  

Kinh Bac City Development Share Holding
Corp.(a)

    1,260,160       1,588,060  

Kosy JSC, NVS

    608,200       988,171  

Masan Group Corp.(a)

    2,633,356       7,534,645  

Nam Kim Steel JSC(a)

    553,600       538,824  

Novaland Investment Group Corp.(a)

    3,658,433       2,541,317  

PC1 Group JSC, NVS(a)

    882,715       993,002  

PetroVietNam Ca Mau Fertilizer JSC

    329,500       451,995  

PetroVietnam Drilling & Well Services JSC(a)

    1,150,034       1,443,634  

PetroVietnam Fertilizer & Chemicals JSC

    607,200       858,151  

PetroVietnam Gas JSC

    226,640       712,642  

PetroVietnam Power Corp.(a)

    3,654,540       1,729,948  

PetroVietnam Technical Services Corp.

    988,098       1,475,132  

Petrovietnam Transportation Corp.

    756,600       823,852  

Phat Dat Real Estate Development Corp.(a)

    1,260,036       1,483,919  

Sai Gon-Ha Noi Securities JSC(a)

    1,329,250       954,472  

Saigon - Hanoi Commercial Joint Stock Bank(a)

    3,889,303       1,865,047  

Saigon Beer Alcohol Beverage Corp.

    347,460       826,101  

Song da Urban & Industrial Zone Investment & Development JSC, NVS

    243,800       745,741  

SSI Securities Corp.

    4,146,341       6,240,334  

Tasco JSC(a)

    630,300       490,944  

Thaiholdings JSC(a)

    74,040       105,729  

Thanh Thanh Cong - Bien Hoa JSC(a)

    1,797,397       971,672  

Van Phu - Invest Investment JSC

    497,480       1,170,541  

Viet Capital Securities JSC

    1,197,570       2,222,233  

Vietjet Aviation JSC(a)

    674,390       2,823,122  

Vietnam Construction and Import-Export JSC(a)

    1,131,488       1,122,408  

Vietnam Dairy Products JSC

    3,211,274       9,386,812  

Vietnam Export Import Commercial JSB, NVS

    1,939,034       1,426,136  

Viettel Construction Joint Stock Corp., NVS

    183,700       784,086  

Vincom Retail JSC(a)

    3,820,080       4,112,053  

Vingroup JSC(a)

    4,788,334       8,747,735  

Vinh Hoan Corp.

    438,880       1,311,817  

Vinhomes JSC(a)(d)

    6,208,788       10,947,872  

VIX Securities JSC(a)

    2,313,100       1,725,083  

Vndirect Securities Corp.(a)

    3,429,340       3,162,977  
   

 

 

 
      127,309,909  
   

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks — 95.6%
(Cost: $358,192,298)

 

    408,629,624  
   

 

 

 

Preferred Stocks

 

Colombia — 1.5%  

Bancolombia SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    793,276       6,483,642  
   

 

 

 

Total Preferred Stocks — 1.5%
(Cost: $5,090,302)

 

    6,483,642  
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 97.1%
(Cost: $363,282,600)

 

    415,113,266  
   

 

 

 

Short-Term Securities

 

Money Market Funds — 1.0%  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional,
SL Agency Shares, 5.50%(e)(f)(g)

    637,054       637,373  
 

 

 

8  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S 


Schedule of Investments(unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Frontier and Select EM ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Money Market Funds (continued)  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury,
SL Agency Shares, 5.30%(e)(f)

    3,730,000     $ 3,730,000  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 1.0%
(Cost: $4,367,413)

      4,367,373  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments — 98.1%
(Cost: $367,650,013)

 

    419,480,639  

Other Assets Less Liabilities — 1.9%

      8,110,145  
   

 

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

    $  427,590,784  
   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Non-income producing security.

(b) 

This security may be resold to qualified foreign investors and foreign institutional buyers under Regulation S of the Securities Act of 1933.

(c) 

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(d) 

Security exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration to qualified institutional investors.

(e) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(f) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

(g) 

All or a portion of this security was purchased with the cash collateral from loaned securities.

 

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of
Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

 

 
Affiliated Issuer   Value at
08/31/23
    Purchases
at Cost
    Proceeds
from Sale
    Net Realized
Gain (Loss)
    Change in
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
    Value at
02/29/24
    Shares
Held at
02/29/24
    Income    

Capital

Gain
Distributions
from
Underlying
Funds

 

 

 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares

  $     $ 637,414 (a)    $     $ (1   $ (40   $ 637,373       637,054     $ 94 (b)     $  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares

          3,730,000 (a)                        3,730,000       3,730,000       82,935        
       

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 
        $ (1   $ (40   $ 4,367,373       $ 83,029     $  
       

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

 
  (b) 

All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities.

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

 

 
Description    Number of
Contracts
       Expiration
Date
       Notional
Amount
(000)
       Value/
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
 

 

 

Long Contracts

                 

MSCI Emerging Markets Index

     231          03/15/24        $ 11,744        $ 242,503  
                 

 

 

 

Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts

 

         
Currency Purchased     

Currency Sold

     Counterparty    Settlement Date   Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
 

USD

     4,939,130      EGP      284,000,000      Citibank N.A.       01/27/25   $ (701,364
                

 

 

 
           $ (701,364
                

 

 

 

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  9


Schedule of Investments(unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Frontier and Select EM ETF

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

     

Commodity

Contracts

    

Credit

Contracts

    

Equity

Contracts

    

Foreign

Currency

Exchange

Contracts

    

Interest

Rate

Contracts

    

Other

Contracts

     Total  

Assets — Derivative Financial Instruments

                    

Futures contracts

                    

Unrealized appreciation on futures contracts(a)

   $      $      $ 242,503      $      $      $      $ 242,503  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Liabilities — Derivative Financial Instruments

                    

Forward foreign currency exchange contracts

                    

Unrealized depreciation on forward foreign currency exchange contracts

   $      $      $      $ 701,364      $      $      $ 701,364  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

 

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

     

Commodity

Contracts

    

Credit

Contracts

    

Equity

Contracts

    

Foreign

Currency

Exchange

Contracts

    

Interest

Rate

Contracts

    

Other

Contracts

     Total  

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ (623,104    $      $      $      $ (623,104

Forward foreign currency exchange contracts

                          1,996,059                      1,996,059  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   $      $      $ (623,104    $ 1,996,059      $      $      $ 1,372,955  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ 942,579      $      $      $      $ 942,579  

Forward foreign currency exchange contracts

                          (3,900,110                    (3,900,110
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   $      $      $ 942,579      $ (3,900,110    $      $      $ (2,957,531
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

Futures contracts:

        

Average notional value of contracts — long

   $ 13,373,980  

Forward foreign currency exchange contracts:

  

Average amounts sold — in USD

   $ 2,469,565  

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

Derivative Financial Instruments - Offsetting as of Period End

The Fund’s derivative assets and liabilities (by type) were as follows:

 

 

 
     Assets      Liabilities  

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments:

     

Futures contracts

   $ 242,503      $  

Forward foreign currency exchange contracts

            701,364  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total derivative assets and liabilities in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities

     242,503        701,364  

Derivatives not subject to a Master Netting Agreement or similar agreement (“MNA”)

     (242,503       
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total derivative assets and liabilities subject to an MNA

   $      $ 701,364  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

10  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S 


Schedule of Investments(unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Frontier and Select EM ETF

 

Derivative Financial Instruments - Offsetting as of Period End (continued)

The following table presents the Fund’s derivative liabilities by counterparty net of amounts available for offset under an MNA and net of the related collateral pledged by the Fund:

 

 

 

Counterparty

    



Derivative
Liabilities
Subject to
an MNA by
Counterparty
 
 
 
 
 
    

Derivatives
Available
for Offset
 
 
(a) 
   

Non-Cash
Collateral
Pledged
 
 
 
      

Cash
Collateral
Pledged
 
 
 
      

Net Amount
of Derivative
Liabilities
 
 
(b)(c) 

 

 

Citibank N.A.

   $ 701,364      $     $        $        $ 701,364  
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

The amount of derivatives available for offset is limited to the amount of derivative assets and/or liabilities that are subject to an MNA.

 
  (b) 

Net amount represents the net amount payable due to the counterparty in the event of default.

 
  (c) 

Net amount may also include forward foreign currency exchange contracts that are not required to be collateralized.

 

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

 

 
     Level 1          Level 2          Level 3          Total  

 

 

Assets

                 

Investments

                 

Long-Term Investments

                 

Common Stocks

   $ 189,480,590        $ 219,149,034        $        $ 408,629,624  

Preferred Stocks

     6,483,642                            6,483,642  

Short-Term Securities

                 

Money Market Funds

     4,367,373                            4,367,373  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $ 200,331,605        $ 219,149,034        $        $ 419,480,639  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

                 

Assets

                 

Equity Contracts

   $ 242,503        $        $        $ 242,503  

Liabilities

                 

Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts

              (701,364                 (701,364
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $ 242,503        $ (701,364      $   —          (458,861
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Derivative financial instruments are futures contracts and forward foreign currency exchange contracts. Futures contracts and forward foreign currency exchange contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  11


Schedule of Investments(unaudited)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI World ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 

Common Stocks

   
Australia — 1.9%            

Ampol Ltd.

    11,941     $ 306,106  

ANZ Group Holdings Ltd.

    149,957       2,779,551  

APA Group

    60,614       309,451  

Aristocrat Leisure Ltd.

    29,717       902,904  

ASX Ltd.

    9,535       408,545  

Aurizon Holdings Ltd.

    92,671       229,678  

BHP Group Ltd.

    258,456       7,408,980  

BlueScope Steel Ltd.

    25,126       373,636  

Brambles Ltd.

    71,279       699,887  

CAR Group Ltd.

    18,169       435,286  

Cochlear Ltd.

    3,205       730,590  

Coles Group Ltd.

    65,738       723,069  

Commonwealth Bank of Australia

    85,654       6,497,411  

Computershare Ltd.

    26,986       456,064  

CSL Ltd.

    24,776       4,612,405  

Dexus

    51,755       247,846  

Endeavour Group Ltd./Australia

    65,646       235,005  

Fortescue Ltd.

    90,063       1,520,084  

Goodman Group

    88,364       1,720,234  

GPT Group (The)

    93,428       264,235  

IDP Education Ltd.

    10,494       130,353  

Insurance Australia Group Ltd.

    126,726       511,550  

James Hardie Industries PLC(a)

    22,144       875,915  

Lottery Corp. Ltd. (The)

    110,552       365,788  

Macquarie Group Ltd.

    18,521       2,351,785  

Medibank Pvt Ltd.

    137,757       321,934  

Mineral Resources Ltd.

    8,423       365,509  

Mirvac Group

    192,092       272,454  

National Australia Bank Ltd.

    161,196       3,581,633  

Northern Star Resources Ltd.

    56,048       465,908  

Orica Ltd.

    20,810       231,906  

Origin Energy Ltd.

    87,612       511,822  

Pilbara Minerals Ltd.(b)

    163,983       447,804  

Qantas Airways Ltd.(a)

    47,021       157,175  

QBE Insurance Group Ltd.

    73,837       831,033  

Ramsay Health Care Ltd.

    9,666       344,833  

REA Group Ltd.

    2,609       329,959  

Reece Ltd.(b)

    14,739       258,080  

Rio Tinto Ltd.

    19,557       1,574,904  

Santos Ltd.

    154,884       713,169  

Scentre Group

    250,569       507,117  

SEEK Ltd.

    16,775       287,267  

Seven Group Holdings Ltd.

    8,380       209,764  

Sonic Healthcare Ltd.

    22,493       436,494  

South32 Ltd.

    230,915       442,358  

Stockland

    124,546       363,901  

Suncorp Group Ltd.

    63,555       632,947  

Telstra Group Ltd.

    205,854       511,488  

Transurban Group

    160,422       1,413,674  

Treasury Wine Estates Ltd.

    41,271       331,338  

Vicinity Ltd.

    194,456       245,565  

Washington H Soul Pattinson & Co. Ltd.

    10,891       244,990  

Wesfarmers Ltd.

    58,871       2,555,219  

Westpac Banking Corp.

    180,274       3,093,366  

WiseTech Global Ltd.

    9,713       599,129  

Woodside Energy Group Ltd.

    97,551       1,924,563  

Woolworths Group Ltd.

    62,149       1,319,272  

Xero Ltd.(a)

    6,571       546,500  
   

 

 

 
       61,169,433  
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 

Austria — 0.1%

 

Erste Group Bank AG

    16,976     $ 678,754  

OMV AG

    7,278       320,712  

Verbund AG

    3,364       243,519  

voestalpine AG

    5,859       160,066  
   

 

 

 
      1,403,051  
Belgium — 0.2%            

Ageas SA/NV

    8,546       363,201  

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV

    44,300       2,677,515  

Argenx SE(a)

    2,997       1,123,321  

D’ieteren Group

    1,154       222,975  

Elia Group SA/NV

    1,640       182,429  

Groupe Bruxelles Lambert NV

    5,574       419,209  

KBC Group NV

    12,421       874,970  

Lotus Bakeries NV

    19       178,656  

Sofina SA

    730       167,082  

Syensqo SA(a)

    3,665       327,229  

UCB SA

    6,214       716,968  

Umicore SA

    9,572       200,317  

Warehouses De Pauw CVA

    7,546       202,118  
   

 

 

 
      7,655,990  
Bermuda — 0.0%            

Liberty Global Ltd., NVS(a)(b)

    12,458       231,096  
   

 

 

 
Canada — 3.1%            

Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd.

    24,728       1,185,975  

Air Canada(a)

    9,064       121,018  

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.

    40,093       2,486,555  

AltaGas Ltd.

    14,127       302,807  

ARC Resources Ltd.

    34,366       585,704  

Bank of Montreal

    36,757       3,326,994  

Bank of Nova Scotia (The)

    61,809       2,997,200  

Barrick Gold Corp.

    87,278       1,272,690  

BCE Inc.

    3,756       139,375  

Brookfield Asset Management Ltd.

    17,297       704,931  

Brookfield Corp., Class A

    69,122       2,852,177  

Brookfield Renewable Corp., Class A

    6,883       163,409  

BRP Inc.

    1,722       113,662  

CAE Inc.(a)

    15,886       296,615  

Cameco Corp.

    23,852       966,629  

Canadian Apartment Properties REIT

    4,327       151,795  

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce

    46,486       2,199,706  

Canadian National Railway Co.

    28,355       3,676,550  

Canadian Natural Resources Ltd.

    55,488       3,865,332  

Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd.

    47,538       4,036,255  

Canadian Tire Corp. Ltd., Class A, NVS

    2,871       292,145  

Canadian Utilities Ltd., Class A, NVS

    6,519       146,793  

CCL Industries Inc., Class B, NVS

    7,591       386,947  

Cenovus Energy Inc.

    71,040       1,237,959  

CGI Inc.(a)

    10,781       1,237,811  

Constellation Software Inc./Canada

    1,054       2,934,402  

Descartes Systems Group Inc. (The)(a)

    4,848       420,197  

Dollarama Inc.

    14,296       1,105,842  

Element Fleet Management Corp.

    23,121       385,875  

Emera Inc.

    15,191       532,801  

Empire Co. Ltd., Class A, NVS

    8,451       214,147  

Enbridge Inc.

    107,047       3,679,580  

Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd.

    1,136       1,212,540  

First Quantum Minerals Ltd.

    29,144       275,946  

FirstService Corp.

    1,984       326,498  

Fortis Inc./Canada

    25,665       989,610  

Franco-Nevada Corp.

    9,953        1,042,053  

George Weston Ltd.

    2,904       380,367  
 

 

 

12  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S 


Schedule of Investments(unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI World ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Canada (continued)            

GFL Environmental Inc.

    10,781     $ 388,693  

Gildan Activewear Inc.

    10,671       371,596  

Great-West Lifeco Inc.

    14,971       461,104  

Hydro One Ltd.(c)

    16,637       495,868  

iA Financial Corp. Inc.

    5,354       332,014  

IGM Financial Inc.

    4,317       113,400  

Imperial Oil Ltd.

    10,036       627,976  

Intact Financial Corp.

    8,609       1,431,588  

Ivanhoe Mines Ltd., Class A(a)(b)

    30,740       326,845  

Keyera Corp.

    11,178       275,013  

Kinross Gold Corp.

    63,536       310,857  

Loblaw Companies Ltd.

    8,576       913,998  

Lundin Mining Corp.

    33,627       265,864  

Magna International Inc.

    14,176       781,108  

Manulife Financial Corp.

    90,683        2,152,230  

MEG Energy Corp.(a)

    14,484       310,032  

Metro Inc./CN

    12,095       654,858  

National Bank of Canada

    16,585       1,294,514  

Northland Power Inc.

    11,324       191,911  

Nutrien Ltd.

    25,860       1,349,830  

Onex Corp.

    3,817       284,261  

Open Text Corp.

    13,315       512,036  

Pan American Silver Corp.

    18,349       227,681  

Parkland Corp.

    7,724       247,061  

Pembina Pipeline Corp.

    27,155       945,018  

Power Corp. of Canada

    26,938       778,277  

Quebecor Inc., Class B

    8,552       200,008  

RB Global Inc.

    9,139       689,491  

Restaurant Brands International Inc.

    14,097       1,094,604  

RioCan REIT

    8,462       111,484  

Rogers Communications Inc., Class B, NVS

    17,499       774,410  

Royal Bank of Canada

    72,036       6,995,796  

Saputo Inc.

    12,456       253,406  

Shopify Inc., Class A(a)

    61,609       4,707,097  

Stantec Inc.

    5,587       466,506  

Sun Life Financial Inc.

    29,008       1,540,653  

Suncor Energy Inc.

    67,828       2,330,486  

TC Energy Corp.

    50,636       2,002,830  

Teck Resources Ltd., Class B

    23,361       897,672  

TELUS Corp.

    21,631       377,265  

TFI International Inc.

    4,115       607,995  

Thomson Reuters Corp.

    8,529       1,346,390  

TMX Group Ltd.

    13,790       361,732  

Toromont Industries Ltd.

    4,078       374,552  

Toronto-Dominion Bank (The)

    92,705       5,566,467  

Tourmaline Oil Corp.

    15,333       693,919  

Waste Connections Inc.

    13,343       2,220,809  

West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd.

    3,042       244,812  

Wheaton Precious Metals Corp.

    22,204       915,057  

WSP Global Inc.

    6,501       1,031,902  
   

 

 

 
       100,095,868  
Denmark — 0.9%            

AP Moller - Maersk A/S, Class A

    176       239,074  

AP Moller - Maersk A/S, Class B, NVS

    251       356,205  

Carlsberg A/S, Class B

    4,935       689,335  

Coloplast A/S, Class B(b)

    6,874       913,096  

Danske Bank A/S

    33,300       979,691  

Demant A/S(a)

    5,393       270,388  

DSV A/S

    9,306       1,493,152  

Genmab A/S(a)

    3,515       976,538  

Novo Nordisk A/S

    167,137       19,950,412  

Novozymes A/S, Class B

    18,660       1,052,571  
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Denmark (continued)            

Orsted A/S(c)

    9,361     $ 524,232  

Pandora A/S

    4,899       792,267  

Rockwool A/S, Class B

    428       136,982  

Tryg A/S

    17,805       378,645  

Vestas Wind Systems A/S(a)

    49,874       1,389,890  
   

 

 

 
       30,142,478  
Finland — 0.3%            

Elisa OYJ

    7,008       315,627  

Fortum OYJ

    22,049       275,571  

Kesko OYJ, Class B

    13,229       252,933  

Kone OYJ, Class B

    16,703       817,802  

Metso OYJ

    33,269       355,871  

Neste OYJ

    20,811       570,473  

Nokia OYJ

    297,554       1,048,905  

Nordea Bank Abp, New

    161,570       1,966,386  

Orion OYJ, Class B

    5,282       207,666  

Sampo OYJ, Class A

    24,494       1,096,028  

Stora Enso OYJ, Class R

    28,833       364,553  

UPM-Kymmene OYJ

    26,256       878,772  

Wartsila OYJ Abp

    24,190       374,480  
   

 

 

 
      8,525,067  
France — 3.1%            

Accor SA

    8,543       371,089  

Aeroports de Paris SA

    1,420       193,307  

Air Liquide SA

    26,943       5,476,235  

Airbus SE

    30,030       4,968,733  

Alstom SA

    15,743       210,416  

Amundi SA(c)

    3,055       201,298  

ArcelorMittal SA

    26,361       687,637  

Arkema SA

    2,984       309,297  

AXA SA

    91,232       3,248,032  

BioMerieux

    2,038       222,773  

BNP Paribas SA

    52,732       3,164,974  

Bollore SE

    44,659       306,260  

Bouygues SA

    11,366       449,476  

Bureau Veritas SA

    14,592       423,994  

Capgemini SE

    8,453       2,056,139  

Carrefour SA

    30,948       519,968  

Cie. de Saint-Gobain SA

    24,843       1,915,161  

Cie. Generale des Etablissements Michelin SCA

    33,354       1,234,313  

Covivio SA/France

    2,614       117,374  

Credit Agricole SA

    61,350       832,081  

Danone SA

    32,133       2,050,449  

Dassault Aviation SA

    1,208       238,815  

Dassault Systemes SE

    35,247       1,651,712  

Edenred SE

    12,312       609,242  

Eiffage SA

    4,082       444,522  

Engie SA

    96,054       1,541,319  

EssilorLuxottica SA

    14,792       3,140,848  

Eurazeo SE

    1,982       167,678  

Eurofins Scientific SE

    6,748       403,280  

Euronext NV(c)

    4,331       399,148  

Gecina SA

    2,257       218,007  

Getlink SE

    21,958       374,900  

Hermes International SCA

    1,622       4,058,794  

Ipsen SA

    1,835       201,580  

Kering SA

    3,651       1,681,752  

Klepierre SA

    10,618       269,732  

La Francaise des Jeux SAEM(c)

    4,813       201,675  

Legrand SA

    13,135       1,330,329  

L’Oreal SA

    12,449       5,946,500  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  13


Schedule of Investments(unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI World ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
France (continued)            

LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE

    14,084     $ 12,854,961  

Orange SA

    98,205       1,125,720  

Pernod Ricard SA

    10,724       1,792,341  

Publicis Groupe SA

    11,262       1,191,581  

Remy Cointreau SA

    1,122       118,893  

Renault SA

    9,677       404,049  

Rexel SA

    11,551       295,878  

Safran SA

    17,507       3,671,050  

Sanofi SA

    57,225       5,454,374  

Sartorius Stedim Biotech

    1,360       374,338  

Schneider Electric SE

    27,520       6,255,078  

SEB SA

    1,362       161,408  

Societe Generale SA

    35,550       863,354  

Sodexo SA

    4,328       344,990  

Teleperformance SE

    2,907       360,927  

Thales SA

    5,213       773,158  

TotalEnergies SE

    111,192       7,087,283  

Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, New(a)

    6,257       457,533  

Veolia Environnement SA

    35,705       1,106,795  

Vinci SA

    26,465       3,391,281  

Vivendi SE

    38,872       434,381  

Worldline SA/France(a)(c)

    11,800       135,840  
   

 

 

 
       100,494,052  
Germany — 2.1%            

adidas AG

    8,508       1,720,999  

Allianz SE, Registered

    20,603       5,658,724  

BASF SE

    44,673       2,275,508  

Bayer AG, Registered

    51,264       1,548,898  

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG

    16,349       1,933,892  

Bechtle AG

    4,086       210,816  

Beiersdorf AG

    4,953       709,967  

Brenntag SE

    7,605       694,370  

Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, Bearer(b)

    2,000       245,602  

Commerzbank AG

    58,798       680,641  

Continental AG

    5,338       428,189  

Covestro AG(a)(c)

    9,172       499,211  

Daimler Truck Holding AG

    28,640       1,170,070  

Delivery Hero SE, Class A(a)(c)

    8,018       185,464  

Deutsche Bank AG, Registered

    102,647       1,374,721  

Deutsche Boerse AG

    9,806       2,052,859  

Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Registered(a)

    32,672       254,084  

Deutsche Post AG, Registered

    50,688       2,353,647  

Deutsche Telekom AG, Registered

    163,226       3,879,716  

E.ON SE

    118,071       1,507,683  

Evonik Industries AG

    10,472       193,305  

Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA

    10,123       388,247  

Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA

    23,258       651,344  

GEA Group AG

    7,605       306,759  

Hannover Rueck SE

    2,952       757,801  

Heidelberg Materials AG

    7,118       691,150  

Henkel AG & Co. KGaA

    5,126       345,834  

Infineon Technologies AG

    66,601       2,391,346  

Knorr-Bremse AG

    3,579       250,566  

LEG Immobilien SE(a)

    3,588       264,290  

Mercedes-Benz Group AG

    41,629       3,317,198  

Merck KGaA

    6,338       1,078,390  

MTU Aero Engines AG

    2,679       644,431  

Muenchener Rueckversicherungs-Gesellschaft AG in Muenchen, Registered

    6,841       3,184,984  

Nemetschek SE

    2,847       272,739  

Puma SE

    5,206       239,442  

Rational AG

    241       198,314  
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Germany (continued)            

Rheinmetall AG

    2,087     $ 957,634  

RWE AG

    31,543       1,056,607  

SAP SE

    53,608       10,045,779  

Scout24 SE(c)

    4,513       328,161  

Siemens AG, Registered

    38,741       7,669,510  

Siemens Healthineers AG(c)

    15,083       905,228  

Symrise AG, Class A

    7,184       735,157  

Talanx AG(a)

    3,200       228,418  

Volkswagen AG

    1,590       250,239  

Vonovia SE

    35,541       991,919  

Zalando SE(a)(c)

    10,981       232,394  
   

 

 

 
       67,962,247  
Hong Kong — 0.5%            

AIA Group Ltd.

    587,400       4,735,140  

BOC Hong Kong Holdings Ltd.

    198,500       521,501  

CK Asset Holdings Ltd.

    107,000       492,202  

CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd.

    142,500       719,779  

CK Infrastructure Holdings Ltd.

    42,500       249,518  

CLP Holdings Ltd.

    80,000       665,770  

ESR Group Ltd.(b)(c)

    99,800       132,979  

Futu Holdings Ltd., ADR(a)

    2,822       151,033  

Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd.

    102,000       555,366  

Hang Lung Properties Ltd.

    124,000       133,091  

Hang Seng Bank Ltd.

    40,700       463,743  

Henderson Land Development Co. Ltd.

    83,000       238,816  

HKT Trust & HKT Ltd., Class SS

    202,000       246,289  

Hong Kong & China Gas Co. Ltd.

    640,589       493,901  

Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing Ltd.

    57,600       1,773,997  

Hongkong Land Holdings Ltd.

    61,600       208,564  

Jardine Matheson Holdings Ltd.

    9,000       377,863  

Link REIT

    135,560       672,189  

MTR Corp. Ltd.

    91,000       301,053  

Power Assets Holdings Ltd.

    67,500       405,078  

Sands China Ltd.(a)

    107,600       305,513  

Sino Land Co. Ltd.

    118,000       127,079  

SITC International Holdings Co. Ltd.

    42,000       69,157  

Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd.

    73,500       739,577  

Swire Pacific Ltd., Class A

    28,500       236,092  

Swire Properties Ltd.

    52,400       107,785  

Techtronic Industries Co. Ltd.

    77,500       836,087  

WH Group Ltd.(c)

    448,500       269,529  

Wharf Holdings Ltd. (The)(b)

    52,000       191,669  

Wharf Real Estate Investment Co. Ltd.

    75,000       249,759  
   

 

 

 
      16,670,119  
Ireland — 0.2%            

AIB Group PLC

    72,559       336,860  

Bank of Ireland Group PLC

    53,551       467,660  

CRH PLC

    35,889       2,989,205  

Flutter Entertainment PLC(a)

    8,901       1,927,378  

Kerry Group PLC, Class A

    7,895       693,274  

Kingspan Group PLC

    7,692       695,579  

Smurfit Kappa Group PLC

    12,262       524,071  
   

 

 

 
      7,634,027  
Israel — 0.2%            

Azrieli Group Ltd.

    2,073       150,447  

Bank Hapoalim BM

    58,251       557,971  

Bank Leumi Le-Israel BM

    77,246       647,681  

Check Point Software Technologies Ltd.(a)

    5,211       835,949  

CyberArk Software Ltd.(a)(b)

    2,012       530,685  

Elbit Systems Ltd.

    1,325       294,727  

Global-e Online Ltd.(a)

    4,557       154,346  
 

 

 

14  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S 


Schedule of Investments(unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI World ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Israel (continued)            

ICL Group Ltd.

    35,195     $ 186,932  

Isracard Ltd.

    1       4  

Israel Discount Bank Ltd., Class A

    57,997       302,594  

Mizrahi Tefahot Bank Ltd.

    7,008       277,380  

Monday.com Ltd.(a)(b)

    1,542       343,881  

Nice Ltd.(a)

    3,127       765,040  

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., ADR(a)

    56,582       744,053  

Wix.com Ltd.(a)

    2,687       376,664  
   

 

 

 
      6,168,354  
Italy — 0.7%            

Amplifon SpA

    6,225       207,869  

Assicurazioni Generali SpA

    54,392       1,290,124  

Banco BPM SpA

    61,515       358,129  

DiaSorin SpA

    1,193       120,406  

Enel SpA

    415,115       2,641,397  

Eni SpA

    116,029       1,786,664  

Ferrari NV

    6,432       2,714,711  

FinecoBank Banca Fineco SpA

    34,276       474,844  

Infrastrutture Wireless Italiane SpA(c)

    17,041       188,752  

Intesa Sanpaolo SpA

    740,601       2,358,374  

Leonardo SpA

    13,419       286,900  

Mediobanca Banca di Credito Finanziario SpA

    31,014       422,475  

Moncler SpA

    10,121       729,792  

Nexi SpA(a)(c)

    37,077       272,117  

Poste Italiane SpA(c)

    26,153       306,757  

Prysmian SpA

    12,605       629,062  

Recordati Industria Chimica e Farmaceutica SpA

    5,185       290,281  

Snam SpA

    99,766       466,056  

Stellantis NV

    111,286       2,911,197  

Telecom Italia SpA/Milano(a)

    499,644       150,216  

Tenaris SA, NVS

    23,474       416,933  

Terna - Rete Elettrica Nazionale

    69,576       545,058  

UniCredit SpA

    81,478       2,729,073  
   

 

 

 
       22,297,187  
Japan — 6.2%            

Advantest Corp.

    39,400       1,854,790  

Aeon Co. Ltd.

    33,300       795,103  

AGC Inc.

    8,300       296,799  

Aisin Corp.

    7,100       268,133  

Ajinomoto Co. Inc.

    22,800       838,613  

ANA Holdings Inc.(a)

    4,800       104,651  

Asahi Group Holdings Ltd.

    22,600       774,219  

Asahi Intecc Co. Ltd.

    13,300       276,820  

Asahi Kasei Corp.

    73,300       510,019  

Astellas Pharma Inc.

    92,400       1,009,817  

Azbil Corp.

    3,600       105,794  

Bandai Namco Holdings Inc.

    28,500       548,804  

Bridgestone Corp.

    29,600       1,271,099  

Brother Industries Ltd.

    16,100       270,129  

Canon Inc.

    47,500       1,389,129  

Capcom Co. Ltd.

    9,000       363,427  

Central Japan Railway Co.

    39,100       983,360  

Chiba Bank Ltd. (The)

    24,600       200,343  

Chubu Electric Power Co. Inc.

    36,000       448,065  

Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

    36,300       1,449,881  

Concordia Financial Group Ltd.

    49,100       248,929  

Dai Nippon Printing Co. Ltd.

    12,100       353,430  

Daifuku Co. Ltd.

    15,700       372,775  

Dai-ichi Life Holdings Inc.

    47,500       1,081,297  

Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd.

    94,400       3,108,961  

Daikin Industries Ltd.

    13,800       1,945,004  
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Japan (continued)            

Daito Trust Construction Co. Ltd.

    3,100     $ 367,756  

Daiwa House Industry Co. Ltd.

    30,000       866,233  

Daiwa Securities Group Inc.

    78,900       581,705  

Denso Corp.

    96,600        1,776,987  

Dentsu Group Inc.

    9,600       265,975  

Disco Corp.

    4,500       1,466,493  

East Japan Railway Co.

    15,600       922,919  

Eisai Co. Ltd.

    13,900       576,581  

ENEOS Holdings Inc.

    171,600       740,383  

FANUC Corp.

    47,400       1,381,681  

Fast Retailing Co. Ltd.

    9,000       2,606,848  

Fuji Electric Co. Ltd.

    5,200       316,667  

FUJIFILM Holdings Corp.

    19,700       1,254,825  

Fujitsu Ltd.

    8,400       1,312,691  

GLP J-REIT

    216       171,372  

Hamamatsu Photonics KK

    7,200       258,855  

Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Inc.

    15,900       458,518  

Hikari Tsushin Inc.

    600       108,636  

Hirose Electric Co. Ltd.

    1,100       117,065  

Hitachi Construction Machinery Co. Ltd.

    3,100       89,719  

Hitachi Ltd.

    46,800       3,964,920  

Honda Motor Co. Ltd.

    234,900       2,791,213  

Hoshizaki Corp.

    6,100       208,216  

Hoya Corp.

    18,000       2,349,666  

Hulic Co. Ltd.

    20,300       202,552  

Ibiden Co. Ltd.

    5,300       245,321  

Idemitsu Kosan Co. Ltd.

    49,600       313,647  

Iida Group Holdings Co. Ltd.

    4,300       55,487  

Inpex Corp.

    48,200       642,444  

Isuzu Motors Ltd.

    26,200       373,846  

ITOCHU Corp.

    61,900       2,688,993  

Japan Airlines Co. Ltd.

    4,200       78,440  

Japan Exchange Group Inc.

    24,100       630,976  

Japan Metropolitan Fund Invest

    388       228,668  

Japan Post Bank Co. Ltd.

    75,100       800,769  

Japan Post Holdings Co. Ltd.

    121,300       1,170,688  

Japan Post Insurance Co. Ltd.

    5,800       106,895  

Japan Real Estate Investment Corp.

    56       201,862  

Japan Tobacco Inc.

    61,400       1,594,957  

JFE Holdings Inc.

    30,300       496,929  

JSR Corp.

    9,700       260,616  

Kajima Corp.

    22,300       414,010  

Kansai Electric Power Co. Inc. (The)

    38,900       497,488  

Kao Corp.

    23,000       870,274  

Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd.

    6,600       315,025  

KDDI Corp.

    76,300       2,306,683  

KDX Realty Investment Corp.

    210       210,208  

Keisei Electric Railway Co. Ltd.

    6,500       303,687  

Keyence Corp.

    9,700       4,545,959  

Kikkoman Corp.

    6,400       419,205  

Kintetsu Group Holdings Co. Ltd.

    8,400       258,339  

Kirin Holdings Co. Ltd.

    42,400       589,451  

Kobe Bussan Co. Ltd.

    7,600       204,618  

Koito Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

    6,000       76,056  

Komatsu Ltd.

    47,700       1,384,639  

Konami Group Corp.

    4,400       296,108  

Kubota Corp.

    48,300       708,870  

Kyocera Corp.

    74,400       1,098,032  

Kyowa Kirin Co. Ltd.

    17,100       338,636  

Lasertec Corp.

    3,700       992,776  

LY Corp.

    149,300       412,679  

M3 Inc.

    22,100       317,870  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  15


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI World ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Japan (continued)            

Makita Corp.

    11,200     $ 293,039  

Marubeni Corp.

    77,200        1,279,358  

MatsukiyoCocokara & Co.

    18,100       300,156  

Mazda Motor Corp.

    25,800       299,603  

McDonald’s Holdings Co. Japan Ltd.(b)

    4,700       218,596  

MEIJI Holdings Co. Ltd.

    12,200       274,557  

MINEBEA MITSUMI Inc.

    19,800       410,584  

MISUMI Group Inc.

    17,500       267,473  

Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corp.

    74,100       425,211  

Mitsubishi Corp.

    175,200       3,757,959  

Mitsubishi Electric Corp.

    99,200       1,580,056  

Mitsubishi Estate Co. Ltd.

    56,200       860,223  

Mitsubishi HC Capital Inc.

    43,100       297,813  

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd.

    15,300       1,210,947  

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc.

    579,400       5,952,062  

Mitsui & Co. Ltd.

    66,400       2,916,457  

Mitsui Chemicals Inc.

    9,700       269,002  

Mitsui Fudosan Co. Ltd.

    45,100       1,224,323  

Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd.

    18,400       630,126  

Mizuho Financial Group Inc.

    125,490       2,344,415  

MonotaRO Co. Ltd.

    16,500       157,821  

MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings Inc.

    22,200       1,109,383  

Murata Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

    89,700       1,807,633  

NEC Corp.

    12,300       830,216  

Nexon Co. Ltd.

    23,600       383,280  

Nidec Corp.

    22,200       842,462  

Nintendo Co. Ltd.

    51,600       2,883,420  

Nippon Building Fund Inc.

    82       315,800  

Nippon Express Holdings Inc.

    4,100       216,753  

Nippon Paint Holdings Co. Ltd.

    51,600       383,333  

Nippon Prologis REIT Inc.

    155       259,323  

Nippon Sanso Holdings Corp.

    10,000       290,034  

Nippon Steel Corp.

    44,747       1,110,425  

Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp.

    1,516,200       1,843,950  

Nippon Yusen KK

    23,200       738,838  

Nissan Chemical Corp.

    4,800       200,769  

Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.

    122,800       483,791  

Nissin Foods Holdings Co. Ltd.

    10,200       297,313  

Nitori Holdings Co. Ltd.

    3,600       529,525  

Nitto Denko Corp.

    7,500       689,580  

Nomura Holdings Inc.

    171,700       977,602  

Nomura Real Estate Holdings Inc.

    3,500       87,125  

Nomura Real Estate Master Fund Inc.

    216       214,680  

Nomura Research Institute Ltd.

    19,000       533,901  

NTT Data Group Corp.

    27,600       449,524  

Obayashi Corp.

    28,100       272,048  

Obic Co. Ltd.

    3,800       595,095  

Odakyu Electric Railway Co. Ltd.

    17,800       250,261  

Olympus Corp.

    66,900       951,912  

Omron Corp.

    7,000       260,279  

Ono Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

    20,000       331,192  

Oracle Corp. Japan

    1,100       84,341  

Oriental Land Co. Ltd./Japan

    54,600       1,956,875  

ORIX Corp.

    64,300       1,350,977  

Osaka Gas Co. Ltd.

    20,100       401,128  

Otsuka Corp.

    5,900       259,432  

Otsuka Holdings Co. Ltd.

    20,600       835,876  

Pan Pacific International Holdings Corp.

    21,200       499,780  

Panasonic Holdings Corp.

    119,500       1,129,709  

Rakuten Group Inc.(a)(b)

    76,300       418,198  

Recruit Holdings Co. Ltd.

    73,700       2,972,751  

Renesas Electronics Corp.

    74,500       1,230,970  
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Japan (continued)            

Resona Holdings Inc.

    114,700     $ 625,988  

Ricoh Co. Ltd.

    28,700       239,040  

Rohm Co. Ltd.

    18,100       308,364  

SBI Holdings Inc.

    16,300       438,862  

SCREEN Holdings Co. Ltd.

    4,200       524,860  

SCSK Corp.

    4,600       84,845  

Secom Co. Ltd.

    10,500       766,208  

Seiko Epson Corp.

    17,300       280,045  

Sekisui Chemical Co. Ltd.

    20,200       284,809  

Sekisui House Ltd.

    27,200       605,898  

Seven & i Holdings Co. Ltd.

    114,000        1,698,935  

SG Holdings Co. Ltd.

    18,500       232,079  

Sharp Corp./Japan(a)

    6,200       33,790  

Shimadzu Corp.

    16,100       439,824  

Shimano Inc.

    3,400       470,905  

Shimizu Corp.

    25,300       146,751  

Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. Ltd.

    91,665       3,911,743  

Shionogi & Co. Ltd.

    13,400       667,144  

Shiseido Co. Ltd.

    20,900       568,209  

Shizuoka Financial Group Inc., NVS

    22,200       217,302  

SMC Corp.

    2,900       1,750,371  

SoftBank Corp.

    144,700       1,903,306  

SoftBank Group Corp.

    51,600       3,056,411  

Sompo Holdings Inc.

    16,000       938,013  

Sony Group Corp.

    63,200       5,444,563  

Square Enix Holdings Co. Ltd.

    4,500       190,646  

Subaru Corp.

    31,600       714,975  

SUMCO Corp.

    18,900       296,614  

Sumitomo Corp.

    51,200       1,201,967  

Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd.

    40,400       599,887  

Sumitomo Metal Mining Co. Ltd.

    12,600       328,008  

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc.

    66,800       3,721,729  

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc.

    38,000       770,003  

Sumitomo Realty & Development Co. Ltd.

    18,200       539,851  

Suntory Beverage & Food Ltd.

    6,900       226,577  

Suzuki Motor Corp.

    19,900       876,004  

Sysmex Corp.

    8,300       466,085  

T&D Holdings Inc.

    24,900       433,370  

Taisei Corp.

    9,400       295,542  

Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

    80,226       2,346,304  

TDK Corp.

    20,500       1,068,806  

Terumo Corp.

    33,900       1,320,801  

TIS Inc.

    13,500       304,678  

Tobu Railway Co. Ltd.

    5,500       140,602  

Toho Co. Ltd./Tokyo

    6,100       197,969  

Tokio Marine Holdings Inc.

    90,500       2,644,108  

Tokyo Electric Power Co. Holdings Inc.(a)

    92,900       502,570  

Tokyo Electron Ltd.

    24,200       6,004,235  

Tokyo Gas Co. Ltd.

    20,100       439,952  

Tokyu Corp.

    23,800       296,139  

Toppan Holdings Inc.

    16,800       400,403  

Toray Industries Inc.

    77,200       356,196  

TOTO Ltd.

    7,100       192,254  

Toyota Industries Corp.

    7,500       747,322  

Toyota Motor Corp.

    543,100       13,081,331  

Toyota Tsusho Corp.

    10,900       706,140  

Trend Micro Inc./Japan

    5,700       283,269  

Unicharm Corp.

    21,000       696,426  

USS Co. Ltd.

    6,400       111,406  

West Japan Railway Co.

    13,700       569,669  

Yakult Honsha Co. Ltd.

    13,500       290,910  

Yamaha Corp.

    6,800       148,709  
 

 

 

16  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S 


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI World ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Japan (continued)            

Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd.

    53,400     $ 478,749  

Yamato Holdings Co. Ltd.

    17,700       268,961  

Yaskawa Electric Corp.

    12,200       500,059  

Yokogawa Electric Corp.

    15,900       336,568  

Zensho Holdings Co. Ltd.

    4,400       192,680  

ZOZO Inc.

    3,600       81,706  
   

 

 

 
       199,736,728  
Netherlands — 1.3%            

ABN AMRO Bank NV, CVA(c)

    21,955       353,455  

Adyen NV(a)(c)

    1,114       1,762,612  

Aegon Ltd.

    74,570       448,181  

AerCap Holdings NV(a)

    10,123       781,293  

Akzo Nobel NV

    9,259       674,880  

ASM International NV

    2,189       1,336,926  

ASML Holding NV

    20,683       19,628,197  

ASR Nederland NV

    8,047       371,407  

BE Semiconductor Industries NV

    3,875       701,831  

CNH Industrial NV

    50,434       602,686  

Davide Campari-Milano NV

    35,781       362,823  

EXOR NV, NVS

    5,504       594,521  

Ferrovial SE

    24,616       924,326  

Heineken Holding NV

    6,803       525,484  

Heineken NV

    14,476       1,337,455  

IMCD NV

    2,883       439,829  

ING Groep NV

    170,206       2,342,348  

JDE Peet’s NV

    5,282       120,684  

Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize NV

    49,206       1,465,446  

Koninklijke KPN NV

    170,987       625,036  

Koninklijke Philips NV

    40,046       806,817  

NN Group NV

    13,668       609,971  

OCI NV

    4,455       117,542  

Prosus NV

    76,826       2,243,934  

Qiagen NV, NVS

    11,218       479,641  

Randstad NV

    6,249       344,657  

Universal Music Group NV

    41,754       1,260,569  

Wolters Kluwer NV

    13,406       2,117,072  
   

 

 

 
      43,379,623  
New Zealand — 0.1%            

Auckland International Airport Ltd.

    62,429       307,880  

EBOS Group Ltd.

    7,937       178,892  

Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corp. Ltd.

    30,007       446,547  

Mercury NZ Ltd.

    34,961       142,190  

Meridian Energy Ltd.

    64,635       235,356  

Spark New Zealand Ltd.

    93,310       288,036  
   

 

 

 
      1,598,901  
Norway — 0.2%            

Adevinta ASA(a)

    12,525       133,725  

Aker BP ASA

    15,562       377,746  

DNB Bank ASA

    45,745       915,985  

Equinor ASA

    45,282       1,115,693  

Gjensidige Forsikring ASA

    10,023       158,346  

Kongsberg Gruppen ASA

    4,453       283,798  

Mowi ASA

    25,044       483,675  

Norsk Hydro ASA

    73,141       375,414  

Orkla ASA

    37,448       268,457  

Salmar ASA

    3,483       221,204  

Telenor ASA

    34,674       379,343  

Yara International ASA

    8,192       254,928  
   

 

 

 
      4,968,314  
Portugal — 0.0%            

EDP - Energias de Portugal SA

    158,814       632,466  
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Portugal (continued)            

Galp Energia SGPS SA

    25,031     $ 393,879  

Jeronimo Martins SGPS SA

    14,088       337,349  
   

 

 

 
      1,363,694  
Singapore — 0.3%            

CapitaLand Ascendas REIT

    216,116       440,433  

CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust

    318,876       465,122  

CapitaLand Investment Ltd/Singapore

    134,700       278,656  

City Developments Ltd.

    21,100       88,935  

DBS Group Holdings Ltd.

    90,000        2,231,574  

Genting Singapore Ltd.

    302,200       204,508  

Grab Holdings Ltd., Class A(a)

    93,782       287,911  

Jardine Cycle & Carriage Ltd.(b)

    5,400       102,365  

Keppel Ltd.

    70,700       381,253  

Mapletree Logistics Trust

    157,900       173,941  

Mapletree Pan Asia Commercial Trust

    110,200       110,724  

Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. Ltd.

    165,600       1,599,516  

Sea Ltd., ADR(a)

    18,598       902,375  

Seatrium Ltd.(a)(b)

    2,561,786       171,773  

Sembcorp Industries Ltd.

    45,000       170,898  

Singapore Airlines Ltd.(b)

    90,500       435,598  

Singapore Exchange Ltd.

    29,800       209,356  

Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd.

    110,800       328,042  

Singapore Telecommunications Ltd.

    415,300       724,829  

United Overseas Bank Ltd.

    62,900       1,308,862  

Wilmar International Ltd.

    94,100       232,389  
   

 

 

 
      10,849,060  
Spain — 0.6%            

Acciona SA

    1,287       144,176  

ACS Actividades de Construccion y Servicios SA

    10,969       451,079  

Aena SME SA(c)

    3,661       695,552  

Amadeus IT Group SA

    23,511       1,390,884  

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA

    304,750       3,039,662  

Banco Santander SA

    821,945       3,425,443  

CaixaBank SA

    218,409       988,015  

Cellnex Telecom SA(c)

    27,832       1,006,253  

Corp. ACCIONA Energias Renovables SA

    203       4,197  

EDP Renovaveis SA

    13,846       188,872  

Enagas SA

    2,268       32,757  

Endesa SA

    15,810       284,740  

Grifols SA(a)

    14,976       123,340  

Iberdrola SA

    316,344       3,633,258  

Industria de Diseno Textil SA

    56,415       2,509,794  

Redeia Corp. SA

    5,764       91,707  

Repsol SA

    71,303       1,132,652  

Telefonica SA

    257,758       1,057,472  
   

 

 

 
      20,199,853  
Sweden — 0.8%            

Alfa Laval AB

    15,546       585,332  

Assa Abloy AB, Class B

    48,520       1,384,979  

Atlas Copco AB, Class A

    138,861       2,412,312  

Atlas Copco AB, Class B

    76,755       1,149,124  

Beijer Ref AB, Class B

    17,039       239,936  

Boliden AB

    13,247       335,737  

Epiroc AB

    32,542       590,707  

Epiroc AB, Class B

    19,428       320,584  

EQT AB

    19,444       569,646  

Essity AB, Class B

    30,774       717,528  

Evolution AB(c)

    9,897       1,282,097  

Fastighets AB Balder, Class B(a)(b)

    31,586       196,447  

Getinge AB, Class B

    11,374       225,401  

H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB, Class B

    37,846       513,912  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  17


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI World ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Sweden (continued)            

Hexagon AB, Class B

    106,084     $ 1,244,427  

Holmen AB, Class B

    3,830       153,772  

Husqvarna AB, Class B

    21,186       163,632  

Industrivarden AB, Class A

    5,740       195,954  

Industrivarden AB, Class C

    8,000       272,343  

Indutrade AB

    13,165       349,110  

Investment AB Latour, Class B

    7,475       189,874  

Investor AB, Class B

    89,328       2,247,426  

L E Lundbergforetagen AB, Class B

    3,800       206,697  

Lifco AB, Class B

    11,670       311,133  

Nibe Industrier AB, Class B

    70,992       396,282  

Saab AB, Class B

    4,049       319,197  

Sagax AB, Class B

    12,599       298,001  

Sandvik AB

    55,470       1,249,033  

Securitas AB, Class B

    24,652       265,168  

Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB, Class A

    80,057       1,190,664  

Skanska AB, Class B

    16,959       312,986  

SKF AB, Class B

    19,028       415,611  

Svenska Cellulosa AB SCA, Class B

    29,380       415,970  

Svenska Handelsbanken AB, Class A

    71,169       851,168  

Swedbank AB, Class A

    44,633       981,608  

Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB(a)

    9,719       238,700  

Tele2 AB, Class B

    25,085       210,397  

Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson, Class B

    159,018       863,469  

Telia Co. AB

    133,535       317,830  

Volvo AB, Class A

    10,101       281,852  

Volvo AB, Class B

    78,454       2,161,684  

Volvo Car AB, Class B(a)(b)

    29,305       107,158  
   

 

 

 
       26,734,888  
Switzerland — 2.6%            

ABB Ltd., Registered

    81,635       3,766,828  

Adecco Group AG, Registered

    8,876       355,816  

Alcon Inc.

    25,110       2,141,075  

Avolta AG, Registered(a)

    5,022       196,416  

Bachem Holding AG, Class B

    1,549       122,568  

Baloise Holding AG, Registered

    2,596       418,864  

Banque Cantonale Vaudoise, Registered

    1,413       169,355  

Barry Callebaut AG, Registered

    196       275,350  

BKW AG

    1,440       201,757  

Bunge Global SA

    7,242       683,428  

Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Spruengli AG, Participation Certificates, NVS

    48       587,403  

Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Spruengli AG, Registered

    6       721,272  

Cie. Financiere Richemont SA, Class A, Registered

    27,533       4,382,624  

Clariant AG, Registered

    12,455       154,254  

Coca-Cola HBC AG, Class DI

    13,277       413,888  

DSM-Firmenich AG

    8,883       951,977  

EMS-Chemie Holding AG, Registered

    388       270,761  

Geberit AG, Registered

    1,743       1,013,361  

Givaudan SA, Registered

    476       1,997,266  

Helvetia Holding AG, Registered

    1,894       267,616  

Holcim AG

    28,458       2,322,729  

Julius Baer Group Ltd.

    10,550       565,156  

Kuehne + Nagel International AG, Registered

    2,577       867,640  

Logitech International SA, Registered

    8,192       724,880  

Lonza Group AG, Registered

    3,707       1,934,892  

Nestle SA, Registered

    136,203       14,126,591  

Novartis AG, Registered

    104,509       10,544,695  

Partners Group Holding AG

    1,208       1,736,941  

Roche Holding AG, Bearer

    1,710       472,718  

Roche Holding AG, NVS

    35,725       9,340,696  

Sandoz Group AG(a)

    21,059       651,418  
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Switzerland (continued)            

Schindler Holding AG, Participation Certificates, NVS

    2,340     $ 616,539  

Schindler Holding AG, Registered

    1,098       279,244  

SGS SA

    7,853       754,060  

Siemens Energy AG(a)

    28,920       444,109  

SIG Group AG

    14,668       290,584  

Sika AG, Registered

    7,553       2,184,452  

Sonova Holding AG, Registered

    2,723       839,901  

STMicroelectronics NV

    34,349       1,559,694  

Straumann Holding AG

    5,658       894,307  

Swatch Group AG (The), Bearer

    1,631       385,055  

Swatch Group AG (The), Registered

    3,026       138,241  

Swiss Life Holding AG, Registered

    1,506       1,094,707  

Swiss Prime Site AG, Registered

    4,342       414,971  

Swiss Re AG

    14,631       1,765,882  

Swisscom AG, Registered

    1,198       684,749  

Temenos AG, Registered

    3,854       290,036  

UBS Group AG, Registered

    165,997       4,739,513  

VAT Group AG(c)

    1,534       769,991  

Zurich Insurance Group AG

    7,660       4,075,352  
   

 

 

 
       84,601,622  
United Kingdom — 3.6%            

3i Group PLC

    51,249       1,601,175  

abrdn PLC

    89,071       177,375  

Admiral Group PLC

    13,231       446,431  

Anglo American PLC

    63,754       1,373,704  

Antofagasta PLC

    19,311       443,673  

Ashtead Group PLC

    21,917       1,576,373  

Associated British Foods PLC

    17,418       501,221  

AstraZeneca PLC

    79,295       9,995,406  

Auto Trader Group PLC(c)

    46,949       439,622  

Aviva PLC

    145,794       823,470  

BAE Systems PLC

    156,946       2,463,527  

Barclays PLC

    774,457       1,618,619  

Barratt Developments PLC

    49,890       294,354  

Berkeley Group Holdings PLC

    5,482       322,084  

BP PLC

    865,850       5,030,643  

British American Tobacco PLC

    107,255       3,186,696  

BT Group PLC

    347,756       459,028  

Bunzl PLC

    16,498       657,597  

Burberry Group PLC

    19,793       321,375  

Centrica PLC

    286,778       456,283  

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners PLC

    10,123       694,741  

Compass Group PLC

    88,024       2,415,255  

Croda International PLC

    6,825       411,459  

DCC PLC

    4,804       341,433  

Diageo PLC

    113,542       4,253,883  

Endeavour Mining PLC

    9,365       151,101  

Entain PLC

    29,706       342,781  

Experian PLC

    47,873       2,050,187  

Glencore PLC

    534,809       2,542,550  

GSK PLC

    209,143       4,374,945  

Haleon PLC

    307,423       1,289,710  

Halma PLC

    18,598       541,602  

Hargreaves Lansdown PLC

    17,403       160,389  

Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC

    8,470       210,199  

HSBC Holdings PLC

    981,174       7,637,232  

Imperial Brands PLC

    44,927       967,831  

Informa PLC

    73,589       754,502  

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC

    9,023       958,183  

Intertek Group PLC

    7,921       463,649  

J Sainsbury PLC

    85,544       270,047  

JD Sports Fashion PLC

    126,255       188,661  
 

 

 

18  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S 


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI World ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
United Kingdom (continued)            

Kingfisher PLC

    102,914     $ 305,201  

Land Securities Group PLC

    34,483       270,154  

Legal & General Group PLC

    283,101       868,000  

Lloyds Banking Group PLC

    3,283,063       1,941,189  

London Stock Exchange Group PLC

    21,358       2,398,785  

M&G PLC

    127,218       361,686  

Melrose Industries PLC

    67,917       545,439  

Mondi PLC, NVS

    21,680       385,459  

National Grid PLC

    187,879       2,458,397  

NatWest Group PLC, NVS

    300,762       909,384  

Next PLC

    6,539       687,499  

Ocado Group PLC(a)

    23,404       151,583  

Pearson PLC

    36,915       448,760  

Persimmon PLC

    15,785       272,030  

Phoenix Group Holdings PLC

    34,285       215,928  

Prudential PLC

    138,854       1,368,107  

Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC

    36,236       2,289,494  

RELX PLC

    94,705       4,148,466  

Rentokil Initial PLC

    124,730       694,369  

Rio Tinto PLC

    57,899       3,714,240  

Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC(a)

    435,963       2,034,770  

Sage Group PLC (The)

    54,000       850,640  

Schroders PLC

    36,015       179,503  

Segro PLC

    58,777       628,649  

Severn Trent PLC

    12,258       386,824  

Shell PLC

    336,896       10,420,130  

Smith & Nephew PLC

    43,040       567,816  

Smiths Group PLC

    19,424       395,461  

Spirax-Sarco Engineering PLC

    3,570       465,793  

SSE PLC

    56,473       1,160,655  

St. James’s Place PLC

    26,430       168,289  

Standard Chartered PLC

    116,057       981,258  

Taylor Wimpey PLC

    192,979       336,313  

Tesco PLC

    384,070       1,354,627  

Unilever PLC

    128,230       6,262,015  

United Utilities Group PLC

    33,362       431,833  

Vodafone Group PLC

    1,157,173       1,016,470  

Whitbread PLC

    9,892       413,189  

Wise PLC, Class A(a)

    31,003       360,171  

WPP PLC

    48,721       435,883  
   

 

 

 
       116,493,455  
United States — 70.6%            

3M Co.

    27,885       2,568,766  

A O Smith Corp.

    6,844       567,368  

Abbott Laboratories

    88,742       10,528,351  

AbbVie Inc.

    90,209       15,881,294  

Accenture PLC, Class A

    32,113       12,035,310  

Adobe Inc.(a)

    23,259       13,031,553  

Advanced Micro Devices Inc.(a)

    82,862       15,953,421  

AECOM

    6,602       586,456  

AES Corp. (The)

    33,384       507,438  

Aflac Inc.

    29,714       2,399,108  

Agilent Technologies Inc.

    14,946       2,052,983  

Air Products and Chemicals Inc.

    11,247       2,632,248  

Airbnb Inc.(a)

    22,352       3,519,769  

Akamai Technologies Inc.(a)

    8,250       915,090  

Albemarle Corp.

    5,863       808,215  

Albertsons Companies Inc., Class A

    19,055       386,435  

Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc.

    8,727       1,088,519  

Align Technology Inc.(a)

    3,694       1,117,139  

Allegion PLC

    4,469       571,451  

Alliant Energy Corp.

    12,954       618,554  
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
United States (continued)            

Allstate Corp. (The)

    13,418     $ 2,140,439  

Ally Financial Inc.

    12,935       478,466  

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.(a)

    6,401       967,127  

Alphabet Inc., Class A(a)

    303,127        41,970,964  

Alphabet Inc., Class C, NVS(a)

    263,891       36,886,684  

Altria Group Inc.

    91,231       3,732,260  

Amazon.com Inc.(a)

    476,342       84,198,212  

Amcor PLC

    77,721       704,152  

Ameren Corp.

    12,832       913,510  

American Electric Power Co. Inc.

    27,013       2,301,237  

American Express Co.

    29,859       6,551,662  

American Financial Group Inc./OH

    3,277       418,375  

American Homes 4 Rent, Class A

    16,183       598,933  

American International Group Inc.

    37,606       2,741,101  

American Tower Corp.

    23,760       4,724,914  

American Water Works Co. Inc.

    9,707       1,150,668  

Ameriprise Financial Inc.

    5,257       2,141,492  

AmerisourceBergen Corp.

    8,673       2,043,359  

AMETEK Inc.

    12,065       2,173,872  

Amgen Inc.

    27,459       7,519,098  

Amphenol Corp., Class A

    30,603       3,343,072  

Analog Devices Inc.

    25,645       4,919,224  

Annaly Capital Management Inc.

    22,881       436,798  

Ansys Inc.(a)

    4,291       1,433,923  

Aon PLC, Class A

    10,242       3,236,370  

APA Corp.

    16,711       497,821  

Apollo Global Management Inc.

    19,942       2,229,516  

Apple Inc.

    752,303       135,978,767  

Applied Materials Inc.

    42,448       8,558,366  

AppLovin Corp., Class A(a)

    8,134       485,762  

Aptiv PLC(a)

    14,396       1,144,338  

Arch Capital Group Ltd.(a)

    18,842       1,650,371  

Archer-Daniels-Midland Co.

    27,909       1,482,247  

Ares Management Corp., Class A

    8,501       1,127,488  

Arista Networks Inc.(a)

    13,473       3,739,296  

Arthur J Gallagher & Co.

    11,126       2,713,965  

Aspen Technology Inc.(a)

    1,447       280,559  

Assurant Inc.

    2,651       481,024  

AT&T Inc.

    364,075       6,163,793  

Atlassian Corp., NVS(a)

    8,037       1,667,035  

Atmos Energy Corp.

    7,537       851,003  

Autodesk Inc.(a)

    10,911       2,816,893  

Automatic Data Processing Inc.

    20,742       5,208,938  

AutoZone Inc.(a)

    909       2,732,472  

AvalonBay Communities Inc.

    7,456       1,319,936  

Avantor Inc.(a)

    35,847       883,270  

Avery Dennison Corp.

    4,119       891,887  

Axon Enterprise Inc.(a)

    3,751       1,152,945  

Baker Hughes Co., Class A

    51,594       1,526,666  

Ball Corp.

    16,474       1,054,665  

Bank of America Corp.

    363,850       12,560,102  

Bank of New York Mellon Corp. (The)

    40,277       2,259,137  

Bath & Body Works Inc.

    10,604       484,603  

Baxter International Inc.

    24,826       1,015,880  

Becton Dickinson and Co.

    14,936       3,518,175  

Bentley Systems Inc., Class B

    11,244       577,604  

Berkshire Hathaway Inc., Class B(a)

    67,135       27,485,069  

Best Buy Co. Inc.

    10,523       851,100  

Bill.com Holdings Inc.(a)

    4,818       305,124  

Biogen Inc.(a)

    7,287       1,581,206  

BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.(a)

    9,432       813,793  

Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc., Class A(a)

    1,130       368,244  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  19


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI World ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
United States (continued)            

Bio-Techne Corp.

    7,698     $ 566,342  

BlackRock Inc.(d)

    7,596       6,162,939  

Blackstone Inc., NVS

    36,060       4,609,189  

Block Inc.(a)(b)

    28,088       2,232,153  

Boeing Co. (The)(a)

    29,143       5,937,012  

Booking Holdings Inc.(a)

    1,811       6,282,051  

Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corp., Class A

    7,161       1,057,751  

BorgWarner Inc.

    12,321       383,553  

Boston Properties Inc.

    7,442       481,646  

Boston Scientific Corp.(a)

    74,483       4,931,519  

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.

    107,031       5,431,823  

Broadcom Inc.

    22,778        29,622,561  

Broadridge Financial Solutions Inc.

    5,864       1,193,793  

Brown & Brown Inc.

    12,030       1,013,046  

Brown-Forman Corp., Class B

    15,446       930,313  

Builders FirstSource Inc.(a)

    6,969       1,360,209  

Burlington Stores Inc.(a)

    3,362       689,546  

Cadence Design Systems Inc.(a)

    13,959       4,248,840  

Caesars Entertainment Inc.(a)

    10,821       470,389  

Camden Property Trust

    4,948       467,487  

Campbell Soup Co.

    10,426       444,565  

Capital One Financial Corp.

    19,360       2,664,130  

Cardinal Health Inc.

    12,958       1,451,037  

Carlisle Companies Inc.

    2,367       828,450  

Carlyle Group Inc. (The)

    12,027       551,438  

CarMax Inc.(a)(b)

    8,145       643,455  

Carnival Corp.(a)

    53,370       846,448  

Carrier Global Corp.

    42,846       2,381,381  

Catalent Inc.(a)

    8,447       484,351  

Caterpillar Inc.

    26,211       8,753,426  

Cboe Global Markets Inc.

    5,581       1,071,552  

CBRE Group Inc., Class A(a)

    15,279       1,403,987  

CDW Corp./DE

    6,810       1,676,690  

Celanese Corp., Class A

    5,535       841,154  

Celsius Holdings Inc.(a)(b)

    7,615       621,536  

Centene Corp.(a)

    27,429       2,151,256  

CenterPoint Energy Inc.

    33,475       920,563  

CF Industries Holdings Inc.

    9,459       763,530  

CH Robinson Worldwide Inc.

    5,555       411,514  

Charles River Laboratories International Inc.(a)

    2,445       621,495  

Charles Schwab Corp. (The)

    77,358       5,165,967  

Charter Communications Inc., Class A(a)(b)

    4,960       1,457,893  

Cheniere Energy Inc.

    12,286       1,906,787  

Chesapeake Energy Corp.

    6,147       508,849  

Chevron Corp.

    92,507       14,061,989  

Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc., Class A(a)(b)

    1,415       3,804,610  

Chubb Ltd.

    21,255       5,349,246  

Church & Dwight Co. Inc.

    12,223       1,223,767  

Cigna Group (The)

    15,134       5,087,143  

Cincinnati Financial Corp.

    7,784       887,376  

Cintas Corp.

    4,705       2,957,610  

Cisco Systems Inc.

    206,711       9,998,611  

Citigroup Inc.

    97,865       5,430,529  

Citizens Financial Group Inc.

    24,909       781,894  

Cleveland-Cliffs Inc.(a)(b)

    25,368       527,654  

Clorox Co. (The)

    6,121       938,411  

Cloudflare Inc., Class A(a)

    15,168       1,494,655  

CME Group Inc.

    18,312       4,035,049  

CMS Energy Corp.

    14,722       844,601  

Coca-Cola Co. (The)

    210,357       12,625,627  

Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp., Class A

    26,003       2,054,757  

Coinbase Global Inc., Class A(a)

    8,885       1,808,631  
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
United States (continued)            

Colgate-Palmolive Co.

    39,445     $ 3,412,781  

Comcast Corp., Class A

    205,665        8,812,745  

Conagra Brands Inc.

    24,699       693,548  

Confluent Inc.(a)

    8,341       282,510  

ConocoPhillips

    61,138       6,880,471  

Consolidated Edison Inc.

    17,502       1,526,349  

Constellation Brands Inc., Class A

    8,294       2,061,225  

Constellation Energy Corp.

    16,381       2,759,379  

Cooper Companies Inc. (The)

    9,844       921,398  

Copart Inc.(a)

    44,321       2,355,661  

Corning Inc.

    40,189       1,295,693  

Corteva Inc.

    36,264       1,940,849  

CoStar Group Inc.(a)

    21,122       1,838,248  

Costco Wholesale Corp.

    22,726       16,905,644  

Coterra Energy Inc.

    37,558       968,245  

Crowdstrike Holdings Inc., Class A(a)

    11,567       3,749,443  

Crown Castle Inc.

    22,454       2,468,593  

Crown Holdings Inc.

    6,611       506,535  

CSX Corp.

    105,201       3,991,326  

Cummins Inc.

    7,059       1,896,118  

CVS Health Corp.

    65,652       4,882,539  

Danaher Corp.

    36,083       9,134,051  

Darden Restaurants Inc.

    5,844       997,629  

Darling Ingredients Inc.(a)

    7,605       321,768  

Datadog Inc., Class A(a)

    14,045       1,846,356  

DaVita Inc.(a)

    2,575       326,948  

Dayforce Inc.(a)(b)

    7,088       494,459  

Deckers Outdoor Corp.(a)

    1,332       1,192,926  

Deere & Co.

    13,623       4,973,076  

Dell Technologies Inc., Class C

    14,054       1,330,352  

Delta Air Lines Inc.

    8,409       355,448  

Devon Energy Corp.

    31,850       1,403,311  

Dexcom Inc.(a)

    19,334       2,224,763  

Diamondback Energy Inc.

    8,535       1,557,808  

Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc.

    3,137       558,041  

Digital Realty Trust Inc.

    15,104       2,217,418  

Discover Financial Services

    13,542       1,634,519  

DocuSign Inc., Class A(a)

    9,755       519,649  

Dollar General Corp.

    10,836       1,574,579  

Dollar Tree Inc.(a)

    11,120       1,631,082  

Dominion Energy Inc.

    43,562       2,083,570  

Domino’s Pizza Inc.

    1,804       808,823  

DoorDash Inc., Class A(a)

    13,156       1,638,843  

Dover Corp.

    7,270       1,202,313  

Dow Inc.

    35,429       1,979,773  

DR Horton Inc.

    15,597       2,330,816  

DraftKings Inc., Class A (a)

    20,972       908,507  

Dropbox Inc., Class A(a)

    11,910       285,245  

DTE Energy Co.

    10,497       1,137,350  

Duke Energy Corp.

    39,045       3,585,502  

DuPont de Nemours Inc.

    23,181       1,603,893  

Dynatrace Inc.(a)

    14,182       702,718  

Eastman Chemical Co.

    5,863       514,420  

Eaton Corp. PLC

    20,534       5,934,326  

eBay Inc.

    26,316       1,244,220  

Ecolab Inc.

    13,227       2,973,959  

Edison International

    19,167       1,303,739  

Edwards Lifesciences Corp.(a)

    30,693       2,604,915  

Electronic Arts Inc.

    14,050       1,959,694  

Elevance Health Inc.

    12,083       6,056,604  

Eli Lilly & Co.

    41,327       31,147,333  

Emerson Electric Co.

    29,247       3,125,042  
 

 

 

20  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S 


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI World ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
United States (continued)            

Enphase Energy Inc.(a)

    6,772     $ 860,112  

Entegris Inc.

    7,331       984,993  

Entergy Corp.

    11,102       1,127,630  

EOG Resources Inc.

    29,655       3,394,311  

EPAM Systems Inc.(a)

    2,755       838,622  

EQT Corp.

    19,334       718,258  

Equifax Inc.(b)

    6,434       1,760,278  

Equinix Inc.

    4,815       4,279,668  

Equitable Holdings Inc.

    18,626       637,754  

Equity LifeStyle Properties Inc.

    8,983       604,736  

Equity Residential

    17,849       1,074,688  

Erie Indemnity Co., Class A, NVS

    1,320       537,082  

Essential Utilities Inc.

    11,881       413,221  

Essex Property Trust Inc.

    3,190       738,166  

Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (The), Class A

    12,175       1,808,962  

Etsy Inc.(a)

    6,336       454,228  

Everest Group Ltd.

    2,155       794,936  

Evergy Inc.

    11,756       582,392  

Eversource Energy

    17,240       1,011,988  

Exact Sciences Corp.(a)

    8,870       510,291  

Exelon Corp.

    51,369       1,841,065  

Expedia Group Inc.(a)

    7,246       991,398  

Expeditors International of Washington Inc.

    7,545       902,382  

Extra Space Storage Inc.

    10,587       1,492,449  

Exxon Mobil Corp.

    203,885        21,310,060  

F5 Inc.(a)

    3,029       567,089  

FactSet Research Systems Inc.

    1,844       852,998  

Fair Isaac Corp.(a)

    1,228       1,559,449  

Fastenal Co.

    28,496       2,080,493  

FedEx Corp.

    12,009       2,989,881  

Ferguson PLC

    10,477       2,215,362  

Fidelity National Financial Inc.

    12,821       648,486  

Fidelity National Information Services Inc.

    30,446       2,106,559  

Fifth Third Bancorp.

    34,273       1,176,935  

First Citizens BancShares Inc./NC, Class A

    527       829,398  

First Solar Inc.(a)(b)

    5,432       835,930  

FirstEnergy Corp.

    27,608       1,010,729  

Fiserv Inc.(a)

    31,524       4,705,587  

FleetCor Technologies Inc.(a)

    3,453       964,319  

FMC Corp.

    6,659       375,501  

Ford Motor Co.

    203,460       2,531,042  

Fortinet Inc.(a)

    34,744       2,401,158  

Fortive Corp.

    18,406       1,566,903  

Fortune Brands Innovations Inc., NVS

    7,010       570,193  

Fox Corp., Class A, NVS

    15,449       460,226  

Fox Corp., Class B

    8,043       220,217  

Franklin Resources Inc.

    15,599       428,193  

Freeport-McMoRan Inc.

    72,927       2,757,370  

Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc.

    14,147       643,406  

Garmin Ltd.

    8,430       1,157,861  

Gartner Inc.(a)

    4,124       1,919,969  

GE HealthCare Technologies Inc., NVS(a)

    20,492       1,870,510  

Gen Digital Inc.

    30,028       645,302  

General Dynamics Corp.

    11,669       3,188,554  

General Electric Co.

    55,721       8,742,068  

General Mills Inc.

    29,917       1,920,073  

General Motors Co.

    71,351       2,923,964  

Genuine Parts Co.

    7,126       1,063,627  

Gilead Sciences Inc.

    64,030       4,616,563  

Global Payments Inc.

    12,749       1,653,545  

Globe Life Inc.

    4,909       623,099  

GoDaddy Inc., Class A(a)

    7,112       811,835  
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
United States (continued)            

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (The)

    16,684     $ 6,490,910  

Graco Inc.

    8,440       770,234  

Halliburton Co.

    46,713       1,638,225  

Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. (The)

    15,094       1,446,609  

Hasbro Inc.

    6,662       335,032  

HCA Healthcare Inc.

    10,240       3,191,808  

Healthpeak Properties Inc.

    35,508       594,759  

HEICO Corp.(b)

    2,217       428,768  

HEICO Corp., Class A

    3,717       578,328  

Henry Schein Inc.(a)

    7,055       539,496  

Hershey Co. (The)

    7,590       1,426,313  

Hess Corp.

    13,772       2,007,269  

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co.

    65,263       993,955  

HF Sinclair Corp.

    7,658       425,019  

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc.

    13,729       2,805,109  

Hologic Inc.(a)

    12,666       934,751  

Home Depot Inc. (The)

    50,901        19,373,430  

Honeywell International Inc.

    33,849       6,726,812  

Hormel Foods Corp.

    15,042       531,283  

Host Hotels & Resorts Inc.

    36,835       763,958  

Howmet Aerospace Inc.

    19,256       1,281,487  

HP Inc.

    48,230       1,366,356  

Hubbell Inc., Class B

    2,893       1,101,278  

HubSpot Inc.(a)

    2,422       1,498,758  

Humana Inc.

    6,316       2,212,621  

Huntington Bancshares Inc./OH

    73,754       961,752  

Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc.

    2,022       589,656  

Hyatt Hotels Corp., Class A(b)

    2,404       369,230  

IDEX Corp.

    3,834       904,441  

IDEXX Laboratories Inc.(a)

    4,317       2,483,268  

Illinois Tool Works Inc.

    15,465       4,054,150  

Illumina Inc.(a)

    7,809       1,091,932  

Incyte Corp.(a)

    9,647       562,999  

Ingersoll Rand Inc.

    20,238       1,848,337  

Insulet Corp.(a)

    3,414       559,896  

Intel Corp.

    216,570       9,323,338  

Intercontinental Exchange Inc.

    28,784       3,984,281  

International Business Machines Corp.

    46,448       8,594,273  

International Flavors & Fragrances Inc.

    12,391       935,521  

International Paper Co.

    18,707       661,480  

Interpublic Group of Companies Inc. (The)

    19,910       625,174  

Intuit Inc.

    14,321       9,493,248  

Intuitive Surgical Inc.(a)

    17,965       6,927,304  

Invitation Homes Inc.

    32,055       1,092,114  

IQVIA Holdings Inc.(a)

    9,523       2,353,705  

Iron Mountain Inc.

    14,542       1,143,583  

Jabil Inc.

    6,591       949,697  

Jack Henry & Associates Inc.

    3,824       664,496  

Jacobs Solutions Inc., NVS

    6,582       965,250  

Jazz Pharmaceuticals PLC(a)

    2,995       356,106  

JB Hunt Transport Services Inc.

    4,184       863,201  

JM Smucker Co. (The)

    5,374       645,794  

Johnson & Johnson

    123,291       19,896,702  

Johnson Controls International PLC

    34,676       2,055,247  

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

    147,875       27,513,622  

Juniper Networks Inc.

    16,573       613,698  

Kellanova

    14,657       808,334  

Kenvue Inc.

    87,449       1,661,531  

Keurig Dr Pepper Inc.

    53,177       1,590,524  

KeyCorp.

    47,943       684,147  

Keysight Technologies Inc.(a)

    9,082       1,401,353  

Kimberly-Clark Corp.

    17,324       2,099,149  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  21


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI World ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
United States (continued)            

Kimco Realty Corp.

    35,554     $ 702,547  

Kinder Morgan Inc.

    101,003       1,756,442  

KKR & Co. Inc.

    30,187       2,966,175  

KLA Corp.

    7,022       4,791,111  

Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc.

    8,117       457,312  

Kraft Heinz Co. (The)

    43,226       1,525,013  

Kroger Co. (The)

    35,123       1,742,452  

L3Harris Technologies Inc.

    9,822       2,078,925  

Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings

    4,252       917,709  

Lam Research Corp.

    6,739       6,322,867  

Lamb Weston Holdings Inc.

    7,846       801,940  

Las Vegas Sands Corp.

    19,888       1,084,294  

Lattice Semiconductor Corp.(a)

    6,971       534,048  

Lear Corp.

    3,033       416,583  

Leidos Holdings Inc.

    6,902       882,490  

Lennar Corp., Class A

    13,169       2,087,418  

Lennox International Inc.

    1,642       773,727  

Liberty Broadband Corp., Class C (a)

    6,282       378,051  

Liberty Media Corp.-Liberty Formula One, NVS(a)

    9,616       699,660  

Liberty Media Corp.-Liberty SiriusXM, NVS(a)(b)

    8,750       253,575  

Linde PLC

    24,785        11,124,004  

Live Nation Entertainment Inc.(a)

    8,238       798,921  

LKQ Corp.

    14,074       735,929  

Lockheed Martin Corp.

    11,494       4,922,191  

Loews Corp.

    9,204       691,497  

Lowe’s Companies Inc.

    29,811       7,174,613  

LPL Financial Holdings Inc.

    3,842       1,029,233  

Lululemon Athletica Inc.(a)

    5,826       2,721,266  

LyondellBasell Industries NV, Class A

    13,073       1,310,960  

M&T Bank Corp.

    8,871       1,239,634  

Manhattan Associates Inc.(a)

    3,122       790,896  

Marathon Oil Corp.

    29,574       717,170  

Marathon Petroleum Corp.

    20,283       3,432,492  

Markel Group Inc.(a)

    676       1,008,916  

MarketAxess Holdings Inc.

    1,971       420,631  

Marriott International Inc./MD, Class A

    13,027       3,255,056  

Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc.

    25,402       5,138,063  

Martin Marietta Materials Inc.

    3,102       1,792,056  

Marvell Technology Inc.

    44,359       3,178,766  

Masco Corp.

    12,473       957,427  

Mastercard Inc., Class A

    42,807       20,323,051  

Match Group Inc.(a)

    13,128       473,133  

McCormick & Co. Inc./MD, NVS

    12,383       852,693  

McDonald’s Corp.

    37,202       10,873,401  

McKesson Corp.

    6,905       3,600,336  

Medtronic PLC

    68,453       5,706,242  

MercadoLibre Inc.(a)

    2,306       3,678,762  

Merck & Co. Inc.

    129,634       16,482,963  

Meta Platforms Inc, Class A

    113,680       55,717,978  

MetLife Inc.

    32,707       2,280,986  

Mettler-Toledo International Inc.(a)

    1,130       1,409,359  

MGM Resorts International(a)

    14,713       636,779  

Microchip Technology Inc.

    28,323       2,383,097  

Micron Technology Inc.

    56,765       5,143,477  

Microsoft Corp.

    361,619       149,580,083  

Mid-America Apartment Communities Inc.

    5,797       728,567  

Moderna Inc.(a)(b)

    16,090       1,484,142  

Molina Healthcare Inc.(a)

    2,897       1,141,157  

Molson Coors Beverage Co., Class B

    9,725       607,035  

Mondelez International Inc., Class A

    68,999       5,041,757  

MongoDB Inc., Class A(a)

    3,689       1,651,123  

Monolithic Power Systems Inc.

    2,454       1,766,978  
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
United States (continued)            

Monster Beverage Corp.(a)

    39,215     $ 2,317,606  

Moody’s Corp.

    8,324       3,158,292  

Morgan Stanley

    63,720       5,482,469  

Mosaic Co. (The)

    18,550       578,018  

Motorola Solutions Inc.

    8,329       2,751,818  

MSCI Inc., Class A

    4,057       2,275,855  

Nasdaq Inc.

    17,449       980,634  

NetApp Inc.

    11,387       1,014,809  

Netflix Inc.(a)

    22,492       13,560,877  

Neurocrine Biosciences Inc.(a)

    4,914       640,786  

Newmont Corp.

    57,998       1,812,437  

News Corp., Class A, NVS

    20,249       544,293  

NextEra Energy Inc.

    104,049       5,742,464  

Nike Inc., Class B

    62,263       6,470,994  

NiSource Inc.

    23,824       620,853  

Nordson Corp.

    2,909       772,776  

Norfolk Southern Corp.

    11,490       2,911,336  

Northern Trust Corp.

    9,895       812,676  

Northrop Grumman Corp.

    7,433       3,426,762  

NRG Energy Inc.

    12,488       690,836  

Nucor Corp.

    12,520       2,407,596  

Nvidia Corp.

    126,504        100,079,844  

NVR Inc.(a)

    162       1,235,342  

NXP Semiconductors NV

    13,183       3,292,191  

Occidental Petroleum Corp.

    33,643       2,039,102  

Okta Inc.(a)

    7,438       798,097  

Old Dominion Freight Line Inc.

    5,102       2,257,533  

Omnicom Group Inc.

    10,628       939,409  

ON Semiconductor Corp.(a)

    21,409       1,689,598  

ONEOK Inc.

    29,320       2,202,518  

Oracle Corp.

    84,473       9,433,945  

O’Reilly Automotive Inc.(a)

    3,076       3,344,904  

Otis Worldwide Corp.

    20,534       1,956,890  

Ovintiv Inc.

    13,794       681,562  

Owens Corning

    4,332       648,847  

PACCAR Inc.

    26,855       2,977,951  

Packaging Corp. of America

    4,226       765,709  

Palantir Technologies Inc.(a)

    95,174       2,386,964  

Palo Alto Networks Inc.(a)

    16,170       5,021,593  

Paramount Global, Class B, NVS

    23,869       263,514  

Parker-Hannifin Corp.

    6,608       3,538,254  

Paychex Inc.

    16,220       1,988,896  

Paycom Software Inc.

    2,570       468,742  

Paylocity Holding Corp.(a)

    2,033       342,784  

PayPal Holdings Inc.(a)

    53,161       3,207,735  

Pentair PLC

    8,202       638,034  

PepsiCo Inc.

    70,628       11,677,634  

Pfizer Inc.

    289,690       7,694,166  

PG&E Corp.

    102,826       1,716,166  

Philip Morris International Inc.

    78,893       7,097,214  

Phillips 66

    23,525       3,352,548  

Pinterest Inc., Class A(a)

    30,816       1,130,947  

Pioneer Natural Resources Co.

    11,823       2,780,651  

PNC Financial Services Group Inc. (The)

    20,061       2,952,979  

Pool Corp.

    2,014       801,814  

PPG Industries Inc.

    11,851       1,678,102  

PPL Corp.

    38,831       1,023,973  

Principal Financial Group Inc.

    12,777       1,033,148  

Procter & Gamble Co. (The)

    120,711       19,185,806  

Progressive Corp. (The)

    29,566       5,604,531  

Prologis Inc.

    47,194       6,289,544  

Prudential Financial Inc.

    18,593       2,026,451  
 

 

 

22  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S 


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI World ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
United States (continued)            

PTC Inc.(a)

    6,256     $ 1,144,911  

Public Service Enterprise Group Inc.

    25,017       1,561,061  

Public Storage

    8,211        2,330,857  

PulteGroup Inc.

    11,546       1,251,355  

Qorvo Inc.(a)

    5,594       640,793  

Qualcomm Inc.

    57,076       9,006,022  

Quanta Services Inc.

    7,431       1,794,661  

Quest Diagnostics Inc.

    6,085       759,956  

Raymond James Financial Inc.

    10,489       1,262,036  

Raytheon Technologies Corp.

    74,351       6,667,054  

Realty Income Corp.

    42,379       2,208,370  

Regency Centers Corp.

    9,420       583,569  

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc.(a)

    5,447       5,262,292  

Regions Financial Corp.

    47,755       889,676  

Reliance Inc.

    2,943       945,350  

Repligen Corp.(a)(b)

    2,555       495,644  

Republic Services Inc., Class A

    11,026       2,024,374  

ResMed Inc.

    7,242       1,258,080  

Revvity Inc.

    6,317       692,280  

Rivian Automotive Inc., Class A(a)(b)

    32,589       368,907  

Robert Half Inc.

    5,663       455,305  

Robinhood Markets Inc.(a)

    21,715       354,172  

ROBLOX Corp., Class A(a)(b)

    21,076       840,932  

Rockwell Automation Inc.

    5,688       1,621,535  

Roku Inc.(a)(b)

    5,853       369,793  

Rollins Inc.

    14,672       646,595  

Roper Technologies Inc.

    5,423       2,954,071  

Ross Stores Inc.

    17,652       2,629,442  

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.(a)

    12,531       1,545,699  

Royalty Pharma PLC, Class A

    20,930       635,016  

RPM International Inc.

    6,478       747,237  

S&P Global Inc.

    16,683       7,146,664  

Salesforce Inc.(a)

    49,399       15,255,399  

Samsara Inc.(a)

    8,813       304,489  

SBA Communications Corp., Class A

    5,399       1,129,633  

Schlumberger NV

    71,688       3,464,681  

Seagate Technology Holdings PLC

    10,150       944,458  

SEI Investments Co.

    6,217       418,093  

Sempra Energy

    31,573       2,229,054  

ServiceNow Inc.(a)

    10,503       8,101,384  

Sherwin-Williams Co. (The)

    12,294       4,081,977  

Simon Property Group Inc.

    16,392       2,428,311  

Sirius XM Holdings Inc.(b)

    34,079       150,629  

Skyworks Solutions Inc.

    8,241       864,646  

Snap Inc., Class A, NVS(a)

    53,000       584,060  

Snap-on Inc.

    2,753       758,892  

Snowflake Inc., Class A(a)

    14,217       2,676,777  

Southern Co. (The)

    55,101       3,705,542  

Southwest Airlines Co.

    7,755       265,764  

Splunk Inc.(a)

    8,176       1,277,255  

SS&C Technologies Holdings Inc.

    11,905       759,063  

Stanley Black & Decker Inc.

    8,122       725,213  

Starbucks Corp.

    57,761       5,481,519  

State Street Corp.

    16,506       1,216,987  

Steel Dynamics Inc.

    8,038       1,075,645  

STERIS PLC

    5,444       1,267,962  

Stryker Corp.

    17,456       6,093,366  

Sun Communities Inc.

    6,648       889,236  

Super Micro Computer Inc.(a)

    2,575       2,230,259  

Synchrony Financial

    21,475       886,918  

Synopsys Inc.(a)

    7,795       4,472,225  

Sysco Corp.

    25,538       2,067,812  
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
United States (continued)            

T Rowe Price Group Inc.

    11,377     $ 1,289,583  

Take-Two Interactive Software Inc.(a)(b)

    8,753       1,286,078  

Targa Resources Corp.

    10,270       1,008,925  

Target Corp.

    23,662       3,618,393  

TE Connectivity Ltd.

    15,852       2,275,713  

Teledyne Technologies Inc.(a)

    2,276       972,467  

Teleflex Inc.

    2,342       521,774  

Teradyne Inc.

    8,102       839,286  

Tesla Inc.(a)

    146,531        29,581,678  

Texas Instruments Inc.

    46,659       7,807,450  

Texas Pacific Land Corp.

    301       474,201  

Textron Inc.

    11,156       993,665  

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.

    19,821       11,301,538  

TJX Companies Inc. (The)

    58,684       5,817,932  

T-Mobile USA Inc.

    27,140       4,431,962  

Toast Inc.(a)

    18,530       426,190  

Toro Co. (The)

    5,216       481,489  

Tractor Supply Co.

    5,629       1,431,567  

Trade Desk Inc. (The), Class A(a)

    22,699       1,939,176  

Tradeweb Markets Inc., Class A

    5,398       571,216  

Trane Technologies PLC

    11,638       3,281,567  

TransDigm Group Inc.

    2,785       3,280,006  

TransUnion

    9,610       746,024  

Travelers Companies Inc. (The)

    11,658       2,575,952  

Trimble Inc.(a)

    12,614       771,851  

Truist Financial Corp.

    68,382       2,392,002  

Twilio Inc., Class A(a)

    8,384       499,603  

Tyler Technologies Inc.(a)

    2,242       980,068  

Tyson Foods Inc., Class A

    14,691       796,840  

U.S. Bancorp.

    79,795       3,348,198  

Uber Technologies Inc.(a)

    94,856       7,541,052  

UDR Inc.

    15,287       542,689  

U-Haul Holding Co.(b)

    4,303       273,542  

UiPath Inc.(a)

    18,076       429,305  

Ulta Beauty Inc.(a)

    2,520       1,382,371  

Union Pacific Corp.

    31,221       7,920,455  

United Parcel Service Inc., Class B

    37,082       5,497,777  

United Rentals Inc.

    3,578       2,480,520  

United Therapeutics Corp.(a)

    2,277       513,782  

UnitedHealth Group Inc.

    47,231       23,313,222  

Unity Software Inc.(a)(b)

    13,294       389,780  

Universal Health Services Inc., Class B

    3,037       507,361  

Vail Resorts Inc.

    2,004       461,541  

Valero Energy Corp.

    18,563       2,625,922  

Veeva Systems Inc., Class A(a)(b)

    7,910       1,783,784  

Ventas Inc.

    19,654       831,168  

Veralto Corp.

    11,770       1,017,163  

VeriSign Inc.(a)

    4,998       976,059  

Verisk Analytics Inc., Class A

    7,289       1,763,209  

Verizon Communications Inc.

    215,318       8,617,026  

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc.(a)

    13,271       5,583,641  

Vertiv Holdings Co., Class A

    18,971       1,282,819  

Viatris Inc.

    61,227       757,378  

VICI Properties Inc., Class A

    51,133       1,530,411  

Visa Inc., Class A(b)

    81,065       22,912,212  

Vistra Corp.

    16,793       915,890  

Vulcan Materials Co.

    6,578       1,748,761  

W R Berkley Corp.

    10,724       896,526  

Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc.

    36,881       784,090  

Walmart Inc.

    226,155       13,254,945  

Walt Disney Co. (The)

    93,642       10,448,574  

Warner Bros. Discovery Inc.(a)(b)

    119,039       1,046,353  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  23


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI World ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
United States (continued)            

Waste Management Inc.

    20,717     $ 4,260,451  

Waters Corp.(a)

    3,030       1,022,383  

Watsco Inc.

    1,675       660,151  

WEC Energy Group Inc.

    15,579       1,222,796  

Wells Fargo & Co.

    186,360       10,359,752  

Welltower Inc.

    28,347       2,612,460  

West Pharmaceutical Services Inc.

    3,910       1,401,188  

Western Digital Corp.(a)

    15,321       911,140  

Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corp.

    8,964       1,266,524  

Westlake Corp.

    2,455       340,533  

Westrock Co.

    13,689       619,975  

Weyerhaeuser Co.

    37,210       1,279,280  

Williams Companies Inc. (The)

    63,105       2,267,994  

Williams-Sonoma Inc.

    3,121       735,089  

Willis Towers Watson PLC

    5,288       1,441,562  

Workday Inc., Class A(a)

    10,635       3,133,709  

WP Carey Inc.

    10,782       607,350  

WW Grainger Inc.

    2,234       2,174,710  

Wynn Resorts Ltd.

    5,492       577,758  

Xcel Energy Inc.

    28,677       1,510,991  

Xylem Inc./NY

    12,083       1,535,145  

Yum! Brands Inc.

    13,812       1,911,857  

Zebra Technologies Corp., Class A(a)

    2,681       749,286  

Zillow Group Inc., Class C (a)

    8,653       485,866  

Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc.

    10,953       1,362,115  

Zoetis Inc.

    23,259       4,612,957  

Zoom Video Communications Inc., Class A(a)

    12,254       866,725  

Zscaler Inc.(a)

    4,738       1,146,454  
   

 

 

 
       2,286,324,328  
   

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks — 99.6%
(Cost: $2,647,401,705)

 

    3,226,699,435  
   

 

 

 

Preferred Stocks

   
Germany — 0.1%            

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, Preference Shares, NVS

    2,868       314,429  

Dr Ing hc F Porsche AG, Preference Shares, NVS(b)

    5,663       529,498  

Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, Preference Shares, NVS

    8,769       659,725  

Porsche Automobil Holding SE, Preference Shares, NVS

    7,517       401,856  

Sartorius AG, Preference Shares, NVS(b)

    1,316       498,408  

Volkswagen AG, Preference Shares, NVS

    10,401       1,412,463  
   

 

 

 
      3,816,379  
   

 

 

 

Total Preferred Stocks — 0.1%
(Cost: $4,352,575)

 

    3,816,379  
   

 

 

 
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 

Warrants

   

Canada — 0.0%

   

Constellation Software Inc., (Issued 08/29/23, 1 Share for 1 Warrant, Expires 03/31/40, Strike Price CAD 11.50 )(a)(e)

    989     $  
   

 

 

 

Total Warrants — 0.0%
(Cost: $—)

 

     
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 99.7%
(Cost: $2,651,754,280)

 

    3,230,515,814  
   

 

 

 

Short-Term Securities

   

Money Market Funds — 1.3%

   

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares, 5.50%(d)(f)(g)

    38,988,875       39,008,369  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares, 5.30%(d)(f)

    3,380,000       3,380,000  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 1.3%
(Cost: $42,373,586)

 

    42,388,369  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments — 101.0%
(Cost: $2,694,127,866)

 

    3,272,904,183  

Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets — (1.0)%

 

    (33,287,286
   

 

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

    $  3,239,616,897  
   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Non-income producing security.

(b) 

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(c) 

Security exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration to qualified institutional investors.

(d) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(e) 

Security is valued using significant unobservable inputs and is classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.

(f) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

(g) 

All or a portion of this security was purchased with the cash collateral from loaned securities.

 

 

 

24  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S 


Schedule of Investments(unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI World ETF

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

 

 
Affiliated Issuer  

Value at

08/31/23

   

Purchases

at Cost

   

Proceeds

from Sale

   

Net Realized

Gain (Loss)

   

Change in

Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

   

Value at

02/29/24

   

Shares

Held at

02/29/24

    Income    

Capital

Gain

Distributions

from

Underlyring

Funds

 

 

 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares

  $ 23,463,227     $ 15,538,842 (a)    $     $ 1,697     $ 4,603     $ 39,008,369       38,988,875     $ 70,962 (b)    $  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares

    3,120,000       260,000 (a)                         3,380,000       3,380,000       120,852        

BlackRock Inc.

    4,932,502       404,774                   825,663       6,162,939       7,596       72,060        
       

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 
        $ 1,697     $ 830,266     $ 48,551,308       $ 263,874     $  
       

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

 
  (b) 

All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities.

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

 

 
Description    Number of
Contracts
     Expiration
Date
     Notional
Amount
(000)
     Value/
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
 

 

 

Long Contracts

           

TOPIX Index

     3        03/07/24      $ 537      $ 55,198  

Euro STOXX 50 Index

     17        03/15/24        901        47,523  

FTSE 100 Index

     8        03/15/24        771        154  

S&P 500 E-Mini Index

     25        03/15/24        6,380        270,328  
           

 

 

 
            $ 373,203  
           

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

     

Commodity

Contracts

    

Credit

Contracts

    

Equity

Contracts

    

Foreign

Currency

Exchange

Contracts

    

Interest

Rate

Contracts

    

Other

Contracts

     Total  

Assets — Derivative Financial Instruments

                    

Futures contracts

                    

Unrealized appreciation on futures contracts(a)

   $      $      $ 373,203      $      $      $      $ 373,203  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

 

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

      Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
     Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ 586,920      $      $      $      $ 586,920  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ 229,484      $      $      $      $ 229,484  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  25


Schedule of Investments(unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI World ETF

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

 

 

Futures contracts:

  

Average notional value of contracts — long

   $ 8,525,283   

 

 

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

 

 
     Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

 

 

Assets

                 

Investments

                 

Long-Term Investments

                 

Common Stocks

   $ 2,395,856,775        $ 830,842,660        $        $ 3,226,699,435  

Preferred Stocks

              3,816,379                   3,816,379  

Warrants

                                 

Short-Term Securities

                 

Money Market Funds

     42,388,369                            42,388,369  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $ 2,438,245,144        $ 834,659,039        $        $ 3,272,904,183  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

                 

Assets

                 

Equity Contracts

   $ 270,328        $ 102,875        $        $ 373,203  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

  (a)

Derivative financial instruments are futures contracts. Futures contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

26  

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Statements of Assets and Liabilities (unaudited) 

February 29, 2024

 

   

iShares

Frontier and

Select EM

ETF

   

iShares

MSCI World ETF

 

 

 

ASSETS

   

Investments, at value — unaffiliated(a)(b)

  $ 415,113,266     $ 3,224,352,875  

Investments, at value — affiliated(c)

    4,367,373       48,551,308  

Cash

          4,305  

Cash pledged:

   

Collateral — OTC derivatives

    510,000        

Futures contracts

    444,000       328,000  

Foreign currency collateral pledged for futures contracts(d)

          128,904  

Foreign currency, at value(e)

    11,885,308       1,919,628  

Receivables:

   

Investments sold

    108,675       12,844,987  

Securities lending income — affiliated

    90       12,347  

Capital shares sold

          12,275  

Dividends — unaffiliated

    132,285       4,453,217  

Dividends — affiliated

    11,463       19,660  

Tax reclaims

          616,410  

Variation margin on futures contracts

    4,752       34,405  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total assets

    432,577,212       3,293,278,321  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

LIABILITIES

   

Bank overdraft

    339,209        

Collateral on securities loaned, at value

    637,413       39,015,322  

Payables:

   

Investments purchased

    2,728,710       14,046,359  

Deferred foreign capital gain tax

    277,077        

Foreign taxes

    33,762        

Investment advisory fees

    268,893       599,743  

Unrealized depreciation on forward foreign currency exchange contracts

    701,364        
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total liabilities

    4,986,428       53,661,424  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Commitments and contingent liabilities

   

NET ASSETS

  $ 427,590,784     $ 3,239,616,897  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS CONSIST OF

   

Paid-in capital

  $ 566,671,075     $ 2,741,264,821  

Accumulated earnings (loss)

    (139,080,291     498,352,076  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

  $ 427,590,784     $ 3,239,616,897  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSET VALUE

   

Shares outstanding

    15,750,000       23,100,000  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value

  $ 27.15     $ 140.24  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Shares authorized

    500 million       500 million  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Par value

  $ 0.001     $ 0.001  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

(a) Investments, at cost — unaffiliated

  $ 363,282,600     $ 2,646,485,315  

(b) Securities loaned, at value

  $ 565,517     $ 38,073,858  

(c)  Investments, at cost — affiliated

  $ 4,367,413     $ 47,642,551  

(d) Foreign currency collateral pledged, at cost

  $     $ 133,841  

(e) Foreign currency, at cost

  $ 13,781,039     $ 1,921,661  

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  27


Statements of Operations (unaudited) 

Six Months Ended February 29, 2024

 

   

iShares

Frontier and

Select EM

ETF

   

iShares

MSCI World

ETF

 

 

 

INVESTMENT INCOME

   

Dividends — unaffiliated

  $ 8,041,000     $ 23,700,229  

Dividends — affiliated

    82,935       192,912  

Interest — unaffiliated

          15,719  

Securities lending income — affiliated — net

    94       70,962  

Foreign taxes withheld

    (705,973     (698,253
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total investment income

    7,418,056       23,281,569  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

EXPENSES

   

Investment advisory

    2,132,192       3,404,586  

Interest expense

    36,262        

Commitment costs

    2,671        

Professional

          3,782  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total expenses

    2,171,125       3,408,368  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net investment income

    5,246,931       19,873,201  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS)

   

Net realized gain (loss) from:

   

Investments — unaffiliated(a)

    (9,254,777     (7,503,043

Investments — affiliated

    (1     1,697  

Forward foreign currency exchange contracts

    1,996,059        

Foreign currency transactions

    (4,447,231     (66,193

Futures contracts

    (623,104     586,920  

In-kind redemptions — unaffiliated(b)

    9,195,333        
 

 

 

   

 

 

 
    (3,133,721     (6,980,619
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:

   

Investments — unaffiliated(c)

    1,646,587       346,117,283  

Investments — affiliated

    (40     830,266  

Forward foreign currency exchange contracts

    (3,900,110      

Foreign currency translations

    2,325,684       35,713  

Futures contracts

    942,579       229,484  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 
    1,014,700       347,212,746  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)

    (2,119,021     340,232,127  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS

  $ 3,127,910     $ 360,105,328  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

(a) Net of foreign capital gain tax and capital gain tax refund, if applicable of

  $ (714,680   $  

(b) See Note 2 of the Notes to Financial Statements.

   

(c)  Net of increase in deferred foreign capital gain tax of

  $ (267,645   $  

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

28  

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Statements of Changes in Net Assets

 

    iShares
Frontier and Select EM ETF
    iShares
MSCI World ETF
 
   

Six Months Ended

02/29/24

(unaudited)

   

Year Ended

08/31/23

   

Six Months Ended

02/29/24

(unaudited)

   

Year Ended

08/31/23

 

 

 

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS

       

OPERATIONS

       

Net investment income

  $ 5,246,931     $ 19,279,570     $ 19,873,201     $ 46,248,103  

Net realized gain (loss)

    (3,133,721     (32,192,171     (6,980,619     91,655,742  

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

    1,014,700       38,254,043       347,212,746       255,310,596  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

    3,127,910       25,341,442       360,105,328       393,214,441  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS(a)

       

Decrease in net assets resulting from distributions to shareholders

    (10,314,914     (12,604,554     (24,619,604 )(b)       (43,129,363
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

       

Net increase (decrease) in net assets derived from capital share transactions

    (206,656,524     278,055,792       191,825,090       235,520,737  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

       

Total increase (decrease) in net assets

    (213,843,528     290,792,680       527,310,814       585,605,815  

Beginning of period

    641,434,312       350,641,632       2,712,306,083       2,126,700,268  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

End of period

  $ 427,590,784     $ 641,434,312     $ 3,239,616,897     $ 2,712,306,083  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(b) 

A portion of the distributions from net investment income may be deemed a return of capital or net realized gain at fiscal year-end.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  29


Financial Highlights

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

        iShares Frontier and Select EM ETF      
   

Six Months Ended
02/29/24
(unaudited)

    Year Ended
08/31/23
    Year Ended
08/31/22
    Year Ended
08/31/21
    Year Ended
08/31/20
    Year Ended
08/31/19
 

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

        $ 27.18     $ 27.29     $ 33.86     $ 25.69     $ 28.97     $ 28.29  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

      0.25       0.86       0.88       0.65       0.87       1.03  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(b)

      0.24       (0.46     (6.63     8.20       (3.36     0.76  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

      0.49       0.40       (5.75     8.85       (2.49     1.79  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(c)

      (0.52     (0.51     (0.82     (0.68     (0.79     (1.11
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 27.15     $ 27.18     $ 27.29     $ 33.86     $ 25.69     $ 28.97  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Return(d)

             

Based on net asset value

      1.97 %(e)       1.59     (17.26 )%      34.77     (8.44 )%      6.45
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(f)

             

Total expenses

      0.80 %(g)       0.80     0.80     0.79     0.79     0.79
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net investment income

      1.94 %(g)       3.34     2.73     2.17     3.27     3.63
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

             

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 427,591     $ 641,434     $ 350,642     $ 496,099     $ 373,769     $ 496,868  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(h)

      19     53     34     36     25     33
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(a)

Based on average shares outstanding.

 

(b) 

The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

 

(c) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

 

(d) 

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

 

(e) 

Not annualized.

 

(f)

Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

 

(g) 

Annualized.

 

(h)

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, if any.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

30  

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Financial Highlights(continued)

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    iShares MSCI World ETF  
   

Six Months Ended
02/29/24
(unaudited)

   

Year Ended
08/31/23

   

Year Ended
08/31/22

   

Year Ended
08/31/21

   

Year Ended
08/31/20

   

Year Ended
08/31/19

 

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

        $ 125.57     $ 110.19     $ 131.92     $ 103.07     $ 89.79     $ 91.33  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

      0.89       2.16       2.19       1.84       1.76       1.96  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(b)

      14.87       15.22       (21.88     28.80       13.35       (1.52
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

      15.76       17.38       (19.69     30.64       15.11       0.44  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(c)

      (1.09 )(d)       (2.00     (2.04     (1.79     (1.83     (1.98
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 140.24     $ 125.57     $ 110.19     $ 131.92     $ 103.07     $ 89.79  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Return(e)

             

Based on net asset value

      12.62 %(f)       15.90     (15.07 )%(g)      29.94     17.04     0.61
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(h)

             

Total expenses

      0.24 %(i)       0.24     0.24     0.24     0.24     0.24
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total expenses excluding professional fees for foreign withholding tax claims

      0.24 %(i)       0.24     0.24     N/A       N/A       N/A  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net investment income

      1.40 %(i)       1.87     1.78     1.58     1.90     2.24
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

             

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 3,239,617     $ 2,712,306     $ 2,126,700     $ 1,569,839     $ 948,247     $ 646,459  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(j)

      1     3     5     5     7     4
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Based on average shares outstanding.

 

(b) 

The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

 

(c) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

 

(d) 

A portion of the distributions from net investment income may be deemed a return of capital or net realized gain at fiscal year-end.

 

(e) 

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

 

(f) 

Not annualized.

 

(g) 

Reflects the one-time, positive effect of foreign withholding tax claims, net of the associated professional fees, which resulted in the following increases for the year ended August 31, 2022:

 

   

Total return by 0.01%.

 

(h) 

Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

 

(i) 

Annualized.

 

(j) 

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, if any.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  H I G H L I G H T S

  31


Notes to Financial Statements(unaudited)

 

1.

ORGANIZATION

iShares, Inc. (the “Company”) is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), as an open-end management investment company. The Company is organized as a Maryland corporation and is authorized to have multiple series or portfolios.

These financial statements relate only to the following funds (each, a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”): 

 

   
iShares ETF  

Diversification 

Classification 

Frontier and Select EM

  Diversified 

MSCI World

  Diversified 

 

2.

SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES 

The financial statements are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”), which may require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Each Fund is considered an investment company under U.S. GAAP and follows the accounting and reporting guidance applicable to investment companies. Below is a summary of significant accounting policies:

Investment Transactions and Income Recognition: For financial reporting purposes, investment transactions are recorded on the dates the transactions are executed. Realized gains and losses on investment transactions are determined using the specific identification method. Dividend income and capital gain distributions, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Non-cash dividends, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date at fair value. Dividends from foreign securities where the ex-dividend date may have passed are subsequently recorded when the Funds are informed of the ex-dividend date. Under the applicable foreign tax laws, a withholding tax at various rates may be imposed on capital gains, dividends and interest. Upon notification from issuers or as estimated by management, a portion of the dividend income received from a real estate investment trust may be redesignated as a reduction of cost of the related investment and/or realized gain. Interest income, including amortization and accretion of premiums and discounts on debt securities, is recognized daily on an accrual basis.

Foreign Currency Translation: Each Fund’s books and records are maintained in U.S. dollars. Securities and other assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars using prevailing market rates as quoted by one or more data service providers. Purchases and sales of investments are recorded at the rates of exchange prevailing on the respective dates of such transactions. Generally, when the U.S. dollar rises in value against a foreign currency, the investments denominated in that currency will lose value; the opposite effect occurs if the U.S. dollar falls in relative value.

Foreign governments and their agencies may enact policies that delay or place limits on repatriation of local currency to U.S. dollars. Market quoted rates for immediate currency settlement may have access or transaction volume restrictions that are insufficient to convert a significant portion of iShares Frontier and Select EM ETF local currency denominated assets and liabilities to U.S. dollars. When these events occur, the rates utilized to translate a foreign currency to U.S. dollars will be determined by BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BFA”), iShares Frontier and Select EM ETF investment adviser, with assistance from other BlackRock pricing committees on a quarterly basis.

Monetary policies enacted by government agencies in Kenya, Nigeria and Egypt that limit their local currency’s repatriation to safeguard U.S. dollar reserves, significantly impact iShares Frontier and Select EM ETF ability to convert local denominated assets and liabilities amounts to U.S. dollars using quoted immediate currency settlement rates. As of February 29, 2024 iShares Frontier and Select EM ETF assets and liabilities denominated in Kenyan shillings use the 6-month non-deliverable forward rate, while the Egyptian pound and the Nigerian naira use the 12-month non-deliverable forward rate.

Each Fund does not isolate the effect of fluctuations in foreign exchange rates from the effect of fluctuations in the market prices of investments for financial reporting purposes. Accordingly, the effects of changes in exchange rates on investments are not segregated in the Statements of Operations from the effects of changes in market prices of those investments, but are included as a component of net realized and unrealized gain (loss) from investments. Each Fund reports realized currency gains (losses) on foreign currency related transactions as components of net realized gain (loss) for financial reporting purposes, whereas such components are generally treated as ordinary income for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Foreign Taxes: The Funds may be subject to foreign taxes (a portion of which may be reclaimable) on income, stock dividends, capital gains on investments, or certain foreign currency transactions. All foreign taxes are recorded in accordance with the applicable foreign tax regulations and rates that exist in the foreign jurisdictions in which each Fund invests. These foreign taxes, if any, are paid by each Fund and are reflected in its Statements of Operations as follows: foreign taxes withheld at source are presented as a reduction of income, foreign taxes on securities lending income are presented as a reduction of securities lending income, foreign taxes on stock dividends are presented as “Other foreign taxes”, and foreign taxes on capital gains from sales of investments and foreign taxes on foreign currency transactions are included in their respective net realized gain (loss) categories. Foreign taxes payable or deferred as of February 29, 2024, if any, are disclosed in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

The Funds file withholding tax reclaims in certain jurisdictions to recover a portion of amounts previously withheld. The Funds may record a reclaim receivable based on collectability, which includes factors such as the jurisdiction’s applicable laws, payment history and market convention. The Statements of Operations includes tax reclaims recorded as well as professional and other fees, if any, associated with recovery of foreign withholding taxes.

 

 

32  

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Notes to Financial Statements(unaudited) (continued)

 

Bank Overdraft: Certain Funds had outstanding cash disbursements exceeding deposited cash amounts at the custodian during the reporting period. The Funds are obligated to repay the custodian for any overdraft, including any related costs or expenses, where applicable. For financial reporting purposes, overdraft fees, if any, are included in interest expense in the Statements of Operations.

Collateralization: If required by an exchange or counterparty agreement, the Funds may be required to deliver/deposit cash and/or securities to/with an exchange, or broker-dealer or custodian as collateral for certain investments.

In-kind Redemptions: For financial reporting purposes, in-kind redemptions are treated as sales of securities resulting in realized capital gains or losses to the Funds. Because such gains or losses are not taxable to the Funds and are not distributed to existing Fund shareholders, the gains or losses are reclassified from accumulated net realized gain (loss) to paid-in capital at the end of the Funds’ tax year. These reclassifications have no effect on net assets or net asset value (“NAV”) per share.

Distributions: Dividends and distributions paid by each Fund are recorded on the ex-dividend dates. Distributions are determined on a tax basis and may differ from net investment income and net realized capital gains for financial reporting purposes. Dividends and distributions are paid in U.S. dollars and cannot be automatically reinvested in additional shares of the Funds.

Indemnifications: In the normal course of business, each Fund enters into contracts that contain a variety of representations that provide general indemnification. The Funds’ maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown because it involves future potential claims against the Funds, which cannot be predicted with any certainty.

 

3.

INVESTMENT VALUATION AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

Investment Valuation Policies: Each Fund’s investments are valued at fair value (also referred to as “market value” within the financial statements) each day that the Fund’s listing exchange is open and, for financial reporting purposes, as of the report date. U.S. GAAP defines fair value as the price a fund would receive to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) of each Fund has approved the designation of BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BFA”), the Funds’ investment adviser, as the valuation designee for each Fund. Each Fund determines the fair values of its financial instruments using various independent dealers or pricing services under BFA’s policies. If a security’s market price is not readily available or does not otherwise accurately represent the fair value of the security, the security will be valued in accordance with BFA’s policies and procedures as reflecting fair value. BFA has formed a committee (the “Valuation Committee”) to develop pricing policies and procedures and to oversee the pricing function for all financial instruments, with assistance from other BlackRock pricing committees.

Fair Value Inputs and Methodologies: The following methods and inputs are used to establish the fair value of each Fund’s assets and liabilities:

 

   

Equity investments traded on a recognized securities exchange are valued at that day’s official closing price, as applicable, on the exchange where the stock is primarily traded. Equity investments traded on a recognized exchange for which there were no sales on that day are valued at the last traded price.

 

   

Investments in open-end U.S. mutual funds (including money market funds) are valued at that day’s published NAV.

 

   

Futures contracts are valued based on that day’s last reported settlement or trade price on the exchange where the contract is traded.

 

   

Forward foreign currency exchange contracts are valued at the mean between the bid and ask prices and are determined as of the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) based on that day’s prevailing forward exchange rate for the underlying currencies.

Generally, trading in foreign instruments is substantially completed each day at various times prior to the close of trading on the NYSE. Each business day, the Funds use current market factors supplied by independent pricing services to value certain foreign instruments (“Systematic Fair Value Price”). The Systematic Fair Value Price is designed to value such foreign securities at fair value as of the close of trading on the NYSE, which follows the close of the local markets.

If events (e.g., market volatility, company announcement or a natural disaster) occur that are expected to materially affect the value of such investment, or in the event that application of these methods of valuation results in a price for an investment that is deemed not to be representative of the market value of such investment, or if a price is not available, the investment will be valued by the Valuation Committee, in accordance with BFA’s policies and procedures as reflecting fair value (“Fair Valued Investments”). The fair valuation approaches that may be used by the Valuation Committee include market approach, income approach and cost approach. Valuation techniques such as discounted cash flow, use of market comparables and matrix pricing are types of valuation approaches and are typically used in determining fair value. When determining the price for Fair Valued Investments, the Valuation Committee seeks to determine the price that each Fund might reasonably expect to receive or pay from the current sale or purchase of that asset or liability in an arm’s-length transaction. Fair value determinations shall be based upon all available factors that the Valuation Committee deems relevant and consistent with the principles of fair value measurement.

Fair value pricing could result in a difference between the prices used to calculate a fund’s NAV and the prices used by the fund’s underlying index, which in turn could result in a difference between the fund’s performance and the performance of the fund’s underlying index.

Fair Value Hierarchy: Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. These inputs to valuation techniques are categorized into a fair value hierarchy consisting of three broad levels for financial reporting purposes as follows:

 

   

Level 1 – Unadjusted price quotations in active markets/exchanges for identical assets or liabilities that each Fund has the ability to access;

 

 

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  33


Notes to Financial Statements(unaudited) (continued)

 

   

Level 2 – Other observable inputs (including, but not limited to, quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in markets that are active, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the assets or liabilities (such as interest rates, yield curves, volatilities, prepayment speeds, loss severities, credit risks and default rates) or other market-corroborated inputs); and

 

   

Level 3 – Unobservable inputs based on the best information available in the circumstances, to the extent observable inputs are not available, (including the Valuation Committee’s assumptions used in determining the fair value of financial instruments).

The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements). Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised in determining fair value is greatest for instruments categorized in Level 3. The inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, for disclosure purposes, the fair value hierarchy classification is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. Investments classified within Level 3 have significant unobservable inputs used by the Valuation Committee in determining the price for Fair Valued Investments. Level 3 investments include equity or debt issued by privately held companies or funds that may not have a secondary market and/or may have a limited number of investors. The categorization of a value determined for financial instruments is based on the pricing transparency of the financial instruments and is not necessarily an indication of the risks associated with investing in those securities.

 

4.

SECURITIES AND OTHER INVESTMENTS

Warrants: Warrants entitle a fund to purchase a specified number of shares of common stock and are non-income producing. The purchase price and number of shares are subject to adjustment under certain conditions until the expiration date of the warrants, if any. If the price of the underlying stock does not rise above the strike price before the warrant expires, the warrant generally expires without any value and a fund will lose any amount it paid for the warrant. Thus, investments in warrants may involve more risk than investments in common stock. Warrants may trade in the same markets as their underlying stock; however, the price of the warrant does not necessarily move with the price of the underlying stock.

Securities Lending: Each Fund may lend its securities to approved borrowers, such as brokers, dealers and other financial institutions. The borrower pledges and maintains with the Fund collateral consisting of cash, an irrevocable letter of credit issued by an approved bank, or securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government. The initial collateral received by each Fund is required to have a value of at least 102% of the current market value of the loaned securities for securities traded on U.S. exchanges and a value of at least 105% for all other securities. The collateral is maintained thereafter at a value equal to at least 100% of the current value of the securities on loan. The market value of the loaned securities is determined at the close of each business day of the Fund and any additional required collateral is delivered to the Fund or excess collateral is returned by the Fund, on the next business day. During the term of the loan, each Fund is entitled to all distributions made on or in respect of the loaned securities but does not receive interest income on securities received as collateral. Loans of securities are terminable at any time and the borrower, after notice, is required to return borrowed securities within the standard time period for settlement of securities transactions.

As of period end, any securities on loan were collateralized by cash and/or U.S. Government obligations. Cash collateral invested in money market funds managed by BFA, or its affiliates is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments. Any non-cash collateral received cannot be sold, re-invested or pledged by the Fund, except in the event of borrower default. The securities on loan, if any, are also disclosed in each Fund’s Schedule of Investments. The market value of any securities on loan and the value of any related cash collateral are disclosed in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

Securities lending transactions are entered into by the Funds under Master Securities Lending Agreements (each, an “MSLA”) which provide the right, in the event of default (including bankruptcy or insolvency) for the non-defaulting party to liquidate the collateral and calculate a net exposure to the defaulting party or request additional collateral. In the event that a borrower defaults, the Funds, as lender, would offset the market value of the collateral received against the market value of the securities loaned. When the value of the collateral is greater than that of the market value of the securities loaned, the lender is left with a net amount payable to the defaulting party. However, bankruptcy or insolvency laws of a particular jurisdiction may impose restrictions on or prohibitions against such a right of offset in the event of an MSLA counterparty’s bankruptcy or insolvency. Under the MSLA, absent an event of default, the borrower can resell or re-pledge the loaned securities, and the Funds can reinvest cash collateral received in connection with loaned securities. Upon an event of default, the parties’ obligations to return the securities or collateral to the other party are extinguished, and the parties can resell or re-pledge the loaned securities or the collateral received in connection with the loaned securities in order to satisfy the defaulting party’s net payment obligation for all transactions under the MSLA. The defaulting party remains liable for any deficiency.

As of period end, the following table is a summary of the securities on loan by counterparty which are subject to offset under an MSLA:

 

 

 

iShares ETF and Counterparty

   
Securities Loaned
at Value
 
 
    
Cash Collateral
Received
 
(a) 
   
Non-Cash Collateral
Received, at Fair Value
 
(a) 
    Net Amount  

 

 

Frontier and Select EM

        

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

  $ 303,812      $ (303,812   $     $  

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

    261,705        (261,705            
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  $ 565,517      $ (565,517   $     $  
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

34  

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Notes to Financial Statements(unaudited) (continued)

 

 

 

iShares ETF and Counterparty

   
Securities Loaned
at Value
 
 
    
Cash Collateral
Received
 
(a) 
   
Non-Cash Collateral
Received, at Fair Value
 
(a) 
    Net Amount  

 

 

MSCI World

        

Barclays Bank PLC

  $ 352,868      $ (352,868   $     $  

Barclays Capital, Inc.

    2,532,588        (2,532,588            

BNP Paribas SA

    380,368        (380,368            

BofA Securities, Inc.

    3,036,699        (3,036,699            

Citadel Clearing LLC

    1,793,776        (1,788,787           4,989 (b)  

Citigroup Global Markets, Inc.

    491,292        (491,292            

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

    720,173        (720,173            

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

    1,016,083        (1,016,083            

Jefferies LLC

    35,910        (35,910            

Morgan Stanley

    1,439,002        (1,439,002            

Natixis SA

    489,506        (489,506            

Nomura Securities International, Inc.

    22,551        (22,551            

RBC Capital Markets LLC

    1,042,125        (1,042,125            

SG Americas Securities LLC

    437,413        (437,413            

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

    1,021,708        (1,021,708            

Toronto-Dominion Bank (The)

    22,554,513        (22,554,513            

Wells Fargo Bank N.A

    707,283        (707,283            
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  $ 38,073,858      $ (38,068,869   $     $ 4,989  
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Collateral received, if any, in excess of the market value of securities on loan is not presented in this table. The total cash collateral received by each Fund is disclosed in the Fund’s Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

 
  (b) 

The market value of the loaned securities is determined as of February 29, 2024. Additional collateral is delivered to the Fund on the next business day in accordance with the MSLA. The net amount would be subject to the borrower default indemnity in the event of default by a counterparty.

 

The risks of securities lending include the risk that the borrower may not provide additional collateral when required or may not return the securities when due. To mitigate these risks, each Fund benefits from a borrower default indemnity provided by BlackRock, Inc. (“BlackRock”). BlackRock’s indemnity allows for full replacement of the securities loaned to the extent the collateral received does not cover the value of the securities loaned in the event of borrower default. Each Fund could incur a loss if the value of an investment purchased with cash collateral falls below the market value of the loaned securities or if the value of an investment purchased with cash collateral falls below the value of the original cash collateral received. Such losses are borne entirely by each Fund.

 

5.

DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

Futures Contracts: Futures contracts are purchased or sold to gain exposure to, or manage exposure to, changes in interest rates (interest rate risk) and changes in the value of equity securities (equity risk) or foreign currencies (foreign currency exchange rate risk).

Futures contracts are exchange-traded agreements between the Funds and a counterparty to buy or sell a specific quantity of an underlying instrument at a specified price and on a specified date. Depending on the terms of a contract, it is settled either through physical delivery of the underlying instrument on the settlement date or by payment of a cash amount on the settlement date. Upon entering into a futures contract, the Funds are required to deposit initial margin with the broker in the form of cash or securities in an amount that varies depending on a contract’s size and risk profile. The initial margin deposit must then be maintained at an established level over the life of the contract. Amounts pledged, which are considered restricted, are included in cash pledged for futures contracts in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

Securities deposited as initial margin are designated in the Schedule of Investments and cash deposited, if any, are shown as cash pledged for futures contracts in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. Pursuant to the contract, the Funds agree to receive from or pay to the broker an amount of cash equal to the daily fluctuation in market value of the contract (“variation margin”). Variation margin is recorded as unrealized appreciation (depreciation) and, if any, shown as variation margin receivable (or payable) on futures contracts in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. When the contract is closed, a realized gain or loss is recorded in the Statements of Operations equal to the difference between the notional amount of the contract at the time it was opened and the notional amount at the time it was closed. The use of futures contracts involves the risk of an imperfect correlation in the movements in the price of futures contracts and interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates or underlying assets.

Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts: Forward foreign currency exchange contracts are entered into to gain or reduce exposure to foreign currencies (foreign currency exchange rate risk).

A forward foreign currency exchange contract is an agreement between two parties to buy and sell a currency at a set exchange rate on a specified date. These contracts help to manage the overall exposure to the currencies in which some of the investments held by the Funds are denominated and in some cases, may be used to obtain exposure to a particular market. The contracts are traded over-the-counter (“OTC”) and not on an organized exchange.

The contract is marked-to-market daily and the change in market value is recorded as unrealized appreciation or depreciation in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. When the contract is closed, a realized gain or loss is recorded in the Statements of Operations equal to the difference between the value at the time it was opened and the value at the time it was closed. Non-deliverable forward foreign currency exchange contracts are settled with the counterparty in cash without the delivery of foreign currency. The use of forward foreign currency exchange contracts involves the risk that the value of a contract changes unfavorably due to movements in the value of the referenced foreign currencies, and such value may exceed the amount(s) reflected in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. Cash amounts pledged for forward foreign

 

 

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  35


Notes to Financial Statements(unaudited) (continued)

 

currency exchange contracts are considered restricted and are included in cash pledged as collateral for OTC derivatives in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. A fund’s risk of loss from counterparty credit risk on OTC derivatives is generally limited to the aggregate unrealized gain netted against any collateral held by the Fund.

Master Netting Arrangements: In order to define its contractual rights and to secure rights that will help mitigate its counterparty risk, a Fund may enter into an International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. Master Agreement (“ISDA Master Agreement”) or similar agreement with its derivative contract counterparties. An ISDA Master Agreement is a bilateral agreement between a Fund and a counterparty that governs certain OTC derivatives and typically contains, among other things, collateral posting terms and netting provisions in the event of a default and/or termination event. Under an ISDA Master Agreement, a Fund may, under certain circumstances, offset with the counterparty certain derivative financial instruments’ payables and/or receivables with collateral held and/or posted and create one single net payment. The provisions of the ISDA Master Agreement typically permit a single net payment in the event of default including the bankruptcy or insolvency of the counterparty. However, bankruptcy or insolvency laws of a particular jurisdiction may impose restrictions on or prohibitions against the right of offset in bankruptcy, insolvency, or other events.

For derivatives traded under an ISDA Master Agreement, the collateral requirements are typically calculated by netting the mark-to-market amount for each transaction under such agreement, and comparing that amount to the value of any collateral currently pledged by a fund and the counterparty.

Cash collateral that has been pledged to cover obligations of the Funds and cash collateral received from the counterparty, if any, is reported separately in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities as cash pledged as collateral and cash received as collateral, respectively. Non-cash collateral pledged by the Funds, if any, is noted in the Schedules of Investments. Generally, the amount of collateral due from or to a counterparty is subject to a certain minimum transfer amount threshold before a transfer is required, which is determined at the close of business of the Funds. Any additional required collateral is delivered to/pledged by the Funds on the next business day. Typically, the counterparty is not permitted to sell, re-pledge or use cash and non-cash collateral it receives. A fund generally agrees not to use non-cash collateral that it receives but may, absent default or certain other circumstances defined in the underlying ISDA Master Agreement, be permitted to use cash collateral received. In such cases, interest may be paid pursuant to the collateral arrangement with the counterparty. To the extent amounts due to the Funds from the counterparty are not fully collateralized, each Fund bears the risk of loss from counterparty non-performance. Likewise, to the extent the Funds have delivered collateral to a counterparty and stand ready to perform under the terms of their agreement with such counterparty, each Fund bears the risk of loss from a counterparty in the amount of the value of the collateral in the event the counterparty fails to return such collateral. Based on the terms of agreements, collateral may not be required for all derivative contracts.

For financial reporting purposes, each Fund does not offset derivative assets and derivative liabilities that are subject to netting arrangements, if any, in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

 

6.

INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES

Investment Advisory Fees: Pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement with the Company, BFA manages the investment of each Fund’s assets. BFA is a California corporation indirectly owned by BlackRock. Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, BFA is responsible for substantially all expenses of the Funds, except (i) interest and taxes; (ii) brokerage commissions and other expenses connected with the execution of portfolio transactions; (iii) distribution fees; (iv) the advisory fee payable to BFA; and (v) litigation expenses and any extraordinary expenses (in each case as determined by a majority of the independent directors).

For its investment advisory services to each of the following Funds, BFAis entitled to an annual investment advisory fee, accrued daily and paid monthly by the Funds, based on the average daily net assets of each Fund as follows:

 

iShares ETF   Investment Advisory Fees  

Frontier and Select EM

    0.79

MSCI World

    0.24  

Distributor: BlackRock Investments, LLC, an affiliate of BFA, is the distributor for each Fund. Pursuant to the distribution agreement, BFA is responsible for any fees or expenses for distribution services provided to the Funds.

Securities Lending: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) has issued an exemptive order which permits BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, N.A. (“BTC”), an affiliate of BFA, to serve as securities lending agent for the Funds, subject to applicable conditions. As securities lending agent, BTC bears all operational costs directly related to securities lending, including any custodial costs. Each Fund is responsible for fees in connection with the investment of cash collateral received for securities on loan (the “collateral investment fees”). The cash collateral is invested in a money market fund, BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional or BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, managed by BFA, or its affiliates. However, BTC has agreed to reduce the amount of securities lending income it receives in order to effectively limit the collateral investment fees each Fund bears to an annual rate of 0.04%. The SL Agency Shares of such money market fund will not be subject to a sales load, distribution fee or service fee. The money market fund in which the cash collateral has been invested may, under certain circumstances, impose a liquidity fee of up to 2% of the value redeemed or temporarily restrict redemptions for up to 10 business days during a 90 day period, in the event that the money market fund’s weekly liquid assets fall below certain thresholds.

Securities lending income is equal to the total of income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral, net of fees and other payments to and from borrowers of securities, and less the collateral investment fees. Each Fund retains a portion of securities lending income and remits the remaining portion to BTC as compensation for its services as securities lending agent.

Pursuant to the current securities lending agreement, the iShares MSCI World ETF (the “Group 1 Fund”), retains 81% of securities lending income (which excludes collateral investment fees) and the amount retained can never be less than 70% of the total of securities lending income plus the collateral investment fees.

 

 

36  

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Notes to Financial Statements(unaudited) (continued)

 

Pursuant to the current securities lending agreement, the iShares Frontier and Select EM ETF (the “Group 2 Fund”), retains 82% of securities lending income (which excludes collateral investment fees) and the amount retained can never be less than 70% of the total of securities lending income plus the collateral investment fees.

In addition, commencing the business day following the date that the aggregate securities lending income plus the collateral investment fees generated across all 1940 Act iShares exchange-traded funds (the “iShares ETF Complex”) in a given calendar year exceeds a specified threshold: (1) the Group 1 Fund, pursuant to the securities lending agreement, will retain for the remainder of that calendar year 81% of securities lending income (which excludes collateral investment fees), and the amount retained can never be less than 70% of the total of securities lending income plus the collateral investment fees, and (2) the Group 2 Fund will retain for the remainder of that calendar year 85% of securities lending income (which excludes collateral investment fees), and the amount retained can never be less than 70% of the total of securities lending income plus the collateral investment fees.

The share of securities lending income earned by each Fund is shown as securities lending income – affiliated – net in its Statements of Operations. For the six months ended February 29, 2024, the Funds paid BTC the following amounts for securities lending agent services:

 

iShares ETF   Amounts  

Frontier and Select EM

  $ 32  

MSCI World

    20,829  

Officers and Directors: Certain officers and/or directors of the Company are officers and/or directors of BlackRock or its affiliates.

Other Transactions: Cross trading is the buying or selling of portfolio securities between funds to which BFA (or an affiliate) serves as investment adviser. At its regularly scheduled quarterly meetings, the Board reviews such transactions as of the most recent calendar quarter for compliance with the requirements and restrictions set forth by Rule 17a-7.

For the six months ended February 29, 2024, transactions executed by the Funds pursuant to Rule 17a-7 under the 1940 Act were as follows: 

 

       

iShares ETF

 

Purchases

    

Sales

    

Net Realized

Gain (Loss)

 

Frontier and Select EM

  $ 462,229      $ 1,082,200      $ 61,246  

MSCI World

     12,067,411         3,817,562        (2,474,012

Each Fund may invest its positive cash balances in certain money market funds managed by BFA or an affiliate. The income earned on these temporary cash investments is shown as dividends – affiliated in the Statements of Operations.

A fund, in order to improve its portfolio liquidity and its ability to track its underlying index, may invest in shares of other iShares funds that invest in securities in the fund’s underlying index.

 

7.

PURCHASES AND SALES

For the six months ended February 29, 2024, purchases and sales of investments, excluding short-term securities and in-kind transactions, were as follows:

 

     
iShares ETF   Purchases      Sales  

Frontier and Select EM

  $  99,133,253      $ 271,773,613  

MSCI World

    56,239,369        32,061,778  

For the six months ended February 29, 2024, in-kind transactions were as follows:

 

     

iShares ETF

 

In-kind

Purchases

    

In-kind

Sales

 

Frontier and Select EM

  $ 5,171,098      $ 47,795,382  

MSCI World

     164,507,387         

 

8.

INCOME TAX INFORMATION

Each Fund is treated as an entity separate from the Company’s other funds for federal income tax purposes. It is each Fund’s policy to comply with the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, applicable to regulated investment companies, and to distribute substantially all of its taxable income to its shareholders. Therefore, no U.S. federal income tax provision is required.

Management has analyzed tax laws and regulations and their application to the Funds as of February 29, 2024, inclusive of the open tax return years, and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability in the Funds’ financial statements.

 

 

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  37


Notes to Financial Statements(unaudited) (continued)

 

As of August 31, 2023, the Funds had non-expiring capital loss carryforwards available to offset future realized capital gains as follows:

 

iShares ETF   Non-Expiring
Capital Loss
Carryforwards
 

Frontier and Select EM

  $ (163,769,597

MSCI World

    (73,347,341

A fund may own shares in certain foreign investment entities, referred to, under U.S. tax law, as “passive foreign investment companies.” Such fund may elect to mark-to-market annually the shares of each passive foreign investment company and would be required to distribute to shareholders any such marked-to-market gains.

As of February 29, 2024, gross unrealized appreciation and depreciation based on cost of investments (including short positions and derivatives, if any) for U.S. federal income tax purposes were as follows:

 

         
iShares ETF   Tax Cost      Gross Unrealized
Appreciation
     Gross Unrealized
Depreciation
     Net Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
 

Frontier and Select EM

  $ 388,139,918      $ 83,984,993      $ (53,103,133    $ 30,881,860  

MSCI World

    2,700,774,427        737,352,463        (164,849,504      572,502,959  

 

9.

LINE OF CREDIT

The iShares Frontier and Select EM ETF, along with certain other iShares funds (“Participating Funds”), is a party to a $800 million credit agreement (“Syndicated Credit Agreement”) with a group of lenders, which expires on October 16, 2024. The line of credit may be used for temporary or emergency purposes, including redemptions, settlement of trades and rebalancing of portfolio holdings in certain target markets. The Funds may borrow up to the aggregate commitment amount subject to asset coverage and other limitations as specified in the Syndicated Credit Agreement. The Syndicated Credit Agreement has the following terms: a commitment fee of 0.15% per annum on the unused portion of the credit agreement and interest at a rate equal to the higher of (a) Daily Simple Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) plus 0.10% and 1.00% per annum or (b) the U.S. Federal Funds rate plus 1.00% per annum on amounts borrowed. The commitment fee is generally allocated to each Participating Fund based on the lesser of a Participating Fund’s relative exposure to certain target markets or a Participating Fund’s maximum borrowing amount as set forth by the terms of the Syndicated Credit Agreement.

For the six months ended February 29, 2024, the maximum amount borrowed, the average daily borrowing and the weighted average interest rate, if any, under the Syndicated Credit Agreement were as follows:

 

       
iShares ETF   Maximum
Amount
Borrowed
     Average
Borrowing
     Weighted
Average
Interest Rates
 

Frontier and Select EM

  $ 17,000,000      $ 961,538        6.44

 

10.

PRINCIPAL RISKS 

In the normal course of business, each Fund invests in securities or other instruments and may enter into certain transactions, and such activities subject the Fund to various risks, including, among others, fluctuations in the market (market risk) or failure of an issuer to meet all of its obligations. The value of securities or other instruments may also be affected by various factors, including, without limitation: (i) the general economy; (ii) the overall market as well as local, regional or global political and/or social instability; (iii) regulation, taxation or international tax treaties between various countries; or (iv) currency, interest rate or price fluctuations. Local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant impact on the Funds and their investments. Each Fund’s prospectus provides details of the risks to which the Fund is subject.

BFA uses an indexing approach to try to achieve each Fund’s investment objective. The Fund is not actively managed, and BFA generally does not attempt to take defensive positions under any market conditions, including declining markets.

The Funds may be exposed to additional risks when reinvesting cash collateral in money market funds that do not seek to maintain a stable NAV per share of $1.00, which may be subject to redemption gates or liquidity fees under certain circumstances.

Market Risk: Investments in the securities of issuers domiciled in countries with emerging capital markets involve certain additional risks that do not generally apply to investments in securities of issuers in more developed capital markets, such as (i) low or nonexistent trading volume, resulting in a lack of liquidity and increased volatility in prices for such securities; (ii) lack of reliable settlement procedures and significant delays in registereing the transfer of securities; (iii) uncertain national policies and social, political and economic instability, increasing the potential for expropriation of assets, confiscatory taxation, high rates of inflation or unfavorable diplomatic developments; (iv) lack of publicly available or reliable information about issuers as a result of not being subject to the same degree of regulatory requirements and accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards; and (v) possible fluctuations in exchange rates, differing legal systems and the existence or possible imposition of exchange controls, custodial restrictions or other foreign or U.S. governmental laws or restrictions applicable to such investments.

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements(unaudited) (continued)

 

Valuation Risk: The market values of equities, such as common stocks and preferred securities or equity related investments, such as futures and options, may decline due to general market conditions which are not specifically related to a particular company. They may also decline due to factors which affect a particular industry or industries. A fund may invest in illiquid investments. An illiquid investment is any investment that a fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. A fund may experience difficulty in selling illiquid investments in a timely manner at the price that it believes the investments are worth. Prices may fluctuate widely over short or extended periods in response to company, market or economic news. Markets also tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising and falling prices. This volatility may cause a fund’s NAV to experience significant increases or decreases over short periods of time. If there is a general decline in the securities and other markets, the NAV of a fund may lose value, regardless of the individual results of the securities and other instruments in which a fund invests.

The price each Fund could receive upon the sale of any particular portfolio investment may differ from each Fund’s valuation of the investment, particularly for securities that trade in thin or volatile markets or that are valued using a fair valuation technique or a price provided by an independent pricing service. Changes to significant unobservable inputs and assumptions (i.e., publicly traded company multiples, growth rate, time to exit) due to the lack of observable inputs may significantly impact the resulting fair value and therefore each Fund’s results of operations. As a result, the price received upon the sale of an investment may be less than the value ascribed by each Fund, and each Fund could realize a greater than expected loss or lesser than expected gain upon the sale of the investment. Each Fund’s ability to value its investments may also be impacted by technological issues and/or errors by pricing services or other third-party service providers.

Illiquid Investments Risk: An illiquid investment is any investment that a fund expects cannot be sold or disposed of in seven calendar days or less without significantly changing the market value of the investment. Each Fund may not acquire any illiquid investment if, immediately after acquisition, each Fund would have invested more than 15% of their net assets in illiquid investments. An investment may be illiquid due to, among other things, the reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants to make a market in securities or instruments, the lack of an active market for such securities or instruments, capital controls, delays or limits on repatriation of local currency, or insolvency of local governments. In particular, certain frontier markets in which each Fund invests are experiencing a shortage of U.S. dollar reserves (including Kenya, Nigeria, and Egypt) and have recently restricted or delayed repatriation of local currency, and these issues are likely to persist. Illiquid investments may reduce the returns of each Fund as each Fund may be unable to transact at advantageous times or prices. In addition, if each Fund is limited in its ability to sell illiquid investments during periods when shareholders are redeeming their shares, each Fund will need to sell liquid securities to meet redemption requests and illiquid securities will become a larger portion of each Fund’s holdings.

Counterparty Credit Risk: The Funds may be exposed to counterparty credit risk, or the risk that an entity may fail to or be unable to perform on its commitments related to unsettled or open transactions, including making timely interest and/or principal payments or otherwise honoring its obligations. The Funds manage counterparty credit risk by entering into transactions only with counterparties that BFA believes have the financial resources to honor their obligations and by monitoring the financial stability of those counterparties. Financial assets, which potentially expose the Funds to market, issuer and counterparty credit risks, consist principally of financial instruments and receivables due from counterparties. The extent of the Funds’ exposure to market, issuer and counterparty credit risks with respect to these financial assets is approximately their value recorded in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, less any collateral held by the Funds.

A derivative contract may suffer a mark-to-market loss if the value of the contract decreases due to an unfavorable change in the market rates or values of the underlying instrument. Losses can also occur if the counterparty does not perform under the contract.

With exchange-traded futures, there is less counterparty credit risk to the Funds since the exchange or clearinghouse, as counterparty to such instruments, guarantees against a possible default. The clearinghouse stands between the buyer and the seller of the contract; therefore, credit risk is limited to failure of the clearinghouse. While offset rights may exist under applicable law, a fund does not have a contractual right of offset against a clearing broker or clearinghouse in the event of a default (including the bankruptcy or insolvency). Additionally, credit risk exists in exchange-traded futures with respect to initial and variation margin that is held in a clearing broker’s customer accounts. While clearing brokers are required to segregate customer margin from their own assets, in the event that a clearing broker becomes insolvent or goes into bankruptcy and at that time there is a shortfall in the aggregate amount of margin held by the clearing broker for all its clients, typically the shortfall would be allocated on a pro rata basis across all the clearing broker’s customers, potentially resulting in losses to the Funds.

Geographic/Asset Class Risk: A diversified portfolio, where this is appropriate and consistent with a fund’s objectives, minimizes the risk that a price change of a particular investment will have a material impact on the NAV of a fund. The investment concentrations within each Fund’s portfolio are disclosed in its Schedule of Investments.

Certain Funds invest a significant portion of their assets in issuers located in a single country or a limited number of countries. When a fund concentrates its investments in this manner, it assumes the risk that economic, regulatory, political and social conditions in that country or those countries may have a significant impact on the fund and could affect the income from, or the value or liquidity of, the Fund’s portfolio. Unanticipated or sudden political or social developments may cause uncertainty in the markets and as a result adversely affect the Fund’s investments. Foreign issuers may not be subject to the same uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and practices as used in the United States. Foreign securities markets may also be more volatile and less liquid than U.S. securities and may be less subject to governmental supervision not typically associated with investing in U.S. securities. Investment percentages in specific countries are presented in the Schedule of Investments.

Certain Funds invest a significant portion of their assets in securities of issuers located in the United States. A decrease in imports or exports, changes in trade regulations, inflation and/or an economic recession in the United States may have a material adverse effect on the U.S. economy and the securities listed on U.S. exchanges. Proposed and adopted policy and legislative changes in the United States may also have a significant effect on U.S. markets generally, as well as on the value of certain securities. Governmental agencies project that the United States will continue to maintain elevated public debt levels for the foreseeable future which may constrain future economic growth. Circumstances could arise that could prevent the timely payment of interest or principal on U.S. government debt, such as reaching the legislative “debt ceiling.” Such non-payment would result in substantial negative consequences for the U.S. economy and the global financial system. If U.S. relations with certain countries

 

 

N O T E S  T O  F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  39


Notes to Financial Statements(unaudited) (continued)

 

deteriorate, it could adversely affect issuers that rely on the United States for trade. The United States has also experienced increased internal unrest and discord. If these trends were to continue, they may have an adverse impact on the U.S. economy and the issuers in which the the Funds invest.

Certain Funds invest a significant portion of their assets in securities of issuers located in Asia or with significant exposure to Asian issuers or countries. The Asian financial markets have recently experienced volatility and adverse trends due to concerns in several Asian countries regarding monetary policy, government intervention in the markets, rising government debt levels or economic downturns. These events may spread to other countries in Asia and may affect the value and liquidity of certain of the Funds’ investments.

Certain Funds invest a significant portion of their assets in securities within a single or limited number of market sectors. When a fund concentrates its investments in this manner, it assumes the risk that economic, regulatory, political and social conditions affecting such sectors may have a significant impact on the fund and could affect the income from, or the value or liquidity of, the fund’s portfolio.

Significant Shareholder Redemption Risk: Certain shareholders may own or manage a substantial amount of fund shares and/or hold their fund investments for a limited period of time. Large redemptions of fund shares by these shareholders may force a fund to sell portfolio securities, which may negatively impact the fund’s NAV, increase the fund’s brokerage costs, and/or accelerate the realization of taxable income/gains and cause the fund to make additional taxable distributions to shareholders.

 

11.

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

Capital shares are issued and redeemed by each Fund only in aggregations of a specified number of shares or multiples thereof (“Creation Units”) at NAV. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, shares of each Fund are not redeemable.

Transactions in capital shares were as follows: 

 

 

 
   

Six Months Ended

02/29/24

   

Year Ended

08/31/23

 
 

 

 

   

 

 

 
iShares ETF   Shares     Amount     Shares     Amount  

 

 

Frontier and Select EM

       

Shares sold

    1,050,000     $ 28,550,729       16,650,000     $ 430,165,788  

Shares redeemed

    (8,900,000     (235,207,253     (5,900,000     (152,109,996
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    (7,850,000   $ (206,656,524     10,750,000     $ 278,055,792  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

MSCI World

       

Shares sold

    1,500,000     $ 191,825,090       5,200,000     $ 574,807,989  

Shares redeemed

                (2,900,000     (339,287,252
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    1,500,000     $ 191,825,090       2,300,000     $ 235,520,737  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

The consideration for the purchase of Creation Units of a fund in the Company generally consists of the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities and a specified amount of cash. Certain funds in the Company may be offered in Creation Units solely or partially for cash in U.S. dollars. Authorized Participants purchasing and redeeming Creation Units may pay a purchase transaction fee and a redemption transaction fee directly to State Street Bank and Trust Company, the Company’s administrator, to offset transfer and other transaction costs associated with the issuance and redemption of Creation Units, including Creation Units for cash. Authorized Participants transacting in Creation Units for cash may also pay an additional variable charge to compensate the relevant fund for certain transaction costs (i.e., stamp taxes, taxes on currency or other financial transactions, and brokerage costs) and market impact expenses relating to investing in portfolio securities. Such variable charges, if any, are included in shares sold in the table above.

From time to time, settlement of securities related to in-kind contributions or in-kind redemptions may be delayed. In such cases, securities related to in-kind transactions are reflected as a receivable or a payable in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

 

12.

SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

Management has evaluated the impact of all subsequent events on the Funds through the date the financial statements were available to be issued and has determined that there were no subsequent events requiring adjustment or additional disclosure in the financial statements.

 

 

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Statement Regarding Liquidity Risk Management Program (unaudited)

 

In compliance with Rule 22e-4 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Liquidity Rule”), iShares, Inc. (the “Company”) has adopted and implemented a liquidity risk management program (the “Program”) for iShares Frontier and Select EM ETF and iShares MSCI World ETF (the “Funds” or “ETFs”), each a series of the Company, which is reasonably designed to assess and manage each Fund’s liquidity risk.

The Board of Directors (the “Board”) of the Company, on behalf of the Funds, met on December 8, 2023 (the “Meeting”) to review the Program. The Board previously appointed BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BlackRock”), the investment adviser to the Funds, as the program administrator for each Fund’s Program. BlackRock also previously delegated oversight of the Program to the 40 Act Liquidity Risk Management Committee (the “Committee”). At the Meeting, the Committee, on behalf of BlackRock, provided the Board with a report that addressed the operation of the Program and assessed its adequacy and effectiveness of implementation, including the management of each Fund’s Highly Liquid Investment Minimum (“HLIM”) where applicable, and any material changes to the Program (the “Report”). The Report covered the period from October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2023 (the “Program Reporting Period”).

The Report described the Program’s liquidity classification methodology for categorizing each Fund’s investments (including derivative transactions) into one of four liquidity buckets. It also referenced the methodology used by BlackRock to establish each Fund’s HLIM and noted that the Committee reviews and ratifies the HLIM assigned to each Fund no less frequently than annually. The Report also discussed notable events affecting liquidity over the Program Reporting Period, including extended market holidays, delays in the repatriation of the local currency in certain non-U.S. countries, the continued illiquidity of Russian equity securities and the suspension of select sanctions in Venezuela.

The Report noted that the Program complied with the key factors for consideration under the Liquidity Rule for assessing, managing and periodically reviewing each Fund’s liquidity risk, as follows:

 

  a)

The Fund’s investment strategy and liquidity of portfolio investments during both normal and reasonably foreseeable stressed conditions. During the Program Reporting Period, the Committee reviewed whether each Fund’s strategy is appropriate for an open-end fund structure, with a focus on funds with more significant and consistent holdings of less liquid and illiquid assets. The Committee also factored a fund’s concentration in an issuer into the liquidity classification methodology by taking issuer position sizes into account. Derivative exposure was also considered in the calculation of a fund’s liquidity bucketing. Finally, a factor for consideration under the Liquidity Rule is a Fund’s use of borrowings for investment purposes. However, the Funds do not borrow for investment purposes.

 

 

  b)

Short-term and long-term cash flow projections during both normal and reasonably foreseeable stressed conditions. During the Program Reporting Period, the Committee reviewed historical redemption activity and used this information as a component to establish each ETF’s reasonably anticipated trading size utilized for liquidity classifications. The Committee may also take into consideration a fund’s shareholder ownership concentration (which, depending on product type and distribution channel, may or may not be available), a fund’s distribution channels, and the degree of certainty associated with a fund’s short-term and long-term cash flow projections.

 

 

  c)

Holdings of cash and cash equivalents, as well as borrowing arrangements. The Committee considered that ETFs generally do not hold more than de minimis amounts of cash. The Committee also considered that ETFs generally do not engage in borrowing.

 

 

  d)

The relationship between an ETF’s portfolio liquidity and the way in which, and the prices and spreads at which, ETF shares trade, including the efficiency of the arbitrage function and the level of active participation by market participants, including authorized participants. The Committee monitored the prevailing bid/ask spread and the ETF price premium (or discount) to NAV for all ETFs. However, there were no ETFs with persistent deviations of fund premium/discount or bid/ask spreads from long-term averages over the Program Reporting Period.

 

 

  e)

The effect of the composition of baskets on the overall liquidity of an ETF’s portfolio. In reviewing the linkage between the composition of custom baskets accepted by an ETF and any significant change in the liquidity profile of such ETF, the Committee reviewed changes in the proportion of each ETF’s portfolio comprised of less liquid and illiquid holdings to determine if applicable thresholds were met requiring enhanced review. There were no ETFs for which the custom baskets accepted by the ETF had a significant change in its liquidity profile.

 

There were no material changes to the Program during the Program Reporting Period other than the enhancement of certain model components in the Program’s classification methodology. The Report provided to the Board stated that the Committee concluded that based on the operation of the functions, as described in the Report, the Program is operating as intended and is effective in implementing the requirements of the Liquidity Rule.

 

 

S T A T E M E N T  R E G A R D I N G  L I Q U I D I T Y  R I S K  M A N A G E M E N T  P R O G R A M

  41


Supplemental Information (unaudited)

 

Section 19(a) Notices

The amounts and sources of distributions reported are estimates and are being provided pursuant to regulatory requirements and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources for tax reporting purposes will depend upon each Fund’s investment experience during the year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. Shareholders will receive a Form 1099-DIV each calendar year that will inform them how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes.

February 29, 2024 

 

     
    Total Cumulative Distributions
for the Fiscal Year-to-Date
    % Breakdown of the Total Cumulative
Distributions for the Fiscal Year-to-Date
 
iShares ETF   Net
Investment
Income
    Net Realized
Capital Gains
    Return of
Capital
    Total Per
Share
    Net
Investment
Income
    Net Realized
Capital Gains
    Return of
Capital
    Total Per
Share
 

MSCI World(a)

  $ 1.077890     $     $ 0.011473     $ 1.089363       99         1     100

 

  (a) 

The Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its net investment income and net realized capital gains; therefore, a portion of the distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur, for example, when some or all of the shareholder’s investment in the Fund is returned to the shareholder. A return of capital does not necessarily reflect the Fund’s investment performance and should not be confused with “yield” or “income”. When distributions exceed total return performance, the difference will incrementally reduce the Fund’s net asset value per share.

 

Tailored Shareholder Reports for Open-End Mutual Funds and ETFs

Effective January 24, 2023, the SEC adopted rule and form amendments to require open-end mutual funds and ETFs to transmit concise and visually engaging streamlined annual and semiannual reports to shareholders that highlight key information. Other information, including financial statements, will no longer appear in a streamlined shareholder report but must be available online, delivered free of charge upon request, and filed on a semiannual basis on Form N-CSR. The rule and form amendments have a compliance date of July 24, 2024. At this time, management is evaluating the impact of these amendments on the shareholder reports for the Funds.

 

 

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General Information

 

Electronic Delivery

Shareholders can sign up for e-mail notifications announcing that the shareholder report or prospectus has been posted on the iShares website at iShares.com. Once you have enrolled, you will no longer receive prospectuses and shareholder reports in the mail.

To enroll in electronic delivery:

 

   

Go to icsdelivery.com.

   

If your brokerage firm is not listed, electronic delivery may not be available. Please contact your broker-dealer or financial advisor.

Householding

Householding is an option available to certain fund investors. Householding is a method of delivery, based on the preference of the individual investor, in which a single copy of certain shareholder documents and Rule 30e-3 notices can be delivered to investors who share the same address, even if their accounts are registered under different names. Please contact your broker-dealer if you are interested in enrolling in householding and receiving a single copy of prospectuses and other shareholder documents, or if you are currently enrolled in householding and wish to change your householding status.

Availability of Quarterly Schedule of Investments

The Funds file their complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to their reports on Form N-PORT. The Funds’ Forms N-PORT are available on the SEC’s website at sec.gov. Additionally, each Fund makes its portfolio holdings for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year available at iShares.com/fundreports.

Availability of Proxy Voting Policies and Proxy Voting Records

A description of the policies and procedures that the iShares Funds use to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities and information about how the iShares Funds voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ending June 30 is available without charge, upon request (1) by calling toll-free 1-800-474-2737; (2) on the iShares website at iShares.com; and (3) on the SEC website at sec.gov.

A description of the Company’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio securities is available in the Fund Prospectus. The Fund discloses its portfolio holdings daily and provides information regarding its top holdings in Fund fact sheets at iShares.com.

 

 

G E N E R A L I N F O R M A T I O N

  43


Glossary of Terms Used in this Report

 

Currency Abbreviation
EGP   Egyptian Pound
USD   United States Dollar
Portfolio Abbreviation
ADR   American Depositary Receipt
GDR   Global Depositary Receipt
JSC   Joint Stock Company
NVS   Non-Voting Shares
REIT   Real Estate Investment Trust

 

 

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Want to know more?

iShares.com | 1-800-474-2737

This report is intended for the Funds’ shareholders. It may not be distributed to prospective investors unless it is preceded or accompanied by the current prospectus.

Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal.

The iShares Funds are distributed by BlackRock Investments, LLC (together with its affiliates, “BlackRock”).

The iShares Funds are not sponsored, endorsed, issued, sold or promoted by MSCI Inc., nor does this company make any representation regarding the advisability of investing in the iShares Funds. BlackRock is not affiliated with the company listed above.

©2024 BlackRock, Inc. All rights reserved. iSHARES and BLACKROCK are registered trademarks of BlackRock, Inc. or its subsidiaries. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

iS-SAR-811-0224

 

 

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LOGO

  FEBRUARY 29, 2024

 

 

 

  

2024 Semi-Annual Report

(Unaudited)

 

 

iShares, Inc.

·  iShares MSCI Agriculture Producers ETF | VEGI | NYSE Arca

·  iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF | FILL | NYSE Arca

·  iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF | RING | NASDAQ

·  iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF | PICK | Cboe BZX

·  iShares MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners ETF | SLVP | Cboe BZX


The Markets in Review

Dear Shareholder,

The combination of continued economic growth and cooling inflation provided a supportive backdrop for investors during the 12-month reporting period ended February 29, 2024. Significantly tighter monetary policy helped to rein in inflation, and the Consumer Price Index decelerated substantially while remaining above pre-pandemic levels. A moderating labor market helped ease inflationary pressure, although wages continued to grow. Wage and job growth powered robust consumer spending, backstopping the economy. On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a horrific attack on Israel. The ensuing war will have a significant humanitarian impact and could lead to heightened economic and market volatility. We see geopolitics as a structural market risk going forward. See our geopolitical risk dashboard at blackrock.com for more details.

Equity returns were robust during the period, as interest rates stabilized and the economy proved to be more resilient than many investors expected. The U.S. economy continued to show strength, and growth further accelerated in the second half of 2023. Large-capitalization U.S. stocks posted particularly substantial gains, supported by the performance of a few notable technology companies, while small-capitalization U.S. stocks advanced at a significantly slower pace. Meanwhile, international developed market equities also gained strongly, while emerging market stocks advanced at a more modest pace.

The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield rose during the reporting period, as investors reacted to elevated inflation and attempted to anticipate future interest rate changes. However, higher yields drove positive returns overall for 10-year U.S. Treasuries and solid gains in shorter-duration U.S. Treasuries. The corporate bond market benefited from improving economic sentiment, although high-yield corporate bond prices fared significantly better than investment-grade bonds as demand from yield-seeking investors remained strong.

The U.S. Federal Reserve (the “Fed”), attempting to manage persistent inflation, raised interest rates three times during the 12-month period, but paused its tightening after its July meeting. The Fed also continued to reduce its balance sheet by not replacing some of the securities that reach maturity.

Supply constraints appear to have become an embedded feature of the new macroeconomic environment, making it difficult for developed economies to increase production without sparking higher inflation. Geopolitical fragmentation and an aging population risk further exacerbating these constraints, keeping the labor market tight and wage growth high. Although the Fed has stopped tightening for now, we believe that the new economic regime means that the Fed will need to maintain high rates for an extended period despite the market’s hopes for rapid interest rate cuts, as reflected in the recent rally. In this new regime, we anticipate greater volatility and dispersion of returns, creating more opportunities for selective portfolio management.

Looking at developed market stocks, we have an overweight stance on U.S. stocks overall, particularly given the promise of emerging AI technologies. We are also overweight Japanese stocks as shareholder-friendly policies generate increased investor interest, although we maintain an underweight stance on European stocks. In credit, there are selective opportunities in the near term despite tighter credit and financial conditions. For fixed income investing with a six- to twelve-month horizon, we see the most attractive investments in short-term U.S. Treasuries and hard-currency emerging market bonds.

Overall, our view is that investors need to think globally, position themselves to be prepared for a decarbonizing economy, and be nimble as market conditions change. We encourage you to talk with your financial advisor and visit iShares.com for further insight about investing in today’s markets.

 

LOGO

Rob Kapito

President, BlackRock Inc.

LOGO

Rob Kapito

President, BlackRock Inc.

 

Total Returns as of February 29, 2024

 

 
    

 

 6-Month 

 

   

 

 12-Month 

 

 
 

U.S. large cap equities
(S&P 500® Index)

    13.93%        30.45%   
 

U.S. small cap equities
(Russell 2000® Index)

    8.97           10.05     
 

International equities
(MSCI Europe, Australasia, Far East Index)

    9.23           14.41     
 

Emerging market equities
(MSCI Emerging Markets Index)

    4.93           8.73     
 

3-month Treasury bills
(ICE BofA 3-Month
U.S. Treasury Bill Index)

    2.69           5.22     
 

U.S. Treasury securities
(ICE BofA 10-Year
U.S. Treasury Index)

    0.58           0.69     
 

U.S. investment grade bonds
(Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index)

    2.35           3.33     
 

Tax-exempt municipal bonds
(Bloomberg Municipal Bond Index)

    4.33           5.42     
 

U.S. high yield bonds
(Bloomberg U.S. Corporate High Yield 2% Issuer Capped Index)

    6.18           11.01     
Past performance is not an indication of future results. Index performance is shown for illustrative purposes only. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

 

 

 

2  

T H I S  P A G EI SN O T  P A R TO F  Y O U R  F U N D  R E P O R T


Table of Contents

 

      Page

The Markets in Review

   2

Semi-Annual Report:

  

Fund Summary

   4

About Fund Performance

   9

Disclosure of Expenses

   9

Schedules of Investments

   10

Financial Statements

  

Statements of Assets and Liabilities

   30

Statements of Operations

   32

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

   34

Financial Highlights

   37

Notes to Financial Statements

   42

Statement Regarding Liquidity Risk Management Program

   51

Supplemental Information

   52

General Information

   53

Glossary of Terms Used in this Report

   54


Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® MSCI Agriculture Producers ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCI Agriculture Producers ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of global equities of companies primarily engaged in the business of agriculture, as represented by the MSCI ACWI Select Agriculture Producers Investable Market Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

          Average Annual Total Returns            Cumulative Total Returns  
     6-Month
Total Returns
    1 Year     5 Years     10 Years             1 Year     5 Years     10 Years  

Fund NAV

    (8.02 )%      (13.86 )%      7.03     5.32        (13.86 )%      40.47     67.96

Fund Market

    (8.24     (13.97     7.01       5.26          (13.97     40.34       66.97  

Index

    (7.97     (13.81     7.16       5.36                (13.81     41.33       68.49  

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

      Actual            Hypothetical 5% Return               
         

Beginning

Account Value

(09/01/23)

 

 

 

   

  

 

 

 

   

Ending

Account Value

(02/29/24)

 

 

 

   

  

 

 

   


Expenses

Paid During
the Period

 

 
(a) 

            

Beginning

Account Value

(09/01/23)

 

 

 

            

Ending

Account Value

(02/29/24)

 

 

 

           

Expenses

Paid During

the Period

 

 

(a) 

            

 Annualized

Expense

Ratio

 

 

 

        $    1,000.00               $   919.80               $    1.86                $   1,000.00                $   1,022.90               $    1.96                0.39

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

INDUSTRY ALLOCATION

 

 

    Percent of  
Industry   Total Investments(a)

 

Agricultural & Farm Machinery

  32.6%

Fertilizers & Agricultural Chemicals

  31.6  

Packaged Foods & Meats

  18.0  

Agricultural Products & Services

  17.8  

 

GEOGRAPHIC ALLOCATION

 

 

    Percent of  
Country/Geographic Region   Total Investments(a)

 

United States

  55.6%

Canada

  6.2  

Norway

  5.2  

India

  5.1  

Japan

  4.5  

Netherlands

  3.2  

Switzerland

  3.0  

Saudi Arabia

  2.9  

China

  2.2  

Malaysia

  2.0  

Singapore

  1.5  

Israel

  1.1  

Hong Kong

  1.1  

Other (each representing less than 1%)

  6.4  

 

 
  (a) 

Excludes money market funds.

 

 

 

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2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of global equities of companies primarily engaged in the business of energy exploration and production, as represented by the MSCI ACWI Select Energy Producers Investable Market Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

          Average Annual Total Returns            Cumulative Total Returns  
    

6-Month

Total Returns

    1 Year     5 Years     10 Years             1 Year     5 Years     10 Years  

Fund NAV

    0.58     8.73     8.29     3.34        8.73     48.93     38.95

Fund Market

    0.83       8.44       8.24       3.32          8.44       48.61       38.60  

Index

    0.50       8.35       8.02       3.10                8.35       47.05       35.66  

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

      Actual            Hypothetical 5% Return               
         

Beginning

Account Value

(09/01/23)

 

 

 

   

  

 

 

 

   

Ending

Account Value

(02/29/24)

 

 

 

   

  

 

 

 

   

Expenses

Paid During

the Period

 

 

(a) 

            

Beginning

Account Value

(09/01/23)

 

 

 

    

  

 

 

 

   

Ending

Account Value

(02/29/24)

 

 

 

   

  

 

 

 

   

Expenses

Paid During

the Period

 

 

(a) 

            

 Annualized

Expense

Ratio

 

 

 

        $    1,000.00               $   1,005.80               $    2.04                $   1,000.00                $   1,022.80               $    2.06                0.41

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

INDUSTRY ALLOCATION

 

 

Industry

 

Percent of  

Total Investments(a)

 

Integrated Oil & Gas

  54.9%

Oil & Gas Exploration & Production

  29.6  

Oil & Gas Refining & Marketing

  12.0  

Coal & Consumable Fuels

  3.5  

 

GEOGRAPHIC ALLOCATION

 

 

Country/Geographic Region

 

Percent of  

Total Investments(a)

 

United States

  52.7%

United Kingdom

  11.5  

Canada

  9.5  

India

  5.3  

France

  5.2  

Brazil

  3.0  

Australia

  2.5  

China

  1.9  

Japan

  1.3  

Italy

  1.3  

Norway

  1.2  

Other (each representing less than 1%)

  4.6  

 

 
  (a) 

Excludes money market funds.

 

 

 

F U N D  S U M M A R Y

  5


Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of global equities of companies primarily engaged in the business of gold mining, as represented by the MSCI ACWI Select Gold Miners Investable Market Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

          Average Annual Total Returns            Cumulative Total Returns  
    

6-Month

Total Returns

    1 Year     5 Years     10 Years             1 Year     5 Years     10 Years  

Fund NAV

    (6.74 )%      (0.61 )%      5.39     0.76        (0.61 )%      30.04     7.90

Fund Market

    (6.50     (0.89     5.40       0.75          (0.89     30.07       7.76  

Index

    (6.73     (0.50     5.44       0.91                (0.50     30.31       9.47  

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

      Actual            Hypothetical 5% Return               
         

Beginning
Account Value
(09/01/23)
 
 
 
            

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
            

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a) 
            

Beginning
Account Value
(09/01/23)
 
 
 
             

Ending
Account Value
(02/29/24)
 
 
 
            

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a) 
            

 Annualized
Expense
Ratio
 
 
 
        $    1,000.00               $   932.60               $    1.87                $   1,000.00                $   1,022.90               $    1.96                0.39

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

GEOGRAPHIC ALLOCATION

 

 

Country/Geographic Region

 

Percent of  

Total Investments(a)

 

Canada

  51.6%

United States

  20.3  

South Africa

  7.5  

Saudi Arabia

  4.9  

Australia

  4.7  

China

  4.7  

Peru

  2.3  

United Kingdom

  2.1  

Turkey

  1.0  

Other (each representing less than 1%)

  0.9  

 

TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS

 

 

Security

 

Percent of  

Total Investments(a)

 

Newmont Corp.

  19.2%

Barrick Gold Corp.

  13.2  

Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd.

  12.2  

Anglogold Ashanti PLC

  4.9  

Gold Fields Ltd.

  4.4  

Wheaton Precious Metals Corp.

  4.3  

Zijin Mining Group Co. Ltd., Class H

  4.2  

Kinross Gold Corp.

  4.0  

Alamos Gold Inc., Class A

  3.2  

Harmony Gold Mining Co. Ltd.

  2.5  

 

 
  (a) 

Excludes money market funds.

 

 

 

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2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of global equities of companies primarily engaged in mining, extraction or production of diversified metals, excluding gold and silver, as represented by the MSCI ACWI Select Metals & Mining Producers ex Gold & Silver Investable Market Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

          Average Annual Total Returns            Cumulative Total Returns  
    

6-Month

Total Returns

    1 Year     5 Years     10 Years             1 Year     5 Years     10 Years  

Fund NAV

    0.51     (2.67 )%      10.61     4.98        (2.67 )%      65.55     62.55

Fund Market

    0.77       (3.07     10.61       4.86          (3.07     65.57       60.73  

Index

    0.33       (2.77     10.84       5.21                (2.77     67.28       66.17  

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

      Actual            Hypothetical 5% Return               
         

Beginning

Account Value

(09/01/23)

 

 

 

   

  

 

 

 

   

Ending

Account Value

(02/29/24)

 

 

 

   

  

 

 

   


Expenses

Paid During
the Period

 

 
(a) 

            

Beginning

Account Value

(09/01/23)

 

 

 

    

  

 

 

 

   

Ending

Account Value

(02/29/24)

 

 

 

   

  

 

 

 

   

Expenses

Paid During

the Period

 

 

(a) 

            

Annualized

Expense

Ratio

 

 

 

        $    1,000.00               $   1,005.10               $    1.94                $   1,000.00                $   1,022.90               $    1.96                0.39

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

INDUSTRY ALLOCATION

 

 

Industry

 

Percent of  

Total Investments(a)

 

Diversified Metals & Mining

  45.4%

Steel

  40.0  

Copper

  9.7  

Aluminum

  3.9  

Precious Metals & Minerals

  1.0  

 

GEOGRAPHIC ALLOCATION

 

 

Country/Geographic Region

 

Percent of  

Total Investments(a)

 

Australia

  24.9%

United States

  19.9  

United Kingdom

  15.5  

Japan

  5.7  

Brazil

  5.5  

Canada

  4.7  

India

  4.7  

South Korea

  3.1  

China

  2.1  

Taiwan

  1.8  

Saudi Arabia

  1.8  

Sweden

  1.5  

France

  1.5  

Mexico

  1.4  

South Africa

  1.3  

Other (each representing less than 1%)

  4.6  

 

 
  (a) 

Excludes money market funds.

 

 

 

F U N D  S U M M A R Y

  7


Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCIGlobal Silver and Metals Miners ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of global equities of companies primarily engaged in the business of silver exploration or metals mining, as represented by the MSCI ACWI Select Silver Miners Investable Market Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

          Average Annual Total Returns          Cumulative Total Returns  
    

6-Month

Total Returns

    1 Year     5 Years     10 Years        1 Year     5 Years     10 Years  

Fund NAV

    (15.53 )%      (14.75 )%      (0.77 )%      (3.20 )%         (14.75 )%      (3.80 )%      (27.80 )% 

Fund Market

    (15.27     (14.22     (0.81     (3.24        (14.22     (3.97     (28.08

Index

    (15.53     (14.76     (0.77     (3.21          (14.76     (3.78     (27.80

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

      Actual            Hypothetical 5% Return               
         

Beginning

Account Value

(09/01/23)

 

 

 

   

  

 

 

 

   

Ending

Account Value

(02/29/24)

 

 

 

   

  

 

 

 

   

Expenses

Paid During

the Period

 

 

(a) 

            

Beginning

Account Value

(09/01/23)

 

 

 

    

  

 

 

 

   


Ending

Account Value
(02/29/24)

 

 
 

   

  

 

 

   

Expenses

Paid During

the Period

 

 

(a) 

            

Annualized

Expense

Ratio

 

 

 

        $    1,000.00               $   844.70               $    1.79                $   1,000.00                $   1,022.90               $    1.96                0.39

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

GEOGRAPHIC ALLOCATION

 

 

Country/Geographic Region

 

Percent of  

Total Investments(a)

 

Canada

  66.2%

United States

  15.3  

Mexico

  10.2  

Japan

  4.6  

Peru

  1.5  

South Africa

  1.4  

Other (each representing less than 1%)

  0.8  

 

TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS

 

 

Security

 

Percent of  

Total Investments(a)

 

Pan American Silver Corp.

  19.9%

Industrias Penoles SAB de CV

  10.2  

Hecla Mining Co.

  8.3  

Newmont Corp.

  6.4  

Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd.

  4.8  

ARE Holdings Inc.

  4.6  

First Majestic Silver Corp.

  4.6  

Wheaton Precious Metals Corp.

  4.3  

Fortuna Silver Mines Inc.

  4.2  

MAG Silver Corp.

  4.1  

 

 
  (a) 

Excludes money market funds.

 

 

 

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About Fund Performance

 

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Financial markets have experienced extreme volatility and trading in many instruments has been disrupted. These circumstances may continue for an extended period of time and may continue to affect adversely the value and liquidity of each Fund’s investments. As a result, current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. Performance data current to the most recent month-end is available at iShares.com. Performance results assume reinvestment of all dividends and capital gain distributions and do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. The investment return and principal value of shares will vary with changes in market conditions. Shares may be worth more or less than their original cost when they are redeemed or sold in the market. Performance for certain funds may reflect a waiver of a portion of investment advisory fees. Without such a waiver, performance would have been lower.

Net asset value or “NAV” is the value of one share of a fund as calculated in accordance with the standard formula for valuing mutual fund shares. Beginning August 10, 2020, the price used to calculate market return (“Market Price”) is the closing price. Prior to August 10, 2020, Market Price was determined using the midpoint between the highest bid and the lowest ask on the primary stock exchange on which shares of a fund are listed for trading, as of the time that such fund’s NAV is calculated. Market and NAV returns assume that dividends and capital gain distributions have been reinvested at Market Price and NAV, respectively.

An index is a statistical composite that tracks a specified financial market or sector. Unlike a fund, an index does not actually hold a portfolio of securities and therefore does not incur the expenses incurred by a fund. These expenses negatively impact fund performance. Also, index returns do not include brokerage commissions that may be payable on secondary market transactions. If brokerage commissions were included, index returns would be lower.

Disclosure of Expenses

Shareholders of each Fund may incur the following charges: (1) transactional expenses, including brokerage commissions on purchases and sales of fund shares and (2) ongoing expenses, including management fees and other fund expenses. The expense examples shown (which are based on a hypothetical investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held through the end of the period) are intended to assist shareholders both in calculating expenses based on an investment in each Fund and in comparing these expenses with similar costs of investing in other funds.

The expense examples provide information about actual account values and actual expenses. Annualized expense ratios reflect contractual and voluntary fee waivers, if any. In order to estimate the expenses a shareholder paid during the period covered by this report, shareholders can divide their account value by $1,000 and then multiply the result by the number under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During the Period.”

The expense examples also provide information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on a fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses. In order to assist shareholders in comparing the ongoing expenses of investing in the Funds and other funds, compare the 5% hypothetical examples with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.

The expenses shown in the expense examples are intended to highlight shareholders’ ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional expenses, such as brokerage commissions and other fees paid on purchases and sales of fund shares. Therefore, the hypothetical examples are useful in comparing ongoing expenses only and will not help shareholders determine the relative total expenses of owning different funds. If these transactional expenses were included, shareholder expenses would have been higher.

 

 

A B O U T  F U N D  P E R F O R M A N C E / D I S C L O S U R EO F  E X P E N S E S

  9


Schedule of Investments (unaudited)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Agriculture Producers ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 

Common Stocks

   
Australia — 0.7%            

Australian Agricultural Co. Ltd.(a)

    41,868     $ 37,011  

Elders Ltd.

    44,818       265,361  

Inghams Group Ltd.

    100,791       238,693  

Nufarm Ltd./Australia

    101,957       382,311  
   

 

 

 
      923,376  
Brazil — 0.9%            

BrasilAgro - Co. Brasileira de Propriedades Agricolas

    14,239       67,942  

BRF SA(a)

    167,706       509,417  

Jalles Machado SA

    30,257       46,258  

Sao Martinho SA

    44,941       255,845  

SLC Agricola SA

    56,467       223,319  

Tres Tentos Agroindustrial SA

    36,226       77,464  
   

 

 

 
      1,180,245  
Canada — 6.2%            

Ag Growth International Inc.

    5,283       220,211  

Maple Leaf Foods Inc.

    22,905       389,696  

Nutrien Ltd.

    140,693       7,343,840  

Rogers Sugar Inc.

    26,799       102,484  
   

 

 

 
      8,056,231  
China — 2.2%            

Asia - Potash International Investment Guangzhou Co. Ltd.(a)

    11,800       36,902  

Beijing Dabeinong Technology Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    68,200       49,780  

China BlueChemical Ltd., Class H

    428,000       128,456  

China Modern Dairy Holdings Ltd.

    793,000       65,795  

China XLX Fertiliser Ltd.

    141,000       56,948  

China Youran Dairy Group Ltd.(b)

    217,000       34,872  

COFCO Joycome Foods Ltd.(a)(c)

    790,000       154,320  

First Tractor Co. Ltd., Class H

    106,000       82,764  

Fujian Sunner Development Co. Ltd., Class A

    19,300       43,523  

Heilongjiang Agriculture Co. Ltd., Class A

    28,900       49,793  

Henan Shuanghui Investment & Development Co. Ltd., Class A

    58,400       236,411  

Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    108,000       424,011  

Jiangsu Yangnong Chemical Co. Ltd., Class A

    7,160       54,280  

Muyuan Foods Co. Ltd., Class A

    93,366       497,422  

New Hope Liuhe Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    75,000       92,018  

Qinghai Salt Lake Industry Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    86,500       193,770  

Shandong Hualu Hengsheng Chemical Co. Ltd., Class A

    35,880       136,667  

Sinofert Holdings Ltd.

    478,000       49,394  

Wens Foodstuffs Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    112,720       300,007  

Yunnan Yuntianhua Co. Ltd.

    26,200       66,255  

Zangge Mining Co. Ltd.

    23,500       95,406  
   

 

 

 
      2,848,794  
Egypt — 0.3%            

Abou Kir Fertilizers & Chemical Industries

    139,313       182,441  

Misr Fertilizers Production Co. SAE

    184,217       226,513  
   

 

 

 
      408,954  
Germany — 0.7%            

K+S AG, Registered

    49,849       695,855  

Suedzucker AG

    17,382       245,727  
   

 

 

 
      941,582  
Hong Kong — 1.1%            

WH Group Ltd.(b)

    2,375,000       1,427,270  
   

 

 

 
India — 5.0%            

Balrampur Chini Mills Ltd.

    34,551       155,204  

Bayer CropScience Ltd.

    3,663       250,455  
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
India (continued)            

Chambal Fertilisers and Chemicals Ltd.

    48,804     $ 206,453  

Coromandel International Ltd.

    33,984       440,527  

Deepak Fertilisers & Petrochemicals Corp. Ltd.

    20,789       126,657  

Dhanuka Agritech Ltd.

    2,763       35,442  

EID Parry India Ltd.

    21,044       159,809  

Gujarat Ambuja Exports Ltd.

    18,925       89,512  

Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers & Chemicals Ltd.

    25,881       199,772  

Gujarat State Fertilizers & Chemicals Ltd.

    57,764       151,348  

Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd.(a)

    83,178       55,040  

Kaveri Seed Co. Ltd.

    5,560       44,507  

Paradeep Phosphates Ltd., NVS(b)

    78,786       72,274  

PI Industries Ltd.

    23,883       1,057,885  

Rallis India Ltd.

    20,453       61,094  

Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers Ltd.

    31,631       53,853  

Sharda Cropchem Ltd.

    3,473       15,010  

Shree Renuka Sugars Ltd.(a)

    175,183       98,319  

Sumitomo Chemical India Ltd.

    25,575       115,452  

Tata Consumer Products Ltd.

    163,190       2,340,291  

Triveni Engineering & Industries Ltd.

    21,456       85,352  

UPL Ltd.

    129,187       731,637  
   

 

 

 
      6,545,893  
Indonesia — 0.7%            

Astra Agro Lestari Tbk PT

    131,500       56,096  

Charoen Pokphand Indonesia Tbk PT

    2,101,500       647,934  

Inti Agri Resources Tbk PT(a)(d)

    2,230,700        

Japfa Comfeed Indonesia Tbk PT

    1,504,900       110,126  

Perusahaan Perkebunan London Sumatra Indonesia Tbk PT

    835,400       44,959  

Sawit Sumbermas Sarana Tbk PT

    914,800       66,071  
   

 

 

 
      925,186  
Ireland — 0.1%            

Origin Enterprises PLC

    31,630       108,198  
   

 

 

 
Israel — 1.1%            

ICL Group Ltd.

    220,340       1,170,298  

Israel Corp Ltd.(a)

    1,037       272,944  
   

 

 

 
      1,443,242  
Japan — 4.5%            

Hokuto Corp.

    5,600       67,298  

Kubota Corp.

    284,800       4,179,838  

Kumiai Chemical Industry Co. Ltd.

    18,200       100,399  

Maruha Nichiro Corp.

    11,500       226,641  

Mitsui DM Sugar Holdings Co. Ltd.

    4,100       88,397  

NH Foods Ltd.

    23,500       821,342  

Prima Meat Packers Ltd.

    6,400       96,758  

Sakata Seed Corp.

    8,000       193,878  

YAMABIKO Corp.

    8,300       102,471  
   

 

 

 
      5,877,022  
Malaysia — 2.0%            

Farm Fresh Bhd(c)

    183,900       53,866  

Hextar Global Bhd

    257,400       44,749  

IOI Corp. Bhd

    716,000       600,353  

Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd

    138,500       654,479  

QL Resources Bhd

    314,407       384,785  

Sime Darby Plantation Bhd

    590,900       540,013  

Ta Ann Holdings Bhd

    57,600       44,303  

TSH Resources Bhd

    200,200       43,897  

United Plantations Bhd

    41,900       195,307  
   

 

 

 
      2,561,752  
Netherlands — 3.2%            

CNH Industrial NV

    285,013       3,405,905  
 

 

 

10  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Agriculture Producers ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Netherlands (continued)            

OCI NV

    29,853     $ 787,652  
   

 

 

 
      4,193,557  
Norway — 5.1%            

Austevoll Seafood ASA

    25,564       194,034  

Bakkafrost P/F

    14,338       895,684  

Grieg Seafood ASA

    14,184       86,135  

Leroy Seafood Group ASA

    75,529       333,510  

Mowi ASA

    132,544       2,559,824  

Salmar ASA

    18,802       1,194,106  

Yara International ASA

    46,787       1,455,969  
   

 

 

 
      6,719,262  
Poland — 0.1%            

Grupa Azoty SA(a)

    11,638       65,692  
   

 

 

 
Qatar — 0.0%            

Baladna(a)

    161,772       56,618  
   

 

 

 
Russia — 0.0%            

PhosAgro PJSC(a)(d)

    7,038       1  

PhosAgro PJSC, GDR(a)(d)(e)

    2        

PhosAgro PJSC, New(a)(d)

    136       1  

Ros Agro PLC, GDR(a)(d)(e)

    5,334       1  
   

 

 

 
      3  
Saudi Arabia — 2.9%            

Al Jouf Agricultural Development Co.

    4,018       58,069  

Almarai Co. JSC

    71,199       1,116,311  

National Agriculture Development Co. (The)(a)

    42,125       371,889  

SABIC Agri-Nutrients Co.

    66,092        2,209,577  

Tanmiah Food Co.

    1,659       58,953  
   

 

 

 
      3,814,799  
Singapore — 1.4%            

First Resources Ltd.

    158,200       167,200  

Golden Agri-Resources Ltd.

    1,831,400       360,686  

Wilmar International Ltd.

    547,100       1,351,117  
   

 

 

 
      1,879,003  
South Africa — 0.1%            

Astral Foods Ltd.

    11,170       85,423  

Oceana Group Ltd.

    25,763       95,745  
   

 

 

 
      181,168  
South Korea — 0.1%            

Canariabio Inc.(a)

    20,538       15,331  

Harim Holdings Co. Ltd.

    12,168       70,727  
   

 

 

 
      86,058  
Sweden — 0.6%            

Husqvarna AB, Class B

    99,715       770,156  
   

 

 

 
Switzerland — 3.0%            

Bunge Global SA

    41,377       3,904,747  
   

 

 

 
Taiwan — 0.6%            

Charoen Pokphand Enterprise

    49,800       153,084  

Sinon Corp.

    100,000       133,484  

Taiwan Fertilizer Co. Ltd.

    180,000       379,426  

Taiwan TEA Corp.(a)

    121,000       79,573  
   

 

 

 
      745,567  
Thailand — 0.6%            

Betagro PCL, NVS

    166,700       103,261  

Charoen Pokphand Foods PCL, NVDR(c)

    1,089,800       574,214  

GFPT PCL, NVDR

    119,300       39,553  

Khon Kaen Sugar Industry PCL, NVDR

    566,154       39,148  
   

 

 

 
      756,176  
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
Turkey — 0.3%            

Agrotech Yueksek Teknoloji VE Yatirim AS, NVS

    85,362     $ 99,489  

Gubre Fabrikalari TAS(a)

    9,776       62,791  

Hektas Ticaret TAS(a)

    324,239       197,987  

Kayseri Seker Fabrikasi A/S, NVS

    40,222       45,977  
   

 

 

 
      406,244  
United Kingdom — 0.6%            

Cranswick PLC

    15,351       747,518  
   

 

 

 
United States — 55.3%            

AGCO Corp.

    18,127       1,988,532  

Alamo Group Inc.

    3,095       626,088  

Archer-Daniels-Midland Co.

    151,904       8,067,621  

Cal-Maine Foods Inc.

    11,954       687,235  

CF Industries Holdings Inc.

    54,379       4,389,473  

Corteva Inc.

    200,593       10,735,737  

Darling Ingredients Inc.(a)

    45,434       1,922,313  

Deere & Co.

    75,611       27,601,797  

FMC Corp.

    35,301       1,990,623  

Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc.

    10,822       258,970  

Ingredion Inc.

    18,567       2,184,036  

Lamb Weston Holdings Inc.

    41,117       4,202,569  

Lindsay Corp.

    3,100       369,861  

Mosaic Co. (The)

    92,736       2,889,654  

Pilgrim’s Pride Corp.(a)

    13,505       429,999  

Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. (The)

    11,926       783,538  

Titan International Inc.(a)

    14,942       190,660  

Toro Co. (The)

    29,583       2,730,807  

Vital Farms Inc.(a)

    7,545       135,584  
   

 

 

 
      72,185,097  
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 99.4%
(Cost: $167,878,444)

 

     129,759,410  
   

 

 

 

Short-Term Securities

   
Money Market Funds — 0.0%            

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares, 5.50%(f)(g)(h)

    59,061       59,091  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 0.0%
(Cost: $59,036)

 

    59,091  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments — 99.4%
(Cost: $167,937,480)

 

    129,818,501  

Other Assets Less Liabilities — 0.6%

 

    779,124  
   

 

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

 

  $ 130,597,625  
   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Non-income producing security.

(b) 

Security exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration to qualified institutional investors.

(c) 

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(d) 

Security is valued using significant unobservable inputs and is classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.

(e) 

This security may be resold to qualified foreign investors and foreign institutional buyers under Regulation S of the Securities Act of 1933.

(f) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(g) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

(h) 

All or a portion of this security was purchased with the cash collateral from loaned securities.

 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  11


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Agriculture Producers ETF

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

 

 
                                                             Capital  
                                                             Gain  
                                 Change in                           Distributions  
                                 Unrealized             Shares             from  
     Value at      Purchases      Proceeds      Net Realized      Appreciation      Value at      Held at             Underlying  
Affiliated Issuer    08/31/23      at Cost      from Sale      Gain (Loss)      (Depreciation)      02/29/24      02/29/24      Income      Funds  

 

 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares

   $ 2,802,115      $      $  (2,743,407 )(a)     $ 565      $ (182    $ 59,091        59,061      $ 11,500 (b)     $  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares(c)

                   0 (a)                                   4,238         
           

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

       

 

 

    

 

 

 
            $ 565      $ (182    $ 59,091         $ 15,738      $  
           

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

       

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

 
  (b) 

All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities.

 
  (c) 

As of period end, the entity is no longer held.

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

 

 
                          Value/  
                   Notional      Unrealized  
     Number of      Expiration      Amount      Appreciation  
Description    Contracts      Date      (000)      (Depreciation)  

 

 

Long Contracts

           

Euro STOXX 50 Index

     9        03/15/24      $ 477      $ 16,653  

S&P 500 E-Mini Index

     1        03/15/24        255        1,168  
           

 

 

 
            $ 17,821  
           

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

 

 
                          Foreign                       
                          Currency      Interest                
     Commodity      Credit      Equity      Exchange      Rate      Other         
     Contracts      Contracts      Contracts      Contracts      Contracts      Contracts      Total  

 

 

Assets — Derivative Financial Instruments

                    

Futures contracts

                    

Unrealized appreciation on futures contracts(a)

   $      $      $ 17,821      $      $      $      $ 17,821  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

 

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

 

 
                          Foreign                       
                          Currency      Interest                
     Commodity      Credit      Equity      Exchange      Rate      Other         
     Contracts      Contracts      Contracts      Contracts      Contracts      Contracts      Total  

 

 

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ 27,807      $      $      $      $ 27,807  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ 12,905      $      $      $      $ 12,905  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

12  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Agriculture Producers ETF

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

 

 

Futures contracts:

 

Average notional value of contracts — long

    $605,726   

 

 

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

                                                                               

 

 
     Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

 

 

Assets

                 

Investments

                 

Long-Term Investments

                 

Common Stocks

   $ 92,646,864        $ 37,112,543        $ 3        $ 129,759,410  

Short-Term Securities

                 

Money Market Funds

     59,091                            59,091  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $  92,705,955        $  37,112,543        $ 3        $ 129,818,501  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

                 

Assets

                 

Equity Contracts

   $ 1,168        $ 16,653        $        $ 17,821  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Derivative financial instruments are futures contracts. Futures contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  13


Schedule of Investments (unaudited)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Common Stocks

   
Australia — 2.5%            

Beach Energy Ltd.

    58,345     $ 60,744  

Boss Energy Ltd. (a)

    14,276       46,671  

Deep Yellow Ltd.(a)

    25,902       22,971  

Karoon Energy Ltd.(a)

    28,236       35,580  

New Hope Corp. Ltd.

    19,033       58,291  

Paladin Energy Ltd.(a)

    102,626       82,955  

Santos Ltd.

    116,202       535,056  

Strike Energy Ltd.(a)

    83,475       11,698  

Whitehaven Coal Ltd.

    28,652       128,995  

Woodside Energy Group Ltd.

    67,935       1,340,275  

Yancoal Australia Ltd., NVS

    11,694       45,325  
   

 

 

 
      2,368,561  
Austria — 0.3%            

OMV AG

    5,269       232,183  
   

 

 

 
Brazil — 1.5%            

3R Petroleum Oleo E Gas SA(a)

    8,426       47,375  

Enauta Participacoes SA

    5,448       27,924  

Petroleo Brasileiro SA

    133,141       1,103,996  

Petroreconcavo SA

    5,313       24,582  

PRIO SA

    28,725       252,574  
   

 

 

 
       1,456,451  
Canada — 9.4%            

Advantage Energy Ltd.(a)

    5,662       41,887  

Africa Oil Corp.

    13,265       20,428  

ARC Resources Ltd.

    21,324       363,426  

Athabasca Oil Corp.(a)

    20,136       72,998  

Baytex Energy Corp.(b)

    5,264       16,792  

Baytex Energy Corp.

    22,471       71,694  

Birchcliff Energy Ltd.

    9,384       37,338  

Cameco Corp.

    15,523       629,087  

Canadian Natural Resources Ltd.

    38,284       2,666,890  

Cardinal Energy Ltd.(a)

    4,680       22,828  

Cenovus Energy Inc.

    50,287       876,313  

Crescent Point Energy Corp.

    21,229       154,703  

Crew Energy Inc.(a)

    4,680       15,449  

Denison Mines Corp.(a)(b)

    32,079       57,674  

Energy Fuels Inc./Canada(a)(b)

    5,851       37,163  

Enerplus Corp.

    6,986       123,799  

Fission Uranium Corp.(a)

    24,276       18,245  

Freehold Royalties Ltd.

    4,617       46,811  

Frontera Energy Corp.(a)

    1,409       8,181  

Headwater Exploration Inc.

    8,582       43,190  

Imperial Oil Ltd.

    6,710       419,860  

International Petroleum Corp.(a)(b)

    3,301       34,758  

Kelt Exploration Ltd.(a)

    5,460       23,535  

MEG Energy Corp.(a)

    9,786       209,471  

NexGen Energy Ltd.(a)

    17,752       125,179  

NuVista Energy Ltd.(a)

    6,082       52,164  

Obsidian Energy Ltd.(a)

    2,958       20,967  

Paramount Resources Ltd., Class A

    2,899       63,592  

Parex Resources Inc.

    3,744       60,416  

PetroTal Corp., NVS

    23,092       12,591  

Peyto Exploration & Development Corp.

    6,911       71,750  

PrairieSky Royalty Ltd.

    7,708       137,615  

Spartan Delta Corp.

    4,524       10,700  

Suncor Energy Inc.

    46,151       1,585,691  

Surge Energy Inc.

    3,624       18,158  

Tamarack Valley Energy Ltd.

    18,333       45,388  

Topaz Energy Corp.

    3,355       49,541  
Security   Shares     Value  
Canada (continued)            

Tourmaline Oil Corp.

    11,927     $ 539,776  

Vermilion Energy Inc.

    5,807       64,525  

Whitecap Resources Inc.

    21,504       149,260  
   

 

 

 
      9,019,833  
China — 1.8%            

CGN Mining Co. Ltd.(a)

    95,000       23,117  

China Coal Energy Co. Ltd., Class H

    73,000       78,615  

China Shenhua Energy Co. Ltd., Class A

    14,100       75,331  

China Shenhua Energy Co. Ltd., Class H

    120,500       463,647  

Guanghui Energy Co. Ltd., Class A

    15,600       16,210  

Inner Mongolia Dian Tou Energy Corp. Ltd.

    5,800       13,328  

Inner Mongolia Yitai Coal Co. Ltd., Class B

    37,300       74,922  

Jizhong Energy Resources Co. Ltd.

    8,100       9,135  

Kinetic Development Group Ltd.

    110,000       9,273  

PetroChina Co. Ltd., Class A

    45,600       55,820  

PetroChina Co. Ltd., Class H

    754,000       591,371  

Shaanxi Coal Industry Co. Ltd., Class A

    20,700       74,016  

Shan Xi Hua Yang Group New Energy Co. Ltd.

    9,350       13,121  

Shanxi Coking Coal Energy Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    12,810       20,685  

Shanxi Lu’an Environmental Energy Development Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,100       21,865  

Yankuang Energy Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    8,750       31,375  

Yankuang Energy Group Co. Ltd., Class H(a)

    82,000       189,095  
   

 

 

 
      1,760,926  
Finland — 0.4%            

Neste OYJ

    15,137       414,937  
   

 

 

 
France — 5.2%            

Etablissements Maurel et Prom SA

    2,028       10,988  

TotalEnergies SE

    77,677        4,951,066  
   

 

 

 
      4,962,054  
Greece — 0.1%            

Hellenic Energy Holdings SA

    3,243       29,549  

Motor Oil Hellas Corinth Refineries SA

    2,351       67,171  
   

 

 

 
      96,720  
Hong Kong — 0.0%            

United Energy Group Ltd.(b)

    312,000       19,089  
   

 

 

 
Hungary — 0.1%            

MOL Hungarian Oil & Gas PLC

    16,309       129,762  
   

 

 

 
India — 5.3%            

Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd.

    26,935       195,747  

Chennai Petroleum Corp. Ltd.

    1,585       16,914  

Coal India Ltd.

    55,124       289,474  

Gujarat Mineral Development Corp. Ltd.

    3,042       14,306  

Hindustan Petroleum Corp. Ltd.

    20,430       125,596  

Indian Oil Corp. Ltd.

    101,048       201,508  

Oil & Natural Gas Corp. Ltd.

    112,527       357,992  

Reliance Industries Ltd.

    88,744       3,123,367  

Reliance Industries Ltd., GDR(c)

    10,015       713,239  
   

 

 

 
      5,038,143  
Indonesia — 0.3%            

Adaro Energy Indonesia Tbk PT

    507,000       78,139  

Bukit Asam Tbk PT

    143,200       23,315  

Bumi Resources Tbk PT(a)

    3,985,600       22,065  

Energi Mega Persada Tbk PT, NVS(a)

    551,100       7,084  

Harum Energy Tbk PT(a)

    85,900       6,844  

Indika Energy Tbk PT

    54,600       4,725  

Indo Tambangraya Megah Tbk PT

    14,000       23,333  

Medco Energi Internasional Tbk PT

    234,012       19,459  

Sugih Energy Tbk PT(a)(d)

    206,700        
 

 

 

14  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
Indonesia (continued)            

United Tractors Tbk PT

    52,100     $ 78,030  
   

 

 

 
      262,994  
Israel — 0.2%            

Delek Group Ltd.

    344       46,455  

Equital Ltd.(a)

    780       25,202  

Naphtha Israel Petroleum Corp. Ltd.

    1,093       5,849  

Oil Refineries Ltd.

    89,955       37,010  

Paz Oil Co. Ltd.(a)

    371       35,750  
   

 

 

 
      150,266  
Italy — 1.3%            

Eni SpA

    78,512       1,208,961  

Saras SpA(b)

    14,666       27,723  
   

 

 

 
      1,236,684  
Japan — 1.3%            

Cosmo Energy Holdings Co. Ltd.

    2,236       99,532  

ENEOS Holdings Inc.

    103,100       444,834  

Idemitsu Kosan Co. Ltd.

    34,440       217,783  

Inpex Corp.

    34,600       461,173  

Japan Petroleum Exploration Co. Ltd.

    1,200       48,732  
   

 

 

 
      1,272,054  
Malaysia — 0.0%            

Hibiscus Petroleum Bhd

    19,360       10,315  
   

 

 

 
Norway — 1.2%            

Aker BP ASA

    11,307       274,462  

BlueNord ASA(a)

    837       42,870  

BW Energy Ltd.(a)

    2,078       5,498  

DNO ASA

    17,347       14,732  

Equinor ASA

    32,234       794,206  
   

 

 

 
       1,131,768  
Philippines — 0.0%            

Semirara Mining & Power Corp., Class A

    31,400       18,042  
   

 

 

 
Poland — 0.3%            

ORLEN SA

    20,769       322,612  
   

 

 

 
Portugal — 0.3%            

Galp Energia SGPS SA

    16,628       261,653  
   

 

 

 
Russia — 0.0%            

LUKOIL PJSC(a)(d)

    17,021       2  

Rosneft Oil Co. PJSC(a)(d)

    47,821       5  

Surgutneftegas PJSC(a)(d)

    285,010       31  

Tatneft PJSC(a)(d)

    57,983       7  
   

 

 

 
      45  
Saudi Arabia — 0.9%            

Rabigh Refining & Petrochemical Co.(a)

    743       1,639  

Saudi Arabian Oil Co.(c)

    95,243       805,267  
   

 

 

 
      806,906  
South Africa — 0.1%            

Exxaro Resources Ltd.

    8,595       79,754  

Thungela Resources Ltd.

    4,875       26,688  
   

 

 

 
      106,442  
South Korea — 0.4%            

HD Hyundai Co. Ltd.

    1,560       82,927  

SK Innovation Co. Ltd.(a)

    2,169       191,367  

S-Oil Corp.

    1,633       93,815  
   

 

 

 
      368,109  
Spain — 0.7%            

Repsol SA

    43,419       689,713  
   

 

 

 
Security   Shares     Value  
Thailand — 0.4%            

Bangchak Corp. PCL, NVDR

    36,300     $ 42,044  

Bangchak Sriracha PCL, NVDR

    31,000       8,557  

Banpu PCL, NVDR(b)

    325,000       50,725  

IRPC PCL, NVDR(b)

    382,200       20,780  

PTT Exploration & Production PCL, NVDR(b)

    50,031       210,097  

Star Petroleum Refining PCL, NVDR

    70,800       17,630  

Thai Oil PCL, NVDR

    43,300       67,603  
   

 

 

 
      417,436  
Turkey — 0.2%            

Turkiye Petrol Rafinerileri AS

    34,626       179,386  
   

 

 

 
United Arab Emirates — 0.0%            

Dana Gas PJSC

    198,043       34,077  
   

 

 

 
United Kingdom — 11.4%            

BP PLC

    612,432       3,558,269  

Diversified Energy Co. PLC

    1,716       20,298  

Energean PLC

    5,474       70,976  

Harbour Energy PLC

    21,801       69,645  

Serica Energy PLC

    8,694       19,060  

Shell PLC

    232,656       7,196,006  

Tullow Oil PLC(a)

    45,702       16,290  
   

 

 

 
       10,950,544  
United States — 52.4%            

Antero Resources Corp.(a)(b)

    10,215       262,526  

APA Corp.

    10,816       322,209  

Berry Corp.

    2,346       16,539  

California Resources Corp.

    1,806       94,219  

Callon Petroleum Co.(a)

    1,952       60,824  

Centrus Energy Corp., Class A(a)

    455       18,559  

Chesapeake Energy Corp.

    3,966       328,305  

Chevron Corp.

    63,971       9,724,232  

Chord Energy Corp.

    1,469       238,639  

Civitas Resources Inc.

    2,312       158,788  

CNX Resources Corp.(a)(b)

    5,690       119,206  

Comstock Resources Inc.

    3,440       29,412  

ConocoPhillips

    42,484       4,781,149  

CONSOL Energy Inc.

    1,118       95,947  

Coterra Energy Inc.

    26,913       693,817  

Crescent Energy Co., Class A

    2,788       31,170  

CVR Energy Inc.

    1,268       42,072  

Delek U.S. Holdings Inc.

    2,283       58,239  

Devon Energy Corp.

    22,924       1,010,031  

Diamondback Energy Inc.

    6,084       1,110,452  

EOG Resources Inc.

    20,864       2,388,093  

EQT Corp.

    13,981       519,394  

Exxon Mobil Corp.

    143,000       14,946,360  

Granite Ridge Resources Inc.

    2,141       13,167  

Gulfport Energy Corp.(a)

    446       63,328  

Hess Corp.

    9,891       1,441,613  

HF Sinclair Corp.

    5,721       317,516  

HighPeak Energy Inc.(b)

    935       15,493  

Kimbell Royalty Partners LP

    2,278       35,742  

Kosmos Energy Ltd.(a)

    16,380       100,573  

Magnolia Oil & Gas Corp., Class A

    6,236       141,432  

Marathon Oil Corp.

    20,939       507,771  

Marathon Petroleum Corp.

    13,585       2,298,990  

Matador Resources Co.

    4,049       255,694  

Murphy Oil Corp.

    5,224       207,236  

Northern Oil and Gas Inc.

    3,236       115,622  

Occidental Petroleum Corp.

    23,549       1,427,305  

Ovintiv Inc.

    9,276       458,327  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  15


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
United States (continued)            

Par Pacific Holdings Inc.(a)

    2,029     $ 73,287  

PBF Energy Inc., Class A

    3,915       182,831  

Peabody Energy Corp.

    4,222       104,579  

Permian Res Corp., Class A, NVS

    15,461       240,573  

Pioneer Natural Resources Co.

    8,359       1,965,953  

Range Resources Corp.

    8,634       273,007  

Riley Exploration Permian Inc.

    194       4,588  

SandRidge Energy Inc.

    1,313       17,122  

SilverBow Resources Inc.(a)

    581       16,495  

Sitio Royalties Corp.

    2,986       68,141  

SM Energy Co.

    4,177       182,827  

Southwestern Energy Co.(a)

    37,439       260,950  

Talos Energy Inc.(a)(b)

    4,904       64,684  

Tellurian Inc.(a)(b)

    24,298       19,290  

Texas Pacific Land Corp.

    220       346,592  

Uranium Energy Corp.(a)(b)

    13,491       87,422  

VAALCO Energy Inc.

    3,510       15,655  

Valero Energy Corp.

    12,181       1,723,124  

Viper Energy Inc., NVS

    2,490       89,989  

Vital Energy Inc.(a)

    824       41,472  

Vitesse Energy Inc.

    919       20,889  

W&T Offshore Inc.(a)

    3,354       10,129  
   

 

 

 
       50,259,590  
   

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks — 98.0%
(Cost: $73,944,553)

      93,977,295  
   

 

 

 

Preferred Stocks

   
Brazil — 1.4%            

Petroleo Brasileiro SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    170,370       1,375,682  
   

 

 

 
Russia — 0.0%            

Surgutneftegas PJSC, Preference Shares,
NVS(a)(d)

    275,500       30  
   

 

 

 

Total Preferred Stocks — 1.4%
(Cost: $779,083)

      1,375,712  
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 99.4%
(Cost: $74,723,636)

      95,353,007  
   

 

 

 
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 

Short-Term Securities

   
Money Market Funds — 1.0%            

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares, 5.50%(e)(f)(g)

    866,377     $ 866,810  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares, 5.30%(e)(f)

    100,000       100,000  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 1.0%
(Cost: $966,617)

 

    966,810  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments — 100.4%
(Cost: $75,690,253)

 

     96,319,817  

Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets — (0.4)%

 

    (376,222
   

 

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

 

  $ 95,943,595  
   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Non-income producing security.

(b) 

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(c) 

Security exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration to qualified institutional investors.

(d) 

Security is valued using significant unobservable inputs and is classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.

(e) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(f) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

(g) 

All or a portion of this security was purchased with the cash collateral from loaned securities.

 

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

 

 
                                                             Capital  
                                                             Gain  
                                 Change in                           Distributions  
                                 Unrealized             Shares             from  
     Value at      Purchases      Proceeds      Net Realized      Appreciation      Value at      Held at             Underlying  
Affiliated Issuer    08/31/23      at Cost      from Sale      Gain (Loss)      (Depreciation)      02/29/24      02/29/24      Income      Funds  

 

 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares

   $ 839,216      $ 27,456 (a)     $      $ 103      $ 35      $ 866,810        866,377      $ 2,959 (b)     $  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares

     30,000        70,000 (a)                            100,000        100,000        6,269         
           

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

       

 

 

    

 

 

 
            $ 103      $ 35      $ 966,810         $ 9,228      $  
           

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

       

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

 
  (b) 

All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities.

 

 

 

16  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

 

 
                      Value/  
                Notional     Unrealized  
    Number of     Expiration     Amount     Appreciation  
Description   Contracts     Date     (000)     (Depreciation)  

 

 

Long Contracts

       

E-Mini Energy Select Sector Index

    5       03/15/24     $ 451     $ 5,217  

FTSE 100 Index

    1       03/15/24       96       2,026  
       

 

 

 
        $ 7,243  
       

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

 

 
                      Foreign                    
                      Currency     Interest              
    Commodity     Credit     Equity     Exchange     Rate     Other        
    Contracts     Contracts     Contracts     Contracts     Contracts     Contracts     Total  

 

 

Assets — Derivative Financial Instruments

             

Futures contracts

             

Unrealized appreciation on futures contracts(a)

  $     $     $ 7,243     $     $     $     $ 7,243  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

 

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

 

 
                      Foreign                    
                      Currency     Interest              
    Commodity     Credit     Equity     Exchange     Rate     Other        
    Contracts     Contracts     Contracts     Contracts     Contracts     Contracts     Total  

 

 

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

             

Futures contracts

  $     $     $ 3,772     $     $     $     $ 3,772  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

             

Futures contracts

  $     $     $ (3,595   $     $     $     $ (3,595
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

 

 

Futures contracts:

 

Average notional value of contracts — long

    $762,915   

 

 

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

                                                                               

 

 
     Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

 

 

Assets

                 

Investments

                 

Long-Term Investments

                 

Common Stocks

   $ 61,252,354        $ 32,724,896        $ 45        $ 93,977,295  

Preferred Stocks

     1,375,682                   30          1,375,712  

Short-Term Securities

                 

Money Market Funds

     966,810                            966,810  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $ 63,594,846        $ 32,724,896        $ 75        $ 96,319,817  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  17


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF

 

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End (continued)

 

                                                                               

 

 
     Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

                 

Assets

                 

Equity Contracts

   $      5,217        $      2,026        $     —        $      7,243  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Derivative financial instruments are futures contracts. Futures contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

18  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 

Common Stocks

   
Australia — 4.7%            

De Grey Mining Ltd.(a)(b)

    5,644,573     $ 4,614,439  

Emerald Resources NL(a)

    937,580       1,688,112  

Genesis Minerals Ltd.(a)(b)

    3,786,137       3,746,109  

Gold Road Resources Ltd.

    3,849,740       3,678,561  

West African Resources Ltd.(a)

    5,602,564       3,188,730  
   

 

 

 
      16,915,951  
Canada — 51.5%            

Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd.

    908,924       43,592,722  

Alamos Gold Inc., Class A

    983,111       11,597,544  

B2Gold Corp.

    3,282,993       7,910,244  

Barrick Gold Corp.

    3,243,741       47,300,324  

Calibre Mining Corp.(a)

    3,138,922       3,584,960  

Centerra Gold Inc.

    809,416       4,061,543  

Eldorado Gold Corp.(a)

    601,377       6,252,389  

Equinox Gold Corp.(a)

    1,051,872       4,278,328  

IAMGOLD Corp.(a)

    1,820,373       4,748,274  

Karora Resources Inc.(a)

    992,218       2,990,216  

Kinross Gold Corp.

    2,915,170       14,262,778  

Lundin Gold Inc.

    394,678       4,597,767  

New Gold Inc.(a)

    3,070,487       3,755,671  

SSR Mining Inc.

    586,944       2,517,050  

Torex Gold Resources Inc.(a)

    382,755       4,004,805  

Wesdome Gold Mines Ltd.(a)

    618,890       4,126,997  

Wheaton Precious Metals Corp.

    370,121       15,253,191  
   

 

 

 
       184,834,803  
China — 4.7%            

Zijin Mining Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    977,435       1,771,314  

Zijin Mining Group Co. Ltd., Class H

    9,314,000       14,961,296  
   

 

 

 
      16,732,610  
Indonesia — 0.9%            

Aneka Tambang Tbk

    35,666,900       3,312,582  
   

 

 

 
Kazakhstan — 0.0%            

Polymetal International PLC(a)(c)

    822,891       91  
   

 

 

 
Peru — 2.3%            

Cia. de Minas Buenaventura SAA, ADR

    553,761       8,361,791  
   

 

 

 
Russia — 0.0%            

Polyus PJSC(a)(c)

    62,547       7  
   

 

 

 
Saudi Arabia — 4.9%            

Anglogold Ashanti PLC, NVS

    933,136       17,578,752  
   

 

 

 
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
South Africa — 7.5%            

DRDGOLD Ltd.

    3,357,800     $ 2,278,710  

Gold Fields Ltd.

    1,191,513       15,696,317  

Harmony Gold Mining Co. Ltd.

    1,513,553       8,798,348  
   

 

 

 
      26,773,375  
Turkey — 0.9%            

Koza Altin Isletmeleri AS

    4,608,934       3,374,358  
   

 

 

 
United Kingdom — 2.1%            

Centamin PLC

    4,085,959       4,660,285  

Hochschild Mining PLC(a)

    2,525,048       2,949,280  
   

 

 

 
      7,609,565  
United States — 20.2%            

Coeur Mining Inc.(a)(b)

    1,479,463       3,831,809  

Newmont Corp.

    2,196,842       68,651,313  
   

 

 

 
      72,483,122  
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 99.7%
(Cost: $461,733,299)

       357,977,007  
   

 

 

 

Short-Term Securities

   
Money Market Funds — 1.1%            

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares, 5.50%(d)(e)(f)

    4,013,875       4,015,882  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares, 5.30%(d)(e)

    120,000       120,000  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 1.1%
(Cost: $4,135,018)

 

    4,135,882  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments — 100.8%
(Cost: $465,868,317)

 

    362,112,889  

Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets — (0.8)%

 

    (2,893,934
   

 

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

 

  $ 359,218,955  
   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Non-income producing security.

(b) 

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(c) 

Security is valued using significant unobservable inputs and is classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.

(d) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(e) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

(f) 

All or a portion of this security was purchased with the cash collateral from loaned securities.

 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  19


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

 

 
                                                             Capital  
                                                             Gain  
                                 Change in                           Distributions  
                                 Unrealized             Shares             from  
     Value at      Purchases      Proceeds      Net Realized      Appreciation      Value at      Held at             Underlying  
Affiliated Issuer    08/31/23      at Cost      from Sale      Gain (Loss)      (Depreciation)      02/29/24      02/29/24      Income      Funds  

 

 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares

   $ 3,721,998      $ 293,238 (a)     $      $ 746      $ (100    $ 4,015,882        4,013,875      $ 5,516 (b)     $  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares

     110,000        10,000 (a)                            120,000        120,000        8,285         
           

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

       

 

 

    

 

 

 
            $ 746      $ (100    $ 4,135,882         $ 13,801      $  
           

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

       

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

 
  (b) 

All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities.

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

 

 
                          Value/  
                   Notional      Unrealized  
     Number of      Expiration      Amount      Appreciation  
Description    Contracts      Date      (000)      (Depreciation)  

 

 

Long Contracts

           

S&P/TSE 60 Index

     7        03/14/24      $ 1,331      $ 5,258  
           

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

 

 
                          Foreign                       
                          Currency      Interest                
     Commodity      Credit      Equity      Exchange      Rate      Other         
     Contracts      Contracts      Contracts      Contracts      Contracts      Contracts      Total  

 

 

Assets — Derivative Financial Instruments

                    

Futures contracts

                    

Unrealized appreciation on futures contracts(a)

   $      $      $ 5,258      $      $      $      $ 5,258  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

 

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

 

 
                          Foreign                       
                          Currency      Interest                
     Commodity      Credit      Equity      Exchange      Rate      Other         
     Contracts      Contracts      Contracts      Contracts      Contracts      Contracts      Total  

 

 

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ 24,415      $      $      $      $ 24,415  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ (8,826    $      $      $      $ (8,826
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

   

Futures contracts:

 

Average notional value of contracts — long

    $1,834,376   

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

 

 

20  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF

 

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

                                                                               

 

 
     Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

 

 

Assets

                 

Investments

                 

Long-Term Investments

                 

Common Stocks

   $ 267,367,828        $ 90,609,081        $ 98        $ 357,977,007  

Short-Term Securities

                 

Money Market Funds

     4,135,882                            4,135,882  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $ 271,503,710        $ 90,609,081        $ 98        $ 362,112,889  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

                 

Assets

                 

Equity Contracts

   $ 5,258        $        $        $ 5,258  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Derivative financial instruments are futures contracts. Futures contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  21


Schedule of Investments (unaudited)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Common Stocks

   
Australia — 24.8%            

Alumina Ltd.(a)

    2,540,716     $ 1,743,866  

AVZ Minerals Ltd.(a)(b)(c)

    3,302,250       1,004,544  

BHP Group Ltd.

    5,170,837       148,228,816  

BlueScope Steel Ltd.

    455,994       6,780,848  

Champion Iron Ltd.

    395,087       1,989,316  

Coronado Global Resources Inc.(d)

    828,982       733,363  

Deterra Royalties Ltd.

    419,881       1,355,339  

Fortescue Ltd.

    1,727,685       29,159,879  

IGO Ltd.

    695,310       3,586,312  

Iluka Resources Ltd.

    437,668       1,951,146  

Imdex Ltd.

    531,472       733,731  

Latin Resources Ltd., NVS

    2,419,386       346,513  

Leo Lithium Ltd.(a)(b)

    1,454,959       429,831  

Liontown Resources Ltd.(a)(c)

    1,478,105       1,186,091  

Lynas Rare Earths Ltd.(a)

    959,420       3,650,505  

Mineral Resources Ltd.

    178,922       7,764,181  

Mount Gibson Iron Ltd.(a)

    611,226       196,750  

Nickel Industries Ltd.

    1,712,223       786,609  

Perenti Ltd.(a)

    839,756       497,358  

Pilbara Minerals Ltd.(c)

    2,915,451       7,961,502  

Rio Tinto Ltd.

    378,430       30,474,553  

Sandfire Resources Ltd.(a)(c)

    463,684       2,286,969  

Sayona Mining Ltd.(a)

    438,240       11,434  

Sims Ltd.

    168,168       1,339,357  

South32 Ltd.

    4,621,379       8,853,063  

Stanmore Resources Ltd.

    315,854       684,792  

Vulcan Steel Ltd.(c)

    69,647       354,179  
   

 

 

 
       264,090,847  
Austria — 0.3%            

voestalpine AG

    116,424       3,180,659  
   

 

 

 
Belgium — 0.2%            

Bekaert SA

    35,574       1,764,079  
   

 

 

 
Brazil — 4.6%            

Bradespar SA

    35,575       143,914  

Cia. Brasileira de Aluminio

    242,844       195,405  

Cia. Siderurgica Nacional SA

    679,679       2,299,732  

Vale SA

    3,473,335       46,806,283  
   

 

 

 
      49,445,334  
Canada — 4.7%            

Algoma Steel Group Inc.

    96,046       778,474  

Altius Minerals Corp.

    40,513       531,357  

Capstone Copper Corp.(a)

    424,440       2,226,735  

ERO Copper Corp.(a)

    93,786       1,597,710  

Filo Corp., NVS(a)

    99,338       1,605,189  

First Quantum Minerals Ltd.

    601,202       5,692,404  

Foran Mining Corp.(a)

    205,359       591,647  

Global Atomic Corp.(a)

    186,134       445,740  

Hudbay Minerals Inc.

    355,304       2,091,795  

Ivanhoe Mines Ltd., Class A(a)(c)

    645,348       6,861,711  

Labrador Iron Ore Royalty Corp.

    61,468       1,370,082  

Lithium Americas Argentina Corp.(a)(c)

    108,094       532,844  

Lithium Americas Corp.(a)(c)

    108,138       594,414  

Lundin Mining Corp.

    671,154       5,306,327  

Major Drilling Group International Inc.(a)

    76,538       441,582  

Solaris Resources Inc.(a)

    75,999       206,636  

Stelco Holdings Inc.

    33,170       986,191  

Taseko Mines Ltd.(a)

    302,431       474,655  
Security   Shares     Value  
Canada (continued)            

Teck Resources Ltd., Class B

    470,011     $ 18,060,696  
   

 

 

 
      50,396,189  
Chile — 0.0%            

CAP SA

    68,453       469,602  
   

 

 

 
China — 2.1%            

Aluminum Corp. of China Ltd., Class A

    646,865       540,958  

Aluminum Corp. of China Ltd., Class H

    4,312,000       2,148,638  

Baoshan Iron & Steel Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,347,593       1,245,230  

China Hongqiao Group Ltd.

    2,425,500       1,877,049  

China Metal Recycling Holdings Ltd.(b)

    132,000        

China Nonferrous Mining Corp Ltd.

    1,078,000       748,850  

China Northern Rare Earth Group High-Tech Co. Ltd., Class A

    215,670       564,076  

China Oriental Group Co. Ltd.

    1,090,000       164,000  

China Rare Earth Resources & Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    53,900       208,519  

CMOC Group Ltd., Class A

    970,200       825,820  

CMOC Group Ltd., Class H

    3,933,000        2,426,295  

GEM Co. Ltd., Class A

    324,117       240,879  

Guangdong HEC Technology Holding Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    162,535       168,887  

Henan Shenhuo Coal & Power Co. Ltd.

    161,700       412,718  

Hesteel Co. Ltd., Class A

    647,000       195,476  

Huaibei Mining Holdings Co. Ltd.

    161,700       423,996  

Hunan Valin Steel Co. Ltd., Class A

    431,200       339,697  

Inner Mongolia BaoTou Steel Union Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    2,802,821       598,845  

Jiangxi Copper Co. Ltd., Class A

    109,925       297,998  

Jiangxi Copper Co. Ltd., Class H

    1,138,000       1,688,921  

Jinchuan Group International Resources Co. Ltd.

    2,156,000       181,126  

Jinduicheng Molybdenum Co. Ltd., Class A

    215,600       301,407  

MMG Ltd.(a)

    3,190,000       853,971  

Pangang Group Vanadium Titanium & Resources Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    539,000       238,045  

Shandong Nanshan Aluminum Co. Ltd., Class A

    754,830       324,555  

Shanxi Meijin Energy Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    218,228       207,774  

Shanxi Taigang Stainless Steel Co. Ltd., Class A

    379,607       199,566  

Shougang Fushan Resources Group Ltd.

    2,156,000       897,722  

Sinomine Resource Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    53,060       275,619  

Tiangong International Co. Ltd.(c)

    1,078,000       247,368  

Tianshan Aluminum Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    270,100       211,942  

Tongling Nonferrous Metals Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    701,200       318,380  

Western Mining Co. Ltd., Class A

    161,700       372,788  

Western Superconducting Technologies Co. Ltd., Class A

    48,433       268,968  

Xiamen Tungsten Co. Ltd., Class A

    107,899       250,840  

Yintai Gold Co. Ltd., Class A

    162,340       336,634  

YongXing Special Materials Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    27,430       209,644  

Yunnan Aluminium Co. Ltd., Class A

    215,600       345,573  

Yunnan Chihong Zinc&Germanium Co. Ltd.

    324,600       231,674  

Yunnan Tin Co. Ltd., Class A

    107,800       205,621  

Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt Co. Ltd., Class A

    110,050       422,147  
   

 

 

 
      22,018,216  
Egypt — 0.0%            

Ezz Steel Co. SAE(a)

    261,720       400,487  
   

 

 

 
Finland — 0.2%            

Outokumpu OYJ

    369,303       1,635,832  
   

 

 

 
 

 

 

22  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
France — 1.5%            

Aperam SA

    44,198     $ 1,351,562  

ArcelorMittal SA

    521,047       13,591,711  

Eramet SA

    9,185       621,245  
   

 

 

 
      15,564,518  
Germany — 0.5%            

Aurubis AG

    32,355       2,051,587  

Salzgitter AG

    23,177       594,718  

thyssenkrupp AG

    505,582       2,585,537  
   

 

 

 
      5,231,842  
India — 4.7%            

APL Apollo Tubes Ltd.

    169,785       3,162,189  

Godawari Power and Ispat Ltd.

    48,406       431,917  

Gravita India Ltd.

    20,569       236,537  

Hindalco Industries Ltd.

    1,370,118       8,311,033  

Hindustan Copper Ltd.

    242,550       788,269  

Jai Balaji Industries Ltd., NVS

    33,986       523,517  

Jindal Saw Ltd.

    117,214       675,884  

Jindal Steel & Power Ltd.

    366,520       3,419,432  

JSW Steel Ltd.

    626,857       6,043,616  

Kirloskar Ferrous Industries Ltd.

    51,409       329,524  

Maharashtra Seamless Ltd.

    41,321       458,062  

Mishra Dhatu Nigam Ltd.(d)

    45,480       222,424  

MOIL Ltd.

    64,490       205,975  

National Aluminium Co. Ltd.

    839,762       1,574,870  

NMDC Ltd.

    1,032,063       2,811,789  

NMDC Steel Ltd., NVS(a)

    775,729       574,382  

Orissa Minerals Development Co. Ltd. (The)(a)

    2,226       181,981  

PTC Industries Ltd., NVS

    3,255       330,112  

Rajratan Global Wire Ltd.

    13,550       102,806  

Ramkrishna Forgings Ltd.

    84,191       794,021  

Ratnamani Metals & Tubes Ltd.

    29,214       1,067,646  

Sandur Manganese & Iron Ores Ltd. (The)

    21,310       106,619  

Sarda Energy & Minerals Ltd., NVS

    88,097       227,407  

Shivalik Bimetal Controls Ltd., NVS

    26,519       172,578  

Shyam Metalics & Energy Ltd.

    54,440       426,543  

Surya Roshni Ltd., NVS

    34,388       248,661  

Tata Steel Ltd.

    7,078,780       11,999,774  

Tata Steel Ltd., GDR(e)

    39,708       665,109  

Usha Martin Ltd.

    156,849       622,198  

Vedanta Ltd.

    952,957       3,070,688  

Welspun Corp. Ltd.

    91,630       564,186  
   

 

 

 
       50,349,749  
Indonesia — 0.5%            

Amman Mineral Internasional PT(a)

    6,615,012       3,575,467  

Bumi Resources Minerals Tbk PT(a)

    56,595,000       518,593  

Merdeka Copper Gold Tbk PT(a)

    9,809,886       1,410,931  
   

 

 

 
      5,504,991  
Japan — 5.6%            

Daido Steel Co. Ltd.

    138,000       1,633,368  

Daiki Aluminium Industry Co. Ltd.

    32,600       258,809  

Dowa Holdings Co. Ltd.

    53,900       1,883,352  

Godo Steel Ltd.

    7,100       282,257  

JFE Holdings Inc.

    592,900       9,723,742  

Kobe Steel Ltd.

    368,200       5,050,214  

Kyoei Steel Ltd.

    21,200       344,088  

Maruichi Steel Tube Ltd.

    59,000       1,544,460  

Mitsubishi Materials Corp.

    128,500       2,249,675  

Mitsui Mining & Smelting Co. Ltd.

    56,700       1,671,691  

Nippon Light Metal Holdings Co. Ltd.

    58,540       675,415  

Nippon Steel Corp.

    873,405       21,674,104  

Nittetsu Mining Co. Ltd.

    11,200       374,665  
Security   Shares     Value  
Japan (continued)            

Osaka Steel Co. Ltd.

    15,000     $ 226,321  

OSAKA Titanium Technologies Co. Ltd.(c)

    32,800       583,888  

Sanyo Special Steel Co. Ltd.

    20,900       315,021  

Sumitomo Metal Mining Co. Ltd.

    254,100       6,614,821  

Toho Titanium Co. Ltd.(c)

    36,400       400,112  

Tokyo Steel Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

    55,900       623,305  

UACJ Corp.

    35,438       973,525  

Yamato Kogyo Co. Ltd.

    41,000       2,288,265  

Yodogawa Steel Works Ltd.

    21,800       650,084  
   

 

 

 
      60,041,182  
Malaysia — 0.4%            

PMB Technology Bhd(a)(c)

    377,300       222,619  

Press Metal Aluminium Holdings Bhd

    3,773,000       3,723,732  
   

 

 

 
      3,946,351  
Mexico — 1.4%            

Grupo Mexico SAB de CV, Series B

    3,180,100        15,437,551  
   

 

 

 
Netherlands — 0.1%            

AMG Critical Materials NV

    32,340       738,809  
   

 

 

 
Norway — 0.7%            

Norsk Hydro ASA

    1,354,507       6,952,348  
   

 

 

 
Peru — 0.7%            

Southern Copper Corp.

    86,262       6,975,145  
   

 

 

 
Poland — 0.6%            

Grupa Kety SA

    9,572       1,690,496  

Jastrzebska Spolka Weglowa SA, Class S(a)(c)

    53,900       557,075  

KGHM Polska Miedz SA

    142,835       3,860,489  
   

 

 

 
      6,108,060  
Qatar — 0.1%            

Qatar Aluminum Manufacturing Co.

    2,736,503       953,629  
   

 

 

 
Russia — 0.0%            

Alrosa PJSC(a)(b)

    2,886,002       315  

MMC Norilsk Nickel PJSC(a)(b)

    71,400       8  

Novolipetsk Steel PJSC(a)(b)

    1,668,000       182  

Severstal PAO(a)(b)

    233,400       26  

United Co. RUSAL International PJSC(a)(b)

    3,450,000       377  
   

 

 

 
      908  
Saudi Arabia — 1.8%            

Al Masane Al Kobra Mining Co.

    35,036       546,518  

East Pipes Integrated Co. for Industry, NVS

    12,984       415,455  

Saudi Arabian Mining Co.(a)

    1,319,464       17,509,125  

Saudi Steel Pipe Co.(a)

    17,787       233,109  
   

 

 

 
      18,704,207  
Singapore — 0.0%            

Straits Trading Co. Ltd.

    3,062       3,391  
   

 

 

 
South Africa — 1.3%            

African Rainbow Minerals Ltd.

    112,635       991,517  

Anglo American Platinum Ltd.

    67,914       2,612,561  

Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd.

    923,846       3,135,143  

Kumba Iron Ore Ltd.

    65,765       1,841,111  

Northam Platinum Holdings Ltd.

    365,442       2,089,764  

Sibanye Stillwater Ltd.

    2,890,051       2,978,748  
   

 

 

 
      13,648,844  
South Korea — 3.1%            

Dongkuk Steel Mill Co. Ltd/New

    35,641       346,455  

Hyundai Steel Co.(a)

    88,371       2,389,128  

KG Chemical Corp.

    39,144       187,485  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  23


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
South Korea (continued)            

KG Dongbusteel

    49,632     $ 279,903  

KG Eco Technology Service Co. Ltd.

    267       2,167  

Korea Zinc Co. Ltd.

    8,576       2,883,355  

Poongsan Corp.

    17,248       559,397  

POSCO Holdings Inc.

    73,103       23,758,020  

Posco M-Tech Co. Ltd.(a)

    20,658       380,600  

Sam-A Aluminum Co. Ltd.

    5,280       393,445  

Seah Besteel Holdings Corp.

    14,014       272,091  

SeAH Steel Holdings Corp.

    1,631       262,347  

TCC Steel(a)

    17,195       877,896  

Young Poong Corp.(a)

    417       158,090  
   

 

 

 
      32,750,379  
Spain — 0.2%            

Acerinox SA

    177,870       1,953,070  
   

 

 

 
Sweden — 1.5%            

Alleima AB, NVS

    191,657       1,260,381  

Boliden AB

    280,368       7,105,758  

Granges AB

    102,454       996,234  

SSAB AB, Class A

    237,066       1,853,970  

SSAB AB, Class B

    660,275       5,170,270  
   

 

 

 
      16,386,613  
Taiwan — 1.8%            

Century Iron & Steel Industrial Co. Ltd.

    168,000       1,368,402  

China Metal Products

    208,011       254,663  

China Steel Corp.

    12,008,612       9,352,227  

Chun Yuan Steel Industry Co. Ltd.

    475,000       263,692  

Chung Hung Steel Corp.

    1,016,000       745,256  

Evergreen Steel Corp.

    179,000       611,597  

Feng Hsin Steel Co. Ltd.

    539,000       1,162,935  

Gloria Material Technology Corp.

    539,000       802,053  

Hsin Kuang Steel Co. Ltd.

    250,000       528,051  

TA Chen Stainless Pipe

    1,742,638       1,980,352  

Tung Ho Steel Enterprise Corp.

    539,700       1,319,402  

YC INOX Co. Ltd.

    370,263       299,807  

Yieh Phui Enterprise Co. Ltd.

    539,776       260,365  
   

 

 

 
       18,948,802  
Turkey — 0.3%            

Eregli Demir ve Celik Fabrikalari TAS(a)

    1,431,966       2,086,172  

Kardemir Karabuk Demir Celik Sanayi ve Ticaret A/S, Class A

    279,728       201,524  

Kardemir Karabuk Demir Celik Sanayi ve Ticaret A/S, Class D

    735,547       632,264  

Kocaer Celik Sanayi Ve Ticaret A/S

    164,395       310,298  

Koza Anadolu Metal Madencilik Isletmeleri AS(a)

    204,685       334,132  
   

 

 

 
      3,564,390  
United Kingdom — 15.4%            

Anglo American PLC

    1,296,692       27,939,760  

Antofagasta PLC

    402,094       9,238,206  

Atalaya Mining PLC

    110,495       457,487  

Central Asia Metals PLC

    180,274       354,083  

Ferrexpo PLC(a)

    303,457       276,182  

Glencore PLC

    10,582,238       50,309,301  

Hill & Smith PLC

    80,311       1,843,367  

Rio Tinto PLC

    1,149,217       73,722,661  

SolGold PLC(a)(c)

    25,072       1,943  
   

 

 

 
      164,142,990  
United States — 19.8%            

Alcoa Corp.

    182,721       4,971,838  

Alpha Metallurgical Resources Inc.

    11,489       4,334,225  

Arch Resources Inc.

    17,784       2,939,517  
Security   Shares     Value  
United States (continued)            

ATI Inc.(a)

    130,436     $ 6,414,843  

Carpenter Technology Corp.

    50,673       3,276,010  

Century Aluminum Co.(a)

    57,675       603,857  

Cleveland-Cliffs Inc.(a)

    514,811       10,708,069  

Commercial Metals Co.

    118,582       6,403,428  

Compass Minerals International Inc.

    36,652       835,666  

Freeport-McMoRan Inc.

    1,463,080       55,319,057  

Haynes International Inc.

    13,496       802,067  

Ivanhoe Electric Inc.(a)

    71,151       526,517  

Kaiser Aluminum Corp.

    16,170       1,172,648  

Materion Corp.(c)

    21,021       2,823,541  

Metallus Inc.(a)

    40,425       879,244  

MP Materials Corp.(a)

    143,913       2,188,917  

Nucor Corp.

    250,637       48,197,495  

Olympic Steel Inc.

    10,241       696,593  

Piedmont Lithium Inc.(a)(c)

    17,853       259,940  

Radius Recycling Inc., Class A

    26,411       521,881  

Ramaco Resources Inc.

    26,411       464,305  

Reliance Inc.

    58,638       18,835,698  

Ryerson Holding Corp.

    31,821       1,004,907  

Steel Dynamics Inc.

    156,855       20,990,336  

SunCoke Energy Inc.

    85,162       912,085  

U.S. Steel Corp.

    227,458       10,767,862  

Warrior Met Coal Inc.

    52,866       3,011,776  

Worthington Steel Inc.(a)

    32,879       1,040,949  
   

 

 

 
      210,903,271  
   

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks — 98.9%
(Cost: $1,172,498,006)

 

     1,052,212,285  
   

 

 

 

Preferred Stocks

   
Brazil — 0.8%            

Bradespar SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    255,101       1,087,917  

Cia. Ferro Ligas da Bahia - FERBASA, Preference Shares, NVS

    129,360       251,116  

Gerdau SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    1,182,031       5,112,282  

Metalurgica Gerdau SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    694,838       1,413,130  

Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais SA Usiminas, Class A, Preference Shares, NVS

    475,318       1,058,472  
   

 

 

 
      8,922,917  
Russia — 0.0%            

Mechel PJSC, Preference Shares, NVS(b)

    96,000       11  
   

 

 

 

Total Preferred Stocks — 0.8%
(Cost: $7,833,975)

 

    8,922,928  
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 99.7%
(Cost: $1,180,331,981)

 

    1,061,135,213  
   

 

 

 

Short-Term Securities

 

 
Money Market Funds — 1.6%        

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares, 5.50%(f)(g)(h)

    17,470,875       17,479,610  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 1.6%
(Cost: $17,471,360)

 

    17,479,610  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments — 101.3%
(Cost: $1,197,803,341)

 

    1,078,614,823  

Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets — (1.3)%

 

    (14,060,003
   

 

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

    $ 1,064,554,820  
   

 

 

 
 

 

 

24  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF

 

(a) 

Non-income producing security.

(b) 

Security is valued using significant unobservable inputs and is classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.

(c) 

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(d) 

Security exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration to qualified institutional investors.

(e) 

This security may be resold to qualified foreign investors and foreign institutional buyers under Regulation S of the Securities Act of 1933.

(f) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(g) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

(h) 

All or a portion of this security was purchased with the cash collateral from loaned securities.

 

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

 

 
                                                             Capital  
                                                             Gain  
                                 Change in                           Distributions  
                                 Unrealized             Shares             from  
     Value at      Purchases      Proceeds      Net Realized      Appreciation      Value at      Held at             Underlying  
Affiliated Issuer    08/31/23      at Cost      from Sale      Gain (Loss)      (Depreciation)      02/29/24      02/29/24      Income      Funds  

 

 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares

   $ 25,074,638      $      $  (7,601,273 )(a)     $ 3,982      $ 2,263      $ 17,479,610        17,470,875      $ 166,687 (b)     $  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares(c)

     800,000               (800,000 )(a)                                   65,202         
           

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

       

 

 

    

 

 

 
            $ 3,982      $ 2,263      $ 17,479,610         $ 231,889      $  
           

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

       

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

 
  (b) 

All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities.

 
  (c) 

As of period end, the entity is no longer held.

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

 

 
                      Value/  
                Notional     Unrealized  
    Number of     Expiration     Amount     Appreciation  
Description   Contracts     Date     (000)     (Depreciation)  

 

 

Long Contracts

       

E-Mini Energy Select Sector Index

    12       03/15/24     $ 1,081     $ 2,282  

MSCI Emerging Markets Index

    34       03/15/24       1,729       783  
       

 

 

 
        $ 3,065  
       

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

 

 
                      Foreign                    
                      Currency     Interest              
    Commodity     Credit     Equity     Exchange     Rate     Other        
    Contracts     Contracts     Contracts     Contracts     Contracts     Contracts     Total  

 

 

Assets — Derivative Financial Instruments

             

Futures contracts

             

Unrealized appreciation on futures contracts(a)

  $     $     $ 3,065     $     $     $     $ 3,065  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  25


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF

 

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

 

 
                      Foreign                    
                      Currency     Interest              
    Commodity     Credit     Equity     Exchange     Rate     Other        
    Contracts     Contracts     Contracts     Contracts     Contracts     Contracts     Total  

 

 

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

             

Futures contracts

  $     $     $ (599,706   $     $     $     $ (599,706
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

             

Futures contracts

  $     $     $ 122,439     $     $     $     $ 122,439  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

 

 

Futures contracts:

 

Average notional value of contracts — long

    $4,480,503   

 

 

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

 

 
     Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

 

 

Assets

                 

Investments

                 

Long-Term Investments

                 

Common Stocks

   $ 344,614,313        $ 706,162,689        $ 1,435,283        $ 1,052,212,285  

Preferred Stocks

     8,922,917                   11          8,922,928  

Short-Term Securities

                 

Money Market Funds

     17,479,610                            17,479,610  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $   371,016,840        $   706,162,689        $     1,435,294        $ 1,078,614,823  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

                 

Assets

                 

Equity Contracts

   $ 3,065        $        $        $ 3,065  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Derivative financial instruments are futures contracts. Futures contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

26  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners ETF

 (Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 

Common Stocks

   
Australia — 0.4%            

Silver Lake Resources Ltd.(a)

    849,956     $ 591,419  
   

 

 

 
Canada — 66.2%            

Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd.

    138,603       6,647,511  

Aya Gold & Silver Inc.(a)(b)

    772,008       5,551,927  

Calibre Mining Corp.(a)

    499,343       570,299  

Dundee Precious Metals Inc.

    161,086       1,089,614  

Eldorado Gold Corp.(a)

    128,530       1,336,299  

Endeavour Silver Corp.(a)

    1,640,479       2,369,185  

First Majestic Silver Corp.

    1,430,538       6,440,399  

Fortuna Silver Mines Inc.(a)

    2,141,582       5,822,818  

GoGold Resources Inc.(a)(b)

    2,464,695       1,797,921  

i-80 Gold Corp.(a)

    275,728       347,415  

Kinross Gold Corp.

    561,451       2,746,958  

Lundin Gold Inc.

    90,038       1,048,890  

MAG Silver Corp.(a)

    684,234       5,697,118  

New Gold Inc.(a)

    763,822       934,270  

New Pacific Metals Corp.(a)(b)

    929,106       828,367  

Orla Mining Ltd.(a)(b)

    223,124       734,896  

Osisko Mining Inc.(a)

    304,526       556,478  

Pan American Silver Corp.

    2,236,934       27,756,673  

Seabridge Gold Inc.(a)

    74,153       840,344  

Silvercorp Metals Inc.

    1,400,726       3,364,674  

SilverCrest Metals Inc.(a)

    1,098,455       5,560,466  

Skeena Resources Ltd.(a)(b)

    625,926       2,306,031  

SSR Mining Inc.

    137,009       587,549  

Victoria Gold Corp.(a)

    382,266       1,495,658  

Wheaton Precious Metals Corp.

    146,850       6,051,889  
   

 

 

 
       92,483,649  
Japan — 4.6%            

ARE Holdings Inc.

    500,000       6,465,332  
   

 

 

 
Kazakhstan — 0.0%            

Polymetal International PLC(a)(c)

    183,040       20  
   

 

 

 
Mexico — 10.2%            

Industrias Penoles SAB de CV(a)(b)

    1,139,517       14,279,188  
   

 

 

 
Peru — 1.5%            

Cia. de Minas Buenaventura SAA, ADR

    138,566       2,092,347  
   

 

 

 
Security   Shares     Value  

 

 
South Africa — 1.4%            

Harmony Gold Mining Co. Ltd.

    330,679     $ 1,922,251  
   

 

 

 
United Kingdom — 0.4%            

Hochschild Mining PLC(a)

    439,752       513,635  
   

 

 

 
United States — 15.3%            

Coeur Mining Inc.(a)

    323,855       838,784  

Hecla Mining Co.

    3,267,068       11,565,421  

Newmont Corp.

    285,649       8,926,531  
   

 

 

 
      21,330,736  
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 100.0%
(Cost: $207,516,525)

 

     139,678,577  
   

 

 

 

Short-Term Securities

 

Money Market Funds — 5.4%  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares, 5.50%(d)(e)(f)

    7,369,091       7,372,775  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares, 5.30%(d)(e)

    80,000       80,000  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 5.4%
(Cost: $7,451,779)

 

    7,452,775  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments — 105.4%
(Cost: $214,968,304)

 

    147,131,352  

Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets — (5.4)%

 

    (7,502,915
   

 

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

    $  139,628,437  
   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Non-income producing security.

(b) 

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(c) 

Security is valued using significant unobservable inputs and is classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.

(d) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(e) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

(f) 

All or a portion of this security was purchased with the cash collateral from loaned securities.

 

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

 

 
Affiliated Issuer  

Value at

08/31/23

   

Purchases

at Cost

   

Proceeds

from Sale

   

Net Realized

Gain (Loss)

   

Change in

Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

   

Value at

02/29/24

   

Shares

Held at

02/29/24

    Income    

Capital

Gain

Distributions

from

Underlying

Funds

 

 

 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares

  $ 10,566,447     $     $ (3,195,437 )(a)    $ 549     $ 1,216     $ 7,372,775       7,369,091     $ 149,872 (b)    $  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares

    60,000       20,000 (a)                        80,000       80,000       3,519        
       

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 
        $ 549     $ 1,216     $ 7,452,775       $  153,391     $  
       

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

 
  (b) 

All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities.

 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  27


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners ETF

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

         
Description   

Number of

Contracts

      

Expiration

Date

      

Notional

Amount

(000)

      

Value/

Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

 

Long Contracts

                 

S&P/TSE 60 Index

     1          03/14/24        $ 190        $ (150
                 

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

 

 
    

Commodity

Contracts

      

Credit

Contracts

      

Equity

Contracts

      

Foreign

Currency

Exchange

Contracts

      

Interest

Rate

Contracts

      

Other

Contracts

       Total  

 

 

Liabilities — Derivative Financial Instruments

                                

Futures contracts

                                

Unrealized depreciation on futures contracts(a)

   $        $        $ 150        $        $        $        $ 150  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

 

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

 

 
    

Commodity

Contracts

      

Credit

Contracts

      

Equity

Contracts

      

Foreign

Currency

Exchange

Contracts

      

Interest

Rate

Contracts

      

Other

Contracts

       Total  

 

 

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                                

Futures contracts

   $        $        $ 14,513        $        $        $        $ 14,513  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

                                

Futures contracts

   $        $        $ (6,468      $        $        $        $ (6,468
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

 

 

Futures contracts:

  

Average notional value of contracts — long

   $ 364,797  

 

 

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

                                                                                       

 

 
     Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

 

 

Assets

                 

Investments

                 

Long-Term Investments

                 

Common Stocks

   $ 130,185,920        $ 9,492,637        $ 20        $ 139,678,577  

Short-Term Securities

                 

Money Market Funds

     7,452,775                            7,452,775  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $ 137,638,695        $ 9,492,637        $ 20        $ 147,131,352  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

28  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners ETF

 

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End (continued)

 

                                                                                       

 

 
     Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

                 

Liabilities

                 

Equity Contracts

   $ (150      $        $        $ (150
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Derivative financial instruments are futures contracts. Futures contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  29


Statements of Assets and Liabilities (unaudited)

February 29, 2024

 

   

iShares

MSCI

Agriculture

Producers

ETF

    

iShares

MSCI Global

Energy

Producers

ETF

      

iShares

MSCI Global

Gold Miners

ETF

    

iShares

MSCI Global

Metals & Mining

Producers ETF

 

 

 

ASSETS

            

Investments, at value — unaffiliated(a)(b)

  $ 129,759,410      $ 95,353,007        $ 357,977,007      $ 1,061,135,213  

Investments, at value — affiliated(c)

    59,091        966,810          4,135,882        17,479,610  

Cash

    118,757        68,678          8,895        5,042,409  

Cash pledged for futures contracts

    12,000        38,000          20,000        73,000  

Foreign currency collateral pledged for futures contracts(d)

    23,778        5,050                  

Foreign currency, at value(e)

    480,471        84,871          787,813        1,212,734  

Receivables:

            

Investments sold

    1,136,159        678,896          7,937,233        7,436,954  

Securities lending income — affiliated

    114        633          742        13,804  

Capital shares sold

                    67,135         

Dividends — unaffiliated

    159,287        558,450          589,090        1,880,015  

Dividends — affiliated

    747        504          445        3,410  

Tax reclaims

    15,443        19,345                 118,928  

Variation margin on futures contracts

    2,491        2,986          1,577        1,737  
 

 

 

    

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total assets

    131,767,748        97,777,230          371,525,819        1,094,397,814  
 

 

 

    

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

 

LIABILITIES

            

Bank borrowings

                           4,350,775  

Collateral on securities loaned, at value

    57,841        865,419          4,018,052        17,471,606  

Payables:

            

Investments purchased

    996,382        766,911          8,175,774        6,558,267  

Deferred foreign capital gain tax

    73,932        162,657                 1,127,889  

Investment advisory fees

    41,968        30,451          113,038        334,457  

Professional fees

           8,197                  
 

 

 

    

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total liabilities

    1,170,123        1,833,635          12,306,864        29,842,994  
 

 

 

    

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

 

Commitments and contingent liabilities

            

NET ASSETS

  $ 130,597,625      $ 95,943,595        $ 359,218,955      $ 1,064,554,820  
 

 

 

    

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

 

NET ASSETS CONSIST OF

            

Paid-in capital

  $ 197,519,774      $ 77,368,804        $ 566,046,529      $ 1,339,472,330  

Accumulated earnings (loss)

    (66,922,149      18,574,791          (206,827,574      (274,917,510
 

 

 

    

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

  $ 130,597,625      $ 95,943,595        $ 359,218,955      $ 1,064,554,820  
 

 

 

    

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

 

NET ASSET VALUE

            

Shares outstanding

    3,600,000        3,900,000          17,200,000        26,950,000  
 

 

 

    

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net asset value

  $ 36.28      $ 24.60        $ 20.88      $ 39.50  
 

 

 

    

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

 

Shares authorized

    500 million        500 million          500 million        500 million  
 

 

 

    

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

 

Par value

  $ 0.001      $ 0.001        $ 0.001      $ 0.001  
 

 

 

    

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

 

(a)  Investments, at cost — unaffiliated

  $ 167,878,444      $ 74,723,636        $ 461,733,299      $ 1,180,331,981  

(b)  Securities loaned, at value

  $ 54,167      $ 813,669        $ 3,983,089      $ 16,322,910  

(c)   Investments, at cost — affiliated

  $ 59,036      $ 966,617        $ 4,135,018      $ 17,471,360  

(d)  Foreign currency collateral pledged, at cost

  $ 23,924      $ 5,036        $      $  

(e)  Foreign currency, at cost

  $ 506,814      $ 85,436        $ 791,128      $ 1,225,208  

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

30  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Statements of Assets and Liabilities (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

 

   

iShares

MSCI Global

Silver and

Metals

Miners ETF

 

 

 

ASSETS

   

Investments, at value — unaffiliated(a)(b)

            $ 139,678,577  

Investments, at value — affiliated(c)

      7,452,775  

Cash

      7,965  

Foreign currency, at value(d)

      68,337  

Receivables:

   

Investments sold

      7,721,023  

Securities lending income — affiliated

      28,614  

Dividends — unaffiliated

      50,245  

Dividends — affiliated

      375  

Tax reclaims

      8,672  
   

 

 

 

Total assets

      155,016,583  
   

 

 

 

LIABILITIES

   

Collateral on securities loaned, at value

      7,380,379  

Payables:

   

Investments purchased

      7,962,866  

Investment advisory fees

      44,777  

Variation margin on futures contracts

      124  
   

 

 

 

Total liabilities

      15,388,146  
   

 

 

 

Commitments and contingent liabilities

   

NET ASSETS

    $ 139,628,437  
   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS CONSIST OF

   

Paid-in capital

    $ 276,973,925  

Accumulated loss

      (137,345,488
   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

    $ 139,628,437  
   

 

 

 

NET ASSET VALUE

   

Shares outstanding

      17,100,000  
   

 

 

 

Net asset value

    $ 8.17  
   

 

 

 

Shares authorized

      500 million  
   

 

 

 

Par value

    $ 0.001  
   

 

 

 

(a)  Investments, at cost — unaffiliated

    $ 207,516,525  

(b)  Securities loaned, at value

    $ 7,022,677  

(c)   Investments, at cost — affiliated

    $ 7,451,779  

(d)  Foreign currency, at cost

    $ 69,528  

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  31


Statements of Operations (unaudited)

Six Months Ended February 29, 2024

 

   

iShares

MSCI

Agriculture

Producers

ETF

   

iShares

MSCI Global

Energy

Producers

ETF

   

iShares

MSCI Global

Gold Miners

ETF

   

iShares

MSCI Global

Metals &

Mining

Producers

ETF

 

 

 

INVESTMENT INCOME

               

Dividends — unaffiliated

           $ 1,607,459           $ 2,100,303           $ 5,216,717           $ 17,721,518  

Dividends — affiliated

      4,238         6,269         8,285         65,202  

Interest — unaffiliated

      1,054         1,405         766         11,615  

Securities lending income — affiliated — net

      11,500         2,959         5,516         166,687  

Other income — unaffiliated

              813                  

Foreign taxes withheld

      (96,172       (102,028       (379,494       (588,168

Foreign withholding tax claims

              80,737                  

Other foreign taxes

                              (24,103
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total investment income

      1,528,079         2,090,458         4,851,790         17,352,751  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

EXPENSES

               

Investment advisory

      329,164         215,682         755,765         2,424,196  

Interest expense

      1,244         106                 3,895  

Commitment costs

      615         271                 6,694  

Professional

              8,161                 4,862  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total expenses

      331,023         224,220         755,765         2,439,647  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net investment income

      1,197,056         1,866,238         4,096,025         14,913,104  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS)

               

Net realized gain (loss) from:

               

Investments — unaffiliated(a)

      (3,790,611       305,610         (9,305,423       (8,566,211

Investments — affiliated

      565         103         746         3,982  

Foreign currency transactions

      (7,619       52         12,716         (181,055

Futures contracts

      27,807         3,772         24,415         (599,706

In-kind redemptions — unaffiliated(b)

      (10,222,027       7,611,156         890,102         17,078,665  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 
      (13,991,885       7,920,693         (8,377,444       7,735,675  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:

               

Investments — unaffiliated(c)

      (3,286,981       (9,595,558       (20,781,856       (14,332,222

Investments — affiliated

      (182       35         (100       2,263  

Foreign currency translations

      (12,642       1,451         (10,661       25,276  

Futures contracts

      12,905         (3,595       (8,826       122,439  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 
      (3,286,900       (9,597,667       (20,801,443       (14,182,244
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net realized and unrealized loss

      (17,278,785       (1,676,974       (29,178,887       (6,446,569
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS

    $ (16,081,729     $ 189,264       $ (25,082,862     $ 8,466,535  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

(a)  Net of foreign capital gain tax and capital gain tax refund, if applicable of

    $ (39,598     $ (40,312     $       $ (536,077

(b)  See Note 2 of the Notes to Financial Statements.

               

(c)  Net of increase in deferred foreign capital gain tax of

    $ (40,791     $ (91,691     $       $ (216,308

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

32  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Statements of Operations (unaudited) (continued)

Six Months Ended February 29, 2024

 

   

iShares

MSCI Global

Silver and

Metals

Miners ETF

 

 

 

INVESTMENT INCOME

   

Dividends — unaffiliated

        $ 826,416  

Dividends — affiliated

      3,519  

Interest — unaffiliated

      193  

Securities lending income — affiliated — net

      149,872  

Foreign taxes withheld

      (85,319
   

 

 

 

Total investment income

      894,681  
   

 

 

 

EXPENSES

   

Investment advisory

      307,038  
   

 

 

 

Total expenses

      307,038  
   

 

 

 

Net investment income

      587,643  
   

 

 

 

REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS)

   

Net realized gain (loss) from:

   

Investments — unaffiliated

      (8,973,043

Investments — affiliated

      549  

Foreign currency transactions

      (25,472

Futures contracts

      14,513  

In-kind redemptions — unaffiliated(a)

      180,838  
   

 

 

 
      (8,802,615
   

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:

   

Investments — unaffiliated

      (17,464,016

Investments — affiliated

      1,216  

Foreign currency translations

      19,485  

Futures contracts

      (6,468
   

 

 

 
      (17,449,783
   

 

 

 

Net realized and unrealized loss

      (26,252,398
   

 

 

 

NET DECREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS

    $ (25,664,755
   

 

 

 

 

(a)

See Note 2 of the Notes to Financial Statements.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  33


Statements of Changes in Net Assets

 

   

iShares

MSCI Agriculture Producers ETF

   

iShares

MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF

 
 

 

 

   

 

 

 
   

Six Months

Ended

02/29/24

(unaudited)

   

Year Ended

08/31/23

   

Six Months

Ended

02/29/24

(unaudited)

   

Year Ended

08/31/23

 

 

 

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS

                 

OPERATIONS

                         

Net investment income

        $ 1,197,056        $ 5,610,919           $ 1,866,238        $ 5,325,889  

Net realized gain (loss)

      (13,991,885        759,779         7,920,693          4,873,125  

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

      (3,286,900        (22,265,000       (9,597,667        3,046,607  
   

 

 

      

 

 

     

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

      (16,081,729        (15,894,302       189,264          13,245,621  
   

 

 

      

 

 

     

 

 

      

 

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS(a)

                 

Decrease in net assets resulting from distributions to shareholders

      (2,403,871        (5,196,045       (2,677,405        (5,942,443
   

 

 

      

 

 

     

 

 

      

 

 

 

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

                 

Net decrease in net assets derived from capital share transactions

      (63,074,330        (58,924,507       (19,409,457        (11,821,581
   

 

 

      

 

 

     

 

 

      

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

                 

Total decrease in net assets

      (81,559,930        (80,014,854       (21,897,598        (4,518,403

Beginning of period

      212,157,555          292,172,409         117,841,193          122,359,596  
   

 

 

      

 

 

     

 

 

      

 

 

 

End of period

    $ 130,597,625        $ 212,157,555           $ 95,943,595        $ 117,841,193  
   

 

 

      

 

 

     

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

34  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Statements of Changes in Net Assets (continued)

 

   

iShares

MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF

   

iShares

MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF

 
 

 

 

   

 

 

 
   

Six Months Ended

02/29/24

(unaudited)

          

Year Ended

08/31/23

   

Six Months Ended

02/29/24

(unaudited)

          

Year Ended

08/31/23

 

 

 

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS

                 

OPERATIONS

                 

Net investment income

        $ 4,096,025        $ 8,255,113           $ 14,913,104            $ 65,062,202  

Net realized gain (loss)

      (8,377,444            (9,558,248       7,735,675          6,107,918  

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

      (20,801,443        81,191,443         (14,182,244        86,922,319  
   

 

 

      

 

 

     

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

      (25,082,862        79,888,308         8,466,535          158,092,439  
   

 

 

      

 

 

     

 

 

      

 

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS(a)

                 

Decrease in net assets resulting from distributions to shareholders

      (4,903,752        (8,857,577       (30,539,412        (62,569,236
   

 

 

      

 

 

     

 

 

      

 

 

 

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

                 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets derived from capital share transactions

      2,987,115          (47,177,046       (376,819,036        144,932,238  
   

 

 

      

 

 

     

 

 

      

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

                 

Total increase (decrease) in net assets

      (26,999,499        23,853,685         (398,891,913        240,455,441  

Beginning of period

      386,218,454          362,364,769         1,463,446,733          1,222,991,292  
   

 

 

      

 

 

     

 

 

      

 

 

 

End of period

    $ 359,218,955        $ 386,218,454       $ 1,064,554,820        $ 1,463,446,733  
   

 

 

      

 

 

     

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

(a)

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  35


Statements of Changes in Net Assets (continued)

 

   

iShares

MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners

ETF

 
 

 

 

 
   

Six Months

Ended

02/29/24

(unaudited)

   

Year Ended

08/31/23

 

 

 

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS

       

OPERATIONS

       

Net investment income

           $ 587,643           $ 1,613,889  

Net realized loss

      (8,802,615       (16,614,124

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

      (17,449,783       36,994,225  
   

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

      (25,664,755       21,993,990  
   

 

 

     

 

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS(a)

       

Decrease in net assets resulting from distributions to shareholders

      (832,787       (871,745
   

 

 

     

 

 

 

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

       

Net decrease in net assets derived from capital share transactions

      (913,126       (9,878,284
   

 

 

     

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

       

Total increase (decrease) in net assets

      (27,410,668       11,243,961  

Beginning of period

      167,039,105         155,795,144  
   

 

 

     

 

 

 

End of period

    $ 139,628,437       $ 167,039,105  
   

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

36  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Financial Highlights

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    iShares MSCI Agriculture Producers ETF  
 

 

 

 
    Six Months Ended                                                        
    02/29/24     Year Ended     Year Ended     Year Ended     Year Ended     Year Ended  
    (unaudited)       08/31/23       08/31/22       08/31/21       08/31/20       08/31/19  

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $ 40.03           $ 43.28           $ 39.82           $ 28.60           $ 26.88           $ 29.15  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

      0.26         0.87         0.86         0.60         0.49         0.53  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(b)

             (3.46       (3.31       3.25         11.11         1.73         (2.25
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

      (3.20       (2.44       4.11         11.71         2.22         (1.72
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(c)

      (0.55       (0.81       (0.65       (0.49       (0.50       (0.55
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 36.28       $ 40.03       $ 43.28       $ 39.82       $ 28.60       $ 26.88  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total Return(d)

                       

Based on net asset value

      (8.02 )%(e)        (5.70 )%        10.43       41.16       8.41       (5.88 )% 
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(f)

                       

Total expenses

      0.39 %(g)        0.39       0.39       0.39       0.39       0.39
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net investment income

      1.42 %(g)        2.09       2.00       1.60       1.84       1.88
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

                       

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 130,598       $ 212,158       $ 292,172       $ 85,612       $ 27,175       $ 25,535  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(h)

      4       12       10       6       9       13
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Based on average shares outstanding.

 
(b) 

The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

 
(c) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

 
(d) 

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

 
(e) 

Not annualized.

 
(f) 

Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

 
(g) 

Annualized.

 
(h) 

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, if any.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  H I G H L I G H T S

  37


Financial Highlights (continued)

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF  
 

 

 

 
    Six Months Ended                                                              
    02/29/24     Year Ended     Year Ended     Year Ended     Year Ended     Year Ended  
    (unaudited)       08/31/23       08/31/22       08/31/21       08/31/20       08/31/19  

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $ 25.07           $ 23.53           $ 15.86           $ 12.04           $ 17.97           $ 22.80  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

      0.42         1.07 (b)        1.01         0.58         0.68         0.70  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(c)

              (0.29       1.65         7.51         3.76         (5.61       (4.90
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

      0.13         2.72         8.52         4.34         (4.93       (4.20
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(d)

      (0.60       (1.18       (0.85       (0.52       (1.00       (0.63
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 24.60       $ 25.07       $ 23.53       $ 15.86       $ 12.04       $ 17.97  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total Return(e)

                       

Based on net asset value

      0.58 %(f)        11.94 %(b)        54.58       36.41       (28.92 )%        (18.56 )% 
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(g)

                       

Total expenses

      0.41 %(h)        0.39       0.39       0.39       0.39       0.39
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total expenses excluding professional fees for foreign withholding tax claims

      0.39 %(h)        0.39       N/A         N/A         N/A         N/A  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net investment income

      3.37 %(h)        4.47 %(b)        4.85       4.01       4.62       3.41
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

                       

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 95,944       $ 117,841       $ 122,360       $ 80,086       $ 49,985       $ 46,733  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(i)

      3       8       12       8       12       6
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Based on average shares outstanding.

 
(b) 

Reflects the one-time, positive effect of foreign withholding tax claims, net of the associated professional fees, which resulted in the following increases for the year ended August 31, 2023:

 
 

Net investment income per share by $0.01.

 
 

Total return by 0.03%.

 
 

Ratio of net investment income to average net assets by 0.02%.

 
(c)

The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

 
(d) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

 
(e) 

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

 
(f) 

Not annualized.

 
(g) 

Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

 
(h) 

Annualized.

 
(i) 

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, if any.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

38  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Financial Highlights (continued)

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF  
 

 

 

 
    Six Months Ended                                                              
    02/29/24     Year Ended     Year Ended     Year Ended     Year Ended     Year Ended  
    (unaudited)       08/31/23       08/31/22       08/31/21       08/31/20       08/31/19  

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $ 22.65           $ 18.35           $ 26.96           $ 35.13           $ 24.01           $ 14.43  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

             0.24         0.45         0.56         0.49         0.17         0.18  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(b)

      (1.73       4.34         (8.61       (8.20       11.11         9.59  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

      (1.49       4.79         (8.05       (7.71       11.28         9.77  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(c)

      (0.28       (0.49       (0.56       (0.46       (0.16       (0.19
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 20.88       $ 22.65       $ 18.35       $ 26.96       $ 35.13       $ 24.01  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total Return(d)

                       

Based on net asset value

      (6.74 )%(e)        26.12       (30.42 )%        (22.12 )%        47.22       68.13
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(f)

                       

Total expenses

      0.39 %(g)        0.39       0.39       0.39       0.39       0.39
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net investment income

      2.11 %(g)        2.00       2.16       1.63       0.66       1.04
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

                       

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 359,219       $ 386,218       $ 362,365       $ 558,142       $ 572,625       $ 325,284  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(h)

      8       16       25       12       21       15
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Based on average shares outstanding.

 
(b) 

The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

 
(c) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

 
(d) 

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

 
(e) 

Not annualized.

 
(f) 

Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

 
(g) 

Annualized.

 
(h) 

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, if any.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  H I G H L I G H T S

  39


Financial Highlights (continued)

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF  
 

 

 

 
    Six Months Ended                                                              
    02/29/24           Year Ended           Year Ended           Year Ended     Year Ended     Year Ended  
    (unaudited)         08/31/23         08/31/22         08/31/21       08/31/20       08/31/19  

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $ 40.26           $ 36.62           $ 45.61           $ 27.79           $ 25.60           $ 30.93  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

             0.48         1.83         2.67         2.13         1.04         1.49  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(b)

      (0.22       3.66         (8.08       16.86         2.26         (5.13
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

      0.26         5.49         (5.41       18.99         3.30         (3.64
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(c)

      (1.02       (1.85       (3.58       (1.17       (1.11       (1.69
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 39.50       $ 40.26       $ 36.62       $ 45.61       $ 27.79       $ 25.60  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total Return(d)

                       

Based on net asset value

      0.51 %(e)        14.96       (12.69 )%        68.77       13.00       (12.16 )% 
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(f)

                       

Total expenses

      0.39 %(g)        0.39       0.39       0.39       0.39       0.39
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total expenses excluding professional fees for foreign withholding tax claims

      0.39 %(g)        N/A         0.39       N/A         N/A         N/A  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net investment income

      2.40 %(g)        4.50       6.23       5.11       4.03       5.05
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

                       

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 1,064,555       $ 1,463,447       $ 1,222,991       $ 1,106,060       $ 297,394       $ 221,470  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(h)

      4       13       19       17       11       14
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Based on average shares outstanding.

 
(b) 

The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

 
(c) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

 
(d) 

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

 
(e) 

Not annualized.

 
(f) 

Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

 
(g) 

Annualized.

 
(h) 

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, if any.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

40  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Financial Highlights (continued)

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    iShares MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners ETF  
   

Six Months Ended

02/29/24

(unaudited)

   

Year Ended

08/31/23

   

Year Ended

08/31/22

   

Year Ended

08/31/21

   

Year Ended

08/31/20

   

Year Ended

08/31/19

 

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

            $ 9.71            $ 8.61            $ 13.92            $ 17.29            $ 10.84            $ 8.43  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

      0.03          0.09          0.12          0.10          0.04          0.09  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(b)

      (1.52        1.06          (5.31        (2.93        6.62          2.40  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

      (1.49        1.15          (5.19        (2.83        6.66          2.49  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(c)

      (0.05        (0.05        (0.12        (0.54        (0.21        (0.08
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 8.17        $ 9.71        $ 8.61        $ 13.92        $ 17.29        $ 10.84  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total Return(d)

                            

Based on net asset value

      (15.53 )%(e)         13.41        (37.54 )%         (16.69 )%         62.71        29.89
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(f)

                            

Total expenses

      0.39 %(g)         0.39        0.39        0.39        0.39        0.39
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net investment income

      0.75 %(g)         0.89        0.94        0.63        0.35        0.98
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

                            

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 139,628        $ 167,039        $ 155,795        $ 267,328        $ 250,656        $ 99,757  
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(h)

      10        26        38        31        66        27
   

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Based on average shares outstanding.

 
(b) 

The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

 
(c) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

 
(d) 

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

 
(e) 

Not annualized.

 
(f) 

Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

 
(g) 

Annualized.

 
(h) 

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, if any.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  H I G H L I G H T S

  41


Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited)

 

1.

ORGANIZATION

iShares, Inc. (the “Company”) is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), as an open-end management investment company. The Company is organized as a Maryland corporation and is authorized to have multiple series or portfolios.

These financial statements relate only to the following funds (each, a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”):

 

 

iShares ETF  

Diversification  

Classification  

 

MSCI Agriculture Producers

  Non-diversified  

MSCI Global Energy Producers

  Non-diversified  

MSCI Global Gold Miners

  Non-diversified  

MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers

  Non-diversified  

MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners

  Non-diversified  

 

 

2.

SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The financial statements are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”), which may require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Each Fund is considered an investment company under U.S. GAAP and follows the accounting and reporting guidance applicable to investment companies. Below is a summary of significant accounting policies:

Investment Transactions and Income Recognition: For financial reporting purposes, investment transactions are recorded on the dates the transactions are executed. Realized gains and losses on investment transactions are determined using the specific identification method. Dividend income and capital gain distributions, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Non-cash dividends, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date at fair value. Dividends from foreign securities where the ex-dividend date may have passed are subsequently recorded when the Funds are informed of the ex-dividend date. Under the applicable foreign tax laws, a withholding tax at various rates may be imposed on capital gains, dividends and interest.

Foreign Currency Translation: Each Fund’s books and records are maintained in U.S. dollars. Securities and other assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars using prevailing market rates as quoted by one or more data service providers. Purchases and sales of investments are recorded at the rates of exchange prevailing on the respective dates of such transactions. Generally, when the U.S. dollar rises in value against a foreign currency, the investments denominated in that currency will lose value; the opposite effect occurs if the U.S. dollar falls in relative value.

Each Fund does not isolate the effect of fluctuations in foreign exchange rates from the effect of fluctuations in the market prices of investments for financial reporting purposes. Accordingly, the effects of changes in exchange rates on investments are not segregated in the Statements of Operations from the effects of changes in market prices of those investments, but are included as a component of net realized and unrealized gain (loss) from investments. Each Fund reports realized currency gains (losses) on foreign currency related transactions as components of net realized gain (loss) for financial reporting purposes, whereas such components are generally treated as ordinary income for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Foreign Taxes: The Funds may be subject to foreign taxes (a portion of which may be reclaimable) on income, stock dividends, capital gains on investments, or certain foreign currency transactions. All foreign taxes are recorded in accordance with the applicable foreign tax regulations and rates that exist in the foreign jurisdictions in which each Fund invests. These foreign taxes, if any, are paid by each Fund and are reflected in its Statements of Operations as follows: foreign taxes withheld at source are presented as a reduction of income, foreign taxes on securities lending income are presented as a reduction of securities lending income, foreign taxes on stock dividends are presented as “Other foreign taxes”, and foreign taxes on capital gains from sales of investments and foreign taxes on foreign currency transactions are included in their respective net realized gain (loss) categories. Foreign taxes payable or deferred as of February 29, 2024, if any, are disclosed in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

The Funds file withholding tax reclaims in certain jurisdictions to recover a portion of amounts previously withheld. The Funds may record a reclaim receivable based on collectability, which includes factors such as the jurisdiction’s applicable laws, payment history and market convention. The Statements of Operations includes tax reclaims recorded as well as professional and other fees, if any, associated with recovery of foreign withholding taxes.

Bank Overdraft: Certain Funds had outstanding cash disbursements exceeding deposited cash amounts at the custodian during the reporting period. The Funds are obligated to repay the custodian for any overdraft, including any related costs or expenses, where applicable. For financial reporting purposes, overdraft fees, if any, are included in interest expense in the Statements of Operations.

Collateralization: If required by an exchange or counterparty agreement, the Funds may be required to deliver/deposit cash and/or securities to/with an exchange, or broker-dealer or custodian as collateral for certain investments.

In-kind Redemptions: For financial reporting purposes, in-kind redemptions are treated as sales of securities resulting in realized capital gains or losses to the Funds. Because such gains or losses are not taxable to the Funds and are not distributed to existing Fund shareholders, the gains or losses are reclassified from accumulated net realized gain (loss) to paid-in capital at the end of the Funds’ tax year. These reclassifications have no effect on net assets or net asset value (“NAV”) per share.

 

 

42  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

Distributions: Dividends and distributions paid by each Fund are recorded on the ex-dividend dates. Distributions are determined on a tax basis and may differ from net investment income and net realized capital gains for financial reporting purposes. Dividends and distributions are paid in U.S. dollars and cannot be automatically reinvested in additional shares of the Funds.

Indemnifications: In the normal course of business, each Fund enters into contracts that contain a variety of representations that provide general indemnification. The Funds’ maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown because it involves future potential claims against the Funds, which cannot be predicted with any certainty.

 

3.

INVESTMENT VALUATION AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

Investment Valuation Policies: Each Fund’s investments are valued at fair value (also referred to as “market value” within the financial statements) each day that the Fund’s listing exchange is open and, for financial reporting purposes, as of the report date. U.S. GAAP defines fair value as the price a fund would receive to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) of each Fund has approved the designation of BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BFA”), the Funds’ investment adviser, as the valuation designee for each Fund. Each Fund determines the fair values of its financial instruments using various independent dealers or pricing services under BFA’s policies. If a security’s market price is not readily available or does not otherwise accurately represent the fair value of the security, the security will be valued in accordance with BFA’s policies and procedures as reflecting fair value. BFA has formed a committee (the “Valuation Committee”) to develop pricing policies and procedures and to oversee the pricing function for all financial instruments, with assistance from other BlackRock pricing committees.

Fair Value Inputs and Methodologies: The following methods and inputs are used to establish the fair value of each Fund’s assets and liabilities:

 

   

Equity investments traded on a recognized securities exchange are valued at that day’s official closing price, as applicable, on the exchange where the stock is primarily traded. Equity investments traded on a recognized exchange for which there were no sales on that day are valued at the last traded price.

 

   

Investments in open-end U.S. mutual funds (including money market funds) are valued at that day’s published NAV.

 

   

Futures contracts are valued based on that day’s last reported settlement or trade price on the exchange where the contract is traded.

Generally, trading in foreign instruments is substantially completed each day at various times prior to the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”). Each business day, the Funds use current market factors supplied by independent pricing services to value certain foreign instruments (“Systematic Fair Value Price”). The Systematic Fair Value Price is designed to value such foreign securities at fair value as of the close of trading on the NYSE, which follows the close of the local markets.

If events (e.g., market volatility, company announcement or a natural disaster) occur that are expected to materially affect the value of such investment, or in the event that application of these methods of valuation results in a price for an investment that is deemed not to be representative of the market value of such investment, or if a price is not available, the investment will be valued by the Valuation Committee, in accordance with BFA’s policies and procedures as reflecting fair value (“Fair Valued Investments”). The fair valuation approaches that may be used by the Valuation Committee include market approach, income approach and cost approach. Valuation techniques such as discounted cash flow, use of market comparables and matrix pricing are types of valuation approaches and are typically used in determining fair value. When determining the price for Fair Valued Investments, the Valuation Committee seeks to determine the price that each Fund might reasonably expect to receive or pay from the current sale or purchase of that asset or liability in an arm’s-length transaction. Fair value determinations shall be based upon all available factors that the Valuation Committee deems relevant and consistent with the principles of fair value measurement.

Fair value pricing could result in a difference between the prices used to calculate a fund’s NAV and the prices used by the fund’s underlying index, which in turn could result in a difference between the fund’s performance and the performance of the fund’s underlying index.

Fair Value Hierarchy: Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. These inputs to valuation techniques are categorized into a fair value hierarchy consisting of three broad levels for financial reporting purposes as follows:

 

   

Level 1 – Unadjusted price quotations in active markets/exchanges for identical assets or liabilities that each Fund has the ability to access;

 

   

Level 2 – Other observable inputs (including, but not limited to, quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in markets that are active, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the assets or liabilities (such as interest rates, yield curves, volatilities, prepayment speeds, loss severities, credit risks and default rates) or other market-corroborated inputs); and

 

   

Level 3 – Unobservable inputs based on the best information available in the circumstances, to the extent observable inputs are not available, (including the Valuation Committee’s assumptions used in determining the fair value of financial instruments).

The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements). Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised in determining fair value is greatest for instruments categorized in Level 3. The inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, for disclosure purposes, the fair value hierarchy classification is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. Investments classified within Level 3 have significant unobservable inputs used by the Valuation Committee in determining the price for Fair Valued Investments. Level 3 investments include equity or debt issued by privately held companies or funds that may not have a secondary market and/or may have a limited number of investors. The categorization of a value determined for financial instruments is based on the pricing transparency of the financial instruments and is not necessarily an indication of the risks associated with investing in those securities.

 

 

N O T E ST O  F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  43


Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

4.

SECURITIES AND OTHER INVESTMENTS

Securities Lending: Each Fund may lend its securities to approved borrowers, such as brokers, dealers and other financial institutions. The borrower pledges and maintains with the Fund collateral consisting of cash, an irrevocable letter of credit issued by an approved bank, or securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government. The initial collateral received by each Fund is required to have a value of at least 102% of the current market value of the loaned securities for securities traded on U.S. exchanges and a value of at least 105% for all other securities. The collateral is maintained thereafter at a value equal to at least 100% of the current value of the securities on loan. The market value of the loaned securities is determined at the close of each business day of the Fund and any additional required collateral is delivered to the Fund or excess collateral is returned by the Fund, on the next business day. During the term of the loan, each Fund is entitled to all distributions made on or in respect of the loaned securities but does not receive interest income on securities received as collateral. Loans of securities are terminable at any time and the borrower, after notice, is required to return borrowed securities within the standard time period for settlement of securities transactions.

As of period end, any securities on loan were collateralized by cash and/or U.S. Government obligations. Cash collateral invested in money market funds managed by BFA, or its affiliates is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments. Any non-cash collateral received cannot be sold, re-invested or pledged by the Fund, except in the event of borrower default. The securities on loan, if any, are also disclosed in each Fund’s Schedule of Investments. The market value of any securities on loan and the value of any related cash collateral are disclosed in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

Securities lending transactions are entered into by the Funds under Master Securities Lending Agreements (each, an “MSLA”) which provide the right, in the event of default (including bankruptcy or insolvency) for the non-defaulting party to liquidate the collateral and calculate a net exposure to the defaulting party or request additional collateral. In the event that a borrower defaults, the Funds, as lender, would offset the market value of the collateral received against the market value of the securities loaned. When the value of the collateral is greater than that of the market value of the securities loaned, the lender is left with a net amount payable to the defaulting party. However, bankruptcy or insolvency laws of a particular jurisdiction may impose restrictions on or prohibitions against such a right of offset in the event of an MSLA counterparty’s bankruptcy or insolvency. Under the MSLA, absent an event of default, the borrower can resell or re-pledge the loaned securities, and the Funds can reinvest cash collateral received in connection with loaned securities. Upon an event of default, the parties’ obligations to return the securities or collateral to the other party are extinguished, and the parties can resell or re-pledge the loaned securities or the collateral received in connection with the loaned securities in order to satisfy the defaulting party’s net payment obligation for all transactions under the MSLA. The defaulting party remains liable for any deficiency.

As of period end, the following table is a summary of the securities on loan by counterparty which are subject to offset under an MSLA:

 

 

 

iShares ETF and Counterparty

   

Securities Loaned

at Value

 

 

    

Cash Collateral

Received

 

(a) 

   

Non-Cash Collateral

Received, at Fair Value

 

(a) 

    Net Amount  

 

 

MSCI Agriculture Producers

        

Morgan Stanley

  $ 17,193      $ (17,193   $     $  

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

    26,371        (26,371            

UBS AG

    10,603        (10,603            
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  $ 54,167      $ (54,167   $     $  
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

MSCI Global Energy Producers

        

Barclays Bank PLC

  $ 16,623      $ (16,623   $     $  

Barclays Capital, Inc.

    303,793        (303,793            

BofA Securities, Inc.

    96,540        (96,540            

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

    20,976        (20,976            

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

    72,424        (72,424            

Morgan Stanley

    185,301        (185,301            

Scotia Capital (USA), Inc.

    41,691        (41,691            

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

    76,321        (76,321            
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  $ 813,669      $ (813,669   $     $  
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

MSCI Global Gold Miners

        

Barclays Capital, Inc.

  $ 736,714      $ (736,714   $     $  

BNP Paribas SA

    1,982,127        (1,912,219           69,908  

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

    527,842        (509,226           18,616  

SG Americas Securities LLC

    250,973        (250,973            

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

    485,433        (485,433            
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  $  3,983,089      $  (3,894,565   $     $ 88,524  
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

44  

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

 

 

iShares ETF and Counterparty

   

Securities Loaned

at Value

 

 

    

Cash Collateral

Received

 

(a) 

   

Non-Cash Collateral

Received, at Fair Value

 

(a) 

    Net Amount  

 

 

MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers

        

Barclays Capital, Inc.

  $ 295,525      $ (295,525   $     $  

BNP Paribas SA

    160,488        (160,488            

BofA Securities, Inc.

    361,089        (361,089            

Citigroup Global Markets, Inc.

    3,431,270        (3,431,270            

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

    3,208,553        (3,208,553            

Morgan Stanley

    8,470,270        (8,470,270            

UBS AG

    395,715        (395,715            
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  $ 16,322,910      $ (16,322,910   $     $  
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners

        

BMO Capital Markets Corp.

  $ 133,736      $ (133,736   $     $  

BofA Securities, Inc.

    1,022,010        (1,022,010            

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

    18,837        (18,592           245  

Morgan Stanley

    4,546,506        (4,546,506            

Scotia Capital (USA), Inc.

    1,301,588        (1,301,588            
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  $ 7,022,677      $ (7,022,432   $     $ 245  
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Collateral received, if any, in excess of the market value of securities on loan is not presented in this table. The total cash collateral received by each Fund is disclosed in the Fund’s Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

 

The risks of securities lending include the risk that the borrower may not provide additional collateral when required or may not return the securities when due. To mitigate these risks, each Fund benefits from a borrower default indemnity provided by BlackRock, Inc. (“BlackRock”). BlackRock’s indemnity allows for full replacement of the securities loaned to the extent the collateral received does not cover the value of the securities loaned in the event of borrower default. Each Fund could incur a loss if the value of an investment purchased with cash collateral falls below the market value of the loaned securities or if the value of an investment purchased with cash collateral falls below the value of the original cash collateral received. Such losses are borne entirely by each Fund.

 

5.

DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

Futures Contracts: Futures contracts are purchased or sold to gain exposure to, or manage exposure to, changes in interest rates (interest rate risk) and changes in the value of equity securities (equity risk) or foreign currencies (foreign currency exchange rate risk).

Futures contracts are exchange-traded agreements between the Funds and a counterparty to buy or sell a specific quantity of an underlying instrument at a specified price and on a specified date. Depending on the terms of a contract, it is settled either through physical delivery of the underlying instrument on the settlement date or by payment of a cash amount on the settlement date. Upon entering into a futures contract, the Funds are required to deposit initial margin with the broker in the form of cash or securities in an amount that varies depending on a contract’s size and risk profile. The initial margin deposit must then be maintained at an established level over the life of the contract. Amounts pledged, which are considered restricted, are included in cash pledged for futures contracts in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

Securities deposited as initial margin are designated in the Schedule of Investments and cash deposited, if any, are shown as cash pledged for futures contracts in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. Pursuant to the contract, the Funds agree to receive from or pay to the broker an amount of cash equal to the daily fluctuation in market value of the contract (“variation margin”). Variation margin is recorded as unrealized appreciation (depreciation) and, if any, shown as variation margin receivable (or payable) on futures contracts in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. When the contract is closed, a realized gain or loss is recorded in the Statements of Operations equal to the difference between the notional amount of the contract at the time it was opened and the notional amount at the time it was closed. The use of futures contracts involves the risk of an imperfect correlation in the movements in the price of futures contracts and interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates or underlying assets.

 

6.

INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES

Investment Advisory Fees: Pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement with the Company, BFA manages the investment of each Fund’s assets. BFA is a California corporation indirectly owned by BlackRock. Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, BFA is responsible for substantially all expenses of the Funds, except (i) interest and taxes; (ii) brokerage commissions and other expenses connected with the execution of portfolio transactions; (iii) distribution fees; (iv) the advisory fee payable to BFA; and (v) litigation expenses and any extraordinary expenses (in each case as determined by a majority of the independent directors).

For its investment advisory services to each Fund, BFA is entitled to an annual investment advisory fee of 0.39%, accrued daily and paid monthly by the Funds, based on the average daily net assets of each Fund.

 

 

N O T E ST O  F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  45


Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

Expense Waivers: A fund may incur its pro rata share of fees and expenses attributable to its investments in other investment companies (“acquired fund fees and expenses”). The total of the investment advisory fee and acquired fund fees and expenses, if any, is a fund’s total annual operating expenses. Total expenses as shown in the Statements of Operations does not include acquired fund fees and expenses.

For each of the iShares MSCI Agriculture Producers and iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETFs, BFA has contractually agreed to waive a portion of its investment advisory fee for each Fund through December 31, 2028 in an amount equal to the acquired fund fees and expenses, if any, attributable to each Fund’s investments in other iShares funds.

For six months ended February 29, 2024, there were no fees waived by BFA pursuant to these arrangements.

Distributor: BlackRock Investments, LLC, an affiliate of BFA, is the distributor for each Fund. Pursuant to the distribution agreement, BFA is responsible for any fees or expenses for distribution services provided to the Funds.

Securities Lending: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) has issued an exemptive order which permits BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, N.A. (“BTC”), an affiliate of BFA, to serve as securities lending agent for the Funds, subject to applicable conditions. As securities lending agent, BTC bears all operational costs directly related to securities lending, including any custodial costs. Each Fund is responsible for fees in connection with the investment of cash collateral received for securities on loan (the “collateral investment fees”). The cash collateral is invested in a money market fund, BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional or BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, managed by BFA, or its affiliates. However, BTC has agreed to reduce the amount of securities lending income it receives in order to effectively limit the collateral investment fees each Fund bears to an annual rate of 0.04%. The SL Agency Shares of such money market fund will not be subject to a sales load, distribution fee or service fee. The money market fund in which the cash collateral has been invested may, under certain circumstances, impose a liquidity fee of up to 2% of the value redeemed or temporarily restrict redemptions for up to 10 business days during a 90 day period, in the event that the money market fund’s weekly liquid assets fall below certain thresholds.

Securities lending income is equal to the total of income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral, net of fees and other payments to and from borrowers of securities, and less the collateral investment fees. Each Fund retains a portion of securities lending income and remits the remaining portion to BTC as compensation for its services as securities lending agent.

Pursuant to the current securities lending agreement, each Fund retains 82% of securities lending income (which excludes collateral investment fees), and the amount retained can never be less than 70% of the total of securities lending income plus the collateral investment fees.

In addition, commencing the business day following the date that the aggregate securities lending income plus the collateral investment fees generated across all 1940 Act iShares exchange-traded funds (the “iShares ETF Complex”) in that calendar year exceeds a specified threshold, each Fund, pursuant to the securities lending agreement, will retain for the remainder of that calendar year 85% of securities lending income (which excludes collateral investment fees), and the amount retained can never be less than 70% of the total of securities lending income plus the collateral investment fees.

The share of securities lending income earned by each Fund is shown as securities lending income – affiliated – net in its Statements of Operations. For the six months ended February 29, 2024, the Funds paid BTC the following amounts for securities lending agent services:

 

 

 
iShares ETF   Amounts     

 

 

MSCI Agriculture Producers

  $ 2,230     

MSCI Global Energy Producers

    697     

MSCI Global Gold Miners

    1,610     

MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers

     36,028     

MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners

    30,769     

 

 

Officers and Directors: Certain officers and/or directors of the Company are officers and/or directors of BlackRock or its affiliates.

Other Transactions: Cross trading is the buying or selling of portfolio securities between funds to which BFA (or an affiliate) serves as investment adviser. At its regularly scheduled quarterly meetings, the Board reviews such transactions as of the most recent calendar quarter for compliance with the requirements and restrictions set forth by Rule 17a-7.

For the six months ended February 29, 2024, transactions executed by the Funds pursuant to Rule 17a-7 under the 1940 Act were as follows:

 

 

 
iShares ETF   Purchases      Sales     

Net Realized   

Gain (Loss)  

 

 

 

MSCI Agriculture Producers

  $ 213,551      $ 349,833      $ (121,141)    

MSCI Global Energy Producers

    475,580        344,567        68,147     

MSCI Global Gold Miners

     2,870,806        37,050        (10,083)    

MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers

    159,897         2,147,252        97,466     

MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners

    8,049        506,460        (201,283)    

 

 

Each Fund may invest its positive cash balances in certain money market funds managed by BFA or an affiliate. The income earned on these temporary cash investments is shown as dividends – affiliated in the Statements of Operations.

 

 

46  

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

A fund, in order to improve its portfolio liquidity and its ability to track its underlying index, may invest in shares of other iShares funds that invest in securities in the fund’s underlying index.

 

7.

PURCHASES AND SALES

For the six months ended February 29, 2024, purchases and sales of investments, excluding short-term securities and in-kind transactions, were as follows:

 

 

 
iShares ETF   Purchases      Sales    

 

 

MSCI Agriculture Producers

  $ 6,295,845      $ 16,633,836    

MSCI Global Energy Producers

    3,558,348        6,546,758    

MSCI Global Gold Miners

     32,732,771        32,730,145    

MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers

    49,295,592         126,422,781    

MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners

    15,925,149        15,379,252    

 

 

For the six months ended February 29, 2024, in-kind transactions were as follows:

 

 

 
iShares ETF  

In-kind

Purchases

    

In-kind  

Sales  

 

 

 

MSCI Agriculture Producers

  $      $ 54,197,121    

MSCI Global Energy Producers

           16,659,917    

MSCI Global Gold Miners

     9,280,113        6,788,316    

MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers

            304,489,185    

MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners

    927,575        1,838,314    

 

 

 

8.

INCOME TAX INFORMATION

Each Fund is treated as an entity separate from the Company’s other funds for federal income tax purposes. It is each Fund’s policy to comply with the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, applicable to regulated investment companies, and to distribute substantially all of its taxable income to its shareholders. Therefore, no U.S. federal income tax provision is required.

Management has analyzed tax laws and regulations and their application to the Funds as of February 29, 2024, inclusive of the open tax return years, and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability in the Funds’ financial statements.

As of August 31, 2023, the Funds had non-expiring capital loss carryforwards available to offset future realized capital gains as follows:

 

 

 
iShares ETF   Non-Expiring  
Capital Loss  
Carryforwards  
 

 

 

MSCI Agriculture Producers

  $ (12,363,399)   

MSCI Global Energy Producers

    (9,000,194)   

MSCI Global Gold Miners

    (89,637,594)   

MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers

     (119,542,181)   

MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners

    (58,011,434)   

 

 

A fund may own shares in certain foreign investment entities, referred to, under U.S. tax law, as “passive foreign investment companies.” Such fund may elect to mark-to-market annually the shares of each passive foreign investment company and would be required to distribute to shareholders any such marked-to-market gains.

As of February 29, 2024, gross unrealized appreciation and depreciation based on cost of investments (including short positions and derivatives, if any) for U.S. federal income tax purposes were as follows:

 

 

 
iShares ETF   Tax Cost     

Gross Unrealized

Appreciation

    

Gross Unrealized

Depreciation

   

Net Unrealized  

Appreciation  

(Depreciation) 

 

 

 

MSCI Agriculture Producers

  $ 170,422,863      $ 4,889,477      $ (45,476,018   $ (40,586,541)   

MSCI Global Energy Producers

    77,159,978        24,455,574        (5,288,492     19,167,082    

MSCI Global Gold Miners

    471,336,016        20,082,892        (129,300,761     (109,217,869)   

MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers

     1,239,353,562         143,708,793         (304,444,467      (160,735,674)   

MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners

    217,763,099        3,893,372        (74,525,269     (70,631,897)   

 

 

 

 

N O T E ST O  F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  47


Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

9.

LINE OF CREDIT

The iShares MSCI Agriculture Producers, iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers and iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETFs, along with certain other iShares funds (“Participating Funds”), are parties to a $800 million credit agreement (“Syndicated Credit Agreement”) with a group of lenders, which expires on October 16, 2024. The line of credit may be used for temporary or emergency purposes, including redemptions, settlement of trades and rebalancing of portfolio holdings in certain target markets. The Funds may borrow up to the aggregate commitment amount subject to asset coverage and other limitations as specified in the Syndicated Credit Agreement. The Syndicated Credit Agreement has the following terms: a commitment fee of 0.15% per annum on the unused portion of the credit agreement and interest at a rate equal to the higher of (a) Daily Simple Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) plus 0.10% and 1.00% per annum or (b) the U.S. Federal Funds rate plus 1.00% per annum on amounts borrowed. The commitment fee is generally allocated to each Participating Fund based on the lesser of a Participating Fund’s relative exposure to certain target markets or a Participating Fund’s maximum borrowing amount as set forth by the terms of the Syndicated Credit Agreement.

During the six months ended February 29, 2024, the iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers did not borrow under the Syndicated Credit Agreement.

For the six months ended February 29, 2024, the maximum amount borrowed, the average daily borrowing and the weighted average interest rate, if any, under the Syndicated Credit Agreement were as follows:

 

 

 
iShares ETF  

Maximum

Amount

Borrowed

    

Average

Borrowing

    

Weighted   

Average   

Interest Rates   

 

 

 

MSCI Agriculture Producers

  $ 250,000      $ 11,099        6.44%   

MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers

     4,350,000         119,505        6.44     

 

 

 

10.

PRINCIPAL RISKS

In the normal course of business, each Fund invests in securities or other instruments and may enter into certain transactions, and such activities subject the Fund to various risks, including, among others, fluctuations in the market (market risk) or failure of an issuer to meet all of its obligations. The value of securities or other instruments may also be affected by various factors, including, without limitation: (i) the general economy; (ii) the overall market as well as local, regional or global political and/or social instability; (iii) regulation, taxation or international tax treaties between various countries; or (iv) currency, interest rate or price fluctuations. Local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant impact on the Funds and their investments. Each Fund’s prospectus provides details of the risks to which the Fund is subject.

BFA uses an indexing approach to try to achieve each Fund’s investment objective. The Fund is not actively managed, and BFA generally does not attempt to take defensive positions under any market conditions, including declining markets.

The Funds may be exposed to additional risks when reinvesting cash collateral in money market funds that do not seek to maintain a stable NAV per share of $1.00, which may be subject to redemption gates or liquidity fees under certain circumstances.

Valuation Risk: The market values of equities, such as common stocks and preferred securities or equity related investments, such as futures and options, may decline due to general market conditions which are not specifically related to a particular company. They may also decline due to factors which affect a particular industry or industries. A fund may invest in illiquid investments. An illiquid investment is any investment that a fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. A fund may experience difficulty in selling illiquid investments in a timely manner at the price that it believes the investments are worth. Prices may fluctuate widely over short or extended periods in response to company, market or economic news. Markets also tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising and falling prices. This volatility may cause a fund’s NAV to experience significant increases or decreases over short periods of time. If there is a general decline in the securities and other markets, the NAV of a fund may lose value, regardless of the individual results of the securities and other instruments in which a fund invests.

The price each Fund could receive upon the sale of any particular portfolio investment may differ from each Fund’s valuation of the investment, particularly for securities that trade in thin or volatile markets or that are valued using a fair valuation technique or a price provided by an independent pricing service. Changes to significant unobservable inputs and assumptions (i.e., publicly traded company multiples, growth rate, time to exit) due to the lack of observable inputs may significantly impact the resulting fair value and therefore each Fund’s results of operations. As a result, the price received upon the sale of an investment may be less than the value ascribed by each Fund, and each Fund could realize a greater than expected loss or lesser than expected gain upon the sale of the investment. Each Fund’s ability to value its investments may also be impacted by technological issues and/or errors by pricing services or other third-party service providers.

Counterparty Credit Risk: The Funds may be exposed to counterparty credit risk, or the risk that an entity may fail to or be unable to perform on its commitments related to unsettled or open transactions, including making timely interest and/or principal payments or otherwise honoring its obligations. The Funds manage counterparty credit risk by entering into transactions only with counterparties that BFA believes have the financial resources to honor their obligations and by monitoring the financial stability of those counterparties. Financial assets, which potentially expose the Funds to market, issuer and counterparty credit risks, consist principally of financial instruments and receivables due from counterparties. The extent of the Funds’ exposure to market, issuer and counterparty credit risks with respect to these financial assets is approximately their value recorded in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, less any collateral held by the Funds.

A derivative contract may suffer a mark-to-market loss if the value of the contract decreases due to an unfavorable change in the market rates or values of the underlying instrument. Losses can also occur if the counterparty does not perform under the contract.

 

 

48  

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

With exchange-traded futures, there is less counterparty credit risk to the Funds since the exchange or clearinghouse, as counterparty to such instruments, guarantees against a possible default. The clearinghouse stands between the buyer and the seller of the contract; therefore, credit risk is limited to failure of the clearinghouse. While offset rights may exist under applicable law, a fund does not have a contractual right of offset against a clearing broker or clearinghouse in the event of a default (including the bankruptcy or insolvency). Additionally, credit risk exists in exchange-traded futures with respect to initial and variation margin that is held in a clearing broker’s customer accounts. While clearing brokers are required to segregate customer margin from their own assets, in the event that a clearing broker becomes insolvent or goes into bankruptcy and at that time there is a shortfall in the aggregate amount of margin held by the clearing broker for all its clients, typically the shortfall would be allocated on a pro rata basis across all the clearing broker’s customers, potentially resulting in losses to the Funds.

Geographic/Asset Class Risk: A diversified portfolio, where this is appropriate and consistent with a fund’s objectives, minimizes the risk that a price change of a particular investment will have a material impact on the NAV of a fund. The investment concentrations within each Fund’s portfolio are disclosed in its Schedule of Investments.

Certain Funds invest a significant portion of their assets in issuers located in a single country or a limited number of countries. When a fund concentrates its investments in this manner, it assumes the risk that economic, regulatory, political and social conditions in that country or those countries may have a significant impact on the fund and could affect the income from, or the value or liquidity of, the Fund’s portfolio. Unanticipated or sudden political or social developments may cause uncertainty in the markets and as a result adversely affect the Fund’s investments. Foreign issuers may not be subject to the same uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and practices as used in the United States. Foreign securities markets may also be more volatile and less liquid than U.S. securities and may be less subject to governmental supervision not typically associated with investing in U.S. securities. Investment percentages in specific countries are presented in the Schedule of Investments.

Certain Funds invest a significant portion of their assets in securities of issuers located in the United States. A decrease in imports or exports, changes in trade regulations, inflation and/or an economic recession in the United States may have a material adverse effect on the U.S. economy and the securities listed on U.S. exchanges. Proposed and adopted policy and legislative changes in the United States may also have a significant effect on U.S. markets generally, as well as on the value of certain securities. Governmental agencies project that the United States will continue to maintain elevated public debt levels for the foreseeable future which may constrain future economic growth. Circumstances could arise that could prevent the timely payment of interest or principal on U.S. government debt, such as reaching the legislative “debt ceiling.” Such non-payment would result in substantial negative consequences for the U.S. economy and the global financial system. If U.S. relations with certain countries deteriorate, it could adversely affect issuers that rely on the United States for trade. The United States has also experienced increased internal unrest and discord. If these trends were to continue, they may have an adverse impact on the U.S. economy and the issuers in which the the Funds invest.

Certain Funds invest a significant portion of their assets in securities of issuers located in Russia or with significant exposure to Russian issuers or countries. Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Governments in the U.S. and many other countries have imposed economic sanctions on certain Russian individuals and Russian corporate and banking entities. Jurisdictions have instituted broader sanctions on Russia, including banning Russia from global payments systems that facilitate cross-border payments. The extent and duration of the military action, resulting sanctions and resulting future market disruptions, including declines in Russia’s stock markets and the value of the ruble against the U.S. dollar, are impossible to predict, but have been, and may continue to be, significant. Any such disruptions caused by the Russian military action or any response to such activity from the international community may negatively impact Russia’s economy and Russian issuers of securities in which the Fund invests.

Certain Funds invest a significant portion of their assets in securities within a single or limited number of market sectors. When a fund concentrates its investments in this manner, it assumes the risk that economic, regulatory, political and social conditions affecting such sectors may have a significant impact on the fund and could affect the income from, or the value or liquidity of, the fund’s portfolio.

Significant Shareholder Redemption Risk: Certain shareholders may own or manage a substantial amount of fund shares and/or hold their fund investments for a limited period of time. Large redemptions of fund shares by these shareholders may force a fund to sell portfolio securities, which may negatively impact the fund’s NAV, increase the fund’s brokerage costs, and/or accelerate the realization of taxable income/gains and cause the fund to make additional taxable distributions to shareholders.

 

11.

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

Capital shares are issued and redeemed by each Fund only in aggregations of a specified number of shares or multiples thereof (“Creation Units”) at NAV. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, shares of each Fund are not redeemable.

Transactions in capital shares were as follows:

 

 

 
    Six Months Ended
02/29/24
     Year Ended
08/31/23
 
iShares ETF   Shares      Amount      Shares      Amount  

 

 

MSCI Agriculture Producers

          

Shares sold

         $ 17,955        850,000      $   36,503,951  

Shares redeemed

    (1,700,000      (63,092,285      (2,300,000      (95,428,458
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
    (1,700,000    $  (63,074,330       (1,450,000    $ (58,924,507
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

N O T E ST O  F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  49


Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

 

 
    Six Months Ended
02/29/24
     Year Ended
08/31/23
 
iShares ETF   Shares      Amount      Shares      Amount  

 

 

MSCI Global Energy Producers

          

Shares sold

         $ 4,319             $  

Shares redeemed

    (800,000      (19,413,776      (500,000      (11,821,581
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
    (800,000    $ (19,409,457      (500,000    $ (11,821,581
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

MSCI Global Gold Miners

          

Shares sold

    450,000      $ 9,835,461        3,200,000      $ 79,037,668  

Shares redeemed

    (300,000      (6,848,346      (5,900,000      (126,214,714
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
    150,000      $ 2,987,115        (2,700,000    $ (47,177,046
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers

          

Shares sold

         $ 217,247        10,250,000      $ 438,068,874  

Shares redeemed

    (9,400,000      (377,036,283      (7,300,000      (293,136,636
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
    (9,400,000    $ (376,819,036      2,950,000      $ 144,932,238  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners

          

Shares sold

    100,000      $ 930,827        600,000      $ 5,690,863  

Shares redeemed

    (200,000      (1,843,953      (1,500,000      (15,569,147
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
    (100,000    $ (913,126      (900,000    $ (9,878,284
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

The consideration for the purchase of Creation Units of a fund in the Company generally consists of the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities and a specified amount of cash. Certain funds in the Company may be offered in Creation Units solely or partially for cash in U.S. dollars. Authorized Participants purchasing and redeeming Creation Units may pay a purchase transaction fee and a redemption transaction fee directly to State Street Bank and Trust Company, the Company’s administrator , to offset transfer and other transaction costs associated with the issuance and redemption of Creation Units, including Creation Units for cash. Authorized Participants transacting in Creation Units for cash may also pay an additional variable charge to compensate the relevant fund for certain transaction costs (i.e., stamp taxes, taxes on currency or other financial transactions, and brokerage costs) and market impact expenses relating to investing in portfolio securities. Such variable charges, if any, are included in shares sold in the table above.

From time to time, settlement of securities related to in-kind contributions or in-kind redemptions may be delayed. In such cases, securities related to in-kind transactions are reflected as a receivable or a payable in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

 

12.

FOREIGN WITHHOLDING TAX CLAIMS

The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) has issued guidance to address U.S. income tax liabilities attributable to fund shareholders resulting from the recovery of foreign taxes withheld in prior calendar years. These withheld foreign taxes were passed through to shareholders in the form of foreign tax credits in the year the taxes were withheld. Assuming there are sufficient foreign taxes paid which iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF is able to pass through to shareholders as a foreign tax credit in the current year, the Fund will be able to offset the prior years’ withholding taxes recovered against the foreign taxes paid in the current year. Accordingly, no federal income tax liability is recorded by the Fund.

 

13.

SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

Management has evaluated the impact of all subsequent events on the Funds through the date the financial statements were available to be issued and has determined that there were no subsequent events requiring adjustment or additional disclosure in the financial statements.

 

 

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Statement Regarding Liquidity Risk Management Program (unaudited)

 

In compliance with Rule 22e-4 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Liquidity Rule”), iShares, Inc. (the “Company”) has adopted and implemented a liquidity risk management program (the “Program”) for iShares MSCI Agriculture Producers ETF, iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF, iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF, iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF and iShares MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners ETF (the “Funds” or “ETFs”), each a series of the Company, which is reasonably designed to assess and manage each Fund’s liquidity risk.

The Board of Directors (the “Board”) of the Company, on behalf of the Funds, met on December 8, 2023 (the “Meeting”) to review the Program. The Board previously appointed BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BlackRock”), the investment adviser to the Funds, as the program administrator for each Fund’s Program. BlackRock also previously delegated oversight of the Program to the 40 Act Liquidity Risk Management Committee (the “Committee”). At the Meeting, the Committee, on behalf of BlackRock, provided the Board with a report that addressed the operation of the Program and assessed its adequacy and effectiveness of implementation, including the management of each Fund’s Highly Liquid Investment Minimum (“HLIM”) where applicable, and any material changes to the Program (the “Report”). The Report covered the period from October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2023 (the “Program Reporting Period”).

The Report described the Program’s liquidity classification methodology for categorizing each Fund’s investments (including derivative transactions) into one of four liquidity buckets. It also referenced the methodology used by BlackRock to establish each Fund’s HLIM and noted that the Committee reviews and ratifies the HLIM assigned to each Fund no less frequently than annually. The Report also discussed notable events affecting liquidity over the Program Reporting Period, including extended market holidays, delays in the repatriation of the local currency in certain non-U.S. countries, the continued illiquidity of Russian equity securities and the suspension of select sanctions in Venezuela.

The Report noted that the Program complied with the key factors for consideration under the Liquidity Rule for assessing, managing and periodically reviewing each Fund’s liquidity risk, as follows:

 

  a)

The Fund’s investment strategy and liquidity of portfolio investments during both normal and reasonably foreseeable stressed conditions. During the Program Reporting Period, the Committee reviewed whether each Fund’s strategy is appropriate for an open-end fund structure, with a focus on funds with more significant and consistent holdings of less liquid and illiquid assets. The Committee also factored a fund’s concentration in an issuer into the liquidity classification methodology by taking issuer position sizes into account. Derivative exposure was also considered in the calculation of a fund’s liquidity bucketing. Finally, a factor for consideration under the Liquidity Rule is a Fund’s use of borrowings for investment purposes. However, the Funds do not borrow for investment purposes.

 

  b)

Short-term and long-term cash flow projections during both normal and reasonably foreseeable stressed conditions. During the Program Reporting Period, the Committee reviewed historical redemption activity and used this information as a component to establish each ETF’s reasonably anticipated trading size utilized for liquidity classifications. The Committee may also take into consideration a fund’s shareholder ownership concentration (which, depending on product type and distribution channel, may or may not be available), a fund’s distribution channels, and the degree of certainty associated with a fund’s short-term and long-term cash flow projections.

 

  c)

Holdings of cash and cash equivalents, as well as borrowing arrangements. The Committee considered that ETFs generally do not hold more than de minimis amounts of cash. The Committee also considered that ETFs generally do not engage in borrowing.

 

  d)

The relationship between an ETF’s portfolio liquidity and the way in which, and the prices and spreads at which, ETF shares trade, including the efficiency of the arbitrage function and the level of active participation by market participants, including authorized participants. The Committee monitored the prevailing bid/ask spread and the ETF price premium (or discount) to NAV for all ETFs. However, there were no ETFs with persistent deviations of fund premium/discount or bid/ask spreads from long-term averages over the Program Reporting Period.

 

  e)

The effect of the composition of baskets on the overall liquidity of an ETF’s portfolio. In reviewing the linkage between the composition of custom baskets accepted by an ETF and any significant change in the liquidity profile of such ETF, the Committee reviewed changes in the proportion of each ETF’s portfolio comprised of less liquid and illiquid holdings to determine if applicable thresholds were met requiring enhanced review. There were no ETFs for which the custom baskets accepted by the ETF had a significant change in its liquidity profile.

There were no material changes to the Program during the Program Reporting Period other than the enhancement of certain model components in the Program’s classification methodology. The Report provided to the Board stated that the Committee concluded that based on the operation of the functions, as described in the Report, the Program is operating as intended and is effective in implementing the requirements of the Liquidity Rule.

 

 

S T A T E M E N T  R E G A R D I N G  L I Q U I D I T Y  R I S K  M A N A G E M E N T  P R O G R A M

  51


Supplemental Information (unaudited)

 

Section 19(a) Notices

The amounts and sources of distributions reported are estimates and are being provided pursuant to regulatory requirements and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources for tax reporting purposes will depend upon each Fund’s investment experience during the year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. Shareholders will receive a Form 1099-DIV each calendar year that will inform them how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes.

February 29, 2024

 

       
    Total Cumulative Distributions
for the Fiscal Year-to-Date
          % Breakdown of the Total Cumulative
Distributions for the Fiscal Year-to-Date
 
iShares ETF  

Net

Investment

Income

   

Net Realized

Capital Gains

   

Return of

Capital

   

Total Per

Share

   

   

Net

Investment

Income

   

Net Realized

Capital Gains

   

Return of

Capital

   

Total Per

Share

 

MSCI Agriculture Producers(a)

  $  0.533280     $     $  0.019334     $  0.552614         97         3     100%  

MSCI Global Energy Producers(a)

    0.595614             0.006050       0.601664               99             1       100  

 

  (a) 

The Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its net investment income and net realized capital gains; therefore, a portion of the distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur, for example, when some or all of the shareholder’s investment in the Fund is returned to the shareholder. A return of capital does not necessarily reflect the Fund’s investment performance and should not be confused with “yield” or “income”. When distributions exceed total return performance, the difference will incrementally reduce the Fund’s net asset value per share.

 

Tailored Shareholder Reports for Open-End Mutual Funds and ETFs

Effective January 24, 2023, the SEC adopted rule and form amendments to require open-end mutual funds and ETFs to transmit concise and visually engaging streamlined annual and semiannual reports to shareholders that highlight key information. Other information, including financial statements, will no longer appear in a streamlined shareholder report but must be available online, delivered free of charge upon request, and filed on a semiannual basis on Form N-CSR. The rule and form amendments have a compliance date of July 24, 2024. At this time, management is evaluating the impact of these amendments on the shareholder reports for the Funds.

 

 

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General Information

 

Electronic Delivery

Shareholders can sign up for e-mail notifications announcing that the shareholder report or prospectus has been posted on the iShares website at iShares.com. Once you have enrolled, you will no longer receive prospectuses and shareholder reports in the mail.

To enroll in electronic delivery:

 

   

Go to icsdelivery.com.

   

If your brokerage firm is not listed, electronic delivery may not be available. Please contact your broker-dealer or financial advisor.

Householding

Householding is an option available to certain fund investors. Householding is a method of delivery, based on the preference of the individual investor, in which a single copy of certain shareholder documents and Rule 30e-3 notices can be delivered to investors who share the same address, even if their accounts are registered under different names. Please contact your broker-dealer if you are interested in enrolling in householding and receiving a single copy of prospectuses and other shareholder documents, or if you are currently enrolled in householding and wish to change your householding status.

Availability of Quarterly Schedule of Investments

The Funds file their complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to their reports on Form N-PORT. The Funds’ Forms N-PORT are available on the SEC’s website at sec.gov. Additionally, each Fund makes its portfolio holdings for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year available at iShares.com/fundreports.

Availability of Proxy Voting Policies and Proxy Voting Records

A description of the policies and procedures that the iShares Funds use to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities and information about how the iShares Funds voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ending June 30 is available without charge, upon request (1) by calling toll-free 1-800-474-2737; (2) on the iShares website at iShares.com; and (3) on the SEC website at sec.gov.

A description of the Company’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio securities is available in the Fund Prospectus. The Fund discloses its portfolio holdings daily and provides information regarding its top holdings in Fund fact sheets at iShares.com.

 

 

G E N E R A L  I N F O R M A T I O N

  53


Glossary of Terms Used in this Report

 

Portfolio Abbreviation
ADR    American Depositary Receipt
GDR    Global Depositary Receipt
JSC    Joint Stock Company
NVDR    Non-Voting Depositary Receipt
NVS    Non-Voting Shares
PJSC    Public Joint Stock Company
S&P    Standard & Poor’s

 

 

54  

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Want to know more?

iShares.com  |  1-800-474-2737

This report is intended for the Funds’ shareholders. It may not be distributed to prospective investors unless it is preceded or accompanied by the current prospectus.

Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal.

The iShares Funds are distributed by BlackRock Investments, LLC (together with its affiliates, “BlackRock”).

The iShares Funds are not sponsored, endorsed, issued, sold or promoted by MSCI Inc., nor does this company make any representation regarding the advisability of investing in the iShares Funds. BlackRock is not affiliated with the company listed above.

©2024 BlackRock, Inc. All rights reserved. iSHARES and BLACKROCK are registered trademarks of BlackRock, Inc. or its subsidiaries. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

iS-SAR-812-0224

 

 

LOGO

   LOGO    


 

LOGO

  FEBRUARY 29, 2024

 

 

 

  

 

2024 Semi-Annual Report

(Unaudited)

 

 

iShares, Inc.

·  iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF | HEEM | Cboe BZX

·  iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF | EEM | NYSE Arca


The Markets in Review

Dear Shareholder,

The combination of continued economic growth and cooling inflation provided a supportive backdrop for investors during the 12-month reporting period ended February 29, 2024. Significantly tighter monetary policy helped to rein in inflation, and the Consumer Price Index decelerated substantially while remaining above pre-pandemic levels. A moderating labor market helped ease inflationary pressure, although wages continued to grow. Wage and job growth powered robust consumer spending, backstopping the economy. On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a horrific attack on Israel. The ensuing war will have a significant humanitarian impact and could lead to heightened economic and market volatility. We see geopolitics as a structural market risk going forward. See our geopolitical risk dashboard at blackrock.com for more details.

Equity returns were robust during the period, as interest rates stabilized and the economy proved to be more resilient than many investors expected. The U.S. economy continued to show strength, and growth further accelerated in the second half of 2023. Large-capitalization U.S. stocks posted particularly substantial gains, supported by the performance of a few notable technology companies, while small-capitalization U.S. stocks advanced at a significantly slower pace. Meanwhile, international developed market equities also gained strongly, while emerging market stocks advanced at a more modest pace.

The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield rose during the reporting period, as investors reacted to elevated inflation and attempted to anticipate future interest rate changes. However, higher yields drove positive returns overall for 10-year U.S. Treasuries and solid gains in shorter-duration U.S. Treasuries. The corporate bond market benefited from improving economic sentiment, although high-yield corporate bond prices fared significantly better than investment-grade bonds as demand from yield-seeking investors remained strong.

The U.S. Federal Reserve (the “Fed”), attempting to manage persistent inflation, raised interest rates three times during the 12-month period, but paused its tightening after its July meeting. The Fed also continued to reduce its balance sheet by not replacing some of the securities that reach maturity.

Supply constraints appear to have become an embedded feature of the new macroeconomic environment, making it difficult for developed economies to increase production without sparking higher inflation. Geopolitical fragmentation and an aging population risk further exacerbating these constraints, keeping the labor market tight and wage growth high. Although the Fed has stopped tightening for now, we believe that the new economic regime means that the Fed will need to maintain high rates for an extended period despite the market’s hopes for rapid interest rate cuts, as reflected in the recent rally. In this new regime, we anticipate greater volatility and dispersion of returns, creating more opportunities for selective portfolio management.

Looking at developed market stocks, we have an overweight stance on U.S. stocks overall, particularly given the promise of emerging AI technologies. We are also overweight Japanese stocks as shareholder-friendly policies generate increased investor interest, although we maintain an underweight stance on European stocks. In credit, there are selective opportunities in the near term despite tighter credit and financial conditions. For fixed income investing with a six- to twelve-month horizon, we see the most attractive investments in short-term U.S. Treasuries and hard-currency emerging market bonds.

Overall, our view is that investors need to think globally, position themselves to be prepared for a decarbonizing economy, and be nimble as market conditions change. We encourage you to talk with your financial advisor and visit iShares.com for further insight about investing in today’s markets.

 

LOGO

Rob Kapito

President, BlackRock Inc.

 

 

LOGO

Rob Kapito

President, BlackRock Inc.

 

Total Returns as of February 29, 2024

 

 
    

 

  6-Month

 

   

 

 12-Month 

 

 
     

U.S. large cap equities
(S&P 500® Index)

    13.93%        30.45%  
     

U.S. small cap equities
(Russell 2000® Index)

    8.97          10.05    
     

International equities
(MSCI Europe, Australasia, Far East Index)

    9.23          14.41    
     

Emerging market equities
(MSCI Emerging Markets Index)

    4.93          8.73    
     

3-month Treasury bills
(ICE BofA 3-Month U.S. Treasury Bill Index)

    2.69          5.22    
     

U.S. Treasury securities
(ICE BofA 10-Year U.S. Treasury Index)

    0.58          0.69    
     

U.S. investment grade bonds  
(Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index)

    2.35          3.33    
     

Tax-exempt municipal bonds 
(Bloomberg Municipal Bond Index)

    4.33          5.42    
     

U.S. high yield bonds
(Bloomberg U.S. Corporate High Yield 2% Issuer Capped Index)

    6.18          11.01    
Past performance is not an indication of future results. Index performance is shown for illustrative purposes only. You cannot invest directly in an index.

 

 

 

 

2  

T H I S  P A G EI SN O T  P A R TO F  Y O U R  F U N D  R E P O R T


Table of Contents

 

 

     Page  

 

 

The Markets in Review

     2  

Semi-Annual Report:

  

Fund Summary

     4  

About Fund Performance

     6  

Disclosure of Expenses

     6  

Schedules of Investments

     7  

Financial Statements

  

Statements of Assets and Liabilities

     28  

Statements of Operations

     29  

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

     30  

Financial Highlights

     31  

Notes to Financial Statements

     33  

Statement Regarding Liquidity Risk Management Program

     43  

Supplemental Information

     44  

General Information

     45  

Glossary of Terms Used in this Report

     46  

 

 

 

 

 

 


Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of large- and mid-capitalization emerging market equities while mitigating exposure to fluctuations between the value of the component currencies and the U.S. dollar, as represented by the MSCI Emerging Markets 100% Hedged to USD Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index. The Fund currently seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing a substantial portion of its assets in one underlying fund, the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF.

Performance

 

          Average Annual Total Returns         Cumulative Total Returns  
     6-Month
Total Returns
    1 Year     5 Years    

Since

Inception

         1 Year     5 Years    

Since

Inception

 

Fund NAV

    4.71     8.91     3.15     3.47       8.91     16.78     37.94

Fund Market

    4.36       8.55       3.03       3.42         8.55       16.07       37.30  

Index

    5.30       9.82       3.67       3.95           9.82       19.77       44.13  

The inception date of the Fund was September 23, 2014. The first day of secondary market trading was September 25, 2014.

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

Actual           Hypothetical 5% Return         

 

 

     

 

 

    
 

Beginning

Account Value

(09/01/23)

 

 

 

      

Ending

Account Value

(02/29/24)

 

 

 

      

Expenses

Paid During

the Period

 

 

(a) 

           

Beginning

Account Value

(09/01/23)

 

 

 

      

Ending

Account Value

(02/29/24)

 

 

 

      

Expenses

Paid During

the Period

 

 

(a) 

    

    Annualized

Expense

Ratio

 

 

 

  $  1,000.00          $  1,047.10          $    0.00               $  1,000.00          $  1,024.90          $    0.00        0.00

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

PORTFOLIO COMPOSITION

 

   
Investment Type  

Percent of

Net Assets

 

Investment Companies

    99.9

Short-term Investments

    34.0  
Forward foreign currency exchange contracts, net cumulative appreciation     0.5  

Other assets less liabilities

    (34.4
SECTOR ALLOCATION (of the UNDERLYING FUND)

 

   
Sector  

Percent of

Total Investment(a)

 

Financials

    22.8

Information Technology

    22.6  

Consumer Discretionary

    12.7  

Communication Services

    8.4  

Industrials

    7.1  

Materials

    7.1  

Consumer Staples

    5.8  

Energy

    5.4  

Health Care

    3.6  

Utilities

    2.9  

Real Estate

    1.6  

 

  (a)

Excludes money market funds.

 
 

 

 

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Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of large- and mid-capitalization emerging market equities, as represented by the MSCI Emerging Markets Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

          Average Annual Total Returns          Cumulative Total Returns  
    

6-Month

Total Returns

    1 Year     5 Years     10 Years           1 Year     5 Years     10 Years  

Fund NAV

    4.29     7.76     1.11     2.32        7.76     5.65     25.83

Fund Market

    4.06       7.46       1.10       2.35          7.46       5.62       26.20  

Index

    4.93       8.73       1.89       3.01            8.73       9.82       34.47  

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

Actual           Hypothetical 5% Return         

 

 

     

 

 

    
 

Beginning

Account Value

(09/01/23)

 

 

 

      

Ending

Account Value

(02/29/24)

 

 

 

      

Expenses

Paid During

the Period

 

 

(a) 

           

Beginning

Account Value

(09/01/23)

 

 

 

      

Ending

Account Value

(02/29/24)

 

 

 

      

Expenses

Paid During

the Period

 

 

(a) 

    

    Annualized

Expense

Ratio

 

 

 

   $   1,000.00          $  1,042.90          $   3.71               $   1,000.00          $   1,021.20          $    3.67        0.73

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION

 

Sector

            

Percent of

Total Investments

 

(a) 

Financials

       22.8

Information Technology

       22.6  

Consumer Discretionary

       12.7  

Communication Services

       8.4  

Materials

       7.1  

Industrials

       7.1  

Consumer Staples

       5.8  

Energy

       5.4  

Health Care

       3.6  

Utilities

       2.9  

Real Estate

             1.6  

 

  (a) 

Excludes money market funds.

 

GEOGRAPHIC ALLOCATION

 

Country/Geographic Region

   

Percent of

Total Investments

 

(a) 

China

    25.3

India

    18.0  

Taiwan

    16.8  

South Korea

    12.5  

Brazil

    5.5  

Saudi Arabia

    4.6  

Mexico

    2.6  

South Africa

    2.5  

Indonesia

    1.9  

Thailand

    1.6  

Malaysia

    1.4  

United Arab Emirates

    1.2  

Poland

    1.0  

Other (each representing less than 1%)

    5.1  
 

 

 

F U N D  S U M M A R Y

    5  


About Fund Performance

 

  

 

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Financial markets have experienced extreme volatility and trading in many instruments has been disrupted. These circumstances may continue for an extended period of time and may continue to affect adversely the value and liquidity of each Fund’s investments. As a result, current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. Performance data current to the most recent month-end is available at iShares.com. Performance results assume reinvestment of all dividends and capital gain distributions and do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. The investment return and principal value of shares will vary with changes in market conditions. Shares may be worth more or less than their original cost when they are redeemed or sold in the market. Performance for certain funds may reflect a waiver of a portion of investment advisory fees. Without such a waiver, performance would have been lower.

Net asset value or “NAV” is the value of one share of a fund as calculated in accordance with the standard formula for valuing mutual fund shares. Beginning August 10, 2020, the price used to calculate market return (“Market Price”) is the closing price. Prior to August 10, 2020, Market Price was determined using the midpoint between the highest bid and the lowest ask on the primary stock exchange on which shares of a fund are listed for trading, as of the time that such fund’s NAV is calculated. Since shares of a fund may not trade in the secondary market until after the fund’s inception, for the period from inception to the first day of secondary market trading in shares of the fund, the NAV of the fund is used as a proxy for the Market Price to calculate market returns. Market and NAV returns assume that dividends and capital gain distributions have been reinvested at Market Price and NAV, respectively.

An index is a statistical composite that tracks a specified financial market or sector. Unlike a fund, an index does not actually hold a portfolio of securities and therefore does not incur the expenses incurred by a fund. These expenses negatively impact fund performance. Also, index returns do not include brokerage commissions that may be payable on secondary market transactions. If brokerage commissions were included, index returns would be lower.

Disclosure of Expenses

Shareholders of each Fund may incur the following charges: (1) transactional expenses, including brokerage commissions on purchases and sales of fund shares and (2) ongoing expenses, including management fees and other fund expenses. The expense examples shown (which are based on a hypothetical investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held through the end of the period) are intended to assist shareholders both in calculating expenses based on an investment in each Fund and in comparing these expenses with similar costs of investing in other funds.

The expense examples provide information about actual account values and actual expenses. Annualized expense ratios reflect contractual and voluntary fee waivers, if any. In order to estimate the expenses a shareholder paid during the period covered by this report, shareholders can divide their account value by $1,000 and then multiply the result by the number under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During the Period.”

The expense examples also provide information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on a fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses. In order to assist shareholders in comparing the ongoing expenses of investing in the Funds and other funds, compare the 5% hypothetical examples with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.

The expenses shown in the expense examples are intended to highlight shareholders’ ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional expenses, such as brokerage commissions and other fees paid on purchases and sales of fund shares. Therefore, the hypothetical examples are useful in comparing ongoing expenses only and will not help shareholders determine the relative total expenses of owning different funds. If these transactional expenses were included, shareholder expenses would have been higher.

 

 

6  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 

Investment Companies

   
Exchange-Traded Funds — 99.9%            

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF(a)(b)

    2,975,975     $ 119,009,240  
   

 

 

 

Total Investment Companies
(Cost: $134,345,987)

      119,009,240  
   

 

 

 

Short-Term Securities

   
Money Market Funds — 34.0%            

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares,

   

5.50%(a)(c)(d)

    40,017,475       40,037,484  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares,

   

5.30%(a)(c)

    440,000       440,000  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 34.0%
(Cost: $40,477,484)

      40,477,484  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments in Securities — 133.9%
(Cost: $174,823,471)

      159,486,724  

Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets — (33.9)%

 

    (40,405,521
   

 

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

    $  119,081,203  
   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(b) 

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(c) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

(d) 

All or a portion of this security was purchased with the cash collateral from loaned securities.

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

                   
Affiliated Issuer  

Value at

08/31/23

   

Purchases

at Cost

   

Proceeds

from Sale

   

 Net Realized

Gain (Loss)

   

Change in

Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

   

Value at

02/29/24

   

Shares

Held at

02/29/24

    Income    

Capital

Gain

Distributions

from

Underlying

Funds

 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares

  $     $ 40,013,347 (a)    $     $ 24,137     $     $ 40,037,484       40,017,475     $ 29,168 (b)    $  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares

    1,240,000             (800,000 )(a)                  440,000       440,000       11,525        

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

    134,168,374       8,330,896       (25,965,238     (1,954,221     4,429,429       119,009,240       2,975,975       2,422,754        
       

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 
        $ (1,930,084   $ 4,429,429     $ 159,486,724       $ 2,463,447     $  
       

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

 
  (b) 

All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities.

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts

 

         
    Currency Purchased     Currency Sold        Counterparty    Settlement Date    

Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

       
 

BRL

    33,401,000           USD          6,716,226        State Street Bank & Trust Company      03/06/24           $ 1,227        
 

CLP

    637,182,000     USD      658,927        State Street Bank & Trust Company      03/06/24       573    

  

 

CNH

    651,000     USD      90,274        BNP Paribas SA      03/06/24       74    
 

EUR

    37,000     USD      39,878        Bank of America N.A.      03/06/24       115    
 

INR

    14,599,000     USD      175,610        Morgan Stanley & Co. International PLC      03/06/24       448    

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  7


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

 

Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts (continued)

         
    Currency Purchased     Currency Sold        Counterparty    Settlement Date    

Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

       
 

INR

    31,637,000     USD      381,077        State Street Bank & Trust Company      03/06/24     $ 452    
 

KRW

     19,994,210,000           USD      14,985,804        JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.      03/06/24       24,461    

  

 

MXN

    1,047,000     USD      61,280        Bank of America N.A.      03/06/24             129    
 

MXN

    56,660,000     USD      3,319,954        Citibank N.A.      03/06/24       3,253    
 

MYR

    7,756,000     USD      1,632,668        State Street Bank & Trust Company      03/06/24       1,378    
 

THB

    1,288,000     USD      35,729        HSBC Bank PLC      03/06/24       189    
 

TRY

    25,765,000     USD      821,071        Bank of America N.A.      03/06/24       2,058        
 

TRY

    48,000     USD      1,529        BNP Paribas SA      03/06/24       4    
 

USD

    6,944,694     BRL      34,437,000        Citibank N.A.      03/06/24       18,885    
 

USD

    714,653     CLP      667,529,000        Citibank N.A.      03/06/24       23,744    
 

USD

    5,261,292     CNH      37,662,320        HSBC Bank PLC      03/06/24       34,376    
 

USD

    2,233,187     EUR      2,053,000        Citibank N.A.      03/06/24       14,133    
 

USD

    21,716     EUR      20,000        HSBC Bank PLC      03/06/24       99    
 

USD

    23,755,334     HKD      185,525,000        Bank of America N.A.      03/06/24       58,052    
 

USD

    15,989,266     KRW       21,255,650,000        Citibank N.A.      03/06/24       31,998    
 

USD

    21,571     KRW      28,671,000        Morgan Stanley & Co. International PLC      03/06/24       47    
 

USD

    1,643,720     MYR      7,769,000        State Street Bank & Trust Company      03/06/24       6,935    
 

USD

    2,060,881     THB      72,610,000        Citibank N.A.      03/06/24       36,022    
 

USD

    2,064     THB      73,000        UBS AG      03/06/24       28    
 

USD

    732,557     TRY      22,910,000        UBS AG      03/06/24       639    
 

USD

    19,937,870     TWD      620,307,000        Citibank N.A.      03/06/24       320,716    
 

USD

    3,646,472     ZAR      68,009,000        Bank of America N.A.      03/06/24       101,237    
 

USD

    14,157     ZAR      265,000        Bank of New York      03/06/24       343    
 

ZAR

    65,378,000     USD      3,407,456        Morgan Stanley & Co. International PLC      03/06/24       628    
 

BRL

    539,000     USD      108,067        Citibank N.A.      04/03/24       23    
 

BRL

    632,000     USD      126,605        Morgan Stanley & Co. International PLC      04/03/24       136    
 

CLP

    10,467,000     USD      10,814        Citibank N.A.      04/03/24       4    
 

CLP

    355,000     USD      367        Morgan Stanley & Co. International PLC      04/03/24          
 

CNH

    675,000     USD      93,820        Bank of New York      04/03/24       16    
 

CNH

    579,000     USD      80,481        JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.      04/03/24       9    
 

EUR

    33,000     USD      35,703        Barclays Bank PLC      04/03/24       7    
 

EUR

    33,000     USD      35,691        HSBC Bank PLC      04/03/24       19    
 

HKD

    2,767,000     USD      353,717        State Street Bank & Trust Company      04/03/24       5    
 

KRW

    328,447,000     USD      246,271        State Street Bank & Trust Company      04/03/24       117    
 

MXN

    2,040,000     USD      119,010        Bank of America N.A.      04/03/24       107    
 

MXN

    1,148,000     USD      66,991        Morgan Stanley & Co. International PLC      04/03/24       42    
 

THB

    1,145,000     USD      31,937        HSBC Bank PLC      04/03/24       65    
 

THB

    881,000     USD      24,555        JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.      04/03/24       68    
 

TRY

    878,000     USD      27,097        BNP Paribas SA      04/03/24       76    
 

TWD

    97,000     USD      3,068        Morgan Stanley & Co. International PLC      04/03/24          
 

TWD

    9,951,000     USD      314,423        State Street Bank & Trust Company      04/03/24       274    
 

USD

    6,812,997     BRL      33,972,000        State Street Bank & Trust Company      04/03/24       280    
 

USD

    437,400     CNH      3,146,000        JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.      04/03/24       56    
 

USD

    4,896,766     CNH      35,216,320        Morgan Stanley & Co. International PLC      04/03/24       1,128    
 

USD

    164,685     EUR      152,000        Bank of America N.A.      04/03/24       203    

 

 

8  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

 

Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts (continued)

         
    Currency Purchased     Currency Sold        Counterparty    Settlement Date    

Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

       

  

 

USD

    2,191,874     EUR      2,023,000        State Street Bank & Trust Company      04/03/24     $ 2,747    
 

USD

    2,017,938     HKD      15,784,000        JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.      04/03/24       172    
 

USD

    21,535,515           HKD      168,448,000        Morgan Stanley & Co. International PLC      04/03/24             1,768    
 

USD

    8,860     IDR      139,267,000        Morgan Stanley & Co. International PLC      04/03/24       2        
 

USD

    15,005,373     KRW       19,994,210,000        JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.      04/03/24       6,482    
 

USD

    796,937     KRW      1,061,759,000        State Street Bank & Trust Company      04/03/24       446    
 

USD

    1,662,379     MYR      7,883,000        State Street Bank & Trust Company      04/03/24       1,780    
 

USD

    19,167,663     TWD      605,794,000        JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.      04/03/24       9,688    
 

USD

    1,114,263     TWD      35,233,000        State Street Bank & Trust Company      04/03/24       35    
 

ZAR

    2,278,000     USD      118,385        Bank of America N.A.      04/03/24       86    
 

ZAR

    856,000     USD      44,508        Morgan Stanley & Co. International PLC      04/03/24       9    
 

USD

    20,625,523     INR      1,711,939,000        JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.      04/04/24       5,962    
 

USD

    1,008,818     INR      83,742,000        State Street Bank & Trust Company      04/04/24       182    
                  

 

 

   
                     714,237    
                  

 

 

   
 

BRL

    791,000     USD      159,516        Citibank N.A.      03/06/24       (434  
 

BRL

    245,000     USD      49,422        Goldman Sachs & Co.      03/06/24       (149  
 

CLP

    18,572,000     USD      19,866        Citibank N.A.      03/06/24       (643  
 

CLP

    11,775,000     USD      12,191        State Street Bank & Trust Company      03/06/24       (4  
 

CNH

    692,000     USD      96,529        Bank of New York      03/06/24       (490  
 

CNH

    36,319,320     USD      5,042,425        Morgan Stanley & Co. International PLC      03/06/24       (1,895  
 

EUR

    13,000     USD      14,142        JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.      03/06/24       (91  
 

EUR

    2,023,000     USD      2,189,358        State Street Bank & Trust Company      03/06/24       (2,731  
 

HKD

    9,182,000     USD      1,175,792        Bank of America N.A.      03/06/24       (2,967  
 

HKD

    4,782,000     USD      612,273        HSBC Bank PLC      03/06/24       (1,463  
 

HKD

    3,113,000     USD      398,307        JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.      03/06/24       (681  
 

HKD

    168,448,000     USD      21,518,734        Morgan Stanley & Co. International PLC      03/06/24       (2,713  
 

IDR

     35,505,497,000     USD      2,260,057        JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.      03/06/24       (336  
 

IDR

    656,159,000     USD      41,983        State Street Bank & Trust Company      03/06/24       (222  
 

INR

    1,711,939,000     USD      20,650,901        JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.      03/06/24       (5,630  
 

KRW

    1,290,111,000     USD      970,646        State Street Bank & Trust Company      03/06/24       (2,120  
 

MYR

    13,000     USD      2,767        Morgan Stanley & Co. International PLC      03/06/24       (29  
 

THB

    69,692,000     USD      1,945,698        Citibank N.A.      03/06/24       (2,213  
 

THB

    1,703,000     USD      48,343        Morgan Stanley & Co. International PLC      03/06/24       (851  
 

TRY

    476,000     USD      15,219        JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.      03/06/24       (12  
 

TWD

    605,794,000     USD      19,159,782        JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.      03/06/24       (1,601  
 

TWD

    3,318,000     USD      106,637        Morgan Stanley & Co. International PLC      03/06/24       (1,705  
 

TWD

    11,195,000     USD      357,713        State Street Bank & Trust Company      03/06/24       (3,673  
 

USD

    2,265,046     IDR      35,698,265,000        Citibank N.A.      03/06/24       (6,944  
 

USD

    29,361     IDR      463,391,000        Morgan Stanley & Co. International PLC      03/06/24       (131  
 

USD

    21,148,433     INR      1,758,175,000        Citibank N.A.      03/06/24       (54,424  
 

USD

    3,306,538     MXN      57,104,000        HSBC Bank PLC      03/06/24       (42,711  

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

    9  


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

 

Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts (continued)

         
    Currency Purchased     Currency Sold        Counterparty    Settlement Date    

Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

       

  

 

USD

    34,905       MXN        603,000        Morgan Stanley & Co. International PLC      03/06/24     $ (462  
 

USD

    107,591       TRY        3,379,000        UBS AG      03/06/24       (360  
 

ZAR

    1,208,000       USD        63,680        Bank of America N.A.      03/06/24             (708      
 

ZAR

    1,688,000       USD        90,512        Citibank N.A.      03/06/24       (2,518  
 

HKD

    4,212,000       USD        538,466        State Street Bank & Trust Company      04/03/24       (20  
 

IDR

     583,253,000             USD        37,126        Citibank N.A.      04/03/24       (29  
 

MYR

    101,000       USD        21,285        Morgan Stanley & Co. International PLC      04/03/24       (9  
 

MYR

    125,000       USD        26,399        State Street Bank & Trust Company      04/03/24       (67  
 

USD

    707,612       CLP        685,229,000        State Street Bank & Trust Company      04/03/24       (605  
 

USD

    2,258,188       IDR           35,505,497,000        JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.      04/03/24       (96  
 

USD

    77,486       IDR        1,218,470,000        State Street Bank & Trust Company      04/03/24       (13  
 

USD

    163,190       KRW        217,679,000        Morgan Stanley & Co. International PLC      04/03/24       (104  
 

USD

    3,305,139       MXN        56,660,000        Citibank N.A.      04/03/24       (3,283  
 

USD

    1,947,553       THB        69,692,000        Citibank N.A.      04/03/24       (301  
 

USD

    52,039       THB        1,863,000        JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.      04/03/24       (31  
 

USD

    856,484       TRY        27,767,000        Bank of America N.A.      04/03/24       (2,867  
 

USD

    3,399,359       ZAR        65,378,000        Morgan Stanley & Co. International PLC      04/03/24       (744  
 

INR

    28,122,000       USD        338,778        Citibank N.A.      04/04/24       (61  
 

INR

    29,940,000       USD        360,719        Morgan Stanley & Co. International PLC      04/04/24       (104  
                  

 

 

   
                     (149,245  
                  

 

 

   
                     $564,992    
                  

 

 

   

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

 

 
   

Commodity

Contracts

    

Credit

Contracts

    

Equity

Contracts

    

Foreign

Currency

Exchange

Contracts

    

Interest

Rate

Contracts

    

Other

Contracts

     Total  

 

 

Assets — Derivative Financial Instruments

                   

Forward foreign currency exchange contracts

                   

Unrealized appreciation on forward foreign currency exchange contracts

  $      $      $      $ 714,237      $      $      $ 714,237  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Liabilities — Derivative Financial Instruments

                   

Forward foreign currency exchange contracts

                   

Unrealized depreciation on forward foreign currency exchange contracts

  $      $      $      $ 149,245      $      $      $ 149,245  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

 

 
   

Commodity

Contracts

    

Credit

Contracts

    

Equity

Contracts

    

Foreign

Currency

Exchange

Contracts

   

Interest

Rate

Contracts

    

Other

Contracts

     Total  

 

 

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                  

Forward foreign currency exchange contracts

  $      $      $      $ 2,163,434     $      $      $ 2,163,434  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

                  

Forward foreign currency exchange contracts

  $      $      $      $ (1,498,901   $      $      $ (1,498,901
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

10  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

   

Forward foreign currency exchange contracts:

 

Average amounts purchased — in USD

  $ 115,301,879  

Average amounts sold — in USD

  $ 225,716,168  

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

Derivative Financial Instruments - Offsetting as of Period End

The Fund’s derivative assets and liabilities (by type) were as follows:

 

 

 
    Assets     Liabilities  

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments:

   

Forward foreign currency exchange contracts

  $ 714,237     $ 149,245  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total derivative assets and liabilities in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities

    714,237        149,245  

Derivatives not subject to a Master Netting Agreement or similar agreement (“MNA”)

           
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total derivative assets and liabilities subject to an MNA

  $ 714,237     $ 149,245  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

The following tables present the Fund’s derivative assets and liabilities by counterparty net of amounts available for offset under an MNA and net of the related collateral received and pledged by the Fund:

 

 

 

Counterparty

 

Derivative

Assets

Subject to

an MNA by

Counterparty

 

 

 

 

 

    

Derivatives

Available

for Offset

 

 

(a) 

   

Non-Cash

Collateral

Received

 

 

 

    


Cash

Collateral
Received

 

 
(b) 

   

Net Amount

of Derivative

Assets

 

 

(c) 

 

 

Bank of America N.A.

    $ 161,987      $ (6,542   $      $     $ 155,445  

Bank of New York

      359        (359                   

Barclays Bank PLC

         7                           7  

BNP Paribas SA

      154                           154  

Citibank N.A.

      448,778        (70,850            (377,928      

HSBC Bank PLC

      34,748        (34,748                   

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.

      46,898        (8,478                  38,420  

Morgan Stanley & Co. International PLC

      4,208        (4,208                   

State Street Bank & Trust Company

      16,431        (9,455                  6,976  

UBS AG

      667        (360                  307  
   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 
    $ 714,237      $ (135,000   $      $ (377,928   $ 201,309  
   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

     

             

 

 

Counterparty

 

Derivative

Liabilities

Subject to

an MNA by

Counterparty

 

 

 

 

 

    

Derivatives

Available

for Offset

 

 

(a) 

   

Non-Cash

Collateral

Pledged

 

 

 

    

Cash

Collateral

Pledged

 

 

 

   

Net Amount

of Derivative

Liabilities

 

 

(d) 

 

 

Bank of America N.A.

    $ 6,542      $ (6,542   $      $     $  

Bank of New York

      490        (359                  131  

Citibank N.A.

      70,850        (70,850                   

Goldman Sachs & Co.

      149                           149  

HSBC Bank PLC

      44,174        (34,748                  9,426  

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.

      8,478        (8,478                   

Morgan Stanley & Co. International PLC

      8,747        (4,208                  4,539  

State Street Bank & Trust Company

      9,455        (9,455                   

UBS AG

      360        (360                   
   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 
    $ 149,245      $ (135,000   $      $     $ 14,245  
   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

The amount of derivatives available for offset is limited to the amount of derivative assets and/or liabilities that are subject to an MNA.

 
  (b)

Excess of collateral received/pledged, if any, from the individual counterparty is not shown for financial reporting purposes.

 
  (c) 

Net amount represents the net amount receivable from the counterparty in the event of default.

 
  (d)

Net amount represents the net amount payable due to the counterparty in the event of default.

 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

    11  


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

 

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

 

 
    Level 1     Level 2     Level 3     Total  

 

 

Assets

       

Investments

       

Long-Term Investments

       

Investment Companies

  $ 119,009,240     $     $     $ 119,009,240  

Short-Term Securities

       

Money Market Funds

    40,477,484                   40,477,484  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  $ 159,486,724      $     —      $     —      $ 159,486,724  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

       

Assets

       

Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts

  $     $ 714,237     $     $ 714,237  

Liabilities

       

Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts

          (149,245           (149,245
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  $     $ 564,992     $       564,992  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Derivative financial instruments are forward foreign currency exchange contracts. Forward foreign currency exchange contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

12  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Common Stocks

   
Brazil — 3.9%            

Ambev SA

    11,827,077     $ 29,929,921  

Atacadao SA

    1,597,144       3,884,346  

B3 SA - Brasil Bolsa Balcao

    14,411,644       37,195,267  

Banco Bradesco SA

    3,859,618       9,549,859  

Banco BTG Pactual SA

    2,992,517       21,906,156  

Banco do Brasil SA

    2,146,378       24,982,284  

Banco Santander Brasil SA

    912,178       5,247,992  

BB Seguridade Participacoes SA

    1,749,970       11,736,638  

Caixa Seguridade Participacoes S/A

    1,506,778       4,355,656  

CCR SA

    2,553,280       7,077,749  

Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA

    3,040,846       26,609,161  

Cia. de Saneamento Basico do Estado de Sao Paulo

    867,260       13,810,284  

Cia. Siderurgica Nacional SA

    1,714,900       5,802,462  

Cosan SA

    3,090,961       10,570,364  

CPFL Energia SA

    551,281       3,924,651  

Energisa SA

    548,998       5,614,664  

Eneva SA(a)

    1,846,059       4,764,526  

Engie Brasil Energia SA

    515,713       4,359,249  

Equatorial Energia SA

    2,580,464       17,742,604  

Hapvida Participacoes e Investimentos SA(a)(b)

    12,383,585       9,142,394  

Hypera SA

    964,357       6,378,479  

JBS SA

    1,939,235       8,995,747  

Klabin SA

    1,896,668       8,611,333  

Localiza Rent a Car SA

    2,293,934       24,457,062  

Localiza Rent a Car SA, NVS(a)

    8,247       83,945  

Lojas Renner SA

    2,444,105       7,768,272  

Magazine Luiza SA(a)

    7,776,708       3,332,137  

Magazine Luiza SA, NVS

    744,932       319,186  

Natura & Co. Holding SA(a)

    2,322,853       7,621,197  

Petroleo Brasileiro SA

    9,366,049       77,662,598  

PRIO SA

    2,020,175       17,763,040  

Raia Drogasil SA

    3,269,481       17,521,067  

Rede D’Or Sao Luiz SA(b)

    1,452,329       7,397,351  

Rumo SA

    3,271,253       14,950,990  

Sendas Distribuidora SA

    3,414,099       9,752,410  

Suzano SA

    1,995,024       22,614,633  

Telefonica Brasil SA

    1,055,339       11,565,824  

TIM SA/Brazil

    2,219,171       8,111,351  

TOTVS SA

    1,376,170       8,496,039  

Ultrapar Participacoes SA

    1,835,322       10,839,664  

Vale SA

    8,566,357       115,439,290  

Vibra Energia SA

    2,933,140       15,258,394  

WEG SA

    4,259,968       31,441,376  
   

 

 

 
      694,587,612  
Chile — 0.4%            

Banco de Chile

    113,770,353       13,192,413  

Banco de Credito e Inversiones SA

    198,621       5,510,054  

Banco Santander Chile

    168,433,008       8,190,985  

Cencosud SA

    3,333,248       5,986,362  

Cia. Sud Americana de Vapores SA

    39,063,910       2,727,430  

Empresas CMPC SA

    2,883,600       5,119,117  

Empresas Copec SA

    989,695       6,351,685  

Enel Americas SA

    54,440,781       5,550,812  

Enel Chile SA

    70,568,699       4,238,972  

Falabella SA(a)

    2,166,829       5,495,729  

Latam Airlines Group SA(a)

     468,177,037       5,888,196  
   

 

 

 
       68,251,755  
China — 25.3%            

360 Security Technology Inc., Class A(a)

    1,202,306       1,461,726  
Security   Shares     Value  
China (continued)            

37 Interactive Entertainment Network Technology Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    365,188     $ 983,621  

AAC Technologies Holdings Inc.

    1,846,000       4,589,433  

Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment Inc., Class A

    105,029       2,142,526  

AECC Aviation Power Co. Ltd., Class A

    426,073       2,034,085  

Agricultural Bank of China Ltd., Class A

    13,079,800       7,597,915  

Agricultural Bank of China Ltd., Class H

    69,665,000       28,579,751  

Aier Eye Hospital Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,544,317       3,131,124  

Air China Ltd., Class A(a)

    2,042,593       2,115,444  

Air China Ltd., Class H(a)

    4,152,000       2,223,338  

Akeso Inc.(a)(b)(c)

    1,285,000       7,705,404  

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.

    41,004,856       376,985,417  

Alibaba Health Information Technology
Ltd.(a)(c)

    13,880,000       6,064,908  

Aluminum Corp. of China Ltd., Class A

    2,958,900       2,474,457  

Aluminum Corp. of China Ltd., Class H

    9,672,000       4,819,487  

Anhui Conch Cement Co. Ltd., Class A

    676,986       2,247,207  

Anhui Conch Cement Co. Ltd., Class H

    2,972,500       6,468,112  

Anhui Gujing Distillery Co. Ltd., Class A

    62,985       1,909,039  

Anhui Gujing Distillery Co. Ltd., Class B

    273,000       3,859,781  

Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Corp.
Ltd.(a)

    468,200       1,002,534  

Anhui Kouzi Distillery Co. Ltd., Class A

    118,452       699,271  

Anhui Yingjia Distillery Co. Ltd., Class A

    117,800       1,041,638  

Anjoy Foods Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    60,500       731,425  

ANTA Sports Products Ltd.

    3,163,802       30,844,060  

Asymchem Laboratories Tianjin Co. Ltd., Class A

    60,680       851,634  

Autohome Inc., ADR

    178,340       4,635,057  

Avary Holding Shenzhen Co. Ltd., Class A

    447,004       1,305,984  

AVIC Industry-Finance Holdings Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,745,289       802,824  

AviChina Industry & Technology Co. Ltd., Class H

    6,029,000       2,473,757  

Avicopter PLC, Class A

    135,553       685,053  

BAIC BluePark New Energy Technology Co. Ltd.

    1,119,900       921,784  

Baidu Inc.(a)

    5,687,780       71,969,737  

Bank of Beijing Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,808,206       2,737,400  

Bank of Chengdu Co. Ltd., Class A

    632,295       1,159,244  

Bank of China Ltd., Class A

    5,999,800       3,717,764  

Bank of China Ltd., Class H

    199,143,000       78,124,057  

Bank of Communications Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,403,593       5,564,656  

Bank of Communications Co. Ltd.,
Class H

    21,866,600       14,325,808  

Bank of Hangzhou Co. Ltd., Class A

    998,845       1,534,750  

Bank of Jiangsu Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,980,110       3,168,495  

Bank of Nanjing Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,725,646       2,093,649  

Bank of Ningbo Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,003,979       3,094,587  

Bank of Shanghai Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,692,542       2,439,424  

Baoshan Iron & Steel Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,673,773       3,394,713  

BeiGene Ltd.(a)

    1,732,022       22,299,342  

Beijing Enlight Media Co. Ltd., Class A

    742,895       932,829  

Beijing Enterprises Holdings Ltd.

    1,413,500       5,317,330  

Beijing Enterprises Water Group Ltd.

    11,970,000       2,807,936  

Beijing Kingsoft Office Software Inc., Class A

    71,481       2,688,980  

Beijing New Building Materials PLC, Class A

    284,213       1,106,563  

Beijing Roborock Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    24,165       1,092,923  

Beijing Tongrentang Co. Ltd., Class A

    267,000       1,649,106  

Beijing Wantai Biological Pharmacy Enterprise Co. Ltd., Class A

    135,130       1,386,338  

Beijing-Shanghai High Speed Railway Co. Ltd., Class A

    8,010,100       5,612,498  

Bilibili Inc.(a)(c)

    494,674       4,796,975  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  13


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
China (continued)            

Bloomage Biotechnology Corp. Ltd.

    92,105     $ 816,220  

BOC Aviation Ltd.(b)

    579,300       4,264,317  

BOE Technology Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,681,900       3,696,453  

Bosideng International Holdings Ltd.

    10,046,000       5,052,908  

Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Ltd.

    7,448,000       4,335,421  

BYD Co. Ltd., Class A

    279,212       7,374,723  

BYD Co. Ltd., Class H

    2,621,500       64,567,719  

BYD Electronic International Co. Ltd.

    1,996,500       7,538,518  

C&D International Investment Group Ltd.

    1,796,000       2,920,172  

Caitong Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    999,074       1,105,516  

Cambricon Technologies Corp. Ltd.(a)

    68,154       1,595,112  

CGN Power Co. Ltd.

    1,920,100       1,027,845  

CGN Power Co. Ltd., Class H(b)

    27,351,000       8,306,016  

Changchun High & New Technology Industry Group Inc., Class A

    67,494       1,205,057  

Changjiang Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,234,435       941,798  

Changzhou Xingyu Automotive Lighting Systems Co. Ltd., Class A

    51,100       995,920  

Chaozhou Three-Circle Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    397,730       1,399,533  

China Cinda Asset Management Co. Ltd., Class H

    25,097,000       2,403,090  

China CITIC Bank Corp. Ltd., Class H

    22,886,800       12,168,639  

China Coal Energy Co. Ltd., Class H

    5,281,000       5,687,205  

China Communications Services Corp. Ltd., Class H

    6,710,000       2,850,267  

China Construction Bank Corp., Class A

    1,763,568       1,711,329  

China Construction Bank Corp., Class H

     241,666,760        149,871,110  

China CSSC Holdings Ltd., Class A

    767,300       3,781,458  

China Eastern Airlines Corp. Ltd., Class A(a)

    2,754,297       1,453,974  

China Energy Engineering Corp. Ltd.

    6,654,152       2,010,646  

China Everbright Bank Co. Ltd., Class A

    8,299,903       3,705,081  

China Everbright Bank Co. Ltd., Class H

    5,211,000       1,629,219  

China Feihe Ltd.(b)

    9,480,000       4,715,264  

China Galaxy Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    822,300       1,385,934  

China Galaxy Securities Co. Ltd., Class H

    8,688,000       4,564,976  

China Gas Holdings Ltd.

    7,031,800       6,435,377  

China Greatwall Technology Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    680,573       979,628  

China Hongqiao Group Ltd.(c)

    6,249,500       4,836,372  

China International Capital Corp. Ltd., Class A

    290,000       1,406,130  

China International Capital Corp. Ltd., Class H(b)

    3,976,400       4,984,649  

China Jushi Co. Ltd., Class A

    831,940       1,154,891  

China Life Insurance Co. Ltd., Class A

    448,512       1,882,492  

China Life Insurance Co. Ltd., Class H

    18,609,000       22,810,719  

China Literature Ltd.(a)(b)

    1,040,200       3,188,938  

China Longyuan Power Group Corp. Ltd., Class H

    8,541,000       6,018,954  

China Medical System Holdings Ltd.

    3,542,000       5,822,608  

China Mengniu Dairy Co. Ltd.

    7,995,000       19,990,231  

China Merchants Bank Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,226,489       14,287,974  

China Merchants Bank Co. Ltd., Class H

    9,653,967       37,332,069  

China Merchants Energy Shipping Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,419,000       1,417,740  

China Merchants Port Holdings Co. Ltd.

    3,592,000       4,458,576  

China Merchants Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,471,779       2,879,596  

China Merchants Shekou Industrial Zone Holdings Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,301,590       1,698,284  

China Minsheng Banking Corp. Ltd., Class A

    6,873,155       3,850,754  

China Minsheng Banking Corp. Ltd., Class H

    13,996,548       4,925,989  
Security   Shares     Value  
China (continued)            

China National Building Material Co. Ltd., Class H

    9,942,000     $ 3,739,257  

China National Chemical Engineering Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,282,467       1,241,179  

China National Nuclear Power Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,207,100       3,860,794  

China Northern Rare Earth Group High-Tech Co. Ltd., Class A

    704,754       1,843,257  

China Oilfield Services Ltd., Class H

    4,912,000       4,322,521  

China Overseas Land & Investment Ltd.

    9,668,460       14,278,554  

China Overseas Property Holdings Ltd.(c)

    3,360,000       2,824,859  

China Pacific Insurance Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,144,907       4,054,163  

China Pacific Insurance Group Co. Ltd., Class H

    6,413,000       12,164,514  

China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., Class A

    4,793,889       4,148,365  

China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., Class H

    62,020,800       34,170,558  

China Power International Development Ltd.

    12,882,000       5,203,456  

China Railway Group Ltd., Class A

    3,346,500       2,943,831  

China Railway Group Ltd., Class H

    10,220,000       4,978,043  

China Resources Beer Holdings Co. Ltd.

    4,092,000       17,632,244  

China Resources Gas Group Ltd.

    2,370,900       7,154,713  

China Resources Land Ltd.

    8,117,333        24,793,212  

China Resources Microelectronics Ltd.

    292,493       1,736,094  

China Resources Mixc Lifestyle Services
Ltd.(b)

    1,706,200       5,142,177  

China Resources Pharmaceutical Group
Ltd.(b)

    4,067,500       2,751,002  

China Resources Power Holdings Co. Ltd.

    4,932,999       10,619,038  

China Resources Sanjiu Medical & Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Class A

    172,599       1,316,815  

China Ruyi Holdings Ltd.(a)(c)

     14,760,000       2,897,247  

China Shenhua Energy Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,100,039       5,877,086  

China Shenhua Energy Co. Ltd., Class H

    8,429,000       32,432,181  

China Southern Airlines Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    2,403,800       1,971,020  

China State Construction Engineering Corp. Ltd., Class A

    6,656,871       4,933,364  

China State Construction International Holdings Ltd.

    5,506,000       6,135,403  

China Taiping Insurance Holdings Co. Ltd.

    3,842,260       3,338,236  

China Three Gorges Renewables Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    5,118,825       3,279,526  

China Tourism Group Duty Free Corp.
Ltd.(b)(c)

    193,000       1,889,915  

China Tourism Group Duty Free Corp. Ltd., Class A

    359,132       4,324,646  

China Tower Corp. Ltd., Class H(b)

    115,412,000       13,988,857  

China United Network Communications Ltd., Class A

    5,063,900       3,369,508  

China Vanke Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,406,366       1,953,926  

China Vanke Co. Ltd., Class H

    5,321,931       4,103,116  

China Yangtze Power Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,764,415       13,085,396  

China Zhenhua Group Science & Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    127,500       1,013,908  

China Zheshang Bank Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,692,730       1,808,740  

Chongqing Brewery Co. Ltd., Class A

    84,600       766,497  

Chongqing Changan Automobile Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,285,817       2,652,385  

Chongqing Zhifei Biological Products Co. Ltd., Class A

    367,913       2,728,066  

Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Ltd.(c)

    5,038,800       7,508,169  

CITIC Ltd.

    14,815,000       14,903,470  

CITIC Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,925,793       5,682,174  

CITIC Securities Co. Ltd., Class H

    4,366,100       8,070,530  

CMOC Group Ltd., Class A

    3,333,198       2,837,168  
 

 

 

14  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
China (continued)            

CMOC Group Ltd., Class H

    8,700,000     $ 5,367,090  

CNPC Capital Co. Ltd., NVS

    1,445,100       1,240,734  

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    673,534       15,233,619  

COSCO Shipping Energy Transportation Co. Ltd., Class A

    620,800       1,184,018  

COSCO Shipping Energy Transportation Co. Ltd., Class H

    3,216,000       3,042,730  

COSCO Shipping Holdings Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,003,864       2,919,706  

COSCO Shipping Holdings Co. Ltd., Class H

    7,462,849       8,034,059  

COSCO Shipping Ports Ltd.

    3,734,000       2,228,062  

Country Garden Holdings Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    31,100,939       2,527,349  

Country Garden Services Holdings Co. Ltd.

    5,414,000       4,121,063  

CRRC Corp. Ltd., Class A

    4,067,800       3,599,701  

CRRC Corp. Ltd., Class H

    11,351,000       5,844,087  

CSC Financial Co. Ltd., Class A

    736,033       2,373,782  

CSPC Innovation Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

    175,600       827,493  

CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Ltd.

    22,650,479       17,641,320  

Daqin Railway Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,745,100       2,841,703  

Dongfang Electric Corp. Ltd., Class A

    553,900       1,256,065  

Dongfeng Motor Group Co. Ltd., Class H

    6,718,000       2,873,676  

Dongxing Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    853,797       1,004,507  

East Buy Holding Ltd.(a)(b)(c)

    1,156,500       3,564,887  

East Money Information Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,421,498       4,703,706  

Eastroc Beverage Group Co. Ltd.

    51,000       1,265,291  

Ecovacs Robotics Co. Ltd., Class A

    121,653       628,910  

ENN Energy Holdings Ltd.

    2,009,300       16,315,188  

ENN Natural Gas Co. Ltd., Class A

    410,500       1,066,017  

Eoptolink Technology Inc. Ltd.

    123,900       1,034,506  

Eve Energy Co. Ltd., Class A

    330,853       1,755,559  

Everbright Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    689,083       1,614,531  

Fangda Carbon New Material Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    1,313,834       897,008  

Far East Horizon Ltd.

    4,285,000       3,442,448  

First Capital Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,041,900       827,210  

Flat Glass Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    255,400       772,821  

Flat Glass Group Co. Ltd., Class H(c)

    1,066,000       1,970,789  

Focus Media Information Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,618,978       2,283,384  

Foshan Haitian Flavouring & Food Co. Ltd., Class A

    748,756       4,208,156  

Fosun International Ltd.

    6,552,000       3,780,089  

Founder Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,491,200       1,576,556  

Foxconn Industrial Internet Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,034,997       5,277,072  

Fuyao Glass Industry Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    366,772       2,202,370  

Fuyao Glass Industry Group Co. Ltd.,
Class H(b)

    1,536,800       7,703,094  

Ganfeng Lithium Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    300,173       1,664,564  

Ganfeng Lithium Group Co. Ltd.,
Class H(b)(c)

    982,080       3,253,452  

GCL Technology Holdings Ltd.

     53,688,000       7,467,943  

GD Power Development Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,227,900       2,096,272  

Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd.

    15,308,000        16,659,265  

GEM Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,823,100       1,354,904  

Genscript Biotech Corp.(a)(c)

    2,956,000       5,975,956  

GF Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,018,694       2,001,326  

GF Securities Co. Ltd., Class H

    2,771,600       2,975,987  

Giant Biogene Holding Co. Ltd.(a)(b)

    749,600       3,427,509  

GigaDevice Semiconductor Inc., Class A

    122,894       1,248,703  

Ginlong Technologies Co. Ltd., Class A

    70,500       636,360  

GoerTek Inc., Class A

    529,100       1,222,572  

Goldwind Science & Technology Co Ltd., Class A

    1,074,393       1,138,192  
Security   Shares     Value  
China (continued)            

Gongniu Group Co. Ltd.

    85,300     $ 1,205,815  

GoodWe Technologies Co. Ltd., NVS

    29,209       439,021  

Gotion High-tech Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    368,723       1,012,115  

Great Wall Motor Co. Ltd.

    415,400       1,346,821  

Great Wall Motor Co. Ltd., Class H

    5,807,500       6,554,664  

Gree Electric Appliances Inc. of Zhuhai, Class A

    463,600       2,508,862  

Guangdong Haid Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    306,627       1,831,919  

Guangdong Investment Ltd.

    7,618,110       4,520,721  

Guanghui Energy Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,166,500       1,212,098  

Guangzhou Automobile Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    908,400       1,121,204  

Guangzhou Automobile Group Co. Ltd., Class H

    7,751,838       3,354,206  

Guangzhou Baiyunshan Pharmaceutical Holdings Co. Ltd., Class A

    293,596       1,205,676  

Guangzhou Kingmed Diagnostics Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    98,584       822,016  

Guangzhou Shiyuan Electronic Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    152,591       829,398  

Guangzhou Tinci Materials Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    354,200       1,014,005  

Guosen Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,238,751       1,480,159  

Guotai Junan Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,313,040       2,746,843  

H World Group Ltd., ADR

    522,740       19,111,374  

Haidilao International Holding Ltd.(b)(c)

    4,255,000       7,738,019  

Haier Smart Home Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,071,341       3,568,542  

Haier Smart Home Co. Ltd., Class H

    5,984,800        18,125,809  

Hainan Airlines Holding Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    6,855,200       1,360,747  

Hainan Airport Infrastructure Co. Ltd., NVS(a)

    2,355,600       1,224,467  

Haitian International Holdings Ltd.

    1,788,000       4,527,337  

Haitong Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,718,300       2,176,701  

Haitong Securities Co. Ltd., Class H

    6,485,200       3,219,202  

Hangzhou First Applied Material Co. Ltd., Class A

    328,192       1,265,233  

Hangzhou Robam Appliances Co. Ltd., Class A

    225,864       781,699  

Hangzhou Silan Microelectronics Co. Ltd., Class A

    323,500       936,946  

Hangzhou Tigermed Consulting Co. Ltd., Class A

    55,100       343,985  

Hansoh Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd.(b)

    3,004,000       5,294,744  

Henan Shenhuo Coal & Power Co. Ltd.

    495,500       1,264,698  

Henan Shuanghui Investment & Development Co. Ltd., Class A

    676,400       2,738,159  

Hengan International Group Co. Ltd.

    1,609,500       4,960,803  

Hengli Petrochemical Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    1,255,291       2,217,557  

Hengyi Petrochemical Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    1,098,349       1,052,733  

Hithink RoyalFlush Information Network Co. Ltd., Class A

    85,600       1,624,245  

Hoshine Silicon Industry Co. Ltd., Class A

    155,300       1,140,658  

Hua Hong Semiconductor Ltd.(a)(b)

    1,534,000       3,287,717  

Huadian Power International Corp. Ltd., Class A

    1,646,200       1,414,018  

Huadong Medicine Co. Ltd., Class A

    327,705       1,525,960  

Huafon Chemical Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,104,400       1,044,713  

Huagong Tech Co. Ltd., Class A

    208,600       918,898  

Hualan Biological Engineering Inc., Class A

    483,883       1,322,310  

Huaneng Power International Inc.,
Class A(a)

    1,665,800       2,038,130  

Huaneng Power International Inc.,
Class H(a)

     10,616,000       5,954,107  

Huatai Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,307,909       2,633,805  

Huatai Securities Co. Ltd., Class H(b)

    2,895,400       3,417,498  

Huaxia Bank Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,644,960       2,325,649  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  15


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
China (continued)            

Huayu Automotive Systems Co. Ltd., Class A

    617,268     $ 1,493,484  

Huizhou Desay Sv Automotive Co. Ltd., Class A

    90,900       1,289,404  

Humanwell Healthcare Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    350,200       1,068,174  

Hunan Valin Steel Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,479,200       1,165,307  

Hundsun Technologies Inc., Class A

    327,144       1,106,264  

Hygeia Healthcare Holdings Co. Ltd.(b)(c)

    884,400       3,319,896  

Hygon Information Technology Co. Ltd., NVS

    312,752       3,691,676  

IEIT Systems Co. Ltd., Class A

    233,790       1,213,006  

Iflytek Co. Ltd., Class A

    371,419       2,548,590  

Imeik Technology Development Co. Ltd., Class A

    36,900       1,675,370  

Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd., Class A

    9,969,962       7,367,733  

Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd., Class H

     163,298,085       83,708,669  

Industrial Bank Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,174,242       7,322,592  

Industrial Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,930,676       1,555,056  

Ingenic Semiconductor Co. Ltd., Class A

    98,100       888,257  

Inner Mongolia BaoTou Steel Union Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    8,757,600       1,871,130  

Inner Mongolia Junzheng Energy & Chemical Industry Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,027,600       1,093,280  

Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    997,170       3,914,918  

Inner Mongolia Yitai Coal Co. Ltd., Class B

    2,768,600       5,561,135  

Innovent Biologics Inc.(a)(b)

    3,036,000       16,372,237  

iQIYI Inc., ADR(a)(c)

    1,131,996       4,177,065  

Isoftstone Information Technology Group Co. Ltd., NVS(a)

    151,400       957,163  

JA Solar Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    567,660       1,474,521  

JCET Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    381,500       1,384,714  

JD Health International Inc.(a)(b)(c)

    2,821,500       10,641,495  

JD Logistics Inc.(a)(b)

    4,929,300       4,867,194  

JD.com Inc.

    5,916,204       66,769,571  

Jiangsu Eastern Shenghong Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,095,400       1,594,480  

Jiangsu Expressway Co. Ltd., Class H

    3,882,000       3,987,540  

Jiangsu Hengli Hydraulic Co. Ltd., Class A

    230,288       1,813,117  

Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., Class A

    997,241       5,885,308  

Jiangsu King’s Luck Brewery JSC Ltd., Class A

    212,286       1,576,362  

Jiangsu Yanghe Brewery Joint-Stock Co. Ltd., Class A

    231,250       3,226,831  

Jiangsu Zhongtian Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    610,624       1,107,305  

Jiangxi Copper Co. Ltd., Class A

    497,200       1,347,871  

Jiangxi Copper Co. Ltd., Class H

    2,902,000       4,306,897  

Jinko Solar Co. Ltd.

    1,160,002       1,422,467  

JiuGui Liquor Co. Ltd., Class A

    65,300       550,708  

Jonjee Hi-Tech Industrial & Commercial Holding Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    235,733       826,198  

Kanzhun Ltd., ADR

    568,333       8,894,411  

KE Holdings Inc., ADR

    1,663,117        22,601,760  

Kingboard Holdings Ltd.

    1,791,000       3,512,989  

Kingdee International Software Group Co. Ltd.(a)

    7,174,000       7,714,109  

Kingsoft Corp. Ltd.

    2,409,200       6,694,294  

Kuaishou Technology(a)(b)

    5,889,000       33,254,655  

Kunlun Energy Co. Ltd.

    9,986,000       8,513,198  

Kunlun Tech Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    213,200       1,195,823  

Kweichow Moutai Co. Ltd., Class A

    189,687       44,498,483  

LB Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    546,500       1,421,991  
Security   Shares     Value  
China (continued)            

Legend Biotech Corp., ADR(a)(c)

    183,585     $ 11,962,399  

Lenovo Group Ltd.

    20,226,000       22,344,255  

Lens Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    993,800       1,667,486  

Lepu Medical Technology Beijing Co. Ltd., Class A

    432,570       905,789  

Li Auto Inc.(a)

    2,892,190       66,005,444  

Li Ning Co. Ltd.

    5,965,500       14,759,301  

Lingyi iTech Guangdong Co., Class A

    1,794,480       1,365,956  

Longfor Group Holdings Ltd.(b)

    4,913,500       6,154,180  

LONGi Green Energy Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,168,371       3,439,484  

Luxshare Precision Industry Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,112,946       4,258,789  

Luzhou Laojiao Co. Ltd., Class A

    222,739       5,401,058  

Mango Excellent Media Co. Ltd., Class A

    319,200       1,096,031  

Maxscend Microelectronics Co. Ltd., Class A

    92,644       1,381,419  

Meinian Onehealth Healthcare Holdings Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    1,010,680       779,860  

Meituan, Class B(a)(b)

     12,794,300        129,889,861  

Metallurgical Corp. of China Ltd., Class A

    3,427,690       1,581,877  

Midea Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    529,100       4,598,348  

Ming Yang Smart Energy Group Ltd., Class A

    430,800       609,706  

MINISO Group Holding Ltd.

    945,080       4,343,676  

Montage Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    206,400       1,496,602  

Muyuan Foods Co. Ltd., Class A

    881,639       4,697,071  

Nanjing King-Friend Biochemical Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Class A

    377,953       751,226  

NARI Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,416,054       4,550,577  

National Silicon Industry Group Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    529,941       1,132,972  

NAURA Technology Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    86,200       3,397,119  

NetEase Inc.

    4,875,750       105,913,828  

New China Life Insurance Co. Ltd., Class A

    354,702       1,610,634  

New China Life Insurance Co. Ltd., Class H

    1,930,200       3,707,979  

New Hope Liuhe Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    1,049,597       1,287,752  

New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc.(a)

    3,754,100       35,282,081  

Ninestar Corp., Class A

    308,338       1,002,579  

Ningbo Deye Technology Co. Ltd., NVS

    74,300       862,758  

Ningbo Joyson Electronic Corp., Class A

    344,100       793,614  

Ningbo Orient Wires & Cables Co. Ltd.

    149,700       804,274  

Ningbo Shanshan Co. Ltd.

    580,903       921,981  

Ningbo Tuopu Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    186,200       1,512,391  

Ningxia Baofeng Energy Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,377,300       2,911,834  

NIO Inc., ADR(a)(c)

    3,418,909       19,658,727  

Nongfu Spring Co. Ltd., Class H(b)

    4,996,200       28,252,513  

OFILM Group Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    623,300       705,779  

Oppein Home Group Inc., Class A

    87,700       843,746  

Orient Overseas International Ltd.

    331,500       5,133,388  

Orient Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,310,134       1,599,350  

Pangang Group Vanadium Titanium & Resources Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    2,003,589       884,870  

PDD Holdings Inc., ADR(a)

    1,507,364       187,727,113  

People.cn Co. Ltd.

    181,200       666,897  

People’s Insurance Co. Group of China Ltd. (The), Class A

    1,842,300       1,339,195  

People’s Insurance Co. Group of China Ltd. (The), Class H

    19,804,000       6,596,782  

Perfect World Co. Ltd., Class A

    432,100       700,635  

PetroChina Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,221,300       3,943,273  

PetroChina Co. Ltd., Class H

    53,208,000       41,731,640  

Pharmaron Beijing Co. Ltd., Class A

    235,300       760,426  
 

 

 

16  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
China (continued)            

PICC Property & Casualty Co. Ltd., Class H

    17,297,192     $ 23,647,313  

Ping An Bank Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,938,667       4,308,656  

Ping An Insurance Group Co. of China Ltd., Class A

    1,687,584       10,009,549  

Ping An Insurance Group Co. of China Ltd., Class H

    16,741,500       74,452,246  

Piotech Inc., NVS

    38,368       1,137,751  

Poly Developments and Holdings Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,781,884       2,408,325  

Pop Mart International Group Ltd.(b)

    1,208,000       3,011,512  

Postal Savings Bank of China Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,707,500       3,161,966  

Postal Savings Bank of China Co. Ltd., Class H(b)

    18,823,000       9,889,108  

Power Construction Corp. of China Ltd., Class A

    2,799,400       1,982,280  

Qifu Technology Inc.

    301,942       4,665,004  

Qinghai Salt Lake Industry Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    979,500       2,194,193  

Range Intelligent Computing Technology Group Co. Ltd.

    309,700       1,115,235  

Rongsheng Petrochemical Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,672,158       2,377,592  

SAIC Motor Corp. Ltd., Class A

    1,416,106       2,935,337  

Sanan Optoelectronics Co. Ltd., Class A

    960,700       1,656,938  

Sangfor Technologies Inc., Class A(a)

    80,300       706,594  

Sany Heavy Equipment International Holdings Co. Ltd.

    2,999,000       2,319,023  

Sany Heavy Industry Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,462,952       2,822,544  

Satellite Chemical Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    696,684       1,599,384  

SDIC Capital Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,729,100       1,655,755  

SDIC Power Holdings Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,292,300       2,584,098  

Seazen Holdings Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    374,973       538,912  

Seres Group Co. Ltd., NVS(a)

    235,200       2,999,495  

SF Holding Co. Ltd., Class A

    778,735       4,129,657  

SG Micro Corp., Class A

    97,121       952,805  

Shaanxi Coal Industry Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,527,376       5,461,330  

Shandong Gold Mining Co. Ltd., Class A

    657,836       1,974,237  

Shandong Gold Mining Co. Ltd., Class H(b)

    1,792,500       2,832,270  

Shandong Hualu Hengsheng Chemical Co. Ltd., Class A

    454,080       1,729,596  

Shandong Linglong Tyre Co. Ltd., Class A

    368,800       1,131,942  

Shandong Weigao Group Medical Polymer Co. Ltd., Class H

    6,248,000       4,061,858  

Shanghai Bairun Investment Holding Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    263,272       733,718  

Shanghai Baosight Software Co. Ltd., Class A

    321,216       2,085,645  

Shanghai Baosight Software Co. Ltd., Class B

    1,564,297       3,514,778  

Shanghai Construction Group Co. Ltd., Class A

     2,241,752       761,264  

Shanghai Electric Group Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    2,967,391       1,744,166  

Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    386,600       1,316,580  

Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd., Class H

    1,302,500       2,346,949   

Shanghai International Airport Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    238,198       1,160,055  

Shanghai International Port Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,897,189       1,429,229  

Shanghai Junshi Biosciences Co. Ltd.(a)

    125,200       545,987  

Shanghai M&G Stationery Inc., Class A

    195,537       965,477  

Shanghai Pharmaceuticals Holding Co. Ltd., Class A

    579,300       1,455,250  

Shanghai Pharmaceuticals Holding Co. Ltd., Class H

    1,920,000       3,087,553  
Security   Shares     Value  
China (continued)            

Shanghai Pudong Development Bank Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,849,495     $ 4,804,978  

Shanghai Putailai New Energy Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    386,466       1,005,850  

Shanghai RAAS Blood Products Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,385,700       1,382,337  

Shanghai Rural Commercial Bank Co. Ltd.

    1,894,600       1,694,718  

Shanghai United Imaging Healthcare Co. Ltd., NVS

    125,684       2,483,916  

Shanghai Zhangjiang High-Tech Park Development Co. Ltd., Class A

    234,700       649,479  

Shanxi Coal International Energy Group Co. Ltd.

    360,200       918,826  

Shanxi Coking Coal Energy Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    966,000       1,559,890  

Shanxi Lu’an Environmental Energy Development Co. Ltd., Class A

    488,700       1,751,717  

Shanxi Meijin Energy Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    1,144,400       1,089,577  

Shanxi Xinghuacun Fen Wine Factory Co. Ltd., Class A

    185,200       5,962,455  

Shede Spirits Co. Ltd.

    54,900       616,032  

Shengyi Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    535,300       1,272,026  

Shennan Circuits Co. Ltd., Class A

    114,640       1,115,251  

Shenwan Hongyuan Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,493,670       2,853,101  

Shenzhen Inovance Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    250,697       2,195,345  

Shenzhen Kangtai Biological Products Co. Ltd., Class A

    235,635       791,813  

Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co. Ltd., Class A

    195,832       7,830,201  

Shenzhen New Industries Biomedical Engineering Co. Ltd., Class A

    139,100       1,561,471  

Shenzhen Overseas Chinese Town Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    1,448,600       615,895  

Shenzhen Transsion Holding Co. Ltd., Class A

    124,533       2,745,019  

Shenzhou International Group Holdings Ltd.

    2,097,400       17,203,897  

Shijiazhuang Yiling Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Class A

    289,900       862,438  

Sichuan Chuantou Energy Co. Ltd., Class A

    914,860       1,988,053  

Sichuan Kelun Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Class A

    318,578       1,210,872  

Sichuan Road & Bridge Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,388,080       1,570,683  

Sichuan Swellfun Co. Ltd., Class A

    98,193       682,720  

Sino Biopharmaceutical Ltd.(c)

     26,247,750        10,432,424  

Sinoma Science & Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    411,600       893,032  

Sinopharm Group Co. Ltd., Class H

    3,524,800       9,863,919  

Sinotruk Hong Kong Ltd.

    1,652,000       4,367,635  

Skshu Paint Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    106,796       571,313  

Smoore International Holdings Ltd.(b)(c)

    4,671,000       3,247,130  

Songcheng Performance Development Co. Ltd., Class A

    617,318       923,251  

SooChow Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    884,100       894,270  

Spring Airlines Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    190,300       1,513,759  

StarPower Semiconductor Ltd., Class A

    32,500       683,092  

Sungrow Power Supply Co. Ltd., Class A

    234,300       2,828,767  

Sunny Optical Technology Group Co. Ltd.

    1,785,400       11,490,670  

Sunwoda Electronic Co. Ltd., Class A

    443,100       872,611  

SUPCON Technology Co. Ltd.

    183,243       1,168,835  

Suzhou Dongshan Precision Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Class A

    439,500       911,948  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  17


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
China (continued)            

Suzhou Maxwell Technologies Co. Ltd., Class A

    49,440     $ 832,126  

Suzhou TFC Optical Communication Co. Ltd.

    69,200       1,308,244  

TAL Education Group, ADR(a)

    1,118,559       16,476,374  

TBEA Co. Ltd., Class A

    935,380       1,930,939  

TCL Technology Group Corp., Class A(a)

    3,813,530       2,392,799  

TCL Zhonghuan Renewable Energy Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    691,316       1,295,596  

Tencent Holdings Ltd.

    16,691,900        584,727,550  

Tencent Music Entertainment Group, ADR(a)

    1,905,220       19,947,653  

Thunder Software Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    79,987       671,685  

Tianma Microelectronics Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    914,823       1,161,306  

Tianqi Lithium Corp., Class A

    224,000       1,662,901  

Tingyi Cayman Islands Holding Corp.

    5,220,000       5,804,930  

Tongcheng Travel Holdings Ltd.(a)

    3,319,600       8,345,310  

TongFu Microelectronics Co. Ltd., Class A

    338,400       1,042,138  

Tongkun Group Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    682,500       1,283,666  

Tongwei Co. Ltd., Class A

    709,384       2,604,033  

Topchoice Medical Corp., Class A(a)

    77,700       706,838  

Topsports International Holdings Ltd.(b)

    4,942,000       3,344,347  

TravelSky Technology Ltd., Class H

    2,615,000       3,126,149  

Trina Solar Co. Ltd.

    360,397       1,252,710  

Trip.com Group Ltd.(a)

    1,388,762       63,036,287  

Tsingtao Brewery Co. Ltd., Class A

    121,090       1,345,297  

Tsingtao Brewery Co. Ltd., Class H

    1,550,000       9,918,020  

Unigroup Guoxin Microelectronics Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    156,839       1,554,035  

Unisplendour Corp. Ltd., Class A(a)

    500,354       1,533,520  

Vinda International Holdings Ltd.

    814,000       2,410,702  

Vipshop Holdings Ltd., ADR(a)

    871,810       16,782,342  

Walvax Biotechnology Co. Ltd., Class A

    351,847       897,100  

Wanhua Chemical Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    494,591       5,440,871  

Want Want China Holdings Ltd.

     12,568,000       6,934,512  

Weichai Power Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,318,144       3,088,460  

Weichai Power Co. Ltd., Class H

    4,749,800       9,349,324  

Wens Foodstuffs Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,130,870       3,009,837  

Western Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,146,110       1,267,202  

Western Superconducting Technologies Co. Ltd., Class A

    195,212       1,084,090  

Will Semiconductor Co. Ltd. Shanghai, Class A

    199,970       2,654,826  

Wingtech Technology Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    181,400       959,268  

Wuhan Guide Infrared Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,079,732       943,544  

Wuliangye Yibin Co. Ltd., Class A

    588,028        11,569,050  

WUS Printed Circuit Kunshan Co. Ltd., Class A

    356,823       1,307,892  

WuXi AppTec Co. Ltd., Class A

    378,229       2,850,430  

WuXi AppTec Co. Ltd., Class H(b)(c)

    880,770       5,429,513  

Wuxi Biologics Cayman Inc.(a)(b)

    9,662,000       22,885,491  

XCMG Construction Machinery Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,196,069       1,805,855  

Xiaomi Corp., Class B(a)(b)

    38,622,800       64,902,652  

Xinjiang Daqo New Energy Co. Ltd.

    329,152       1,332,579  

Xinyi Solar Holdings Ltd.

    12,690,000       7,684,370  

XPeng Inc.(a)(c)

    2,884,076       13,498,319  

Yadea Group Holdings Ltd.(b)(c)

    3,202,000       5,030,565  

Yankuang Energy Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    649,900       2,330,377  

Yankuang Energy Group Co. Ltd., Class H(a)

    5,662,200       13,057,273  

Yantai Jereh Oilfield Services Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    271,298       1,135,568  

Yealink Network Technology Corp. Ltd., Class A

    266,242       1,083,211  

Yifeng Pharmacy Chain Co. Ltd., Class A

    194,090       1,059,861  

Yihai Kerry Arawana Holdings Co. Ltd., Class A

    290,100       1,298,257  

Yintai Gold Co. Ltd., Class A

    596,600       1,237,131  
Security   Shares     Value  
China (continued)            

YongXing Special Materials Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    98,630     $ 753,816  

Yonyou Network Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    548,351       964,265  

YTO Express Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    652,200       1,152,570  

Yuexiu Property Co. Ltd.

    4,192,000       2,787,755  

Yum China Holdings Inc.

    1,027,588       44,073,249  

Yunda Holding Co. Ltd., Class A

    641,804       641,276  

Yunnan Aluminium Co. Ltd., Class A

    641,500       1,028,225  

Yunnan Baiyao Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    354,922       2,450,312  

Yunnan Energy New Material Co. Ltd., Class A

    144,800       921,158  

Zai Lab Ltd.(a)

    2,361,760       5,040,410  

Zangge Mining Co. Ltd.

    369,800       1,501,320  

Zhangzhou Pientzehuang Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Class A

    97,964       3,027,273  

Zhaojin Mining Industry Co. Ltd., Class H(c)

    3,458,500       3,575,971  

Zhejiang Century Huatong Group Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    1,293,598       877,788  

Zhejiang China Commodities City Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    801,100       911,904  

Zhejiang Chint Electrics Co. Ltd., Class A

    471,423       1,344,113  

Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    549,284       1,407,741  

Zhejiang Expressway Co. Ltd., Class H

    5,154,640       3,931,032  

Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Class A

    374,404       722,986  

Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt Co. Ltd., Class A

    300,815       1,153,912  

Zhejiang Jingsheng Mechanical & Electrical Co. Ltd., Class A

    258,084       1,324,373  

Zhejiang Juhua Co. Ltd., Class A

    560,700       1,582,637  

Zhejiang Leapmotor Technology Co.
Ltd.(a)(b)(c)

    1,288,000       4,506,230  

Zhejiang NHU Co. Ltd., Class A

    658,687       1,644,098  

Zhejiang Sanhua Intelligent Controls Co. Ltd., Class A

    290,500       1,003,543  

Zhejiang Supor Co. Ltd., Class A

    138,082       1,061,097  

Zhejiang Zheneng Electric Power Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    2,359,600       1,761,580  

Zheshang Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    921,700       1,309,126  

ZhongAn Online P&C Insurance Co. Ltd., Class H(a)(b)

    1,769,700       2,786,785  

Zhongji Innolight Co. Ltd., Class A

    126,900       2,733,272  

Zhongjin Gold Corp. Ltd., Class A

    842,600       1,213,832  

Zhongsheng Group Holdings Ltd.

    2,035,500       3,705,901  

Zhongtai Securities Co. Ltd.

    1,764,700       1,699,954  

Zhuzhou CRRC Times Electric Co. Ltd.

    1,387,400       4,067,783  

Zijin Mining Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,339,400       6,051,683  

Zijin Mining Group Co. Ltd., Class H

     13,538,000        21,746,406  

Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science and Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,520,354       1,686,806  

ZTE Corp., Class A

    604,000       2,499,024  

ZTE Corp., Class H

    1,886,600       4,249,536  

ZTO Express Cayman Inc., ADR

    1,062,404       20,387,533  
   

 

 

 
      4,494,015,653  
Colombia — 0.1%            

Bancolombia SA

    630,177       5,288,670  

Interconexion Electrica SA ESP

    1,157,083       4,929,026  
   

 

 

 
      10,217,696  
Czech Republic — 0.1%            

CEZ AS

    402,872       13,764,090  

Komercni Banka AS

    187,587       6,528,396  

Moneta Money Bank AS(b)

    853,562       3,746,845  
   

 

 

 
      24,039,331  
 

 

 

18  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
Egypt — 0.1%            

Commercial International Bank - Egypt (CIB)

    9,039,285     $ 12,904,079  

Eastern Co. S.A.E

    4,110,572       2,907,649  

EFG Holding S.A.E.(a)

    2,296,495       842,870  
   

 

 

 
      16,654,598  
Greece — 0.5%            

Alpha Services and Holdings SA(a)

    5,539,714       10,435,366  

Eurobank Ergasias Services and Holdings SA, Class A(a)

    6,331,967       13,081,516  

FF Group(d)

    246,892       3  

Hellenic Telecommunications Organization SA

    490,670       7,403,210  

JUMBO SA

    299,790       8,761,308  

Motor Oil Hellas Corinth Refineries SA

    161,140       4,603,981  

Mytilineos SA

    246,359       9,585,529  

National Bank of Greece SA(a)

    1,925,955       15,122,523  

OPAP SA

    468,507       8,542,329  

Piraeus Financial Holdings SA(a)

    1,725,456       7,622,908  

Public Power Corp. SA(a)

    535,884       6,999,910  
   

 

 

 
      92,158,583  
Hungary — 0.3%            

MOL Hungarian Oil & Gas PLC

    1,098,501       8,740,193  

OTP Bank Nyrt

    561,495       26,921,055  

Richter Gedeon Nyrt

    347,459       9,250,235  
   

 

 

 
      44,911,483  
India — 17.9%            

ABB India Ltd.

    134,291       8,803,154  

Adani Enterprises Ltd.

    433,876       17,185,054  

Adani Green Energy Ltd.(a)

    802,673       18,345,083  

Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone Ltd.

    1,334,655       21,188,797  

Adani Power Ltd.(a)

    1,945,786       12,877,466  

Ambuja Cements Ltd.

    1,504,566       10,988,346  

APL Apollo Tubes Ltd.

    432,905       8,062,713  

Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd.

    255,528       18,811,791  

Ashok Leyland Ltd.

    3,849,312       7,884,354  

Asian Paints Ltd.

    969,008       33,051,428  

Astral Ltd.

    331,993       8,284,668  

AU Small Finance Bank Ltd.(b)

    427,058       2,927,490  

Aurobindo Pharma Ltd.

    668,886       8,291,866  

Avenue Supermarts Ltd.(a)(b)

    415,939       19,642,748  

Axis Bank Ltd.

     5,737,180       74,267,941  

Bajaj Auto Ltd.

    171,440       16,339,778  

Bajaj Finance Ltd.

    697,121       54,387,708  

Bajaj Finserv Ltd.

    968,906       18,597,974  

Bajaj Holdings & Investment Ltd.

    67,632       7,460,447  

Balkrishna Industries Ltd.

    196,275       5,271,996  

Bandhan Bank Ltd.(b)

    1,800,847       4,240,857  

Bank of Baroda

    2,624,317       8,396,567  

Berger Paints India Ltd.

    764,319       5,592,673  

Bharat Electronics Ltd.

    9,273,590        22,906,671  

Bharat Forge Ltd.

    648,027       8,985,668  

Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd.

    2,631,482       7,221,669  

Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd.

    1,923,908       13,981,752  

Bharti Airtel Ltd.

    5,665,971       76,711,572  

Britannia Industries Ltd.

    275,050       16,483,372  

CG Power and Industrial Solutions Ltd.

    1,550,046       8,283,159  

Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Co. Ltd.

    1,043,216       13,666,440  

Cipla Ltd.

    1,320,364       23,579,842  

Coal India Ltd.

    3,850,540       20,220,410  

Colgate-Palmolive India Ltd.

    315,159       9,584,345  

Container Corp. of India Ltd.

    692,811       8,161,767  

Cummins India Ltd.

    363,519       12,010,756  
Security   Shares     Value  
India (continued)            

Dabur India Ltd.

    1,583,655     $ 10,283,931  

Divi’s Laboratories Ltd.

    303,606       12,770,586  

DLF Ltd.

    1,870,658       20,322,208  

Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd.

    288,336       22,357,548  

Eicher Motors Ltd.

    346,994       15,856,509  

GAIL India Ltd.

    5,839,138       12,813,357  

GMR Airports Infrastructure Ltd.(a)

    6,063,220       6,142,469  

Godrej Consumer Products Ltd.

    1,038,091       15,716,743  

Godrej Properties Ltd.(a)

    317,507       9,184,467  

Grasim Industries Ltd.

    668,363       17,641,342  

Havells India Ltd.

    635,974       11,733,991  

HCL Technologies Ltd.

    2,380,780       47,711,225  

HDFC Asset Management Co. Ltd.(b)

    235,699       10,667,066  

HDFC Bank Ltd.

    7,059,123       119,221,197  

HDFC Life Insurance Co. Ltd.(b)

    2,435,826       17,099,091  

Hero MotoCorp Ltd.

    295,623       15,754,793  

Hindalco Industries Ltd.

    3,340,859       20,265,399  

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd., NVS

    500,385       18,578,422  

Hindustan Petroleum Corp. Ltd.

    1,439,870       8,851,820  

Hindustan Unilever Ltd.

    2,068,049       60,169,376  

ICICI Bank Ltd.

    13,063,076       165,911,031  

ICICI Lombard General Insurance Co.
Ltd.(b)

    607,598       12,552,419  

ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Co. Ltd.(b)

    908,873       5,841,283  

IDFC First Bank Ltd.(a)

    8,515,594       8,319,916  

Indian Hotels Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,176,498       15,405,285  

Indian Oil Corp. Ltd.

    7,116,765       14,192,146  

Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corp. Ltd.

    608,951       6,809,001  

Indraprastha Gas Ltd.

    796,161       4,086,140  

IndusInd Bank Ltd.

    738,742       13,122,810  

Info Edge India Ltd.

    181,727       11,528,206  

Infosys Ltd.

    8,363,130        168,303,732  

InterGlobe Aviation Ltd.(a)(b)

    370,884       14,083,196  

ITC Ltd.

    7,559,894       36,998,491  

Jindal Steel & Power Ltd.

    906,060       8,453,046  

Jio Financial Services Ltd., NVS(a)

    7,884,443       29,434,184  

JSW Steel Ltd.

    1,533,455       14,784,253  

Jubilant Foodworks Ltd.

    1,008,475       5,640,937  

Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd.

    2,763,368       56,220,663  

Larsen & Toubro Ltd.

    1,700,199       71,283,044  

LTIMindtree Ltd.(b)

    225,320       14,406,287  

Lupin Ltd.

    543,786       10,636,917  

Macrotech Developers Ltd.

    570,022       7,987,112  

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.

    2,366,417       55,101,370  

Marico Ltd.

    1,304,281       8,217,616  

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd.

    353,934       48,168,465  

Max Healthcare Institute Ltd.

    1,981,604       18,965,281  

Mphasis Ltd.

    194,157       6,125,058  

MRF Ltd.

    5,876       10,359,013  

Muthoot Finance Ltd.

    305,734       4,795,577  

Nestle India Ltd., NVS

    853,726       26,736,590  

NMDC Ltd.

    2,575,867       7,017,784  

NTPC Ltd.

     10,972,042       44,336,443  

Oil & Natural Gas Corp. Ltd.

    7,872,032       25,043,960  

One 97 Communications Ltd., NVS(a)

    618,033       2,991,444  

Page Industries Ltd.

    15,630       6,467,262  

Persistent Systems Ltd.

    127,943       13,314,143  

Petronet LNG Ltd.

    1,863,062       6,134,164  

PI Industries Ltd.

    208,362       9,229,289  

Pidilite Industries Ltd.

    390,068       12,879,113  

Polycab India Ltd.

    111,805       6,400,416  

Power Finance Corp. Ltd.

    3,727,622       18,033,135  

Power Grid Corp. of India Ltd.

    11,695,280       39,956,639  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  19


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
India (continued)            

Punjab National Bank

    5,547,534     $ 8,152,407  

REC Ltd.

    3,301,054       17,577,858  

Reliance Industries Ltd.

    7,670,187       269,954,107  

Samvardhana Motherson International Ltd.

    5,991,010       8,607,152  

SBI Cards & Payment Services Ltd.

    705,527       6,120,750  

SBI Life Insurance Co. Ltd.(b)

    1,140,469       21,309,657  

Shree Cement Ltd.

    22,761       6,985,209  

Shriram Finance Ltd.

    712,469       20,928,937  

Siemens Ltd.

    224,671       12,667,206  

Sona Blw Precision Forgings Ltd.(b)

    1,039,858       8,637,142  

SRF Ltd.

    377,698       10,888,288  

State Bank of India

    4,492,174       40,451,126  

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

    2,419,289       45,993,170  

Supreme Industries Ltd.

    164,564       8,230,189  

Suzlon Energy Ltd.(a)

    22,084,529       12,032,009  

Tata Communications Ltd.

    305,243       7,068,995  

Tata Consultancy Services Ltd.

    2,293,306       113,131,304  

Tata Consumer Products Ltd.

    1,414,428       20,284,163  

Tata Elxsi Ltd.

    86,920       8,184,821  

Tata Motors Ltd.

    4,157,465       47,599,322  

Tata Motors Ltd., Class A

    1,196,730       9,112,542  

Tata Power Co. Ltd. (The)

    3,648,495       16,362,992  

Tata Steel Ltd.

    18,597,773       31,526,489  

Tech Mahindra Ltd.

    1,342,807       20,635,217  

Titan Co. Ltd.

    897,790       39,234,751  

Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

    257,671       8,301,782  

Trent Ltd.

    462,304       21,606,434  

Tube Investments of India Ltd.

    269,809       11,326,017  

TVS Motor Co. Ltd.

    602,352       15,522,059  

UltraTech Cement Ltd.

    291,586       34,788,042  

Union Bank of India Ltd.

    3,086,095       5,445,202  

United Spirits Ltd.

    738,255       10,377,413  

UPL Ltd.

    1,142,726       6,471,706  

Varun Beverages Ltd.

    1,153,816       19,608,402  

Vedanta Ltd.

    2,245,314       7,235,016  

Wipro Ltd.

    3,237,528       20,198,367  

Yes Bank Ltd.(a)

    32,914,574       9,678,537  

Zomato Ltd.(a)

    15,312,986       30,479,127  
   

 

 

 
       3,184,826,630  
Indonesia — 1.9%            

Adaro Energy Indonesia Tbk PT

    36,433,700       5,615,180  

Amman Mineral Internasional PT(a)

    16,975,900       9,175,611  

Aneka Tambang Tbk

    23,124,300       2,147,681  

Astra International Tbk PT

    51,160,700       17,031,303  

Bank Central Asia Tbk PT

    139,193,600       87,589,788  

Bank Mandiri Persero Tbk PT

    93,768,000       41,883,680  

Bank Negara Indonesia Persero Tbk PT

    37,901,752       14,485,449  

Bank Rakyat Indonesia Persero Tbk PT

    171,336,908       66,767,198  

Barito Pacific Tbk PT

    71,670,622       4,454,927  

Charoen Pokphand Indonesia Tbk PT

    18,723,145       5,772,717  

GoTo Gojek Tokopedia Tbk PT(a)

     2,121,524,100       9,602,815  

Indah Kiat Pulp & Paper Tbk PT

    6,444,700       3,581,810  

Indofood CBP Sukses Makmur Tbk PT

    5,970,500       4,401,949  

Indofood Sukses Makmur Tbk PT

    11,085,500       4,673,334  

Kalbe Farma Tbk PT

    53,367,415       5,052,250  

Merdeka Copper Gold Tbk PT(a)

    26,675,563       3,836,679  

Sarana Menara Nusantara Tbk PT

    51,787,800       3,036,805  

Semen Indonesia Persero Tbk PT

    8,396,071       3,261,485  

Sumber Alfaria Trijaya Tbk PT

    43,810,700       7,666,524  

Telkom Indonesia Persero Tbk PT

    125,191,000       31,912,353  

Unilever Indonesia Tbk PT

    19,011,700       3,302,701  
Security   Shares     Value  
Indonesia (continued)            

United Tractors Tbk PT

    3,648,553     $ 5,464,418  
   

 

 

 
      340,716,657  
Kazakhstan — 0.0%            

Polymetal International PLC(a)(d)

    1,312,267       144  
   

 

 

 
Kuwait — 0.8%            

Agility Public Warehousing Co. KSC(a)

    4,060,890       7,941,016  

Boubyan Bank KSCP

    3,519,502       7,358,898  

Gulf Bank KSCP

    5,144,265       4,935,419  

Kuwait Finance House KSCP

    21,698,364       57,167,839  

Mabanee Co. KPSC

    1,669,829       4,438,408  

Mobile Telecommunications Co. KSCP

    4,940,662       8,080,419  

National Bank of Kuwait SAKP

    18,810,883       59,934,254  
   

 

 

 
      149,856,253  
Malaysia — 1.4%            

AMMB Holdings Bhd

    4,218,375       3,861,439  

Axiata Group Bhd

    7,060,900       4,139,025  

CELCOMDIGI Bhd

    9,096,300       8,352,728  

CIMB Group Holdings Bhd

    15,994,500       21,780,963  

Gamuda Bhd

    4,527,700       5,047,210  

Genting Bhd

    5,285,200       5,316,582  

Genting Malaysia Bhd

    7,346,900       4,449,633  

Hong Leong Bank Bhd

    1,649,600       6,859,360  

IHH Healthcare Bhd

    4,922,300       6,379,126  

Inari Amertron Bhd

    6,791,900       4,546,760  

IOI Corp. Bhd

    6,466,220       5,421,809  

Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd

    1,287,400       6,083,585  

Malayan Banking Bhd

    13,389,100       26,900,173  

Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd

    1,930,900       3,450,433  

Maxis Bhd(c)

    6,020,400       4,719,395  

MISC Bhd

    3,282,200       5,262,061  

MR DIY Group M Bhd(b)

    7,866,300       2,585,438  

Nestle Malaysia Bhd

    195,100       5,134,968  

Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd

    7,065,600       10,428,684  

Petronas Dagangan Bhd

    772,500       3,718,028  

Petronas Gas Bhd

    2,027,400       7,664,431  

PPB Group Bhd

    1,640,860       5,387,124  

Press Metal Aluminium Holdings Bhd

    9,419,700       9,296,697  

Public Bank Bhd

    36,486,750       33,864,471  

QL Resources Bhd

    2,799,400       3,426,032  

RHB Bank Bhd

    3,701,325       4,371,409  

Sime Darby Bhd

    6,851,973       3,915,215  

Sime Darby Plantation Bhd

    5,407,373       4,941,702  

Telekom Malaysia Bhd

    3,116,100       3,974,761  

Tenaga Nasional Bhd

    6,466,250       15,342,951  

YTL Corp. Bhd

    7,990,700       4,495,874  

YTL Power International Bhd

    6,146,300       5,115,980  
   

 

 

 
       246,234,047  
Mexico — 2.6%            

Alfa SAB de CV, Class A

    7,603,947       5,670,309  

America Movil SAB de CV

    47,330,550       44,319,672  

Arca Continental SAB de CV

    1,284,936       13,842,035  

Banco del Bajio SA(b)

    1,976,800       7,356,641  

Cemex SAB de CV, NVS(a)

     38,463,415       29,404,538  

Coca-Cola Femsa SAB de CV

    1,332,569       13,006,508  

Fibra Uno Administracion SA de CV

    7,348,581       13,279,334  

Fomento Economico Mexicano SAB de CV

    4,898,472       61,166,774  

Gruma SAB de CV, Class B

    469,666       8,363,977  

Grupo Aeroportuario del Centro Norte SAB de CV, Class B

    732,654       6,350,234  
 

 

 

20  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
Mexico (continued)            

Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico SAB de CV, Class B

    978,100     $ 14,442,315  

Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste SAB de CV, Class B

    469,542       13,776,685  

Grupo Bimbo SAB de CV, Series A

    3,345,946       13,996,858  

Grupo Carso SAB de CV, Series A1

    1,424,941       12,328,017  

Grupo Financiero Banorte SAB de CV, Class O

    6,542,712       67,644,907  

Grupo Financiero Inbursa SAB de CV, Class O(a)(c)

    4,665,549       14,154,659  

Grupo Mexico SAB de CV, Series B

    7,917,388       38,434,351  

Industrias Penoles SAB de CV(a)(c)

    511,563       6,410,351  

Kimberly-Clark de Mexico SAB de CV, Class A

    3,860,263       8,579,243  

Operadora De Sites Mexicanos SAB de CV

    3,277,721       3,809,593  

Orbia Advance Corp. SAB de CV

    2,629,934       4,863,548  

Prologis Property Mexico SA de CV

    1,871,642       8,412,602  

Promotora y Operadora de Infraestructura SAB de CV

    472,425       4,909,888  

Wal-Mart de Mexico SAB de CV

    13,121,200       52,540,998  
   

 

 

 
       467,064,037  
Netherlands — 0.1%            

NEPI Rockcastle NV

    1,300,516       9,279,229  

Pepco Group NV(a)

    426,309       2,139,377  
   

 

 

 
      11,418,606  
Peru — 0.3%            

Cia. de Minas Buenaventura SAA, ADR

    519,532       7,844,933  

Credicorp Ltd.

    170,216       29,086,510  

Southern Copper Corp.

    216,194       17,481,447  
   

 

 

 
      54,412,890  
Philippines — 0.7%            

Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc.

    4,292,730       4,048,426  

Ayala Corp.

    629,516       7,597,183  

Ayala Land Inc.

    17,081,600       10,646,346  

Bank of the Philippine Islands

    4,758,008       10,593,819  

BDO Unibank Inc.

    6,012,243       16,379,175  

International Container Terminal Services Inc.

    2,578,040       13,230,065  

JG Summit Holdings Inc.

    7,205,293       5,255,128  

Jollibee Foods Corp.

    1,137,669       5,541,115  

Manila Electric Co.

    611,540       4,242,651  

Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co.

    4,718,245       5,203,881  

PLDT Inc.

    191,788       4,475,178  

SM Investments Corp.

    627,292       10,496,615  

SM Prime Holdings Inc.

     25,664,525       14,426,737  

Universal Robina Corp.

    2,211,270       4,603,391  
   

 

 

 
      116,739,710  
Poland — 1.0%            

Allegro.eu SA (a)(b)(c)

    1,309,987       10,586,547  

Bank Polska Kasa Opieki SA

    459,200       19,917,060  

Budimex SA

    33,610       6,144,424  

CD Projekt SA

    167,277       4,597,406  

Dino Polska SA(a)(b)(c)

    123,622       14,384,862  

KGHM Polska Miedz SA

    355,241       9,601,317  

LPP SA

    2,834       12,732,454  

mBank SA(a)

    38,255       6,665,856  

ORLEN SA

    1,434,072       22,275,904  

PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna SA(a)

    2,305,165       4,606,743  

Powszechna Kasa Oszczednosci Bank Polski SA

    2,191,623       30,541,146  

Powszechny Zaklad Ubezpieczen SA

    1,487,317       18,301,765  

Santander Bank Polska SA

    90,758       12,516,239  
   

 

 

 
      172,871,723  
Security   Shares     Value  
Qatar — 0.9%            

Barwa Real Estate Co.

    4,970,504     $ 4,170,409  

Commercial Bank PSQC (The)

    8,171,223       11,333,391  

Dukhan Bank

    4,740,904       5,414,959  

Industries Qatar QSC

    3,820,894       13,528,784  

Masraf Al Rayan QSC

    14,032,212       9,746,821  

Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding Co. QSC

    12,079,114       6,260,668  

Ooredoo QPSC

    2,043,632       6,372,164  

Qatar Electricity & Water Co. QSC

    1,116,569       5,294,775  

Qatar Fuel QSC

    1,702,137       6,979,579  

Qatar Gas Transport Co. Ltd.

    6,416,182       7,034,331  

Qatar International Islamic Bank QSC

    2,372,716       7,424,294  

Qatar Islamic Bank SAQ

    4,270,251       23,596,753  

Qatar National Bank QPSC

    11,598,657       48,443,040  
   

 

 

 
       155,599,968  
Russia — 0.0%            

Alrosa PJSC(a)(d)

    9,805,890       1,072  

Gazprom PJSC(a)(d)

    43,696,315       4,775  

Inter RAO UES PJSC(a)(d)

    121,651,300       13,295  

LUKOIL PJSC(a)(d)

    1,533,792       168  

MMC Norilsk Nickel PJSC(a)(d)

    233,757       26  

Mobile TeleSystems PJSC(a)(d)

    3,162,662       346  

Moscow Exchange MICEX-RTS PJSC(a)(d)

    5,279,850       577  

Novatek PJSC(a)(d)

    3,371,230       368  

Novolipetsk Steel PJSC(a)(d)

    5,629,360       615  

Ozon Holdings PLC, ADR(a)(d)

    197,078       21  

PhosAgro PJSC(a)(d)

    174,249       19  

PhosAgro PJSC, GDR(a)(d)(e)

    2        

PhosAgro PJSC, New(a)(d)

    3,367       34  

Polyus PJSC(a)(d)

    126,490       14  

Rosneft Oil Co. PJSC(a)(d)

    4,281,715       468  

Sberbank of Russia PJSC(a)(d)

    39,606,181       4,328  

Severstal PAO(a)(d)

    805,849       88  

Surgutneftegas PJSC(a)(d)

    26,192,370       2,863  

Tatneft PJSC(a)(d)

    5,175,395       566  

TCS Group Holding PLC, GDR(a)(d)(e)

    445,207       49  

United Co. RUSAL International PJSC(a)(d)

    11,428,270       1,249  

VK Co. Ltd.(a)(d)

    404,870       44  

VTB Bank PJSC(a)(d)

     11,783,971,998       1,288  

X5 Retail Group NV, GDR(a)(d)

    424,766       46  

Yandex NV(a)(d)

    1,127,576       123  
   

 

 

 
      32,442  
Saudi Arabia — 4.5%            

ACWA Power Co.

    236,813       16,672,735  

Ades Holding Co.(a)

    850,623       4,536,293  

Advanced Petrochemical Co.

    349,348       3,557,103  

Al Rajhi Bank

    4,951,900       117,598,776  

Alinma Bank

    2,461,101       28,886,501  

Almarai Co. JSC

    619,567       9,714,033  

Anglogold Ashanti PLC, NVS

    1,063,366       20,032,072  

Arab National Bank

    1,710,052       12,715,009  

Arabian Internet & Communications Services Co.

    58,718       5,750,703  

Bank AlBilad

    1,243,344       16,410,070  

Bank Al-Jazira(a)

    1,024,571       5,322,018  

Banque Saudi Fransi

    1,489,402       15,143,642  

Bupa Arabia for Cooperative Insurance Co.

    202,331       12,379,679  

Co. for Cooperative Insurance (The)

    177,878       7,683,715  

Dallah Healthcare Co.

    86,860       4,344,969  

Dar Al Arkan Real Estate Development Co.(a)

    1,342,821       5,004,518  

Dr Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Services Group Co.

    222,027       19,551,624  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  21


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
Saudi Arabia (continued)            

Elm Co.

    60,921     $ 17,183,292  

Etihad Etisalat Co.

    948,044       13,979,371  

Jarir Marketing Co.

    1,484,862       6,171,851  

Mobile Telecommunications Co. Saudi Arabia

    1,118,508       4,443,850  

Mouwasat Medical Services Co.

    248,815       8,199,650  

Nahdi Medical Co.

    96,674       3,660,429  

Power & Water Utility Co. for Jubail & Yanbu

    194,408       3,944,217  

Rabigh Refining & Petrochemical Co.(a)

    49,082       108,277  

Reinet Investments SCA

    348,162       8,786,462  

Riyad Bank

    3,710,588       30,805,667  

SABIC Agri-Nutrients Co.

    589,751       19,716,458  

Sahara International Petrochemical Co.

    902,719       7,376,482  

Saudi Arabian Mining Co.(a)

    3,299,171       43,779,593  

Saudi Arabian Oil Co.(b)

    6,607,159       55,862,681  

Saudi Aramco Base Oil Co.

    131,224       5,886,577  

Saudi Awwal Bank

    2,542,490       27,996,362  

Saudi Basic Industries Corp.

    2,262,167       47,525,878  

Saudi Electricity Co.

    2,114,401       11,286,807  

Saudi Industrial Investment Group

    938,520       5,188,385  

Saudi Investment Bank (The)

    1,243,344       5,372,092  

Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Co.(a)

    1,941,408       4,995,490  

Saudi National Bank (The)

    7,392,949       83,549,392  

Saudi Research & Media Group(a)

    95,719       6,321,120  

Saudi Tadawul Group Holding Co.

    122,521       7,909,890  

Saudi Telecom Co.

    5,052,436       57,191,516  

Savola Group (The)

    654,303       9,246,743  

Yanbu National Petrochemical Co.

    666,466       6,651,115  
   

 

 

 
       808,443,107  
South Africa — 2.5%            

Absa Group Ltd.

    2,122,086       18,115,770  

Anglo American Platinum Ltd.

    169,546       6,522,208  

Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Ltd.

    957,728       9,786,502  

Bid Corp. Ltd.

    851,178       19,912,595  

Bidvest Group Ltd. (The)

    733,977       8,941,661  

Capitec Bank Holdings Ltd.

    219,147       23,088,820  

Clicks Group Ltd.

    606,490       9,489,134  

Discovery Ltd.

    1,375,181       9,752,954  

Exxaro Resources Ltd.

    620,527       5,757,936  

FirstRand Ltd.

    12,756,828       43,157,539  

Gold Fields Ltd.

    2,258,570       29,753,120  

Harmony Gold Mining Co. Ltd.

    1,422,088       8,266,658  

Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd.

    2,234,761       7,583,833  

Kumba Iron Ore Ltd.

    164,972       4,618,442  

MTN Group Ltd.

    4,303,004       18,733,099  

Naspers Ltd., Class N

    463,720       76,282,665  

Nedbank Group Ltd.

    1,106,385       12,657,377  

Northam Platinum Holdings Ltd.

    905,816       5,179,870  

Old Mutual Ltd.

     11,891,493       7,401,060  

OUTsurance Group Ltd., NVS

    2,052,639       4,456,303  

Pepkor Holdings Ltd.(b)(c)

    5,127,253       4,990,918  

Remgro Ltd.

    1,334,698       10,122,272  

Sanlam Ltd.

    4,459,908       17,102,515  

Sasol Ltd.

    1,454,340       10,960,427  

Shoprite Holdings Ltd.

    1,268,247       17,074,387  

Sibanye Stillwater Ltd.

    7,181,979       7,402,397  

Standard Bank Group Ltd.

    3,375,813       35,521,719  

Vodacom Group Ltd.

    1,584,597       7,767,665  

Woolworths Holdings Ltd./South Africa

    2,383,292       7,973,715  
   

 

 

 
          448,373,561  
South Korea — 11.8%            

Amorepacific Corp.

    73,917       6,646,421  
Security   Shares     Value  
South Korea (continued)            

Celltrion Inc.

    385,778     $ 52,171,226  

Celltrion Pharm Inc.(a)(c)

    47,471       3,956,165  

CJ CheilJedang Corp.

    21,195       4,776,630  

CosmoAM&T Co. Ltd.(a)

    61,451       8,213,326  

Coway Co. Ltd.

    140,566       5,721,354  

DB Insurance Co. Ltd.(a)

    113,770       8,442,251  

Doosan Bobcat Inc.

    140,593       4,963,723  

Doosan Enerbility Co. Ltd.(a)

     1,137,782       13,887,158  

Ecopro BM Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    123,619       24,846,499  

Ecopro Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    50,396       23,503,979  

Ecopro Materials Co. Ltd.(a)

    34,648       5,024,428  

GS Holdings Corp.

    117,913       4,256,276  

Hana Financial Group Inc.

    733,525       31,209,941  

Hanjin Kal Corp.

    67,064       3,182,971  

Hankook Tire & Technology Co. Ltd.

    188,685       7,687,080  

Hanmi Pharm Co. Ltd.(a)

    17,922       4,498,034  

Hanmi Semiconductor Co. Ltd.(a)

    112,343       7,187,697  

Hanon Systems

    474,093       2,196,750  

Hanwha Aerospace Co. Ltd.

    89,968       12,677,771  

Hanwha Ocean Co. Ltd.(a)

    182,505       3,239,327  

Hanwha Solutions Corp.

    277,889       5,802,652  

HD Hyundai Co. Ltd.

    112,172       5,962,887  

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd.(a)

    55,582       4,928,756  

HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co. Ltd.(a)

    107,900       9,076,870  

HLB Inc.(a)

    296,180       18,170,549  

HMM Co. Ltd.(a)

    604,421       8,292,677  

HYBE Co. Ltd.

    52,940       7,928,901  

Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co.
Ltd.(a)

    198,197       5,169,780  

Hyundai Glovis Co. Ltd.(a)

    46,306       6,629,385  

Hyundai Mobis Co. Ltd.

    153,734        28,040,722  

Hyundai Motor Co.

    346,494       65,233,531  

Hyundai Steel Co.(a)

    224,629       6,072,891  

Industrial Bank of Korea(a)

    685,697       7,216,241  

Kakao Corp.

    782,523       31,408,900  

KakaoBank Corp.

    420,335       9,007,488  

Kakaopay Corp.(a)(c)

    68,142       2,258,507  

Kangwon Land Inc.(a)

    253,393       3,310,680  

KB Financial Group Inc.

    963,578       45,957,076  

Kia Corp.(a)

    657,016       61,528,179  

Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd.(a)

    185,543       7,159,096  

Korea Electric Power Corp.(a)

    657,195       12,237,352  

Korea Investment Holdings Co. Ltd.(a)

    110,220       5,886,752  

Korea Zinc Co. Ltd.(c)

    21,048       7,076,592  

Korean Air Lines Co. Ltd.

    456,657       7,889,346  

Krafton Inc.(a)

    73,699       12,596,290  

KT Corp.

    169,279       4,965,409  

KT&G Corp.

    257,731       18,001,145  

Kum Yang Co. Ltd.(a)

    86,812       6,298,533  

Kumho Petrochemical Co. Ltd.(a)

    41,873       4,650,288  

L&F Co. Ltd.(a)

    64,535       8,243,884  

LG Chem Ltd.

    124,122       42,394,624  

LG Corp.

    237,406       16,710,769  

LG Display Co. Ltd.(a)

    590,244       5,037,591  

LG Electronics Inc.

    268,600       19,201,602  

LG Energy Solution Ltd.(a)(c)

    118,291       35,748,742  

LG H&H Co. Ltd.

    23,566       5,660,160  

LG Innotek Co. Ltd.

    35,067       5,329,035  

LG Uplus Corp.

    548,145       4,251,398  

Lotte Chemical Corp.

    47,839       4,398,748  

Meritz Financial Group Inc.

    260,687       16,270,516  

Mirae Asset Securities Co. Ltd.(a)

    657,130       4,459,381  
 

 

 

22  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
South Korea (continued)            

NAVER Corp.

    328,181     $ 48,187,169  

NCSoft Corp.

    36,447       5,315,851  

Netmarble Corp.(a)(b)

    62,741       2,913,332  

NH Investment & Securities Co. Ltd.(a)

    357,284       3,154,706  

Orion Corp./Republic of Korea

    60,278       4,204,172  

Pearl Abyss Corp.(a)

    6,815       155,781  

Posco DX Co. Ltd.(a)

    134,738       5,498,268  

POSCO Future M Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    78,244       18,702,388  

POSCO Holdings Inc.

    181,129       58,865,797  

Posco International Corp.(a)

    134,094       5,687,816  

Samsung Biologics Co. Ltd.(a)(b)

    44,551       25,922,839  

Samsung C&T Corp.

    209,368       24,649,707  

Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co. Ltd.

    139,657       14,717,197  

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.

    12,025,628       663,728,987  

Samsung Engineering Co. Ltd.(a)

    392,316       7,255,943  

Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Co. Ltd.(a)

    76,986       17,229,389  

Samsung Heavy Industries Co. Ltd.(a)

    1,637,427       9,734,590  

Samsung Life Insurance Co. Ltd.

    200,614       14,602,878  

Samsung SDI Co. Ltd.

    139,104       39,518,213  

Samsung SDS Co. Ltd.

    95,539       11,492,449  

Samsung Securities Co. Ltd.

    158,691       4,959,568  

Shinhan Financial Group Co. Ltd.

    1,089,380       35,611,374  

SK Biopharmaceuticals Co. Ltd.(a)

    79,570       5,798,968  

SK Bioscience Co. Ltd.(a)

    68,348       3,158,553  

SK Hynix Inc.

    1,375,659       162,168,778  

SK IE Technology Co. Ltd.(a)(b)

    69,801       3,850,047  

SK Inc.

    92,680       13,368,595  

SK Innovation Co. Ltd.(a)

    151,712       13,385,237  

SK Square Co. Ltd.(a)

    251,349       13,188,952  

SK Telecom Co. Ltd.

    147,168       5,825,534  

SKC Co. Ltd.(a)

    48,799       3,040,528  

S-Oil Corp.

    111,473       6,404,070  

Woori Financial Group Inc.

    1,510,662       16,926,764  

Yuhan Corp.

    142,936       7,249,984  
   

 

 

 
       2,101,227,356  
Taiwan — 16.7%            

Accton Technology Corp.

    1,259,000       20,718,652  

Acer Inc.(c)

    7,429,121       10,624,911  

Advantech Co. Ltd.

    1,229,213       15,170,900  

Airtac International Group(c)

    348,526       13,353,160  

Alchip Technologies Ltd.

    187,000       24,531,118  

ASE Technology Holding Co. Ltd.

    7,781,110       34,350,809  

Asia Cement Corp.

    5,865,077       7,507,650  

Asustek Computer Inc.

    1,773,968       25,560,497  

AUO Corp.

    16,657,200       9,238,450  

Catcher Technology Co. Ltd.

    1,481,210       9,228,849  

Cathay Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

     23,712,000       33,833,142  

Chailease Holding Co. Ltd.(c)

    3,884,081       21,474,502  

Chang Hwa Commercial Bank Ltd.

    13,872,047       7,816,277  

Cheng Shin Rubber Industry Co. Ltd.

    4,979,128       7,401,295  

China Airlines Ltd.(c)

    7,453,000       4,720,000  

China Development Financial Holding Corp.(a)

    40,604,588       16,140,108  

China Steel Corp.(c)

    29,950,313       23,325,105  

Chunghwa Telecom Co. Ltd.(c)

    9,536,410       36,330,475  

Compal Electronics Inc.

    10,573,908       12,210,387  

CTBC Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    44,247,772       41,190,827  

Delta Electronics Inc.

    4,901,000       45,670,727  

E Ink Holdings Inc.(c)

    2,147,000       16,714,996  

E.Sun Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    35,202,378       28,143,002  

Eclat Textile Co. Ltd.

    451,427       7,715,681  

eMemory Technology Inc.

    164,000       14,081,406  

Eva Airways Corp.

    6,681,000       6,651,004  
Security   Shares     Value  
Taiwan (continued)            

Evergreen Marine Corp. Taiwan Ltd.

    2,537,324     $ 13,292,305  

Far Eastern New Century Corp.

    7,621,038       7,860,774  

Far EasTone Telecommunications Co. Ltd.

    4,355,000       10,850,041  

Feng TAY Enterprise Co. Ltd.(c)

    1,325,593       6,934,473  

First Financial Holding Co. Ltd.(c)

    27,324,089       23,435,211  

Formosa Chemicals & Fibre Corp.(c)

    8,987,090       16,276,656  

Formosa Petrochemical Corp.(c)

    2,872,000       6,754,080  

Formosa Plastics Corp.(c)

    9,791,280       22,221,162  

Fubon Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    19,493,073       41,967,179  

Gigabyte Technology Co. Ltd.(c)

    1,285,000       14,054,929  

Global Unichip Corp.(c)

    235,000       11,843,982  

Globalwafers Co. Ltd.

    549,000       9,696,629  

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd.

    31,316,873       102,107,903  

Hotai Motor Co. Ltd.

    780,380       16,573,152  

Hua Nan Financial Holdings Co. Ltd.

    22,174,407       15,442,576  

Innolux Corp.

    22,007,738       10,559,610  

Inventec Corp.(c)

    6,812,281       11,865,926  

Largan Precision Co. Ltd.

    253,000       20,763,556  

Lite-On Technology Corp.

    5,078,246       17,619,769  

MediaTek Inc.

    3,826,338       138,078,432  

Mega Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    29,023,100       35,557,344  

Micro-Star International Co. Ltd.

    1,830,000       11,074,382  

momo.com Inc.

    1,000       14,089  

Nan Ya Plastics Corp.(c)

    12,198,160        23,067,291  

Nan Ya Printed Circuit Board Corp.(c)

    585,000       3,919,429  

Nanya Technology Corp.

    3,207,000       6,827,704  

Nien Made Enterprise Co. Ltd.

    450,000       5,267,803  

Novatek Microelectronics Corp.(c)

    1,458,000       27,750,623  

Parade Technologies Ltd.(c)

    196,000       6,304,780  

Pegatron Corp.

    4,917,414       13,315,169  

PharmaEssentia Corp.(a)

    591,000       6,141,935  

Pou Chen Corp.

    5,792,220       5,595,747  

Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp.(c)

    7,729,000       6,756,479  

President Chain Store Corp.

    1,447,000       12,337,225  

Quanta Computer Inc.

    6,814,000       50,071,514  

Realtek Semiconductor Corp.

    1,242,637       22,396,097  

Ruentex Development Co. Ltd.

    4,123,916       4,745,726  

Shanghai Commercial & Savings Bank Ltd. (The)

    9,794,229       13,944,959  

Shin Kong Financial Holding Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    33,092,149       8,687,843  

Silergy Corp.

    820,000       10,819,981  

SinoPac Financial Holdings Co. Ltd.

     26,851,521       17,086,289  

Synnex Technology International Corp.

    3,244,834       7,993,778  

Taishin Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    28,445,523       15,663,469  

Taiwan Business Bank

    15,952,184       7,067,850  

Taiwan Cement Corp.(c)

    16,073,748       16,341,634  

Taiwan Cooperative Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    26,143,701       21,480,678  

Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp.

    5,042,000       4,818,160  

Taiwan Mobile Co. Ltd.

    4,455,600       13,963,164  

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

    62,072,000       1,360,277,791  

Unimicron Technology Corp.(c)

    3,459,000       19,653,803  

Uni-President Enterprises Corp.

    12,129,839       29,454,161  

United Microelectronics Corp.(c)

    28,157,000       43,413,261  

Vanguard International Semiconductor Corp.(c)

    2,329,000       5,320,234  

Voltronic Power Technology Corp.

    169,000       8,588,768  

Walsin Lihwa Corp.(c)

    7,098,406       8,314,402  

Wan Hai Lines Ltd.

    1,693,090       2,697,122  

Winbond Electronics Corp.(c)

    8,061,863       7,127,554  

Wistron Corp.(c)

    6,585,000       24,112,729  

Wiwynn Corp.(c)

    241,000       17,792,504  

WPG Holdings Ltd.

    4,094,449       12,021,733  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  23


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
Taiwan (continued)            

Yageo Corp.(c)

    841,940     $ 14,875,705  

Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp.

    4,246,000       6,698,851  

Yuanta Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

     25,287,004       21,974,964  

Zhen Ding Technology Holding Ltd.(c)

    1,653,075       5,260,872  
   

 

 

 
       2,978,497,871  
Thailand — 1.6%            

Advanced Info Service PCL, NVDR

    3,005,600       16,862,457  

Airports of Thailand PCL, NVDR(c)

    10,712,200       18,983,627  

Asset World Corp. PCL, NVDR(c)

    20,308,300       2,181,940  

Bangkok Dusit Medical Services PCL, NVDR

    27,776,100       22,066,996  

Bangkok Expressway & Metro PCL, NVDR

    19,420,400       4,365,441  

Berli Jucker PCL, NVDR

    122,500       82,799  

BTS Group Holdings PCL, NVDR(c)

    19,301,700       2,773,851  

Bumrungrad Hospital PCL, NVDR

    1,529,000       9,539,963  

Central Pattana PCL, NVDR

    5,126,700       9,255,148  

Central Retail Corp. PCL, NVDR(c)

    4,604,634       4,469,659  

Charoen Pokphand Foods PCL, NVDR(c)

    9,557,700       5,035,934  

CP ALL PCL, NVDR

    14,766,100       23,676,857  

CP Axtra PCL, NVDR

    5,384,500       5,000,000  

Delta Electronics Thailand PCL, NVDR

    7,867,300       15,661,551  

Energy Absolute PCL, NVDR(c)

    4,262,100       4,194,930  

Global Power Synergy PCL, NVDR(c)

    1,943,000       2,763,428  

Gulf Energy Development PCL, NVDR

    7,445,700       8,939,279  

Home Product Center PCL, NVDR

    15,030,314       4,694,403  

Indorama Ventures PCL, NVDR

    4,342,780       2,822,277  

Intouch Holdings PCL, NVDR

    2,552,425       4,823,271  

Kasikornbank PCL, NVDR

    1,476,000       5,065,065  

Krung Thai Bank PCL, NVDR

    8,754,500       3,929,080  

Krungthai Card PCL, NVDR

    2,660,400       3,172,487  

Land & Houses PCL, NVDR(c)

    20,942,400       4,433,976  

Minor International PCL, NVDR

    8,203,020       7,263,554  

Muangthai Capital PCL, NVDR(c)

    1,863,800       2,385,181  

PTT Exploration & Production PCL, NVDR(c)

    3,483,039       14,626,468  

PTT Global Chemical PCL, NVDR(c)

    5,703,430       6,036,470  

PTT Oil & Retail Business PCL, NVDR

    7,576,000       3,821,921  

PTT PCL, NVDR

    25,346,900       24,193,088  

SCB X PCL, NVDR

    2,054,300       6,452,403  

SCG Packaging PCL, NVDR

    3,189,500       2,490,488  

Siam Cement PCL (The), NVDR

    1,945,300       14,590,778  

Thai Oil PCL, NVDR

    3,088,200       4,821,481  

TMBThanachart Bank PCL, NVDR(c)

    61,611,900       3,164,715  

True Corp. PCL, NVDR(a)(c)

    26,581,520       5,235,451  
   

 

 

 
      279,876,417  
Turkey — 0.7%            

Akbank TAS

    7,901,900       10,520,180  

Aselsan Elektronik Sanayi Ve Ticaret AS

    3,519,912       6,754,769  

BIM Birlesik Magazalar AS

    1,146,195       14,225,522  

Coca-Cola Icecek A/S

    191,640       3,970,065  

Enka Insaat ve Sanayi AS

    2       2  

Eregli Demir ve Celik Fabrikalari
TAS(a)(c)

    3,562,125       5,189,512  

Ford Otomotiv Sanayi AS

    180,401       5,874,448  

Haci Omer Sabanci Holding AS

    2,510,135       6,389,566  

KOC Holding AS

    1,902,165       10,244,278  

Pegasus Hava Tasimaciligi AS(a)

    115,187       3,162,379  

Sasa Polyester Sanayi AS(a)

    3,323,056       4,209,215  

Tofas Turk Otomobil Fabrikasi AS

    320,399       2,739,597  

Turk Hava Yollari AO(a)

    1,373,672       12,392,363  

Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri AS

    3,046,632       6,530,971  

Turkiye Is Bankasi AS, Class C

    22,187,846       7,868,300  

Turkiye Petrol Rafinerileri AS

    2,415,355       12,513,150  

Turkiye Sise ve Cam Fabrikalari AS

    3,519,613       5,761,254  
Security   Shares     Value  
Turkey (continued)            

Yapi ve Kredi Bankasi AS

    8,522,080     $ 6,289,171  
   

 

 

 
      124,634,742  
United Arab Emirates — 1.2%            

Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank PJSC

    7,344,332       17,136,341  

Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank PJSC

    3,686,333       11,280,955  

Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. for Distribution PJSC

    7,808,155       7,440,488  

Aldar Properties PJSC

    9,710,395       14,619,988  

Americana Restaurants International PLC

    6,411,994       5,987,868  

Dubai Islamic Bank PJSC

    7,159,505       12,553,183  

Emaar Properties PJSC

    16,722,720       36,969,871  

Emirates NBD Bank PJSC

    4,775,352       23,792,576  

Emirates Telecommunications Group Co. PJSC

    8,801,007       43,370,649  

First Abu Dhabi Bank PJSC

    11,082,660       41,171,740  

Multiply Group PJSC(a)

    9,808,613       6,066,145  
   

 

 

 
      220,389,804  
   

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks — 97.3%
(Cost: $16,333,606,761)

      17,306,052,676  
   

 

 

 

Preferred Stocks

   
Brazil — 1.6%            

Banco Bradesco SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    13,477,734       37,279,242  

Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA, Class B, Preference Shares, NVS

    639,364       6,162,002  

Cia. Energetica de Minas Gerais, Preference Shares, NVS

    3,473,474       8,363,840  

Companhia Paranaense de Energia, Preference Shares, NVS

    2,582,695       5,309,719  

Gerdau SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    2,945,569       12,739,581  

Itau Unibanco Holding SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    12,201,922       83,308,168  

Itausa SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    13,813,595       28,621,438  

Petroleo Brasileiro SA, Preference Shares, NVS

     11,994,149       96,848,814  
   

 

 

 
      278,632,804  
Chile — 0.1%            

Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile SA,

   

Class B, Preference Shares

    362,493       17,976,969  
   

 

 

 
Colombia — 0.0%            

Bancolombia SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    1,129,912       9,235,051  
   

 

 

 
Russia — 0.0%            

Surgutneftegas PJSC, Preference Shares, NVS(a)(d)

    25,014,400       2,734  
   

 

 

 
South Korea — 0.7%            

Hyundai Motor Co.

   

Preference Shares, NVS

    56,702       6,802,687  

Series 2, Preference Shares, NVS

    91,427       11,058,784  

LG Chem Ltd., Preference Shares, NVS

    20,267       4,581,932  

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Preference Shares, NVS

    2,074,450       99,338,470  
   

 

 

 
      121,781,873  
   

 

 

 

Total Preferred Stocks — 2.4%
(Cost: $231,678,968)

       427,629,431  
   

 

 

 
 

 

 

24  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

 

 

Rights

   
China — 0.0%            

Kangmei Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.,
(Expires 12/31/49)(a)

    255,006     $  
   

 

 

 
South Korea — 0.0%            

LG Display Co. Ltd., (Expires 03/14/24, Strike Price KRW 10070)(a)

    187,634       184,591  
   

 

 

 

Total Rights — 0.0%
(Cost: $—)

      184,591  
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 99.7%
(Cost: $16,565,285,729)

 

    17,733,866,698  
   

 

 

 

Short-Term Securities

   
Money Market Funds — 2.6%            

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares, 5.50%(f)(g)(h)

    446,818,337       447,041,746  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares, 5.30%(f)(g)

    12,100,000       12,100,000  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 2.6%
(Cost: $458,792,342)

      459,141,746  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments — 102.3%
(Cost: $17,024,078,071)

      18,193,008,444  

Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets — (2.3)%

 

    (408,834,113
   

 

 

 
Net Assets — 100.0%         $ 17,784,174,331  
   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Non-income producing security.

(b) 

Security exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration to qualified institutional investors.

(c) 

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(d) 

Security is valued using significant unobservable inputs and is classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.

(e) 

This security may be resold to qualified foreign investors and foreign institutional buyers under Regulation S of the Securities Act of 1933.

(f) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(g) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

(h) 

All or a portion of this security was purchased with the cash collateral from loaned securities.

 

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

 

 

   
  Affiliated Issuer  

Value at

08/31/23

    

Purchases

at Cost

   

Proceeds

from Sale

   

Net Realized

Gain (Loss)

    

Change in

Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

   

Value at

02/29/24

    

Shares

Held at

02/29/24

     Income    

Capital

Gain

Distributions

from

Underlying

Funds

   

 
 

 

   
 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institu-tional, SL Agency Shares

  $ 706,808,674      $     $  (259,894,350) (a)    $ 136,479      $ (9,057   $ 447,041,746        446,818,337      $ 4,296,969 (b)    $    
 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares

           12,100,000 (a)                         12,100,000        12,100,000        1,250,603          
          

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

       

 

 

   

 

 

   
           $ 136,479      $ (9,057   $ 459,141,746         $ 5,547,572     $    
          

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

       

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

  (a) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

 
  (b) 

All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities.

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

 

 
Description  

Number of

Contracts

    

Expiration

Date

    

Notional

Amount

(000)

    

Value/

Unrealized

Appreciation

(Depreciation)

 

 

 

Long Contracts

          

MSCI Emerging Markets Index

    1,176        03/15/24      $ 59,788      $ 459,969  
          

 

 

 

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

    25  


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

 

 
   

Commodity

Contracts

    

Credit

Contracts

    

Equity

Contracts

    

Foreign

Currency

Exchange

Contracts

    

Interest

Rate

Contracts

    

Other

Contracts

     Total  

 

 

Assets — Derivative Financial Instruments

                   

Futures contracts

                   

Unrealized appreciation on futures contracts(a)

  $      $      $ 459,969      $      $      $      $ 459,969  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

 

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

 

 
   

Commodity

Contracts

    

Credit

Contracts

    

Equity

Contracts

   

Foreign

Currency

Exchange

Contracts

    

Interest

Rate

Contracts

    

Other

Contracts

     Total  

 

 

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                  

Futures contracts

  $      $      $  (311,921   $      $      $      $  (311,921

Forward foreign currency exchange contracts

                        16,951                      16,951  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
  $      $      $ (311,921   $ 16,951      $      $      $ (294,970
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

                  

Futures contracts

  $      $      $ 553,273     $      $      $      $ 553,273  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

 

 

Futures contracts:

 

Average notional value of contracts — long

  $ 35,446,358   

Forward foreign currency exchange contracts:

 

Average amounts purchased — in USD

  $ 241,108   

Average amounts sold — in USD

  $ 481,817   

 

 

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

 

 
     Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

 

 

Assets

                 

Investments

                 

Long-Term Investments

                 

Common Stocks

   $ 2,691,568,489        $ 14,614,451,598        $ 32,589        $ 17,306,052,676  

Preferred Stocks

     287,867,855          139,758,842          2,734          427,629,431  

Rights

              184,591                   184,591  

Short-Term Securities

                 

Money Market Funds

     459,141,746                            459,141,746  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $  3,438,578,090        $ 14,754,395,031        $    35,323        $ 18,193,008,444  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

26  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

 

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End (continued)

 

 

 
    Level 1     Level 2     Level 3     Total  

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

       

Assets

       

Equity Contracts

  $  459,969     $    —     $    —     $  459,969  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Derivative financial instruments are futures contracts. Futures contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  27


Statements of Assets and Liabilities (unaudited)

February 29, 2024

 

   

iShares

Currency

Hedged

MSCI

Emerging

Markets ETF

   

iShares

MSCI Emerging

Markets ETF

 

 

 

ASSETS

       

Investments, at value — unaffiliated(a)(b)

            $       $ 17,733,866,698  

Investments, at value — affiliated(c)

      159,486,724         459,141,746  

Cash

      1,944         59,212,510  

Cash pledged for futures contracts

              1,912,000  

Foreign currency, at value(d)

              43,334,470  

Receivables:

       

Investments sold

              94,771,637  

Securities lending income — affiliated

      2,828         441,311  

Capital shares sold

              130,912  

Dividends — unaffiliated

              33,794,600  

Dividends — affiliated

      1,528         272,137  

Tax reclaims

              422,604  

Variation margin on futures contracts

              11,704  

Unrealized appreciation on forward foreign currency exchange contracts

      714,237          
   

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total assets

      160,207,261         18,427,312,329  
   

 

 

     

 

 

 

LIABILITIES

       

Cash received as collateral for OTC derivatives

      380,000          

Collateral on securities loaned, at value

      40,037,484         446,274,217  

Payables:

       

Investments purchased

      549,566         109,707,310  

Capital shares redeemed

      9,763         15  

Deferred foreign capital gain tax

              76,622,493  

Foreign taxes

              72,312  

Investment advisory fees

              10,017,988  

Professional fees

              443,663  

Unrealized depreciation on forward foreign currency exchange contracts

      149,245          
   

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total liabilities

      41,126,058         643,137,998  
   

 

 

     

 

 

 

Commitments and contingent liabilities

       

NET ASSETS

    $ 119,081,203       $ 17,784,174,331  
   

 

 

     

 

 

 

NET ASSETS CONSIST OF

       

Paid-in capital

    $ 145,106,879       $ 29,556,778,453  

Accumulated loss

      (26,025,676       (11,772,604,122
   

 

 

     

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

    $ 119,081,203       $ 17,784,174,331  
   

 

 

     

 

 

 

NET ASSET VALUE

       

Shares outstanding

      4,790,000         442,800,000  
   

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net asset value

    $ 24.86       $ 40.16  
   

 

 

     

 

 

 

Shares authorized

      250 million         5 billion  
   

 

 

     

 

 

 

Par value

    $ 0.001       $ 0.001  
   

 

 

     

 

 

 

(a) Investments, at cost — unaffiliated

    $       $ 16,565,285,729  

(b) Securities loaned, at value

    $ 39,051,195       $ 421,954,447  

(c) Investments, at cost — affiliated

    $ 174,823,471       $ 458,792,342  

(d) Foreign currency, at cost

    $       $ 43,722,080  

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

28  

2 0 2 4 I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Statements of Operations (unaudited)

Six Months Ended February 29, 2024

 

   

iShares

Currency

Hedged

MSCI

Emerging

Markets ETF

   

iShares

MSCI

Emerging

Markets ETF

 

 

 

INVESTMENT INCOME

       

Dividends — unaffiliated

           $       $ 160,239,901  

Dividends — affiliated

      2,434,279         1,250,603  

Securities lending income — affiliated — net(a)

      29,168         4,296,969  

Other income — unaffiliated

              4,914,480  

Foreign taxes withheld

              (18,785,717

Foreign withholding tax claims

              82,898  

Other foreign taxes

              87,099  
   

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total investment income

      2,463,447         152,086,233  
   

 

 

     

 

 

 

EXPENSES

       

Investment advisory

      493,444         63,288,949  

Interest expense

      649         164,973  

Commitment costs

      633         19,473  

Professional

              499,750  
   

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total expenses

      494,726         63,973,145  

Less:

       

Investment advisory fees waived

      (494,726        
   

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total expenses after fees waived

              63,973,145  
   

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net investment income

      2,463,447         88,113,088  
   

 

 

     

 

 

 

REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS)

       

Net realized gain (loss) from:

       

Investments — unaffiliated(b)

              214,659,645  

Investments — affiliated

      (1,456,220       136,479  

Forward foreign currency exchange contracts

      2,163,434         16,951  

Foreign currency transactions

              (1,716,632

Futures contracts

              (311,921

In-kind redemptions — unaffiliated(c)

              (83,400,187

In-kind redemptions — affiliated(c)

      (473,864        
   

 

 

     

 

 

 
      233,350         129,384,335  
   

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:

       

Investments — unaffiliated(d)

              349,079,953  

Investments — affiliated

      4,429,429         (9,057

Forward foreign currency exchange contracts

      (1,498,901        

Foreign currency translations

              (940,902

Futures contracts

              553,273  
   

 

 

     

 

 

 
      2,930,528         348,683,267  
   

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net realized and unrealized gain

      3,163,878         478,067,602  
   

 

 

     

 

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS

    $ 5,627,325       $ 566,180,690  
   

 

 

     

 

 

 

(a) Net of securities lending income tax paid of

    $       $ 465,842  

(b) Net of foreign capital gain tax and capital gain tax refund, if applicable of

    $       $ (41,498

(c) See Note 2 of the Notes to Financial Statements.

       

(d) Net of increase in deferred foreign capital gain tax of

    $       $ (56,821,025

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  29


Statements of Changes in Net Assets

 

   

iShares

Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets

ETF

         

iShares

MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

 
 

 

 

     

 

 

 
    Six Months Ended                 Six Months Ended        
    02/29/24         Year Ended       02/29/24         Year Ended (a) 
    (unaudited)           08/31/23           (unaudited)           08/31/23  

 

 

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS

               

OPERATIONS

               

Net investment income

    $ 2,463,447               $ 3,305,910           $ 88,113,088           $ 498,842,578  

Net realized gain (loss)

      233,350         (7,873,217       129,384,335         (723,710,832

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

      2,930,528         6,943,243         348,683,267         278,661,967  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

      5,627,325         2,375,936         566,180,690         53,793,713  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS(b)

               

Decrease in net assets resulting from distributions to shareholders

      (2,496,446       (10,223,364       (325,507,865       (532,484,400
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

               

Net decrease in net assets derived from capital share transactions

      (18,346,688       (11,848,604       (3,814,876,129       (4,033,313,036
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

               

Total decrease in net assets

      (15,215,809       (19,696,032       (3,574,203,304       (4,512,003,723

Beginning of period

      134,297,012         153,993,044         21,358,377,635         25,870,381,358  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

End of period

           $ 119,081,203       $ 134,297,012       $ 17,784,174,331       $ 21,358,377,635  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Consolidated Statement of Changes in Net Assets.

(b) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

30  

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Financial Highlights

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF  
 

 

 

 
    Six Months Ended                                                          
   

02/29/24

(unaudited)

   

Year Ended

08/31/23

    Year Ended
08/31/22
   

Year Ended

08/31/21

   

Year Ended

08/31/20

    Year Ended
08/31/19
 

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $ 24.20       $ 25.20       $ 31.31       $ 27.41       $ 24.38       $ 25.70  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

      0.47         0.57         0.67         0.44         0.71         0.55  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(b)

      0.66         0.12         (6.12       3.92             3.03         (1.27
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

              1.13         0.69         (5.45           4.36         3.74         (0.72
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Distributions(c)

                       

From net investment income

      (0.47       (0.56       (0.66       (0.46       (0.71       (0.60

From net realized gain

              (1.13                                
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total distributions

      (0.47       (1.69       (0.66       (0.46       (0.71       (0.60
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 24.86       $ 24.20       $ 25.20       $ 31.31       $ 27.41       $ 24.38  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total Return(d)

                       

Based on net asset value

      4.71 %(e)         2.93       (17.62 )%        15.96       15.49       (2.72 )% 
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(f)

                       

Total expenses

      0.78 %(g)         0.79       0.78       0.78       0.78       0.78
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total expenses after fees waived

      0.00 %(g)         0.00       0.00       0.00 %(h)         0.00 %(h)         0.00
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net investment income

      3.89 %(g)         2.36       2.38       1.41       2.84       2.22
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

                       

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 119,081       $ 134,297       $ 153,993       $ 203,180       $ 183,626       $ 180,376  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(i)

      4       11       4       6       9       7
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Based on average shares outstanding.

(b) 

The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

(c) 

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(d) 

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

(e) 

Not annualized.

(f)

Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

(g) 

Annualized.

(h) 

Rounds to less than 0.01%.

(i) 

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, if any.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  H I G H L I G H T S

  31


Financial Highlights (continued)

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF  
 

 

 

 
    Six Months Ended                                                    
     

 

    02/29/24         Year Ended         Year Ended         Year Ended         Year Ended         Year Ended  
      (unaudited)         08/31/23         08/31/22 (a)         08/31/21 (a)         08/31/20 (a)        08/31/19 (a)  

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

    $ 39.26       $ 39.68       $ 52.56       $ 44.56       $ 40.22       $ 43.24  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net investment income(b)

      0.19         0.82         1.09 (c)         0.75         0.98         0.90  

Net realized and unrealized gain
(loss)(d)

      1.46         (0.35       (12.88       8.01         4.52         (3.02
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

      1.65         0.47         (11.79       8.76         5.50         (2.12
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(e)

      (0.75       (0.89       (1.09       (0.76       (1.16       (0.90
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 40.16       $ 39.26       $ 39.68       $ 52.56       $ 44.56       $ 40.22  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total Return(f)

                       

Based on net asset value

      4.29 %(g)         1.23       (22.73 )%(c)         19.72       13.82       (4.87 )% 
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(h)

                       

Total expenses

      0.73 %(i)         0.70       0.69       0.69       0.70       0.68
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total expenses excluding professional fees for foreign withholding tax claims

      0.72 %(i)         N/A         0.69       0.68       0.70       0.68
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net investment income

      1.00 %(i)         2.12       2.38 %(c)         1.45       2.38       2.16
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

                       

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 17,784,174       $ 21,358,378       $ 25,870,381       $ 30,983,302       $ 24,024,571       $ 24,631,575  
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(j)

      3       15       21       9       19       15
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

(a)

Consolidated Financial Highlights.

(b) 

Based on average shares outstanding.

(c)

Reflects the positive effect of foreign withholding tax claims, net of the associated professional fees, which resulted in the following increases for the year ended August 31, 2022:

• Net investment income per share by $—..

• Total return by 0.01%.

• Ratio of net investment income to average net assets by 0.01%.

(d)

The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

(e)

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(f) 

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

(g) 

Not annualized.

(h)

Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

(i)

Annualized.

(j)

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, if any.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

32  

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited)

 

1.

ORGANIZATION

iShares, Inc. (the “Company”) is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), as an open-end management investment company. The Company is organized as a Maryland corporation and is authorized to have multiple series or portfolios.

These financial statements relate only to the following funds (each, a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”):

 

   
iShares ETF  

Diversification 

Classification 

Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets

  Diversified 

MSCI Emerging Markets

  Diversified 

Currently the iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing a substantial portion of its assets in the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (the “underlying fund”). The financial statements, including the accounting policies, and Schedule of Investments for the underlying fund are included in this report and should be read in conjunction with the financial statements of the iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF.

Basis of Consolidation: The accompanying consolidated financial statements for the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF included the accounts of its subsidiary in the Republic of Mauritius, which was a wholly-owned subsidiary (the “Subsidiary”) of the Fund that invested in Indian securities. On June 16, 2023, the Fund filed to liquidate its Subsidiary with the Mauritius Financial Services Commission.

 

2.

SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The financial statements are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”), which may require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Each Fund is considered an investment company under U.S. GAAP and follows the accounting and reporting guidance applicable to investment companies. Below is a summary of significant accounting policies:

Investment Transactions and Income Recognition: For financial reporting purposes, investment transactions are recorded on the dates the transactions are executed. Realized gains and losses on investment transactions are determined using the specific identification method. Dividend income and capital gain distributions, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Non-cash dividends, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date at fair value. Dividends from foreign securities where the ex-dividend date may have passed are subsequently recorded when the Funds are informed of the ex-dividend date. Under the applicable foreign tax laws, a withholding tax at various rates may be imposed on capital gains, dividends and interest.

Foreign Currency Translation: Each Fund’s books and records are maintained in U.S. dollars. Securities and other assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars using prevailing market rates as quoted by one or more data service providers. Purchases and sales of investments are recorded at the rates of exchange prevailing on the respective dates of such transactions. Generally, when the U.S. dollar rises in value against a foreign currency, the investments denominated in that currency will lose value; the opposite effect occurs if the U.S. dollar falls in relative value.

Each Fund does not isolate the effect of fluctuations in foreign exchange rates from the effect of fluctuations in the market prices of investments for financial reporting purposes. Accordingly, the effects of changes in exchange rates on investments are not segregated in the Statements of Operations from the effects of changes in market prices of those investments, but are included as a component of net realized and unrealized gain (loss) from investments. Each Fund reports realized currency gains (losses) on foreign currency related transactions as components of net realized gain (loss) for financial reporting purposes, whereas such components are generally treated as ordinary income for U.S. federal income tax purposes. However, the currency hedged fund has elected to treat realized gains (losses) from certain foreign currency contracts as capital gain (loss) for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

ForeignTaxes: Certain Funds may be subject to foreign taxes (a portion of which may be reclaimable) on income, stock dividends, capital gains on investments, or certain foreign currency transactions. All foreign taxes are recorded in accordance with the applicable foreign tax regulations and rates that exist in the foreign jurisdictions in which each Fund invests. These foreign taxes, if any, are paid by each Fund and are reflected in its Statements of Operations as follows: foreign taxes withheld at source are presented as a reduction of income, foreign taxes on securities lending income are presented as a reduction of securities lending income, foreign taxes on stock dividends are presented as “Other foreign taxes”, and foreign taxes on capital gains from sales of investments and foreign taxes on foreign currency transactions are included in their respective net realized gain (loss) categories. Foreign taxes payable or deferred as of February 29, 2024, if any, are disclosed in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

Certain Funds file withholding tax reclaims in certain jurisdictions to recover a portion of amounts previously withheld. The Funds may record a reclaim receivable based on collectability, which includes factors such as the jurisdiction’s applicable laws, payment history and market convention. The Statements of Operations includes tax reclaims recorded as well as professional and other fees, if any, associated with recovery of foreign withholding taxes.

Bank Overdraft: Certain Funds had outstanding cash disbursements exceeding deposited cash amounts at the custodian during the reporting period. The Funds are obligated to repay the custodian for any overdraft, including any related costs or expenses, where applicable. For financial reporting purposes, overdraft fees, if any, are included in interest expense in the Statements of Operations.

 

 

N O T E ST O  F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  33


Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

Collateralization: If required by an exchange or counterparty agreement, the Funds may be required to deliver/deposit cash and/or securities to/with an exchange, or broker-dealer or custodian as collateral for certain investments.

In-kind Redemptions: For financial reporting purposes, in-kind redemptions are treated as sales of securities resulting in realized capital gains or losses to the Funds. Because such gains or losses are not taxable to the Funds and are not distributed to existing Fund shareholders, the gains or losses are reclassified from accumulated net realized gain (loss) to paid-in capital at the end of the Funds’ tax year. These reclassifications have no effect on net assets or net asset value (“NAV”) per share.

Distributions: Dividends and distributions paid by each Fund are recorded on the ex-dividend dates. Distributions are determined on a tax basis and may differ from net investment income and net realized capital gains for financial reporting purposes. Dividends and distributions are paid in U.S. dollars and cannot be automatically reinvested in additional shares of the Funds.

Indemnifications: In the normal course of business, each Fund enters into contracts that contain a variety of representations that provide general indemnification. The Funds’ maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown because it involves future potential claims against the Funds, which cannot be predicted with any certainty.

 

3.

INVESTMENT VALUATION AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

Investment Valuation Policies: Each Fund’s investments are valued at fair value (also referred to as “market value” within the financial statements) each day that the Fund’s listing exchange is open and, for financial reporting purposes, as of the report date. U.S. GAAP defines fair value as the price a fund would receive to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) of each Fund has approved the designation of BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BFA”), the Funds’ investment adviser, as the valuation designee for each Fund. Each Fund determines the fair values of its financial instruments using various independent dealers or pricing services under BFA’s policies. If a security’s market price is not readily available or does not otherwise accurately represent the fair value of the security, the security will be valued in accordance with BFA’s policies and procedures as reflecting fair value. BFA has formed a committee (the “Valuation Committee”) to develop pricing policies and procedures and to oversee the pricing function for all financial instruments, with assistance from other BlackRock pricing committees.

Fair Value Inputs and Methodologies: The following methods and inputs are used to establish the fair value of each Fund’s assets and liabilities:

 

   

Equity investments traded on a recognized securities exchange are valued at that day’s official closing price, as applicable, on the exchange where the stock is primarily traded. Equity investments traded on a recognized exchange for which there were no sales on that day are valued at the last traded price.

 

   

Exchange-traded funds and closed-end funds traded on a recognized securities exchange are valued at that day’s official closing price, as applicable, on the exchange where the fund is primarily traded. Funds traded on a recognized exchange for which there were no sales on that day may be valued at the last traded price.

 

   

Investments in open-end U.S. mutual funds (including money market funds) are valued at that day’s published NAV.

 

   

Futures contracts are valued based on that day’s last reported settlement or trade price on the exchange where the contract is traded.

 

   

Forward foreign currency exchange contracts are valued at the mean between the bid and ask prices and are determined as of the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) based on that day’s prevailing forward exchange rate for the underlying currencies.

Generally, trading in foreign instruments is substantially completed each day at various times prior to the close of trading on the NYSE. Each business day, the Funds use current market factors supplied by independent pricing services to value certain foreign instruments (“Systematic Fair Value Price”). The Systematic Fair Value Price is designed to value such foreign securities at fair value as of the close of trading on the NYSE, which follows the close of the local markets.

If events (e.g., market volatility, company announcement or a natural disaster) occur that are expected to materially affect the value of such investment, or in the event that application of these methods of valuation results in a price for an investment that is deemed not to be representative of the market value of such investment, or if a price is not available, the investment will be valued by the Valuation Committee, in accordance with BFA’s policies and procedures as reflecting fair value (“Fair Valued Investments”). The fair valuation approaches that may be used by the Valuation Committee include market approach, income approach and cost approach. Valuation techniques such as discounted cash flow, use of market comparables and matrix pricing are types of valuation approaches and are typically used in determining fair value. When determining the price for Fair Valued Investments, the Valuation Committee seeks to determine the price that each Fund might reasonably expect to receive or pay from the current sale or purchase of that asset or liability in an arm’s-length transaction. Fair value determinations shall be based upon all available factors that the Valuation Committee deems relevant and consistent with the principles of fair value measurement.

Fair value pricing could result in a difference between the prices used to calculate a fund’s NAV and the prices used by the fund’s underlying index, which in turn could result in a difference between the fund’s performance and the performance of the fund’s underlying index.

Fair Value Hierarchy: Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. These inputs to valuation techniques are categorized into a fair value hierarchy consisting of three broad levels for financial reporting purposes as follows:

 

   

Level 1 – Unadjusted price quotations in active markets/exchanges for identical assets or liabilities that each Fund has the ability to access;

 

 

34  

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

   

Level 2 – Other observable inputs (including, but not limited to, quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in markets that are active, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the assets or liabilities (such as interest rates, yield curves, volatilities, prepayment speeds, loss severities, credit risks and default rates) or other market-corroborated inputs); and

 

   

Level 3 – Unobservable inputs based on the best information available in the circumstances, to the extent observable inputs are not available, (including the Valuation Committee’s assumptions used in determining the fair value of financial instruments).

The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements). Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised in determining fair value is greatest for instruments categorized in Level 3. The inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, for disclosure purposes, the fair value hierarchy classification is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. Investments classified within Level 3 have significant unobservable inputs used by the Valuation Committee in determining the price for Fair Valued Investments. Level 3 investments include equity or debt issued by privately held companies or funds that may not have a secondary market and/or may have a limited number of investors. The categorization of a value determined for financial instruments is based on the pricing transparency of the financial instruments and is not necessarily an indication of the risks associated with investing in those securities.

 

4.

SECURITIES AND OTHER INVESTMENTS

Securities Lending: Each Fund may lend its securities to approved borrowers, such as brokers, dealers and other financial institutions. The borrower pledges and maintains with the Fund collateral consisting of cash, an irrevocable letter of credit issued by an approved bank, or securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government. The initial collateral received by each Fund is required to have a value of at least 102% of the current market value of the loaned securities for securities traded on U.S. exchanges and a value of at least 105% for all other securities. The collateral is maintained thereafter at a value equal to at least 100% of the current value of the securities on loan. The market value of the loaned securities is determined at the close of each business day of the Fund and any additional required collateral is delivered to the Fund or excess collateral is returned by the Fund, on the next business day. During the term of the loan, each Fund is entitled to all distributions made on or in respect of the loaned securities but does not receive interest income on securities received as collateral. Loans of securities are terminable at any time and the borrower, after notice, is required to return borrowed securities within the standard time period for settlement of securities transactions.

As of period end, any securities on loan were collateralized by cash and/or U.S. Government obligations. Cash collateral invested in money market funds managed by BFA, or its affiliates is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments. Any non-cash collateral received cannot be sold, re-invested or pledged by the Fund, except in the event of borrower default. The securities on loan, if any, are also disclosed in each Fund’s Schedule of Investments. The market value of any securities on loan and the value of any related cash collateral are disclosed in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

Securities lending transactions are entered into by the Funds under Master Securities Lending Agreements (each, an “MSLA”) which provide the right, in the event of default (including bankruptcy or insolvency) for the non-defaulting party to liquidate the collateral and calculate a net exposure to the defaulting party or request additional collateral. In the event that a borrower defaults, the Funds, as lender, would offset the market value of the collateral received against the market value of the securities loaned. When the value of the collateral is greater than that of the market value of the securities loaned, the lender is left with a net amount payable to the defaulting party. However, bankruptcy or insolvency laws of a particular jurisdiction may impose restrictions on or prohibitions against such a right of offset in the event of an MSLA counterparty’s bankruptcy or insolvency. Under the MSLA, absent an event of default, the borrower can resell or re-pledge the loaned securities, and the Funds can reinvest cash collateral received in connection with loaned securities. Upon an event of default, the parties’ obligations to return the securities or collateral to the other party are extinguished, and the parties can resell or re-pledge the loaned securities or the collateral received in connection with the loaned securities in order to satisfy the defaulting party’s net payment obligation for all transactions under the MSLA. The defaulting party remains liable for any deficiency.

As of period end, the following table is a summary of the securities on loan by counterparty which are subject to offset under an MSLA:

 

 

 
iShares ETF and Counterparty    

Securities Loaned

at Value

 

 

    

Cash Collateral

Received

 

(a)  

   

Non-Cash Collateral

Received, at Fair Value

 

(a) 

    Net Amount  

 

 

Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets

        

BofA Securities, Inc.

  $ 39,051,195      $ (39,051,195   $     $  
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

N O T E ST O  F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  35


Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

 

 
iShares ETF and Counterparty    

Securities Loaned

at Value

 

 

    

Cash Collateral

Received

 

(a)  

   

Non-Cash Collateral

Received, at Fair Value

 

(a) 

    Net Amount  

 

 

MSCI Emerging Markets

        

Barclays Capital, Inc.

  $ 12,298,908      $ (12,298,908   $     $  

BNP Paribas SA

    5,933,574        (5,933,574            

BofA Securities, Inc.

    11,930,720        (11,930,720            

Citigroup Global Markets Ltd

    5,839,752        (5,839,752            

Citigroup Global Markets, Inc.

    3,936,632        (3,936,632            

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

    61,231,624        (61,231,624            

Goldman Sachs International

    25,533,020        (25,533,020            

HSBC Bank PLC

    14,958,336        (14,958,336            

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

    21,531,154        (21,531,154            

J.P. Morgan Securities PLC

    30,814,345        (30,814,345            

Jefferies LLC

    153,099        (153,099            

Macquarie Bank Ltd.

    3,083,233        (3,083,233            

Morgan Stanley

    220,347,824        (220,347,824            

Toronto-Dominion Bank (The)

    78,192        (78,192            

UBS AG

    2,395,457        (2,395,457            

UBS Europe SE

    1,719,161        (1,719,161            

Wells Fargo Bank N.A.

    169,416        (169,416            
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  $ 421,954,447      $ (421,954,447   $     $  
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Collateral received, if any, in excess of the market value of securities on loan is not presented in this table. The total cash collateral received by each Fund is disclosed in the Fund’s Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

 

The risks of securities lending include the risk that the borrower may not provide additional collateral when required or may not return the securities when due. To mitigate these risks, each Fund benefits from a borrower default indemnity provided by BlackRock, Inc. (“BlackRock”). BlackRock’s indemnity allows for full replacement of the securities loaned to the extent the collateral received does not cover the value of the securities loaned in the event of borrower default. Each Fund could incur a loss if the value of an investment purchased with cash collateral falls below the market value of the loaned securities or if the value of an investment purchased with cash collateral falls below the value of the original cash collateral received. Such losses are borne entirely by each Fund.

 

5.

DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

Futures Contracts: Futures contracts are purchased or sold to gain exposure to, or manage exposure to, changes in interest rates (interest rate risk) and changes in the value of equity securities (equity risk) or foreign currencies (foreign currency exchange rate risk).

Futures contracts are exchange-traded agreements between the Funds and a counterparty to buy or sell a specific quantity of an underlying instrument at a specified price and on a specified date. Depending on the terms of a contract, it is settled either through physical delivery of the underlying instrument on the settlement date or by payment of a cash amount on the settlement date. Upon entering into a futures contract, the Funds are required to deposit initial margin with the broker in the form of cash or securities in an amount that varies depending on a contract’s size and risk profile. The initial margin deposit must then be maintained at an established level over the life of the contract. Amounts pledged, which are considered restricted, are included in cash pledged for futures contracts in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

Securities deposited as initial margin are designated in the Schedule of Investments and cash deposited, if any, are shown as cash pledged for futures contracts in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. Pursuant to the contract, the Funds agree to receive from or pay to the broker an amount of cash equal to the daily fluctuation in market value of the contract (“variation margin”). Variation margin is recorded as unrealized appreciation (depreciation) and, if any, shown as variation margin receivable (or payable) on futures contracts in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. When the contract is closed, a realized gain or loss is recorded in the Statements of Operations equal to the difference between the notional amount of the contract at the time it was opened and the notional amount at the time it was closed. The use of futures contracts involves the risk of an imperfect correlation in the movements in the price of futures contracts and interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates or underlying assets.

Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts: Forward foreign currency exchange contracts are entered into to gain or reduce exposure to foreign currencies (foreign currency exchange rate risk).

A forward foreign currency exchange contract is an agreement between two parties to buy and sell a currency at a set exchange rate on a specified date. These contracts help to manage the overall exposure to the currencies in which some of the investments held by the Funds are denominated and in some cases, may be used to obtain exposure to a particular market.The contracts are traded over-the-counter (“OTC”) and not on an organized exchange.

The contract is marked-to-market daily and the change in market value is recorded as unrealized appreciation or depreciation in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. When the contract is closed, a realized gain or loss is recorded in the Statements of Operations equal to the difference between the value at the time it was opened and the value at the time it was closed. Non-deliverable forward foreign currency exchange contracts are settled with the counterparty in cash without the delivery of foreign currency. The use of forward foreign currency exchange contracts involves the risk that the value of a contract changes unfavorably due to movements in the value of the referenced foreign currencies, and such value may exceed the amount(s) reflected in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. Cash amounts pledged for forward foreign currency exchange contracts are considered restricted and are included in cash pledged as collateral for OTC derivatives in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. A fund’s risk of loss from counterparty credit risk on OTC derivatives is generally limited to the aggregate unrealized gain netted against any collateral held by the Fund.

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

Master Netting Arrangements: In order to define its contractual rights and to secure rights that will help mitigate its counterparty risk, a Fund may enter into an International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. Master Agreement (“ISDA Master Agreement”) or similar agreement with its derivative contract counterparties. An ISDA Master Agreement is a bilateral agreement between a Fund and a counterparty that governs certain OTC derivatives and typically contains, among other things, collateral posting terms and netting provisions in the event of a default and/or termination event. Under an ISDA Master Agreement, a Fund may, under certain circumstances, offset with the counterparty certain derivative financial instruments’ payables and/or receivables with collateral held and/or posted and create one single net payment. The provisions of the ISDA Master Agreement typically permit a single net payment in the event of default including the bankruptcy or insolvency of the counterparty. However, bankruptcy or insolvency laws of a particular jurisdiction may impose restrictions on or prohibitions against the right of offset in bankruptcy, insolvency, or other events.

For derivatives traded under an ISDA Master Agreement, the collateral requirements are typically calculated by netting the mark-to-market amount for each transaction under such agreement, and comparing that amount to the value of any collateral currently pledged by a fund and the counterparty.

Cash collateral that has been pledged to cover obligations of the Funds and cash collateral received from the counterparty, if any, is reported separately in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities as cash pledged as collateral and cash received as collateral, respectively. Non-cash collateral pledged by the Funds, if any, is noted in the Schedules of Investments. Generally, the amount of collateral due from or to a counterparty is subject to a certain minimum transfer amount threshold before a transfer is required, which is determined at the close of business of the Funds. Any additional required collateral is delivered to/pledged by the Funds on the next business day. Typically, the counterparty is not permitted to sell, re-pledge or use cash and non-cash collateral it receives. A fund generally agrees not to use non-cash collateral that it receives but may, absent default or certain other circumstances defined in the underlying ISDA Master Agreement, be permitted to use cash collateral received. In such cases, interest may be paid pursuant to the collateral arrangement with the counterparty. To the extent amounts due to the Funds from the counterparty are not fully collateralized, each Fund bears the risk of loss from counterparty non-performance. Likewise, to the extent the Funds have delivered collateral to a counterparty and stand ready to perform under the terms of their agreement with such counterparty, each Fund bears the risk of loss from a counterparty in the amount of the value of the collateral in the event the counterparty fails to return such collateral. Based on the terms of agreements, collateral may not be required for all derivative contracts.

For financial reporting purposes, each Fund does not offset derivative assets and derivative liabilities that are subject to netting arrangements, if any, in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

 

6.

INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES

Investment Advisory Fees: Pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement with the Company, BFA manages the investment of each Fund’s assets. BFA is a California corporation indirectly owned by BlackRock. Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, BFA is responsible for substantially all expenses of the Funds, except (i) interest and taxes; (ii) brokerage commissions and other expenses connected with the execution of portfolio transactions; (iii) distribution fees; (iv) the advisory fee payable to BFA; and (v) litigation expenses and any extraordinary expenses (in each case as determined by a majority of the independent directors).

For its investment advisory services to the iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, BFA is entitled to an annual investment advisory fee of 0.78%, accrued daily and paid monthly by the Fund, based on the average daily net assets of the Fund.

For its investment advisory services to the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, BFA is entitled to an annual investment advisory fee, accrued daily and paid monthly by the Fund, based on the Fund’s allocable portion of the aggregate of the average daily net assets of the Fund and certain other iShares funds, as follows:

 

   
Aggregate Average Daily Net Assets   Investment Advisory Fees    

First $14 billion

    0.75%  

Over $14 billion, up to and including $28 billion

    0.68    

Over $28 billion, up to and including $42 billion

    0.61    

Over $42 billion, up to and including $56 billion

    0.54    

Over $56 billion, up to and including $70 billion

    0.47    

Over $70 billion, up to and including $84 billion

    0.41    

Over $84 billion

    0.35    

Expense Waivers: A fund may incur its pro rata share of fees and expenses attributable to its investments in other investment companies (“acquired fund fees and expenses”). The total of the investment advisory fee and acquired fund fees and expenses, if any, is a fund’s total annual operating expenses. Total expenses as shown in the Statements of Operations does not include acquired fund fees and expenses.

For the iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, BFA has contractually agreed to waive a portion of its investment advisory fee for the Fund through December 31, 2025 so that the Fund’s total annual operating expenses after fee waiver is equal to the acquired fund fees and expenses attributable to the Fund’s investment in the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (“EEM”), after taking into account any fee waivers by EEM.

This amount is included in investment advisory fees waived in the Statements of Operations. For the six months ended February 29, 2024, the amounts waived in investment advisory fees pursuant to this arrangement were as follows:

 

   
iShares ETF   Amounts Waived    

Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets

  $ 494,726    

 

 

N O T E ST O  F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  37


Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

Distributor: BlackRock Investments, LLC, an affiliate of BFA, is the distributor for each Fund. Pursuant to the distribution agreement, BFA is responsible for any fees or expenses for distribution services provided to the Funds.

Securities Lending: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) has issued an exemptive order which permits BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, N.A. (“BTC”), an affiliate of BFA, to serve as securities lending agent for the Funds, subject to applicable conditions. As securities lending agent, BTC bears all operational costs directly related to securities lending, including any custodial costs. Each Fund is responsible for fees in connection with the investment of cash collateral received for securities on loan (the “collateral investment fees”). The cash collateral is invested in a money market fund, BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional or BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, managed by BFA, or its affiliates. However, BTC has agreed to reduce the amount of securities lending income it receives in order to effectively limit the collateral investment fees each Fund bears to an annual rate of 0.04%. The SL Agency Shares of such money market fund will not be subject to a sales load, distribution fee or service fee. The money market fund in which the cash collateral has been invested may, under certain circumstances, impose a liquidity fee of up to 2% of the value redeemed or temporarily restrict redemptions for up to 10 business days during a 90 day period, in the event that the money market fund’s weekly liquid assets fall below certain thresholds.

Securities lending income is equal to the total of income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral, net of fees and other payments to and from borrowers of securities, and less the collateral investment fees. Each Fund retains a portion of securities lending income and remits the remaining portion to BTC as compensation for its services as securities lending agent.

Pursuant to the current securities lending agreement, each Fund retains 82% of securities lending income (which excludes collateral investment fees), and the amount retained can never be less than 70% of the total of securities lending income plus the collateral investment fees.

In addition, commencing the business day following the date that the aggregate securities lending income plus the collateral investment fees generated across all 1940 Act iShares exchange-traded funds (the “iShares ETF Complex”) in that calendar year exceeds a specified threshold, each Fund, pursuant to the securities lending agreement, will retain for the remainder of that calendar year 85% of securities lending income (which excludes collateral investment fees), and the amount retained can never be less than 70% of the total of securities lending income plus the collateral investment fees.

The share of securities lending income earned by each Fund is shown as securities lending income – affiliated – net in its Statements of Operations. For the six months ended February 29, 2024, the Funds paid BTC the following amounts for securities lending agent services:

 

   
iShares ETF   Amounts   

Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets

  $ 9,658   

MSCI Emerging Markets

    1,013,231   

Officers and Directors: Certain officers and/or directors of the Company are officers and/or directors of BlackRock or its affiliates.

Other Transactions: Cross trading is the buying or selling of portfolio securities between funds to which BFA (or an affiliate) serves as investment adviser. At its regularly scheduled quarterly meetings, the Board reviews such transactions as of the most recent calendar quarter for compliance with the requirements and restrictions set forth by Rule 17a-7.

For the six months ended February 29, 2024, transactions executed by the Funds pursuant to Rule 17a-7 under the 1940 Act were as follows:

 

           
iShares ETF   Purchases              Sales             

Net Realized

Gain (Loss)

 

MSCI Emerging Markets

  $ 6,754,059               $ 39,915,088               $ (73,557,800

Each Fund may invest its positive cash balances in certain money market funds managed by BFA or an affiliate. The income earned on these temporary cash investments is shown as dividends – affiliated in the Statements of Operations.

A fund, in order to improve its portfolio liquidity and its ability to track its underlying index, may invest in shares of other iShares funds that invest in securities in the fund’s underlying index.

 

7.

PURCHASES AND SALES

For the six months ended February 29, 2024, purchases and sales of investments, excluding short-term securities and in-kind transactions, were as follows:

 

     
iShares ETF   Purchases      Sales   

Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets

  $ 6,182,819      $ 5,598,217   

MSCI Emerging Markets

    581,522,769        3,133,814,725   

 

 

38  

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

For the six months ended February 29, 2024, in-kind transactions were as follows:

 

       
iShares ETF   In-kind
Purchases
           

In-kind 

Sales  

 

Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets

  $ 2,148,076        $ 20,367,021   

MSCI Emerging Markets

    40,259,695                1,596,735,151   

 

8.

INCOME TAX INFORMATION

Each Fund is treated as an entity separate from the Company’s other funds for federal income tax purposes. It is each Fund’s policy to comply with the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, applicable to regulated investment companies, and to distribute substantially all of its taxable income to its shareholders. Therefore, no U.S. federal income tax provision is required.

Management has analyzed tax laws and regulations and their application to the Funds as of February 29, 2024, inclusive of the open tax return years, and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability in the Funds’ financial statements.

As of August 31, 2023, the Funds had non-expiring capital loss carryforwards available to offset future realized capital gains and qualified late-year losses as follows:

 

     
iShares ETF   Non-Expiring
Capital Loss
Carryforwards
    Qualified  
Late-Year  
Capital  
Losses   
 

Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets

  $     $  (8,764,793)   

MSCI Emerging Markets

    (13,713,746,522     —    

A fund may own shares in certain foreign investment entities, referred to, under U.S. tax law, as “passive foreign investment companies.” Such fund may elect to mark-to-market annually the shares of each passive foreign investment company and would be required to distribute to shareholders any such marked-to-market gains.

As of February 29, 2024, gross unrealized appreciation and depreciation based on cost of investments (including short positions and derivatives, if any) for U.S. federal income tax purposes were as follows:

 

         
iShares ETF   Tax Cost     

Gross Unrealized

Appreciation

    

Gross Unrealized

Depreciation

    Net Unrealized  
Appreciation  
(Depreciation)   
 

Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets

  $ 176,067,976      $ 714,237      $ (16,730,497   $ (16,016,260)   

MSCI Emerging Markets

    16,307,041,573        5,378,265,402        (3,491,838,562     1,886,426,840    

 

9.

LINE OF CREDIT

The Funds, along with certain other iShares funds (“Participating Funds”), are parties to a $800 million credit agreement (“Syndicated Credit Agreement”) with a group of lenders, which expires on October 16, 2024. The line of credit may be used for temporary or emergency purposes, including redemptions, settlement of trades and rebalancing of portfolio holdings in certain target markets. The Funds may borrow up to the aggregate commitment amount subject to asset coverage and other limitations as specified in the Syndicated Credit Agreement. The Syndicated Credit Agreement has the following terms: a commitment fee of 0.15% per annum on the unused portion of the credit agreement and interest at a rate equal to the higher of (a) Daily Simple Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) plus 0.10% and 1.00% per annum or (b) the U.S. Federal Funds rate plus 1.00% per annum on amounts borrowed. The commitment fee is generally allocated to each Participating Fund based on the lesser of a Participating Fund’s relative exposure to certain target markets or a Participating Fund’s maximum borrowing amount as set forth by the terms of the Syndicated Credit Agreement.

During the six months ended February 29, 2024, the iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF did not borrow under the Syndicated Credit Agreement.

For the six months ended February 29, 2024, the maximum amount borrowed, the average daily borrowing and the weighted average interest rate, if any, under the Syndicated Credit Agreement were as follows:

 

       
iShares ETF  

Maximum

Amount

Borrowed

    

Average

Borrowing

    

Weighted  

Average  

Interest Rates  

 

MSCI Emerging Markets

  $ 89,673,000      $ 4,833,615        6.44%  

 

 

N O T E ST O  F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  39


Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

10.

PRINCIPAL RISKS

In the normal course of business, each Fund invests in securities or other instruments and may enter into certain transactions, and such activities subject the Fund to various risks, including, among others, fluctuations in the market (market risk) or failure of an issuer to meet all of its obligations. The value of securities or other instruments may also be affected by various factors, including, without limitation: (i) the general economy; (ii) the overall market as well as local, regional or global political and/or social instability; (iii) regulation, taxation or international tax treaties between various countries; or (iv) currency, interest rate or price fluctuations. Local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant impact on the Funds and their investments. Each Fund’s prospectus provides details of the risks to which the Fund is subject.

BFA uses an indexing approach to try to achieve each Fund’s investment objective. The Fund is not actively managed, and BFAgenerally does not attempt to take defensive positions under any market conditions, including declining markets.

The Funds may be exposed to additional risks when reinvesting cash collateral in money market funds that do not seek to maintain a stable NAV per share of $1.00, which may be subject to redemption gates or liquidity fees under certain circumstances.

Market Risk: Investments in the securities of issuers domiciled in countries with emerging capital markets involve certain additional risks that do not generally apply to investments in securities of issuers in more developed capital markets, such as (i) low or nonexistent trading volume, resulting in a lack of liquidity and increased volatility in prices for such securities; (ii) lack of reliable settlement procedures and significant delays in registereing the transfer of securities; (iii) uncertain national policies and social, political and economic instability, increasing the potential for expropriation of assets, confiscatory taxation, high rates of inflation or unfavorable diplomatic developments; (iv) lack of publicly available or reliable information about issuers as a result of not being subject to the same degree of regulatory requirements and accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards; and (v) possible fluctuations in exchange rates, differing legal systems and the existence or possible imposition of exchange controls, custodial restrictions or other foreign or U.S. governmental laws or restrictions applicable to such investments.

Valuation Risk: The market values of equities, such as common stocks and preferred securities or equity related investments, such as futures and options, may decline due to general market conditions which are not specifically related to a particular company. They may also decline due to factors which affect a particular industry or industries. A fund may invest in illiquid investments. An illiquid investment is any investment that a fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. A fund may experience difficulty in selling illiquid investments in a timely manner at the price that it believes the investments are worth. Prices may fluctuate widely over short or extended periods in response to company, market or economic news. Markets also tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising and falling prices. This volatility may cause a fund’s NAV to experience significant increases or decreases over short periods of time. If there is a general decline in the securities and other markets, the NAV of a fund may lose value, regardless of the individual results of the securities and other instruments in which a fund invests.

The price each Fund could receive upon the sale of any particular portfolio investment may differ from each Fund’s valuation of the investment, particularly for securities that trade in thin or volatile markets or that are valued using a fair valuation technique or a price provided by an independent pricing service. Changes to significant unobservable inputs and assumptions (i.e., publicly traded company multiples, growth rate, time to exit) due to the lack of observable inputs may significantly impact the resulting fair value and therefore each Fund’s results of operations. As a result, the price received upon the sale of an investment may be less than the value ascribed by each Fund, and each Fund could realize a greater than expected loss or lesser than expected gain upon the sale of the investment. Each Fund’s ability to value its investments may also be impacted by technological issues and/or errors by pricing services or other third-party service providers.

Counterparty Credit Risk: The Funds may be exposed to counterparty credit risk, or the risk that an entity may fail to or be unable to perform on its commitments related to unsettled or open transactions, including making timely interest and/or principal payments or otherwise honoring its obligations. The Funds manage counterparty credit risk by entering into transactions only with counterparties that BFA believes have the financial resources to honor their obligations and by monitoring the financial stability of those counterparties. Financial assets, which potentially expose the Funds to market, issuer and counterparty credit risks, consist principally of financial instruments and receivables due from counterparties. The extent of the Funds’ exposure to market, issuer and counterparty credit risks with respect to these financial assets is approximately their value recorded in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, less any collateral held by the Funds.

A derivative contract may suffer a mark-to-market loss if the value of the contract decreases due to an unfavorable change in the market rates or values of the underlying instrument. Losses can also occur if the counterparty does not perform under the contract.

With exchange-traded futures, there is less counterparty credit risk to the Funds since the exchange or clearinghouse, as counterparty to such instruments, guarantees against a possible default. The clearinghouse stands between the buyer and the seller of the contract; therefore, credit risk is limited to failure of the clearinghouse. While offset rights may exist under applicable law, a fund does not have a contractual right of offset against a clearing broker or clearinghouse in the event of a default (including the bankruptcy or insolvency). Additionally, credit risk exists in exchange-traded futures with respect to initial and variation margin that is held in a clearing broker’s customer accounts. While clearing brokers are required to segregate customer margin from their own assets, in the event that a clearing broker becomes insolvent or goes into bankruptcy and at that time there is a shortfall in the aggregate amount of margin held by the clearing broker for all its clients, typically the shortfall would be allocated on a pro rata basis across all the clearing broker’s customers, potentially resulting in losses to the Funds.

Geographic/Asset Class Risk: A diversified portfolio, where this is appropriate and consistent with a fund’s objectives, minimizes the risk that a price change of a particular investment will have a material impact on the NAV of a fund. The investment concentrations within each Fund’s portfolio are disclosed in its Schedule of Investments.

 

 

40  

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

Certain Funds invest a significant portion of their assets in issuers located in a single country or a limited number of countries. When a fund concentrates its investments in this manner, it assumes the risk that economic, regulatory, political and social conditions in that country or those countries may have a significant impact on the fund and could affect the income from, or the value or liquidity of, the Fund’s portfolio. Unanticipated or sudden political or social developments may cause uncertainty in the markets and as a result adversely affect the Fund’s investments. Foreign issuers may not be subject to the same uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and practices as used in the United States. Foreign securities markets may also be more volatile and less liquid than U.S. securities and may be less subject to governmental supervision not typically associated with investing in U.S. securities. Investment percentages in specific countries are presented in the Schedule of Investments.

Certain Funds invest a significant portion of their assets in securities of issuers located in China or with significant exposure to Chinese issuers. Investments in Chinese securities, including certain Hong Kong-listed securities, involve risks specific to China. China may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability and demonstrates significantly higher volatility from time to time in comparison to developed markets. 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 may 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. Incidents involving China’s or the region’s security may cause uncertainty in Chinese markets and may adversely affect the Chinese economy and a fund’s investments. Reduction in spending on Chinese products and services, supply chain diversification, institution of tariffs, sanctions 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. In addition, measures may be taken to limit the flow of capital and/or sanctions may be imposed, which could prohibit or restrict the ability to own or transfer fund assets and may also include retaliatory actions, such as seizure of fund assets.

Certain Funds invest a significant portion of their assets in securities of issuers located in Asia or with significant exposure to Asian issuers or countries. The Asian financial markets have recently experienced volatility and adverse trends due to concerns in several Asian countries regarding monetary policy, government intervention in the markets, rising government debt levels or economic downturns. These events may spread to other countries in Asia and may affect the value and liquidity of certain of the Funds’ investments.

Significant Shareholder Redemption Risk: Certain shareholders may own or manage a substantial amount of fund shares and/or hold their fund investments for a limited period of time. Large redemptions of fund shares by these shareholders may force a fund to sell portfolio securities, which may negatively impact the fund’s NAV, increase the fund’s brokerage costs, and/or accelerate the realization of taxable income/gains and cause the fund to make additional taxable distributions to shareholders.

 

11.

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

Capital shares are issued and redeemed by each Fund only in aggregations of a specified number of shares or multiples thereof (“Creation Units”) at NAV. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, shares of each Fund are not redeemable.

Transactions in capital shares were as follows:

 

 

 
    Six Months Ended
02/29/24
    Year Ended
08/31/23
 
iShares ETF   Shares     Amount     Shares     Amount  

 

 

Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets

       

Shares sold

    90,000     $ 2,148,157       2,140,000     $ 52,467,876  

Shares redeemed

    (850,000     (20,494,845     (2,700,000     (64,316,480
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    (760,000   $ (18,346,688     (560,000   $ (11,848,604
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

MSCI Emerging Markets

       

Shares sold

    15,300,000      $ 611,440,069        59,400,000      $ 2,379,728,785   

Shares redeemed

    (116,550,000     (4,426,316,198     (167,400,000     (6,413,041,821
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    (101,250,000   $ (3,814,876,129     (108,000,000   $ (4,033,313,036
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

The consideration for the purchase of Creation Units of a fund in the Company generally consists of the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities and a specified amount of cash. Certain funds in the Company may be offered in Creation Units solely or partially for cash in U.S. dollars. Authorized Participants purchasing and redeeming Creation Units may pay a purchase transaction fee and a redemption transaction fee directly to State Street Bank and Trust Company, the Company’s administrator , to offset transfer and other transaction costs associated with the issuance and redemption of Creation Units, including Creation Units for cash. Authorized Participants transacting in Creation Units for cash may also pay an additional variable charge to compensate the relevant fund for certain transaction costs (i.e., stamp taxes, taxes on currency or other financial transactions, and brokerage costs) and market impact expenses relating to investing in portfolio securities. Such variable charges, if any, are included in shares sold in the table above.

From time to time, settlement of securities related to in-kind contributions or in-kind redemptions may be delayed. In such cases, securities related to in-kind transactions are reflected as a receivable or a payable in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

 

 

N O T E ST O  F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  41


Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

12.

FOREIGN WITHHOLDING TAX CLAIMS

The Internal Revenue Service has issued guidance to address U.S. income tax liabilities attributable to fund shareholders resulting from the recovery of foreign taxes withheld in prior calendar years. These withheld foreign taxes were passed through to shareholders in the form of foreign tax credits in the year the taxes were withheld. Assuming there are sufficient foreign taxes paid which the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF is able to pass through to its shareholders as a foreign tax credit in the current year, the Fund will be able to offset the prior years’ withholding taxes recovered against the foreign taxes paid in the current year. Accordingly, no federal income tax liability is recorded by the Fund.

 

13.

SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

Management has evaluated the impact of all subsequent events on the Funds through the date the financial statements were available to be issued and has determined that there were no subsequent events requiring adjustment or additional disclosure in the financial statements.

 

 

42  

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Statement Regarding Liquidity Risk Management Program (unaudited)

 

In compliance with Rule 22e-4 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Liquidity Rule”), iShares, Inc. (the “Company”) has adopted and implemented a liquidity risk management program (the “Program”) for iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF and iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (the “Funds” or “ETFs”), each a series of the Company, which is reasonably designed to assess and manage each Fund’s liquidity risk.

The Board of Directors (the “Board”) of the Company, on behalf of the Funds, met on December 8, 2023 (the “Meeting”) to review the Program. The Board previously appointed BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BlackRock”), the investment adviser to the Funds, as the program administrator for each Fund’s Program. BlackRock also previously delegated oversight of the Program to the 40 Act Liquidity Risk Management Committee (the “Committee”). At the Meeting, the Committee, on behalf of BlackRock, provided the Board with a report that addressed the operation of the Program and assessed its adequacy and effectiveness of implementation, including the management of each Fund’s Highly Liquid Investment Minimum (“HLIM”) where applicable, and any material changes to the Program (the “Report”). The Report covered the period from October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2023 (the “Program Reporting Period”).

The Report described the Program’s liquidity classification methodology for categorizing each Fund’s investments (including derivative transactions) into one of four liquidity buckets. It also referenced the methodology used by BlackRock to establish each Fund’s HLIM and noted that the Committee reviews and ratifies the HLIM assigned to each Fund no less frequently than annually. The Report also discussed notable events affecting liquidity over the Program Reporting Period, including extended market holidays, delays in the repatriation of the local currency in certain non-U.S. countries, the continued illiquidity of Russian equity securities and the suspension of select sanctions in Venezuela.

The Report noted that the Program complied with the key factors for consideration under the Liquidity Rule for assessing, managing and periodically reviewing each Fund’s liquidity risk, as follows:

 

  a)

The Fund’s investment strategy and liquidity of portfolio investments during both normal and reasonably foreseeable stressed conditions. During the Program Reporting Period, the Committee reviewed whether each Fund’s strategy is appropriate for an open-end fund structure, with a focus on funds with more significant and consistent holdings of less liquid and illiquid assets. The Committee also factored a fund’s concentration in an issuer into the liquidity classification methodology by taking issuer position sizes into account. Derivative exposure was also considered in the calculation of a fund’s liquidity bucketing. Finally, a factor for consideration under the Liquidity Rule is a Fund’s use of borrowings for investment purposes. However, the Funds do not borrow for investment purposes.

 

  b)

Short-term and long-term cash flow projections during both normal and reasonably foreseeable stressed conditions. During the Program Reporting Period, the Committee reviewed historical redemption activity and used this information as a component to establish each ETF’s reasonably anticipated trading size utilized for liquidity classifications. The Committee may also take into consideration a fund’s shareholder ownership concentration (which, depending on product type and distribution channel, may or may not be available), a fund’s distribution channels, and the degree of certainty associated with a fund’s short-term and long-term cash flow projections.

 

  c)

Holdings of cash and cash equivalents, as well as borrowing arrangements. The Committee considered that ETFs generally do not hold more than de minimis amounts of cash. The Committee also considered that ETFs generally do not engage in borrowing.

 

  d)

The relationship between an ETF’s portfolio liquidity and the way in which, and the prices and spreads at which, ETF shares trade, including the efficiency of the arbitrage function and the level of active participation by market participants, including authorized participants. The Committee monitored the prevailing bid/ask spread and the ETF price premium (or discount) to NAV for all ETFs. However, there were no ETFs with persistent deviations of fund premium/discount or bid/ask spreads from long-term averages over the Program Reporting Period.

 

  e)

The effect of the composition of baskets on the overall liquidity of an ETF’s portfolio. In reviewing the linkage between the composition of custom baskets accepted by an ETF and any significant change in the liquidity profile of such ETF, the Committee reviewed changes in the proportion of each ETF’s portfolio comprised of less liquid and illiquid holdings to determine if applicable thresholds were met requiring enhanced review. There were no ETFs for which the custom baskets accepted by the ETF had a significant change in its liquidity profile.

There were no material changes to the Program during the Program Reporting Period other than the enhancement of certain model components in the Program’s classification methodology. The Report provided to the Board stated that the Committee concluded that based on the operation of the functions, as described in the Report, the Program is operating as intended and is effective in implementing the requirements of the Liquidity Rule.

 

 

S T A T E M E N T  R E G A R D I N G  L I Q U I D I T Y  R I S K  M A N A G E M E N T  P R O G R A M

  43


Supplemental Information (unaudited)

 

Tailored Shareholder Reports for Open-End Mutual Funds and ETFs

Effective January 24, 2023, the SEC adopted rule and form amendments to require open-end mutual funds and ETFs to transmit concise and visually engaging streamlined annual and semiannual reports to shareholders that highlight key information. Other information, including financial statements, will no longer appear in a streamlined shareholder report but must be available online, delivered free of charge upon request, and filed on a semiannual basis on Form N-CSR. The rule and form amendments have a compliance date of July 24, 2024. At this time, management is evaluating the impact of these amendments on the shareholder reports for the Funds.

 

 

44  

2 0 2 4  I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


General Information

 

Electronic Delivery

Shareholders can sign up for e-mail notifications announcing that the shareholder report or prospectus has been posted on the iShares website at iShares.com. Once you have enrolled, you will no longer receive prospectuses and shareholder reports in the mail.

To enroll in electronic delivery:

 

   

Go to icsdelivery.com.

   

If your brokerage firm is not listed, electronic delivery may not be available. Please contact your broker-dealer or financial advisor.

Householding

Householding is an option available to certain fund investors. Householding is a method of delivery, based on the preference of the individual investor, in which a single copy of certain shareholder documents and Rule 30e-3 notices can be delivered to investors who share the same address, even if their accounts are registered under different names. Please contact your broker-dealer if you are interested in enrolling in householding and receiving a single copy of prospectuses and other shareholder documents, or if you are currently enrolled in householding and wish to change your householding status.

Availability of Quarterly Schedule of Investments

The Funds file their complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to their reports on Form N-PORT. The Funds’ Forms N-PORT are available on the SEC’s website at sec.gov. Additionally, each Fund makes its portfolio holdings for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year available at iShares.com/fundreports.

Availability of Proxy Voting Policies and Proxy Voting Records

A description of the policies and procedures that the iShares Funds use to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities and information about how the iShares Funds voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ending June 30 is available without charge, upon request (1) by calling toll-free 1-800-474-2737; (2) on the iShares website at iShares.com; and (3) on the SEC website at sec.gov.

A description of the Company’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio securities is available in the Fund Prospectus. The Fund discloses its portfolio holdings daily and provides information regarding its top holdings in Fund fact sheets at iShares.com.

 

 

G E N E R A L  I N F O R M A T I O N

  45


Glossary of Terms Used in this Report

 

Currency Abbreviation
BRL    Brazilian Real
CLP    Chilean Peso
CNH    Chinese Yuan
EUR    Euro
HKD    Hong Kong Dollar
IDR    Indonesian Rupiah
INR    Indian Rupee
KRW    South Korean Won
MXN    Mexican Peso
MYR    Malaysian Ringgit
THB    Thai Baht
TRY    Turkish Lira
TWD    New Taiwan Dollar
USD    United States Dollar
ZAR    South African Rand
Portfolio Abbreviation
ADR    American Depositary Receipt
GDR    Global Depositary Receipt
JSC    Joint Stock Company
NVDR    Non-Voting Depositary Receipt
NVS    Non-Voting Shares
PJSC    Public Joint Stock Company

 

 

46  

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Want to know more?

iShares.com  |  1-800-474-2737

This report is intended for the Funds’ shareholders. It may not be distributed to prospective investors unless it is preceded or accompanied by the current prospectus.

Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal.

The iShares Funds are distributed by BlackRock Investments, LLC (together with its affiliates, “BlackRock”).

The iShares Funds are not sponsored, endorsed, issued, sold or promoted by MSCI Inc., nor does this company make any representation regarding the advisability of investing in the iShares Funds. BlackRock is not affiliated with the company listed above.

© 2024 BlackRock, Inc. All rights reserved. iSHARES and BLACKROCK are registered trademarks of BlackRock, Inc. or its subsidiaries. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

iS-SAR-805-0224

 

 

LOGO

   LOGO    


 

LOGO

  FEBRUARY 29, 2024

 

  

2024 Semi-Annual Report

(Unaudited)

 

iShares, Inc.

· iShares Emerging Markets Equity Factor ETF | EMGF | Cboe BZX

· iShares ESG Aware MSCI EM ETF | ESGE | NASDAQ

· iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF | EMXC | NASDAQ

· iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Min Vol Factor ETF | EEMV | Cboe BZX

· iShares MSCI Global Min Vol Factor ETF | ACWV | Cboe BZX


The Markets in Review

Dear Shareholder,

The combination of continued economic growth and cooling inflation provided a supportive backdrop for investors during the 12-month reporting period ended February 29, 2024. Significantly tighter monetary policy helped to rein in inflation, and the Consumer Price Index decelerated substantially while remaining above pre-pandemic levels. A moderating labor market helped ease inflationary pressure, although wages continued to grow. Wage and job growth powered robust consumer spending, backstopping the economy. On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a horrific attack on Israel. The ensuing war will have a significant humanitarian impact and could lead to heightened economic and market volatility. We see geopolitics as a structural market risk going forward. See our geopolitical risk dashboard at blackrock.com for more details.

Equity returns were robust during the period, as interest rates stabilized and the economy proved to be more resilient than many investors expected. The U.S. economy continued to show strength, and growth further accelerated in the second half of 2023. Large-capitalization U.S. stocks posted particularly substantial gains, supported by the performance of a few notable technology companies, while small-capitalization U.S. stocks advanced at a significantly slower pace. Meanwhile, international developed market equities also gained strongly, while emerging market stocks advanced at a more modest pace.

The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield rose during the reporting period, as investors reacted to elevated inflation and attempted to anticipate future interest rate changes. However, higher yields drove positive returns overall for 10-year U.S. Treasuries and solid gains in shorter-duration U.S. Treasuries. The corporate bond market benefited from improving economic sentiment, although high-yield corporate bond prices fared significantly better than investment-grade bonds as demand from yield-seeking investors remained strong.

The U.S. Federal Reserve (the “Fed”), attempting to manage persistent inflation, raised interest rates three times during the 12-month period, but paused its tightening after its July meeting. The Fed also continued to reduce its balance sheet by not replacing some of the securities that reach maturity.

Supply constraints appear to have become an embedded feature of the new macroeconomic environment, making it difficult for developed economies to increase production without sparking higher inflation. Geopolitical fragmentation and an aging population risk further exacerbating these constraints, keeping the labor market tight and wage growth high. Although the Fed has stopped tightening for now, we believe that the new economic regime means that the Fed will need to maintain high rates for an extended period despite the market’s hopes for rapid interest rate cuts, as reflected in the recent rally. In this new regime, we anticipate greater volatility and dispersion of returns, creating more opportunities for selective portfolio management.

Looking at developed market stocks, we have an overweight stance on U.S. stocks overall, particularly given the promise of emerging AI technologies. We are also overweight Japanese stocks as shareholder-friendly policies generate increased investor interest, although we maintain an underweight stance on European stocks. In credit, there are selective opportunities in the near term despite tighter credit and financial conditions. For fixed income investing with a six- to twelve-month horizon, we see the most attractive investments in short-term U.S. Treasuries and hard-currency emerging market bonds.

Overall, our view is that investors need to think globally, position themselves to be prepared for a decarbonizing economy, and be nimble as market conditions change. We encourage you to talk with your financial advisor and visit iShares.com for further insight about investing in today’s markets.

 

LOGO

Rob Kapito

President, BlackRock Inc.

 

LOGO

Rob Kapito

President, BlackRock Inc.

 

Total Returns as of February 29, 2024
     
      6-Month     12-Month 
   

U.S. large cap equities
(S&P 500® Index)

  13.93%    30.45% 
   

U.S. small cap equities
(Russell 2000® Index)

  8.97      10.05   
   

International equities
(MSCI Europe, Australasia, Far East Index)

  9.23      14.41   
   

Emerging market equities
(MSCI Emerging Markets Index)

  4.93      8.73   
   

3-month Treasury bills
(ICE BofA 3-Month U.S. Treasury Bill Index)

  2.69      5.22   
   

U.S. Treasury securities
(ICE BofA 10-Year U.S. Treasury Index)

  0.58      0.69   
   

U.S. investment grade bonds
(Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index)

  2.35      3.33   
   

Tax-exempt municipal bonds
(Bloomberg Municipal Bond Index)

  4.33      5.42   
   

U.S. high yield bonds
(Bloomberg U.S. Corporate High Yield 2% Issuer Capped Index)

  6.18      11.01   
Past performance is not an indication of future results. Index performance is shown for illustrative purposes only. You cannot invest directly in an index.
 

 

 

2  

T H I S  P A G E  I S  N O T  P A R T  O F  Y O U R  F U N D  R E P O R T


Table of Contents

 

     Page  

 

 

The Markets in Review

     2  

Semi-Annual Report:

  

Fund Summary

     4  

About Fund Performance

     9  

Disclosure of Expenses

     9  

Schedules of Investments

     10  

Financial Statements

  

Statements of Assets and Liabilities

     45  

Statements of Operations

     47  

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

     49  

Financial Highlights

     52  

Notes to Financial Statements

     57  

Statement Regarding Liquidity Risk Management Program

     66  

Supplemental Information

     67  

General Information

     68  

Glossary of Terms Used in this Report

     69  

 

 

 


Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® Emerging Markets Equity Factor ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares Emerging Markets Equity Factor ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of stocks of large- and mid-capitalization companies in emerging markets that have favorable exposure to target style factors subject to constraints, as represented by the STOXX Emerging Markets Equity Factor Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

           Average Annual Total Returns            Cumulative Total Returns  
    

6-Month

Total Returns

     1 Year      5 Years     

Since

Inception

            1 Year      5 Years     

Since

Inception

 

Fund NAV

    9.63      14.88      4.01      6.20        14.88      21.73      64.08

Fund Market

    10.02        14.56        4.03        6.19          14.56        21.83        63.94  

Index

    10.31        16.27        4.88        6.78                16.27        26.88        71.60  

The inception date of the Fund was December 8, 2015. The first day of secondary market trading was December 10, 2015.

Index performance through February 28, 2023 reflects the performance of the MSCI Emerging Markets Diversified Multiple Factor Index. Index performance beginning on March 1, 2023 reflects the performance of the STOXX Emerging Markets Equity Factor Index, which effective as of March 1, 2023, replaced the MSCI Emerging markets Diversified Multiple Factor Index as the underlying index of the fund.

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

Actual           Hypothetical 5% Return                    

 

 

     

 

 

           
 

Beginning

Account Value

(09/01/23)

 

 

 

      

Ending

Account Value

(02/29/24)

 

 

 

      

Expenses

Paid During

the Period

 

 

(a) 

           

Beginning

Account Value

(09/01/23)

 

 

 

      

Ending

Account Value

(02/29/24)

 

 

 

      

Expenses

Paid During

the Period

 

 

(a) 

                 

Annualized

Expense

Ratio

 

 

 

  $   1,000.00          $    1,096.30          $    1.36               $  1,000.00          $  1,023.60          $  1.31                     0.26

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION  
   
Sector    

Percent of

Total Investments

 

(a) 

Information Technology

    23.7

Financials

    21.9  

Consumer Discretionary

    12.5  

Industrials

    8.5  

Communication Services

    8.2  

Consumer Staples

    7.1  

Materials

    5.9  

Energy

    5.2  

Utilities

    3.5  

Health Care

    2.6  

Real Estate

    0.9  
GEOGRAPHIC ALLOCATION  
   
Country/Geographic Region    

Percent of

Total Investments

 

(a) 

China

    23.8

India

    20.3  

Taiwan

    16.5  

South Korea

    13.4  

Brazil

    5.1  

Saudi Arabia

    2.9  

Mexico

    2.7  

United Arab Emirates

    2.2  

Indonesia

    2.0  

South Africa

    1.9  

Turkey

    1.3  

Malaysia

    1.3  

Poland

    1.2  

Qatar

    1.2  

Other (each representing less than 1%)

    4.2  
 
  (a) 

Excludes money market funds.

 

 

 

4  

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Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® ESG Aware MSCI EM ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares ESG Aware MSCI EM ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of large- and mid-capitalization emerging market equities that have positive environmental, social and governance characteristics as identified by the index provider while exhibiting risk and return characteristics similar to those of the parent index, as represented by the MSCI Emerging Markets Extended ESG Focus Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

           Average Annual Total Returns            Cumulative Total Returns  
    

6-Month

Total Returns

     1 Year      5 Years     

Since

Inception

            1 Year      5 Years     

Since

Inception

 

Fund NAV

    3.08      6.96      1.17      5.26        6.96      5.98      48.21

Fund Market

    3.06        6.53        1.08        5.20          6.53        5.52        47.60  

Index

    3.49        7.64        1.59        5.76                7.64        8.20        53.68  

The inception date of the Fund was June 28, 2016. The first day of secondary market trading was June 30, 2016.

Index performance through May 31, 2018 reflects the performance of the MSCI Emerging Markets ESG Focus Index. Index performance beginning on June 1, 2018 reflects the performance of the MSCI Emerging Markets Extended ESG Focus Index.

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

Actual           Hypothetical 5% Return                    

 

 

     

 

 

           
 

Beginning

Account Value

(09/01/23)

 

 

 

      

Ending

Account Value

(02/29/24)

 

 

 

      

Expenses

Paid During

the Period

 

 

 

           

Beginning

Account Value

(09/01/23)

 

 

 

      

Ending

Account Value

(02/29/24)

 

 

 

      

Expenses

Paid During

the Period

 

 

 

                 

Annualized

Expense

Ratio

 

 

 

  $   1,000.00          $    1,030.80          $    1.31 (a)              $  1,000.00          $  1,023.60          $  1.31 (a)                    0.26

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION  
   
Sector    

Percent of

Total Investments

 

(a) 

Financials

    26.5

Information Technology

    22.9  

Consumer Discretionary

    13.9  

Communication Services

    9.3  

Materials

    5.2  

Energy

    5.1  

Consumer Staples

    5.1  

Industrials

    4.8  

Health Care

    3.9  

Utilities

    1.8  

Real Estate

    1.5  
GEOGRAPHIC ALLOCATION  
   
Country/Geographic Region    

Percent of

Total Investments

 

(a) 

China

    24.8

Taiwan

    18.6  

India

    17.2  

South Korea

    12.6  

Brazil

    5.0  

Saudi Arabia

    3.7  

South Africa

    3.0  

Thailand

    2.5  

Malaysia

    2.3  

Mexico

    2.0  

Indonesia

    1.7  

United Arab Emirates

    1.3  

Other (each representing less than 1%)

    5.3  
 
  (a) 

Excludes money market funds.

 

 

 

F U N D  S U M M A R Y

  5


Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF(the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of large- and mid-capitalization emerging market equities, excluding China, as represented by the MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

           Average Annual Total Returns            Cumulative Total Returns  
    

6-Month

Total Returns

     1 Year      5 Years     

Since

Inception

            1 Year      5 Years     

Since

Inception

 

Fund NAV

    10.71      18.86      5.25      3.98        18.86      29.16      29.45

Fund Market

    10.21        18.48        5.19        3.93          18.48        28.78        29.09  

Index

    11.21        19.71        5.76        4.48                19.71        32.34        33.66  

The inception date of the Fund was July 18, 2017. The first day of secondary market trading was July 20, 2017.

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

Actual           Hypothetical 5% Return                    

 

 

     

 

 

           
 

Beginning

Account Value

(09/01/23)

 

 

 

      

Ending

Account Value

(02/29/24)

 

 

 

      

Expenses

Paid During

the Period

 

 

(a) 

           

Beginning

Account Value

(09/01/23)

 

 

 

      

Ending

Account Value

(02/29/24)

 

 

 

      

Expenses

Paid During

the Period

 

 

(a) 

                 

Annualized

Expense

Ratio

 

 

 

  $   1,000.00          $    1,107.10          $    1.31               $  1,000.00          $  1,023.60          $  1.26                     0.25

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION  
   
Sector    

Percent of

Total Investments

 

(a) 

Information Technology

    28.2

Financials

    24.9  

Materials

    8.5  

Industrials

    7.7  

Consumer Discretionary

    6.7  

Energy

    6.0  

Consumer Staples

    6.0  

Communication Services

    4.6  

Health Care

    3.2  

Utilities

    2.9  

Real Estate

    1.3  
GEOGRAPHIC ALLOCATION  
   
Country/Geographic Region    

Percent of

Total Investments

 

(a) 

India

    24.1

Taiwan

    22.5  

South Korea

    16.8  

Brazil

    7.4  

Saudi Arabia

    6.1  

Mexico

    3.5  

South Africa

    3.4  

Indonesia

    2.6  

Thailand

    2.1  

Malaysia

    1.9  

United Arab Emirates

    1.7  

Poland

    1.3  

Qatar

    1.2  

Kuwait

    1.1  

Other (each representing less than 1%)

    4.3  
 
  (a) 

Excludes money market funds.

 

 

 

6  

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Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets Min Vol Factor ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Min Vol Factor ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of emerging market equities that, in the aggregate, have lower volatility characteristics relative to the broader emerging equity markets, as represented by the MSCI Emerging Markets Minimum Volatility (USD) Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

           Average Annual Total Returns            Cumulative Total Returns  
    

6-Month

Total Returns

     1 Year      5 Years      10 Years             1 Year      5 Years      10 Years  

Fund NAV

    6.03      9.78      1.60      2.66        9.78      8.29      30.07

Fund Market

    5.71        9.75        1.59        2.67          9.75        8.22        30.13  

Index

    6.63        10.83        2.14        3.04                10.83        11.17        34.96  

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

Actual           Hypothetical 5% Return                    

 

 

     

 

 

           
 

Beginning

Account Value

(09/01/23)

 

 

 

      

Ending

Account Value

(02/29/24)

 

 

 

      

Expenses

Paid During

the Period

 

 

(a) 

           

Beginning

Account Value

(09/01/23)

 

 

 

      

Ending

Account Value

(02/29/24)

 

 

 

      

Expenses

Paid During

the Period

 

 

(a) 

                 

Annualized

Expense

Ratio

 

 

 

  $   1,000.00          $    1,060.30          $    1.33               $  1,000.00          $  1,023.60          $  1.31                     0.26

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION  
   
Sector    

Percent of

Total Investments

 

(a) 

Financials

    23.5

Information Technology

    16.9  

Communication Services

    14.6  

Consumer Staples

    10.3  

Health Care

    9.2  

Consumer Discretionary

    8.3  

Industrials

    4.9  

Utilities

    4.4  

Materials

    4.1  

Energy

    3.1  

Real Estate

    0.7  
GEOGRAPHIC ALLOCATION  
   
Country/Geographic Region    

Percent of

Total Investments

 

(a) 

China

    22.9

India

    20.5  

Taiwan

    15.8  

Saudi Arabia

    9.2  

South Korea

    7.2  

Thailand

    4.3  

Malaysia

    4.0  

United Arab Emirates

    3.7  

Qatar

    2.5  

Kuwait

    2.4  

Philippines

    1.9  

Indonesia

    1.6  

Peru

    1.1  

Other (each representing less than 1%)

    2.9  
 
  (a) 

Excludes money market funds.

 

 

 

F U N D  S U M M A R Y

  7


Fund Summary as of February 29, 2024    iShares® MSCI Global Min Vol Factor ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCI Global MinVol Factor ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of developed and emerging market equities that, in the aggregate, have lower volatility characteristics relative to the broader developed and emerging equity markets, as represented by the MSCI ACWI Minimum Volatility (USD) Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

           Average Annual Total Returns            Cumulative Total Returns  
    

6-Month

Total Returns

     1 Year      5 Years      10 Years             1 Year      5 Years      10 Years  

Fund NAV

    7.34      13.48      5.66      7.33        13.48      31.67      102.91

Fund Market

    7.33        13.59        5.61        7.33          13.59        31.35        102.87  

Index

    7.08        13.11        5.47        7.12                13.11        30.51        98.94  

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.

Expense Example

 

Actual           Hypothetical 5% Return                    

 

 

     

 

 

           
 

Beginning

Account Value

(09/01/23)

 

 

 

      

Ending

Account Value

(02/29/24)

 

 

 

      

Expenses

Paid During

the Period

 

 

(a) 

           

Beginning

Account Value

(09/01/23)

 

 

 

      

Ending

Account Value

(02/29/24)

 

 

 

      

Expenses

Paid During

the Period

 

 

(a) 

                 

Annualized

Expense

Ratio

 

 

 

  $   1,000.00          $    1,073.40          $    1.03               $  1,000.00          $  1,023.90          $  1.01                     0.20

 

  (a) 

Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information.

 

Portfolio Information

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION  
   
Sector    

Percent of

Total Investments

 

(a) 

Information Technology

    18.0

Health Care

    16.1  

Financials

    15.9  

Communication Services

    12.2  

Consumer Staples

    11.8  

Industrials

    8.9  

Consumer Discretionary

    6.4  

Utilities

    5.9  

Materials

    2.4  

Energy

    2.2  

Real Estate

    0.2  
GEOGRAPHIC ALLOCATION  
   
Country/Geographic Region    

Percent of

Total Investments

 

(a) 

United States

    57.3

Japan

    10.5  

China

    7.5  

India

    5.6  

Taiwan

    4.9  

Switzerland

    2.7  

Hong Kong

    1.6  

Canada

    1.3  

Saudi Arabia

    1.3  

Other (each representing less than 1%)

    7.3  
 
  (a) 

Excludes money market funds.

 

 

 

8  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


About Fund Performance

 

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Financial markets have experienced extreme volatility and trading in many instruments has been disrupted. These circumstances may continue for an extended period of time and may continue to affect adversely the value and liquidity of each Fund’s investments. As a result, current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. Performance data current to the most recent month-end is available at iShares.com. Performance results assume reinvestment of all dividends and capital gain distributions and do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. The investment return and principal value of shares will vary with changes in market conditions. Shares may be worth more or less than their original cost when they are redeemed or sold in the market. Performance for certain funds may reflect a waiver of a portion of investment advisory fees. Without such a waiver, performance would have been lower.

Net asset value or “NAV” is the value of one share of a fund as calculated in accordance with the standard formula for valuing mutual fund shares. Beginning August 10, 2020, the price used to calculate market return (“Market Price”) is the closing price. Prior to August 10, 2020, Market Price was determined using the midpoint between the highest bid and the lowest ask on the primary stock exchange on which shares of a fund are listed for trading, as of the time that such fund’s NAV is calculated. Since shares of a fund may not trade in the secondary market until after the fund’s inception, for the period from inception to the first day of secondary market trading in shares of the fund, the NAV of the fund is used as a proxy for the Market Price to calculate market returns. Market and NAV returns assume that dividends and capital gain distributions have been reinvested at Market Price and NAV, respectively.

An index is a statistical composite that tracks a specified financial market or sector. Unlike a fund, an index does not actually hold a portfolio of securities and therefore does not incur the expenses incurred by a fund. These expenses negatively impact fund performance. Also, index returns do not include brokerage commissions that may be payable on secondary market transactions. If brokerage commissions were included, index returns would be lower.

Disclosure of Expenses

Shareholders of each Fund may incur the following charges: (1) transactional expenses, including brokerage commissions on purchases and sales of fund shares and (2) ongoing expenses, including management fees and other fund expenses. The expense examples shown (which are based on a hypothetical investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held through the end of the period) are intended to assist shareholders both in calculating expenses based on an investment in each Fund and in comparing these expenses with similar costs of investing in other funds.

The expense examples provide information about actual account values and actual expenses. Annualized expense ratios reflect contractual and voluntary fee waivers, if any. In order to estimate the expenses a shareholder paid during the period covered by this report, shareholders can divide their account value by $1,000 and then multiply the result by the number under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During the Period.”

The expense examples also provide information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on a fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses. In order to assist shareholders in comparing the ongoing expenses of investing in the Funds and other funds, compare the 5% hypothetical examples with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.

The expenses shown in the expense examples are intended to highlight shareholders’ ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional expenses, such as brokerage commissions and other fees paid on purchases and sales of fund shares. Therefore, the hypothetical examples are useful in comparing ongoing expenses only and will not help shareholders determine the relative total expenses of owning different funds. If these transactional expenses were included, shareholder expenses would have been higher.

 

 

A B O U T  F U N D  P E R F O R M A N C E / D I S C L O S U R E  O F  E X P E N S E S

  9


Schedule of Investments (unaudited)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Emerging Markets Equity Factor ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Common Stocks

   

Brazil — 3.8%

   

Ambev SA

    165,476     $ 418,758  

B3 SA - Brasil Bolsa Balcao

    1,027,879       2,652,871  

Banco do Brasil SA

    128,098       1,490,968  

Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA

    6,688       58,524  

Cia. de Saneamento Basico do Estado de Sao Paulo

    19,686       313,481  

Cia. Energetica de Minas Gerais

    60,418       182,551  

Cia. Siderurgica Nacional SA

    155,076       524,708  

CPFL Energia SA

    52,801       375,898  

CSN Mineracao SA

    886,920       1,082,981  

Hypera SA

    64,078       423,827  

JBS SA

    507,589       2,354,610  

Neoenergia SA

    165,152       717,604  

Petroleo Brasileiro SA

    285,518       2,367,495  

Raia Drogasil SA

    41,188       220,725  

Suzano SA

    103,587       1,174,212  

TIM SA/Brazil

    345,345       1,262,280  

Vale SA

    319,549       4,306,207  

Vibra Energia SA

    154,150       801,899  

WEG SA

    148,569       1,096,537  
   

 

 

 
      21,826,136  
Chile — 0.4%            

Banco de Chile

    3,440,370       399,344  

Cencosud SA

    420,079       754,443  

Colbun SA

    3,177,925       436,691  

Empresas CMPC SA

    292,124       518,594  

Quinenco SA

    44,987       153,668  
   

 

 

 
      2,262,740  
China — 23.6%            

37 Interactive Entertainment Network Technology Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    195,800       527,380  

3SBio Inc.(a)

    458,000       302,182  

Agricultural Bank of China Ltd., Class A

    1,511,900       878,246  

Agricultural Bank of China Ltd., Class H

    905,000       371,272  

AIMA Technology Group Co. Ltd.

    75,700       345,950  

Akeso Inc.(a)(b)(c)

    288,000       1,726,970  

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.

    1,158,948       10,654,994  

Anhui Guangxin Agrochemical Co. Ltd.

    80,160       163,848  

Anhui Gujing Distillery Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,400       103,052  

Anhui Jinhe Industrial Co. Ltd.

    27,000       69,235  

ANTA Sports Products Ltd.

    86,600       844,268  

Atour Lifestyle Holdings Ltd., ADR, ADR

    3,480       67,442  

Autohome Inc., ADR

    11,530       299,665  

AVIC Industry-Finance Holdings Co. Ltd., Class A

    668,800       307,645  

Baidu Inc.(b)

    170,000       2,151,077  

Bank of China Ltd., Class A

    594,300       368,257  

Bank of China Ltd., Class H

    8,534,000       3,347,899  

Bank of Communications Co. Ltd., Class H

    1,097,000       718,695  

Beijing Tongrentang Co. Ltd., Class A

    42,200       260,645  

Biem.L.Fdlkk Garment Co. Ltd.

    48,100       209,088  

Bosideng International Holdings Ltd.

    2,540,000       1,277,562  

BYD Co. Ltd., Class A

    52,800       1,394,587  

BYD Co. Ltd., Class H

    11,000       270,931  

Caida Securities Co. Ltd.

    69,600       74,898  

China CITIC Bank Corp. Ltd., Class A

    594,700       529,942  

China Coal Energy Co. Ltd., Class H

    639,000       688,151  

China Construction Bank Corp., Class H

    9,204,000       5,707,917  

China International Capital Corp. Ltd., Class H(a)

    481,200       603,212  

China Medical System Holdings Ltd.

    360,000       591,795  

China Merchants Bank Co. Ltd., Class H

    433,000       1,674,419  

China Merchants Securities Co. Ltd., Class H(a)

    589,000       468,043  
Security   Shares     Value  

China (continued)

   

China National Software & Service Co. Ltd., Class A

    77,220     $ 344,908  

China Overseas Property Holdings Ltd.

    420,000       353,107  

China Pacific Insurance Group Co. Ltd., Class H

    38,400       72,839  

China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., Class A

    522,800       452,402  

China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., Class H

    2,184,000       1,203,282  

China Railway Group Ltd., Class H

    357,000       173,891  

China Resources Beer Holdings Co. Ltd.

    108,000       465,367  

China Resources Land Ltd.

    52,000       158,826  

China Resources Mixc Lifestyle Services Ltd.(a)

    44,200       133,211  

China Resources Pharmaceutical Group Ltd.(a)

    944,000       638,462  

China Resources Power Holdings Co. Ltd.

    190,000       409,004  

China Resources Sanjiu Medical & Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Class A

    52,400       399,777  

China Shenhua Energy Co. Ltd., Class A

    79,700       425,807  

China Shenhua Energy Co. Ltd., Class H

    210,500       809,939  

China World Trade Center Co. Ltd.

    39,700       105,327  

Chongqing Changan Automobile Co. Ltd., Class A

    176,900       364,910  

Chongqing Rural Commercial Bank Co. Ltd.,
Class H

    641,000       258,501  

Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Ltd.(c)

    374,400       557,883  

CITIC Ltd.

    68,000       68,406  

CITIC Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    54,800       161,691  

CMOC Group Ltd., Class H

    435,000       268,355  

CNPC Capital Co. Ltd., NVS

    62,800       53,919  

COFCO Capital Holdings Co. Ltd.

    123,700       156,204  

COSCO Shipping Holdings Co. Ltd., Class H

    466,000       501,668  

CSC Financial Co. Ltd., Class A

    138,800       447,644  

CSC Financial Co. Ltd., Class H(a)

    875,000       704,767  

Daqo New Energy Corp., ADR(b)(c)

    8,497       180,816  

DaShenLin Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    46,020       151,721  

Dong-E-E-Jiao Co. Ltd., Class A

    45,300       365,621  

East Buy Holding Ltd.(a)(b)

    59,000       181,866  

Eastern Air Logistics Co. Ltd.

    65,600       140,991  

Ecovacs Robotics Co. Ltd., Class A

    50,100       259,002  

Focus Media Information Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    325,200       283,529  

G-Bits Network Technology Xiamen Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,400       192,664  

GD Power Development Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,126,900       731,835  

GF Securities Co. Ltd., Class H

    370,600       397,929  

Giant Biogene Holding Co. Ltd.(a)(b)(c)

    153,000       700,026  

Great Wall Motor Co. Ltd., Class H

    236,500       266,927  

Gree Electric Appliances Inc. of Zhuhai, Class A

    40,600       219,715  

Gree Real Estate Co. Ltd.(b)

    104,000       94,453  

Greentown China Holdings Ltd.

    203,000       162,318  

Guangdong Zhongsheng Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

    70,900       165,071  

Guosen Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    232,200       277,451  

Guosheng Financial Holding Inc.(b)

    88,000       123,692  

H World Group Ltd.

    185,800       685,458  

Hainan Haide Capital Management Co. Ltd.

    104,590       146,296  

Hangzhou Binjiang Real Estate Group Co. Ltd.

    259,800       271,869  

Hangzhou Robam Appliances Co. Ltd., Class A

    13,400       46,376  

Heilongjiang Agriculture Co. Ltd., Class A

    94,300       162,472  

Hengdian Group DMEGC Magnetics Co. Ltd.

    81,500       162,290  

Hisense Home Appliances Group Co. Ltd.

    79,800       330,654  

Hisense Kelon Electrical Holdings Co. Ltd., Class H

    267,000       845,404  

Hopson Development Holdings Ltd.(b)

    856,368       409,247  

Huatai Securities Co. Ltd., Class H(a)

    292,200       344,889  

Hubei Jumpcan Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Class A

    12,800       65,743  

Hundsun Technologies Inc., Class A

    41,500       140,336  

Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd., Class H

    7,503,000       3,846,133  

Inner Mongolia ERDOS Resources Co. Ltd.,
Class B

    127,020       114,953  

JD Health International Inc.(a)(b)

    136,100       513,311  

JD.com Inc.

    140,850       1,589,616  

Jiangsu King’s Luck Brewery JSC Ltd., Class A

    55,200       409,896  
 

 

 

10  

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Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Emerging Markets Equity Factor ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

China (continued)

   

Jiangsu Phoenix Publishing & Media Corp. Ltd.

    197,700     $ 285,279  

Jiangxi Copper Co. Ltd., Class H

    107,000       158,800  

Jinneng Holding Shanxi Coal Industry Co. Ltd.

    146,900       271,075  

JiuGui Liquor Co. Ltd., Class A

    25,500       215,054  

Jizhong Energy Resources Co. Ltd.

    235,300       265,379  

Joincare Pharmaceutical Group Industry Co. Ltd., Class A

    159,400       266,338  

Jointown Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    145,240       164,056  

Joyoung Co. Ltd., Class A

    64,900       103,559  

JOYY Inc., ADR

    6,954       219,051  

Kanzhun Ltd., ADR

    12,043       188,473  

KE Holdings Inc., ADR

    37,579       510,699  

Kehua Data Co. Ltd.

    14,600       50,755  

Kingboard Holdings Ltd.

    198,500       389,351  

Kingboard Laminates Holdings Ltd.(c)

    1,172,000       725,829  

KingClean Electric Co. Ltd.

    34,900       105,382  

Kingnet Network Co. Ltd.

    189,100       328,007  

Kuaishou Technology(a)(b)

    246,300       1,390,834  

Kunlun Energy Co. Ltd.

    608,000       518,328  

Kweichow Moutai Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,200       985,274  

Legend Holdings Corp., Class H(a)

    155,700       129,788  

Lenovo Group Ltd.

    1,044,000       1,153,337  

Li Auto Inc.(b)

    105,000       2,396,306  

Lufax Holding Ltd., Class A, ADR(c)

    22,040       68,765  

Meihua Holdings Group Co. Ltd.

    259,500       388,657  

Meituan, Class B(a)(b)

    445,620       4,524,008  

Metallurgical Corp. of China Ltd., Class H

    2,746,000       553,470  

Midea Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    12,800       110,982  

MINISO Group Holding Ltd.

    20,400       93,760  

NetEase Inc.

    172,200       3,740,627  

New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc.(b)

    102,200       960,504  

Newland Digital Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    91,100       243,913  

Nongfu Spring Co. Ltd., Class H(a)

    417,000       2,358,052  

Northeast Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    219,500       218,265  

Opple Lighting Co. Ltd.

    49,900       113,525  

Orient Overseas International Ltd.

    113,500       1,757,585  

Orient Securities Co. Ltd.(a)

    1,267,600       536,861  

PDD Holdings Inc., ADR(b)

    59,541       7,415,236  

People’s Insurance Co. Group of China Ltd. (The), Class H

    1,186,000       395,061  

Perfect World Co. Ltd., Class A

    155,700       252,462  

PetroChina Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,878,500       2,299,518  

PetroChina Co. Ltd., Class H

    356,000       279,215  

PICC Property & Casualty Co. Ltd., Class H

    379,000       518,138  

Ping An Insurance Group Co. of China Ltd., Class H

    485,000        2,156,876  

Pingdingshan Tianan Coal Mining Co. Ltd.

    52,900       101,682  

Postal Savings Bank of China Co. Ltd.,
Class H(a)

    2,407,000       1,264,574  

Qifu Technology Inc.

    27,384       423,083  

Radiance Holdings Group Co. Ltd.(b)(c)

    302,000       82,544  

Sanquan Food Co. Ltd., Class A

    81,800       140,673  

Sealand Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    377,600       186,385  

Shaanxi Coal Industry Co. Ltd., Class A

    108,500       387,956  

Shaanxi Energy Investment Co. Ltd., NVS

    216,200       266,564  

Shandong Buchang Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., Class A

    100,229       239,173  

Shandong Publishing & Media Co. Ltd.

    132,500       194,161  

Shandong Weigao Group Medical Polymer Co. Ltd., Class H

    318,800       207,254  

Shanghai Baosight Software Co. Ltd., Class B

    125,328       281,596  

Shanghai Flyco Electrical Appliance Co. Ltd.

    13,800       91,305  

Shanghai International Port Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    145,381       109,521  

Shanghai M&G Stationery Inc., Class A

    9,300       45,919  

Shanghai Stonehill Technology Co.Ltd., Class A

    307,700       121,901  
Security   Shares     Value  

China (continued)

   

Shanghai Wanye Enterprises Co. Ltd.

    58,900     $ 111,356  

Shanxi Coal International Energy Group Co. Ltd.

    43,100       109,943  

Shanxi Lu’an Environmental Energy Development Co. Ltd., Class A

    222,800       798,614  

Shanxi Xinghuacun Fen Wine Factory Co. Ltd., Class A

    5,200       167,412  

Shenwan Hongyuan Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    562,600       357,204  

Shenzhen CECport Technologies Co. Ltd., NVS

    16,100       44,214  

Shenzhen Salubris Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., Class A

    49,800       201,487  

Shijiazhuang Yiling Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Class A

    110,260       328,018  

Simcere Pharmaceutical Group Ltd.(a)(c)

    366,000       260,158  

Sino Biopharmaceutical Ltd.

    1,018,000       404,614  

Sinosoft Co. Ltd.

    55,300       227,407  

Sinotrans Ltd., Class H

    2,398,000       1,020,397  

Sinotruk Hong Kong Ltd.

    363,500       961,038  

Sun Art Retail Group Ltd.

    541,000       93,283  

TAL Education Group, ADR(b)

    62,484       920,389  

Tencent Holdings Ltd.

    435,200       15,245,324  

Tianqi Lithium Corp.

    22,000       111,783  

Tingyi Cayman Islands Holding Corp.

    884,000       983,057  

Topsports International Holdings Ltd.(a)

    338,000       228,731  

Trip.com Group Ltd.(b)

    36,050       1,636,319  

Tsingtao Brewery Co. Ltd., Class H

    74,000       473,505  

Uni-President China Holdings Ltd.(c)

    408,000       244,920  

Vipshop Holdings Ltd., ADR(b)

    37,387       719,700  

Want Want China Holdings Ltd.

    1,490,000       822,122  

Weichai Power Co. Ltd., Class H

    230,000       452,723  

Xiamen Xiangyu Co. Ltd.

    187,800       178,013  

Yadea Group Holdings Ltd.(a)

    352,000       553,017  

Yankuang Energy Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    52,550       188,431  

Yankuang Energy Group Co. Ltd., Class H(b)

    449,000       1,035,413  

Yifeng Pharmacy Chain Co. Ltd., Class A

    14,980       81,801  

Yixintang Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    53,300       144,594  

Yongan Futures Co. Ltd.

    53,400       108,775  

Yutong Bus Co. Ltd., Class A

    197,200       510,896  

Zangge Mining Co. Ltd.

    19,400       78,760  

Zhejiang Publishing & Media Co. Ltd.

    158,400       184,697  

Zhejiang Semir Garment Co. Ltd., Class A

    227,700       175,449  

Zhongshan Broad Ocean Motor Co. Ltd.

    198,000       134,792  

ZTE Corp., Class H

    106,000       238,763  
   

 

 

 
       136,157,778  
Colombia — 0.2%            

Bancolombia SA

    33,252       279,063  

Interconexion Electrica SA ESP

    168,357       717,179  
   

 

 

 
      996,242  
Czech Republic — 0.5%            

CEZ AS

    24,895       850,536  

Komercni Banka AS

    53,824       1,873,181  
   

 

 

 
      2,723,717  
Egypt — 0.2%            

Eastern Co. S.A.E

    1,973,210       1,395,768  
   

 

 

 
Greece — 0.7%            

Hellenic Telecommunications Organization SA

    95,856       1,446,272  

JUMBO SA

    6,076       177,570  

National Bank of Greece SA(b)

    87,353       685,892  

OPAP SA

    57,131       1,041,674  

Piraeus Financial Holdings SA(b)

    125,641       555,071  
   

 

 

 
      3,906,479  
Hong Kong — 0.2%            

BOC Hong Kong Holdings Ltd.

    534,000       1,402,930  
   

 

 

 
 

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F   I N V E S T M E N T S

  11


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Emerging Markets Equity Factor ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Hungary — 0.2%

   

MOL Hungarian Oil & Gas PLC

    68,818     $ 547,548  

OTP Bank Nyrt

    13,046       625,495  

Richter Gedeon Nyrt

    2,990       79,601  
   

 

 

 
       1,252,644  
India — 20.2%            

3M India Ltd.

    2,311       891,265  

ABB India Ltd.

    26,172       1,715,648  

ACC Ltd.

    25,136       796,578  

Adani Enterprises Ltd.

    38,481       1,524,164  

AIA Engineering Ltd.

    33,698       1,484,541  

Ambuja Cements Ltd.

    82,298       601,050  

Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd.

    11,922       877,689  

Asian Paints Ltd.

    29,947       1,021,448  

Axis Bank Ltd.

    10,175       131,716  

Bajaj Auto Ltd.

    17,228       1,641,984  

Bajaj Finance Ltd.

    14,517       1,132,581  

Bharat Electronics Ltd.

    1,133,137       2,798,959  

Bharti Airtel Ltd.

    144,293       1,953,583  

Britannia Industries Ltd.

    5,058       303,119  

CG Power and Industrial Solutions Ltd.

    65,462       349,817  

Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Co. Ltd.

    12,812       167,841  

Coal India Ltd.

    302,594       1,589,017  

Colgate-Palmolive India Ltd.

    31,795       966,922  

CRISIL Ltd.

    17,495       1,056,530  

Cummins India Ltd.

    38,125       1,259,659  

Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd.

    8,340       646,683  

Emami Ltd.

    122,796       688,575  

GAIL India Ltd.

    324,030       711,049  

General Insurance Corp. of India(a)

    130,995       599,584  

GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

    21,525       562,521  

Godrej Properties Ltd.(b)

    17,563       508,042  

Havells India Ltd.

    50,674       934,957  

HCL Technologies Ltd.

    117,153       2,347,766  

HDFC Bank Ltd.

    336,838       5,688,841  

Hero MotoCorp Ltd.

    29,007       1,545,885  

Hindalco Industries Ltd.

    177,632       1,077,502  

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd., NVS

    48,016       1,782,750  

Hindustan Petroleum Corp. Ltd.

    66,079       406,231  

Hindustan Unilever Ltd.

    19,058       554,488  

Hindustan Zinc Ltd.

    34,822       128,582  

ICICI Bank Ltd.

    389,018       4,940,825  

Indian Hotels Co. Ltd., Class A

    23,539       166,609  

Indian Oil Corp. Ltd.

    353,519       704,982  

Indian Railway Finance Corp. Ltd.(a)

    1,001,590       1,769,279  

Indraprastha Gas Ltd.

    97,344       499,599  

Indus Towers Ltd.(b)

    102,260       311,875  

Info Edge India Ltd.

    7,502       475,904  

Infosys Ltd.

    377,917       7,605,387  

InterGlobe Aviation Ltd.(a)(b)

    22,085       838,611  

Jindal Steel & Power Ltd.

    13,521       126,144  

JSW Energy Ltd.

    50,727       310,058  

JSW Steel Ltd.

    7,887       76,040  

Kalyan Jewellers India Ltd.

    115,141       551,845  

Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd.

    54,479       1,108,374  

KPIT Technologies Ltd.

    6,050       114,339  

L&T Technology Services Ltd.(a)

    18,735       1,198,432  

Larsen & Toubro Ltd.

    58,435       2,449,963  

Macrotech Developers Ltd.

    11,029       154,538  

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.

    86,190       2,006,910  

Marico Ltd.

    43,864       276,365  

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd.

    1,033       140,586  

Max Healthcare Institute Ltd.

    7,534       72,105  
Security   Shares      Value  

India (continued)

    

Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd.

    17,427      $ 438,196  

Mphasis Ltd.

    33,697        1,063,037  

Muthoot Finance Ltd.

    23,297        365,424  

Nestle India Ltd., NVS

    50,885        1,593,593  

NHPC Ltd., NVS

    2,809,679        2,975,902  

NMDC Ltd.

    293,186        797,428  

NTPC Ltd.

    341,859        1,381,403  

Oil & Natural Gas Corp. Ltd.

    221,376        704,282  

Oil India Ltd.

    287,309        1,889,163  

Oracle Financial Services Software Ltd.

    17,454        1,613,371  

Page Industries Ltd.

    1,101        455,563  

Pidilite Industries Ltd.

    2,837        93,671  

Polycab India Ltd.

    2,308        132,124  

Poonawalla Fincorp Ltd.

    47,312        266,272  

Power Finance Corp. Ltd.

    608,325        2,942,897  

Power Grid Corp. of India Ltd.

    411,705        1,406,580  

Procter & Gamble Hygiene & Health Care Ltd.

    3,618        686,949  

REC Ltd.

    438,856        2,336,874  

Reliance Industries Ltd.

    174,523        6,142,380  

SBI Cards & Payment Services Ltd.

    20,594        178,662  

SBI Life Insurance Co. Ltd.(a)

    30,635        572,415  

Schaeffler India Ltd.

    2,533        88,472  

Siemens Ltd.

    4,284        241,537  

Solar Industries India Ltd.

    2,766        223,796  

SRF Ltd.

    18,839        543,091  

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

    28,773        547,004  

Supreme Industries Ltd.

    11,897        594,994  

Tata Consultancy Services Ltd.

    144,136        7,110,387  

Tata Elxsi Ltd.

    4,504        424,119  

Tata Motors Ltd., Class A

    321,650        2,449,215  

Tata Steel Ltd.

    722,527        1,224,810  

Tech Mahindra Ltd.

    58,329        896,355  

Tube Investments of India Ltd.

    29,120        1,222,397  

Union Bank of India Ltd.

    153,529        270,416  

Varun Beverages Ltd.

    73,573        1,250,328  

Vedant Fashions Ltd.

    60,608        751,405  

Vedanta Ltd.

    36,939        119,028  

Wipro Ltd.

    468,113        2,920,474  

WNS Holdings Ltd.(b)

    20,091        1,159,251  
    

 

 

 
        116,419,602  
Indonesia — 2.0%             

Adaro Energy Indonesia Tbk PT

    3,370,500        519,463  

Aneka Tambang Tbk

    433,400        40,252  

Avia Avian Tbk PT

    1,433,800        53,830  

Bank Central Asia Tbk PT

    5,025,900        3,162,628  

Bank CIMB Niaga Tbk PT

    2,767,300        351,305  

Bank Mandiri Persero Tbk PT

    2,276,900        1,017,031  

Bank Negara Indonesia Persero Tbk PT

    592,800        226,559  

Bank Rakyat Indonesia Persero Tbk PT

    2,375,800        925,810  

Bukit Asam Tbk PT

    2,663,000        433,584  

GoTo Gojek Tokopedia Tbk PT(b)

    32,803,300        148,480  

Hanjaya Mandala Sampoerna Tbk PT

    10,895,700        599,732  

Indo Tambangraya Megah Tbk PT

    588,700        981,171  

Kalbe Farma Tbk PT

    688,300        65,161  

Pertamina Geothermal Energy PT(a)

    6,146,700        472,871  

Perusahaan Gas Negara Tbk PT

    3,384,400        234,792  

Sumber Alfaria Trijaya Tbk PT

    7,204,100        1,260,660  

Telkom Indonesia Persero Tbk PT

    2,597,500        662,127  

Unilever Indonesia Tbk PT

    1,030,600        179,035  

United Tractors Tbk PT

    129,400        193,802  
    

 

 

 
       11,528,293  
 

 

 

12  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Emerging Markets Equity Factor ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares      Value  

Kuwait — 0.2%

    

National Bank of Kuwait SAKP

    399,572      $ 1,273,095  
    

 

 

 
Malaysia — 1.3%             

Axiata Group Bhd

    252,500        148,013  

Fraser & Neave Holdings Bhd

    55,100        342,524  

Genting Bhd

    296,800        298,562  

Hong Leong Bank Bhd

    159,800        664,480  

Hong Leong Financial Group Bhd

    96,400        345,338  

IJM Corp. Bhd

    145,300        65,613  

Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd

    49,300        88,097  

Nestle Malaysia Bhd

    18,100        476,386  

Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd

    64,000        94,463  

Petronas Dagangan Bhd

    37,900        182,412  

Petronas Gas Bhd

    83,900        317,178  

Public Bank Bhd

    846,900        786,034  

Sime Darby Bhd

    775,900        443,349  

Telekom Malaysia Bhd

    124,400        158,679  

Westports Holdings Bhd

    201,300        159,920  

YTL Corp. Bhd(c)

    3,275,300        1,846,826  

YTL Power International Bhd

    1,009,200        842,680  
    

 

 

 
        7,260,554  
Mexico — 2.7%             

America Movil SAB de CV

    1,708,830        1,600,125  

Banco del Bajio SA(a)

    617,294        2,297,253  

Cemex SAB de CV(b)

    114,721        876,468  

Coca-Cola Femsa SAB de CV

    152,920        1,492,572  

Fomento Economico Mexicano SAB de CV

    147,793        1,845,478  

Gruma SAB de CV, Class B

    59,086        1,052,224  

Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico SAB de CV, Class B

    103,134        1,522,844  

Grupo Comercial Chedraui SA de CV

    119,125        914,741  

Grupo Financiero Banorte SAB de CV, Class O

    129,579        1,339,714  

Grupo Mexico SAB de CV, Series B

    129,576        629,017  

Orbia Advance Corp. SAB de CV

    109,841        203,129  

Wal-Mart de Mexico SAB de CV

    417,925        1,673,490  
    

 

 

 
       15,447,055  
Netherlands — 0.1%             

NEPI Rockcastle NV

    36,214        258,388  

Pepco Group NV(b)

    13,094        65,711  
    

 

 

 
       324,099  
Philippines — 0.6%             

Bank of the Philippine Islands

    650,138        1,447,548  

DMCI Holdings Inc.

    1,665,900        324,794  

International Container Terminal Services Inc.

    89,990        461,814  

Manila Electric Co.

    105,350        730,881  

Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co.

    54,130        59,701  

Semirara Mining & Power Corp., Class A

    795,000        456,791  
    

 

 

 
       3,481,529  
Poland — 1.2%             

Bank Polska Kasa Opieki SA

    11,244        487,690  

Budimex SA

    14,386        2,629,982  

LPP SA

    360        1,617,390  

mBank SA(b)(c)

    3,533        615,618  

Orange Polska SA

    476,797        975,839  

PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna SA(b)

    137,761        275,308  

Powszechna Kasa Oszczednosci Bank Polski SA

    13,819        192,573  
    

 

 

 
       6,794,400  
Qatar — 1.1%             

Ezdan Holding Group QSC(b)

    453,024        107,396  

Industries Qatar QSC

    533,372        1,888,530  

Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding Co. QSC

    1,288,797        667,990  

Ooredoo QPSC

    801,906        2,500,390  
Security   Shares      Value  

Qatar (continued)

    

Qatar Islamic Bank SAQ

    27,844      $ 153,862  

Qatar National Bank QPSC

    315,524        1,317,820  
    

 

 

 
        6,635,988  
Russia — 0.0%             

Inter RAO UES PJSC(b)(d)

    41,455,000        4,531  

PhosAgro PJSC(b)(d)

    51,000        5  

PhosAgro PJSC, New(b)(d)

    986        10  

TCS Group Holding PLC, GDR(b)(d)(e)

    135,475        15  

United Co. RUSAL International
PJSC(b)(d)

    3,441,260        376  
    

 

 

 
       4,937  
Saudi Arabia — 2.9%             

Al Rajhi Bank

    99,669        2,366,961  

Alinma Bank

    62,838        737,544  

Arab National Bank

    65,794        489,208  

Arabian Internet & Communications Services Co.

    4,251        416,333  

Banque Saudi Fransi

    40,831        415,153  

Dar Al Arkan Real Estate Development Co.(b)

    72,286        269,400  

Dr Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Services Group Co.

    11,083        975,965  

Elm Co.

    11,435        3,225,340  

Etihad Etisalat Co.

    54,712        806,755  

Nahdi Medical Co.

    48,510        1,836,765  

Riyad Bank

    145,339        1,206,619  

Riyadh Cables Group Co.

    38,580        1,152,842  

SABIC Agri-Nutrients Co.

    39,313        1,314,306  

Saudi Aramco Base Oil Co.

    20,934        939,078  

Saudi Electricity Co.

    48,049        256,489  

Saudi Telecom Co.

    29,406        332,864  
    

 

 

 
       16,741,622  
South Africa — 1.9%             

African Rainbow Minerals Ltd.

    64,587        568,554  

Anglo American Platinum Ltd.

    38,016        1,462,425  

Bidvest Group Ltd. (The)

    33,033        402,424  

Clicks Group Ltd.

    40,376        631,722  

Exxaro Resources Ltd.

    75,520        700,758  

FirstRand Ltd.

    20,740        70,165  

Foschini Group Ltd. (The)

    18,064        98,654  

Gold Fields Ltd.

    33,339        439,189  

Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd.

    200,323        679,812  

MTN Group Ltd.

    226,719        987,020  

MultiChoice Group(b)

    224,289        1,220,960  

Naspers Ltd., Class N

    1,100        180,952  

Nedbank Group Ltd.

    11,597        132,673  

Northam Platinum Holdings Ltd.

    91,221        521,643  

Sasol Ltd.

    39,792        299,887  

Sibanye Stillwater Ltd.

    236,730        243,995  

Standard Bank Group Ltd.

    70,089        737,506  

Woolworths Holdings Ltd./South Africa

    461,725        1,544,781  
    

 

 

 
       10,923,120  
South Korea — 13.2%             

BGF retail Co. Ltd.

    1,870        185,550  

Celltrion Inc.

    4,298        581,246  

CJ CheilJedang Corp.

    250        56,341  

CJ Corp.(b)

    11,784        858,253  

CJ Logistics Corp.(b)

    3,031        283,256  

Coway Co. Ltd.

    26,350        1,072,505  

DB HiTek Co. Ltd.

    20,946        732,102  

DB Insurance Co. Ltd.(b)

    17,593        1,305,481  

DL Holdings Co. Ltd.(b)

    16,976        606,884  

Doosan Bobcat Inc.

    25,906        914,627  

Ecopro BM Co. Ltd.(b)

    246        49,444  

Ecopro Co. Ltd.(b)

    644        300,352  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F   I N V E S T M E N T S

  13


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Emerging Markets Equity Factor ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares      Value  

South Korea (continued)

    

E-MART Inc.(b)

    5,181      $ 288,191  

F&F Co. Ltd./New

    6,200        337,533  

Hana Financial Group Inc.

    66,721        2,838,838  

Hanmi Science Co. Ltd.(b)

    16,835        521,280  

Hanmi Semiconductor Co. Ltd.(b)

    7,992        511,328  

Hanwha Aerospace Co. Ltd.

    7,107        1,001,477  

HMM Co. Ltd.(b)

    3,648        50,051  

Hyosung TNC Corp.

    1,334        290,341  

Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd.(b)

    4,224        110,179  

Hyundai Glovis Co. Ltd.(b)

    4,139        592,559  

Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance Co.
Ltd.(b)

    16,644        393,659  

Hyundai Mobis Co. Ltd.

    3,966        723,389  

Hyundai Motor Co.

    14,169        2,667,561  

Hyundai Rotem Co. Ltd.

    8,319        209,479  

KB Financial Group Inc.

    63,781        3,041,983  

KCC Corp.

    5,503        1,098,571  

KEPCO Engineering & Construction Co. Inc.(b)

    1,611        85,897  

Kia Corp.(b)

    39,958         3,741,983  

Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd.(b)

    4,741        182,929  

Korea Investment Holdings Co. Ltd.(b)

    18,965        1,012,904  

Krafton Inc.(b)

    757        129,383  

KT Corp.

    24,076        706,214  

KT&G Corp.

    13,357        932,916  

Kumho Petrochemical Co. Ltd.(b)

    3,094        343,610  

LG Chem Ltd.

    2,367        808,463  

LG Display Co. Ltd.(b)

    25,407        216,843  

LG Electronics Inc.

    12,342        882,301  

LG Energy Solution Ltd.(b)

    1,510        456,337  

LG H&H Co. Ltd.

    703        168,849  

LG Innotek Co. Ltd.

    3,340        507,571  

LG Uplus Corp.

    66,464        515,493  

LS Corp.

    4,928        325,844  

Meritz Financial Group Inc.

    24,180        1,509,170  

Mirae Asset Securities Co. Ltd.(b)

    10,417        70,691  

NAVER Corp.

    6,854        1,006,380  

NCSoft Corp.

    3,852        561,820  

Orion Corp./Republic of Korea

    6,454        450,143  

POSCO Holdings Inc.

    7,045        2,289,581  

Posco International Corp.(b)

    3,964        168,140  

Samsung Biologics Co. Ltd.(a)(b)

    2,441        1,420,342  

Samsung C&T Corp.

    793        93,363  

Samsung Card Co. Ltd.(b)

    21,382        603,008  

Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co. Ltd.

    8,318        876,559  

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.

    416,342        22,979,112  

Samsung Engineering Co. Ltd.(b)

    19,793        366,075  

Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Co.
Ltd.(b)

    7,191        1,609,339  

Samsung Life Insurance Co. Ltd.

    1,297        94,410  

Samsung SDI Co. Ltd.

    2,397        680,966  

Samsung SDS Co. Ltd.

    5,205        626,113  

Samsung Securities Co. Ltd.

    18,599        581,274  

SD Biosensor Inc.(b)

    43,055        405,847  

Seegene Inc.

    47,174        882,254  

Shinhan Financial Group Co. Ltd.

    74,604        2,438,773  

SK Hynix Inc.

    13,719        1,617,257  

SK Telecom Co. Ltd.

    12,036        476,436  

Woori Financial Group Inc.

    134,015        1,501,620  
    

 

 

 
       75,948,670  
Taiwan — 16.4%             

Accton Technology Corp.

    72,000        1,184,863  

Acer Inc.

    670,000        958,214  

Advantech Co. Ltd.

    53,291        657,716  

ASE Technology Holding Co. Ltd.

    195,000        860,855  
Security   Shares      Value  

Taiwan (continued)

    

Asia Vital Components Co. Ltd.

    13,000      $ 219,296  

Asustek Computer Inc.

    14,000        201,721  

AUO Corp.

    1,513,800        839,587  

Cathay Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    1,355,000        1,933,363  

Chicony Electronics Co. Ltd.

    150,000        890,446  

China Airlines Ltd.

    183,000        115,894  

China Development Financial Holding Corp.(b)

    841,000        334,293  

Chunghwa Telecom Co. Ltd.

    101,000        384,776  

Compal Electronics Inc.

    253,000        292,156  

CTBC Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    1,873,000        1,743,600  

Delta Electronics Inc.

    134,000        1,248,700  

Far EasTone Telecommunications Co. Ltd.

    287,000        715,031  

Feng TAY Enterprise Co. Ltd.

    36,880        192,928  

Formosa Sumco Technology Corp.

    82,000        406,296  

Fubon Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    1,476,950        3,179,767  

Giant Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

    12,000        77,550  

Gigabyte Technology Co. Ltd.

    113,000        1,235,959  

Global Unichip Corp.

    29,000        1,461,598  

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd.

    771,000        2,513,827  

Inventec Corp.

    254,000        442,428  

King Slide Works Co. Ltd.

    23,000        988,172  

Kinsus Interconnect Technology Corp.

    15,000        45,924  

Largan Precision Co. Ltd.

    2,000        164,139  

Lite-On Technology Corp.

    433,718        1,504,852  

MediaTek Inc.

    138,000        4,979,911  

Mega Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    177,134        217,014  

Micro-Star International Co. Ltd.

    177,000        1,071,129  

Nan Ya Plastics Corp.

    205,000        387,665  

Nan Ya Printed Circuit Board Corp.

    31,000        207,696  

Nien Made Enterprise Co. Ltd.

    24,000        280,949  

Novatek Microelectronics Corp.

    159,000        3,026,303  

Pou Chen Corp.

    418,000        403,821  

President Chain Store Corp.

    103,000        878,185  

Quanta Computer Inc.

    163,000        1,197,778  

Realtek Semiconductor Corp.

    144,000        2,595,318  

Ruentex Industries Ltd.

    496,000        929,726  

Shanghai Commercial & Savings Bank Ltd. (The)

    714,000        1,016,589  

SinoPac Financial Holdings Co. Ltd.

    2,083,840        1,325,999  

Synnex Technology International Corp.

    36,000        88,687  

Taiwan Cooperative Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    1,891,550        1,554,171  

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

    1,784,000        39,095,495  

Unimicron Technology Corp.

    83,000        471,600  

Uni-President Enterprises Corp.

    829,000        2,013,011  

United Microelectronics Corp.

    1,465,000        2,258,779  

Voltronic Power Technology Corp.

    18,000        914,780  

Winbond Electronics Corp.

    64,979        57,448  

Wistron Corp.

    221,000        809,250  

Wiwynn Corp.

    19,000        1,402,729  

Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp.

    133,000        209,832  

Yuanta Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    2,550,185        2,216,167  

Yulon Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.

    9,000        47,993  
    

 

 

 
        94,451,976  
Thailand — 0.8%             

Advanced Info Service PCL, NVDR

    137,700        772,545  

Central Retail Corp. PCL, NVDR

    70,500        68,433  

Charoen Pokphand Foods PCL, NVDR(c)

    159,700        84,146  

Delta Electronics Thailand PCL, NVDR

    424,100        844,262  

Kasikornbank PCL, NVDR

    39,000        133,833  

Krung Thai Bank PCL, NVDR

    1,710,400        767,639  

Krungthai Card PCL, NVDR

    296,200        353,214  

MK Restaurants Group PCL, NVDR

    327,500        342,702  

PTT Exploration & Production PCL, NVDR

    87,800        368,702  
 

 

 

14  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Emerging Markets Equity Factor ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares      Value  

Thailand (continued)

    

SCB X PCL, NVDR

    124,800      $ 391,988  

Thai Life Insurance PCL, NVDR(c)

    1,497,000        376,640  

TOA Paint Thailand PCL, NVDR

    110,300        61,580  
    

 

 

 
       4,565,684  
Turkey — 1.3%             

Akbank TAS

    343,865        457,804  

Anadolu Efes Biracilik Ve Malt Sanayii AS

    217,651        1,085,067  

BIM Birlesik Magazalar AS

    72,018        893,822  

Ford Otomotiv Sanayi AS

    14,379        468,227  

KOC Holding AS

    195,323        1,051,929  

Tofas Turk Otomobil Fabrikasi AS

    101,365        866,729  

Turk Telekomunikasyon AS(b)

    122,316        125,717  

Turk Traktor ve Ziraat Makineleri AS

    33,029        920,072  

Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri AS

    287,745        616,830  

Turkiye Garanti Bankasi AS

    308,475        623,242  

Yapi ve Kredi Bankasi AS

    386,658        285,348  
    

 

 

 
       7,394,787  
United Arab Emirates — 2.2%             

Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank PJSC

    877,522        2,685,402  

Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. for Distribution PJSC

    1,248,635        1,189,840  

Dubai Electricity & Water Authority PJSC

    2,259,409        1,482,640  

Emaar Properties PJSC

    617,361        1,364,835  

Emirates NBD Bank PJSC

    254,322        1,267,126  

Emirates Telecommunications Group Co. PJSC

    183,783        905,668  

Fertiglobe PLC

    1,711,783        1,193,091  

First Abu Dhabi Bank PJSC

    157,872        586,490  

International Holding Co. PJSC(b)

    16,948        1,845,710  
    

 

 

 
       12,520,802  
    

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks — 97.9%
(Cost: $506,847,224)

        563,640,647  
    

 

 

 

Preferred Stocks

    

Brazil — 1.3%

    

Cia. Energetica de Minas Gerais, Preference Shares, NVS

    268,133        645,642  

Gerdau SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    317,235        1,372,041  

Itau Unibanco Holding SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    424,105        2,895,561  

Petroleo Brasileiro SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    316,394        2,554,778  
    

 

 

 
       7,468,022  
Chile — 0.1%             

Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile SA, Class B, Preference Shares

    17,567        871,193  
    

 

 

 
South Korea — 0.2%             

Kumho Petrochemical Co. Ltd., Preference Shares, NVS

    4,034        214,708  

 

Security   Shares      Value  

South Korea (continued)

    

Samsung C&T Corp., Preference Shares, NVS

    2,544      $ 225,954  

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Preference Shares, NVS

    13,166        630,476  
    

 

 

 
       1,071,138  
    

 

 

 

Total Preferred Stocks — 1.6%
(Cost: $7,941,148)

       9,410,353  
    

 

 

 

Rights

    

South Korea — 0.0%

    

LG Display Co. Ltd., (Expires 03/14/24, Strike Price KRW 10070)(b)

    8,015        7,885  
    

 

 

 

Total Rights — 0.0%
(Cost: $—)

       7,885  
    

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 99.5%
(Cost: $514,788,372)

       573,058,885  
    

 

 

 

Short-Term Securities

    

Money Market Funds — 1.1%

    

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares, 5.50%(f)(g)(h)

    2,614,588        2,615,895  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares, 5.30%(f)(g)

    3,480,000        3,480,000  
    

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 1.1%
(Cost: $6,094,105)

       6,095,895  
    

 

 

 

Total Investments — 100.6%
(Cost: $520,882,477)

 

     579,154,780  

Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets — (0.6)%

 

     (3,491,181
    

 

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

     $  575,663,599  
    

 

 

 

 

(a)

Security exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration to qualified institutional investors.

(b)

Non-income producing security.

(c)

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(d)

Security is valued using significant unobservable inputs and is classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.

(e)

This security may be resold to qualified foreign investors and foreign institutional buyers under Regulation S of the Securities Act of 1933.

(f)

Affiliate of the Fund.

(g)

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

(h)

All or a portion of this security was purchased with the cash collateral from loaned securities.

 

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F   I N V E S T M E N T S

  15


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Emerging Markets Equity Factor ETF

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

 

 

   
  Affiliated Issuer   Value at
08/31/23
   

Purchases

at Cost

    Proceeds
from Sale
    Net Realized
Gain (Loss)
    Change in
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
    Value at
02/29/24
    Shares
Held at
02/29/24
    Income    

Capital

Gain

Distributions

from
Underlying
Funds

   

 

 

   
 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares

  $ 15,390,096     $     $ (12,776,421 )(a)    $ 2,039     $ 181     $ 2,615,895       2,614,588     $ 90,337 (b)    $    
 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares

          3,480,000 (a)                        3,480,000       3,480,000       72,728          
         

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

   
          $ 2,039     $ 181     $ 6,095,895       $ 163,065     $    
         

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

  (a) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

 
  (b) 

All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities.

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

 

 
Description    Number of
Contracts
     Expiration
Date
     Notional
Amount
(000)
     Value/
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
 

 

 

Long Contracts

           

MSCI Emerging Markets Index

     30        03/15/24      $ 1,525      $ 1,068  
           

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

 

 
     Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
     Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

 

 

Assets — Derivative Financial Instruments

                    

Futures contracts

                    

Unrealized appreciation on futures contracts(a)

   $      $      $ 1,068      $      $      $      $ 1,068  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

 

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

 

 
     Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
     Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

 

 

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ 58,723      $      $      $      $ 58,723  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ (821    $      $      $      $ (821
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

 

 

Futures contracts:

  

Average notional value of contracts — long

   $ 762,600   

 

 

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

 

 

16  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® Emerging Markets Equity Factor ETF

 

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

 

 
     Level 1        Level 2        Level 3      Total  

 

 

Assets

           

Investments

           

Long-Term Investments

           

Common Stocks

   $ 104,108,600      $ 459,527,110      $ 4,937      $ 563,640,647  

Preferred Stocks

     7,468,022        1,942,331               9,410,353  

Rights

            7,885               7,885  

Short-Term Securities

           

Money Market Funds

     6,095,895                      6,095,895  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   $ 117,672,517      $ 461,477,326      $ 4,937      $ 579,154,780  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

           

Assets

           

Equity Contracts

   $ 1,068      $      $      $ 1,068  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Derivative financial instruments are futures contracts. Futures contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F   I N V E S T M E N T S

  17


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) 

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® ESG Aware MSCI EM ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Common Stocks

   
Brazil — 3.8%            

Atacadao SA

    1,840,256     $ 4,475,608  

B3 SA - Brasil Bolsa Balcao

    4,442,710        11,466,269  

Banco do Brasil SA

    468,924       5,457,935  

Banco Santander Brasil SA

    1,110,257       6,387,590  

CCR SA

    3,410,843       9,454,933  

Cosan SA

    3,489,908       11,934,670  

Engie Brasil Energia SA

    1,610,750       13,615,440  

Hapvida Participacoes e Investimentos
SA(a)(b)

    5,712,469       4,217,328  

Localiza Rent a Car SA

    872,361       9,300,785  

Localiza Rent a Car SA, NVS(b)

    3,177       32,338  

Lojas Renner SA

    2,650,517       8,424,326  

Natura & Co. Holding SA(b)

    1,395,259       4,577,795  

Petroleo Brasileiro SA

    1,097,327       9,098,956  

PRIO SA

    449,081       3,948,690  

Raia Drogasil SA

    1,348,333       7,225,683  

Rumo SA

    853,780       3,902,131  

TOTVS SA

    1,788,752       11,043,189  

Ultrapar Participacoes SA

    2,381,143       14,063,358  

Vibra Energia SA

    2,863,373       14,895,461  
   

 

 

 
      153,522,485  
Chile — 0.5%            

Empresas Copec SA

    856,148       5,494,604  

Enel Americas SA

    140,132,285       14,287,964  
   

 

 

 
      19,782,568  
China — 24.7%            

AAC Technologies Holdings Inc.

    1,794,500       4,461,396  

Agricultural Bank of China Ltd., Class A

    11,753,000       6,827,191  

Agricultural Bank of China Ltd., Class H

    31,528,000       12,934,220  

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.

    8,876,768       81,610,141  

Alibaba Health Information Technology
Ltd.(b)(c)

    12,556,000       5,486,383  

Baidu Inc.(b)

    1,291,262       16,338,850  

Bank of China Ltd., Class H

    24,727,000       9,700,434  

Bosideng International Holdings Ltd.

    9,624,000       4,840,651  

BYD Co. Ltd., Class A

    184,855       4,882,507  

BYD Co. Ltd., Class H

    756,500       18,632,645  

China Construction Bank Corp., Class A

    6,727,200       6,527,931  

China Construction Bank Corp., Class H

    80,250,000       49,767,525  

China International Capital Corp. Ltd.,
Class H(a)

    3,231,600       4,050,999  

China Medical System Holdings Ltd.

    5,538,000       9,103,784  

China Mengniu Dairy Co. Ltd.

    4,930,000       12,326,684  

China Merchants Bank Co. Ltd., Class A

    892,540       3,952,466  

China Merchants Bank Co. Ltd., Class H

    3,224,000       12,467,267  

China Merchants Shekou Industrial Zone Holdings Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,233,200       4,218,604  

China Minsheng Banking Corp. Ltd., Class A

    6,917,900       3,878,263  

China Resources Gas Group Ltd.

    2,238,100       6,753,960  

China Resources Land Ltd.

    1,423,500       4,347,873  

China Resources Pharmaceutical Group Ltd.(a)

    6,470,500       4,376,241  

China Ruyi Holdings Ltd.(b)

    18,760,000       3,682,409  

Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Ltd.(c)

    2,823,400       4,207,066  

CMOC Group Ltd., Class A

    12,524,400       10,660,580  

CMOC Group Ltd., Class H

    13,470,000       8,309,737  

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    493,985       11,172,679  

CSC Financial Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,256,100       4,051,051  

CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Ltd.

    5,131,520       3,996,683  

ENN Energy Holdings Ltd.

    1,295,100       10,516,000  

ENN Natural Gas Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,529,100       3,974,251  

Far East Horizon Ltd.

    5,845,000       4,695,708  

Fosun International Ltd.

    18,057,000       10,417,744  
Security   Shares     Value  

China (continued)

   

Ganfeng Lithium Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    930,450     $ 5,159,671  

Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd.

    6,983,000       7,599,402  

Haier Smart Home Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,264,200       4,210,938  

Haier Smart Home Co. Ltd., Class H

    2,438,200       7,384,432  

Haitong Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,163,200       4,007,066  

Hansoh Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd.(a)

    3,030,000       5,340,571  

Huatai Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,706,802       9,478,336  

Huatai Securities Co. Ltd., Class H(a)

    4,037,200       4,765,187  

Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd., Class A

    12,185,000       9,004,631  

Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd., Class H

    51,550,000       26,425,184  

Industrial Bank Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,629,900       8,386,689  

Innovent Biologics Inc.(a)(b)

    1,336,000       7,226,464  

JD.com Inc.

    1,377,028       15,540,973  

Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., Class A

    700,900       4,136,425  

Kingboard Holdings Ltd.

    1,947,000       3,818,978  

Kingdee International Software Group Co. Ltd.(b)

    4,532,000       4,873,201  

Kuaishou Technology(a)(b)

    1,483,800       8,378,886  

Lenovo Group Ltd.

    19,260,000       21,277,086  

Li Auto Inc.(b)

    1,604,228       36,611,627  

Longfor Group Holdings Ltd.(a)

    3,456,500       4,361,737  

Meituan, Class B(a)(b)

    2,508,430       25,465,998  

MINISO Group Holding Ltd.

    854,600       3,978,564  

NetEase Inc.

    1,306,070       28,371,199  

New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc.(b)

    442,100       4,192,595  

NIO Inc., ADR(b)(c)

    1,122,730       6,455,697  

Nongfu Spring Co. Ltd., Class H(a)

    1,608,200       9,094,050  

Orient Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    5,040,405       6,162,018  

PDD Holdings Inc., ADR(b)

    286,389       35,666,886  

Ping An Insurance Group Co. of China Ltd., Class H

    4,487,000       19,954,438  

Pop Mart International Group Ltd.(a)

    1,670,800       4,165,260  

Shanghai Electric Group Co. Ltd., Class A(b)

    7,421,000       4,361,897  

Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,231,384       4,193,523  

Shanghai Pharmaceuticals Holding Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,880,600       4,724,224  

Shanghai Pharmaceuticals Holding Co. Ltd., Class H

    3,037,100       4,883,963  

Shenzhen Inovance Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    467,900       4,097,385  

Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co. Ltd., Class A

    312,900       12,511,081  

Sino Biopharmaceutical Ltd.

    12,058,000       4,792,569  

Sinopharm Group Co. Ltd., Class H

    1,589,200       4,447,271  

Sungrow Power Supply Co. Ltd., Class A

    348,867       4,211,965  

Sunny Optical Technology Group Co. Ltd.

    889,600       5,725,384  

Tencent Holdings Ltd.

    3,485,200       122,088,705  

Tianqi Lithium Corp., Class A

    635,300       4,716,255  

Tongcheng Travel Holdings Ltd.(b)

    5,805,600       14,594,991  

Trip.com Group Ltd.(b)

    137,521       6,242,116  

Vipshop Holdings Ltd., ADR(b)

    638,974       12,300,249  

WuXi AppTec Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,211,700       9,131,679  

Wuxi Biologics Cayman Inc.(a)(b)

    5,994,500       14,198,621  

Xiaomi Corp., Class B(a)(b)

    3,793,600       6,374,854  

XPeng Inc.(b)

    2,037,896       9,537,949  

Yadea Group Holdings Ltd.(a)

    6,350,000       9,976,293  

Yum China Holdings Inc.

    449,564       19,281,800  

Yunnan Baiyao Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,180,120       8,147,316  

Zhejiang Leapmotor Technology Co. Ltd.(a)(b)

    1,390,500       4,866,173  
   

 

 

 
       1,000,070,375  
Colombia — 0.1%            

Bancolombia SA

    577,346       4,845,294  
   

 

 

 
 

 

 

18  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® ESG Aware MSCI EM ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Egypt — 0.1%

   

Commercial International Bank - Egypt (CIB)

    2,537,904     $ 3,622,998  
   

 

 

 
Greece — 0.8%            

Motor Oil Hellas Corinth Refineries SA

    179,193       5,119,779  

Mytilineos SA

    387,599       15,081,005  

OPAP SA

    719,594       13,120,420  
   

 

 

 
       33,321,204  
Hungary — 0.3%            

MOL Hungarian Oil & Gas PLC

    1,564,898       12,451,068  
   

 

 

 
India — 17.2%            

ABB India Ltd.

    76,987       5,046,715  

Adani Green Energy Ltd.(b)

    219,254       5,011,048  

Asian Paints Ltd.

    755,820       25,779,901  

Astral Ltd.

    308,599       7,700,886  

AU Small Finance Bank Ltd.(a)

    921,851       6,319,304  

Axis Bank Ltd.

    1,387,497       17,961,184  

Bajaj Finance Ltd.

    168,506       13,146,434  

Bandhan Bank Ltd.(a)

    1,631,999       3,843,233  

Bharti Airtel Ltd.

    1,263,717       17,109,462  

Dabur India Ltd.

    1,536,866       9,980,093  

DLF Ltd.

    1,025,996       11,146,080  

Eicher Motors Ltd.

    86,057       3,932,528  

Havells India Ltd.

    263,877       4,868,643  

HCL Technologies Ltd.

    1,541,526       30,892,436  

HDFC Bank Ltd.

    2,266,892       38,285,433  

Hero MotoCorp Ltd.

    277,440       14,785,757  

Hindalco Industries Ltd.

    797,291       4,836,307  

Hindustan Unilever Ltd.

    788,327       22,936,180  

ICICI Bank Ltd.

    4,003,612       50,848,927  

ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Co. Ltd.(a)

    1,458,460       9,373,452  

IDFC First Bank Ltd.(b)

    13,286,819       12,981,504  

Indian Hotels Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,429,519       10,118,157  

Info Edge India Ltd.

    123,034       7,804,901  

Infosys Ltd.

    2,791,073       56,168,923  

Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd.

    1,206,163       24,539,361  

Macrotech Developers Ltd.

    395,669       5,560,470  

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.

    569,563       13,262,118  

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., GDR

    596,167       13,946,234  

Marico Ltd.

    4,110,963       25,901,102  

PI Industries Ltd.

    180,277       7,985,278  

Power Grid Corp. of India Ltd.

    4,190,675       14,317,339  

Reliance Industries Ltd.

    2,094,083       73,701,763  

SBI Cards & Payment Services Ltd.

    498,507       4,326,662  

Supreme Industries Ltd.

    219,956       11,000,458  

Suzlon Energy Ltd.(b)

    2,359,022       1,287,392  

Tata Consultancy Services Ltd.

    297,589       14,680,392  

Tata Consumer Products Ltd.

    1,252,835       17,966,775  

Tata Elxsi Ltd.

    53,073       4,997,619  

Tech Mahindra Ltd.

    379,664       5,834,382  

Titan Co. Ltd.

    104,200       4,553,694  

Trent Ltd.

    240,457       11,238,099  

TVS Motor Co. Ltd.

    714,844       18,420,874  

United Spirits Ltd.

    317,826       4,467,578  

Varun Beverages Ltd.

    546,773       9,292,075  

Zomato Ltd.(b)

    8,745,358       17,406,852  
   

 

 

 
      695,564,005  
Indonesia — 1.7%            

Bank Central Asia Tbk PT

    18,124,500       11,405,130  

Bank Negara Indonesia Persero Tbk PT

    12,497,600       4,776,385  

Bank Rakyat Indonesia Persero Tbk PT

    38,990,200       15,193,845  

Barito Pacific Tbk PT

    63,088,500       3,921,477  

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Indonesia (continued)

   

GoTo Gojek Tokopedia Tbk PT(b)

    752,494,027     $ 3,406,070  

Kalbe Farma Tbk PT

    125,155,300       11,848,350  

Merdeka Copper Gold Tbk PT(b)

    43,709,500       6,286,626  

Sarana Menara Nusantara Tbk PT

    59,794,000       3,500,508  

Telkom Indonesia Persero Tbk PT

    17,158,800       4,373,938  

Unilever Indonesia Tbk PT

    22,415,000       3,893,920  
   

 

 

 
       68,606,249  
Kazakhstan — 0.0%            

Polymetal International PLC(b)(d)

    1,747,485       192  
   

 

 

 
Kuwait — 0.3%            

Kuwait Finance House KSCP

    4,429,640       11,670,601  
   

 

 

 
Malaysia — 2.3%            

AMMB Holdings Bhd

    11,900,600       10,893,637  

Axiata Group Bhd

    9,828,600       5,761,422  

CIMB Group Holdings Bhd

    7,544,500       10,273,936  

Malayan Banking Bhd

    9,364,100       18,813,506  

Maxis Bhd(c)

    12,690,700       9,948,246  

Press Metal Aluminium Holdings Bhd

    5,436,800       5,365,806  

Public Bank Bhd

    25,180,500       23,370,794  

Sime Darby Bhd

    18,056,800       10,317,649  
   

 

 

 
      94,744,996  
Mexico — 2.0%            

Arca Continental SAB de CV

    1,143,496       12,318,365  

Cemex SAB de CV, NVS(b)

    9,068,493       6,932,688  

Fomento Economico Mexicano SAB de CV

    1,686,161       21,054,939  

Grupo Bimbo SAB de CV, Series A

    1,336,217       5,589,702  

Grupo Financiero Banorte SAB de CV, Class O

    2,193,717       22,680,776  

Wal-Mart de Mexico SAB de CV

    3,507,986       14,046,968  
   

 

 

 
      82,623,438  
Netherlands — 0.7%            

NEPI Rockcastle NV

    3,653,334       26,066,671  
   

 

 

 
Peru — 0.3%            

Credicorp Ltd.

    66,717       11,400,601  
   

 

 

 
Poland — 0.8%            

Allegro.eu SA (a)(b)

    1,588,295       12,835,669  

Budimex SA

    37,596       6,873,126  

KGHM Polska Miedz SA

    147,450       3,985,222  

ORLEN SA

    252,201       3,917,520  

Santander Bank Polska SA

    32,410       4,469,593  
   

 

 

 
      32,081,130  
Qatar — 0.6%            

Qatar Fuel QSC

    474,481       1,945,600  

Qatar National Bank QPSC

    5,017,963       20,958,063  
   

 

 

 
      22,903,663  
Russia — 0.0%            

Gazprom PJSC(b)(d)

    7,224,690       790  

LUKOIL PJSC(b)(d)

    725,046       79  

Novatek PJSC(b)(d)

    1,686,230       184  

Novolipetsk Steel PJSC(b)(d)

    5,130,970       561  

PhosAgro PJSC(b)(d)

    249,741       27  

PhosAgro PJSC, New(b)(d)

    4,826       48  

Polyus PJSC(b)(d)

    43,646       5  

Rosneft Oil Co. PJSC(b)(d)

    759,129       83  

Sberbank of Russia PJSC(b)(d)

    10,004,860       1,093  

TCS Group Holding PLC, GDR(b)(d)(e)

    124,025       14  

Yandex NV(b)(d)

    87,150       10  
   

 

 

 
      2,894  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F   I N V E S T M E N T S

  19


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® ESG Aware MSCI EM ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Saudi Arabia — 3.7%

   

Al Rajhi Bank

    1,331,365     $ 31,617,540  

Alinma Bank

    1,063,478       12,482,283  

Bank AlBilad

    621,252       8,199,492  

Dr Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Services Group Co.

    209,692       18,465,408  

Etihad Etisalat Co.

    1,343,072       19,804,251  

Mobile Telecommunications Co. Saudi Arabia

    1,712,402       6,803,400  

Riyad Bank

    1,384,191       11,491,690  

Saudi Arabian Mining Co.(b)

    672,274       8,920,993  

Saudi Basic Industries Corp.

    1,068,136       22,440,474  

Savola Group (The)

    630,119       8,904,969  
   

 

 

 
       149,130,500  
South Africa — 3.0%            

Absa Group Ltd.

    433,515       3,700,820  

Bidvest Group Ltd. (The)

    446,711       5,442,049  

FirstRand Ltd.

    3,572,989       12,087,755  

Gold Fields Ltd.

    1,021,992       13,463,143  

Kumba Iron Ore Ltd.

    332,971       9,321,625  

MTN Group Ltd.

    1,056,311       4,598,643  

Naspers Ltd., Class N

    131,499       21,631,791  

Nedbank Group Ltd.

    809,288       9,258,498  

Standard Bank Group Ltd.

    576,301       6,064,081  

Vodacom Group Ltd.

    4,658,392       22,835,350  

Woolworths Holdings Ltd./South Africa

    3,871,627       12,953,196  
   

 

 

 
      121,356,951  
South Korea — 12.0%            

CJ CheilJedang Corp.

    30,200       6,806,049  

DB Insurance Co. Ltd.(b)

    54,046       4,010,459  

Ecopro Co. Ltd.(b)

    8,895       4,148,502  

Hana Financial Group Inc.

    339,098       14,427,904  

Hanwha Aerospace Co. Ltd.

    48,287       6,804,325  

Hanwha Solutions Corp.

    160,048       3,341,992  

Kakao Corp.

    301,921       12,118,502  

KB Financial Group Inc.

    584,195       27,862,710  

LG Chem Ltd.

    26,945       9,203,229  

LG Corp.

    1       70  

LG Display Co. Ltd.(b)

    308,894       2,636,336  

LG Electronics Inc.

    54,113       3,868,415  

NAVER Corp.

    165,645       24,321,833  

NCSoft Corp.

    26,300       3,835,896  

POSCO Future M Co. Ltd.(b)

    18,922       4,522,859  

POSCO Holdings Inc.

    53,164       17,277,969  

Samsung C&T Corp.

    50,045       5,891,992  

Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co. Ltd.

    80,390       8,471,580  

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.

    3,072,562       169,583,531  

Samsung Engineering Co. Ltd.(b)

    219,458       4,058,909  

Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Co. Ltd.(b)

    21,349       4,777,884  

Samsung SDI Co. Ltd.

    31,832       9,043,189  

Samsung Securities Co. Ltd.

    269,741       8,430,212  

Shinhan Financial Group Co. Ltd.

    490,462       16,032,997  

SK Biopharmaceuticals Co. Ltd.(b)

    120,314       8,755,202  

SK Hynix Inc.

    354,346       41,771,877  

SK Inc.

    198,469       28,628,094  

SK Innovation Co. Ltd.(b)

    77,173       6,808,815  

SKC Co. Ltd.(b)

    61,513       3,832,702  

Woori Financial Group Inc.

    2,227,067       24,953,985  
   

 

 

 
      486,228,019  
Taiwan — 18.5%            

Accton Technology Corp.

    230,000       3,784,980  

Acer Inc.

    11,804,000       16,881,734  

ASE Technology Holding Co. Ltd.

    1,474,000       6,507,181  

Asustek Computer Inc.

    425,000       6,123,679  

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Taiwan (continued)

   

Cathay Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    14,918,769     $ 21,286,641  

Chailease Holding Co. Ltd.

    1,104,331       6,105,681  

Chunghwa Telecom Co. Ltd.

    2,891,000       11,013,726  

Compal Electronics Inc.

    4,055,000       4,682,575  

CTBC Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    22,837,000       21,259,261  

Delta Electronics Inc.

    2,249,000       20,957,654  

E.Sun Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    50,802,836       40,614,993  

Evergreen Marine Corp. Taiwan Ltd.

    831,000       4,350,923  

Far EasTone Telecommunications Co. Ltd.

    4,771,000       11,886,463  

First Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    55,781,213       47,842,198  

Fubon Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    12,061,136       25,966,755  

Hotai Motor Co. Ltd.

    187,000       3,971,372  

Lite-On Technology Corp.

    3,205,000       11,120,249  

MediaTek Inc.

    785,000       28,327,756  

Mega Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    17,013,691       20,844,144  

momo.com Inc.

    5,000       70,443  

Quanta Computer Inc.

    896,000       6,584,103  

SinoPac Financial Holdings Co. Ltd.

    28,271,962       17,990,151  

Taishin Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    21,240,438       11,696,004  

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

    16,701,000       365,994,319  

United Microelectronics Corp.

    8,219,000       12,672,287  

Voltronic Power Technology Corp.

    164,000       8,334,663  

Wistron Corp.

    2,443,000       8,945,694  

WPG Holdings Ltd.

    1,343,000       3,942,815  
   

 

 

 
      749,758,444  
Thailand — 2.6%            

Advanced Info Service PCL, NVDR

    3,055,200       17,140,730  

Asset World Corp. PCL, NVDR(c)

    58,357,600       6,269,987  

Bangkok Dusit Medical Services PCL, NVDR

    15,764,700       12,524,421  

BTS Group Holdings PCL, NVDR

    54,001,500       7,760,566  

Delta Electronics Thailand PCL, NVDR

    3,801,000       7,566,707  

PTT Exploration & Production PCL, NVDR

    2,419,100       10,158,626  

PTT Oil & Retail Business PCL, NVDR

    19,387,500       9,780,557  

PTT PCL, NVDR

    22,338,300       21,321,442  

Siam Cement PCL (The), NVDR

    1,382,200       10,367,230  
   

 

 

 
      102,890,266  
Turkey — 0.7%            

Akbank TAS

    3,145,359       4,187,568  

Aselsan Elektronik Sanayi Ve Ticaret AS

    2,979,506       5,717,721  

Haci Omer Sabanci Holding AS

    4,692,744       11,945,412  

Yapi ve Kredi Bankasi AS

    10,693,770       7,891,847  
   

 

 

 
      29,742,548  
United Arab Emirates — 1.3%            

Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank PJSC

    4,984,181       11,629,462  

Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank PJSC

    2,829,423       8,658,630  

Aldar Properties PJSC

    2,908,205       4,378,598  

Emirates Telecommunications Group Co. PJSC

    2,802,026       13,808,157  

First Abu Dhabi Bank PJSC

    3,807,798       14,145,852  
   

 

 

 
      52,620,699  
   

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks — 98.0%
(Cost: $3,849,679,413)

       3,965,007,859  
   

 

 

 

Preferred Stocks

   

Brazil — 1.2%

   

Banco Bradesco SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    2,051,198       5,673,588  

Cia. Energetica de Minas Gerais, Preference Shares, NVS

    1,787,659       4,304,536  

Gerdau SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    1,277,194       5,523,862  

Itau Unibanco Holding SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    604,183       4,125,037  
 

 

 

20  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® ESG Aware MSCI EM ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Brazil (continued)

   

Petroleo Brasileiro SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    3,511,253     $ 28,352,215  
   

 

 

 
      47,979,238  
Colombia — 0.2%            

Bancolombia SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    874,406       7,146,737  
   

 

 

 
South Korea — 0.5%            

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Preference Shares, NVS

    431,789       20,676,931  
   

 

 

 

Total Preferred Stocks — 1.9%
(Cost: $61,456,300)

      75,802,906  
   

 

 

 

Rights

   
South Korea — 0.0%            

LG Display Co. Ltd., (Expires 03/14/24, Strike Price KRW 10070)(b)

    134,439       132,258  
   

 

 

 

Total Rights — 0.0%
(Cost: $—)

      132,258  
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 99.9%
(Cost: $3,911,135,713)

      4,040,943,023  
   

 

 

 

Short-Term Securities

   
Money Market Funds — 0.3%            

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares, 5.50%(f)(g)(h)

    12,725,181       12,731,543  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 0.3%
(Cost: $12,727,216)

 

    12,731,543  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments — 100.2%
(Cost: $3,923,862,929)

 

    4,053,674,566  

Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets — (0.2)%

 

    (8,209,586
   

 

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

 

  $  4,045,464,980  
   

 

 

 
(a) 

Security exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration to qualified institutional investors.

(b) 

Non-income producing security.

(c) 

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(d) 

Security is valued using significant unobservable inputs and is classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.

(e) 

This security may be resold to qualified foreign investors and foreign institutional buyers under Regulation S of the Securities Act of 1933.

(f) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(g) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

(h) 

All or a portion of this security was purchased with the cash collateral from loaned securities.

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

 

 

   
  Affiliated Issuer   Value at
08/31/23
    Purchases
at Cost
    Proceeds
from Sale
    Net Realized
Gain (Loss)
    Change in
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
    Value at
02/29/24
    Shares
Held at
02/29/24
    Income    

Capital

Gain
Distributions
from
Underlying
Funds

   
 

 

   
 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares

  $ 35,144,856     $     $ (22,418,962 )(a)    $ 6,122     $ (473   $ 12,731,543       12,725,181     $ 91,748 (b)    $    
 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares(c)

                0 (a)                              186,647          
         

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

   
          $ 6,122     $ (473   $ 12,731,543       $ 278,395     $    
         

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

  (a) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

 
  (b) 

All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities.

  (c) 

As of period end, the entity is no longer held.

 

 

S C H E D U L EO F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  21


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® ESG Aware MSCI EM ETF

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

 

 
Description    Number of
Contracts
     Expiration
Date
     Notional
Amount
(000)
     Value/
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
 

 

 

Long Contracts

           

MSCI Emerging Markets Index

     135        03/15/24      $ 6,863      $ (89,798
           

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

 

 
     Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
     Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

 

 

Liabilities — Derivative Financial Instruments

                    

Futures contracts

                    

Unrealized depreciation on futures contracts(a)

   $      $      $ 89,798      $      $      $      $ 89,798  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

 

 
     Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
     Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

 

 

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ (803,111    $      $      $      $ (803,111
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

 

                 

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ 175,614      $      $      $      $ 175,614  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

 

 

Futures contracts:

  

Average notional value of contracts — long

   $ 3,949,928   

 

 

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

 

 
     Level 1      Level 2      Level 3      Total  

 

 

Assets

           

Investments

           

Long-Term Investments

           

Common Stocks

   $  642,286,046      $  3,322,718,727      $  3,086      $  3,965,007,859  

Preferred Stocks

     55,125,975        20,676,931               75,802,906  

Rights

            132,258               132,258  

Short-Term Securities

           

Money Market Funds

     12,731,543                      12,731,543  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   $ 710,143,564      $ 3,343,527,916      $ 3,086      $ 4,053,674,566  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

22  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® ESG Aware MSCI EM ETF

 

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End (continued)

 

 

 
     Level 1      Level 2      Level 3      Total  

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

                                               

Liabilities

           

Equity Contracts

   $ (89,798    $      $      $ (89,798
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

(a) Derivative financial instruments are options written. Options written are shown at value.

The Fund may hold assets and/or liabilities in which the fair value approximates the carrying amount for financial statement purposes. As of period end, bank borrowings payable of $53,009,437 are categorized as Level 2 within the fair value hierarchy.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F   I N V E S T M E N T S

  23


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) 

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Common Stocks

   

Brazil — 5.3%

   

Ambev SA

    9,812,634     $ 24,832,117  

Atacadao SA

    1,310,872       3,188,116  

B3 SA - Brasil Bolsa Balcao

    11,803,244       30,463,201  

Banco Bradesco SA

    3,370,624       8,339,940  

Banco BTG Pactual SA

    2,472,480       18,099,324  

Banco do Brasil SA

    1,785,672       20,783,927  

Banco Santander Brasil SA

    792,579       4,559,908  

BB Seguridade Participacoes SA

    1,451,211       9,732,931  

Caixa Seguridade Participacoes S/A

    1,237,364       3,576,858  

CCR SA

    2,146,251       5,949,456  

Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA

    2,464,562       21,566,343  

Cia. de Saneamento Basico do Estado de Sao Paulo

    710,113       11,307,868  

Cia. Siderurgica Nacional SA

    1,379,409       4,667,309  

Cosan SA

    2,526,665       8,640,604  

CPFL Energia SA

    502,553       3,577,750  

Energisa SA

    466,540       4,771,357  

Eneva SA(a)

    1,162,199       2,999,540  

Engie Brasil Energia SA

    433,516       3,664,449  

Equatorial Energia SA

    2,163,728       14,877,235  

Hapvida Participacoes e Investimentos SA(a)(b)

    10,250,005       7,567,242  

Hypera SA

    784,150       5,186,549  

JBS SA

    1,635,152       7,585,163  

Klabin SA

    1,557,665       7,072,177  

Localiza Rent a Car SA

    1,902,904       20,288,047  

Localiza Rent a Car SA, NVS(a)

    5,652       57,531  

Lojas Renner SA

    2,013,730       6,400,381  

Magazine Luiza SA(a)

    6,565,760       2,813,274  

Magazine Luiza SA, NVS

    547,221       234,471  

Natura & Co. Holding SA(a)

    1,881,266       6,172,366  

Petroleo Brasileiro SA

    7,736,572       64,151,093  

PRIO SA

    1,647,262       14,484,082  

Raia Drogasil SA

    2,702,148       14,480,743  

Rede D’Or Sao Luiz SA(b)

    1,214,628       6,186,635  

Rumo SA

    2,695,050       12,317,502  

Sendas Distribuidora SA

    2,814,776       8,040,438  

Suzano SA

    1,659,161       18,807,452  

Telefonica Brasil SA

    850,443       9,320,298  

TIM SA/Brazil

    1,759,505       6,431,214  

TOTVS SA

    1,141,038       7,044,408  

Ultrapar Participacoes SA

    1,507,699       8,904,678  

Vale SA

    7,073,536       95,322,199  

Vibra Energia SA

    2,422,825       12,603,700  

WEG SA

    3,459,211       25,531,261  
   

 

 

 
       572,601,137  
Chile — 0.5%            

Banco de Chile

    93,799,156       10,876,622  

Banco de Credito e Inversiones SA

    156,889       4,352,344  

Banco Santander Chile

    138,449,751       6,732,883  

Cencosud SA

    2,615,982       4,698,185  

Cia. Sud Americana de Vapores SA

    31,466,998       2,197,016  

Empresas CMPC SA

    2,370,476       4,208,192  

Empresas Copec SA

    835,855       5,364,368  

Enel Americas SA

    43,469,519       4,432,176  

Enel Chile SA

    57,865,754       3,475,922  

Falabella SA(a)

    1,767,294       4,482,388  

Latam Airlines Group SA(a)

    359,940,660       4,526,923  
   

 

 

 
      55,347,019  
Colombia — 0.1%            

Bancolombia SA

    541,414       4,543,739  
Security   Shares     Value  

Colombia (continued)

   

Interconexion Electrica SA ESP

    943,665     $ 4,019,893  
   

 

 

 
      8,563,632  
Czech Republic — 0.2%            

CEZ AS

    336,854       11,508,590  

Komercni Banka AS

    160,305       5,578,929  

Moneta Money Bank AS(b)

    686,352       3,012,850  
   

 

 

 
       20,100,369  
Egypt — 0.0%            

Commercial International Bank - Egypt (CIB)

    1,773,810       2,532,212  

Eastern Co. S.A.E

    790,715       559,319  

EFG Holding S.A.E.(a)

    822,113       301,736  
   

 

 

 
      3,393,267  
Greece — 0.7%            

Alpha Services and Holdings SA(a)

    4,413,752       8,314,349  

Eurobank Ergasias Services and Holdings SA, Class A(a)

    5,397,330       11,150,604  

Hellenic Telecommunications Organization SA

    360,064       5,432,632  

JUMBO SA

    239,937       7,012,115  

Motor Oil Hellas Corinth Refineries SA

    117,838       3,366,786  

Mytilineos SA

    207,516       8,074,195  

National Bank of Greece SA(a)

    1,613,073       12,665,786  

OPAP SA

    383,879       6,999,299  

Piraeus Financial Holdings SA(a)

    1,426,755       6,303,275  

Public Power Corp. SA(a)

    435,888       5,693,727  
   

 

 

 
      75,012,768  
Hungary — 0.3%            

MOL Hungarian Oil & Gas PLC

    937,300       7,457,602  

OTP Bank Nyrt

    465,861       22,335,853  

Richter Gedeon Nyrt

    297,622       7,923,448  
   

 

 

 
      37,716,903  
India — 24.0%            

ABB India Ltd.

    112,752       7,391,212  

Adani Enterprises Ltd.

    357,018       14,140,846  

Adani Green Energy Ltd.(a)

    661,986       15,129,683  

Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone Ltd.

    1,106,205       17,561,956  

Adani Power Ltd.(a)

    1,623,897       10,747,162  

Ambuja Cements Ltd.

    1,217,348       8,890,697  

APL Apollo Tubes Ltd.

    331,141       6,167,392  

Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd.

    210,901       15,526,383  

Ashok Leyland Ltd.

    3,049,562       6,246,266  

Asian Paints Ltd.

    797,626       27,205,842  

Astral Ltd.

    263,976       6,587,348  

AU Small Finance Bank Ltd.(b)

    358,955       2,460,643  

Aurobindo Pharma Ltd.

    546,906       6,779,737  

Avenue Supermarts Ltd.(a)(b)

    341,959       16,149,038  

Axis Bank Ltd.

    4,717,144       61,063,549  

Bajaj Auto Ltd.

    142,830       13,612,987  

Bajaj Finance Ltd.

    570,285       44,492,268  

Bajaj Finserv Ltd.

    797,366       15,305,295  

Bajaj Holdings & Investment Ltd.

    57,255       6,315,766  

Balkrishna Industries Ltd.

    165,632       4,448,917  

Bandhan Bank Ltd.(b)

    1,631,280       3,841,539  

Bank of Baroda

    2,145,276       6,863,864  

Berger Paints India Ltd.

    626,254       4,582,424  

Bharat Electronics Ltd.

    7,609,592       18,796,434  

Bharat Forge Ltd.

    546,657       7,580,052  

Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd.

    2,150,673       5,902,168  

Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd.

    1,600,392       11,630,642  

Bharti Airtel Ltd.

    4,679,321       63,353,319  

Britannia Industries Ltd.

    228,117       13,670,741  

CG Power and Industrial Solutions Ltd.

    1,310,667       7,003,962  
 

 

 

24  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

India (continued)

   

Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Co. Ltd.

    885,022     $ 11,594,052  

Cipla Ltd.

    1,099,319        19,632,289  

Coal India Ltd.

    3,184,779       16,724,287  

Colgate-Palmolive India Ltd.

    273,666       8,322,495  

Container Corp. of India Ltd.

    508,068       5,985,374  

Cummins India Ltd.

    290,174       9,587,419  

Dabur India Ltd.

    1,287,219       8,358,936  

Divi’s Laboratories Ltd.

    248,562       10,455,269  

DLF Ltd.

    1,539,232       16,721,706  

Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd.

    242,642       18,814,439  

Eicher Motors Ltd.

    287,760       13,149,706  

GAIL India Ltd.

    4,848,127       10,638,690  

GMR Airports Infrastructure Ltd.(a)

    4,979,106       5,044,185  

Godrej Consumer Products Ltd.

    852,122       12,901,164  

Godrej Properties Ltd.(a)

    260,674       7,540,469  

Grasim Industries Ltd.

    553,985       14,622,352  

Havells India Ltd.

    527,670       9,735,736  

HCL Technologies Ltd.

    1,965,451       39,387,964  

HDFC Asset Management Co. Ltd.(b)

    183,640       8,311,024  

HDFC Bank Ltd.

    5,835,502       98,555,519  

HDFC Life Insurance Co. Ltd.(b)

    2,015,523       14,148,634  

Hero MotoCorp Ltd.

    234,455       12,494,935  

Hindalco Industries Ltd.

    2,802,055       16,997,055  

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd., NVS

    421,829       15,661,775  

Hindustan Petroleum Corp. Ltd.

    1,200,669       7,381,296  

Hindustan Unilever Ltd.

    1,705,723       49,627,590  

ICICI Bank Ltd.

    10,720,472       136,158,173  

ICICI Lombard General Insurance Co. Ltd.(b)

    501,924       10,369,291  

ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Co. Ltd.(b)

    744,014       4,781,742  

IDFC First Bank Ltd.(a)

    7,209,972       7,044,295  

Indian Hotels Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,798,512       12,729,895  

Indian Oil Corp. Ltd.

    5,950,254       11,865,908  

Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corp. Ltd.

    499,463       5,584,758  

Indraprastha Gas Ltd.

    661,496       3,394,999  

IndusInd Bank Ltd.

    594,416       10,559,043  

Info Edge India Ltd.

    147,821       9,377,313  

Infosys Ltd.

    6,878,176       138,419,789  

InterGlobe Aviation Ltd.(a)(b)

    320,862       12,183,762  

ITC Ltd.

    6,251,110       30,593,238  

Jindal Steel & Power Ltd.

    740,549       6,908,918  

Jio Financial Services Ltd., NVS(a)

    6,565,769       24,511,313  

JSW Steel Ltd.

    1,285,104       12,389,867  

Jubilant Foodworks Ltd.

    850,911       4,759,598  

Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd.

    2,267,521       46,132,666  

Larsen & Toubro Ltd.

    1,397,525       58,593,045  

LTIMindtree Ltd.(b)

    184,836       11,817,861  

Lupin Ltd.

    440,322       8,613,073  

Macrotech Developers Ltd.

    453,326       6,351,975  

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.

    1,935,659       45,071,288  

Marico Ltd.

    1,089,416       6,863,860  

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd.

    293,939       40,003,476  

Max Healthcare Institute Ltd.

    1,599,953       15,312,625  

Mphasis Ltd.

    158,797       5,009,558  

MRF Ltd.

    4,821       8,499,116  

Muthoot Finance Ltd.

    253,576       3,977,455  

Nestle India Ltd., NVS

    702,487       22,000,158  

NMDC Ltd.

    2,088,043       5,688,739  

NTPC Ltd.

    9,081,163       36,695,673  

Oil & Natural Gas Corp. Ltd.

    6,562,236       20,876,996  

One 97 Communications Ltd., NVS(a)

    466,192       2,256,493  

Page Industries Ltd.

    13,059       5,403,453  
Security   Shares     Value  

India (continued)

   

Persistent Systems Ltd.

    103,656     $ 10,786,763  

Petronet LNG Ltd.

    1,612,276       5,308,447  

PI Industries Ltd.

    175,654       7,780,504  

Pidilite Industries Ltd.

    316,955       10,465,096  

Polycab India Ltd.

    89,980       5,151,017  

Power Finance Corp. Ltd.

    3,115,471       15,071,729  

Power Grid Corp. of India Ltd.

    9,645,604       32,953,971  

Punjab National Bank

    4,541,543       6,674,048  

REC Ltd.

    2,763,345       14,714,599  

Reliance Industries Ltd.

    6,304,598       221,891,868  

Samvardhana Motherson International Ltd.

    5,036,084       7,235,231  

SBI Cards & Payment Services Ltd.

    601,877       5,221,541  

SBI Life Insurance Co. Ltd.(b)

    938,115       17,528,673  

Shree Cement Ltd.

    19,099       5,861,364  

Shriram Finance Ltd.

    589,430       17,314,638  

Siemens Ltd.

    186,051       10,489,767  

Sona Blw Precision Forgings Ltd.(b)

    868,850       7,216,737  

SRF Ltd.

    311,963       8,993,278  

State Bank of India

    3,727,538       33,565,732  

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

    1,996,712       37,959,547  

Supreme Industries Ltd.

    132,156       6,609,397  

Suzlon Energy Ltd.(a)

    18,439,796       10,046,299  

Tata Communications Ltd.

    215,615       4,993,338  

Tata Consultancy Services Ltd.

    1,882,835       92,882,319  

Tata Consumer Products Ltd.

    1,186,535       17,015,973  

Tata Elxsi Ltd.

    73,447       6,916,137  

Tata Motors Ltd.

    3,444,957       39,441,731  

Tata Motors Ltd., Class A

    862,400       6,566,775  

Tata Power Co. Ltd. (The)

    3,021,813       13,552,411  

Tata Steel Ltd.

    15,331,728       25,989,970  

Tech Mahindra Ltd.

    1,117,526       17,173,273  

Titan Co. Ltd.

    736,036       32,165,862  

Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

    213,844       6,889,741  

Trent Ltd.

    374,723       17,513,212  

Tube Investments of India Ltd.

    217,889       9,146,524  

TVS Motor Co. Ltd.

    499,201       12,863,952  

UltraTech Cement Ltd.

    240,266       28,665,244  

Union Bank of India Ltd.

    3,075,390       5,426,313  

United Spirits Ltd.

    604,361       8,495,308  

UPL Ltd.

    933,884       5,288,952  

Varun Beverages Ltd.

    939,381       15,964,209  

Vedanta Ltd.

    1,891,283       6,094,231  

Wipro Ltd.

    2,736,765       17,074,194  

Yes Bank Ltd.(a)

    27,419,723       8,062,775  

Zomato Ltd.(a)

    10,715,493       21,328,229  
   

 

 

 
       2,620,992,823  

Indonesia — 2.6%

   

Adaro Energy Indonesia Tbk PT

    30,357,800       4,678,759  

Amman Mineral Internasional PT(a)

    12,953,000       7,001,201  

Aneka Tambang Tbk

    16,264,500       1,510,574  

Astra International Tbk PT

    41,114,500       13,686,942  

Bank Central Asia Tbk PT

    115,223,800       72,506,410  

Bank Mandiri Persero Tbk PT

    77,925,700       34,807,345  

Bank Negara Indonesia Persero Tbk PT

    31,278,600       11,954,185  

Bank Rakyat Indonesia Persero Tbk PT

    141,950,471       55,315,783  

Barito Pacific Tbk PT

    60,256,876       3,745,468  

Charoen Pokphand Indonesia Tbk PT

    15,840,300       4,883,879  

GoTo Gojek Tokopedia Tbk PT(a)

    1,747,602,663       7,910,306  

Indah Kiat Pulp & Paper Tbk PT

    5,106,500       2,838,071  

Indofood CBP Sukses Makmur Tbk PT

    4,840,700       3,568,967  

Indofood Sukses Makmur Tbk PT

    9,351,400       3,942,286  

Kalbe Farma Tbk PT

    43,462,300       4,114,540  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F   I N V E S T M E N T S

  25


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Indonesia (continued)

   

Merdeka Copper Gold Tbk PT(a)

    20,212,859     $ 2,907,164  

Sarana Menara Nusantara Tbk PT

    41,425,200       2,429,148  

Semen Indonesia Persero Tbk PT

    7,129,323       2,769,412  

Sumber Alfaria Trijaya Tbk PT

    38,731,200       6,777,652  

Telkom Indonesia Persero Tbk PT

    102,135,200       26,035,214  

Unilever Indonesia Tbk PT

    16,212,900       2,816,495  

United Tractors Tbk PT

    3,106,900       4,653,187  
   

 

 

 
       280,852,988  
Kazakhstan — 0.0%            

Polymetal International PLC(a)(c)

    137,561       15  
   

 

 

 

Kuwait — 1.1%

   

Agility Public Warehousing Co. KSC(a)

    3,237,519       6,330,925  

Boubyan Bank KSCP

    2,917,921       6,101,058  

Gulf Bank KSCP

    3,755,765       3,603,289  

Kuwait Finance House KSCP

    17,937,379       47,258,917  

Mabanee Co. KPSC

    1,367,034       3,633,579  

Mobile Telecommunications Co. KSCP

    3,952,857       6,464,870  

National Bank of Kuwait SAKP

    15,648,992       49,860,002  
   

 

 

 
      123,252,640  

Malaysia — 1.9%

   

AMMB Holdings Bhd

    3,801,300       3,479,655  

Axiata Group Bhd

    5,720,200       3,353,121  

CELCOMDIGI Bhd

    7,331,100       6,731,824  

CIMB Group Holdings Bhd

    13,425,500       18,282,555  

Gamuda Bhd

    3,969,600       4,425,073  

Genting Bhd

    4,532,700       4,559,613  

Genting Malaysia Bhd

    6,426,500       3,892,195  

Hong Leong Bank Bhd

    1,348,900       5,608,990  

IHH Healthcare Bhd

    4,593,500       5,953,013  

Inari Amertron Bhd

    5,627,200       3,767,065  

IOI Corp. Bhd

    5,238,600       4,392,471  

Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd

    1,023,200       4,835,113  

Malayan Banking Bhd

    11,366,500       22,836,548  

Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd

    1,511,544       2,701,063  

Maxis Bhd

    4,880,800       3,826,062  

MISC Bhd

    2,788,700       4,470,876  

MR DIY Group M Bhd(b)

    6,721,150       2,209,058  

Nestle Malaysia Bhd

    145,400       3,826,880  

Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd

    5,748,000       8,483,933  

Petronas Dagangan Bhd

    588,200       2,830,995  

Petronas Gas Bhd

    1,647,600       6,228,626  

PPB Group Bhd

    1,346,740       4,421,496  

Press Metal Aluminium Holdings Bhd

    7,722,400       7,621,560  

Public Bank Bhd

    30,085,900       27,923,646  

QL Resources Bhd

    2,281,800       2,792,570  

RHB Bank Bhd

    3,111,700       3,675,039  

Sime Darby Bhd

    5,990,200       3,422,798  

Sime Darby Plantation Bhd

    4,322,500       3,950,256  

Telekom Malaysia Bhd

    2,563,900       3,270,399  

Tenaga Nasional Bhd

    5,421,200       12,863,283  

YTL Corp. Bhd

    6,550,900       3,685,787  

YTL Power International Bhd

    5,038,900       4,194,217  
   

 

 

 
      204,515,780  

Mexico — 3.5%

   

Alfa SAB de CV, Class A

    6,261,200       4,669,015  

America Movil SAB de CV

    38,550,671       36,098,315  

Arca Continental SAB de CV

    1,086,108       11,700,150  

Banco del Bajio SA(b)

    1,604,606       5,971,525  

Cemex SAB de CV, NVS(a)

    31,262,154       23,899,313  

Coca-Cola Femsa SAB de CV

    1,107,300       10,807,775  
Security   Shares     Value  

Mexico (continued)

   

Fibra Uno Administracion SA de CV

    5,827,200     $ 10,530,106  

Fomento Economico Mexicano SAB de CV

    4,043,483       50,490,605  

Gruma SAB de CV, Class B(d)

    390,975       6,962,620  

Grupo Aeroportuario del Centro Norte SAB de CV, Class B

    502,200       4,352,788  

Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico SAB de CV, Class B

    799,301       11,802,226  

Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste SAB de CV, Class B

    379,839       11,144,737  

Grupo Bimbo SAB de CV, Series A(d)

    2,765,781       11,569,895  

Grupo Carso SAB de CV, Series A1

    1,185,163       10,253,554  

Grupo Financiero Banorte SAB de CV, Class O

    5,392,386       55,751,720  

Grupo Financiero Inbursa SAB de CV, Class O(a)

    3,802,171       11,535,284  

Grupo Mexico SAB de CV, Series B

    6,433,986       31,233,290  

Industrias Penoles SAB de CV(a)(d)

    425,825       5,335,976  

Kimberly-Clark de Mexico SAB de CV, Class A

    3,154,222       7,010,102  

Operadora De Sites Mexicanos SAB de CV

    2,649,275       3,079,170  

Orbia Advance Corp. SAB de CV

    2,085,111       3,856,004  

Prologis Property Mexico SA de CV

    1,457,466       6,550,976  

Promotora y Operadora de Infraestructura SABde CV

    409,068       4,251,422  

Wal-Mart de Mexico SAB de CV

    10,826,551       43,352,574  
   

 

 

 
       382,209,142  

Netherlands — 0.1%

   

NEPI Rockcastle NV

    1,166,189       8,320,801  

Pepco Group NV(a)

    344,526       1,728,959  
   

 

 

 
      10,049,760  

Peru — 0.4%

   

Cia. de Minas Buenaventura SAA, ADR

    429,734       6,488,983  

Credicorp Ltd.

    139,405       23,821,526  

Southern Copper Corp.

    175,568       14,196,429  
   

 

 

 
      44,506,938  

Philippines — 0.9%

   

Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc.

    3,382,980       3,190,451  

Ayala Corp.

    530,820       6,406,091  

Ayala Land Inc.

    13,982,300       8,714,664  

Bank of the Philippine Islands

    3,835,448       8,539,717  

BDO Unibank Inc.

    4,987,092       13,586,353  

International Container Terminal Services Inc.

    2,118,270       10,870,603  

JG Summit Holdings Inc.

    5,797,280       4,228,204  

Jollibee Foods Corp.

    932,810       4,543,332  

Manila Electric Co.

    586,770       4,070,805  

Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co.

    3,747,057       4,132,731  

PLDT Inc.

    159,545       3,722,820  

SM Investments Corp.

    518,695       8,679,438  

SM Prime Holdings Inc.

    21,016,800       11,814,122  

Universal Robina Corp.

    1,852,530       3,856,571  
   

 

 

 
      96,355,902  

Poland — 1.3%

   

Allegro.eu SA (a)(b)(d)

    1,063,485       8,594,462  

Bank Polska Kasa Opieki SA

    385,774       16,732,326  

Budimex SA

    26,571       4,857,587  

CD Projekt SA

    134,655       3,700,830  

Dino Polska SA(a)(b)(d)

    103,107       11,997,702  

KGHM Polska Miedz SA

    290,563       7,853,225  

LPP SA

    2,186       9,821,152  

mBank SA(a)

    32,021       5,579,594  

ORLEN SA

    1,216,694       18,899,301  

PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna SA(a)

    1,960,338       3,917,626  

Powszechna Kasa Oszczednosci Bank Polski SA

    1,832,215       25,532,651  
 

 

 

26  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Poland (continued)

   

Powszechny Zaklad Ubezpieczen SA

    1,269,854     $ 15,625,834  

Santander Bank Polska SA

    75,149       10,363,636  
   

 

 

 
       143,475,926  

Qatar — 1.2%

   

Barwa Real Estate Co.

    4,445,739       3,730,115  

Commercial Bank PSQC (The)

    6,844,482       9,493,217  

Dukhan Bank

    3,954,035       4,516,214  

Industries Qatar QSC

    3,176,792       11,248,187  

Masraf Al Rayan QSC

    11,813,521       8,205,711  

Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding Co. QSC

    11,734,487       6,082,046  

Ooredoo QPSC

    1,665,900       5,194,373  

Qatar Electricity & Water Co. QSC

    915,526       4,341,429  

Qatar Fuel QSC

    260,481       1,068,097  

Qatar Gas Transport Co. Ltd.

    5,375,092       5,892,940  

Qatar International Islamic Bank QSC

    2,046,331       6,403,027  

Qatar Islamic Bank SAQ

    3,680,324       20,336,906  

Qatar National Bank QPSC

    9,605,634       40,118,965  
   

 

 

 
       126,631,227  

Russia — 0.0%

   

Alrosa PJSC(a)(c)

    1,271,273       139  

Gazprom PJSC(a)(c)

    5,613,440       614  

Inter RAO UES PJSC(a)(c)

    19,580,300       2,140  

LUKOIL PJSC(a)(c)

    197,285       22  

MMC Norilsk Nickel PJSC(a)(c)

    29,789       3  

Mobile TeleSystems PJSC(a)(c)

    418,880       46  

Moscow Exchange MICEX-RTS
PJSC(a)(c)

    631,870       69  

Novatek PJSC(a)(c)

    433,150       47  

Novolipetsk Steel PJSC(a)(c)

    785,210       86  

Ozon Holdings PLC, ADR(a)(c)

    534        

PhosAgro PJSC(a)(c)

    22,411       3  

PhosAgro PJSC, GDR(a)(c)(e)

    1        

PhosAgro PJSC, New(a)(c)

    433       4  

Polyus PJSC(a)(c)

    13,397       2  

Rosneft Oil Co. PJSC(a)(c)

    532,936       58  

Sberbank of Russia PJSC(a)(c)

    4,933,827       539  

Severstal PAO(a)(c)

    109,143       12  

Surgutneftegas PJSC(a)(c)

    3,671,000       401  

Tatneft PJSC(a)(c)

    685,605       75  

TCS Group Holding PLC, GDR(a)(c)(e)

    58,085       6  

United Co. RUSAL International
PJSC(a)(c)

    1,500,930       164  

VK Co. Ltd.(a)(c)

    873        

VTB Bank PJSC(a)(c)

    1,160,968,000       127  

X5 Retail Group NV, GDR(a)(c)

    67,732       7  

Yandex NV(a)(c)

    149,219       16  
   

 

 

 
      4,580  

Saudi Arabia — 6.1%

   

ACWA Power Co.

    198,812       13,997,289  

Ades Holding Co.(a)

    698,530       3,725,195  

Advanced Petrochemical Co.

    275,306       2,803,199  

Al Rajhi Bank

    4,057,984       96,369,868  

Alinma Bank

    2,050,992       24,072,958  

Almarai Co. JSC

    526,529       8,255,314  

Anglogold Ashanti PLC, NVS

    862,636       16,250,648  

Arab National Bank

    1,405,398       10,449,769  

Arabian Internet & Communications Services Co.

    50,702       4,965,634  

Bank AlBilad

    1,030,371       13,599,181  

Bank Al-Jazira(a)

    834,646       4,335,474  

Banque Saudi Fransi

    1,242,206       12,630,252  

Bupa Arabia for Cooperative Insurance Co.

    171,375       10,485,628  

Co. for Cooperative Insurance (The)

    155,659       6,723,931  
Security   Shares     Value  

Saudi Arabia (continued)

   

Dallah Healthcare Co.

    73,641     $ 3,683,719  

Dar Al Arkan Real Estate Development Co.(a)

    1,099,092       4,096,172  

Dr Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Services Group Co.

    181,886       16,016,821  

Elm Co.

    49,971       14,094,750  

Etihad Etisalat Co.

    795,398       11,728,531  

Jarir Marketing Co.

    1,249,565       5,193,836  

Mobile Telecommunications Co. Saudi Arabia

    942,871       3,746,041  

Mouwasat Medical Services Co.

    204,814       6,749,606  

Nahdi Medical Co.

    82,708       3,131,626  

Power & Water Utility Co. for Jubail & Yanbu

    156,429       3,173,686  

Rabigh Refining & Petrochemical Co.(a)

    36,998       81,619  

Reinet Investments SCA

    285,247       7,198,694  

Riyad Bank

    3,053,584       25,351,155  

SABIC Agri-Nutrients Co.

    485,325       16,225,305  

Sahara International Petrochemical Co.

    753,393       6,156,279  

Saudi Arabian Mining Co.(a)

    2,693,283       35,739,534  

Saudi Arabian Oil Co.(b)

    5,524,841       46,711,821  

Saudi Aramco Base Oil Co.

    105,070       4,713,335  

Saudi Awwal Bank

    2,107,617       23,207,804  

Saudi Basic Industries Corp.

    1,875,455       39,401,443  

Saudi Electricity Co.

    1,731,893       9,244,955  

Saudi Industrial Investment Group

    765,686       4,232,913  

Saudi Investment Bank (The)

    1,016,352       4,391,333  

Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Co.(a)

    1,504,172       3,870,426  

Saudi National Bank (The)

    6,107,168       69,018,489  

Saudi Research & Media Group(a)

    76,295       5,038,392  

Saudi Tadawul Group Holding Co.

    101,031       6,522,508  

Saudi Telecom Co.

    4,166,630       47,164,553  

Savola Group (The)

    551,339       7,791,635  

Yanbu National Petrochemical Co.

    545,943       5,448,335  
   

 

 

 
       667,789,656  

South Africa — 3.4%

   

Absa Group Ltd.

    1,762,948       15,049,890  

Anglo American Platinum Ltd.

    138,716       5,336,219  

Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Ltd.

    808,988       8,266,609  

Bid Corp. Ltd.

    699,654       16,367,818  

Bidvest Group Ltd. (The)

    577,645       7,037,150  

Capitec Bank Holdings Ltd.

    182,431       19,220,507  

Clicks Group Ltd.

    496,088       7,761,786  

Discovery Ltd.

    1,140,212       8,086,524  

Exxaro Resources Ltd.

    507,167       4,706,056  

FirstRand Ltd.

    10,366,833       35,071,963  

Gold Fields Ltd.

    1,869,683       24,630,143  

Harmony Gold Mining Co. Ltd.

    1,176,116       6,836,813  

Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd.

    1,861,535       6,317,262  

Kumba Iron Ore Ltd.

    139,593       3,907,949  

MTN Group Ltd.

    3,525,680       15,349,024  

Naspers Ltd., Class N

    379,505       62,429,166  

Nedbank Group Ltd.

    896,616       10,257,557  

Northam Platinum Holdings Ltd.

    751,576       4,297,855  

Old Mutual Ltd.

    9,968,713       6,204,355  

OUTsurance Group Ltd., NVS

    1,756,031       3,812,363  

Pepkor Holdings Ltd.(b)(d)

    4,276,880       4,163,157  

Remgro Ltd.

    1,006,689       7,634,670  

Sanlam Ltd.

    3,671,511       14,079,230  

Sasol Ltd.

    1,169,601       8,814,532  

Shoprite Holdings Ltd.

    1,035,244       13,937,472  

Sibanye Stillwater Ltd.

    5,832,719       6,011,728  

Standard Bank Group Ltd.

    2,775,797       29,208,100  

Vodacom Group Ltd.

    1,237,422       6,065,819  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F   I N V E S T M E N T S

  27


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

South Africa (continued)

   

Woolworths Holdings Ltd./South Africa

    1,952,992     $ 6,534,072  
   

 

 

 
       367,395,789  

South Korea — 15.9%

   

Amorepacific Corp.(d)

    63,039       5,668,300  

Celltrion Inc.

    316,685       42,827,338  

Celltrion Pharm Inc.(a)

    39,154       3,263,038  

CJ CheilJedang Corp

    17,209       3,878,321  

CosmoAM&T Co. Ltd.(a)

    50,629       6,766,895  

Coway Co. Ltd.

    114,806       4,672,864  

DB Insurance Co. Ltd.(a)

    96,960       7,194,872  

Doosan Bobcat Inc.

    120,307       4,247,513  

Doosan Enerbility Co. Ltd.(a)

    920,529       11,235,484  

Ecopro BM Co. Ltd.(a)

    101,725       20,445,968  

Ecopro Co. Ltd.(a)

    41,612       19,407,246  

Ecopro Materials Co. Ltd.(a)

    28,405       4,119,109  

GS Holdings Corp.

    97,429       3,516,870  

Hana Financial Group Inc.

    609,513       25,933,492  

Hanjin Kal Corp.

    55,189       2,620,040  

Hankook Tire & Technology Co. Ltd.

    156,311       6,368,154  

Hanmi Pharm Co. Ltd.(a)

    14,544       3,650,229  

Hanmi Semiconductor Co. Ltd.(a)

    89,905       5,752,116  

Hanon Systems

    345,170       1,599,374  

Hanwha Aerospace Co. Ltd.

    74,467       10,493,459  

Hanwha Ocean Co. Ltd.(a)

    124,492       2,209,640  

Hanwha Solutions Corp

    222,206       4,639,925  

HD Hyundai Co. Ltd.

    90,116       4,790,425  

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd.(a)

    48,436       4,295,081  

HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co. Ltd.(a)

    90,751       7,634,245  

HLB Inc.(a)

    247,553       15,187,298  

HMM Co. Ltd.(a)

    511,938       7,023,807  

HYBE Co. Ltd.

    43,584       6,527,640  

Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co.
Ltd.(a)

    170,775       4,454,504  

Hyundai Glovis Co. Ltd.(a)

    38,949       5,576,122  

Hyundai Mobis Co. Ltd.

    125,486       22,888,353  

Hyundai Motor Co

    285,810       53,808,711  

Hyundai Steel Co.(a)

    186,185       5,033,550  

Industrial Bank of Korea(a)

    588,530       6,193,660  

Kakao Corp

    650,166       26,096,356  

KakaoBank Corp

    346,707       7,429,691  

Kakaopay Corp.(a)

    56,477       1,871,880  

Kangwon Land Inc.(a)

    191,949       2,507,890  

KB Financial Group Inc.

    797,004       38,012,463  

Kia Corp.(a)

    542,343       50,789,292  

Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd.(a)

    154,450       5,959,386  

Korea Electric Power Corp.(a)

    525,718       9,789,174  

Korea Investment Holdings Co. Ltd.(a)

    86,058       4,596,281  

Korea Zinc Co. Ltd.

    17,556       5,902,540  

Korean Air Lines Co. Ltd.

    382,447       6,607,271  

Krafton Inc.(a)

    60,940       10,415,581  

KT Corp.

    133,225       3,907,848  

KT&G Corp.

    205,855       14,377,882  

Kum Yang Co. Ltd.(a)

    68,294       4,954,983  

Kumho Petrochemical Co. Ltd.(a)

    32,984       3,663,102  

L&F Co. Ltd.(a)

    53,301       6,808,821  

LG Chem Ltd.

    102,410       34,978,758  

LG Corp.

    195,059       13,730,007  

LG Display Co. Ltd.(a)

    491,076       4,191,216  

LG Electronics Inc.

    221,505       15,834,888  

LG Energy Solution Ltd.(a)

    96,373       29,124,900  

LG H&H Co. Ltd.

    19,705       4,732,813  

LG Innotek Co. Ltd.

    30,857       4,689,253  
Security   Shares     Value  

South Korea (continued)

   

LG Uplus Corp

    392,782     $ 3,046,407  

Lotte Chemical Corp.

    41,560       3,821,400  

Meritz Financial Group Inc.

    212,496       13,262,723  

Mirae Asset Securities Co. Ltd.(a)

    492,415       3,341,601  

NAVER Corp.

    270,983       39,788,725  

NCSoft Corp.

    29,694       4,330,916  

Netmarble Corp.(a)(b)

    51,486       2,390,714  

NH Investment & Securities Co. Ltd.(a)

    290,325       2,563,479  

Orion Corp./Republic of Korea

    50,499       3,522,122  

Pearl Abyss Corp.(a)

    726       16,595  

Posco DX Co. Ltd.(a)

    111,628       4,555,216  

POSCO Future M Co. Ltd.(a)(d)

    64,594       15,439,676  

POSCO Holdings Inc.

    149,505       48,588,194  

Posco International Corp.(a)

    109,861       4,659,933  

Samsung Biologics Co. Ltd.(a)(b)

    37,013       21,536,712  

Samsung C&T Corp.

    172,323       20,288,255  

Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co. Ltd.

    117,973       12,432,114  

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.

    9,905,964       546,738,636  

Samsung Engineering Co. Ltd.(a)

    325,716       6,024,166  

Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Co.
Ltd.(a)

    64,634       14,465,024  

Samsung Heavy Industries Co. Ltd.(a)

    1,368,965       8,138,569  

Samsung Life Insurance Co. Ltd.

    166,511       12,120,489  

Samsung SDI Co. Ltd.

    113,270       32,179,002  

Samsung SDS Co. Ltd.

    81,456       9,798,396  

Samsung Securities Co. Ltd.

    129,348       4,042,512  

Shinhan Financial Group Co. Ltd.

    905,368       29,596,099  

SK Biopharmaceuticals Co. Ltd.(a)

    65,071       4,742,298  

SK Bioscience Co. Ltd.(a)

    59,189       2,735,290  

SK Hynix Inc.

    1,132,035       133,449,302  

SK IE Technology Co. Ltd.(a)(b)

    60,810       3,354,126  

SK Inc.

    74,836       10,794,694  

SK Innovation Co. Ltd.(a)

    126,574       11,167,363  

SK Square Co. Ltd.(a)

    202,077       10,603,518  

SK Telecom Co. Ltd.

    113,642       4,498,433  

SKC Co. Ltd.(a)

    39,517       2,462,193  

S-Oil Corp.

    93,546       5,374,173  

Woori Financial Group Inc.

    1,249,601       14,001,610  

Yuhan Corp.

    116,909       5,929,846  
   

 

 

 
       1,730,696,440  

Taiwan — 22.5%

   

Accton Technology Corp.

    1,044,000       17,180,518  

Acer Inc.

    5,920,000       8,466,610  

Advantech Co. Ltd.

    977,280       12,061,552  

Airtac International Group

    289,439       11,089,346  

Alchip Technologies Ltd.

    153,976       20,198,949  

ASE Technology Holding Co. Ltd.

    6,299,000       27,807,825  

Asia Cement Corp.

    4,574,000       5,854,994  

Asustek Computer Inc.

    1,460,000       21,036,640  

AUO Corp.

    13,619,800       7,553,841  

Catcher Technology Co. Ltd.

    1,143,000       7,121,593  

Cathay Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    19,898,379       28,391,729  

Chailease Holding Co. Ltd.

    3,185,595       17,612,678  

Chang Hwa Commercial Bank Ltd.

    11,480,431       6,468,709  

Cheng Shin Rubber Industry Co. Ltd.

    3,976,000       5,910,181  

China Airlines Ltd.

    6,021,000       3,813,111  

China Development Financial Holding
Corp.(a)

    33,468,920       13,303,718  

China Steel Corp.

    24,741,000       19,268,127  

Chunghwa Telecom Co. Ltd.

    7,895,000       30,077,262  

Compal Electronics Inc.

    9,102,000       10,510,678  

CTBC Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    36,731,000       34,193,366  

Delta Electronics Inc.

    4,028,000       37,535,541  

E Ink Holdings Inc.

    1,772,000       13,795,516  
 

 

 

28  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Taiwan (continued)

   

E.Sun Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    29,406,336     $ 23,509,281  

Eclat Textile Co. Ltd.

    352,000       6,016,299  

eMemory Technology Inc.

    128,000       10,990,366  

Eva Airways Corp.

    5,248,000       5,224,438  

Evergreen Marine Corp. Taiwan Ltd.

    2,092,400       10,961,477  

Far Eastern New Century Corp.

    5,929,000       6,115,510  

Far EasTone Telecommunications Co. Ltd.

    3,589,000       8,941,629  

Feng TAY Enterprise Co. Ltd.

    1,124,760       5,883,870  

First Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    22,702,849        19,471,685  

Formosa Chemicals & Fibre Corp.

    7,311,000       13,241,064  

Formosa Petrochemical Corp.

    2,273,000       5,345,412  

Formosa Plastics Corp.

    7,906,000       17,942,548  

Fubon Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    16,164,663       34,801,353  

Gigabyte Technology Co. Ltd.

    1,053,000       11,517,386  

Global Unichip Corp.

    194,000       9,777,585  

Globalwafers Co. Ltd.

    451,000       7,965,719  

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd.

    25,880,200       84,381,763  

Hotai Motor Co. Ltd.

    634,572       13,476,586  

Hua Nan Financial Holdings Co. Ltd.

    19,109,078       13,307,837  

Innolux Corp.

    18,656,042       8,951,421  

Inventec Corp.

    5,591,000       9,738,646  

Largan Precision Co. Ltd.

    207,000       16,988,364  

Lite-On Technology Corp.

    4,135,000       14,347,029  

MediaTek Inc.

    3,154,000       113,816,232  

Mega Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    23,942,133       29,332,451  

Micro-Star International Co. Ltd.

    1,487,000       8,998,692  

momo.com Inc.

    1,000       14,089  

Nan Ya Plastics Corp.

    9,816,000       18,562,515  

Nan Ya Printed Circuit Board Corp.

    468,000       3,135,543  

Nanya Technology Corp.

    2,418,000       5,147,923  

Nien Made Enterprise Co. Ltd.

    347,000       4,062,061  

Novatek Microelectronics Corp.

    1,196,000       22,763,886  

Parade Technologies Ltd.

    153,000       4,921,588  

Pegatron Corp.

    4,115,000       11,142,425  

PharmaEssentia Corp.(a)

    470,000       4,884,449  

Pou Chen Corp.

    4,392,000       4,243,023  

Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp.

    6,228,000       5,444,346  

President Chain Store Corp.

    1,184,000       10,094,868  

Quanta Computer Inc.

    5,618,000       41,282,913  

Realtek Semiconductor Corp.

    1,009,000       18,185,248  

Ruentex Development Co. Ltd.

    3,090,640       3,556,651  

Shanghai Commercial & Savings Bank Ltd. (The)

    7,901,678       11,250,358  

Shin Kong Financial Holding Co. Ltd.(a)

    28,559,897       7,497,969  

Silergy Corp.

    676,000       8,919,887  

SinoPac Financial Holdings Co. Ltd.

    23,270,201       14,807,406  

Synnex Technology International Corp.

    2,600,000       6,405,204  

Taishin Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    24,036,336       13,235,560  

Taiwan Business Bank

    13,229,064       5,861,331  

Taiwan Cement Corp.

    14,441,671       14,682,356  

Taiwan Cooperative Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    21,408,961       17,590,432  

Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp.

    4,057,000       3,876,889  

Taiwan Mobile Co. Ltd.

    3,787,000       11,867,874  

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

    51,068,000        1,119,130,464  

Unimicron Technology Corp.

    2,852,000       16,204,870  

Uni-President Enterprises Corp.

    10,024,000       24,340,678  

United Microelectronics Corp.

    23,399,000       36,077,241  

Vanguard International Semiconductor Corp.

    1,866,000       4,262,584  

Voltronic Power Technology Corp.

    130,000       6,606,745  

Walsin Lihwa Corp.

    5,878,473       6,885,488  

Wan Hai Lines Ltd.

    1,453,015       2,314,678  

Winbond Electronics Corp.

    6,355,899       5,619,298  
Security   Shares     Value  

Taiwan (continued)

   

Wistron Corp.

    5,352,000     $ 19,597,772  

Wiwynn Corp.

    190,000       14,027,286  

WPG Holdings Ltd.

    3,312,520       9,725,907  

Yageo Corp.

    700,858       12,383,016  

Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp.

    3,421,000       5,397,261  

Yuanta Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    21,139,412       18,370,615  

Zhen Ding Technology Holding Ltd.

    1,373,000       4,369,540  
   

 

 

 
       2,449,047,364  

Thailand — 2.1%

   

Advanced Info Service PCL, NVDR

    2,470,700       13,861,483  

Airports of Thailand PCL, NVDR(d)

    8,756,000       15,516,947  

Asset World Corp. PCL, NVDR(d)

    16,450,400       1,767,444  

Bangkok Dusit Medical Services PCL, NVDR

    23,265,200       18,483,267  

Bangkok Expressway & Metro PCL, NVDR(d)

    15,937,000       3,582,420  

Banpu PCL, NVDR

    18,857,520       2,943,197  

Berli Jucker PCL, NVDR

    98,300       66,442  

BTS Group Holdings PCL, NVDR

    16,740,500       2,405,780  

Bumrungrad Hospital PCL, NVDR

    1,229,800       7,673,150  

Central Pattana PCL, NVDR

    4,147,400       7,487,234  

Central Retail Corp. PCL, NVDR

    3,755,100       3,645,027  

Charoen Pokphand Foods PCL, NVDR(d)

    7,861,200       4,142,052  

CP ALL PCL, NVDR

    12,107,000       19,413,095  

CP Axtra PCL, NVDR(d)

    4,528,300       4,204,940  

Delta Electronics Thailand PCL, NVDR(d)

    6,504,100       12,947,808  

Energy Absolute PCL, NVDR(d)

    3,563,700       3,507,537  

Global Power Synergy PCL, NVDR(d)

    1,358,400       1,931,982  

Gulf Energy Development PCL, NVDR

    6,233,400       7,483,796  

Home Product Center PCL, NVDR

    12,468,200       3,894,181  

Indorama Ventures PCL, NVDR

    3,427,000       2,227,132  

Intouch Holdings PCL, NVDR

    1,922,850       3,633,575  

Kasikornbank PCL, NVDR

    1,235,600       4,240,105  

Krung Thai Bank PCL, NVDR

    7,795,500       3,498,674  

Krungthai Card PCL, NVDR

    2,122,200       2,530,691  

Land & Houses PCL, NVDR(d)

    14,959,400       3,167,241  

Minor International PCL, NVDR

    6,939,800       6,145,006  

Muangthai Capital PCL, NVDR(d)

    1,488,500       1,904,894  

Osotspa PCL, NVDR

    1,247,600       707,689  

PTT Exploration & Production PCL, NVDR

    2,852,300       11,977,780  

PTT Global Chemical PCL, NVDR(d)

    4,602,600       4,871,360  

PTT Oil & Retail Business PCL, NVDR

    6,414,300       3,235,870  

PTT PCL, NVDR

    20,914,000       19,961,977  

SCB X PCL, NVDR

    1,794,300       5,635,762  

SCG Packaging PCL, NVDR

    2,857,400       2,231,171  

Siam Cement PCL (The), NVDR

    1,618,800       12,141,856  

Thai Oil PCL, NVDR

    2,688,200       4,196,977  

TMBThanachart Bank PCL, NVDR(d)

    50,383,300       2,587,954  

True Corp. PCL, NVDR(a)

    20,972,882       4,130,783  
   

 

 

 
      233,984,279  

Turkey — 0.9%

   

Akbank TAS

    6,565,009       8,740,313  

Aselsan Elektronik Sanayi Ve Ticaret AS

    2,829,044       5,428,982  

BIM Birlesik Magazalar AS

    957,727       11,886,430  

Coca-Cola Icecek A/S

    157,375       3,260,222  

Eregli Demir ve Celik Fabrikalari TAS(a)

    2,794,626       4,071,375  

Ford Otomotiv Sanayi AS

    140,187       4,564,948  

Haci Omer Sabanci Holding AS

    2,116,091       5,386,524  

KOC Holding AS

    1,592,765       8,577,976  

Pegasus Hava Tasimaciligi AS(a)

    96,005       2,635,751  

Sasa Polyester Sanayi AS(a)

    2,725,650       3,452,499  

Tofas Turk Otomobil Fabrikasi AS

    252,928       2,162,681  

Turk Hava Yollari AO(a)

    1,157,995       10,446,667  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F   I N V E S T M E N T S

  29


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Turkey (continued)

   

Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri AS

    2,498,266     $ 5,355,455  

Turkiye Is Bankasi AS, Class C

    17,659,616       6,262,490  

Turkiye Petrol Rafinerileri AS

    2,016,269       10,445,618  

Turkiye Sise ve Cam Fabrikalari AS

    2,804,759       4,591,110  

Yapi ve Kredi Bankasi AS

    7,114,187       5,250,167  
   

 

 

 
       102,519,208  
United Arab Emirates — 1.7%            

Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank PJSC

    6,177,693       14,414,252  

Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank PJSC

    3,057,658       9,357,077  

Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. for Distribution PJSC

    6,675,552       6,361,217  

Aldar Properties PJSC

    8,145,780       12,264,301  

Americana Restaurants International PLC

    5,295,147       4,944,895  

Dubai Islamic Bank PJSC

    6,103,727       10,702,025  

Emaar Properties PJSC

    13,758,333       30,416,331  

Emirates NBD Bank PJSC

    3,932,930       19,595,317  

Emirates Telecommunications Group Co. PJSC

    7,125,597       35,114,365  

First Abu Dhabi Bank PJSC

    9,169,283       34,063,604  

Multiply Group PJSC(a)

    8,256,187       5,106,046  
   

 

 

 
      182,339,430  
   

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks — 96.7%
(Cost: $9,800,839,066)

       10,539,354,982  
   

 

 

 

Preferred Stocks

   

Brazil — 2.1%

   

Banco Bradesco SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    11,025,257       30,495,722  

Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA, Class B, Preference Shares, NVS

    526,750       5,076,662  

Cia. Energetica de Minas Gerais, Preference Shares, NVS

    2,872,128       6,915,848  

Companhia Paranaense de Energia, Preference Shares, NVS

    2,266,453       4,659,562  

Gerdau SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    2,392,983       10,349,648  

Itau Unibanco Holding SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    10,072,456       68,769,318  

Itausa SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    11,307,426       23,428,716  

Petroleo Brasileiro SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    9,881,742       79,791,821  
   

 

 

 
      229,487,297  

Chile — 0.1%

   

Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile SA, Class B, Preference Shares

    294,492       14,604,623  
   

 

 

 

Colombia — 0.1%

   

Bancolombia SA, Preference Shares, NVS

    940,278       7,685,126  
   

 

 

 

Russia — 0.0%

   

Surgutneftegas PJSC, Preference Shares, NVS(a)(c)

    3,036,700       332  
   

 

 

 
Security   Shares     Value  

South Korea — 0.9%

   

Hyundai Motor Co. Preference Shares, NVS

    48,523     $ 5,821,430  

Series 2, Preference Shares, NVS

    73,691       8,913,481  

LG Chem Ltd., Preference Shares, NVS

    15,226       3,442,271  

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Preference Shares, NVS

    1,704,264       81,611,501  
   

 

 

 
      99,788,683  
   

 

 

 

Total Preferred Stocks — 3.2%
(Cost: $321,365,170)

 

    351,566,061  
   

 

 

 

Rights

   

South Korea — 0.0%

   

LG Display Co. Ltd., (Expires 03/14/24, Strike Price KRW 10070)(a)

    129,977       127,868  
   

 

 

 

Total Rights — 0.0%
(Cost: $—)

 

    127,868  
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 99.9%
(Cost: $10,122,204,236)

 

    10,891,048,911  
   

 

 

 

Short-Term Securities

   

Money Market Funds — 0.2%

   

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares, 5.50%(f)(g)(h)

    20,863,996       20,874,428  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 0.2%
(Cost: $20,873,109)

 

    20,874,428  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments — 100.1%
(Cost: $10,143,077,345)

 

    10,911,923,339  

Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets — (0.1)%

 

    (10,673,578
   

 

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

 

  $  10,901,249,761  
   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Non-income producing security.

(b) 

Security exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration to qualified institutional investors.

(c) 

Security is valued using significant unobservable inputs and is classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.

(d) 

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(e) 

This security may be resold to qualified foreign investors and foreign institutional buyers under Regulation S of the Securities Act of 1933.

(f) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(g) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

(h) 

All or a portion of this security was purchased with the cash collateral from loaned securities.

 

 

 

30  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

   iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

 

 

   
    Affiliated Issuer   Value at
08/31/23
    Purchases
at Cost
    Proceeds
from Sale
    Net Realized
Gain (Loss)
    Change in
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
    Value at
02/29/24
    Shares
Held at
02/29/24
    Income    

Capital

Gain
Distributions
from
Underlying
Funds

     
 

 

   

 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares

  $ 40,022,334     $     $ (19,153,981 )(a)     $ 6,612     $ (537   $ 20,874,428       20,863,996     $ 329,588 (b)    $    
 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares(c)

                0 (a)                              243,237          
         

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

   
           $ 6,612     $ (537   $ 20,874,428       $ 572,825     $    
         

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

  (a) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

 
  (b) 

All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities.

 
  (c) 

As of period end, the entity is no longer held.

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

 

 
Description    Number of
Contracts
    Expiration
Date
    Notional
Amount
(000)
    Value/
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
 

 

 

Long Contracts

        

MSCI Emerging Markets Index

     38       03/15/24     $ 1,932     $ 59,932  
        

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

 

 
     Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
     Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

 

 

Assets — Derivative Financial Instruments

                    

Futures contracts

                    

Unrealized appreciation on futures contracts(a)

   $      $      $ 59,932      $      $      $      $ 59,932  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

 

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

 

 
     Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
     Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

 

 

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ 546,810      $      $      $      $ 546,810  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

 

                 

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ 5,841      $      $      $      $ 5,841  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

 

 

Futures contracts:

  

Average notional value of contracts — long

   $ 8,517,275  

 

 

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F  I N V E S T M E N T S

  31


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

   iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments (continued)

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

 

 
     Level 1      Level 2        Level 3      Total  

 

 

Assets

           

Investments

           

Long-Term Investments

           

Common Stocks

   $ 1,836,383,359      $ 8,702,967,028      $ 4,595      $ 10,539,354,982  

Preferred Stocks

     237,172,423        114,393,306        332        351,566,061  

Rights

            127,868               127,868  

Short-Term Securities

           

Money Market Funds

     20,874,428                      20,874,428  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   $ 2,094,430,210      $ 8,817,488,202      $ 4,927      $ 10,911,923,339  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

           

Assets

           

Equity Contracts

   $ 59,932      $      $      $ 59,932  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Derivative financial instruments are futures contracts. Futures contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

 

The Fund may hold assets and/or liabilities in which the fair value approximates the carrying amount for financial statement purposes. As of period end, bank borrowings payable of $42,507,567 are categorized as Level 2 within the fair value hierarchy.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

32  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) 

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets Min Vol Factor ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Common Stocks

   
Brazil — 0.5%            

Energisa SA

    204,946     $ 2,096,006  

Equatorial Energia SA

    593,649       4,081,777  

Raia Drogasil SA

    1,049,151       5,622,374  

Telefonica Brasil SA

    679,449       7,446,316  

TIM SA/Brazil

    1,439,785       5,262,596  
   

 

 

 
       24,509,069  
Chile — 0.0%            

Enel Americas SA

    22,316,594       2,275,412  
   

 

 

 
China — 22.8%            

360 Security Technology Inc., Class A(a)

    4,386,000       5,332,362  

Agricultural Bank of China Ltd., Class H

    161,951,000       66,439,666  

Anhui Gujing Distillery Co. Ltd., Class B

    1,345,773       19,027,067  

Anjoy Foods Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    155,200       1,876,318  

Anker Innovations Technology Co. Ltd.

    304,000       3,453,361  

Asia - Potash International Investment Guangzhou Co. Ltd.(a)

    691,071       2,161,202  

Bank of China Ltd., Class H

    156,822,000       61,521,474  

Bank of Communications Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,661,974       3,182,217  

Bank of Communications Co. Ltd., Class H

    10,973,000       7,188,913  

Bank of Shanghai Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,272,011       3,870,412  

Beijing Kingsoft Office Software Inc., Class A

    44,800       1,685,291  

Beijing Tiantan Biological Products Corp. Ltd., Class A

    1,229,000       4,826,363  

Beijing-Shanghai High Speed Railway Co. Ltd., Class A

    28,242,000       19,788,537  

BOE Technology Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    25,580,800       14,151,396  

Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Ltd.

    12,314,000       7,167,880  

BYD Electronic International Co. Ltd.

    522,500       1,972,890  

Cambricon Technologies Corp. Ltd.(a)

    91,870       2,150,174  

CGN Power Co. Ltd., Class H(b)

    94,456,000       28,684,621  

Changchun High & New Technology Industry Group Inc., Class A

    94,300       1,683,659  

China CITIC Bank Corp. Ltd., Class H

    42,802,000       22,757,314  

China Construction Bank Corp., Class A

    7,128,984       6,917,814  

China Construction Bank Corp., Class H

    44,307,000       27,477,255  

China Eastern Airlines Corp. Ltd., Class A(a)

    4,004,600       2,114,000  

China Huishan Dairy Holdings Co. Ltd.(c)

    5,944,807       8  

China Life Insurance Co. Ltd., Class H

    1,321,000       1,619,268  

China Mengniu Dairy Co. Ltd.

    617,000       1,542,711  

China Minsheng Banking Corp. Ltd., Class A

    15,975,954       8,950,689  

China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., Class H

    10,846,000       5,975,638  

China Railway Signal & Communication Corp. Ltd., Class A

    5,379,000       3,640,431  

China Resources Microelectronics Ltd.

    986,078       5,852,873  

China Resources Pharmaceutical Group Ltd.(b)

    3,310,500       2,239,015  

China Shenhua Energy Co. Ltd., Class H

    3,207,000       12,339,543  

China Three Gorges Renewables Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    8,314,130       5,326,692  

China Tower Corp. Ltd., Class H(b)

    246,246,000       29,846,984  

China United Network Communications Ltd., Class A

    7,639,835       5,083,530  

China Yangtze Power Co. Ltd., Class A

    10,643,083       36,996,174  

China Zhenhua Group Science & Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    203,878       1,621,283  

Chongqing Rural Commercial Bank Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,425,200       3,991,491  

Chongqing Zhifei Biological Products Co. Ltd., Class A

    756,800       5,611,653  

COSCO Shipping Holdings Co. Ltd., Class H

    5,014,500       5,398,312  

 

Security   Shares     Value  

China (continued)

   

CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Ltd.

    3,194,000     $ 2,487,646  

Everdisplay Optronics Shanghai Co. Ltd.(a)

    8,611,000       2,855,835  

Fangda Carbon New Material Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    2,962,700       2,022,757  

First Capital Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,284,500       1,813,763  

Founder Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,420,000       1,501,281  

Fuyao Glass Industry Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    478,103       2,870,884  

Gree Electric Appliances Inc. of Zhuhai, Class A

    964,906       5,221,778  

GRG Banking Equipment Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,807,700       2,890,446  

Guangdong Haid Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,241,272       7,415,882  

Guangzhou Baiyunshan Pharmaceutical Holdings Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,094,994       4,496,681  

Guangzhou Haige Communications Group Inc. Co., Class A

    1,852,200       2,968,528  

Hainan Airlines Holding Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    30,409,600       6,036,262  

Hainan Airport Infrastructure Co. Ltd., NVS(a)

    3,778,570       1,964,143  

Hengan International Group Co. Ltd.

    3,269,000        10,075,716  

Hengtong Optic-Electric Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,170,700       1,985,800  

Hualan Biological Engineering Inc., Class A

    1,120,810       3,062,843  

Huaxia Bank Co. Ltd., Class A

    6,982,003       6,139,104  

Hundsun Technologies Inc., Class A

    943,671       3,191,101  

Iflytek Co. Ltd., Class A

    937,467       6,432,678  

Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd., Class H

    87,209,000       44,704,439  

Ingenic Semiconductor Co. Ltd., Class A

    199,600       1,807,301  

Inner Mongolia Yitai Coal Co. Ltd., Class B

    13,214,928       26,544,099  

JA Solar Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    663,600       1,723,729  

Jiangsu Expressway Co. Ltd., Class H

    15,094,000       15,504,359  

Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,821,779       10,751,393  

Jiangsu Yangnong Chemical Co. Ltd., Class A

    295,900       2,243,234  

Jointown Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,954,608       3,337,382  

Kweichow Moutai Co. Ltd., Class A

    39,190       9,193,543  

Legend Biotech Corp., ADR(a)

    179,015       11,664,617  

Lenovo Group Ltd.

    6,850,000       7,567,396  

Liaoning Port Co. Ltd., Class A

    15,553,200       3,191,740  

Lingyi iTech Guangdong Co., Class A

    5,187,700       3,948,871  

LONGi Green Energy Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    650,840       1,915,961  

Muyuan Foods Co. Ltd., Class A

    652,200       3,474,699  

National Silicon Industry Group Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    1,606,600       3,434,785  

Nongfu Spring Co. Ltd., Class H(b)

    5,748,200       32,504,923  

People’s Insurance Co. Group of China Ltd. (The), Class H

    89,934,000       29,957,332  

PetroChina Co. Ltd., Class H

    13,974,000       10,959,967  

PICC Property & Casualty Co. Ltd., Class H

    10,296,000       14,075,853  

Postal Savings Bank of China Co. Ltd., Class H(b)

    36,989,000       19,433,046  

Qi An Xin Technology Group Inc.(a)

    505,342       2,453,857  

Sangfor Technologies Inc., Class A(a)

    179,300       1,577,737  

SDIC Power Holdings Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,711,100       3,421,535  

SF Holding Co. Ltd., Class A

    859,900       4,560,078  

Shandong Gold Mining Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,178,673       3,537,325  

Shandong Gold Mining Co. Ltd., Class H(b)

    6,646,750       10,502,308  

Shandong Sun Paper Industry JSC Ltd., Class A

    1,271,300       2,508,504  

Shanghai Aiko Solar Energy Co. Ltd.

    789,560       1,654,715  

Shanghai Baosight Software Co. Ltd., Class B

    7,492,141       16,833,897  

Shanghai BOCHU Electronic Technology Corp. Ltd., Class A

    79,935       3,120,021  

Shanghai International Airport Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    404,800       1,971,428  

Shanghai M&G Stationery Inc., Class A

    450,421       2,223,983  

Shanghai Pharmaceuticals Holding Co. Ltd., Class H

    3,566,400       5,735,131  

Shanghai Pudong Development Bank Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,127,986       4,090,092  

Shanghai RAAS Blood Products Co. Ltd., Class A

    4,986,700       4,974,599  

 

 

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F   I N V E S T M E N T S

  33


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets Min Vol Factor ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

China (continued)

   

Shanxi Xinghuacun Fen Wine Factory Co. Ltd., Class A

    189,800     $ 6,110,550  

Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co. Ltd., Class A

    136,400       5,453,856  

Shenzhen Salubris Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., Class A

    651,772       2,637,026  

Sichuan Chuantou Energy Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,704,510       5,877,085  

Sinopharm Group Co. Ltd., Class H

    6,263,600       17,528,269  

Songcheng Performance Development Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,358,485       2,031,728  

TCL Technology Group Corp., Class A(a)

    8,020,150       5,032,242  

Thunder Software Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    171,600       1,440,998  

Tianjin 712 Communication & Broadcasting Co. Ltd., Class A

    563,594       2,244,317  

Tianma Microelectronics Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    1,766,200       2,242,071  

Tianshui Huatian Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,415,400       2,739,039  

Tingyi Cayman Islands Holding Corp

    7,622,000       8,476,087  

Tongwei Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,046,400       3,841,164  

TravelSky Technology Ltd., Class H

    1,779,000       2,126,738  

Walvax Biotechnology Co. Ltd., Class A

    632,091       1,611,635  

Want Want China Holdings Ltd.

    36,248,000       20,000,174  

Western Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,273,000       3,618,809  

Wintime Energy Group Co. Ltd., NVS(a)

    23,404,500       4,473,016  

Wuliangye Yibin Co. Ltd., Class A

    195,549       3,847,293  

Xiaomi Corp., Class B(a)(b)

    1,860,800       3,126,932  

Xinjiang Daqo New Energy Co. Ltd.

    1,335,835       5,408,157  

Yealink Network Technology Corp. Ltd., Class A

    854,924       3,478,274  

Yonyou Network Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    789,200       1,387,793  

Yum China Holdings Inc.

    204,241       8,759,896  

Yunnan Baiyao Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    328,858       2,270,371  

Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,136,400       2,912,441  

Zhejiang Expressway Co. Ltd., Class H

    7,645,160       5,830,353  

Zhejiang Supor Co. Ltd., Class A

    323,004       2,482,139  

Zhejiang Zheneng Electric Power Co. Ltd., Class A(a)

    3,362,600       2,510,378  

Zhongji Innolight Co. Ltd., Class A

    410,100       8,833,056  

ZTE Corp, Class A

    2,941,720       12,171,238  
   

 

 

 
       1,014,506,613  

Czech Republic — 0.2%

   

CEZ AS

    228,633       7,811,229  
   

 

 

 

Egypt — 0.2%

   

Commercial International Bank - Egypt (CIB)

    7,098,707       10,133,797  
   

 

 

 

Greece — 0.6%

   

Hellenic Telecommunications Organization SA

    1,100,937       16,610,895  

JUMBO SA

    271,296       7,928,576  
   

 

 

 
      24,539,471  

Hungary — 0.1%

   

Richter Gedeon Nyrt

    86,277       2,296,911  
   

 

 

 

India — 20.4%

   

ABB India Ltd.

    102,658       6,729,522  

Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd.

    91,166       6,711,577  

Asian Paints Ltd.

    572,822       19,538,110  

Aurobindo Pharma Ltd.

    178,680       2,215,012  

Bajaj Auto Ltd.

    356,505       33,978,143  

Balkrishna Industries Ltd.

    146,546       3,936,262  

Berger Paints India Ltd.

    273,365       2,000,266  

Bharti Airtel Ltd.

    4,425,605       59,918,259  

Britannia Industries Ltd.

    328,886       19,709,690  

Cipla Ltd.

    1,786,387       31,902,356  
Security   Shares     Value  

India (continued)

   

Colgate-Palmolive India Ltd.

    563,307     $ 17,130,809  

Dabur India Ltd.

    3,577,610       23,232,266  

Divi’s Laboratories Ltd.

    248,758       10,463,513  

Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd.

    383,972       29,773,155  

Eicher Motors Ltd.

    97,909       4,474,126  

Godrej Consumer Products Ltd.

    177,572       2,688,448  

HCL Technologies Ltd.

    2,906,265       58,242,032  

HDFC Bank Ltd.

    130,380       2,201,982  

Hero MotoCorp Ltd.

    161,553       8,609,730  

Hindustan Unilever Ltd.

    1,209,066       35,177,477  

ICICI Lombard General Insurance Co. Ltd.(b)

    111,725       2,308,136  

Indian Hotels Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,286,206       9,103,785  

Infosys Ltd.

    1,820,129       36,629,169  

Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd.

    620,673       12,627,579  

LTIMindtree Ltd.(b)

    175,829       11,241,981  

Lupin Ltd.

    960,623       18,790,603  

Marico Ltd.

    3,519,276       22,173,181  

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd.

    162,861       22,164,484  

Max Healthcare Institute Ltd.

    1,987,902       19,025,557  

Mphasis Ltd.

    143,121       4,515,029  

MRF Ltd.

    19,633       34,611,728  

Nestle India Ltd., NVS

    729,853       22,857,194  

Page Industries Ltd.

    31,653       13,097,136  

Persistent Systems Ltd.

    125,778       13,088,846  

Petronet LNG Ltd.

    1,124,010       3,700,822  

Pidilite Industries Ltd.

    841,898       27,797,459  

Power Grid Corp. of India Ltd.

    779,732       2,663,935  

Reliance Industries Ltd.

    517,657       18,219,065  

Siemens Ltd.

    177,147       9,987,749  

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

    1,776,852       33,779,783  

Tata Consultancy Services Ltd.

    1,253,278       61,825,580  

Tata Elxsi Ltd.

    57,661       5,429,648  

Tech Mahindra Ltd.

    1,196,815       18,391,725  

Titan Co. Ltd.

    593,964       25,957,105  

Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

    831,301       26,783,301  

Trent Ltd.

    317,095       14,819,885  

Tube Investments of India Ltd.

    71,548       3,003,435  

TVS Motor Co. Ltd.

    150,449       3,876,933  

UltraTech Cement Ltd.

    30,834       3,678,690  

Wipro Ltd.

    4,335,761       27,050,049  
   

 

 

 
       907,832,307  

Indonesia — 1.6%

   

Bank Central Asia Tbk PT

    77,513,200       48,776,415  

Telkom Indonesia Persero Tbk PT

    84,300,100       21,488,881  
   

 

 

 
      70,265,296  

Kazakhstan — 0.0%

   

Polymetal International PLC(a)(c)

    244,417       27  
   

 

 

 

Kuwait — 2.4%

   

Boubyan Bank KSCP

    943,824       1,973,434  

Kuwait Finance House KSCP

    11,979,361       31,561,558  

Mobile Telecommunications Co. KSCP

    11,563,939       18,912,743  

National Bank of Kuwait SAKP

    16,999,052       54,161,493  
   

 

 

 
      106,609,228  

Malaysia — 4.0%

   

CELCOMDIGI Bhd

    11,797,400       10,833,029  

Genting Malaysia Bhd

    3,450,000       2,089,484  

Hong Leong Bank Bhd

    4,348,700       18,082,747  

IHH Healthcare Bhd

    19,494,500       25,264,182  

IOI Corp. Bhd

    2,627,200       2,202,860  

Malayan Banking Bhd

    20,697,000       41,582,548  
 

 

 

34  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets Min Vol Factor ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Malaysia (continued)

   

Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd

    5,220,500     $ 9,328,804  

MISC Bhd

    2,331,400       3,737,727  

MR DIY Group M Bhd(b)

    18,702,550       6,147,016  

Nestle Malaysia Bhd

    896,500       23,595,585  

Petronas Dagangan Bhd

    1,665,900       8,017,945  

PPB Group Bhd

    2,652,000       8,706,809  

Public Bank Bhd

    3,849,500       3,572,839  

Telekom Malaysia Bhd

    3,604,500       4,597,742  

Tenaga Nasional Bhd

    4,432,400       10,517,084  
   

 

 

 
       178,276,401  

Mexico — 0.8%

   

America Movil SAB de CV

    15,226,133       14,257,540  

Wal-Mart de Mexico SAB de CV

    5,629,733       22,543,044  
   

 

 

 
      36,800,584  

Peru — 1.1%

   

Cia. de Minas Buenaventura SAA, ADR

    1,654,328       24,980,353  

Credicorp Ltd.

    127,686       21,818,983  
   

 

 

 
      46,799,336  

Philippines — 1.9%

   

Bank of the Philippine Islands

    10,119,015       22,530,231  

BDO Unibank Inc.

    4,252,755       11,585,796  

International Container Terminal Services Inc.

    4,422,500       22,695,522  

Jollibee Foods Corp.

    3,008,130       14,651,356  

Manila Electric Co.

    1,714,560       11,895,017  

SM Investments Corp.

    179,315       3,000,517  
   

 

 

 
      86,358,439  

Qatar — 2.5%

   

Dukhan Bank

    4,323,806       4,938,558  

Masraf Al Rayan QSC

    17,214,289       11,957,102  

Ooredoo QPSC

    7,326,963       22,845,899  

Qatar Electricity & Water Co. QSC

    5,185,107       24,587,801  

Qatar Fuel QSC

    1,666,797       6,834,668  

Qatar Islamic Bank SAQ

    1,905,338       10,528,606  

Qatar National Bank QPSC

    6,981,956       29,160,891  
   

 

 

 
      110,853,525  

Russia — 0.0%

   

Polyus PJSC(a)(c)

    95,932       11  

Rosneft Oil Co. PJSC(a)(c)

    759,070       83  

Yandex NV(a)(c)

    49,681       5  
   

 

 

 
      99  

Saudi Arabia — 9.2%

   

ACWA Power Co.

    37,186       2,618,067  

Advanced Petrochemical Co.

    470,453       4,790,209  

Al Rajhi Bank

    1,783,891       42,364,223  

Alinma Bank

    624,906       7,334,663  

Arabian Internet & Communications Services Co.

    159,286       15,600,096  

Bupa Arabia for Cooperative Insurance Co.

    261,251       15,984,716  

Co. for Cooperative Insurance (The)

    353,071       15,251,447  

Dallah Healthcare Co.

    116,761       5,840,696  

Dar Al Arkan Real Estate Development
Co.(a)

    2,436,158       9,079,242  

Dr Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Services Group Co.

    123,641       10,887,786  

Elm Co.

    60,735       17,130,829  

Etihad Etisalat Co.

    2,605,817       38,424,041  

Jarir Marketing Co.

    7,298,627       30,336,854  

Mobile Telecommunications Co. Saudi Arabia

    5,473,551       21,746,503  

Nahdi Medical Co.

    58,302       2,207,526  

Rabigh Refining & Petrochemical Co.(a)

    171,623       378,608  

SABIC Agri-Nutrients Co.

    703,836       23,530,529  

Saudi Arabian Oil Co.(b)

    4,067,794       34,392,676  

Saudi Basic Industries Corp.

    1,203,572       25,285,850  
Security   Shares     Value  

Saudi Arabia (continued)

   

Saudi Electricity Co.

    2,816,874     $ 15,036,653  

Saudi National Bank (The)

    205,579       2,323,295  

Saudi Telecom Co.

    5,531,776       62,617,449  

Yanbu National Petrochemical Co.

    540,115       5,390,173  
   

 

 

 
      408,552,131  

South Korea — 6.6%

   

Celltrion Inc.

    56,085       7,584,733  

Coway Co. Ltd.

    183,140       7,454,212  

Hyundai Mobis Co. Ltd.

    20,732       3,781,468  

Kangwon Land Inc.(a)

    858,499       11,216,631  

Kia Corp.(a)

    41,983       3,931,620  

Korea Electric Power Corp.(a)

    837,854       15,601,327  

KT Corp.

    242,037       7,099,597  

KT&G Corp.

    480,615       33,568,413  

LG Electronics Inc.

    35,105       2,509,577  

LG Uplus Corp.

    1,141,291       8,851,822  

Orion Corp./Republic of Korea

    164,892       11,500,619  

Samsung Biologics Co. Ltd.(a)(b)

    49,900       29,035,256  

Samsung C&T Corp.

    83,214       9,797,107  

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.

    799,700       44,137,742  

Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Co. Ltd.(a)

    25,095       5,616,236  

Samsung SDS Co. Ltd.

    247,823       29,810,792  

SK Hynix Inc.

    187,058       22,051,226  

SK Telecom Co. Ltd.

    580,121       22,963,652  

Yuhan Corp.

    312,264       15,838,621  
   

 

 

 
       292,350,651  

Taiwan — 15.8%

   

Accton Technology Corp.

    478,000       7,866,176  

Advantech Co. Ltd.

    2,365,940       29,200,341  

Asustek Computer Inc.

    1,274,000       18,356,629  

Catcher Technology Co. Ltd.

    2,974,000       18,529,848  

Cathay Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    3,391,020       4,838,430  

Chang Hwa Commercial Bank Ltd.

    6,008,525       3,385,535  

China Steel Corp.

    7,366,000       5,736,592  

Chunghwa Telecom Co. Ltd.

    17,086,000       65,091,843  

Compal Electronics Inc.

    25,997,000       30,020,446  

Delta Electronics Inc.

    549,000       5,115,941  

E.Sun Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    27,723,250       22,163,716  

Far EasTone Telecommunications Co. Ltd.

    19,855,000       49,466,719  

First Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    68,300,399       58,579,601  

Formosa Petrochemical Corp.

    3,498,000       8,226,244  

Formosa Plastics Corp.

    3,045,840       6,912,488  

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd.

    3,097,000       10,097,693  

Hua Nan Financial Holdings Co. Ltd.

    53,854,906       37,505,330  

Mega Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    16,486,810       20,198,641  

Pegatron Corp.

    1,183,000       3,203,278  

PharmaEssentia Corp.(a)

    314,000       3,263,228  

Pou Chen Corp.

    4,025,000       3,888,471  

President Chain Store Corp.

    6,938,000       59,153,883  

Quanta Computer Inc.

    526,000       3,865,221  

Synnex Technology International Corp.

    6,947,000       17,114,212  

Taiwan Business Bank

    18,221,448       8,073,281  

Taiwan Cement Corp.

    6,265,000       6,369,413  

Taiwan Cooperative Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    56,336,884       46,288,567  

Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp.

    12,304,000       11,757,762  

Taiwan Mobile Co. Ltd.

    20,590,000       64,525,886  

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

    1,198,000       26,253,589  

Uni-President Enterprises Corp.

    8,163,000       19,821,724  

WPG Holdings Ltd.

    8,523,440       25,025,716  
   

 

 

 
      699,896,444  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F   I N V E S T M E N T S

  35


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets Min Vol Factor ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Thailand — 4.3%

   

Advanced Info Service PCL, NVDR

    8,518,300     $ 47,790,613  

Airports of Thailand PCL, NVDR(d)

    29,203,800       51,753,519  

Bangkok Dusit Medical Services PCL, NVDR

    22,996,400       18,269,716  

Bangkok Expressway & Metro PCL, NVDR(d)

    8,941,500       2,009,927  

Bumrungrad Hospital PCL, NVDR

    3,395,900       21,188,201  

Central Retail Corp. PCL, NVDR(d)

    7,519,600       7,299,179  

Home Product Center PCL, NVDR

    31,658,500       9,887,868  

Intouch Holdings PCL, NVDR

    10,558,800       19,952,773  

PTT Oil & Retail Business PCL, NVDR

    17,162,000       8,657,843  

Siam Cement PCL (The), NVDR

    543,800       4,078,788  
   

 

 

 
      190,888,427  
Turkey — 0.4%            

Aselsan Elektronik Sanayi Ve Ticaret AS

    3,419,248       6,561,593  

BIM Birlesik Magazalar AS

    309,305       3,838,810  

Sasa Polyester Sanayi AS(a)

    1,375,822       1,742,712  

Turkiye Sise ve Cam Fabrikalari AS

    3,591,853       5,879,504  
   

 

 

 
      18,022,619  
United Arab Emirates — 3.7%            

Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. for Distribution PJSC

    40,206,506       38,313,283  

Aldar Properties PJSC

    14,797,333       22,278,891  

Dubai Islamic Bank PJSC

    23,646,476       41,460,762  

Emirates NBD Bank PJSC

    3,273,527       16,309,926  

Emirates Telecommunications Group Co. PJSC

    4,105,603       20,232,079  

First Abu Dhabi Bank PJSC

    4,770,251       17,721,335  

Multiply Group PJSC(a)

    10,864,570       6,719,202  
   

 

 

 
      163,035,478  
   

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks — 99.1%
(Cost: $3,761,379,328)

       4,402,613,494  
   

 

 

 

Preferred Stocks

   
Brazil — 0.2%            

Companhia Paranaense de Energia, Preference Shares, NVS

    3,691,157       7,588,587  
   

 

 

 
Russia — 0.0%            

Surgutneftegas PJSC, Preference Shares, NVS(a)(c)

    40,815,200       4,461  
   

 

 

 
South Korea — 0.6%            

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Preference Shares, NVS

    588,039       28,159,220  
   

 

 

 

Total Preferred Stocks — 0.8%
(Cost: $53,718,246)

      35,752,268  
   

 

 

 
Security   Shares     Value  

Rights

   
China — 0.0%            

Kangmei Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., (Expires 12/31/49)(a)

    155,535     $  

Total Rights — 0.0%
(Cost: $—)

       
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 99.9%
(Cost: $3,815,097,574)

      4,438,365,762  
   

 

 

 

Short-Term Securities

   
Money Market Funds — 0.4%            

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares, 5.50%(e)(f)(g)

    2,779,134       2,780,524  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares, 5.30%(e)(f)

    16,640,000       16,640,000  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 0.4%
(Cost: $19,418,775)

 

    19,420,524  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments — 100.3%
(Cost: $3,834,516,349)

 

    4,457,786,286  

Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets — (0.3)%

 

    (14,905,472
   

 

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

 

  $  4,442,880,814  
   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Non-income producing security.

(b) 

Security exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration to qualified institutional investors.

(c) 

Security is valued using significant unobservable inputs and is classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.

(d) 

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(e) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(f) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

(g) 

All or a portion of this security was purchased with the cash collateral from loaned securities.

 

 

 

36  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets Min Vol Factor ETF

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

 

 

   
  Affiliated Issuer   Value at
08/31/23
    Purchases
at Cost
    Proceeds
from Sale
    Net Realized
Gain (Loss)
    Change in
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
    Value at
02/29/24
    Shares
Held at
02/29/24
    Income    

Capital

Gain
Distributions
from
Underlying
Funds

   
 

 

   
 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares

  $ 40,433,121     $     $ (37,661,414 )(a)    $ 18,891     $ (10,074   $ 2,780,524       2,779,134     $ 68,785 (b)    $    
 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares

    1,290,000       15,350,000 (a)                        16,640,000       16,640,000       301,339          
         

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

   
          $ 18,891     $ (10,074   $ 19,420,524       $ 370,124     $    
         

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

  (a) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

 
  (b) 

All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities.

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

 

 
Description    Number of
Contracts
     Expiration
Date
     Notional
Amount
(000)
     Value/
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
 

 

 

Long Contracts

           

MSCI Emerging Markets Index

     149        03/15/24      $ 7,575      $ 669  

2-Year U.S. Treasury Note

     5        06/28/24        1,024        1,048  
           

 

 

 
            $ 1,717  
           

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

 

 
     Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
     Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

 

 

Assets — Derivative Financial Instruments

                    

Futures contracts

                    

Unrealized appreciation on futures contracts(a)

   $      $      $ 669      $      $ 1,048      $      $ 1,717  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a)

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

 

 
     Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
     Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

 

 

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ 389,104      $      $ 933      $      $ 390,037  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

 

                 

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ (57,451    $      $ (7,936    $      $ (65,387
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F   I N V E S T M E N T S

  37


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets Min Vol Factor  ETF

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

 

 

Futures contracts:

  

Average notional value of contracts — long

   $ 5,861,382   

 

 

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

 

 
     Level 1      Level 2        Level 3      Total  

 

 

Assets

           

Investments

           

Long-Term Investments

           

Common Stocks

   $ 649,984,744      $ 3,752,628,616      $ 134      $ 4,402,613,494  

Preferred Stocks

     7,588,587        28,159,220        4,461        35,752,268  

Rights

                           

Short-Term Securities

           

Money Market Funds

     19,420,524                      19,420,524  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   $ 676,993,855      $ 3,780,787,836      $ 4,595      $ 4,457,786,286  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

           

Assets

           

Equity Contracts

   $ 669      $      $      $ 669  

Interest Rate Contracts

     1,048                      1,048  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   $ 1,717      $      $        1,717  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Derivative financial instruments are futures contracts. Futures contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

38  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Global Min Vol Factor ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Common Stocks

   

Brazil — 0.1%

   

Telefonica Brasil SA

    534,833     $ 5,861,419  
   

 

 

 

Canada — 1.3%

   

CGI Inc.(a)

    194,301       22,308,501  

Franco-Nevada Corp.

    46,887       4,908,944  

Loblaw Companies Ltd.

    76,842       8,189,535  

Thomson Reuters Corp.

    21,844       3,448,299  

Waste Connections Inc.

    97,721       16,264,683  
   

 

 

 
       55,119,962  

China — 7.5%

   

Agricultural Bank of China Ltd., Class A

    6,335,299       3,680,107  

Agricultural Bank of China Ltd., Class H

    34,864,000       14,302,799  

Anhui Gujing Distillery Co. Ltd., Class B

    136,000       1,922,821  

Bank of China Ltd., Class H

    99,974,000       39,219,930  

Bank of Communications Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,953,700       2,566,735  

Bank of Communications Co. Ltd., Class H

    11,099,000       7,271,462  

Beijing Enterprises Holdings Ltd.

    671,500       2,526,061  

Beijing-Shanghai High Speed Railway Co. Ltd., Class A

    3,648,300       2,556,282  

Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Ltd.

    3,798,000       2,210,785  

BYD Co. Ltd., Class A

    135,800       3,586,835  

BYD Electronic International Co. Ltd.

    728,500       2,750,719  

CGN Power Co. Ltd., Class H(b)

    13,560,000       4,117,933  

China CITIC Bank Corp. Ltd., Class H

    11,157,000       5,932,044  

China Coal Energy Co. Ltd., Class H

    2,650,000       2,853,833  

China Construction Bank Corp., Class H

    47,863,000       29,682,530  

China Galaxy Securities Co. Ltd., Class H

    4,457,000       2,341,862  

China Merchants Port Holdings Co. Ltd.

    1,792,000       2,224,323  

China Minsheng Banking Corp. Ltd., Class H

    8,430,500       2,967,057  

China Shenhua Energy Co. Ltd., Class A

    518,800       2,771,749  

China Shenhua Energy Co. Ltd., Class H

    3,366,500       12,953,249  

China State Construction Engineering Corp. Ltd., Class A

    3,219,100       2,385,654  

China Tower Corp. Ltd., Class H(b)

    56,192,000       6,810,920  

China Yangtze Power Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,860,500       6,467,241  

Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Ltd.

    2,555,000       3,807,131  

CITIC Securities Co. Ltd., Class A

    821,508       2,423,911  

COSCO Shipping Holdings Co. Ltd., Class H

    3,830,500       4,123,688  

East Money Information Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,147,812       2,229,600  

Fuyao Glass Industry Group Co. Ltd., Class H(b)

    420,800       2,109,228  

GCL Technology Holdings Ltd.

    13,075,000       1,818,718  

Guangdong Investment Ltd.

    2,791,147       1,656,316  

Haitian International Holdings Ltd.

    783,000       1,982,609  

Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd., Class A

    4,749,451       3,509,812  

Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd., Class H

    44,733,000       22,930,703  

Industrial Bank Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,546,200       3,566,896  

Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., Class A

    316,500       1,867,853  

Kingboard Holdings Ltd.

    820,000       1,608,404  

Kunlun Energy Co. Ltd.

    4,890,000       4,168,790  

Kweichow Moutai Co. Ltd., Class A

    18,700       4,386,814  

Lenovo Group Ltd.

    3,532,000       3,901,904  

Luxshare Precision Industry Co. Ltd., Class A

    549,000       2,100,798  

Luzhou Laojiao Co. Ltd., Class A

    69,800       1,692,536  

Muyuan Foods Co. Ltd., Class A

    407,720       2,172,193  

Nongfu Spring Co. Ltd., Class H(b)

    1,297,400       7,336,538  

People’s Insurance Co. Group of China Ltd. (The), Class H

    11,384,000       3,792,050  

PetroChina Co. Ltd., Class H

    22,264,000       17,461,909  

PICC Property & Casualty Co. Ltd., Class H

    8,640,000       11,811,905  

Ping An Bank Co. Ltd., Class A

    1,445,300       2,119,090  
Security   Shares     Value  

China (continued)

   

Postal Savings Bank of China Co. Ltd., Class H(b)

    9,859,000     $ 5,179,659  

SF Holding Co. Ltd., Class A

    359,500       1,906,440  

Shanghai Pudong Development Bank Co. Ltd., Class A

    2,210,700       2,190,406  

Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co. Ltd., Class A

    90,800       3,630,573  

Sinopharm Group Co. Ltd., Class H

    1,685,600       4,717,040  

Tingyi Cayman Islands Holding Corp.

    1,866,000       2,075,096  

Topsports International Holdings Ltd.(b)

    2,360,000       1,597,058  

Wanhua Chemical Group Co. Ltd., Class A

    232,800       2,560,974  

Want Want China Holdings Ltd.

    5,928,000       3,270,830  

Xiaomi Corp., Class B(a)(b)

    3,993,800       6,711,274  

ZhongAn Online P&C Insurance Co. Ltd., Class H(a)(b)

    727,400       1,145,452  

ZTE Corp., Class H

    929,400       2,093,459  

ZTO Express Cayman Inc., ADR

    104,299       2,001,498  
   

 

 

 
       317,762,086  

Finland — 0.2%

   

Elisa OYJ

    176,508       7,949,590  
   

 

 

 

France — 0.8%

   

Bollore SE

    938,349       6,434,950  

Orange SA

    2,331,766        26,728,939  
   

 

 

 
      33,163,889  

Germany — 0.9%

   

Deutsche Telekom AG, Registered

    1,462,315       34,757,736  

SAP SE

    24,692       4,627,115  
   

 

 

 
      39,384,851  

Greece — 0.1%

   

Hellenic Telecommunications Organization SA

    194,548       2,935,333  
   

 

 

 

Hong Kong — 1.6%

   

BOC Hong Kong Holdings Ltd.

    1,437,000       3,775,299  

CLP Holdings Ltd.

    1,330,254       11,070,538  

Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd.

    1,285,000       6,996,523  

Hang Seng Bank Ltd.

    958,400       10,920,172  

HKT Trust & HKT Ltd., Class SS

    4,748,000       5,789,013  

Hong Kong & China Gas Co. Ltd.

    11,053,579       8,522,433  

Jardine Matheson Holdings Ltd.

    183,500       7,704,197  

MTR Corp. Ltd.

    1,969,000       6,513,986  

Power Assets Holdings Ltd.

    1,153,000       6,919,328  
   

 

 

 
      68,211,489  

India — 5.6%

   

Asian Paints Ltd.

    381,152       13,000,531  

Bajaj Auto Ltd.

    60,903       5,804,605  

Bajaj Holdings & Investment Ltd.

    27,474       3,030,641  

Berger Paints India Ltd.

    378,749       2,771,381  

Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd.

    591,906       4,301,600  

Bharti Airtel Ltd.

    1,306,670       17,691,003  

Cipla Ltd.

    167,769       2,996,118  

Divi’s Laboratories Ltd.

    109,388       4,601,190  

Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd.

    55,128       4,274,620  

Eicher Motors Ltd.

    159,857       7,304,951  

Havells India Ltd.

    135,093       2,492,523  

HCL Technologies Ltd.

    1,018,665       20,414,215  

Hero MotoCorp Ltd.

    68,163       3,632,647  

Hindustan Petroleum Corp. Ltd.

    554,304       3,407,668  

Hindustan Unilever Ltd.

    67,414       1,961,394  

Indian Hotels Co. Ltd., Class A

    868,820       6,149,521  

Indian Oil Corp. Ltd.

    3,577,140       7,133,479  

Infosys Ltd.

    451,948       9,095,223  

Larsen & Toubro Ltd.

    178,385       7,479,022  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F   I N V E S T M E N T S

  39


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Global Min Vol Factor ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

India (continued)

   

LTIMindtree Ltd.(b)

    43,866     $ 2,804,661  

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd.

    34,115       4,642,863  

MRF Ltd.

    2,179       3,841,438  

Nestle India Ltd., NVS

    272,330       8,528,703  

Petronet LNG Ltd.

    994,896       3,275,712  

PI Industries Ltd.

    103,461       4,582,752  

Pidilite Industries Ltd.

    195,607       6,458,476  

Shree Cement Ltd.

    9,436       2,895,850  

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

    360,875       6,860,605  

Tata Consultancy Services Ltd.

    675,734       33,334,701  

Tata Elxsi Ltd.

    19,795       1,863,996  

Tech Mahindra Ltd.

    323,960       4,978,366  

Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

    132,326       4,263,350  

UltraTech Cement Ltd.

    66,203       7,898,434  

Wipro Ltd.

    763,067       4,760,641  

Wipro Ltd., ADR

    624,211       3,863,866  

Yes Bank Ltd.(a)

    12,874,567       3,785,769  
   

 

 

 
       236,182,515  

Indonesia — 0.6%

   

Bank Central Asia Tbk PT

    28,795,900       18,120,279  

Telkom Indonesia Persero Tbk PT

    32,586,600       8,306,628  
   

 

 

 
      26,426,907  

Israel — 0.5%

   

Bank Hapoalim BM

    374,226       3,584,614  

Check Point Software Technologies Ltd.(a)

    113,263       18,169,650  

Isracard Ltd.

          1  
   

 

 

 
      21,754,265  

Italy — 0.1%

   

Infrastrutture Wireless Italiane SpA(b)

    428,870       4,750,310  
   

 

 

 

Japan — 10.5%

   

Brother Industries Ltd.

    253,800       4,258,311  

Canon Inc.

    867,700       25,375,734  

Central Japan Railway Co.

    902,000       22,685,191  

Chiba Bank Ltd. (The)

    366,900       2,988,046  

Chubu Electric Power Co. Inc.

    583,400       7,261,143  

East Japan Railway Co.

    332,600       19,677,101  

ENEOS Holdings Inc.

    1,181,300       5,096,822  

FUJIFILM Holdings Corp.

    152,500       9,713,745  

Hamamatsu Photonics KK

    177,400       6,377,907  

Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Inc.

    75,800       2,185,892  

Hirose Electric Co. Ltd.

    39,800       4,235,634  

Japan Post Bank Co. Ltd.

    575,500       6,136,387  

KDDI Corp.

    947,000       28,629,478  

Keisei Electric Railway Co. Ltd.

    55,500       2,593,017  

Kintetsu Group Holdings Co. Ltd.

    228,100       7,015,139  

Kirin Holdings Co. Ltd.

    134,200       1,865,667  

Kyocera Corp.

    700,100       10,332,418  

McDonald’s Holdings Co. Japan Ltd.(c)

    110,700       5,148,633  

MEIJI Holdings Co. Ltd.

    133,400       3,002,123  

Mizuho Financial Group Inc.

    425,200       7,943,622  

NEC Corp.

    193,300       13,047,209  

Nintendo Co. Ltd.

    318,000       17,769,912  

Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp.

    31,037,000       37,746,128  

Nissin Foods Holdings Co. Ltd.

    92,500       2,696,223  

Nitori Holdings Co. Ltd.

    19,200       2,824,132  

Nomura Research Institute Ltd.

    120,290       3,380,153  

NTT Data Group Corp.

    393,300       6,405,717  

Obic Co. Ltd.

    79,200       12,403,042  

Odakyu Electric Railway Co. Ltd.

    158,400       2,227,044  

Ono Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

    417,500       6,913,635  
Security   Shares     Value  

Japan (continued)

   

Oracle Corp. Japan

    48,900     $ 3,749,341  

Oriental Land Co. Ltd./Japan

    177,300       6,354,468  

Osaka Gas Co. Ltd.

    470,600       9,391,572  

Otsuka Corp.

    99,700       4,383,966  

Otsuka Holdings Co. Ltd.

    358,700       14,554,790  

Pan Pacific International Holdings Corp.

    326,100       7,687,658  

SCSK Corp.

    201,500       3,716,593  

Secom Co. Ltd.

    247,400       18,053,308  

Seiko Epson Corp.

    139,000       2,250,076  

SG Holdings Co. Ltd.

    139,500       1,750,001  

Shizuoka Financial Group Inc., NVS

    590,100       5,776,119  

SoftBank Corp.

    3,426,600       45,071,662  

Suntory Beverage & Food Ltd.

    175,400       5,759,664  

TIS Inc.

    277,300       6,258,304  

Tobu Railway Co. Ltd.

    239,700       6,127,694  

Toho Co. Ltd./Tokyo

    132,700       4,306,626  

Tokyu Corp.

    166,000       2,065,509  

USS Co. Ltd.

    256,900       4,471,913  

West Japan Railway Co.

    93,100       3,871,256  
   

 

 

 
       443,535,725  

Kazakhstan — 0.0%

   

Polymetal International PLC(a)(d)

    250,942       28  
   

 

 

 

Kuwait — 0.3%

   

Mobile Telecommunications Co. KSCP

    2,303,321       3,767,066  

National Bank of Kuwait SAKP

    2,214,683       7,056,307  
   

 

 

 
      10,823,373  

Malaysia — 0.4%

   

CELCOMDIGI Bhd

    3,208,700       2,946,407  

Hong Leong Bank Bhd

    820,400       3,411,384  

IHH Healthcare Bhd

    2,376,200       3,079,471  

Malayan Banking Bhd

    2,245,200       4,510,853  

Petronas Gas Bhd

    1,009,700       3,817,094  
   

 

 

 
      17,765,209  

Netherlands — 0.7%

   

Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize NV

    437,871       13,040,609  

Koninklijke KPN NV

    4,206,707       15,377,447  
   

 

 

 
      28,418,056  

New Zealand — 0.1%

   

Spark New Zealand Ltd.

    1,464,231       4,519,889  
   

 

 

 

Peru — 0.1%

   

Cia. de Minas Buenaventura SAA, ADR

    269,662       4,071,896  
   

 

 

 

Philippines — 0.2%

   

BDO Unibank Inc.

    2,419,368       6,591,093  

Jollibee Foods Corp.

    565,840       2,755,972  
   

 

 

 
      9,347,065  

Qatar — 0.2%

   

Industries Qatar QSC

    708,916       2,510,085  

Qatar National Bank QPSC

    1,576,985       6,586,448  
   

 

 

 
      9,096,533  

Russia — 0.0%

   

PhosAgro PJSC(a)(d)

    41,863       5  

PhosAgro PJSC, GDR(a)(d)(e)

    2        

PhosAgro PJSC, New(a)(d)

    809       8  

Polyus PJSC(a)(d)

    53,523       6  
   

 

 

 
      19  

Saudi Arabia — 1.2%

   

Arabian Internet & Communications Services Co.

    26,531       2,598,384  

Bupa Arabia for Cooperative Insurance Co.

    42,311       2,588,810  
 

 

 

40  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Global Min Vol Factor ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Saudi Arabia (continued)

   

Jarir Marketing Co.

    523,810     $ 2,177,224  

SABIC Agri-Nutrients Co.

    214,882       7,183,900  

Saudi Arabian Oil Co.(b)

    1,767,078       14,940,418  

Saudi Basic Industries Corp.

    188,602       3,962,340  

Saudi Telecom Co.

    1,728,569       19,566,696  
   

 

 

 
      53,017,772  

Singapore — 0.9%

   

DBS Group Holdings Ltd.

    155,500       3,855,663  

Genting Singapore Ltd.

    5,978,400       4,045,762  

Singapore Exchange Ltd.

    1,104,300       7,758,131  

Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd.

    1,512,200       4,477,125  

Singapore Telecommunications Ltd.

    10,126,400       17,673,738  
   

 

 

 
      37,810,419  

Switzerland — 2.7%

   

Banque Cantonale Vaudoise, Registered

    37,886       4,540,829  

BKW AG

    26,711       3,742,444  

Kuehne + Nagel International AG, Registered

    6,958       2,342,661  

Nestle SA, Registered

    161,342       16,733,937  

Novartis AG, Registered

    388,985       39,247,607  

Roche Holding AG, NVS

    76,296       19,948,431  

Swiss Prime Site AG, Registered

    94,882       9,068,008  

Swisscom AG, Registered

    32,569       18,615,679  
   

 

 

 
       114,239,596  

Taiwan — 4.9%

   

Accton Technology Corp.

    114,000       1,876,034  

Acer Inc.

    3,621,000       5,178,648  

Advantech Co. Ltd.

    592,959       7,318,277  

Asia Cement Corp.

    2,880,000       3,686,573  

Asustek Computer Inc.

    885,000       12,751,662  

Catcher Technology Co. Ltd.

    745,000       4,641,808  

Chang Hwa Commercial Bank Ltd.

    6,674,250       3,760,641  

Cheng Shin Rubber Industry Co. Ltd.

    2,398,000       3,564,541  

China Steel Corp.

    6,482,000       5,048,139  

Chunghwa Telecom Co. Ltd.

    4,787,000       18,236,840  

Compal Electronics Inc.

    5,277,000       6,093,699  

E.Sun Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    13,588,621       10,863,601  

Far EasTone Telecommunications Co. Ltd.

    2,023,000       5,040,099  

First Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    13,702,798       11,752,559  

Formosa Chemicals & Fibre Corp.

    4,465,000       8,086,630  

Formosa Petrochemical Corp.

    1,561,000       3,671,002  

Formosa Plastics Corp.

    1,458,000       3,308,909  

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd.

    1,614,000       5,262,408  

Hua Nan Financial Holdings Co. Ltd.

    11,118,905       7,743,365  

Innolux Corp.

    4,977,000       2,388,032  

Lite-On Technology Corp.

    588,000       2,040,158  

Mega Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    5,696,860       6,979,448  

Nan Ya Plastics Corp.

    899,000       1,700,051  

Pegatron Corp.

    2,530,000       6,850,629  

Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp.

    3,752,000       3,279,895  

President Chain Store Corp.

    528,000       4,501,766  

Quanta Computer Inc.

    304,000       2,233,892  

Synnex Technology International Corp.

    1,605,250       3,954,597  

Taishin Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    8,733,593       4,809,135  

Taiwan Business Bank

    7,546,000       3,343,366  

Taiwan Cooperative Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

    12,958,766       10,647,424  

Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp.

    2,532,000       2,419,591  

Taiwan Mobile Co. Ltd.

    2,190,000       6,863,122  

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

    462,000       10,124,506  

WPG Holdings Ltd.

    2,004,760       5,886,186  
   

 

 

 
      205,907,233  
Security   Shares     Value  

Thailand — 0.5%

   

Advanced Info Service PCL, NVDR

    1,500,800     $ 8,420,008  

Airports of Thailand PCL, NVDR(c)

    5,438,400       9,637,662  

Bumrungrad Hospital PCL, NVDR

    467,100       2,914,399  
   

 

 

 
      20,972,069  

Turkey — 0.2%

   

Aselsan Elektronik Sanayi Ve Ticaret AS

    1,264,653       2,426,890  

Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri AS

    988,828       2,119,720  

Turkiye Petrol Rafinerileri AS

    389,238       2,016,512  

Turkiye Sise ve Cam Fabrikalari AS

    1,467,216       2,401,686  
   

 

 

 
      8,964,808  

United Arab Emirates — 0.4%

   

Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. for Distribution PJSC

    4,279,975       4,078,442  

Emirates Telecommunications Group Co. PJSC

    1,793,136       8,836,429  

Multiply Group PJSC(a)

    3,302,451       2,042,403  
   

 

 

 
       14,957,274  

United States — 57.2%

   

Abbott Laboratories

    40,575       4,813,818  

AbbVie Inc.

    133,162       23,443,170  

Accenture PLC, Class A

    33,164       12,429,204  

Akamai Technologies Inc.(a)

    139,855       15,512,717  

Albertsons Companies Inc., Class A

    119,016       2,413,644  

Ameren Corp.

    54,742       3,897,083  

American Electric Power Co. Inc.

    157,865       13,448,519  

AmerisourceBergen Corp.

    172,611       40,667,152  

Amgen Inc.

    75,064       20,554,775  

Amphenol Corp., Class A

    170,856       18,664,309  

Aon PLC, Class A

    43,303       13,683,315  

Arch Capital Group Ltd.(a)

    58,099       5,088,891  

Arthur J Gallagher & Co.

    51,646       12,598,009  

Aspen Technology Inc.(a)

    20,060       3,889,433  

Assurant Inc.

    27,124       4,921,650  

AT&T Inc.

    534,098       9,042,279  

AutoZone Inc.(a)

    11,247       33,808,707  

Becton Dickinson and Co.

    51,370       12,100,203  

Berkshire Hathaway Inc., Class B(a)

    89,834       36,778,040  

BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.(a)

    133,156       11,488,700  

Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corp., Class A

    111,211       16,426,977  

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.

    467,212       23,711,009  

Brown & Brown Inc.

    123,521       10,401,703  

Campbell Soup Co.

    245,007       10,447,098  

Cboe Global Markets Inc.

    132,252       25,392,384  

CF Industries Holdings Inc.

    135,243       10,916,815  

CH Robinson Worldwide Inc.

    145,712       10,794,345  

Cheniere Energy Inc.

    34,453       5,347,106  

Chubb Ltd.

    66,102       16,635,890  

Church & Dwight Co. Inc.

    196,924       19,716,031  

Cigna Group (The)

    19,484       6,549,352  

Cisco Systems Inc.

    1,251,255       60,523,203  

Clorox Co. (The)

    20,812       3,190,688  

CME Group Inc.

    47,845       10,542,646  

CMS Energy Corp.

    110,447       6,336,344  

Coca-Cola Co. (The)

    36,431       2,186,589  

Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp., Class A

    118,060       9,329,101  

Colgate-Palmolive Co.

    175,399       15,175,521  

Conagra Brands Inc.

    74,494       2,091,792  

Consolidated Edison Inc.

    434,986       37,935,129  

Corteva Inc.

    95,547       5,113,675  

Domino’s Pizza Inc.

    30,427       13,641,945  

Duke Energy Corp.

    335,664       30,824,025  

Electronic Arts Inc.

    175,966       24,543,738  

Elevance Health Inc.

    8,191       4,105,739  
 

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F   I N V E S T M E N T S

  41


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

  

iShares® MSCI Global Min Vol Factor ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

United States (continued)

   

Eli Lilly & Co.

    30,487     $ 22,977,442  

Erie Indemnity Co., Class A, NVS

    31,818       12,946,108  

Everest Group Ltd.

    12,229       4,511,034  

Evergy Inc.

    46,959       2,326,349  

Expeditors International of Washington Inc.

    186,299        22,281,360  

F5 Inc.(a)

    74,605       13,967,548  

Fair Isaac Corp.(a)

    2,462       3,126,518  

Fiserv Inc.(a)

    105,154       15,696,338  

Gen Digital Inc.

    550,780       11,836,262  

General Mills Inc.

    436,490       28,013,928  

Genuine Parts Co.

    17,323       2,585,631  

Gilead Sciences Inc.

    443,127       31,949,457  

GoDaddy Inc., Class A(a)

    41,148       4,697,044  

Henry Schein Inc.(a)

    39,442       3,016,130  

Hershey Co. (The)

    166,768       31,339,043  

Hologic Inc.(a)

    27,183       2,006,105  

Home Depot Inc. (The)

    52,900       20,134,269  

Hormel Foods Corp.

    377,959       13,349,512  

Humana Inc.

    51,089       17,897,498  

Incyte Corp.(a)

    238,505       13,919,152  

International Business Machines Corp.

    161,246       29,835,347  

Jack Henry & Associates Inc.

    51,804       9,001,981  

JM Smucker Co. (The)

    133,711       16,068,051  

Johnson & Johnson

    316,841       51,131,801  

Juniper Networks Inc.

    403,889       14,956,010  

Kellanova

    345,380       19,047,707  

Keurig Dr Pepper Inc.

    492,374       14,726,906  

Keysight Technologies Inc.(a)

    174,924       26,990,773  

Kimberly-Clark Corp.

    105,776       12,816,878  

Kraft Heinz Co. (The)

    470,782       16,609,189  

Kroger Co. (The)

    649,302       32,211,872  

Lockheed Martin Corp.

    19,675       8,425,622  

Loews Corp.

    242,619       18,227,965  

Marathon Petroleum Corp.

    43,626       7,382,828  

Markel Group Inc.(a)(c)

    11,679       17,430,674  

Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc.

    183,695       37,155,988  

Mastercard Inc., Class A

    16,584       7,873,420  

McCormick & Co. Inc./MD, NVS

    89,657       6,173,781  

McDonald’s Corp.

    157,141       45,929,171  

McKesson Corp.

    97,733       50,958,964  

Merck & Co. Inc.

    539,546       68,603,274  

Microsoft Corp.

    61,481       25,431,001  

Mondelez International Inc., Class A

    172,149       12,578,927  

Monster Beverage Corp.(a)

    103,260       6,102,666  

Motorola Solutions Inc.

    177,861       58,763,496  

Neurocrine Biosciences Inc.(a)

    123,073       16,048,719  

Newmont Corp.

    118,274       3,696,062  

Northrop Grumman Corp.

    27,526       12,690,037  

Old Dominion Freight Line Inc.

    9,322       4,124,799  

Oracle Corp.

    134,237       14,991,588  

O’Reilly Automotive Inc.(a)

    22,777       24,768,165  

PepsiCo Inc.

    300,902       49,751,137  

Pfizer Inc.

    203,412       5,402,623  

PG&E Corp.

    226,555       3,781,203  

Procter & Gamble Co. (The)

    225,627       35,861,155  

Progressive Corp. (The)

    143,341       27,171,720  

PTC Inc.(a)

    49,019       8,970,967  
Security   Shares     Value  

United States (continued)

   

Quest Diagnostics Inc.

    43,603     $ 5,445,579  

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc.(a)(c)

    35,851       34,635,293  

Republic Services Inc., Class A

    278,538       51,139,577  

Rollins Inc.

    194,538       8,573,290  

Roper Technologies Inc.

    110,395       60,135,468  

Southern Co. (The)

    425,301       28,601,492  

Teledyne Technologies Inc.(a)

    10,491       4,482,490  

TJX Companies Inc. (The)

    140,389       13,918,165  

T-Mobile USA Inc.

    328,264       53,605,511  

Travelers Companies Inc. (The)

    49,759       10,994,749  

Ulta Beauty Inc.(a)(c)

    19,422       10,654,132  

United Therapeutics Corp.(a)

    41,484       9,360,450  

UnitedHealth Group Inc.

    63,949       31,565,226  

VeriSign Inc.(a)

    81,331       15,883,131  

Verizon Communications Inc.

    852,040       34,098,641  

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc.(a)

    113,751       47,859,596  

Visa Inc., Class A(c)

    88,308       24,959,373  

W R Berkley Corp.

    109,441       9,149,268  

Walmart Inc.

    996,290       58,392,557  

Waste Management Inc.

    312,207       64,205,370  

WEC Energy Group Inc.

    346,285       27,179,910  

Xcel Energy Inc.

    482,754       25,436,308  

Yum! Brands Inc.

    79,167       10,958,296  
   

 

 

 
      2,422,625,530  
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 99.8%
(Cost: $3,651,677,189)

      4,225,575,110  
   

 

 

 

Short-Term Securities

   

Money Market Funds — 1.1%

   

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares, 5.50%(f)(g)(h)

    37,082,167       37,100,709  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares, 5.30%(f)(g)

    7,770,000       7,770,000  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 1.1%
(Cost: $44,865,877)

      44,870,709  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments — 100.9%
(Cost: $3,696,543,066)

      4,270,445,819  

Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets — (0.9)%

 

    (38,530,114
   

 

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

    $  4,231,915,705  
   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Non-income producing security.

(b) 

Security exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration to qualified institutional investors.

(c) 

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(d) 

Security is valued using significant unobservable inputs and is classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.

(e) 

This security may be resold to qualified foreign investors and foreign institutional buyers under Regulation S of the Securities Act of 1933.

(f) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(g) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

(h) 

All or a portion of this security was purchased with the cash collateral from loaned securities.

 

 

 

42  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

   iShares® MSCI Global Min Vol Factor ETF

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 29, 2024 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

 

 

   
  Affiliated Issuer   Value at
08/31/23
    Purchases
at Cost
    Proceeds
from Sale
    Net Realized
Gain (Loss)
    Change in
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
    Value at
02/29/24
    Shares
Held at
02/29/24
    Income    

Capital

Gain
Distributions
from
Underlying
Funds

   
 

 

   
 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares

  $ 51,597,548     $     $ (14,498,389 )(a)    $ 7,330     $ (5,780   $ 37,100,709       37,082,167     $ 44,692 (b)    $    
 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares

    7,270,000       500,000 (a)                        7,770,000       7,770,000       265,605          
         

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

   
          $ 7,330     $ (5,780   $ 44,870,709       $ 310,297     $    
         

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

  (a) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

 
  (b) 

All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities.

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

 

 
Description    Number of
Contracts
     Expiration
Date
    

Notional

Amount
(000)

    

Value/
Unrealized
Appreciation

(Depreciation)

 

 

 

Long Contracts

           

MSCI EAFE Index

     16        03/15/24      $ 1,830      $ 43,963  

MSCI Emerging Markets Index

     17        03/15/24        864        1,549  

S&P 500 E-Mini Index

     13        03/15/24        3,317        116,743  

2-Year U.S. Treasury Note

     4        06/28/24        819        715  
           

 

 

 
            $ 162,970  
           

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

As of period end, the fair values of derivative financial instruments located in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities were as follows:

 

 

 
     Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
     Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

 

 

Assets — Derivative Financial Instruments

                    

Futures contracts

                    

Unrealized appreciation on futures contracts(a)

   $      $      $ 162,255      $      $ 715      $      $ 162,970  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on futures contracts are reported in the Schedule of Investments. In the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, only current day’s variation margin is reported in receivables or payables and the net cumulative unrealized appreciation (depreciation) is included in accumulated earnings (loss).

 

For the period ended February 29, 2024, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

 

 
     Commodity
Contracts
     Credit
Contracts
     Equity
Contracts
     Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
     Interest
Rate
Contracts
     Other
Contracts
     Total  

 

 

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ 365,659      $      $ 23,580      $      $ 389,239  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

                    

Futures contracts

   $      $      $ 66,182      $      $ (6,023    $      $ 60,159  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

S C H E D U L E  O F   I N V E S T M E N T S

  43


Schedule of Investments  (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

   iShares® MSCI Global Min Vol Factor ETF

 

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

 

 

Futures contracts:

  

Average notional value of contracts — long

   $ 10,120,887   

 

 

For more information about the Fund’s investment risks regarding derivative financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.

 

 

 
     Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

 

 

Assets

                 

Investments

                 

Long-Term Investments

                 

Common Stocks

   $ 2,562,197,202        $ 1,663,377,861        $ 47        $ 4,225,575,110  

Short-Term Securities

                 

Money Market Funds

     44,870,709                            44,870,709  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $ 2,607,067,911        $ 1,663,377,861        $     47        $ 4,270,445,819  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments(a)

                 

Assets

                 

Equity Contracts

   $ 162,255        $        $        $ 162,255  

Interest Rate Contracts

     715                            715  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $ 162,970        $        $          162,970  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

  (a)

Derivative financial instruments are futures contracts. Futures contracts are valued at the unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on the instrument.

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

44  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


 

Statements of Assets and Liabilities (unaudited)

February 29, 2024

 

   

iShares
Emerging
Markets

Equity Factor
ETF

   

iShares

ESG Aware MSCI

EM ETF

   

iShares

MSCI Emerging

Markets ex China

ETF

   

iShares

MSCI Emerging
Markets Min Vol
Factor ETF

 

 

 

ASSETS

       

Investments, at value — unaffiliated(a)(b)

  $ 573,058,885     $ 4,040,943,023     $ 10,891,048,911     $ 4,438,365,762  

Investments, at value — affiliated(c)

    6,095,895       12,731,543       20,874,428       19,420,524  

Cash

    7,359       62,861,494       67,091,276       9,519,444  

Cash pledged for futures contracts

    27,000       595,000       57,000       439,000  

Foreign currency, at value(d)

    1,889,645       38,614,094       71,506,026       18,205,358  

Receivables:

       

Investments sold

          160,958,079       131,190,920       24,220,909  

Securities lending income — affiliated

    14,152       5,862       17,782       521  

Capital shares sold

    3,819,406       91,128       37,769,615        

Dividends — unaffiliated

    1,271,066       8,473,240       23,260,319       6,548,087  

Dividends — affiliated

    14,193       29,154       60,327       99,970  

Tax reclaims

    135,179       322,701       100,056        

Variation margin on futures contracts

          23,223       379       12,050  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total assets

    586,332,780       4,325,648,541       11,242,977,039       4,516,831,625  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

LIABILITIES

       

Bank borrowings

          53,009,437       42,507,567        

Collateral on securities loaned, at value

    2,614,254       12,742,864       20,863,780       2,738,141  

Payables:

       

Investments purchased

    3,475,008       199,676,399       221,402,066       45,454,439  

Deferred foreign capital gain tax

    4,468,315       13,965,838       54,988,229       24,858,390  

Investment advisory fees

    111,457       788,427       1,965,636       867,202  

Professional fees

          596             32,639  

Variation margin on futures contracts

    147                    
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total liabilities

    10,669,181        280,183,561        341,727,278        73,950,811  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Commitments and contingent liabilities

       

NET ASSETS

  $ 575,663,599     $ 4,045,464,980     $ 10,901,249,761     $ 4,442,880,814  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS CONSIST OF

       

Paid-in capital

  $ 659,426,410     $ 4,945,877,949     $ 10,464,298,734     $ 4,943,713,141  

Accumulated earnings (loss)

    (83,762,811     (900,412,969     436,951,027       (500,832,327
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

  $ 575,663,599     $ 4,045,464,980     $ 10,901,249,761     $ 4,442,880,814  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSETVALUE

       

Shares outstanding

    13,200,000       127,700,000       194,800,000       78,400,000  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value

  $ 43.61     $ 31.68     $ 55.96     $ 56.67  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Shares authorized

    525 million       1.5 billion       2 billion       800 million  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Par value

  $ 0.001     $ 0.001     $ 0.001     $ 0.001  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

(a) Investments, at cost — unaffiliated

  $ 514,788,372     $ 3,911,135,713     $ 10,122,204,236     $ 3,815,097,574  

(b) Securities loaned, at value

  $ 2,470,293     $ 12,236,878     $ 19,438,335     $ 2,586,314  

(c)  Investments, at cost — affiliated

  $ 6,094,105     $ 12,727,216     $ 20,873,109     $ 19,418,775  

(d) Foreign currency, at cost

  $ 1,992,772     $ 38,652,879     $ 71,546,354     $ 18,261,842  

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  45


 

Statements of Assets and Liabilities (unaudited) (continued)

February 29, 2024

 

   

iShares

MSCI Global Min
Vol Factor ETF

 

 

 

ASSETS

 

Investments, at value — unaffiliated(a)(b)

  $ 4,225,575,110  

Investments, at value — affiliated(c)

    44,870,709  

Cash

    212,085  

Cash pledged for futures contracts

    241,000  

Foreign currency, at value(d)

    3,010,049  

Receivables:

 

Investments sold

    4,090,938  

Securities lending income — affiliated

    6,878  

Dividends — unaffiliated

    6,215,879  

Dividends — affiliated

    29,346  

Tax reclaims

    2,792,137  

Variation margin on futures contracts

    19,055  
 

 

 

 

Total assets

    4,287,063,186  
 

 

 

 

LIABILITIES

 

Collateral on securities loaned, at value

    36,996,549  

Payables:

 

Investments purchased

    8,389,722  

Deferred foreign capital gain tax

    9,077,162  

Investment advisory fees

    666,030  

Professional fees

    18,018  
 

 

 

 

Total liabilities

    55,147,481  
 

 

 

 

Commitments and contingent liabilities

 

NET ASSETS

  $ 4,231,915,705  
 

 

 

 

NET ASSETS CONSIST OF

 

Paid-in capital

  $ 3,796,921,544  

Accumulated earnings

    434,994,161  
 

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

  $ 4,231,915,705  
 

 

 

 

NET ASSETVALUE

 

Shares outstanding

    41,000,000  
 

 

 

 

Net asset value

  $ 103.22  
 

 

 

 

Shares authorized

    500 million  
 

 

 

 

Par value

  $ 0.001  
 

 

 

 

(a) Investments, at cost — unaffiliated

  $ 3,651,677,189  

(b) Securities loaned, at value

  $ 35,881,746  

(c)  Investments, at cost — affiliated

  $ 44,865,877  

(d) Foreign currency, at cost

  $ 3,062,346  

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

46  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


 

Statements of Operations (unaudited) 

Six Months Ended February 29, 2024

 

    iShares
Emerging
Markets
Equity Factor
ETF
   

iShares

ESG Aware
MSCI EM
ETF

    iShares
MSCI
Emerging
Markets ex
China ETF
    iShares
MSCI
Emerging
Markets Min
Vol Factor
ETF
 

 

 

INVESTMENT INCOME

       

Dividends — unaffiliated

  $ 6,194,229     $ 35,628,153     $ 79,282,593     $ 31,769,647  

Dividends — affiliated

    72,728       186,647       243,237       301,339  

Interest — unaffiliated

          49,902       268,122       28,000  

Securities lending income — affiliated — net

    90,337       91,748       329,588       68,785  

Other income — unaffiliated

          5,956       421       325,599  

Foreign taxes withheld

    (795,299     (4,014,766     (10,365,059     (3,133,843

Foreign withholding tax claims

          14,606             6,935  

Other foreign taxes

    (6,943     (163,271     (80,063     (196,349
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total investment income

    5,555,052       31,798,975       69,678,839       29,170,113  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

EXPENSES

       

Investment advisory

    712,092       4,995,892       9,390,836       5,390,244  

Interest expense

    13,651       163,150       114,115       93,132  

Commitment costs

    4,660       19,473       19,473       19,473  

Professional

          2,056             33,251  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total expenses

    730,403       5,180,571       9,524,424       5,536,100  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net investment income

    4,824,649       26,618,404       60,154,415       23,634,013  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS)

       

Net realized gain (loss) from:

       

Investments — unaffiliated(a)

    7,925,241       (124,915,427     (67,743,175     17,853,949  

Investments — affiliated

    2,039       6,122       6,612       18,891  

Foreign currency transactions

    (23,650     (650,095     (1,845,384     (161,686

Futures contracts

    58,723       (803,111     546,810       390,037  

In-kind redemptions — unaffiliated(b)

    (491,414     10,705,910             1,212,540  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    7,470,939       (115,656,601     (69,035,137     19,313,731  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:

       

Investments — unaffiliated(c)

    39,168,787       196,323,371       932,071,610       203,198,378  

Investments — affiliated

    181       (473     (537     (10,074

Foreign currency translations

    (77,186     (236,655     (401,250     (126,286

Futures contracts

    (821     175,614       5,841       (65,387
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    39,090,961       196,261,857       931,675,664       202,996,631  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net realized and unrealized gain

    46,561,900       80,605,256       862,640,527       222,310,362  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS

  $ 51,386,549     $ 107,223,660     $ 922,794,942     $ 245,944,375  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

(a) Net of foreign capital gain tax and capital gain tax refund, if applicable of

  $ (1,418,760   $ (2,284,288   $ (1,326,082   $ (696,314

(b) See Note 2 of the Notes to Financial Statements.

       

(c)  Net of increase in deferred foreign capital gain tax of

  $ (2,041,513   $ (6,903,690   $ (45,928,081   $ (16,604,976

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  47


 

Statements of Operations (unaudited) (continued)

Six Months Ended February 29, 2024

 

    iShares
MSCI Global
Min Vol
Factor ETF
 

 

 

INVESTMENT INCOME

 

Dividends — unaffiliated

  $ 38,390,070  

Dividends — affiliated

    265,605  

Interest — unaffiliated

    36,850  

Securities lending income — affiliated — net

    44,692  

Foreign taxes withheld

    (1,289,287

Foreign withholding tax claims

    179,268  

Other foreign taxes

    (43,927
 

 

 

 

Total investment income

    37,583,271  
 

 

 

 

EXPENSES

 

Investment advisory

    4,270,119  

Professional

    22,795  

Commitment costs

    19,473  

Interest expense

    9,043  
 

 

 

 

Total expenses

    4,321,430  
 

 

 

 

Net investment income

    33,261,841  
 

 

 

 

REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS)

 

Net realized gain (loss) from:

 

Investments — unaffiliated(a)

    24,002,812  

Investments — affiliated

    7,330  

Foreign currency transactions

    314,309  

Futures contracts

    389,239  

In-kind redemptions — unaffiliated(b)

    122,758,729  
 

 

 

 
    147,472,419  
 

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:

 

Investments — unaffiliated(c)

    102,935,985  

Investments — affiliated

    (5,780

Foreign currency translations

    (57,707

Futures contracts

    60,159  
 

 

 

 
    102,932,657  
 

 

 

 

Net realized and unrealized gain

    250,405,076  
 

 

 

 

NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS

  $ 283,666,917  
 

 

 

 

(a) Net of foreign capital gain tax and capital gain tax refund, if applicable of

  $ (1,477,864

(b) See Note 2 of the Notes to Financial Statements.

 

(c)  Net of increase in deferred foreign capital gain tax of

  $ (4,015,735

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

48  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


 

Statements of Changes in Net Assets 

 

       

iShares

Emerging Markets Equity Factor ETF

          

iShares

ESG Aware MSCI EM ETF

 
 

 

   

 

 

 
        Six Months Ended
02/29/24
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
08/31/23
           Six Months Ended
02/29/24
(unaudited)
     Year Ended
08/31/23
 

 

 

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS

             

OPERATIONS

             

Net investment income

    $ 4,824,649     $ 27,730,324        $ 26,618,404      $ 105,334,569  

Net realized gain (loss)

      7,470,939       (48,484,319        (115,656,601      (205,570,429

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

      39,090,961       18,392,212          196,261,857        123,112,315  
   

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

      51,386,549       (2,361,783        107,223,660        22,876,455  
   

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS(a)

             

Decrease in net assets resulting from distributions to shareholders

      (27,634,476 )(b)      (30,828,923        (78,657,007      (98,049,319
   

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

 

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

             

Net increase (decrease) in net assets derived from capital share transactions

      (54,522,535     (193,183,181        (306,856,209      147,402,728  
   

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

             

Total increase (decrease) in net assets

      (30,770,462     (226,373,887        (278,289,556      72,229,864  

Beginning of period

      606,434,061       832,807,948          4,323,754,536        4,251,524,672  
   

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

 

End of period

    $ 575,663,599     $ 606,434,061        $ 4,045,464,980      $ 4,323,754,536  
   

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(a)

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(b)

A portion of the distributions from net investment income may be deemed a return of capital or net realized gain at fiscal year-end.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  49


 

Statements of Changes in Net Assets (continued)

 

       

iShares

MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF

          

iShares

MSCI Emerging Markets Min Vol Factor ETF

 
 

 

   

 

 

 
        Six Months Ended
02/29/24
(unaudited)
    Year Ended
08/31/23
          

Six Months Ended

02/29/24
(unaudited)

    Year Ended
08/31/23
 

 

 

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS

            

OPERATIONS

            

Net investment income

    $ 60,154,415     $ 98,950,659        $ 23,634,013     $ 136,247,693  

Net realized gain (loss)

      (69,035,137     (100,189,911        19,313,731       (509,938,429

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

      931,675,664       197,614,657          202,996,631       615,545,652  
   

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

      922,794,942       196,375,405          245,944,375       241,854,916  
   

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS(a)

            

Decrease in net assets resulting from distributions to shareholders

      (96,909,298     (83,177,048        (82,945,789     (153,732,586
   

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

            

Net increase (decrease) in net assets derived from capital share transactions

      4,928,263,379       2,726,740,408          (216,631,854     (1,768,751,802
   

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

            

Total increase (decrease) in net assets

      5,754,149,023       2,839,938,765                 (53,633,268     (1,680,629,472

Beginning of period

      5,147,100,738       2,307,161,973          4,496,514,082       6,177,143,554  
   

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

End of period

    $ 10,901,249,761     $ 5,147,100,738        $ 4,442,880,814     $ 4,496,514,082  
   

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(a)

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

50  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R TT O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


 

Statements of Changes in Net Assets (continued)

 

         

iShares

MSCI Global Min Vol Factor ETF

 
 

 

 

 
         

Six Months Ended

02/29/24
(unaudited)

          

Year Ended

08/31/23

 

 

 

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS

        

OPERATIONS

        

Net investment income

    $ 33,261,841          $ 110,109,543  

Net realized gain (loss)

      147,472,419          (9,271,159

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

      102,932,657          121,412,544  
   

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

      283,666,917          222,250,928  
   

 

 

      

 

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS(a)

        

Decrease in net assets resulting from distributions to shareholders

      (64,829,447 )(b)         (98,968,869
   

 

 

      

 

 

 

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

        

Net increase (decrease) in net assets derived from capital share transactions

      (705,465,190        118,692,307  
   

 

 

      

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

        

Total increase (decrease) in net assets

      (486,627,720        241,974,366  

Beginning of period

      4,718,543,425          4,476,569,059  
   

 

 

      

 

 

 

End of period

    $ 4,231,915,705        $ 4,718,543,425  
   

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

(a)

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(b)

A portion of the distributions from net investment income may be deemed a return of capital or net realized gain at fiscal year-end.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  51


Financial Highlights

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    iShares Emerging Markets Equity Factor ETF  
 

 

 

 
    Six Months Ended                                                  
          02/29/24     Year Ended     Year Ended           Year Ended           Year Ended           Year Ended  
      (unaudited     08/31/23       08/31/22         08/31/21         08/31/20         08/31/19  

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

           $ 41.82     $ 43.38     $ 53.61       $ 44.03       $ 40.35       $ 44.78  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

      0.35       1.46       1.64         1.23         1.11         1.47  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(b)

      3.55       (1.38     (10.49       9.24         3.73         (4.72
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

      3.90       0.08       (8.85       10.47         4.84         (3.25
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(c)

      (2.11 )(d)      (1.64     (1.38       (0.89       (1.16       (1.18
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 43.61     $ 41.82     $ 43.38       $ 53.61       $ 44.03       $ 40.35  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total Return(e)

                   

Based on net asset value

      9.63 %(f)      0.30     (16.80 )%        23.97       12.17       (7.16 )% 
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(g)

                   

Total expenses

      0.26 %(h)      0.33     0.45       0.45       0.45       0.45
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total expenses after fees waived

      0.26 %(h)      0.33     0.45       0.45       0.45       0.45
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net investment income

      1.69 %(h)      3.51     3.41       2.44       2.71       3.55
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

                   

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 575,664     $ 606,434       $ 832,808       $ 761,199       $ 541,608       $ 411,575  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(i)

      11     121     54       49       45       53
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

(a)

Based on average shares outstanding.

(b)

The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

(c)

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(d)

A portion of the distributions from net investment income may be deemed a return of capital or net realized gain at fiscal year-end.

(e)

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

(f)

Not annualized.

(g)

Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

(h)

Annualized.

(i)

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, if any.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

52  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Financial Highlights (continued)

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    iShares ESG Aware MSCI EM ETF  
 

 

 

 
    Six Months Ended                                                  
          02/29/24     Year Ended     Year Ended           Year Ended           Year Ended           Year Ended  
      (unaudited     08/31/23       08/31/22         08/31/21         08/31/20         08/31/19  

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

           $ 31.35     $ 31.56     $ 43.35       $ 35.93       $ 32.03       $ 33.65  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

      0.21       0.78       0.83         0.75         0.89         0.91  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(b)

      0.74       (0.23     (11.51       7.23         3.89         (1.85
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

      0.95       0.55       (10.68       7.98         4.78         (0.94
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(c)

      (0.62     (0.76     (1.11       (0.56       (0.88       (0.68
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 31.68     $ 31.35     $ 31.56       $ 43.35       $ 35.93       $ 32.03  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total Return(d)

                   

Based on net asset value

      3.08 %(e)(f)      1.81     (25.08 )%        22.30       15.11       (2.76 )% 
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(g)

                   

Total expenses

      0.26 %(h)      0.26     0.25       0.25       0.25       0.25
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total expenses excluding professional fees for foreign withholding tax claims

      0.26 %(h)      N/A       N/A         N/A         N/A         N/A  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net investment income

      1.33 %(h)      2.53     2.20       1.76       2.75       2.76
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

                   

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 4,045,465       $ 4,323,755     $ 4,251,525       $ 7,105,443       $ 3,654,480       $ 672,543  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(i)

      15     38     41       41       46       34
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

(a)

Based on average shares outstanding.

(b)

The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

(c)

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(d)

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

(e)

Reflects the positive effect of foreign withholding tax claims, net of the associated professional fees, which resulted in the following increases for the six months ended February 29, 2024:

   

Total return by 0.01%.

(f)

Not annualized.

(g)

Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

(h)

Annualized.

(i)

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, if any.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  H I G H L I G H T S

  53


Financial Highlights (continued)

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF  
 

 

 

 
    Six Months Ended                                                  
          02/29/24     Year Ended     Year Ended           Year Ended           Year Ended           Year Ended  
      (unaudited     08/31/23       08/31/22         08/31/21         08/31/20         08/31/19  

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

           $ 51.16     $ 49.62     $ 62.82       $ 46.00       $ 46.25       $ 49.59  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

      0.42       1.45       1.86         1.58         1.46         1.62  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(b)

      5.02       1.31       (13.73       16.09         (0.05       (3.83
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

      5.44       2.76       (11.87       17.67         1.41         (2.21
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(c)

      (0.64     (1.22     (1.33       (0.85       (1.66       (1.13
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 55.96     $ 51.16     $ 49.62       $ 62.82       $ 46.00       $ 46.25  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total Return(d)

                   

Based on net asset value

      10.71 %(e)      5.69     (19.17 )%        38.66       2.87       (4.42 )% 
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(f)

                   

Total expenses

      0.25 %(g)      0.25     0.25       0.25       0.36       0.49
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total expenses after fees waived

      0.25 %(g)      0.25     0.25       0.22       0.16       0.26
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net investment income

      1.60 %(g)      2.89     3.34       2.65       3.24       3.38
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

                   

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 10,901,250       $ 5,147,101     $ 2,307,162       $ 1,281,467       $ 73,606       $ 27,748  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(h)

      6     13     21       51       18       10
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

(a)

Based on average shares outstanding.

(b)

The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

(c)

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(d)

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

(e)

Not annualized.

(f)

Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

(g)

Annualized.

(h)

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, if any.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

54  

2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Financial Highlights (continued)

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Min Vol Factor ETF  
 

 

 

 
    Six Months Ended                                                  
          02/29/24     Year Ended     Year Ended           Year Ended           Year Ended           Year Ended  
      (unaudited     08/31/23       08/31/22         08/31/21 (a)        08/31/20 (a)        08/31/19 (a) 

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

           $ 54.50     $ 54.86     $ 63.94       $ 55.97       $ 56.84       $ 59.22  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net investment income(b)

      0.30       1.25       1.87         1.32 (c)        1.42         1.57  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(d)

      2.93       (0.38     (9.86       8.12         (0.82       (2.46
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

      3.23       0.87       (7.99       9.44         0.60         (0.89
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(e)

      (1.06     (1.23     (1.09       (1.47       (1.47       (1.49
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 56.67     $ 54.50     $ 54.86       $ 63.94       $ 55.97       $ 56.84  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total Return(f)

                   

Based on net asset value

      6.03 %(g)      1.62     (12.68 )%        17.04 %(c)        1.07       (1.44 )%(h) 
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(i)

                   

Total expenses

      0.26 %(j)      0.64     0.69       0.69       0.70       0.68
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total expenses after fees waived

      0.26 %(j)      0.25     0.25       0.25       0.25       0.25
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total expenses excluding professional fees for foreign withholding tax claims

      0.26 %(j)      N/A       0.69       0.69       N/A         N/A  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net investment income

      1.10 %(j)      2.32     3.14       2.15 %(c)        2.59       2.71
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

                   

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 4,442,881     $ 4,496,514     $ 6,177,144       $ 3,874,514       $ 4,248,258       $ 5,417,265  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(k)

      11     58     26       38       23       24
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

(a)

Consolidated Financial Highlights.

(b)

Based on average shares outstanding.

(c)

Reflects the positive effect of foreign withholding tax claims, net of the associated professional fees, which resulted in the following increases for the year ended August 31, 2021:

   

Net investment income per share by $0.01.

   

Total return by 0.02%.

   

Ratio of net investment income to average net assets by 0.01%.

(d)

The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

(e)

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(f)

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

(g)

Not annualized.

(h)

Includes payment received from an affiliate, which had no impact on the Fund’s total return.

(i)

Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

(j)

Annualized.

(k)

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, if any.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

F I N A N C I A L  H I G H L I G H T S

  55


Financial Highlights (continued)

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    iShares MSCI Global Min Vol Factor ETF  
 

 

 

 
    Six Months Ended                                                  
          02/29/24     Year Ended     Year Ended           Year Ended           Year Ended           Year Ended  
      (unaudited     08/31/23       08/31/22         08/31/21         08/31/20         08/31/19  

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

           $ 97.69     $ 95.04     $ 106.77       $ 93.16       $ 93.54       $ 87.04  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

      0.76       2.32       2.18         1.97         2.13         2.16  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(b)

      6.32       2.40       (11.91       13.38         (0.18       6.36  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

      7.08       4.72       (9.73       15.35         1.95         8.52  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(c)

      (1.55 )(d)      (2.07     (2.00       (1.74       (2.33       (2.02
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

    $ 103.22     $ 97.69     $ 95.04       $ 106.77       $ 93.16       $ 93.54  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total Return(e)

                   

Based on net asset value

      7.34 %(f)(g)      5.00 %(g)      (9.21 )%        16.63       2.13       9.99
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(h)

                   

Total expenses

      0.20 %(i)      0.30     0.32       0.32       0.32       0.32
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total expenses after fees waived

      0.20 %(i)      0.20     0.20       0.20       0.20       0.20
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total expenses excluding professional fees for foreign withholding tax claims

      0.20 %(i)      0.30     N/A         N/A         N/A         N/A  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net investment income

      1.56 %(g)(i)      2.42     2.13       2.00       2.33       2.45
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

                   

Net assets, end of period (000)

    $ 4,231,916       $ 4,718,543     $ 4,476,569       $ 5,306,261       $ 5,924,818       $ 5,275,720  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(j)

      14     22     23       25       22       21
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

(a)

Based on average shares outstanding.

(b)

The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities.

(c)

Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations.

(d)

A portion of the distributions from net investment income may be deemed a return of capital or net realized gain at fiscal year-end.

(e)

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

(f)

Not annualized.

(g)

Reflects the positive effect of foreign withholding tax claims, net of the associated professional fees, which resulted in the following increases for the six months ended February 29, 2024 and the year ended August 31, 2023 respectively:

   

Total return by 0.00% and 0.01%.

   

Ratio of net investment income to average net assets by 0.01% and 0.00%.

(h)

Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds.

(i)

Annualized.

(j)

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions, if any.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

56  

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited)

 

1.

ORGANIZATION

iShares, Inc. (the “Company”) is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), as an open-end management investment company. The Company is organized as a Maryland corporation and is authorized to have multiple series or portfolios.

These financial statements relate only to the following funds (each, a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”):

 

   
iShares ETF   Diversification 
Classification 

Emerging Markets Equity Factor

    Diversified   

ESG Aware MSCI EM

    Diversified   

MSCI Emerging Markets ex China

    Diversified   

MSCI Emerging Markets Min Vol Factor

    Diversified   

MSCI Global Min Vol Factor

    Diversified   

 

2.

SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The financial statements are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”), which may require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Each Fund is considered an investment company under U.S. GAAP and follows the accounting and reporting guidance applicable to investment companies. Below is a summary of significant accounting policies:

Investment Transactions and Income Recognition: For financial reporting purposes, investment transactions are recorded on the dates the transactions are executed. Realized gains and losses on investment transactions are determined using the specific identification method. Dividend income and capital gain distributions, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Non-cash dividends, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date at fair value. Dividends from foreign securities where the ex-dividend date may have passed are subsequently recorded when the Funds are informed of the ex-dividend date. Under the applicable foreign tax laws, a withholding tax at various rates may be imposed on capital gains, dividends and interest. Upon notification from issuers or as estimated by management, a portion of the dividend income received from a real estate investment trust may be redesignated as a reduction of cost of the related investment and/or realized gain. Interest income, including amortization and accretion of premiums and discounts on debt securities, is recognized daily on an accrual basis.

Foreign Currency Translation: Each Fund’s books and records are maintained in U.S. dollars. Securities and other assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars using prevailing market rates as quoted by one or more data service providers. Purchases and sales of investments are recorded at the rates of exchange prevailing on the respective dates of such transactions. Generally, when the U.S. dollar rises in value against a foreign currency, the investments denominated in that currency will lose value; the opposite effect occurs if the U.S. dollar falls in relative value.

Each Fund does not isolate the effect of fluctuations in foreign exchange rates from the effect of fluctuations in the market prices of investments for financial reporting purposes. Accordingly, the effects of changes in exchange rates on investments are not segregated in the Statements of Operations from the effects of changes in market prices of those investments, but are included as a component of net realized and unrealized gain (loss) from investments. Each Fund reports realized currency gains (losses) on foreign currency related transactions as components of net realized gain (loss) for financial reporting purposes, whereas such components are generally treated as ordinary income for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Foreign Taxes: The Funds may be subject to foreign taxes (a portion of which may be reclaimable) on income, stock dividends, capital gains on investments, or certain foreign currency transactions. All foreign taxes are recorded in accordance with the applicable foreign tax regulations and rates that exist in the foreign jurisdictions in which each Fund invests. These foreign taxes, if any, are paid by each Fund and are reflected in its Statements of Operations as follows: foreign taxes withheld at source are presented as a reduction of income, foreign taxes on securities lending income are presented as a reduction of securities lending income, foreign taxes on stock dividends are presented as “Other foreign taxes”, and foreign taxes on capital gains from sales of investments and foreign taxes on foreign currency transactions are included in their respective net realized gain (loss) categories. Foreign taxes payable or deferred as of February 29, 2024, if any, are disclosed in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

The Funds file withholding tax reclaims in certain jurisdictions to recover a portion of amounts previously withheld. The Funds may record a reclaim receivable based on collectability, which includes factors such as the jurisdiction’s applicable laws, payment history and market convention. The Statements of Operations includes tax reclaims recorded as well as professional and other fees, if any, associated with recovery of foreign withholding taxes.

Collateralization: If required by an exchange or counterparty agreement, the Funds may be required to deliver/deposit cash and/or securities to/with an exchange, or broker-dealer or custodian as collateral for certain investments.

In-kind Redemptions: For financial reporting purposes, in-kind redemptions are treated as sales of securities resulting in realized capital gains or losses to the Funds. Because such gains or losses are not taxable to the Funds and are not distributed to existing Fund shareholders, the gains or losses are reclassified from accumulated net realized gain (loss) to paid-in capital at the end of the Funds’ tax year. These reclassifications have no effect on net assets or net asset value (“NAV”) per share.

 

 

N O T E S  T O  F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  57


Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

Distributions: Dividends and distributions paid by each Fund are recorded on the ex-dividend dates. Distributions are determined on a tax basis and may differ from net investment income and net realized capital gains for financial reporting purposes. Dividends and distributions are paid in U.S. dollars and cannot be automatically reinvested in additional shares of the Funds.

Indemnifications: In the normal course of business, each Fund enters into contracts that contain a variety of representations that provide general indemnification. The Funds’ maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown because it involves future potential claims against the Funds, which cannot be predicted with any certainty.

 

3.

INVESTMENT VALUATION AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

Investment Valuation Policies: Each Fund’s investments are valued at fair value (also referred to as “market value” within the financial statements) each day that the Fund’s listing exchange is open and, for financial reporting purposes, as of the report date. U.S. GAAP defines fair value as the price a fund would receive to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) of each Fund has approved the designation of BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BFA”), the Funds’ investment adviser, as the valuation designee for each Fund. Each Fund determines the fair values of its financial instruments using various independent dealers or pricing services under BFA’s policies. If a security’s market price is not readily available or does not otherwise accurately represent the fair value of the security, the security will be valued in accordance with BFA’s policies and procedures as reflecting fair value. BFA has formed a committee (the “Valuation Committee”) to develop pricing policies and procedures and to oversee the pricing function for all financial instruments, with assistance from other BlackRock pricing committees.

Fair Value Inputs and Methodologies: The following methods and inputs are used to establish the fair value of each Fund’s assets and liabilities:

 

   

Equity investments traded on a recognized securities exchange are valued at that day’s official closing price, as applicable, on the exchange where the stock is primarily traded. Equity investments traded on a recognized exchange for which there were no sales on that day are valued at the last traded price.

 

   

Investments in open-end U.S. mutual funds (including money market funds) are valued at that day’s published NAV.

 

   

Futures contracts are valued based on that day’s last reported settlement or trade price on the exchange where the contract is traded.

Generally, trading in foreign instruments is substantially completed each day at various times prior to the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”). Each business day, the Funds use current market factors supplied by independent pricing services to value certain foreign instruments (“Systematic Fair Value Price”). The Systematic Fair Value Price is designed to value such foreign securities at fair value as of the close of trading on the NYSE, which follows the close of the local markets.

If events (e.g., market volatility, company announcement or a natural disaster) occur that are expected to materially affect the value of such investment, or in the event that application of these methods of valuation results in a price for an investment that is deemed not to be representative of the market value of such investment, or if a price is not available, the investment will be valued by the Valuation Committee, in accordance with BFA’s policies and procedures as reflecting fair value (“Fair Valued Investments”). The fair valuation approaches that may be used by the Valuation Committee include market approach, income approach and cost approach. Valuation techniques such as discounted cash flow, use of market comparables and matrix pricing are types of valuation approaches and are typically used in determining fair value. When determining the price for Fair Valued Investments, the Valuation Committee seeks to determine the price that each Fund might reasonably expect to receive or pay from the current sale or purchase of that asset or liability in an arm’s-length transaction. Fair value determinations shall be based upon all available factors that the Valuation Committee deems relevant and consistent with the principles of fair value measurement.

Fair value pricing could result in a difference between the prices used to calculate a fund’s NAV and the prices used by the fund’s underlying index, which in turn could result in a difference between the fund’s performance and the performance of the fund’s underlying index.

Fair Value Hierarchy: Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. These inputs to valuation techniques are categorized into a fair value hierarchy consisting of three broad levels for financial reporting purposes as follows:

 

   

Level 1 – Unadjusted price quotations in active markets/exchanges for identical assets or liabilities that each Fund has the ability to access;

 

   

Level 2 – Other observable inputs (including, but not limited to, quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in markets that are active, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the assets or liabilities (such as interest rates, yield curves, volatilities, prepayment speeds, loss severities, credit risks and default rates) or other market-corroborated inputs); and

 

   

Level 3 – Unobservable inputs based on the best information available in the circumstances, to the extent observable inputs are not available, (including the Valuation Committee’s assumptions used in determining the fair value of financial instruments).

The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements). Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised in determining fair value is greatest for instruments categorized in Level 3. The inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, for disclosure purposes, the fair value hierarchy classification is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. Investments classified within Level 3 have significant unobservable inputs used by the Valuation Committee in determining the price for Fair Valued Investments. Level 3 investments include equity or debt issued by privately held companies or funds that may not have a secondary market and/or may have a limited number of investors. The categorization of a value determined for financial instruments is based on the pricing transparency of the financial instruments and is not necessarily an indication of the risks associated with investing in those securities.

 

 

58  

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

4.

SECURITIES AND OTHER INVESTMENTS

Securities Lending: Each Fund may lend its securities to approved borrowers, such as brokers, dealers and other financial institutions. The borrower pledges and maintains with the Fund collateral consisting of cash, an irrevocable letter of credit issued by an approved bank, or securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government. The initial collateral received by each Fund is required to have a value of at least 102% of the current market value of the loaned securities for securities traded on U.S. exchanges and a value of at least 105% for all other securities. The collateral is maintained thereafter at a value equal to at least 100% of the current value of the securities on loan. The market value of the loaned securities is determined at the close of each business day of the Fund and any additional required collateral is delivered to the Fund or excess collateral is returned by the Fund, on the next business day. During the term of the loan, each Fund is entitled to all distributions made on or in respect of the loaned securities but does not receive interest income on securities received as collateral. Loans of securities are terminable at any time and the borrower, after notice, is required to return borrowed securities within the standard time period for settlement of securities transactions.

As of period end, any securities on loan were collateralized by cash and/or U.S. Government obligations. Cash collateral invested in money market funds managed by BFA, or its affiliates is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments. Any non-cash collateral received cannot be sold, re-invested or pledged by the Fund, except in the event of borrower default. The securities on loan, if any, are also disclosed in each Fund’s Schedule of Investments. The market value of any securities on loan and the value of any related cash collateral are disclosed in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

Securities lending transactions are entered into by the Funds under Master Securities Lending Agreements (each, an “MSLA”) which provide the right, in the event of default (including bankruptcy or insolvency) for the non-defaulting party to liquidate the collateral and calculate a net exposure to the defaulting party or request additional collateral. In the event that a borrower defaults, the Funds, as lender, would offset the market value of the collateral received against the market value of the securities loaned. When the value of the collateral is greater than that of the market value of the securities loaned, the lender is left with a net amount payable to the defaulting party. However, bankruptcy or insolvency laws of a particular jurisdiction may impose restrictions on or prohibitions against such a right of offset in the event of an MSLA counterparty’s bankruptcy or insolvency. Under the MSLA, absent an event of default, the borrower can resell or re-pledge the loaned securities, and the Funds can reinvest cash collateral received in connection with loaned securities. Upon an event of default, the parties’ obligations to return the securities or collateral to the other party are extinguished, and the parties can resell or re-pledge the loaned securities or the collateral received in connection with the loaned securities in order to satisfy the defaulting party’s net payment obligation for all transactions under the MSLA. The defaulting party remains liable for any deficiency.

As of period end, the following table is a summary of the securities on loan by counterparty which are subject to offset under an MSLA:

 

 

 
iShares ETF and Counterparty    
Securities Loaned
at Value
 
 
    
Cash Collateral
Received
 
(a) 
   
Non-Cash Collateral
Received, at Fair Value
 
(a) 
    Net Amount  

 

 

Emerging Markets Equity Factor

        

Barclays Bank PLC

  $ 103,889      $ (103,889   $     $  

Barclays Capital, Inc.

    245,231        (245,231            

Citigroup Global Markets Ltd.

    294,676        (294,676            

Citigroup Global Markets, Inc.

    108,839        (108,839            

HSBC Bank PLC

    728,197        (728,197            

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

    963,338        (963,338            

Morgan Stanley

    26,123        (26,123            
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  $ 2,470,293      $ (2,470,293   $     $  
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

ESG Aware MSCI EM

        

Barclays Bank PLC

  $ 37,346      $ (37,318   $     $ 28 (b) 

BNP Paribas SA

    5,152,863        (5,148,932           3,931 (b) 

HSBC Bank PLC

    3,419,177        (3,419,177            

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

    966,732        (966,732            

Morgan Stanley

    2,516,871        (2,516,871            

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

    143,889        (134,910           8,979 (b) 
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  $ 12,236,878      $ (12,223,940   $     $ 12,938  
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

MSCI Emerging Markets ex China

        

Barclays Capital, Inc.

  $ 165,492      $ (165,492   $     $  

BofA Securities, Inc.

    3,090,434        (3,090,434            

Citigroup Global Markets, Inc.

    115,795        (115,795            

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

    2,091,907        (2,091,907            

Morgan Stanley

    13,520,887        (13,520,887            

UBS AG

    453,820        (453,820            
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  $ 19,438,335      $ (19,438,335   $     $  
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

MSCI Emerging Markets Min Vol Factor

        

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

  $ 886,075      $ (886,075   $     $  

Morgan Stanley

    1,700,239        (1,700,239            
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  $ 2,586,314      $ (2,586,314   $     $  
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

N O T E S  T O  F I N A N C I A L  S T A T E M E N T S

  59


Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

 

 
iShares ETF and Counterparty    
Securities Loaned
at Value
 
 
    
Cash Collateral
Received
 
(a) 
   
Non-Cash Collateral
Received, at Fair Value
 
(a) 
    Net Amount  

 

 

MSCI Global Min Vol Factor

        

Barclays Capital, Inc.

  $ 3,890,824      $ (3,890,824   $     $  

Citigroup Global Markets, Inc.

    1,303,221        (1,303,221            

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

    998,607        (998,607            

State Street Bank & Trust Co.

    5,096,588        (5,096,588            

Toronto-Dominion Bank (The)

    24,592,506        (24,592,506            
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  $ 35,881,746      $ (35,881,746   $     $  
 

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Collateral received, if any, in excess of the market value of securities on loan is not presented in this table. The total cash collateral received by each Fund is disclosed in the Fund’s Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

 
  (b) 

The market value of the loaned securities is determined as of February 29, 2024. Additional collateral is delivered to the Fund on the next business day in accordance with the MSLA. The net amount would be subject to the borrower default indemnity in the event of default by a counterparty.

 

The risks of securities lending include the risk that the borrower may not provide additional collateral when required or may not return the securities when due. To mitigate these risks, each Fund benefits from a borrower default indemnity provided by BlackRock, Inc. (“BlackRock”). BlackRock’s indemnity allows for full replacement of the securities loaned to the extent the collateral received does not cover the value of the securities loaned in the event of borrower default. Each Fund could incur a loss if the value of an investment purchased with cash collateral falls below the market value of the loaned securities or if the value of an investment purchased with cash collateral falls below the value of the original cash collateral received. Such losses are borne entirely by each Fund.

 

5.

DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

Futures Contracts: Futures contracts are purchased or sold to gain exposure to, or manage exposure to, changes in interest rates (interest rate risk) and changes in the value of equity securities (equity risk) or foreign currencies (foreign currency exchange rate risk).

Futures contracts are exchange-traded agreements between the Funds and a counterparty to buy or sell a specific quantity of an underlying instrument at a specified price and on a specified date. Depending on the terms of a contract, it is settled either through physical delivery of the underlying instrument on the settlement date or by payment of a cash amount on the settlement date. Upon entering into a futures contract, the Funds are required to deposit initial margin with the broker in the form of cash or securities in an amount that varies depending on a contract’s size and risk profile. The initial margin deposit must then be maintained at an established level over the life of the contract. Amounts pledged, which are considered restricted, are included in cash pledged for futures contracts in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

Securities deposited as initial margin are designated in the Schedule of Investments and cash deposited, if any, are shown as cash pledged for futures contracts in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. Pursuant to the contract, the Funds agree to receive from or pay to the broker an amount of cash equal to the daily fluctuation in market value of the contract (“variation margin”). Variation margin is recorded as unrealized appreciation (depreciation) and, if any, shown as variation margin receivable (or payable) on futures contracts in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. When the contract is closed, a realized gain or loss is recorded in the Statements of Operations equal to the difference between the notional amount of the contract at the time it was opened and the notional amount at the time it was closed. The use of futures contracts involves the risk of an imperfect correlation in the movements in the price of futures contracts and interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates or underlying assets.

 

6.

INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES

Investment Advisory Fees: Pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement with the Company, BFA manages the investment of each Fund’s assets. BFA is a California corporation indirectly owned by BlackRock. Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, BFA is responsible for substantially all expenses of the Funds, except (i) interest and taxes; (ii) brokerage commissions and other expenses connected with the execution of portfolio transactions; (iii) distribution fees; (iv) the advisory fee payable to BFA; and (v) litigation expenses and any extraordinary expenses (in each case as determined by a majority of the independent directors).

For its investment advisory services to each of the following Funds, BFA is entitled to an annual investment advisory fee, accrued daily and paid monthly by the Funds, based on the average daily net assets of each Fund as follows:

 

   
iShares ETF   Investment Advisory Fees  

Emerging Markets Equity Factor

    0.25

ESG Aware MSCI EM

    0.25  

MSCI Emerging Markets ex China

    0.25  

MSCI Emerging Markets Min Vol Factor

    0.25  

MSCI Global Min Vol Factor

    0.20  

 

 

60  

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

Expense Waivers: A fund may incur its pro rata share of fees and expenses attributable to its investments in other investment companies (“acquired fund fees and expenses”). The total of the investment advisory fee and any other fund expenses, if any, is a fund’s total annual operating expenses. Total expenses as shown in the Statements of Operations does not include acquired fund fees and expenses.

For each of the iShares Emerging Markets Equity Factor and iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETFs, BFA has contractually agreed to waive a portion of its investment advisory fee for each Fund through December 31, 2026 and December 31, 2027, respectively, in an amount equal to the acquired fund fees and expenses, if any, attributable to each Fund’s investments in other iShares funds.

For the six months ended February 29, 2024, there were no fees waived by BFA pursuant to these arangements.

Distributor: BlackRock Investments, LLC (“BRIL”), an affiliate of BFA, is the distributor for each Fund. Pursuant to the distribution agreement, BFA is responsible for any fees or expenses for distribution services provided to the Funds.

Securities Lending: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) has issued an exemptive order which permits BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, N.A. (“BTC”), an affiliate of BFA, to serve as securities lending agent for the Funds, subject to applicable conditions. As securities lending agent, BTC bears all operational costs directly related to securities lending, including any custodial costs. Each Fund is responsible for fees in connection with the investment of cash collateral received for securities on loan (the “collateral investment fees”). The cash collateral is invested in a money market fund, BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional or BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, managed by BFA, or its affiliates. However, BTC has agreed to reduce the amount of securities lending income it receives in order to effectively limit the collateral investment fees each Fund bears to an annual rate of 0.04%. The SL Agency Shares of such money market fund will not be subject to a sales load, distribution fee or service fee. The money market fund in which the cash collateral has been invested may, under certain circumstances, impose a liquidity fee of up to 2% of the value redeemed or temporarily restrict redemptions for up to 10 business days during a 90 day period, in the event that the money market fund’s weekly liquid assets fall below certain thresholds.

Securities lending income is equal to the total of income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral, net of fees and other payments to and from borrowers of securities, and less the collateral investment fees. Each Fund retains a portion of securities lending income and remits the remaining portion to BTC as compensation for its services as securities lending agent.

Pursuant to the current securities lending agreement, each Fund retains 82% of securities lending income (which excludes collateral investment fees), and the amount retained can never be less than 70% of the total of securities lending income plus the collateral investment fees.

In addition, commencing the business day following the date that the aggregate securities lending income plus the collateral investment fees generated across all 1940 Act iShares exchange-traded funds (the “iShares ETF Complex”) in that calendar year exceeds a specified threshold, each Fund, pursuant to the securities lending agreement, will retain for the remainder of that calendar year 85% of securities lending income (which excludes collateral investment fees), and the amount retained can never be less than 70% of the total of securities lending income plus the collateral investment fees.

The share of securities lending income earned by each Fund is shown as securities lending income – affiliated – net in its Statements of Operations. For the six months ended February 29, 2024, the Funds paid BTC the following amounts for securities lending agent services:

 

   
iShares ETF     Amounts  

Emerging Markets Equity Factor

   $   18,789  

ESG Aware MSCI EM

     22,883  

MSCI Emerging Markets ex China

     66,477  

MSCI Emerging Markets Min Vol Factor

     17,400  

MSCI Global Min Vol Factor

     15,448  

Officers and Directors: Certain officers and/or directors of the Company are officers and/or directors of BlackRock or its affiliates.

Other Transactions: Cross trading is the buying or selling of portfolio securities between funds to which BFA (or an affiliate) serves as investment adviser. At its regularly scheduled quarterly meetings, the Board reviews such transactions as of the most recent calendar quarter for compliance with the requirements and restrictions set forth by Rule 17a-7.

For the six months ended February 29, 2024, transactions executed by the Funds pursuant to Rule 17a-7 under the 1940 Act were as follows:

 

       
iShares ETF    Purchases      Sales      Net Realized 
Gain (Loss) 

Emerging Markets Equity Factor

   $ 5,830,377      $ 3,789,880      $ (196,143

ESG Aware MSCI EM

      27,166,161         37,308,672         (22,887,904

MSCI Emerging Markets ex China

     2,867,194        17,558,978        (2,502,453

MSCI Emerging Markets Min Vol Factor

     14,119,544        14,233,043        (2,997,947

MSCI Global Min Vol Factor

     86,614,997        82,167,869        (20,918,893

Each Fund may invest its positive cash balances in certain money market funds managed by BFA or an affiliate. The income earned on these temporary cash investments is shown as dividends – affiliated in the Statements of Operations.

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

A fund, in order to improve its portfolio liquidity and its ability to track its underlying index, may invest in shares of other iShares funds that invest in securities in the fund’s underlying index.

 

7.

PURCHASES AND SALES

For the six months ended February 29, 2024, purchases and sales of investments, excluding short-term securities and in-kind transactions, were as follows:

 

     
iShares ETF    Purchases      Sales 

Emerging Markets Equity Factor

   $ 63,978,095      $ 128,579,761  

ESG Aware MSCI EM

     621,762,681        895,952,766  

MSCI Emerging Markets ex China

      4,432,913,304        472,318,649  

MSCI Emerging Markets Min Vol Factor

     492,292,996        727,571,768  

MSCI Global Min Vol Factor

     588,012,039         735,189,375  

For the six months ended February 29, 2024, in-kind transactions were as follows:

 

     
iShares ETF    In-kind
Purchases
    

In-kind 

Sales 

Emerging Markets Equity Factor

   $ 544,331      $ 18,769,173  

ESG Aware MSCI EM

     4,536,709        89,228,137  

MSCI Emerging Markets ex China

        886,723,581         

MSCI Emerging Markets Min Vol Factor

            49,197,411  

MSCI Global Min Vol Factor

             583,707,836  

 

8.

INCOME TAX INFORMATION

Each Fund is treated as an entity separate from the Company’s other funds for federal income tax purposes. It is each Fund’s policy to comply with the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, applicable to regulated investment companies, and to distribute substantially all of its taxable income to its shareholders. Therefore, no U.S. federal income tax provision is required.

Management has analyzed tax laws and regulations and their application to the Funds as of February 29, 2024, inclusive of the open tax return years, and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability in the Funds’ financial statements.

As of August 31, 2023, the Funds had non-expiring capital loss carryforwards available to offset future realized capital gains as follows:

 

   
iShares ETF    Non-Expiring 
Capital Loss 
Carryforwards 

Emerging Markets Equity Factor

   $ (127,984,851

ESG Aware MSCI EM

     (829,882,107

MSCI Emerging Markets ex China

     (134,221,201

MSCI Emerging Markets Min Vol Factor

     (1,234,300,856

MSCI Global Min Vol Factor

     (263,839,039

A fund may own shares in certain foreign investment entities, referred to, under U.S. tax law, as “passive foreign investment companies.” Such fund may elect to mark-to-market annually the shares of each passive foreign investment company and would be required to distribute to shareholders any such marked-to-market gains.

As of February 29, 2024, gross unrealized appreciation and depreciation based on cost of investments (including short positions and derivatives, if any) for U.S. federal income tax purposes were as follows:

 

         
iShares ETF    Tax Cost      Gross Unrealized
Appreciation
     Gross Unrealized
Depreciation
     Net Unrealized 
Appreciation 
(Depreciation) 
 

Emerging Markets Equity Factor

   $ 536,526,524      $ 122,471,859      $ (79,842,535    $ 42,629,324  

ESG Aware MSCI EM

     3,999,265,772        856,885,545        (802,566,549      54,318,996  

MSCI Emerging Markets ex China

      10,230,693,271        1,241,733,915        (560,443,915      681,290,000  

MSCI Emerging Markets Min Vol Factor

     3,728,296,740        823,719,844        (94,228,581      729,491,263  

MSCI Global Min Vol Factor

     3,718,897,651        798,188,811        (246,477,673      551,711,138  

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

9.

LINE OF CREDIT

The Funds, along with certain other iShares funds (“Participating Funds”), are parties to a $800 million credit agreement (“Syndicated Credit Agreement”) with a group of lenders, which expires on October 16, 2024. The line of credit may be used for temporary or emergency purposes, including redemptions, settlement of trades and rebalancing of portfolio holdings in certain target markets. The Funds may borrow up to the aggregate commitment amount subject to asset coverage and other limitations as specified in the Syndicated Credit Agreement. The Syndicated Credit Agreement has the following terms: a commitment fee of 0.15% per annum on the unused portion of the credit agreement and interest at a rate equal to the higher of (a) Daily Simple Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) plus 0.10% and 1.00% per annum or (b) the U.S. Federal Funds rate plus 1.00% per annum on amounts borrowed. The commitment fee is generally allocated to each Participating Fund based on the lesser of a Participating Fund’s relative exposure to certain target markets or a Participating Fund’s maximum borrowing amount as set forth by the terms of the Syndicated Credit Agreement.

For the six months ended February 29, 2024, the maximum amount borrowed, the average daily borrowing and the weighted average interest rate, if any, under the Syndicated Credit Agreement were as follows:

 

       
iShares ETF    Maximum
Amount
Borrowed
     Average
Borrowing
     Weighted
Average
Interest Rates
 

Emerging Markets Equity Factor

   $ 7,600,000      $ 303,654        6.41

ESG Aware MSCI EM

      29,766,000         4,582,396        6.44  

MSCI Emerging Markets ex China

     54,220,000        2,487,099        6.44  

MSCI Emerging Markets Min Vol Factor

     94,250,000        2,071,429        6.48  

MSCI Global Min Vol Factor

     3,050,000        67,033        6.48  

 

10.

PRINCIPAL RISKS

In the normal course of business, each Fund invests in securities or other instruments and may enter into certain transactions, and such activities subject the Fund to various risks, including, among others, fluctuations in the market (market risk) or failure of an issuer to meet all of its obligations. The value of securities or other instruments may also be affected by various factors, including, without limitation: (i) the general economy; (ii) the overall market as well as local, regional or global political and/or social instability; (iii) regulation, taxation or international tax treaties between various countries; or (iv) currency, interest rate or price fluctuations. Local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant impact on the Funds and their investments. Each Fund’s prospectus provides details of the risks to which the Fund is subject.

BFA uses an indexing approach to try to achieve each Fund’s investment objective. The Fund is not actively managed, and BFA generally does not attempt to take defensive positions under any market conditions, including declining markets.

The Funds may be exposed to additional risks when reinvesting cash collateral in money market funds that do not seek to maintain a stable NAV per share of $1.00, which may be subject to redemption gates or liquidity fees under certain circumstances.

Market Risk: Investments in the securities of issuers domiciled in countries with emerging capital markets involve certain additional risks that do not generally apply to investments in securities of issuers in more developed capital markets, such as (i) low or nonexistent trading volume, resulting in a lack of liquidity and increased volatility in prices for such securities; (ii) lack of reliable settlement procedures and significant delays in registereing the transfer of securities; (iii) uncertain national policies and social, political and economic instability, increasing the potential for expropriation of assets, confiscatory taxation, high rates of inflation or unfavorable diplomatic developments; (iv) lack of publicly available or reliable information about issuers as a result of not being subject to the same degree of regulatory requirements and accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards; and (v) possible fluctuations in exchange rates, differing legal systems and the existence or possible imposition of exchange controls, custodial restrictions or other foreign or U.S. governmental laws or restrictions applicable to such investments.

Valuation Risk: The market values of equities, such as common stocks and preferred securities or equity related investments, such as futures and options, may decline due to general market conditions which are not specifically related to a particular company. They may also decline due to factors which affect a particular industry or industries. A fund may invest in illiquid investments. An illiquid investment is any investment that a fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. A fund may experience difficulty in selling illiquid investments in a timely manner at the price that it believes the investments are worth. Prices may fluctuate widely over short or extended periods in response to company, market or economic news. Markets also tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising and falling prices. This volatility may cause a fund’s NAV to experience significant increases or decreases over short periods of time. If there is a general decline in the securities and other markets, the NAV of a fund may lose value, regardless of the individual results of the securities and other instruments in which a fund invests.

The price each Fund could receive upon the sale of any particular portfolio investment may differ from each Fund’s valuation of the investment, particularly for securities that trade in thin or volatile markets or that are valued using a fair valuation technique or a price provided by an independent pricing service. Changes to significant unobservable inputs and assumptions (i.e., publicly traded company multiples, growth rate, time to exit) due to the lack of observable inputs may significantly impact the resulting fair value and therefore each Fund’s results of operations. As a result, the price received upon the sale of an investment may be less than the value ascribed by each Fund, and each Fund could realize a greater than expected loss or lesser than expected gain upon the sale of the investment. Each Fund’s ability to value its investments may also be impacted by technological issues and/or errors by pricing services or other third-party service providers.

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

Counterparty Credit Risk: The Funds may be exposed to counterparty credit risk, or the risk that an entity may fail to or be unable to perform on its commitments related to unsettled or open transactions, including making timely interest and/or principal payments or otherwise honoring its obligations. The Funds manage counterparty credit risk by entering into transactions only with counterparties that BFA believes have the financial resources to honor their obligations and by monitoring the financial stability of those counterparties. Financial assets, which potentially expose the Funds to market, issuer and counterparty credit risks, consist principally of financial instruments and receivables due from counterparties. The extent of the Funds’ exposure to market, issuer and counterparty credit risks with respect to these financial assets is approximately their value recorded in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities, less any collateral held by the Funds.

A derivative contract may suffer a mark-to-market loss if the value of the contract decreases due to an unfavorable change in the market rates or values of the underlying instrument. Losses can also occur if the counterparty does not perform under the contract.

With exchange-traded futures, there is less counterparty credit risk to the Funds since the exchange or clearinghouse, as counterparty to such instruments, guarantees against a possible default. The clearinghouse stands between the buyer and the seller of the contract; therefore, credit risk is limited to failure of the clearinghouse. While offset rights may exist under applicable law, a fund does not have a contractual right of offset against a clearing broker or clearinghouse in the event of a default (including the bankruptcy or insolvency). Additionally, credit risk exists in exchange-traded futures with respect to initial and variation margin that is held in a clearing broker’s customer accounts. While clearing brokers are required to segregate customer margin from their own assets, in the event that a clearing broker becomes insolvent or goes into bankruptcy and at that time there is a shortfall in the aggregate amount of margin held by the clearing broker for all its clients, typically the shortfall would be allocated on a pro rata basis across all the clearing broker’s customers, potentially resulting in losses to the Funds.

Geographic/Asset Class Risk: A diversified portfolio, where this is appropriate and consistent with a fund’s objectives, minimizes the risk that a price change of a particular investment will have a material impact on the NAV of a fund. The investment concentrations within each Fund’s portfolio are disclosed in its Schedule of Investments.

The Funds invest a significant portion of their assets in securities of issuers located in the United States. A decrease in imports or exports, changes in trade regulations, inflation and/or an economic recession in the United States may have a material adverse effect on the U.S. economy and the securities listed on U.S. exchanges. Proposed and adopted policy and legislative changes in the United States may also have a significant effect on U.S. markets generally, as well as on the value of certain securities. Governmental agencies project that the United States will continue to maintain elevated public debt levels for the foreseeable future which may constrain future economic growth. Circumstances could arise that could prevent the timely payment of interest or principal on U.S. government debt, such as reaching the legislative “debt ceiling.” Such non-payment would result in substantial negative consequences for the U.S. economy and the global financial system. If U.S. relations with certain countries deteriorate, it could adversely affect issuers that rely on the United States for trade. The United States has also experienced increased internal unrest and discord. If these trends were to continue, they may have an adverse impact on the U.S. economy and the issuers in which the the Funds invest.

Certain Funds invest a significant portion of their assets in securities of issuers located in Asia or with significant exposure to Asian issuers or countries. The Asian financial markets have recently experienced volatility and adverse trends due to concerns in several Asian countries regarding monetary policy, government intervention in the markets, rising government debt levels or economic downturns. These events may spread to other countries in Asia and may affect the value and liquidity of certain of the Funds’ investments.

Certain Funds invest a significant portion of their assets in securities within a single or limited number of market sectors. When a fund concentrates its investments in this manner, it assumes the risk that economic, regulatory, political and social conditions affecting such sectors may have a significant impact on the fund and could affect the income from, or the value or liquidity of, the fund’s portfolio.

Significant Shareholder Redemption Risk: Certain shareholders may own or manage a substantial amount of fund shares and/or hold their fund investments for a limited period of time. Large redemptions of fund shares by these shareholders may force a fund to sell portfolio securities, which may negatively impact the fund’s NAV, increase the fund’s brokerage costs, and/or accelerate the realization of taxable income/gains and cause the fund to make additional taxable distributions to shareholders.

 

11.

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

Capital shares are issued and redeemed by each Fund only in aggregations of a specified number of shares or multiples thereof (“Creation Units”) at NAV. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, shares of each Fund are not redeemable.

Transactions in capital shares were as follows:

 

 

 
   

Six Months Ended

02/29/24

    

Year Ended

08/31/23

 
 

 

 

    

 

 

 
iShares ETF   Shares      Amount      Shares      Amount  

 

 

Emerging Markets Equity Factor

          

Shares sold

    100,000      $ 4,434,759        3,800,000      $ 159,623,754  

Shares redeemed

    (1,400,000      (58,957,294      (8,500,000      (352,806,935
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
    (1,300,000    $ (54,522,535      (4,700,000    $ (193,183,181
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) (continued)

 

 

 
   

Six Months Ended

02/29/24

    

Year Ended

08/31/23

 
 

 

 

    

 

 

 
iShares ETF   Shares      Amount      Shares      Amount  

 

 

ESG Aware MSCI EM

          

Shares sold

    1,000,000      $ 31,757,327        15,800,000      $ 512,788,131  

Shares redeemed

    (11,200,000      (338,613,536      (12,600,000      (365,385,403
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
    (10,200,000    $ (306,856,209      3,200,000      $ 147,402,728  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

MSCI Emerging Markets ex China

          

Shares sold

    94,200,000      $ 4,928,263,379        55,100,000      $ 2,772,309,487  

Shares redeemed

                  (1,000,000      (45,569,079
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
    94,200,000      $ 4,928,263,379        54,100,000      $ 2,726,740,408  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

MSCI Emerging Markets Min Vol Factor

          

Shares sold

         $ 429,679        43,000,000      $ 2,217,098,360  

Shares redeemed

    (4,100,000      (217,061,533      (73,100,000      (3,985,850,162
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
    (4,100,000    $ (216,631,854      (30,100,000    $ (1,768,751,802
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

MSCI Global Min Vol Factor

          

Shares sold

         $ 110,932        4,400,000      $ 432,126,269  

Shares redeemed

    (7,300,000      (705,576,122      (3,200,000      (313,433,962
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
    (7,300,000    $ (705,465,190      1,200,000      $ 118,692,307  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

The consideration for the purchase of Creation Units of a fund in the Company generally consists of the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities and a specified amount of cash. Certain funds in the Company may be offered in Creation Units solely or partially for cash in U.S. dollars. Authorized Participants purchasing and redeeming Creation Units may pay a purchase transaction fee and a redemption transaction fee directly to State Street Bank and Trust Company, the Company’s administrator , to offset transfer and other transaction costs associated with the issuance and redemption of Creation Units, including Creation Units for cash. Authorized Participants transacting in Creation Units for cash may also pay an additional variable charge to compensate the relevant fund for certain transaction costs (i.e., stamp taxes, taxes on currency or other financial transactions, and brokerage costs) and market impact expenses relating to investing in portfolio securities. Such variable charges, if any, are included in shares sold in the table above.

From time to time, settlement of securities related to in-kind contributions or in-kind redemptions may be delayed. In such cases, securities related to in-kind transactions are reflected as a receivable or a payable in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

 

12.

FOREIGN WITHHOLDING TAX CLAIMS

The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) has issued guidance to address U.S. income tax liabilities attributable to fund shareholders resulting from the recovery of foreign taxes withheld in prior calendar years. These withheld foreign taxes were passed through to shareholders in the form of foreign tax credits in the year the taxes were withheld. Assuming there are sufficient foreign taxes paid which iShares ESG Aware MSCI EM ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Min Vol Factor ETF and iShares MSCI Global Min Vol Factor ETF is able to pass through to shareholders as a foreign tax credit in the current year, the Fund will be able to offset the prior years’ withholding taxes recovered against the foreign taxes paid in the current year. Accordingly, no federal income tax liability is recorded by the Fund.

 

13.

SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

Management has evaluated the impact of all subsequent events on the Funds through the date the financial statements were available to be issued and has determined that there were no subsequent events requiring adjustment or additional disclosure in the financial statements.

 

 

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Statement Regarding Liquidity Risk Management Program (unaudited)

 

In compliance with Rule 22e-4 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Liquidity Rule”), iShares, Inc. (the “Company”) has adopted and implemented a liquidity risk management program (the “Program”) for iShares Emerging Markets Equity Factor ETF, iShares ESG Aware MSCI EM ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Min Vol Factor ETF and iShares MSCI Global Min Vol Factor ETF (the “Funds” or “ETFs”), each a series of the Company, which is reasonably designed to assess and manage each Fund’s liquidity risk.

The Board of Directors (the “Board”) of the Company, on behalf of the Funds, met on December 8, 2023 (the “Meeting”) to review the Program. The Board previously appointed BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BlackRock”), the investment adviser to the Funds, as the program administrator for each Fund’s Program. BlackRock also previously delegated oversight of the Program to the 40 Act Liquidity Risk Management Committee (the “Committee”). At the Meeting, the Committee, on behalf of BlackRock, provided the Board with a report that addressed the operation of the Program and assessed its adequacy and effectiveness of implementation, including the management of each Fund’s Highly Liquid Investment Minimum (“HLIM”) where applicable, and any material changes to the Program (the “Report”). The Report covered the period from October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2023 (the “Program Reporting Period”).

The Report described the Program’s liquidity classification methodology for categorizing each Fund’s investments (including derivative transactions) into one of four liquidity buckets. It also referenced the methodology used by BlackRock to establish each Fund’s HLIM and noted that the Committee reviews and ratifies the HLIM assigned to each Fund no less frequently than annually. The Report also discussed notable events affecting liquidity over the Program Reporting Period, including extended market holidays, delays in the repatriation of the local currency in certain non-U.S. countries, the continued illiquidity of Russian equity securities and the suspension of select sanctions in Venezuela.

The Report noted that the Program complied with the key factors for consideration under the Liquidity Rule for assessing, managing and periodically reviewing each Fund’s liquidity risk, as follows:

 

  a)

The Fund’s investment strategy and liquidity of portfolio investments during both normal and reasonably foreseeable stressed conditions. During the Program Reporting Period, the Committee reviewed whether each Fund’s strategy is appropriate for an open-end fund structure, with a focus on funds with more significant and consistent holdings of less liquid and illiquid assets. The Committee also factored a fund’s concentration in an issuer into the liquidity classification methodology by taking issuer position sizes into account. Derivative exposure was also considered in the calculation of a fund’s liquidity bucketing. Finally, a factor for consideration under the Liquidity Rule is a Fund’s use of borrowings for investment purposes. However, the Funds do not borrow for investment purposes.

 

  b)

Short-term and long-term cash flow projections during both normal and reasonably foreseeable stressed conditions. During the Program Reporting Period, the Committee reviewed historical redemption activity and used this information as a component to establish each ETF’s reasonably anticipated trading size utilized for liquidity classifications. The Committee may also take into consideration a fund’s shareholder ownership concentration (which, depending on product type and distribution channel, may or may not be available), a fund’s distribution channels, and the degree of certainty associated with a fund’s short-term and long-term cash flow projections.

 

  c)

Holdings of cash and cash equivalents, as well as borrowing arrangements. The Committee considered that ETFs generally do not hold more than de minimis amounts of cash. The Committee also considered that ETFs generally do not engage in borrowing.

 

  d)

The relationship between an ETF’s portfolio liquidity and the way in which, and the prices and spreads at which, ETF shares trade, including the efficiency of the arbitrage function and the level of active participation by market participants, including authorized participants. The Committee monitored the prevailing bid/ask spread and the ETF price premium (or discount) to NAV for all ETFs. However, there were no ETFs with persistent deviations of fund premium/discount or bid/ask spreads from long-term averages over the Program Reporting Period.

 

  e)

The effect of the composition of baskets on the overall liquidity of an ETF’s portfolio. In reviewing the linkage between the composition of custom baskets accepted by an ETF and any significant change in the liquidity profile of such ETF, the Committee reviewed changes in the proportion of each ETF’s portfolio comprised of less liquid and illiquid holdings to determine if applicable thresholds were met requiring enhanced review. There were no ETFs for which the custom baskets accepted by the ETF had a significant change in its liquidity profile.

There were no material changes to the Program during the Program Reporting Period other than the enhancement of certain model components in the Program’s classification methodology. The Report provided to the Board stated that the Committee concluded that based on the operation of the functions, as described in the Report, the Program is operating as intended and is effective in implementing the requirements of the Liquidity Rule.

 

 

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Supplemental Information (unaudited)

 

Section 19(a) Notices

The amounts and sources of distributions reported are estimates and are being provided pursuant to regulatory requirements and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources for tax reporting purposes will depend upon each Fund’s investment experience during the year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. Shareholders will receive a Form 1099-DIV each calendar year that will inform them how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes.

February 29, 2024

 

     
   

Total Cumulative Distributions

for the Fiscal Year-to-Date

    

% Breakdown of the Total Cumulative

Distributions for the Fiscal Year-to-Date

 
 

 

 

    

 

 

 
iShares ETF   Net
Investment
Income
     Net Realized
Capital Gains
     Return of
Capital
     Total Per
Share
     Net
Investment
Income
    Net Realized
Capital Gains
    Return of
Capital
    Total Per
Share
 

Emerging Markets Equity Factor(a)

  $  1.953266      $      $  0.156236      $  2.109502        93         7     100

MSCI Global Min Vol Factor(a)

    1.520219               0.034444        1.554663        98             2       100  

 

  (a) 

The Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its net investment income and net realized capital gains; therefore, a portion of the distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur, for example, when some or all of the shareholder’s investment in the Fund is returned to the shareholder. A return of capital does not necessarily reflect the Fund’s investment performance and should not be confused with “yield” or “income”. When distributions exceed total return performance, the difference will incrementally reduce the Fund’s net asset value per share.

 

Tailored Shareholder Reports for Open-End Mutual Funds and ETFs

Effective January 24, 2023, the SEC adopted rule and form amendments to require open-end mutual funds and ETFs to transmit concise and visually engaging streamlined annual and semiannual reports to shareholders that highlight key information. Other information, including financial statements, will no longer appear in a streamlined shareholder report but must be available online, delivered free of charge upon request, and filed on a semiannual basis on Form N-CSR. The rule and form amendments have a compliance date of July 24, 2024. At this time, management is evaluating the impact of these amendments on the shareholder reports for the Funds.

 

 

S U P P L E M E N T A L  I N F O R M A T I O N

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General Information

 

Electronic Delivery

Shareholders can sign up for e-mail notifications announcing that the shareholder report or prospectus has been posted on the iShares website at iShares.com. Once you have enrolled, you will no longer receive prospectuses and shareholder reports in the mail.

To enroll in electronic delivery:

 

   

Go to icsdelivery.com.

   

If your brokerage firm is not listed, electronic delivery may not be available. Please contact your broker-dealer or financial advisor.

Householding

Householding is an option available to certain fund investors. Householding is a method of delivery, based on the preference of the individual investor, in which a single copy of certain shareholder documents and Rule 30e-3 notices can be delivered to investors who share the same address, even if their accounts are registered under different names. Please contact your broker-dealer if you are interested in enrolling in householding and receiving a single copy of prospectuses and other shareholder documents, or if you are currently enrolled in householding and wish to change your householding status.

Availability of Quarterly Schedule of Investments

The Funds file their complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to their reports on Form N-PORT. The Funds’ Forms N-PORT are available on the SEC’s website at sec.gov. Additionally, each Fund makes its portfolio holdings for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year available at iShares.com/fundreports.

Availability of Proxy Voting Policies and Proxy Voting Records

A description of the policies and procedures that the iShares Funds use to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities and information about how the iShares Funds voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ending June 30 is available without charge, upon request (1) by calling toll-free 1-800-474-2737; (2) on the iShares website at iShares.com; and (3) on the SEC website at sec.gov.

A description of the Company’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio securities is available in the Fund Prospectus. The Fund discloses its portfolio holdings daily and provides information regarding its top holdings in Fund fact sheets at iShares.com.

 

 

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2 0 2 4I S H A R E S  S E M I - A N N U A L  R E P O R T  T O  S H A R E H O L D E R S


Glossary of Terms Used in this Report

 

Portfolio Abbreviation
ADR    American Depositary Receipt
GDR    Global Depositary Receipt
JSC    Joint Stock Company
NVDR    Non-Voting Depositary Receipt
NVS    Non-Voting Shares
PJSC    Public Joint Stock Company

 

 

G L O S S A R Y  O F  T E R M S  U S E DI N  T H I S  R E P O R T

  69


 

 

 

 

Want to know more?

iShares.com | 1-800-474-2737

This report is intended for the Funds’ shareholders. It may not be distributed to prospective investors unless it is preceded or accompanied by the current prospectus.

Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal.

The iShares Funds are distributed by BlackRock Investments, LLC (together with its affiliates, “BlackRock”).

The iShares Funds are not sponsored, endorsed, issued, sold or promoted by MSCI Inc. or STOXX Ltd., nor do these companies make any representation regarding the advisability of investing in the iShares Funds. BlackRock is not affiliated with the company listed above.

©2024 BlackRock, Inc. All rights reserved. iSHARES and BLACKROCK are registered trademarks of BlackRock, Inc. or its subsidiaries. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

iS-SAR-816-0224

 

 

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(b) Not Applicable

 

Item 2.

Code of Ethics.

Not applicable to this semi-annual report.

 

Item 3.

Audit Committee Financial Expert.

Not applicable to this semi-annual report.

 

Item 4.

Principal Accountant Fees and Services.

Not applicable to this semi-annual report.

 

Item 5.

Audit Committee of Listed Registrants.

Not applicable to this semi-annual report.


Item 6.

Investments.

(a) Schedules of investments are included as part of the reports to shareholders filed under Item 1 of this Form.

(b) Not applicable.

 

Item 7.

Disclosure of Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures for Closed-End Management Investment Companies.

Not applicable to the registrant.

 

Item 8.

Portfolio Managers of Closed-End Management Investment Companies.

Not applicable to the registrant.

 

Item 9.

Purchases of Equity Securities by Closed-End Management Investment Company and Affiliated Purchasers.

Not applicable to the registrant.

 

Item 10.

Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.

There were no material changes to the procedures by which shareholders may recommend nominees to the registrant’s Board of Directors.

 

Item 11.

Controls and Procedures.

 

  (a)

The President (the registrant’s Principal Executive Officer) and Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer (the registrant’s Principal Financial Officer) have concluded that the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) are effective as of a date within 90 days of the filing date of this report, based on their evaluation of these controls and procedures required by Rule 30a-3(b) under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and Rules 13a-15(b) or 15d-15(b) under the Exchange Act of 1934.

 

  (b)

There were no changes in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) that occurred during the period covered by this report that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

Item 12.

Disclosure of Securities Lending Activities for Closed-End Management Investment Companies.

Not applicable to the registrant.

 

Item 13.

Recovery of Erroneously Awarded Compensation.

Not applicable

 

Item 14.

Exhibits.

(a) (1) Not applicable to this semi-annual report.

(a) (2) Section 302 Certifications are attached.

(a) (3) Any written solicitation to purchase securities under Rule 23c-1 – Not Applicable

(a) (4) Change in Registrant’s independent public accountant – Not Applicable


(b) Section 906 Certifications are attached.

 


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

iShares, Inc.

 

 By: /s/ Jessica Tan                
 Jessica Tan, President (Principal Executive Officer)
 Date:  April 19, 2024

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

 By: /s/ Jessica Tan                
 Jessica Tan, President (Principal Executive Officer)
 Date:  April 19, 2024
 By: /s/ Trent Walker                       
 Trent Walker, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer)
 Date:  April 19, 2024