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iShares, Inc. and iShares Trust
Supplement dated October 15, 2026 to the currently effective Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information (the “SAI”) for the Funds listed in Appendix A (each, a “Fund”)
Effective October 14, 2026, each Fund was added as a borrower to the syndicated line of credit for which the Bank of New York Mellon serves as administrative agent for itself and the other banks.
Effective immediately, the following changes are made:
1) Each Fund is added to the “Borrowing” section of its Prospectus, and ”Borrowing Risk” is marked as an “Other Risk” for each Fund in the chart included in the “Additional Information About the Funds’ Risks” section of its Prospectus.
2) As applicable, the following language is either added to the “Borrowing” section of each Fund’s SAI or updated to include a reference to the particular Fund:
The Fund may borrow for temporary or emergency purposes, including to meet payments due from redemptions or to facilitate the settlement of securities or other transactions. The Fund, along with certain other iShares funds, has entered into a syndicated line of credit with the Bank of New York Mellon (“BNY”), which serves as administrative agent for itself and the other banks. The syndicated line of credit may be used for temporary or emergency purposes, including redemption, settlement of trades and rebalancing of portfolio holdings.
Interest rates related to the syndicated line of credit are based on the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York plus a spread. Pursuant to the terms of the credit agreement, if SOFR were to cease being published or representative, it would be replaced by a rate based on an alternate benchmark selected by BNY.
Appendix A
iShares Blockchain and Tech ETF iShares China Large-Cap ETF iShares Core MSCI Pacific ETF iShares Currency Hedged MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF iShares Global Healthcare ETF
iShares International Developed Real Estate ETF iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF iShares MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners ETF iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF iShares Neuroscience and Healthcare ETF
If you have any questions, please call 1-800-iShares (1-800-474-2737).
iShares ® is a registered trademark of BlackRock Fund Advisors and its affiliates. IS-A-LOC-1026
PLEASE RETAIN THIS SUPPLEMENT FOR FUTURE REFERENCE
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iShares ®
iShares, Inc. iShares Trust Supplement dated February 13, 2026 to the currently effective Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) for each of the funds listed in Appendix A (each, a “Fund”)
On or around March 16, 2026, Citibank, N.A. (“Citibank”) will become the administrator, custodian and transfer agent for each Fund. Effective upon this change, the following changes will be made:
1) In the “Administrator, Custodian and Transfer Agent” table in each Fund’s Prospectus, Citibank is checked for the applicable Fund.
2) In the “Administrator, Custodian and Transfer Agent” section of each Fund’s SAI, the following language is included to apply to the applicable Fund:
Administrator, Custodian and Transfer Agent. Citibank serves as administrator, custodian and transfer agent for the Funds under the Master Services Agreement (the “Master Services Agreement”). Citibank’s principal address is 388 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10013. Pursuant to the Master Services Agreement with the Trust, Citibank provides necessary administrative, tax and accounting and financial reporting services for the maintenance and operations of the Trust and each Fund. In addition, Citibank makes available the office space, equipment, personnel and facilities required to provide such services. Pursuant to the Master Services Agreement with the Trust, Citibank maintains, in separate accounts, cash, securities and other assets of the Trust and each Fund, keeps all necessary accounts and records and provides other services. Citibank is required, upon the order of the Trust, to deliver securities held by Citibank and to make payments for securities purchased by the Trust for each Fund. Citibank is authorized to appoint certain foreign custodians or foreign custody managers for Fund investments outside the U.S. Pursuant to the Master Services Agreement with the Trust, Citibank acts as a transfer agent for each Fund’s authorized and issued shares of beneficial interest, and as dividend disbursing agent of the Trust. As compensation for these services, Citibank receives certain out-of-pocket costs, transaction fees and asset-based fees which are accrued daily and paid monthly by BFA. BFA pays the compensation because it has agreed to pay these operating expenses under the Investment Advisory Agreement as described therein.
Prior to March 16, 2026, State Street Bank and Trust Company (“State Street”) served as administrator, custodian and transfer agent for each Fund.
3) For each Fund, references to “State Street” are replaced with references to “Citibank” in the sections of the SAI entitled “Placement of Creation Orders,” “Acceptance of Orders for Creation Units” and “Placement of Redemption Orders.”
4) For each Fund, the section of the SAI entitled “Costs Associated with Creation Transactions” is deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following, although each SAI will include a “Standard Creation Transaction Fee” table only for applicable Funds : Costs Associated with Creation Transactions.
A standard creation transaction fee is imposed to offset the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the issuance of Creation Units. Under an ETF Services Agreement, the Funds have retained BRIL, an affiliate of BFA, to perform the ETF Services. BRIL will receive from an Authorized Participant a standard transaction fee on each creation order, which consists of (1) a fee for providing the ETF Services (the “ETF Servicing Fee”) and (2) transfer, processing and other transaction costs charged by a Fund custodian in connection with the issuance of Creation Units for such creation order (“Custody Transaction Costs”). BRIL is entitled to retain the ETF Servicing Fee pursuant to the ETF Services Agreement, but BRIL will reimburse any Custody Transaction Costs to the applicable Fund custodian according to the amounts invoiced by such custodian.
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The ETF Servicing Fee is a flat fee per order regardless of the number of Creation Units being purchased, which amount will vary among different Funds based on a number of factors, including the complexity of the order and the types of securities or instruments included in a Fund’s Creation Basket, among other variables. The ETF Servicing Fee may be equal to zero in certain instances, such as for creation transactions that consist solely of cash. The actual Custody Transaction Costs vary per order based on the number of trades, underlying markets and settlement locations associated with the issuance of a Creation Unit. The following table sets forth, for each Fund, an estimate of the creation transaction fee for a Creation Unit based on data as of February 2, 2026. The actual fee charged to an Authorized Participant in connection with a creation order will vary over time depending on the factors discussed above, and may be higher than the fee set forth below.
In order to defray transaction expenses for a Fund and protect against possible shareholder dilution, if a creation transaction consists solely or partially of cash, the Authorized Participant may also be required to cover (up to the maximum amount shown below) certain brokerage, tax, foreign exchange, execution and other costs and expenses related to the execution of trades resulting from such transaction (which may, in certain instances, be based on a good faith estimate of transaction costs based on historical data or other inputs, at BlackRock’s discretion, and may include part or all of the spread between the expected bid and offer side of the market and anticipated market impact). However, a Fund is not obligated to trade identical securities to the securities identified by BlackRock in estimating these transaction and other costs and expenses. In certain cases, BlackRock or an affiliate may determine in its discretion to deviate from the regular charge, subject to the maximum amounts shown below.
Authorized Participants will also bear the costs of transferring the Deposit Securities to the Funds. Certain fees/costs associated with creation transactions may be waived in certain circumstances. Investors who use the services of a broker or other financial intermediary to acquire Fund shares may be charged a fee for such services.
The following table sets forth each Fund’s estimated creation transaction fee based on data as of February 2, 2026 and maximum additional charge (as described above):
Fund Standard Creation Transaction Fee
Maximum Additional Charge*
iShares Core MSCI Pacific ETF $4,700 7.0% iShares ESG Advanced MSCI EAFE ETF $1,950 3.0% iShares ESG Advanced MSCI EM ETF $6,720 7.0% iShares ESG Aware MSCI EAFE ETF $1,970 3.0% iShares ESG Aware MSCI EM ETF $3,600 3.0% iShares ESG MSCI EM Leaders ETF $5,540 7.0% iShares JPX-Nikkei 400 ETF $1,270 3.0% iShares Low Carbon Optimized MSCI ACWI ETF $6,160 7.0% iShares MSCI ACWI ETF $14,710 7.0% iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF $14,320 7.0% iShares MSCI Agriculture Producers ETF $1,640 7.0% iShares MSCI Belgium ETF $450 3.0% iShares MSCI BIC ETF $8,630 7.0% iShares MSCI Brazil ETF $860 7.0% iShares MSCI Brazil Small-Cap ETF $1,020 3.0% iShares MSCI Canada ETF $630 3.0% iShares MSCI Chile ETF $960 3.0% iShares MSCI China A ETF $7,080 7.0% iShares MSCI China ETF $9,190 7.0%
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Fund Standard Creation Transaction Fee
Maximum Additional Charge*
iShares MSCI China Multisector Tech ETF $3,080 5.0% iShares MSCI China Small-Cap ETF $3,640 7.0% iShares MSCI Denmark ETF $470 3.0% iShares MSCI EAFE Small-Cap ETF $8,440 7.0% iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF $10,090 7.0% iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Min Vol Factor ETF $5,150 7.0% iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Quality Factor ETF $3,970 7.0% iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF $14,990 7.0% iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Value Factor ETF $3,500 7.0% iShares MSCI France ETF $500 3.0% iShares MSCI Germany ETF $460 3.0% iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF $820 7.0% iShares MSCI Global Min Vol Factor ETF $3,220 7.0% iShares MSCI Global Quality Factor ETF $2,500 7.0% iShares MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners ETF $430 7.0% iShares MSCI Global Sustainable Development Goals ETF $1,420 7.0% iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF $430 7.0% iShares MSCI India ETF $1,230 3.0% iShares MSCI India Small-Cap ETF $2,700 3.0% iShares MSCI Indonesia ETF $1,070 3.0% iShares MSCI Intl Momentum Factor ETF $1,500 7.0% iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF $1,350 7.0% iShares MSCI Intl Value Factor ETF $1,570 7.0% iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF $2,590 3.0% iShares MSCI Japan Value ETF $580 3.0% iShares MSCI Kokusai ETF $4,020 7.0% iShares MSCI Kuwait ETF $2,040 7.0% iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF $900 3.0% iShares MSCI New Zealand ETF $500 3.0% iShares MSCI Norway ETF $770 3.0% iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF $820 7.0% iShares MSCI Peru and Global Exposure ETF $1,020 3.0% iShares MSCI Philippines ETF $800 3.0% iShares MSCI Poland ETF $530 3.0% iShares MSCI Qatar ETF $2,250 3.0% iShares MSCI Singapore ETF $480 3.0% iShares MSCI South Africa ETF $550 3.0% iShares MSCI South Korea ETF $850 3.0% iShares MSCI Spain ETF $360 3.0% iShares MSCI Sweden ETF $480 3.0% iShares MSCI Thailand ETF $1,200 3.0% iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF $420 3.0%
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Fund Standard Creation Transaction Fee
Maximum Additional Charge*
iShares MSCI World ETF $4,480 7.0% iShares MSCI World Small-Cap ETF $10,090 7.0% iShares Paris-Aligned Climate Optimized MSCI World ex USA ETF $2,140 3.0% iShares U.S. Power Infrastructure ETF $240 3.0%
* As a percentage of the net asset value per Creation Unit.
5) For each Fund, the section of the SAI entitled “Costs Associated with Redemption Transactions” is deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following, although each SAI will include a “Standard Redemption Transaction Fee” table only for applicable Funds : Costs Associated with Redemption Transactions.
A standard redemption transaction fee is imposed to offset transfer and other transaction costs that may be incurred by the relevant Fund. As described above, under an ETF Services Agreement, the Funds have retained BRIL, an affiliate of BFA, to perform certain ETF Services. BRIL will receive from an Authorized Participant a standard transaction fee on each redemption order, which consists of (1) the ETF Servicing Fee and (2) Custody Transaction Costs. BRIL is entitled to retain the ETF Servicing Fee pursuant to the ETF Services Agreement, but BRIL will reimburse any Custody Transaction Costs to the applicable Fund custodian according to the amounts invoiced by such custodian.
The ETF Servicing Fee is a flat fee per order regardless of the number of Creation Units being redeemed, which amount will vary among different Funds based on a number of factors, including the complexity of the order and the types of securities or instruments included in a Fund’s Redemption Basket, among other variables. The ETF Servicing Fee may be equal to zero in certain instances, such as for redemption transactions that consist solely of cash. The actual Custody Transaction Costs vary per order based on the number of trades, underlying markets, and settlement locations associated with the redemption of a Creation Unit. The following table sets forth, for each Fund, an estimate of the redemption transaction fee for a Creation Unit based on data as of February 2, 2026. The actual fee charged to an Authorized Participant in connection with a redemption order will vary over time depending on the factors discussed above, and may be higher than the fee set forth below.
In order to defray transaction expenses for a Fund and protect against possible shareholder dilution, if a redemption transaction consists solely or partially of cash, the Authorized Participant may also be required to cover (up to the maximum amount shown below) certain brokerage, tax, foreign exchange, execution and other costs and expenses related to the execution of trades resulting from such transaction (which may, in certain instances, be based on a good faith estimate of transaction costs based on historical data or other inputs, at BlackRock’s discretion, and may include part or all of the spread between the expected bid and offer side of the market and anticipated market impact). However, a Fund is not obligated to trade identical securities to the securities identified by BlackRock in estimating these transaction and other costs and expenses. In certain cases, BlackRock or an affiliate may determine in its discretion to deviate from the regular charge, subject to the maximum amounts shown below.
Authorized Participants will also bear the costs of transferring the Fund Securities from a Fund to their account on their order. Certain fees/costs associated with redemption transactions may be waived in certain circumstances. Investors who use the services of a broker or other financial intermediary to dispose of Fund shares may be charged a fee for such services.
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The following table sets forth each Fund’s estimated redemption transaction fee based on data as of February 2, 2026 and maximum additional charge (as described above):
Fund Standard Redemption Transaction Fee Maximum Additional Charge*
iShares Core MSCI Pacific ETF $4,700 2.0% iShares ESG Advanced MSCI EAFE ETF $1,950 2.0% iShares ESG Advanced MSCI EM ETF $6,720 2.0% iShares ESG Aware MSCI EAFE ETF $1,970 2.0% iShares ESG Aware MSCI EM ETF $3,600 2.0% iShares ESG MSCI EM Leaders ETF $5,540 2.0% iShares JPX-Nikkei 400 ETF $1,270 2.0% iShares Low Carbon Optimized MSCI ACWI ETF $6,160 2.0% iShares MSCI ACWI ETF $14,710 2.0% iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF $14,320 2.0% iShares MSCI Agriculture Producers ETF $1,640 2.0% iShares MSCI Belgium ETF $450 2.0% iShares MSCI BIC ETF $8,630 2.0% iShares MSCI Brazil ETF $860 2.0% iShares MSCI Brazil Small-Cap ETF $1,020 2.0% iShares MSCI Canada ETF $630 2.0% iShares MSCI Chile ETF $960 2.0% iShares MSCI China A ETF $7,080 2.0% iShares MSCI China ETF $9,190 2.0% iShares MSCI China Multisector Tech ETF $3,080 2.0% iShares MSCI China Small-Cap ETF $3,640 2.0% iShares MSCI Denmark ETF $470 2.0% iShares MSCI EAFE Small-Cap ETF $8,440 2.0% iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF $10,090 2.0% iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Min Vol Factor ETF $5,150 2.0% iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Quality Factor ETF $3,970 2.0% iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF $14,990 2.0% iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Value Factor ETF $3,500 2.0% iShares MSCI France ETF $500 2.0% iShares MSCI Germany ETF $460 2.0% iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF $820 2.0% iShares MSCI Global Min Vol Factor ETF $3,220 2.0% iShares MSCI Global Quality Factor ETF $2,500 2.0% iShares MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners ETF $430 2.0% iShares MSCI Global Sustainable Development Goals ETF $1,420 2.0% iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF $430 2.0% iShares MSCI India ETF $1,230 2.0% iShares MSCI India Small-Cap ETF $2,700 2.0% iShares MSCI Indonesia ETF $1,070 2.0% iShares MSCI Intl Momentum Factor ETF $1,500 2.0% iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF $1,350 2.0%
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Fund Standard Redemption Transaction Fee
Maximum Additional Charge*
iShares MSCI Intl Value Factor ETF $1,570 2.0% iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF $2,590 2.0% iShares MSCI Japan Value ETF $580 2.0% iShares MSCI Kokusai ETF $4,020 2.0% iShares MSCI Kuwait ETF $2,040 2.0% iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF $900 2.0% iShares MSCI New Zealand ETF $500 2.0% iShares MSCI Norway ETF $770 2.0% iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF $820 2.0% iShares MSCI Peru and Global Exposure ETF $1,020 2.0% iShares MSCI Philippines ETF $800 2.0% iShares MSCI Poland ETF $530 2.0% iShares MSCI Qatar ETF $2,250 2.0% iShares MSCI Singapore ETF $480 2.0% iShares MSCI South Africa ETF $550 2.0% iShares MSCI South Korea ETF $850 2.0% iShares MSCI Spain ETF $360 2.0% iShares MSCI Sweden ETF $480 2.0% iShares MSCI Thailand ETF $1,200 2.0% iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF $420 2.0% iShares MSCI World ETF $4,480 2.0% iShares MSCI World Small-Cap ETF $10,090 7.0% iShares Paris-Aligned Climate Optimized MSCI World ex USA ETF $2,140 2.0% iShares U.S. Power Infrastructure ETF $240 2.0%
* As a percentage of the net asset value per Creation Unit.
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Appendix A
iShares Core MSCI Pacific ETF iShares ESG Advanced MSCI EAFE ETF iShares ESG Advanced MSCI EM ETF iShares ESG Aware MSCI EAFE ETF iShares ESG Aware MSCI EM ETF iShares ESG MSCI EM Leaders ETF iShares JPX-Nikkei 400 ETF iShares Low Carbon Optimized MSCI ACWI ETF iShares MSCI ACWI ETF iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF iShares MSCI Agriculture Producers ETF iShares MSCI Belgium ETF iShares MSCI BIC ETF iShares MSCI Brazil ETF iShares MSCI Brazil Small-Cap ETF iShares MSCI Canada ETF iShares MSCI Chile ETF iShares MSCI China A ETF iShares MSCI China ETF iShares MSCI China Multisector Tech ETF iShares MSCI China Small-Cap ETF iShares MSCI Denmark ETF iShares MSCI EAFE Small-Cap ETF iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Min Vol Factor ETF iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Quality Factor ETF iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Value Factor ETF iShares MSCI France ETF iShares MSCI Germany ETF iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF iShares MSCI Global Min Vol Factor ETF iShares MSCI Global Quality Factor ETF
iShares MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners ETF iShares MSCI Global Sustainable Development Goals ETF iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF iShares MSCI India ETF iShares MSCI India Small-Cap ETF iShares MSCI Indonesia ETF iShares MSCI Intl Momentum Factor ETF iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF iShares MSCI Intl Value Factor ETF iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF iShares MSCI Japan Value ETF iShares MSCI Kokusai ETF iShares MSCI Kuwait ETF iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF iShares MSCI New Zealand ETF iShares MSCI Norway ETF iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF iShares MSCI Peru and Global Exposure ETF iShares MSCI Philippines ETF iShares MSCI Poland ETF iShares MSCI Qatar ETF iShares MSCI Singapore ETF iShares MSCI South Africa ETF iShares MSCI South Korea ETF iShares MSCI Spain ETF iShares MSCI Sweden ETF iShares MSCI Thailand ETF iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF iShares MSCI World ETF iShares MSCI World Small-Cap ETF iShares Paris-Aligned Climate Optimized MSCI World ex USA ETF iShares U.S. Power Infrastructure ETF
If you have any questions, please call 1-800-iShares (1-800-474-2737).
iShares ® is a registered trademark of BlackRock Fund Advisors and its affiliates. IS-A-CITI-0226
PLEASE RETAIN THIS SUPPLEMENT FOR FUTURE REFERENCE
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DECEMBER 30, 2025
Prospectus
iShares, Inc.
• iShares MSCI Agriculture Producers ETF | VEGI | NYSE Arca • iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF | RING | Nasdaq • iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF | PICK | Cboe BZX • iShares MSCI Global Min Vol Factor ETF | ACWV | Cboe BZX • iShares MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners ETF | SLVP | Cboe BZX
The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
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iShares MSCI Agriculture Producers ETF ..................................
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iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF ......................................
S-9
iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF ...................
S-17
iShares MSCI Global Min Vol Factor ETF ...................................
S-25
iShares MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners ETF ......................
S-32
More Information About the Funds ..............................................
1
Additional Information About the Funds’ Risks ................................
3
Portfolio Holdings Information ....................................................
20
Management of the Funds .........................................................
20
Shareholder Information ...........................................................
23
Distribution ...........................................................................
29
Financial Highlights .................................................................
30
Index Provider and Disclaimers ...................................................
33
Table of Contents
Fund Summaries
i
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iSHARES ® MSCI AGRICULTURE PRODUCERS ETF
Ticker: VEGI Stock Exchange: NYSE Arca
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.
Fees and Expenses
The following table describes the fees and expenses that you will incur if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund. Amounts in the table are rounded to the nearest basis point, which in some cases may be “0.00.” The investment advisory agreement between iShares, Inc. (the “Company”) and BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BFA”) (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”) provides that BFA will pay all operating expenses of the Fund, except: (i) the management fees, (ii) interest expenses, (iii) taxes, (iv) expenses incurred with respect to the acquisition and disposition of portfolio securities and the execution of portfolio transactions, including brokerage commissions, (v) distribution fees or expenses, and (vi) litigation expenses and any extraordinary expenses.
The Fund may incur “Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses.” Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses reflect the Fund’s pro rata share of the fees and expenses incurred indirectly by the Fund as a result of investing in other investment companies. The impact of Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses is included in the Fund’s total return but is not included in the Fund’s ratio of expenses to average net assets. Both figures are shown in the Financial Highlights section of the Fund’s prospectus (the “Prospectus”). BFA, the investment adviser to the Fund, has contractually agreed to waive a portion of its management fees in an amount equal to the Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, if any, attributable to investments by the Fund in other series of iShares Trust and the Company through December 31, 2028. The contractual waiver may be terminated prior to December 31, 2028 only upon written agreement of the Company and BFA.
You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below. Annual Fund Operating Expenses (ongoing expenses that you pay each year as a
1 percentage of the value of your investments) 1
Management Fees
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees Other Expenses
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement 0.39% None 0.00% 0.00% 0.39% (0.00)% 0.39%
1 Operating expenses paid by BFA under the Investment Advisory Agreement exclude Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, if any. Example. This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of owning shares of the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years $40 $125 $219 $493
Portfolio Turnover. The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 19% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund seeks to track the investment results of the MSCI ACWI Select Agriculture Producers Investable Market Index (IMI) (the
“Underlying Index”), which has been developed by MSCI Inc. (the “Index Provider” or “MSCI”) to measure the combined performance of equity securities of companies in both developed and emerging markets that are primarily engaged in the business of agriculture. MSCI begins with the MSCI ACWI Investable Market Index (IMI), and then selects securities of companies that are primarily focused on early phase agricultural production, including companies engaged in the production of fertilizers, agricultural chemicals, agricultural products and farm machinery and related parts. Additionally, companies involved in the production of packaged foods and meats are included in the Underlying Index to the extent they derive the majority of their total revenues from agricultural commodity production. Companies that are manufacturers of finished products that rely
S-1
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on agricultural commodities as raw materials are excluded from the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index includes large-, mid and small-capitalization companies and may change over time. As of August 31, 2025, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the consumer goods and services, industrials and materials industries or sectors. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. The Underlying Index consisted of securities of companies in 25 countries or regions as of August 31, 2025.
BFA uses an indexing approach to try to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. The Fund does not try to “beat” the index it tracks and does not seek temporary defensive positions when markets decline or appear overvalued.
Indexing may eliminate the chance that the Fund will substantially outperform the Underlying Index but also may reduce some of the risks of active management, such as poor security selection. Indexing seeks to achieve lower costs and better after-tax performance by aiming to keep portfolio turnover low in comparison to actively managed investment companies.
BFA uses a representative sampling indexing strategy to manage the Fund. “Representative sampling” is an indexing strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities or other instruments that collectively has an investment profile similar to that of an applicable underlying index. The instruments selected are expected to have, in the aggregate, investment characteristics (based on factors such as market capitalization and industry weightings), fundamental characteristics (such as return variability and yield) and liquidity measures similar to those of an applicable underlying index. The Fund may or may not hold all of the components of the Underlying Index.
The Fund generally will invest at least 80% of its assets in the component securities of its Underlying Index and in investments that have economic characteristics that are substantially identical to the component securities of its Underlying Index ( i.e ., depositary receipts representing securities of the Underlying Index) and may invest up to 20% of its assets in certain futures, options and swap contracts, cash and cash equivalents, including shares of money market funds advised by BFA or its affiliates, as well as in securities not included in the Underlying Index, but which BFA believes will help the Fund track the Underlying Index. Cash and cash equivalent investments associated with a derivative position will be treated as part of that position for the purposes of calculating the percentage of investments included in the Underlying Index. The Fund seeks to track the investment results of the Underlying Index before fees and expenses of the Fund.
The Fund may lend securities representing up to one-third of the value of the Fund’s total assets (including the value of any collateral received).
The Underlying Index is sponsored by MSCI, which is independent of the Fund and BFA. The Index Provider determines the composition and relative weightings of the securities in the Underlying Index and publishes information regarding the market value of the Underlying Index.
Industry Concentration Policy. The Fund will concentrate its investments ( i.e. , hold 25% or more of its total assets) in a particular industry or group of industries to approximately the
same extent that the Underlying Index is concentrated. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including its agencies and instrumentalities) and repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government securities are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.
Summary of Principal Risks
As with any investment, you could lose all or part of your investment in the Fund, and the Fund’s performance could trail that of other investments. The Fund is subject to certain risks, including the principal risks noted below, any of which may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value per share (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and ability to meet its investment objective. Certain key risks are prioritized below (with others following in alphabetical order), but the relative significance of any risk is difficult to predict and may change over time. You should review each risk factor carefully.
Risk of Investing in Agriculture and Livestock . Investments in the agricultural and livestock sectors may be volatile and change unpredictably as a result of many factors, such as legislative or regulatory developments relating to food safety, the imposition of tariffs or other trade restraints, and the supply and demand of each commodity. Increased competition and changes in consumer tastes and spending can also influence the demand for agricultural and livestock products, affecting the price of such commodities and the performance of the Fund.
Agricultural Production Industry Risk. Companies engaged in agricultural production may be adversely affected by changes or trends in commodity prices and labor costs, which may be influenced by unpredictable factors. Many companies in the agricultural production industry are subject to government subsidy policies and environmental, health and safety laws and regulations. Any changes to these policies and regulations, or the imposition of tariffs or other trade restraints, may have a material adverse effect on companies operating in this industry. Adverse weather conditions (such as floods or droughts), natural disasters and other factors, such as disease outbreaks, war or other conflict, also may adversely affect companies operating in this industry.
Equity Securities Risk . Equity securities are subject to changes in value, and their values may be more volatile than those of other asset classes. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons that may directly relate to the issuer as well as due to general industry or market conditions. Common stock is subordinated to preferred securities and debt in a company’s capital structure. Common stock has the lowest priority, and the greatest risk, with respect to dividends and any liquidation payments in the event of an issuer’s bankruptcy.
Market Risk . The Fund could lose money over short periods due to short-term market movements and over longer periods during more prolonged market downturns. Local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, pandemics or other public health issues, recessions, the prospect or occurrence of a sovereign default or other financial crisis, or other events could have a significant impact on the Fund and its investments and could result in increased premiums or discounts to the Fund’s NAV.
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Index-Related Risk. The Index Provider may rely on various sources of information to assess the criteria of components of the Underlying Index, including information that may be based on assumptions and estimates. Neither the Fund nor BFA can offer assurances that the Index Provider’s methodology or sources of information will provide an accurate assessment of included components or will result in the Fund meeting its investment objective. Errors in index data, index computations or the construction of the Underlying Index in accordance with its methodology may occur, and the Index Provider may not identify or correct them promptly or at all, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund and its shareholders. Unusual market conditions or other unforeseen circumstances (such as natural disasters, political unrest or war) may impact the Index Provider or a third-party data provider and could cause the Index Provider to postpone a scheduled rebalance. This could cause the Underlying Index to vary from its normal or expected composition.
Asset Class Risk. The securities and other assets in the Underlying Index or in the Fund’s portfolio may underperform in comparison to financial markets generally, a particular financial market, another index, or other asset classes.
Authorized Participant Concentration Risk. An “Authorized Participant” is a member or participant of a clearing agency registered with the SEC, which has a written agreement with the Fund or one of its service providers that allows the Authorized Participant to place orders for the purchase and redemption of creation units (“Creation Units”). Only an Authorized Participant may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. There are a limited number of institutions that may act as Authorized Participants for the Fund, including on an agency basis on behalf of other market participants. No Authorized Participant is obligated to engage in creation or redemption transactions. To the extent that Authorized Participants exit the business or do not place creation or redemption orders for the Fund and no other Authorized Participant places orders, Fund shares are more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting.
Commodity Risk. The Fund invests in companies that are susceptible to fluctuations in certain commodity markets and to price changes due to trade relations. Any negative changes in commodity markets that may be due to changes in supply and demand for commodities, market events, war, regulatory developments, other catastrophic events, or other factors that the Fund cannot control could have an adverse impact on those companies.
Concentration Risk. The Fund may be susceptible to an increased risk of loss, including losses due to adverse events that affect the Fund’s investments more than the market as a whole, to the extent that the Fund’s investments are concentrated in the securities or other assets of one or more issuers, countries or other geographic units, markets, industries, project types, or asset classes.
Consumer Goods and Services Companies Risk. Consumer goods and services companies face risks related to changes in consumer preferences and disposable income, commodity prices, government regulation, supply chain disruptions, damage to brand or reputation, economic slowdown and labor shortages, among other things.
Currency Risk . Because the Fund’s NAV is determined in U.S. dollars, the NAV could decline if the currency of a non-U.S. market in which the Fund invests depreciates against the U.S. dollar or if there are delays or limits on the repatriation of foreign currency. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. As a result, the Fund’s NAV may change quickly and without warning. In addition, the Fund may incur costs in connection with conversions between U.S. dollars and foreign currencies.
Industrial Companies Risk. Industrial companies face a number of risks, including supply chain and distribution disruptions, business interruptions, product obsolescence, third-party vendor risks, cyber attacks, trade disputes, product recalls, liability claims, scarcity of materials or parts, excess capacity, changes in consumer preferences, and volatility in commodity prices and currencies. The performance of such companies may also be affected by technological developments, labor relations, legislative and regulatory changes, government spending policies, and changes in domestic and international economies.
Issuer Risk . The performance of the Fund depends on the performance of individual securities or other assets to which the Fund has exposure. The value of securities or other assets may decline, or perform differently from the market as a whole, due to changes in the financial condition or credit rating of the issuer or counterparty.
Large-Capitalization Companies Risk. Large-capitalization companies may be less able than smaller-capitalization companies to adapt to changing market conditions and competitive challenges. Large-capitalization companies may be more mature and subject to more limited growth potential compared with smaller-capitalization companies. The performance of large-capitalization companies could trail the overall performance of the broader securities markets.
Large Shareholder and Large-Scale Redemption Risk. Certain shareholders of the Fund, including an Authorized Participant, a third-party investor, the Fund’s adviser, an affiliate of the Fund’s adviser, a market maker, or another entity, may from time to time own or manage a substantial amount of Fund shares, or may hold their investment in the Fund for a limited period of time. There can be no assurance that any large shareholder or large group of shareholders would not redeem their investment. Redemptions of a large number of Fund shares could require the Fund to dispose of assets to meet the redemption requests, which can accelerate the realization of taxable income and/or capital gains and cause the Fund to make taxable distributions to its shareholders earlier than the Fund otherwise would have. In addition, under certain circumstances, non-redeeming shareholders may be treated as receiving a disproportionately large taxable distribution during or with respect to such year. In some circumstances, the Fund may hold a relatively large proportion of its assets in cash in anticipation of large redemptions, diluting its investment returns. These large redemptions may also force the Fund to sell portfolio securities or other assets when it might not otherwise do so, which may negatively impact the Fund’s NAV, increase the Fund’s brokerage costs and/or have a material effect on the market price of Fund shares.
Management Risk . The Fund generally does not attempt to take defensive positions under any market conditions, including
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declining markets. As the Fund will not fully replicate the Underlying Index and may hold securities or other assets not included in the Underlying Index, it is subject to the risk that the investment strategy of BFA may not produce the intended results. There is no guarantee that the Fund’s investment results will have a high degree of correlation to those of the Underlying Index or that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.
Market Trading Risk . The Fund faces numerous market trading risks, including the potential lack of an active market for Fund shares (including through a trading halt), losses from trading in secondary markets, periods of high volatility, and disruptions in the process of creating and redeeming Fund shares. Any of these factors, among others, may lead to the Fund’s shares trading in the secondary market at a premium or discount to NAV or to the intraday value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings. If you buy Fund shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to NAV or sell Fund shares at a time when the market price is at a discount to NAV, you may pay significantly more or receive significantly less than the underlying value of the Fund shares.
Materials Companies Risk . Materials companies may be adversely affected by volatility in commodity prices, changes in exchange rates, social and political unrest, war, depletion of resources, lower demand, overproduction, litigation and government regulations, among other factors.
Mid-Capitalization Companies Risk . Compared to large capitalization companies, mid-capitalization companies may be less stable and more susceptible to adverse developments. The securities of mid-capitalization companies may be more volatile and less liquid than those of large-capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund’s share price may be more volatile than that of a fund with a greater investment in large-capitalization stocks.
National Closed Market Trading Risk. To the extent that securities or other assets held by the Fund trade on foreign exchanges or in foreign markets that may be closed when the securities exchange on which the Fund’s shares trade is open, there are likely to be deviations between such asset’s current price and its last quoted price ( i.e ., the quote from the closed foreign market to the Fund). The impact of a closed foreign market on the Fund is likely to be greater where a large portion of the Fund’s holdings trade on a closed foreign market or when a foreign market is closed for unscheduled reasons. These deviations could result in premiums or discounts to the Fund’s NAV that may be greater than those experienced by other funds.
Non-Diversification Risk . The Fund is classified as “non diversified.” This means that, compared with funds that are classified as “diversified,” the Fund may invest a greater percentage of its assets in securities or other instruments representing a small number of issuers or counterparties and thus may be more susceptible to the risks associated with these particular issuers or counterparties. As a result, the Fund’s performance may depend to a greater extent on the performance of a small number of issuers or counterparties, which may lead to more volatility in the Fund’s NAV.
Non-U.S. Securities Risk . Securities issued by non-U.S. issuers (including depositary receipts) are subject to different legal, regulatory, political, economic, and market risks than securities issued by U.S. issuers. These risks include greater market
volatility, less market liquidity, higher transaction costs, expropriation, confiscatory taxation, adverse changes in foreign investment or currency control regulations, restrictions on the repatriation of capital, and political instability. Non-U.S. issuers may be subject to different accounting, audit and financial reporting standards than U.S. issuers, and there may be less publicly available information about non-U.S. issuers. Foreign market trading hours, different clearing and settlement procedures, and holiday schedules may limit the Fund’s ability to engage in portfolio transactions. To the extent that investments are made in a limited number of countries, events in those countries will have a more significant impact on the Fund.
Operational and Technology Risks . The Fund is directly and indirectly susceptible to operational and technology risks, including those related to human errors, processing errors, communication errors, systems failures, cybersecurity incidents, and the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning (“AI”), which may result in losses for the Fund and its shareholders or may impair the Fund’s operations. While the Fund’s service providers are required to have appropriate operational, information security and cybersecurity risk management policies and procedures, their methods of risk management may differ from those of the Fund. Operational and technology risks for the issuers in which the Fund invests could also result in material adverse consequences for such issuers and may cause the Fund’s investments in such issuers to lose value.
Reliance on Trading Partners Risk . The Fund invests in countries or regions whose economies are heavily dependent upon trading with key partners. Any reduction in this trading may have an adverse impact on the Fund’s investments. Through its holdings of securities of certain issuers, the Fund is specifically exposed to Asian Economic Risk . Risk of Investing in China . Investments in Chinese securities, including certain Hong Kong-listed and U.S.-listed securities, are subject to risks specific to China. China may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability. Despite economic and market reforms in recent decades, the Chinese government’s control over certain sectors and enterprises and significant regulation of investment and industry are still pervasive. Chinese companies are subject to the risk that Chinese authorities can intervene in their operations and structure. Chinese markets generally continue to experience inefficiency, a lack of publicly available information and/or political and social instability and may be subject to volatility and pricing anomalies resulting from governmental influence. Internal social unrest or confrontations with other countries, including military conflicts in response to such events, may disrupt China’s economy and markets and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency non-convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher inflation.
China has experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international relations. Additionally, China is alleged to have participated in state-sponsored cyberattacks against foreign companies and foreign governments. Actual and threatened responses to such activity and strained international relations, including purchasing restrictions, sanctions, export controls, tariffs or cyberattacks on the Chinese government or Chinese companies, may impact China’s economy and Chinese issuers in
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which the Fund invests. Incidents involving China’s or the region’s security may adversely affect the Chinese economy and markets and the Fund’s investments.
The Chinese economy is highly reliant on trade. A reduction in spending on Chinese products and services, supply chain diversification, the institution of additional tariffs or other trade barriers (including as a result of heightened trade tensions or a trade war between China and the U.S. or in response to actual or alleged Chinese cyber activity) or a downturn in any of the economies of China’s key trading partners may have an adverse impact on the Chinese economy. The Underlying Index may include companies that are subject to economic or trade restrictions (but not investment restrictions) imposed by the U.S. or other governments due to national security, human rights or other concerns of such government. So long as these restrictions do not include restrictions on investments, the Fund is generally expected to invest in such companies, consistent with its objective to track the performance of the Underlying Index.
Chinese companies, including those listed on U.S. exchanges, are not subject to the same degree of regulatory requirements, accounting standards or auditor oversight as companies in more developed countries. As a result, information about the Chinese securities in which the Fund invests may be less reliable or complete. Chinese companies with securities listed on U.S. exchanges may be delisted if they do not meet U.S. accounting standards and auditor oversight requirements, or for other reasons, which would significantly decrease the liquidity and value of the securities. There may be significant obstacles to obtaining information necessary for investigations into or litigation against Chinese companies, and shareholders may have limited legal remedies.
Many Chinese companies listed on U.S. exchanges use variable interest entities or “VIEs” in their structure as a result of foreign ownership restrictions. Any change in the operations of entities in a VIE structure, the status of VIE contractual arrangements or the legal or regulatory environment in China could result in significant, and possibly permanent and/or total, losses for investments in VIE issuers. The Fund does not select investments based on investor protection considerations.
Risk of Investing in Developed Countries . The Fund’s investment in developed country issuers will subject the Fund to legal, regulatory, political, currency, security, economic and other risks associated with developed countries. Developed countries tend to represent a significant portion of the global economy and have generally experienced slower economic growth than some less developed countries. Certain developed countries have experienced security concerns, such as war, terrorism and strained international relations. Incidents involving a country’s or region’s security may cause uncertainty in its markets and may adversely affect its economy and the Fund’s investments. In addition, developed countries may be adversely impacted by changes to the economic conditions of certain key trading partners, regulatory burdens, debt burdens and the price or availability of certain commodities.
Risk of Investing in Russia. Investing in Russian securities involves significant risks, including legal, regulatory, currency and economic risks that are specific to Russia. In addition, investing in Russian securities involves risks associated with the settlement of
portfolio transactions and loss of the Fund’s ownership rights in its portfolio securities as a result of the system of share registration and custody in Russia. Governments, including the U.S., the U.K., the E.U., and many other countries have imposed economic sanctions on certain Russian individuals and Russian corporate and banking entities, and jurisdictions may also institute broader sanctions on Russia. Russia has issued a number of countersanctions, some of which restrict the distribution of profits by limited liability companies (e.g., dividends), and prohibit Russian persons from entering into transactions with designated persons from “unfriendly states” as well as the export of raw materials or other products from Russia to certain sanctioned persons. 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, including declines in its stock markets and the value of the ruble against the U.S. dollar, are impossible to predict, but could be significant. Disruptions caused by Russian military action or other actions (including cyberattacks and espionage) or resulting actual and threatened responses to such activity, including purchasing and financing restrictions, boycotts or changes in consumer or purchaser preferences, sanctions, import and export restrictions, tariffs or cyberattacks on the Russian government, Russian companies, or Russian individuals, including politicians, may impact Russia’s economy and Russian companies in which the Fund invests. Actual and threatened responses to Russian military action may also impact the markets for certain Russian commodities, such as oil and natural gas, as well as other sectors of the Russian economy, and are likely to have collateral impacts on such sectors globally. Russian companies may be unable to pay dividends and, if they pay dividends, the Fund may be unable to receive them. As a result of sanctions, the Fund is currently restricted from trading in Russian securities, including those in its portfolio, and the Underlying Index has removed Russian securities. It is unknown when, or if, sanctions may be lifted or the Fund’s ability to trade in Russian securities will resume.
Risk of Investing in Saudi Arabia . Investing in Saudi Arabian issuers subjects the Fund to legal, regulatory, political, currency, security, and economic risks that are specific to Saudi Arabia. The economy of Saudi Arabia is dominated by petroleum exports. A sustained decrease in petroleum prices could have a negative impact on all aspects of the economy. Investments in the securities of Saudi Arabian issuers involve risks not typically associated with investments in securities of issuers in more developed countries, which may negatively affect the value of the Fund’s investments. Such heightened risks may include, among others, the expropriation and/or nationalization of assets, restrictions on and government intervention in international trade, confiscatory taxation, political instability, including authoritarian and/or military involvement in governmental decision-making, armed conflict, crime and instability as a result of religious, ethnic and/or socioeconomic unrest. Instability in the Middle East region could adversely impact the economy of Saudi Arabia, and there is no assurance of political stability in Saudi Arabia.
The ability of foreign investors to invest in the securities of Saudi Arabian companies could be restricted by the Saudi Arabian government at any time, and unforeseen risks could materialize with respect to foreign ownership of such securities. There are a
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number of ways to conduct transactions in equity securities in the Saudi Arabian market. The Fund generally expects to transact in a manner so that it is not limited by Saudi Arabian regulations to a single broker. However, there may be a limited number of brokers who can provide services to the Fund, which may have an adverse impact on the prices, quantity or timing of Fund transactions.
Risk of Investing in the U.S . Investing in U.S. issuers subjects the Fund to legal, regulatory, political, currency, security, and economic risks that are specific to the U.S. Certain changes in the U.S., such as a weakening of the U.S. economy or a decline in its financial markets, may have an adverse effect on U.S. issuers.
Securities Lending Risk. The Fund may engage in securities lending. Securities lending involves the risk that the Fund may lose money because the borrower of the loaned securities fails to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. The Fund could also lose money in the event of a decline in the value of collateral provided for loaned securities or a decline in the value of any investments made with cash collateral. These events could also trigger adverse tax consequences for the Fund.
Small-Capitalization Companies Risk . Compared to mid- and large-capitalization companies, small-capitalization companies may be less stable and more susceptible to adverse developments. The securities of small-capitalization companies may be more volatile and less liquid than those of mid- and large capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund’s share price may be more volatile than that of a fund with a greater investment in large- or mid-capitalization stocks.
Tracking Error Risk . The Fund may be subject to “tracking error,” which is the divergence of the Fund’s performance from that of the Underlying Index. Tracking error may occur due to a number of factors, including differences between the securities and other assets held in the Fund’s portfolio and those included in the Underlying Index; differences in the timing and methodologies used to value securities and other assets; transaction costs and
other expenses incurred by the Fund that the Underlying Index does not incur; the Fund’s holding of uninvested cash; differences in the timing of the accrual or the valuation of dividends or interest received by the Fund or distributions paid to Fund shareholders; tax gains or losses; differences between the amount and/or timing of withholding taxes on dividends reflected in the Underlying Index from the Fund’s obligation, if any, for foreign withholding taxes; the requirements for the Fund to maintain pass-through tax treatment; portfolio transactions carried out to minimize the distribution of capital gains to shareholders; the acceptance of custom baskets; changes to the Underlying Index; and impacts to the Fund of complying with certain regulatory requirements or limits. Tracking error risk may be heightened during times of increased market volatility or other unusual market conditions. A Fund that tracks an index with exposure to non-U.S. issuers may experience higher tracking error than ETFs that do not track such indexes.
Valuation Risk . The price that the Fund could receive upon the sale (or other disposition) of a security or other asset may differ from the Fund’s valuation of the security or other asset, particularly for securities or other assets that trade in low volume or volatile markets or that are valued using a fair value methodology. The price received by the Fund also may differ from the value used by the Underlying Index. In addition, the value of the securities or other assets in the Fund’s portfolio may change on days or during time periods when investors are not able to purchase or sell Fund shares. Authorized Participants that create or redeem Fund shares on days when the Fund is holding fair valued securities or other assets may receive fewer or more shares, or lower or higher redemption proceeds, than they would have received had the securities or other assets not been fair valued or been valued using a different methodology. The ability to value investments may be impacted by technological issues or errors by pricing services or other third-party service providers.
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Performance Information
The performance information below illustrates how the Fund’s performance has varied over different periods and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the performance of the Fund has varied from one calendar year to another over the periods shown. The table compares the Fund’s performance to that of an appropriate broad-based securities market index and the Underlying Index. Returns assume the reinvestment of any dividends and distributions. The Fund’s returns reflect the impact of any agreements to waive or reimburse expenses, which would reduce performance if not in effect. Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information, including the Fund’s current NAV, may be obtained by visiting www.iShares.com or by calling 1-800-iShares (1-800-474-2737) (toll free).
Calendar Year-by-Year Returns
30% 20% 10% 0% -10% -20%
2 0 1 5 2 0 1 6 2 0 17 2 0 1 8 2 0 1 9 2 0 2 0 2 0 21 2 0 22 2 0 2 3 2 0 2 4
-13.95%
14.42% 19.80%
-9.07%
13.03%
18.78% 22.27%
6.65%
-8.51% -4.63%
Return (%) Period Ended Calendar Year-to-Date Return 11.44% September 30, 2025 During the periods shown in the chart: Best Quarter 19.46% December 31, 2020 Worst Quarter -24.36% March 31, 2020
Average Annual Total Returns (for the periods ended December 31, 2024) One Year Five Years Ten Years (Inception Date: 1/31/2012) Return Before Taxes -4.63% 6.21% 5.06% Return After Taxes on Distributions -5.20% 5.73% 4.62% Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares -2.33% 4.88% 4.02% MSCI All Country World Index (Net) 1 (Returns do not reflect deductions for fees, expenses or taxes except for withholding taxes on reinvested dividends) 17.49% 10.06% 9.23% MSCI ACWI Select Agriculture Producers Investable Market Index (Net) 1 (Returns do not reflect deductions for fees, expenses or taxes except for withholding taxes on reinvested dividends) -4.87% 6.28% 5.09%
1 Returns for net indices generally assume the reinvestment of dividends after the deduction of the maximum withholding tax in each country applicable to non-residents of the country as determined by the index provider. Such indices use withholding tax rates that are often at a higher rate than the rates to which the Fund is subject in each country, including for countries where the Fund is not subject to withholding taxes. When this is the case, index performance will be lower than if the index used the Fund’s applicable withholding tax rates, if any. After-tax returns in the table above are calculated using the historical highest individual U.S. federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state or local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to tax-exempt investors or investors who hold shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts (“IRAs”). Fund returns after taxes on distributions and sales of Fund shares are calculated assuming that an investor has sufficient capital gains of the same character from other investments to offset any capital losses from the sales of Fund shares. As a result, Fund returns after taxes on distributions and sales of Fund shares may exceed Fund returns before taxes and/or returns after taxes on distributions.
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Management
Investment Adviser. BlackRock Fund Advisors.
Portfolio Managers. Jennifer Hsui, Peter Sietsema, Matt Waldron and Steven White (the “Portfolio Managers”) are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. Each Portfolio Manager supervises a portfolio management team. Ms. Hsui has been a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 2012. Mr. Sietsema, Mr. Waldron and Mr. White have been Portfolio Managers of the Fund since 2025.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is an ETF. Individual shares of the Fund may only be bought and sold in the secondary market through a broker-dealer. Because ETF shares trade at market prices rather than at NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (a premium) or less than NAV (a discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”).
Tax Information
The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement such as a 401(k) plan or an IRA, in which case, your distributions generally will be taxed when withdrawn.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), BFA or other related companies may pay the intermediary for marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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iSHARES ® MSCI GLOBAL GOLD MINERS ETF
Ticker: RING Stock Exchange: Nasdaq
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.
Fees and Expenses
The following table describes the fees and expenses that you will incur if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund. Amounts in the table are rounded to the nearest basis point, which in some cases may be “0.00.” The investment advisory agreement between iShares, Inc. (the “Company”) and BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BFA”) (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”) provides that BFA will pay all operating expenses of the Fund, except: (i) the management fees, (ii) interest expenses, (iii) taxes, (iv) expenses incurred with respect to the acquisition and disposition of portfolio securities and the execution of portfolio transactions, including brokerage commissions, (v) distribution fees or expenses, and (vi) litigation expenses and any extraordinary expenses.
You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below. Annual Fund Operating Expenses (ongoing expenses that you pay each year as a
1 percentage of the value of your investments) 1
Management Fees
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees
Other Expenses
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 0.39% None 0.00% 0.39%
1 Operating expenses paid by BFA under the Investment Advisory Agreement exclude acquired fund fees and expenses, if any. Example. This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of owning shares of the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years $40 $125 $219 $493
Portfolio Turnover. The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 23% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund seeks to track the investment results of the MSCI ACWI Select Gold Miners Investable Market Index (IMI) (the “Underlying Index”), which has been developed by MSCI Inc. (the “Index Provider” or “MSCI”) to target a minimum of 30 companies in developed and emerging markets that are involved in the business of gold mining. MSCI begins with the MSCI ACWI Investable Market Index (IMI), and then selects securities of companies that are primarily focused on the extraction and production of gold, and state as a general policy that they do not hedge their
exposure to gold prices as long as no indication of hedging activities is found in their annual reports or such hedging activities are identified but represent less than 10% of the business. If the number of constituents from the selection universe is less than 30, MSCI will include additional securities from the selection universe according to a criteria based on a company’s hedging activities. If after that application there remains less than 30 constituents, MSCI will select securities outside of the selection universe from the MSCI ACWI Investable Market Index (IMI) in the following order: (i) companies in the gold sector that do not generate revenues from gold but are involved in gold exploration, (ii) companies in the precious metals and minerals sectors that do not generate revenues from gold but are involved in gold exploration and (iii) certain gold companies of the MSCI World Micro Cap Index. The price of the equity securities of these companies and the price of gold may not always be closely correlated. The Underlying Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted index with a capping methodology that limits all issuer weights so that no single issuer of a component exceeds 25% of the Underlying Index weight, and all issuers with a weight above 5% do not cumulatively exceed 50% of the Underlying Index weight.
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The Underlying Index includes large-, mid- and small-capitalization companies and may change over time. As of August 31, 2025, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the materials industry or sector. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. As of August 31, 2025, the Underlying Index consisted of securities of companies in the following nine countries or regions: Australia, Canada, China, Indonesia, Peru, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom (the “U.K.”) and the U.S. The Fund, under normal market conditions, will invest at least 40% of its assets in issuers organized or located outside the U.S. or doing business outside the U.S.
BFA uses an indexing approach to try to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. The Fund does not try to “beat” the index it tracks and does not seek temporary defensive positions when markets decline or appear overvalued.
Indexing may eliminate the chance that the Fund will substantially outperform the Underlying Index but also may reduce some of the risks of active management, such as poor security selection. Indexing seeks to achieve lower costs and better after-tax performance by aiming to keep portfolio turnover low in comparison to actively managed investment companies.
BFA uses a representative sampling indexing strategy to manage the Fund. “Representative sampling” is an indexing strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities or other instruments that collectively has an investment profile similar to that of an applicable underlying index. The instruments selected are expected to have, in the aggregate, investment characteristics (based on factors such as market capitalization and industry weightings), fundamental characteristics (such as return variability and yield) and liquidity measures similar to those of an applicable underlying index. The Fund may or may not hold all of the components of the Underlying Index.
The Fund generally will invest at least 80% of its assets in the component securities of its Underlying Index and in investments that have economic characteristics that are substantially identical to the component securities of its Underlying Index ( i.e ., depositary receipts representing securities of the Underlying Index) and may invest up to 20% of its assets in certain futures, options and swap contracts, cash and cash equivalents, including shares of money market funds advised by BFA or its affiliates, as well as in securities not included in the Underlying Index, but which BFA believes will help the Fund track the Underlying Index. Cash and cash equivalent investments associated with a derivative position will be treated as part of that position for the purposes of calculating the percentage of investments included in the Underlying Index. The Fund seeks to track the investment results of the Underlying Index before fees and expenses of the Fund.
The Fund may lend securities representing up to one-third of the value of the Fund’s total assets (including the value of any collateral received).
The Underlying Index is sponsored by MSCI, which is independent of the Fund and BFA. The Index Provider determines the composition and relative weightings of the securities in the Underlying Index and publishes information regarding the market value of the Underlying Index.
Industry Concentration Policy. The Fund will concentrate its investments ( i.e. , hold 25% or more of its total assets) in a particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent that the Underlying Index is concentrated. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including its agencies and instrumentalities) and repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government securities are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.
Summary of Principal Risks
As with any investment, you could lose all or part of your investment in the Fund, and the Fund’s performance could trail that of other investments. The Fund is subject to certain risks, including the principal risks noted below, any of which may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value per share (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and ability to meet its investment objective. Certain key risks are prioritized below (with others following in alphabetical order), but the relative significance of any risk is difficult to predict and may change over time. You should review each risk factor carefully.
Gold Mining Sub-Industry Risk. The profitability of companies in the gold mining sub-industry is related to, among other things, the worldwide price of gold and the costs of extraction and production. Worldwide gold prices may fluctuate substantially over short periods of time, so the Fund’s share price may be more volatile than other types of investments. Gold mining companies may be adversely affected by changes in exchange rates, interest rates, economic conditions, tax treatment, government regulation and intervention and world events in the regions in which the companies operate ( e.g. , expropriation, nationalization, confiscation of assets and property, repatriation of capital, military coups, social unrest, violence and labor unrest). The price of the equity securities of these companies and the price of gold may not always be closely correlated.
Commodity Risk. The Fund invests in companies that are susceptible to fluctuations in certain commodity markets and to price changes due to trade relations. Any negative changes in commodity markets that may be due to changes in supply and demand for commodities, market events, war, regulatory developments, other catastrophic events, or other factors that the Fund cannot control could have an adverse impact on those companies.
Equity Securities Risk . Equity securities are subject to changes in value, and their values may be more volatile than those of other asset classes. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons that may directly relate to the issuer as well as due to general industry or market conditions. Common stock is subordinated to preferred securities and debt in a company’s capital structure. Common stock has the lowest priority, and the greatest risk, with respect to dividends and any liquidation payments in the event of an issuer’s bankruptcy.
Market Risk . The Fund could lose money over short periods due to short-term market movements and over longer periods during more prolonged market downturns. Local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, pandemics or other public health issues, recessions, the prospect or occurrence of a sovereign default or other financial crisis, or other events could
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have a significant impact on the Fund and its investments and could result in increased premiums or discounts to the Fund’s NAV.
Index-Related Risk. The Index Provider may rely on various sources of information to assess the criteria of components of the Underlying Index, including information that may be based on assumptions and estimates. Neither the Fund nor BFA can offer assurances that the Index Provider’s methodology or sources of information will provide an accurate assessment of included components or will result in the Fund meeting its investment objective. Errors in index data, index computations or the construction of the Underlying Index in accordance with its methodology may occur, and the Index Provider may not identify or correct them promptly or at all, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund and its shareholders. Unusual market conditions or other unforeseen circumstances (such as natural disasters, political unrest or war) may impact the Index Provider or a third-party data provider and could cause the Index Provider to postpone a scheduled rebalance. This could cause the Underlying Index to vary from its normal or expected composition.
Asset Class Risk. The securities and other assets in the Underlying Index or in the Fund’s portfolio may underperform in comparison to financial markets generally, a particular financial market, another index, or other asset classes.
Authorized Participant Concentration Risk. An “Authorized Participant” is a member or participant of a clearing agency registered with the SEC, which has a written agreement with the Fund or one of its service providers that allows the Authorized Participant to place orders for the purchase and redemption of creation units (“Creation Units”). Only an Authorized Participant may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. There are a limited number of institutions that may act as Authorized Participants for the Fund, including on an agency basis on behalf of other market participants. No Authorized Participant is obligated to engage in creation or redemption transactions. To the extent that Authorized Participants exit the business or do not place creation or redemption orders for the Fund and no other Authorized Participant places orders, Fund shares are more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting.
Concentration Risk. The Fund may be susceptible to an increased risk of loss, including losses due to adverse events that affect the Fund’s investments more than the market as a whole, to the extent that the Fund’s investments are concentrated in the securities or other assets of one or more issuers, countries or other geographic units, markets, industries, project types, or asset classes.
Currency Risk . Because the Fund’s NAV is determined in U.S. dollars, the NAV could decline if the currency of a non-U.S. market in which the Fund invests depreciates against the U.S. dollar or if there are delays or limits on the repatriation of foreign currency. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. As a result, the Fund’s NAV may change quickly and without warning. In addition, the Fund may incur costs in connection with conversions between U.S. dollars and foreign currencies.
Issuer Risk . The performance of the Fund depends on the performance of individual securities or other assets to which the Fund has exposure. The value of securities or other assets may decline, or perform differently from the market as a whole, due to changes in the financial condition or credit rating of the issuer or counterparty.
Large-Capitalization Companies Risk. Large-capitalization companies may be less able than smaller-capitalization companies to adapt to changing market conditions and competitive challenges. Large-capitalization companies may be more mature and subject to more limited growth potential compared with smaller-capitalization companies. The performance of large-capitalization companies could trail the overall performance of the broader securities markets.
Large Shareholder and Large-Scale Redemption Risk. Certain shareholders of the Fund, including an Authorized Participant, a third-party investor, the Fund’s adviser, an affiliate of the Fund’s adviser, a market maker, or another entity, may from time to time own or manage a substantial amount of Fund shares, or may hold their investment in the Fund for a limited period of time. There can be no assurance that any large shareholder or large group of shareholders would not redeem their investment. Redemptions of a large number of Fund shares could require the Fund to dispose of assets to meet the redemption requests, which can accelerate the realization of taxable income and/or capital gains and cause the Fund to make taxable distributions to its shareholders earlier than the Fund otherwise would have. In addition, under certain circumstances, non-redeeming shareholders may be treated as receiving a disproportionately large taxable distribution during or with respect to such year. In some circumstances, the Fund may hold a relatively large proportion of its assets in cash in anticipation of large redemptions, diluting its investment returns. These large redemptions may also force the Fund to sell portfolio securities or other assets when it might not otherwise do so, which may negatively impact the Fund’s NAV, increase the Fund’s brokerage costs and/or have a material effect on the market price of Fund shares.
Management Risk . The Fund generally does not attempt to take defensive positions under any market conditions, including declining markets. As the Fund will not fully replicate the Underlying Index and may hold securities or other assets not included in the Underlying Index, it is subject to the risk that the investment strategy of BFA may not produce the intended results. There is no guarantee that the Fund’s investment results will have a high degree of correlation to those of the Underlying Index or that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.
Market Trading Risk . The Fund faces numerous market trading risks, including the potential lack of an active market for Fund shares (including through a trading halt), losses from trading in secondary markets, periods of high volatility, and disruptions in the process of creating and redeeming Fund shares. Any of these factors, among others, may lead to the Fund’s shares trading in the secondary market at a premium or discount to NAV or to the intraday value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings. If you buy Fund shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to NAV or sell Fund shares at a time when the market price is at a discount to NAV, you may pay significantly more or receive significantly less than the underlying value of the Fund shares.
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Materials Companies Risk . Materials companies may be adversely affected by volatility in commodity prices, changes in exchange rates, social and political unrest, war, depletion of resources, lower demand, overproduction, litigation and government regulations, among other factors.
National Closed Market Trading Risk. To the extent that securities or other assets held by the Fund trade on foreign exchanges or in foreign markets that may be closed when the securities exchange on which the Fund’s shares trade is open, there are likely to be deviations between such asset’s current price and its last quoted price ( i.e ., the quote from the closed foreign market to the Fund). The impact of a closed foreign market on the Fund is likely to be greater where a large portion of the Fund’s holdings trade on a closed foreign market or when a foreign market is closed for unscheduled reasons. These deviations could result in premiums or discounts to the Fund’s NAV that may be greater than those experienced by other funds.
Non-Diversification Risk . The Fund is classified as “non diversified.” This means that, compared with funds that are classified as “diversified,” the Fund may invest a greater percentage of its assets in securities or other instruments representing a small number of issuers or counterparties and thus may be more susceptible to the risks associated with these particular issuers or counterparties. As a result, the Fund’s performance may depend to a greater extent on the performance of a small number of issuers or counterparties, which may lead to more volatility in the Fund’s NAV.
Non-U.S. Securities Risk . Securities issued by non-U.S. issuers (including depositary receipts) are subject to different legal, regulatory, political, economic, and market risks than securities issued by U.S. issuers. These risks include greater market volatility, less market liquidity, higher transaction costs, expropriation, confiscatory taxation, adverse changes in foreign investment or currency control regulations, restrictions on the repatriation of capital, and political instability. Non-U.S. issuers may be subject to different accounting, audit and financial reporting standards than U.S. issuers, and there may be less publicly available information about non-U.S. issuers. Foreign market trading hours, different clearing and settlement procedures, and holiday schedules may limit the Fund’s ability to engage in portfolio transactions. To the extent that investments are made in a limited number of countries, events in those countries will have a more significant impact on the Fund.
Operational and Technology Risks . The Fund is directly and indirectly susceptible to operational and technology risks, including those related to human errors, processing errors, communication errors, systems failures, cybersecurity incidents, and the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning (“AI”), which may result in losses for the Fund and its shareholders or may impair the Fund’s operations. While the Fund’s service providers are required to have appropriate operational, information security and cybersecurity risk management policies and procedures, their methods of risk management may differ from those of the Fund. Operational and technology risks for the issuers in which the Fund invests could also result in material adverse consequences for such issuers and may cause the Fund’s investments in such issuers to lose value.
Reliance on Trading Partners Risk . The Fund invests in countries or regions whose economies are heavily dependent upon trading with key partners. Any reduction in this trading may have an adverse impact on the Fund’s investments. Through its holdings of securities of certain issuers, the Fund is specifically exposed to North American Economic Risk . Risk of Investing in Canada . Investing in Canadian issuers subjects the Fund to legal, regulatory, political, economic, currency, geographic and security risks that are specific to Canada. Canada depends heavily on trading with the U.S., China, Mexico, the United Kingdom and Japan. Its economy may be significantly impacted by changes in the economies and trade policies of these key trading partners, particularly the U.S. The Canadian economy is also sensitive to fluctuations in certain commodity markets, including the energy sector.
Risk of Investing in China . Investments in Chinese securities, including certain Hong Kong-listed and U.S.-listed securities, are subject to risks specific to China. China may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability. Despite economic and market reforms in recent decades, the Chinese government’s control over certain sectors and enterprises and significant regulation of investment and industry are still pervasive. Chinese companies are subject to the risk that Chinese authorities can intervene in their operations and structure. Chinese markets generally continue to experience inefficiency, a lack of publicly available information and/or political and social instability and may be subject to volatility and pricing anomalies resulting from governmental influence. Internal social unrest or confrontations with other countries, including military conflicts in response to such events, may disrupt China’s economy and markets and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency non-convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher inflation.
China has experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international relations. Additionally, China is alleged to have participated in state-sponsored cyberattacks against foreign companies and foreign governments. Actual and threatened responses to such activity and strained international relations, including purchasing restrictions, sanctions, export controls, tariffs or cyberattacks on the Chinese government or Chinese companies, may impact China’s economy and Chinese issuers in which the Fund invests. Incidents involving China’s or the region’s security may adversely affect the Chinese economy and markets and the Fund’s investments.
The Chinese economy is highly reliant on trade. A reduction in spending on Chinese products and services, supply chain diversification, the institution of additional tariffs or other trade barriers (including as a result of heightened trade tensions or a trade war between China and the U.S. or in response to actual or alleged Chinese cyber activity) or a downturn in any of the economies of China’s key trading partners may have an adverse impact on the Chinese economy. The Underlying Index may include companies that are subject to economic or trade restrictions (but not investment restrictions) imposed by the U.S. or other governments due to national security, human rights or other concerns of such government. So long as these restrictions do not include restrictions on investments, the Fund is generally
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expected to invest in such companies, consistent with its objective to track the performance of the Underlying Index.
Chinese companies, including those listed on U.S. exchanges, are not subject to the same degree of regulatory requirements, accounting standards or auditor oversight as companies in more developed countries. As a result, information about the Chinese securities in which the Fund invests may be less reliable or complete. Chinese companies with securities listed on U.S. exchanges may be delisted if they do not meet U.S. accounting standards and auditor oversight requirements, or for other reasons, which would significantly decrease the liquidity and value of the securities. There may be significant obstacles to obtaining information necessary for investigations into or litigation against Chinese companies, and shareholders may have limited legal remedies.
Many Chinese companies listed on U.S. exchanges use variable interest entities or “VIEs” in their structure as a result of foreign ownership restrictions. Any change in the operations of entities in a VIE structure, the status of VIE contractual arrangements or the legal or regulatory environment in China could result in significant, and possibly permanent and/or total, losses for investments in VIE issuers. The Fund does not select investments based on investor protection considerations.
Risk of Investing in Developed Countries . The Fund’s investment in developed country issuers will subject the Fund to legal, regulatory, political, currency, security, economic and other risks associated with developed countries. Developed countries tend to represent a significant portion of the global economy and have generally experienced slower economic growth than some less developed countries. Certain developed countries have experienced security concerns, such as war, terrorism and strained international relations. Incidents involving a country’s or region’s security may cause uncertainty in its markets and may adversely affect its economy and the Fund’s investments. In addition, developed countries may be adversely impacted by changes to the economic conditions of certain key trading partners, regulatory burdens, debt burdens and the price or availability of certain commodities.
Risk of Investing in Russia. Investing in Russian securities involves significant risks, including legal, regulatory, currency and economic risks that are specific to Russia. In addition, investing in Russian securities involves risks associated with the settlement of portfolio transactions and loss of the Fund’s ownership rights in its portfolio securities as a result of the system of share registration and custody in Russia. Governments, including the U.S., the U.K., the E.U., and many other countries have imposed economic sanctions on certain Russian individuals and Russian corporate and banking entities, and jurisdictions may also institute broader sanctions on Russia. Russia has issued a number of countersanctions, some of which restrict the distribution of profits by limited liability companies (e.g., dividends), and prohibit Russian persons from entering into transactions with designated persons from “unfriendly states” as well as the export of raw materials or other products from Russia to certain sanctioned persons.
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, including
declines in its stock markets and the value of the ruble against the U.S. dollar, are impossible to predict, but could be significant. Disruptions caused by Russian military action or other actions (including cyberattacks and espionage) or resulting actual and threatened responses to such activity, including purchasing and financing restrictions, boycotts or changes in consumer or purchaser preferences, sanctions, import and export restrictions, tariffs or cyberattacks on the Russian government, Russian companies, or Russian individuals, including politicians, may impact Russia’s economy and Russian companies in which the Fund invests. Actual and threatened responses to Russian military action may also impact the markets for certain Russian commodities, such as oil and natural gas, as well as other sectors of the Russian economy, and are likely to have collateral impacts on such sectors globally. Russian companies may be unable to pay dividends and, if they pay dividends, the Fund may be unable to receive them. As a result of sanctions, the Fund is currently restricted from trading in Russian securities, including those in its portfolio, and the Underlying Index has removed Russian securities. It is unknown when, or if, sanctions may be lifted or the Fund’s ability to trade in Russian securities will resume.
Securities Lending Risk. The Fund may engage in securities lending. Securities lending involves the risk that the Fund may lose money because the borrower of the loaned securities fails to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. The Fund could also lose money in the event of a decline in the value of collateral provided for loaned securities or a decline in the value of any investments made with cash collateral. These events could also trigger adverse tax consequences for the Fund.
Small-Capitalization Companies Risk . Compared to mid- and large-capitalization companies, small-capitalization companies may be less stable and more susceptible to adverse developments. The securities of small-capitalization companies may be more volatile and less liquid than those of mid- and large capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund’s share price may be more volatile than that of a fund with a greater investment in large- or mid-capitalization stocks.
Tracking Error Risk . The Fund may be subject to “tracking error,” which is the divergence of the Fund’s performance from that of the Underlying Index. Tracking error may occur due to a number of factors, including differences between the securities and other assets held in the Fund’s portfolio and those included in the Underlying Index; differences in the timing and methodologies used to value securities and other assets; transaction costs and other expenses incurred by the Fund that the Underlying Index does not incur; the Fund’s holding of uninvested cash; differences in the timing of the accrual or the valuation of dividends or interest received by the Fund or distributions paid to Fund shareholders; tax gains or losses; differences between the amount and/or timing of withholding taxes on dividends reflected in the Underlying Index from the Fund’s obligation, if any, for foreign withholding taxes; the requirements for the Fund to maintain pass-through tax treatment; portfolio transactions carried out to minimize the distribution of capital gains to shareholders; the acceptance of custom baskets; changes to the Underlying Index; and impacts to the Fund of complying with certain regulatory requirements or limits. Tracking error risk may be heightened during times of increased market volatility or other unusual market conditions. A Fund that tracks an index with
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exposure to non-U.S. issuers may experience higher tracking error than ETFs that do not track such indexes.
Valuation Risk . The price that the Fund could receive upon the sale (or other disposition) of a security or other asset may differ from the Fund’s valuation of the security or other asset, particularly for securities or other assets that trade in low volume or volatile markets or that are valued using a fair value methodology. The price received by the Fund also may differ from the value used by the Underlying Index. In addition, the value of the securities or other assets in the Fund’s portfolio may change
on days or during time periods when investors are not able to purchase or sell Fund shares. Authorized Participants that create or redeem Fund shares on days when the Fund is holding fair valued securities or other assets may receive fewer or more shares, or lower or higher redemption proceeds, than they would have received had the securities or other assets not been fair valued or been valued using a different methodology. The ability to value investments may be impacted by technological issues or errors by pricing services or other third-party service providers.
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Performance Information
The performance information below illustrates how the Fund’s performance has varied over different periods and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the performance of the Fund has varied from one calendar year to another over the periods shown. The table compares the Fund’s performance to that of an appropriate broad-based securities market index and the Underlying Index. Returns assume the reinvestment of any dividends and distributions. The Fund’s returns reflect the impact of any agreements to waive or reimburse expenses, which would reduce performance if not in effect. Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information, including the Fund’s current NAV, may be obtained by visiting www.iShares.com or by calling 1-800-iShares (1-800-474-2737) (toll free).
Calendar Year-by-Year Returns
75% 50% 25% 0% -25% -50%
2 0 1 5 2 0 1 6 2 0 17 2 0 1 8 2 0 1 9 2 0 2 0 2 0 21 2 0 22 2 0 2 3 2 0 2 4
-26.61%
62.48%
9.00%
-13.58%
50.69% 24.99%
-7.97% -14.92%
12.62% 14.72%
Return (%) Period Ended Calendar Year-to-Date Return 131.54% September 30, 2025 During the periods shown in the chart: Best Quarter 58.38% March 31, 2016 Worst Quarter -28.74% June 30, 2022
Average Annual Total Returns (for the periods ended December 31, 2024) One Year Five Years Ten Years (Inception Date: 1/31/2012) Return Before Taxes 14.72% 4.80% 7.91% Return After Taxes on Distributions 14.43% 4.50% 7.66% Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 9.09% 3.84% 6.48% MSCI All Country World Index (Net) 1 (Returns do not reflect deductions for fees, expenses or taxes except for withholding taxes on reinvested dividends) 17.49% 10.06% 9.23% MSCI ACWI Select Gold Miners Investable Market Index (Net) 1 (Returns do not reflect deductions for fees, expenses or taxes except for withholding taxes on reinvested dividends) 13.83% 4.73% 7.98%
1 Returns for net indices generally assume the reinvestment of dividends after the deduction of the maximum withholding tax in each country applicable to non-residents of the country as determined by the index provider. Such indices use withholding tax rates that are often at a higher rate than the rates to which the Fund is subject in each country, including for countries where the Fund is not subject to withholding taxes. When this is the case, index performance will be lower than if the index used the Fund’s applicable withholding tax rates, if any. After-tax returns in the table above are calculated using the historical highest individual U.S. federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state or local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to tax-exempt investors or investors who hold shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts (“IRAs”). Fund returns after taxes on distributions and sales of Fund shares are calculated assuming that an investor has sufficient capital gains of the same character from other investments to offset any capital losses from the sales of Fund shares. As a result, Fund returns after taxes on distributions and sales of Fund shares may exceed Fund returns before taxes and/or returns after taxes on distributions.
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Management
Investment Adviser. BlackRock Fund Advisors.
Portfolio Managers. Jennifer Hsui, Peter Sietsema, Matt Waldron and Steven White (the “Portfolio Managers”) are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. Each Portfolio Manager supervises a portfolio management team. Ms. Hsui has been a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 2012. Mr. Sietsema, Mr. Waldron and Mr. White have been Portfolio Managers of the Fund since 2025.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is an ETF. Individual shares of the Fund may only be bought and sold in the secondary market through a broker-dealer. Because ETF shares trade at market prices rather than at NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (a premium) or less than NAV (a discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”).
Tax Information
The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement such as a 401(k) plan or an IRA, in which case, your distributions generally will be taxed when withdrawn.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), BFA or other related companies may pay the intermediary for marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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iSHARES ® MSCI GLOBAL METALS & MINING PRODUCERS ETF
Ticker: PICK Stock Exchange: Cboe BZX
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.
Fees and Expenses
The following table describes the fees and expenses that you will incur if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund. Amounts in the table are rounded to the nearest basis point, which in some cases may be “0.00.” The investment advisory agreement between iShares, Inc. (the “Company”) and BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BFA”) (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”) provides that BFA will pay all operating expenses of the Fund, except: (i) the management fees, (ii) interest expenses, (iii) taxes, (iv) expenses incurred with respect to the acquisition and disposition of portfolio securities and the execution of portfolio transactions, including brokerage commissions, (v) distribution fees or expenses, and (vi) litigation expenses and any extraordinary expenses.
The Fund may incur “Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses.” Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses reflect the Fund’s pro rata share of the fees and expenses incurred indirectly by the Fund as a result of investing in other investment companies. The impact of Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses is included in the Fund’s total return but is not included in the Fund’s ratio of expenses to average net assets. Both figures are shown in the Financial Highlights section of the Fund’s prospectus (the “Prospectus”). BFA, the investment adviser to the Fund, has contractually agreed to waive a portion of its management fees in an amount equal to the Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, if any, attributable to investments by the Fund in other series of iShares Trust and the Company through December 31, 2028. The contractual waiver may be terminated prior to December 31, 2028 only upon written agreement of the Company and BFA.
You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below. Annual Fund Operating Expenses (ongoing expenses that you pay each year as a
1 percentage of the value of your investments) 1
Management Fees
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees Other Expenses
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement 0.39% None 0.00% 0.00% 0.39% (0.00)% 0.39%
1 Operating expenses paid by BFA under the Investment Advisory Agreement exclude Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, if any. Example. This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of owning shares of the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years $40 $125 $219 $493
Portfolio Turnover. The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 10% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund seeks to track the investment results of the MSCI ACWI Select Metals & Mining Producers ex Gold and Silver Investable
Market Index (IMI) (the “Underlying Index”), which has been developed by MSCI Inc. (the “Index Provider” or “MSCI”) to measure the combined performance of equity securities of companies in both developed and emerging markets that are primarily involved in the extraction or production of diversified metals, the production of aluminum or steel, and in the mining of precious metals and minerals (excluding gold and silver). MSCI begins with the MSCI ACWI Investable Market Index (IMI), and then selects securities of companies that are primarily focused on extraction and production of aluminum, steel and diversified metals and mining. The Underlying Index excludes companies that are included in the MSCI ACWI Select Gold Miners Investable Market Index (IMI) and/or MSCI ACWI Select Silver Miners Investable Market Index (IMI).
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The Underlying Index includes large-, mid- and small-capitalization companies and may change over time. As of August 31, 2025, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the materials industry or sector. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. As of August 31, 2025, the Underlying Index consisted of securities of companies in 29 countries or regions. The Fund, under normal market conditions, will invest at least 40% of its assets in issuers organized or located outside the U.S. or doing business outside the U.S.
BFA uses an indexing approach to try to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. The Fund does not try to “beat” the index it tracks and does not seek temporary defensive positions when markets decline or appear overvalued.
Indexing may eliminate the chance that the Fund will substantially outperform the Underlying Index but also may reduce some of the risks of active management, such as poor security selection. Indexing seeks to achieve lower costs and better after-tax performance by aiming to keep portfolio turnover low in comparison to actively managed investment companies.
BFA uses a representative sampling indexing strategy to manage the Fund. “Representative sampling” is an indexing strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities or other instruments that collectively has an investment profile similar to that of an applicable underlying index. The instruments selected are expected to have, in the aggregate, investment characteristics (based on factors such as market capitalization and industry weightings), fundamental characteristics (such as return variability and yield) and liquidity measures similar to those of an applicable underlying index. The Fund may or may not hold all of the components of the Underlying Index.
The Fund generally will invest at least 80% of its assets in the component securities of its Underlying Index and in investments that have economic characteristics that are substantially identical to the component securities of its Underlying Index ( i.e ., depositary receipts representing securities of the Underlying Index) and may invest up to 20% of its assets in certain futures, options and swap contracts, cash and cash equivalents, including shares of money market funds advised by BFA or its affiliates, as well as in securities not included in the Underlying Index, but which BFA believes will help the Fund track the Underlying Index. Cash and cash equivalent investments associated with a derivative position will be treated as part of that position for the purposes of calculating the percentage of investments included in the Underlying Index. The Fund seeks to track the investment results of the Underlying Index before fees and expenses of the Fund.
The Fund may lend securities representing up to one-third of the value of the Fund’s total assets (including the value of any collateral received).
The Underlying Index is sponsored by MSCI, which is independent of the Fund and BFA. The Index Provider determines the composition and relative weightings of the securities in the Underlying Index and publishes information regarding the market value of the Underlying Index.
Industry Concentration Policy. The Fund will concentrate its investments ( i.e. , hold 25% or more of its total assets) in a
particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent that the Underlying Index is concentrated. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including its agencies and instrumentalities) and repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government securities are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.
Summary of Principal Risks
As with any investment, you could lose all or part of your investment in the Fund, and the Fund’s performance could trail that of other investments. The Fund is subject to certain risks, including the principal risks noted below, any of which may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value per share (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and ability to meet its investment objective. Certain key risks are prioritized below (with others following in alphabetical order), but the relative significance of any risk is difficult to predict and may change over time. You should review each risk factor carefully.
Metals and Mining Industry Risk. Companies in the metals and mining industry are susceptible to fluctuations in worldwide metal prices and extraction and production costs. In addition, metals and mining companies may have significant operations in areas at risk for social and political unrest, security concerns and environmental damage. These companies may also be at risk for increased government regulation and intervention. Such risks may adversely affect the issuers to which the Fund has exposure.
Commodity Risk. The Fund invests in companies that are susceptible to fluctuations in certain commodity markets and to price changes due to trade relations. Any negative changes in commodity markets that may be due to changes in supply and demand for commodities, market events, war, regulatory developments, other catastrophic events, or other factors that the Fund cannot control could have an adverse impact on those companies.
Equity Securities Risk . Equity securities are subject to changes in value, and their values may be more volatile than those of other asset classes. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons that may directly relate to the issuer as well as due to general industry or market conditions. Common stock is subordinated to preferred securities and debt in a company’s capital structure. Common stock has the lowest priority, and the greatest risk, with respect to dividends and any liquidation payments in the event of an issuer’s bankruptcy.
Market Risk . The Fund could lose money over short periods due to short-term market movements and over longer periods during more prolonged market downturns. Local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, pandemics or other public health issues, recessions, the prospect or occurrence of a sovereign default or other financial crisis, or other events could have a significant impact on the Fund and its investments and could result in increased premiums or discounts to the Fund’s NAV.
Index-Related Risk. The Index Provider may rely on various sources of information to assess the criteria of components of the Underlying Index, including information that may be based on assumptions and estimates. Neither the Fund nor BFA can offer assurances that the Index Provider’s methodology or sources of
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information will provide an accurate assessment of included components or will result in the Fund meeting its investment objective. Errors in index data, index computations or the construction of the Underlying Index in accordance with its methodology may occur, and the Index Provider may not identify or correct them promptly or at all, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund and its shareholders. Unusual market conditions or other unforeseen circumstances (such as natural disasters, political unrest or war) may impact the Index Provider or a third-party data provider and could cause the Index Provider to postpone a scheduled rebalance. This could cause the Underlying Index to vary from its normal or expected composition.
Asset Class Risk. The securities and other assets in the Underlying Index or in the Fund’s portfolio may underperform in comparison to financial markets generally, a particular financial market, another index, or other asset classes.
Authorized Participant Concentration Risk. An “Authorized Participant” is a member or participant of a clearing agency registered with the SEC, which has a written agreement with the Fund or one of its service providers that allows the Authorized Participant to place orders for the purchase and redemption of creation units (“Creation Units”). Only an Authorized Participant may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. There are a limited number of institutions that may act as Authorized Participants for the Fund, including on an agency basis on behalf of other market participants. No Authorized Participant is obligated to engage in creation or redemption transactions. To the extent that Authorized Participants exit the business or do not place creation or redemption orders for the Fund and no other Authorized Participant places orders, Fund shares are more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting.
Concentration Risk. The Fund may be susceptible to an increased risk of loss, including losses due to adverse events that affect the Fund’s investments more than the market as a whole, to the extent that the Fund’s investments are concentrated in the securities or other assets of one or more issuers, countries or other geographic units, markets, industries, project types, or asset classes.
Currency Risk . Because the Fund’s NAV is determined in U.S. dollars, the NAV could decline if the currency of a non-U.S. market in which the Fund invests depreciates against the U.S. dollar or if there are delays or limits on the repatriation of foreign currency. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. As a result, the Fund’s NAV may change quickly and without warning. In addition, the Fund may incur costs in connection with conversions between U.S. dollars and foreign currencies.
Custody Risk . Less developed securities markets are more likely to experience problems with the clearing and settlement of trades, as well as the custody of securities and other assets by local banks, agents and depositories. These issues may have an adverse impact on the Fund, including losses or delays in payments, delivery or recovery of money or other assets.
Issuer Risk . The performance of the Fund depends on the performance of individual securities or other assets to which the Fund has exposure. The value of securities or other assets may
decline, or perform differently from the market as a whole, due to changes in the financial condition or credit rating of the issuer or counterparty.
Large-Capitalization Companies Risk. Large-capitalization companies may be less able than smaller-capitalization companies to adapt to changing market conditions and competitive challenges. Large-capitalization companies may be more mature and subject to more limited growth potential compared with smaller-capitalization companies. The performance of large-capitalization companies could trail the overall performance of the broader securities markets.
Large Shareholder and Large-Scale Redemption Risk. Certain shareholders of the Fund, including an Authorized Participant, a third-party investor, the Fund’s adviser, an affiliate of the Fund’s adviser, a market maker, or another entity, may from time to time own or manage a substantial amount of Fund shares, or may hold their investment in the Fund for a limited period of time. There can be no assurance that any large shareholder or large group of shareholders would not redeem their investment. Redemptions of a large number of Fund shares could require the Fund to dispose of assets to meet the redemption requests, which can accelerate the realization of taxable income and/or capital gains and cause the Fund to make taxable distributions to its shareholders earlier than the Fund otherwise would have. In addition, under certain circumstances, non-redeeming shareholders may be treated as receiving a disproportionately large taxable distribution during or with respect to such year. In some circumstances, the Fund may hold a relatively large proportion of its assets in cash in anticipation of large redemptions, diluting its investment returns. These large redemptions may also force the Fund to sell portfolio securities or other assets when it might not otherwise do so, which may negatively impact the Fund’s NAV, increase the Fund’s brokerage costs and/or have a material effect on the market price of Fund shares.
Management Risk . The Fund generally does not attempt to take defensive positions under any market conditions, including declining markets. As the Fund will not fully replicate the Underlying Index and may hold securities or other assets not included in the Underlying Index, it is subject to the risk that the investment strategy of BFA may not produce the intended results. There is no guarantee that the Fund’s investment results will have a high degree of correlation to those of the Underlying Index or that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.
Market Trading Risk . The Fund faces numerous market trading risks, including the potential lack of an active market for Fund shares (including through a trading halt), losses from trading in secondary markets, periods of high volatility, and disruptions in the process of creating and redeeming Fund shares. Any of these factors, among others, may lead to the Fund’s shares trading in the secondary market at a premium or discount to NAV or to the intraday value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings. If you buy Fund shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to NAV or sell Fund shares at a time when the market price is at a discount to NAV, you may pay significantly more or receive significantly less than the underlying value of the Fund shares.
Materials Companies Risk . Materials companies may be adversely affected by volatility in commodity prices, changes in exchange rates, social and political unrest, war, depletion of
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resources, lower demand, overproduction, litigation and government regulations, among other factors.
Mid-Capitalization Companies Risk . Compared to large capitalization companies, mid-capitalization companies may be less stable and more susceptible to adverse developments. The securities of mid-capitalization companies may be more volatile and less liquid than those of large-capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund’s share price may be more volatile than that of a fund with a greater investment in large-capitalization stocks.
National Closed Market Trading Risk. To the extent that securities or other assets held by the Fund trade on foreign exchanges or in foreign markets that may be closed when the securities exchange on which the Fund’s shares trade is open, there are likely to be deviations between such asset’s current price and its last quoted price ( i.e ., the quote from the closed foreign market to the Fund). The impact of a closed foreign market on the Fund is likely to be greater where a large portion of the Fund’s holdings trade on a closed foreign market or when a foreign market is closed for unscheduled reasons. These deviations could result in premiums or discounts to the Fund’s NAV that may be greater than those experienced by other funds.
Non-Diversification Risk . The Fund is classified as “non diversified.” This means that, compared with funds that are classified as “diversified,” the Fund may invest a greater percentage of its assets in securities or other instruments representing a small number of issuers or counterparties and thus may be more susceptible to the risks associated with these particular issuers or counterparties. As a result, the Fund’s performance may depend to a greater extent on the performance of a small number of issuers or counterparties, which may lead to more volatility in the Fund’s NAV.
Non-U.S. Securities Risk . Securities issued by non-U.S. issuers (including depositary receipts) are subject to different legal, regulatory, political, economic, and market risks than securities issued by U.S. issuers. These risks include greater market volatility, less market liquidity, higher transaction costs, expropriation, confiscatory taxation, adverse changes in foreign investment or currency control regulations, restrictions on the repatriation of capital, and political instability. Non-U.S. issuers may be subject to different accounting, audit and financial reporting standards than U.S. issuers, and there may be less publicly available information about non-U.S. issuers. Foreign market trading hours, different clearing and settlement procedures, and holiday schedules may limit the Fund’s ability to engage in portfolio transactions. To the extent that investments are made in a limited number of countries, events in those countries will have a more significant impact on the Fund. The Fund is specifically exposed to Asian Economic Risk, Australasian Economic Risk, European Economic Risk and North American Economic Risk . Operational and Technology Risks . The Fund is directly and indirectly susceptible to operational and technology risks, including those related to human errors, processing errors, communication errors, systems failures, cybersecurity incidents, and the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning (“AI”), which may result in losses for the Fund and its shareholders or may impair the Fund’s operations. While the Fund’s service providers are required to have appropriate operational,
information security and cybersecurity risk management policies and procedures, their methods of risk management may differ from those of the Fund. Operational and technology risks for the issuers in which the Fund invests could also result in material adverse consequences for such issuers and may cause the Fund’s investments in such issuers to lose value.
Reliance on Trading Partners Risk . The Fund invests in countries or regions whose economies are heavily dependent upon trading with key partners. Any reduction in this trading may have an adverse impact on the Fund’s investments. Through its holdings of securities of certain issuers, the Fund is specifically exposed to Asian Economic Risk, European Economic Risk and U.S. Economic Risk . Risk of Investing in Australia . Investing in Australian issuers subjects the Fund to legal, regulatory, political, currency, security, and economic risks that are specific to Australia. The Australian economy depends heavily on energy, agricultural and mining exports and, as a result, is susceptible to fluctuations in the commodity markets. Australia also depends on trading with key trading partners.
Risk of Investing in China . Investments in Chinese securities, including certain Hong Kong-listed and U.S.-listed securities, are subject to risks specific to China. China may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability. Despite economic and market reforms in recent decades, the Chinese government’s control over certain sectors and enterprises and significant regulation of investment and industry are still pervasive. Chinese companies are subject to the risk that Chinese authorities can intervene in their operations and structure. Chinese markets generally continue to experience inefficiency, a lack of publicly available information and/or political and social instability and may be subject to volatility and pricing anomalies resulting from governmental influence. Internal social unrest or confrontations with other countries, including military conflicts in response to such events, may disrupt China’s economy and markets and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency non-convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher inflation.
China has experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international relations. Additionally, China is alleged to have participated in state-sponsored cyberattacks against foreign companies and foreign governments. Actual and threatened responses to such activity and strained international relations, including purchasing restrictions, sanctions, export controls, tariffs or cyberattacks on the Chinese government or Chinese companies, may impact China’s economy and Chinese issuers in which the Fund invests. Incidents involving China’s or the region’s security may adversely affect the Chinese economy and markets and the Fund’s investments.
The Chinese economy is highly reliant on trade. A reduction in spending on Chinese products and services, supply chain diversification, the institution of additional tariffs or other trade barriers (including as a result of heightened trade tensions or a trade war between China and the U.S. or in response to actual or alleged Chinese cyber activity) or a downturn in any of the economies of China’s key trading partners may have an adverse impact on the Chinese economy. The Underlying Index may include companies that are subject to economic or trade
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restrictions (but not investment restrictions) imposed by the U.S. or other governments due to national security, human rights or other concerns of such government. So long as these restrictions do not include restrictions on investments, the Fund is generally expected to invest in such companies, consistent with its objective to track the performance of the Underlying Index.
Chinese companies, including those listed on U.S. exchanges, are not subject to the same degree of regulatory requirements, accounting standards or auditor oversight as companies in more developed countries. As a result, information about the Chinese securities in which the Fund invests may be less reliable or complete. Chinese companies with securities listed on U.S. exchanges may be delisted if they do not meet U.S. accounting standards and auditor oversight requirements, or for other reasons, which would significantly decrease the liquidity and value of the securities. There may be significant obstacles to obtaining information necessary for investigations into or litigation against Chinese companies, and shareholders may have limited legal remedies.
Many Chinese companies listed on U.S. exchanges use variable interest entities or “VIEs” in their structure as a result of foreign ownership restrictions. Any change in the operations of entities in a VIE structure, the status of VIE contractual arrangements or the legal or regulatory environment in China could result in significant, and possibly permanent and/or total, losses for investments in VIE issuers. The Fund does not select investments based on investor protection considerations.
Risk of Investing in Developed Countries . The Fund’s investment in developed country issuers will subject the Fund to legal, regulatory, political, currency, security, economic and other risks associated with developed countries. Developed countries tend to represent a significant portion of the global economy and have generally experienced slower economic growth than some less developed countries. Certain developed countries have experienced security concerns, such as war, terrorism and strained international relations. Incidents involving a country’s or region’s security may cause uncertainty in its markets and may adversely affect its economy and the Fund’s investments. In addition, developed countries may be adversely impacted by changes to the economic conditions of certain key trading partners, regulatory burdens, debt burdens and the price or availability of certain commodities.
Risk of Investing in Emerging Markets . Investments in emerging markets may be subject to a greater risk of loss than investments in more developed markets. The risks of emerging markets may include, among others, greater market volatility; political, legal, economic, and social instability; less developed securities markets, including settlement, custody and valuation processes; government expropriation or nationalization of assets; greater volatility in currency exchange rates; more capital controls; less governmental supervision and regulation; and less stringent accounting, auditing and disclosure requirements. There may be significant obstacles to obtaining information necessary for investigations into or litigation against companies, and shareholders may have limited legal remedies. The Fund does not select investments based on investor protection considerations. Emerging market securities may face liquidity challenges, and the
Fund may be unable to liquidate its positions in such securities at a favorable time or price.
Risk of Investing in Industrial Metals . The industrial metals sector may be adversely affected by changes in international economic and political conditions, increased competition and changes in industrial and commercial demand for industrial metals. As a result, the price of industrial metals has been subject to substantial price fluctuations over short periods of time.
Risk of Investing in Russia. Investing in Russian securities involves significant risks, including legal, regulatory, currency and economic risks that are specific to Russia. In addition, investing in Russian securities involves risks associated with the settlement of portfolio transactions and loss of the Fund’s ownership rights in its portfolio securities as a result of the system of share registration and custody in Russia. Governments, including the U.S., the U.K., the E.U., and many other countries have imposed economic sanctions on certain Russian individuals and Russian corporate and banking entities, and jurisdictions may also institute broader sanctions on Russia. Russia has issued a number of countersanctions, some of which restrict the distribution of profits by limited liability companies (e.g., dividends), and prohibit Russian persons from entering into transactions with designated persons from “unfriendly states” as well as the export of raw materials or other products from Russia to certain sanctioned persons.
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, including declines in its stock markets and the value of the ruble against the U.S. dollar, are impossible to predict, but could be significant. Disruptions caused by Russian military action or other actions (including cyberattacks and espionage) or resulting actual and threatened responses to such activity, including purchasing and financing restrictions, boycotts or changes in consumer or purchaser preferences, sanctions, import and export restrictions, tariffs or cyberattacks on the Russian government, Russian companies, or Russian individuals, including politicians, may impact Russia’s economy and Russian companies in which the Fund invests. Actual and threatened responses to Russian military action may also impact the markets for certain Russian commodities, such as oil and natural gas, as well as other sectors of the Russian economy, and are likely to have collateral impacts on such sectors globally. Russian companies may be unable to pay dividends and, if they pay dividends, the Fund may be unable to receive them. As a result of sanctions, the Fund is currently restricted from trading in Russian securities, including those in its portfolio, and the Underlying Index has removed Russian securities. It is unknown when, or if, sanctions may be lifted or the Fund’s ability to trade in Russian securities will resume.
Risk of Investing in Saudi Arabia . Investing in Saudi Arabian issuers subjects the Fund to legal, regulatory, political, currency, security, and economic risks that are specific to Saudi Arabia. The economy of Saudi Arabia is dominated by petroleum exports. A sustained decrease in petroleum prices could have a negative impact on all aspects of the economy. Investments in the securities of Saudi Arabian issuers involve risks not typically associated with investments in securities of issuers in more developed countries, which may negatively affect the value of the
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Fund’s investments. Such heightened risks may include, among others, the expropriation and/or nationalization of assets, restrictions on and government intervention in international trade, confiscatory taxation, political instability, including authoritarian and/or military involvement in governmental decision-making, armed conflict, crime and instability as a result of religious, ethnic and/or socioeconomic unrest. Instability in the Middle East region could adversely impact the economy of Saudi Arabia, and there is no assurance of political stability in Saudi Arabia.
The ability of foreign investors to invest in the securities of Saudi Arabian companies could be restricted by the Saudi Arabian government at any time, and unforeseen risks could materialize with respect to foreign ownership of such securities. There are a number of ways to conduct transactions in equity securities in the Saudi Arabian market. The Fund generally expects to transact in a manner so that it is not limited by Saudi Arabian regulations to a single broker. However, there may be a limited number of brokers who can provide services to the Fund, which may have an adverse impact on the prices, quantity or timing of Fund transactions.
Securities Lending Risk. The Fund may engage in securities lending. Securities lending involves the risk that the Fund may lose money because the borrower of the loaned securities fails to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. The Fund could also lose money in the event of a decline in the value of collateral provided for loaned securities or a decline in the value of any investments made with cash collateral. These events could also trigger adverse tax consequences for the Fund.
Small-Capitalization Companies Risk . Compared to mid- and large-capitalization companies, small-capitalization companies may be less stable and more susceptible to adverse developments. The securities of small-capitalization companies may be more volatile and less liquid than those of mid- and large capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund’s share price may be more volatile than that of a fund with a greater investment in large- or mid-capitalization stocks.
Tracking Error Risk . The Fund may be subject to “tracking error,” which is the divergence of the Fund’s performance from that of the Underlying Index. Tracking error may occur due to a number of
factors, including differences between the securities and other assets held in the Fund’s portfolio and those included in the Underlying Index; differences in the timing and methodologies used to value securities and other assets; transaction costs and other expenses incurred by the Fund that the Underlying Index does not incur; the Fund’s holding of uninvested cash; differences in the timing of the accrual or the valuation of dividends or interest received by the Fund or distributions paid to Fund shareholders; tax gains or losses; differences between the amount and/or timing of withholding taxes on dividends reflected in the Underlying Index from the Fund’s obligation, if any, for foreign withholding taxes; the requirements for the Fund to maintain pass-through tax treatment; portfolio transactions carried out to minimize the distribution of capital gains to shareholders; the acceptance of custom baskets; changes to the Underlying Index; and impacts to the Fund of complying with certain regulatory requirements or limits. Tracking error risk may be heightened during times of increased market volatility or other unusual market conditions. A Fund that tracks an index with exposure to non-U.S. issuers may experience higher tracking error than ETFs that do not track such indexes.
Valuation Risk . The price that the Fund could receive upon the sale (or other disposition) of a security or other asset may differ from the Fund’s valuation of the security or other asset, particularly for securities or other assets that trade in low volume or volatile markets or that are valued using a fair value methodology. The price received by the Fund also may differ from the value used by the Underlying Index. In addition, the value of the securities or other assets in the Fund’s portfolio may change on days or during time periods when investors are not able to purchase or sell Fund shares. Authorized Participants that create or redeem Fund shares on days when the Fund is holding fair valued securities or other assets may receive fewer or more shares, or lower or higher redemption proceeds, than they would have received had the securities or other assets not been fair valued or been valued using a different methodology. The ability to value investments may be impacted by technological issues or errors by pricing services or other third-party service providers.
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Performance Information
The performance information below illustrates how the Fund’s performance has varied over different periods and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the performance of the Fund has varied from one calendar year to another over the periods shown. The table compares the Fund’s performance to that of an appropriate broad-based securities market index and the Underlying Index. Returns assume the reinvestment of any dividends and distributions. The Fund’s returns reflect the impact of any agreements to waive or reimburse expenses, which would reduce performance if not in effect. Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information, including the Fund’s current NAV, may be obtained by visiting www.iShares.com or by calling 1-800-iShares (1-800-474-2737) (toll free).
Calendar Year-by-Year Returns
75% 50% 25% 0% -25% -50% -75%
2 0 1 5 2 0 1 6 2 0 17 2 0 1 8 2 0 1 9 2 0 2 0 2 0 21 2 0 22 2 0 2 3 2 0 2 4
-40.25%
57.16% 37.14%
-18.51%
16.48% 26.97% 22.35% 3.35% 10.05%
-16.55%
Return (%) Period Ended Calendar Year-to-Date Return 29.56% September 30, 2025 During the periods shown in the chart: Best Quarter 39.38% December 31, 2020 Worst Quarter -35.52% March 31, 2020
Average Annual Total Returns (for the periods ended December 31, 2024) One Year Five Years Ten Years (Inception Date: 1/31/2012) Return Before Taxes -16.55% 8.08% 6.07% Return After Taxes on Distributions -16.98% 7.03% 4.98% Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares -9.17% 6.50% 4.76% MSCI All Country World Index (Net) 1 (Returns do not reflect deductions for fees, expenses or taxes except for withholding taxes on reinvested dividends) 17.49% 10.06% 9.23% MSCI ACWI Select Metals & Mining Producers ex Gold and Silver Investable Market Index (Net) 1 (Returns do not reflect deductions for fees, expenses or taxes except for withholding taxes on reinvested dividends) -16.47% 8.35% 6.32%
1 Returns for net indices generally assume the reinvestment of dividends after the deduction of the maximum withholding tax in each country applicable to non-residents of the country as determined by the index provider. Such indices use withholding tax rates that are often at a higher rate than the rates to which the Fund is subject in each country, including for countries where the Fund is not subject to withholding taxes. When this is the case, index performance will be lower than if the index used the Fund’s applicable withholding tax rates, if any. After-tax returns in the table above are calculated using the historical highest individual U.S. federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state or local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to tax-exempt investors or investors who hold shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts (“IRAs”). Fund returns after taxes on distributions and sales of Fund shares are calculated assuming that an investor has sufficient capital gains of the same character from other investments to offset any capital losses from the sales of Fund shares. As a result, Fund returns after taxes on distributions and sales of Fund shares may exceed Fund returns before taxes and/or returns after taxes on distributions.
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Management
Investment Adviser. BlackRock Fund Advisors.
Portfolio Managers. Jennifer Hsui, Peter Sietsema, Matt Waldron and Steven White (the “Portfolio Managers”) are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. Each Portfolio Manager supervises a portfolio management team. Ms. Hsui has been a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 2012. Mr. Sietsema, Mr. Waldron and Mr. White have been Portfolio Managers of the Fund since 2025.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is an ETF. Individual shares of the Fund may only be bought and sold in the secondary market through a broker-dealer. Because ETF shares trade at market prices rather than at NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (a premium) or less than NAV (a discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”).
Tax Information
The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement such as a 401(k) plan or an IRA, in which case, your distributions generally will be taxed when withdrawn.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), BFA or other related companies may pay the intermediary for marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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iSHARES ® MSCI GLOBAL MIN VOL
FACTOR ETF
Ticker: ACWV Stock Exchange: Cboe BZX
Investment Objective
The iShares MSCI Global Min Vol 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.
Fees and Expenses
The following table describes the fees and expenses that you will incur if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund. Amounts in the table are rounded to the nearest basis point, which in some cases may be “0.00.” The investment advisory agreement between iShares, Inc. (the “Company”) and BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BFA”) (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”) provides that BFA will pay all operating expenses of the Fund, except: (i) the management fees, (ii) interest expenses, (iii) taxes, (iv) expenses incurred with respect to the acquisition and disposition of portfolio securities and the execution of portfolio transactions, including brokerage commissions, (v) distribution fees or expenses, and (vi) litigation expenses and any extraordinary expenses.
You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below. Annual Fund Operating Expenses (ongoing expenses that you pay each year as a
1 percentage of the value of your investments) 1
Management Fees
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees
Other Expenses
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 0.20% None 0.00% 0.20%
1 Operating expenses paid by BFA under the Investment Advisory Agreement exclude acquired fund fees and expenses, if any. Example. This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of owning shares of the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years $20 $64 $113 $255
Portfolio Turnover. The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 27% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund seeks to track the investment results of the MSCI ACWI Minimum Volatility (USD) Index (the “Underlying Index”), which has been developed by MSCI Inc. (the “Index Provider” or “MSCI”) to measure the combined performance of equity securities in both developed and emerging markets that, in the aggregate, have lower volatility relative to the broader large- and mid-capitalization developed and emerging markets. The Underlying Index is designed by selecting securities from the MSCI All Country World Index (the “Parent Index”), which is a capitalization-weighted index, and then follows a rules-based methodology to optimize
the Underlying Index and determine weights for securities in the index having the lowest total risk. Under a rules-based methodology, securities and weighting of the index are established based on pre-established parameters and discretionary factors are not relied on. In order to determine weightings by security within the Underlying Index, MSCI seeks to construct a portfolio of lowest absolute volatility using its multi factor risk model. The portfolio is then further refined by an optimization tool that aims to determine the lowest absolute volatility based on the projected “riskiness” of securities in the Parent Index while subjected to constraints based on established minimum and maximum weightings of index constituents and sectors as well as factor constraints (for example, liquidity and financial leverage) as measured by MSCI. The Underlying Index is reconstituted quarterly. At each reconstitution, one-way turnover is capped at 5%.
As of August 31, 2025, the Underlying Index consisted of securities of companies in 36 countries or regions. As of August 31, 2025, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the consumer goods
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and services, financials and technology industries or sectors. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time.
BFA uses an indexing approach to try to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. The Fund does not try to “beat” the index it tracks and does not seek temporary defensive positions when markets decline or appear overvalued.
Indexing may eliminate the chance that the Fund will substantially outperform the Underlying Index but also may reduce some of the risks of active management, such as poor security selection. Indexing seeks to achieve lower costs and better after-tax performance by aiming to keep portfolio turnover low in comparison to actively managed investment companies.
BFA uses a representative sampling indexing strategy to manage the Fund. “Representative sampling” is an indexing strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities or other instruments that collectively has an investment profile similar to that of an applicable underlying index. The instruments selected are expected to have, in the aggregate, investment characteristics (based on factors such as market capitalization and industry weightings), fundamental characteristics (such as return variability and yield) and liquidity measures similar to those of an applicable underlying index. The Fund may or may not hold all of the components of the Underlying Index.
The Fund generally will invest at least 80% of its assets in the component securities of its Underlying Index and in investments that have economic characteristics that are substantially identical to the component securities of its Underlying Index ( i.e ., depositary receipts representing securities of the Underlying Index) and may invest up to 20% of its assets in certain futures, options and swap contracts, cash and cash equivalents, including shares of money market funds advised by BFA or its affiliates, as well as in securities not included in the Underlying Index, but which BFA believes will help the Fund track the Underlying Index. Cash and cash equivalent investments associated with a derivative position will be treated as part of that position for the purposes of calculating the percentage of investments included in the Underlying Index. The Fund seeks to track the investment results of the Underlying Index before fees and expenses of the Fund.
The Fund may lend securities representing up to one-third of the value of the Fund’s total assets (including the value of any collateral received).
The Underlying Index is sponsored by MSCI, which is independent of the Fund and BFA. The Index Provider determines the composition and relative weightings of the securities in the Underlying Index and publishes information regarding the market value of the Underlying Index.
Industry Concentration Policy. The Fund will concentrate its investments ( i.e. , hold 25% or more of its total assets) in a particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent that the Underlying Index is concentrated. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including its agencies and instrumentalities) and repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government securities are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.
Summary of Principal Risks
As with any investment, you could lose all or part of your investment in the Fund, and the Fund’s performance could trail that of other investments. The Fund is subject to certain risks,
including the principal risks noted below, any of which may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value per share (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and ability to meet its investment objective. Certain key risks are prioritized below (with others following in alphabetical order), but the relative significance of any risk is difficult to predict and may change over time. You should review each risk factor carefully.
Risk of Investing in the U.S . Investing in U.S. issuers subjects the Fund to legal, regulatory, political, currency, security, and economic risks that are specific to the U.S. Certain changes in the U.S., such as a weakening of the U.S. economy or a decline in its financial markets, may have an adverse effect on U.S. issuers.
Non-U.S. Securities Risk . Securities issued by non-U.S. issuers (including depositary receipts) are subject to different legal, regulatory, political, economic, and market risks than securities issued by U.S. issuers. These risks include greater market volatility, less market liquidity, higher transaction costs, expropriation, confiscatory taxation, adverse changes in foreign investment or currency control regulations, restrictions on the repatriation of capital, and political instability. Non-U.S. issuers may be subject to different accounting, audit and financial reporting standards than U.S. issuers, and there may be less publicly available information about non-U.S. issuers. Foreign market trading hours, different clearing and settlement procedures, and holiday schedules may limit the Fund’s ability to engage in portfolio transactions. To the extent that investments are made in a limited number of countries, events in those countries will have a more significant impact on the Fund. The Fund is specifically exposed to Asian Economic Risk . Low Volatility Risk . A low volatility strategy may underperform the broader market during periods of strong, rising or speculative stock prices. In addition, there is a risk that the Fund may experience more than minimum volatility. Securities in the Fund’s portfolio may be subject to price volatility, and their prices may not be less volatile (and could be more volatile) than the market as a whole, which could adversely affect the Fund’s NAV.
Equity Securities Risk . Equity securities are subject to changes in value, and their values may be more volatile than those of other asset classes. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons that may directly relate to the issuer as well as due to general industry or market conditions. Common stock is subordinated to preferred securities and debt in a company’s capital structure. Common stock has the lowest priority, and the greatest risk, with respect to dividends and any liquidation payments in the event of an issuer’s bankruptcy.
Market Risk . The Fund could lose money over short periods due to short-term market movements and over longer periods during more prolonged market downturns. Local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, pandemics or other public health issues, recessions, the prospect or occurrence of a sovereign default or other financial crisis, or other events could have a significant impact on the Fund and its investments and could result in increased premiums or discounts to the Fund’s NAV.
Index-Related Risk. The Index Provider may rely on various sources of information to assess the criteria of components of the Underlying Index, including information that may be based on assumptions and estimates. Neither the Fund nor BFA can offer assurances that the Index Provider’s methodology or sources of information will provide an accurate assessment of included components or will result in the Fund meeting its investment objective. Errors in index data, index computations or the construction of the Underlying Index in accordance with its
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methodology may occur, and the Index Provider may not identify or correct them promptly or at all, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund and its shareholders. Unusual market conditions or other unforeseen circumstances (such as natural disasters, political unrest or war) may impact the Index Provider or a third-party data provider and could cause the Index Provider to postpone a scheduled rebalance. This could cause the Underlying Index to vary from its normal or expected composition.
Asset Class Risk. The securities and other assets in the Underlying Index or in the Fund’s portfolio may underperform in comparison to financial markets generally, a particular financial market, another index, or other asset classes.
Authorized Participant Concentration Risk. An “Authorized Participant” is a member or participant of a clearing agency registered with the SEC, which has a written agreement with the Fund or one of its service providers that allows the Authorized Participant to place orders for the purchase and redemption of creation units (“Creation Units”). Only an Authorized Participant may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. There are a limited number of institutions that may act as Authorized Participants for the Fund, including on an agency basis on behalf of other market participants. No Authorized Participant is obligated to engage in creation or redemption transactions. To the extent that Authorized Participants exit the business or do not place creation or redemption orders for the Fund and no other Authorized Participant places orders, Fund shares are more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting.
Concentration Risk. The Fund may be susceptible to an increased risk of loss, including losses due to adverse events that affect the Fund’s investments more than the market as a whole, to the extent that the Fund’s investments are concentrated in the securities or other assets of one or more issuers, countries or other geographic units, markets, industries, project types, or asset classes.
Consumer Goods and Services Companies Risk. Consumer goods and services companies face risks related to changes in consumer preferences and disposable income, commodity prices, government regulation, supply chain disruptions, damage to brand or reputation, economic slowdown and labor shortages, among other things.
Currency Risk . Because the Fund’s NAV is determined in U.S. dollars, the NAV could decline if the currency of a non-U.S. market in which the Fund invests depreciates against the U.S. dollar or if there are delays or limits on the repatriation of foreign currency. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. As a result, the Fund’s NAV may change quickly and without warning. In addition, the Fund may incur costs in connection with conversions between U.S. dollars and foreign currencies.
Financial Companies Risk . Financial services companies are subject to extensive governmental regulation and intervention, which may adversely affect their profitability, the scope of their activities, the prices they can charge, the amount of capital and liquid assets they must maintain and their size, among other things. Financial services companies also may be significantly affected by, among other things, interest rates, economic conditions, volatility in financial markets, credit rating downgrades, adverse public perception, exposure concentration and counterparty risk.
Issuer Risk . The performance of the Fund depends on the performance of individual securities or other assets to which the
Fund has exposure. The value of securities or other assets may decline, or perform differently from the market as a whole, due to changes in the financial condition or credit rating of the issuer or counterparty.
Large-Capitalization Companies Risk. Large-capitalization companies may be less able than smaller-capitalization companies to adapt to changing market conditions and competitive challenges. Large-capitalization companies may be more mature and subject to more limited growth potential compared with smaller-capitalization companies. The performance of large-capitalization companies could trail the overall performance of the broader securities markets.
Large Shareholder and Large-Scale Redemption Risk. Certain shareholders of the Fund, including an Authorized Participant, a third-party investor, the Fund’s adviser, an affiliate of the Fund’s adviser, a market maker, or another entity, may from time to time own or manage a substantial amount of Fund shares, or may hold their investment in the Fund for a limited period of time. There can be no assurance that any large shareholder or large group of shareholders would not redeem their investment. Redemptions of a large number of Fund shares could require the Fund to dispose of assets to meet the redemption requests, which can accelerate the realization of taxable income and/or capital gains and cause the Fund to make taxable distributions to its shareholders earlier than the Fund otherwise would have. In addition, under certain circumstances, non-redeeming shareholders may be treated as receiving a disproportionately large taxable distribution during or with respect to such year. In some circumstances, the Fund may hold a relatively large proportion of its assets in cash in anticipation of large redemptions, diluting its investment returns. These large redemptions may also force the Fund to sell portfolio securities or other assets when it might not otherwise do so, which may negatively impact the Fund’s NAV, increase the Fund’s brokerage costs and/or have a material effect on the market price of Fund shares.
Management Risk . The Fund generally does not attempt to take defensive positions under any market conditions, including declining markets. As the Fund will not fully replicate the Underlying Index and may hold securities or other assets not included in the Underlying Index, it is subject to the risk that the investment strategy of BFA may not produce the intended results. There is no guarantee that the Fund’s investment results will have a high degree of correlation to those of the Underlying Index or that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.
Market Trading Risk . The Fund faces numerous market trading risks, including the potential lack of an active market for Fund shares (including through a trading halt), losses from trading in secondary markets, periods of high volatility, and disruptions in the process of creating and redeeming Fund shares. Any of these factors, among others, may lead to the Fund’s shares trading in the secondary market at a premium or discount to NAV or to the intraday value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings. If you buy Fund shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to NAV or sell Fund shares at a time when the market price is at a discount to NAV, you may pay significantly more or receive significantly less than the underlying value of the Fund shares.
Mid-Capitalization Companies Risk . Compared to large capitalization companies, mid-capitalization companies may be less stable and more susceptible to adverse developments. The securities of mid-capitalization companies may be more volatile and less liquid than those of large-capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund’s share price may be more volatile than that of a fund with a greater investment in large-capitalization stocks.
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National Closed Market Trading Risk. To the extent that securities or other assets held by the Fund trade on foreign exchanges or in foreign markets that may be closed when the securities exchange on which the Fund’s shares trade is open, there are likely to be deviations between such asset’s current price and its last quoted price ( i.e ., the quote from the closed foreign market to the Fund). The impact of a closed foreign market on the Fund is likely to be greater where a large portion of the Fund’s holdings trade on a closed foreign market or when a foreign market is closed for unscheduled reasons. These deviations could result in premiums or discounts to the Fund’s NAV that may be greater than those experienced by other funds.
Operational and Technology Risks . The Fund is directly and indirectly susceptible to operational and technology risks, including those related to human errors, processing errors, communication errors, systems failures, cybersecurity incidents, and the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning (“AI”), which may result in losses for the Fund and its shareholders or may impair the Fund’s operations. While the Fund’s service providers are required to have appropriate operational, information security and cybersecurity risk management policies and procedures, their methods of risk management may differ from those of the Fund. Operational and technology risks for the issuers in which the Fund invests could also result in material adverse consequences for such issuers and may cause the Fund’s investments in such issuers to lose value.
Reliance on Trading Partners Risk . The Fund invests in countries or regions whose economies are heavily dependent upon trading with key partners. Any reduction in this trading may have an adverse impact on the Fund’s investments. Through its holdings of securities of certain issuers, the Fund is specifically exposed to Asian Economic Risk and North American Economic Risk . Risk of Investing in China . Investments in Chinese securities, including certain Hong Kong-listed and U.S.-listed securities, are subject to risks specific to China. China may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability. Despite economic and market reforms in recent decades, the Chinese government’s control over certain sectors and enterprises and significant regulation of investment and industry are still pervasive. Chinese companies are subject to the risk that Chinese authorities can intervene in their operations and structure. Chinese markets generally continue to experience inefficiency, a lack of publicly available information and/or political and social instability and may be subject to volatility and pricing anomalies resulting from governmental influence. Internal social unrest or confrontations with other countries, including military conflicts in response to such events, may disrupt China’s economy and markets and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency non-convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher inflation.
China has experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international relations. Additionally, China is alleged to have participated in state-sponsored cyberattacks against foreign companies and foreign governments. Actual and threatened responses to such activity and strained international relations, including purchasing restrictions, sanctions, export controls, tariffs or cyberattacks on the Chinese government or Chinese companies, may impact China’s economy and Chinese issuers in which the Fund invests. Incidents involving China’s or the region’s security may adversely affect the Chinese economy and markets and the Fund’s investments.
The Chinese economy is highly reliant on trade. A reduction in spending on Chinese products and services, supply chain diversification, the institution of additional tariffs or other trade
barriers (including as a result of heightened trade tensions or a trade war between China and the U.S. or in response to actual or alleged Chinese cyber activity) or a downturn in any of the economies of China’s key trading partners may have an adverse impact on the Chinese economy. The Underlying Index may include companies that are subject to economic or trade restrictions (but not investment restrictions) imposed by the U.S. or other governments due to national security, human rights or other concerns of such government. So long as these restrictions do not include restrictions on investments, the Fund is generally expected to invest in such companies, consistent with its objective to track the performance of the Underlying Index.
Chinese companies, including those listed on U.S. exchanges, are not subject to the same degree of regulatory requirements, accounting standards or auditor oversight as companies in more developed countries. As a result, information about the Chinese securities in which the Fund invests may be less reliable or complete. Chinese companies with securities listed on U.S. exchanges may be delisted if they do not meet U.S. accounting standards and auditor oversight requirements, or for other reasons, which would significantly decrease the liquidity and value of the securities. There may be significant obstacles to obtaining information necessary for investigations into or litigation against Chinese companies, and shareholders may have limited legal remedies.
Many Chinese companies listed on U.S. exchanges use variable interest entities or “VIEs” in their structure as a result of foreign ownership restrictions. Any change in the operations of entities in a VIE structure, the status of VIE contractual arrangements or the legal or regulatory environment in China could result in significant, and possibly permanent and/or total, losses for investments in VIE issuers. The Fund does not select investments based on investor protection considerations.
Risk of Investing in Developed Countries . The Fund’s investment in developed country issuers will subject the Fund to legal, regulatory, political, currency, security, economic and other risks associated with developed countries. Developed countries tend to represent a significant portion of the global economy and have generally experienced slower economic growth than some less developed countries. Certain developed countries have experienced security concerns, such as war, terrorism and strained international relations. Incidents involving a country’s or region’s security may cause uncertainty in its markets and may adversely affect its economy and the Fund’s investments. In addition, developed countries may be adversely impacted by changes to the economic conditions of certain key trading partners, regulatory burdens, debt burdens and the price or availability of certain commodities.
Risk of Investing in Russia. Investing in Russian securities involves significant risks, including legal, regulatory, currency and economic risks that are specific to Russia. In addition, investing in Russian securities involves risks associated with the settlement of portfolio transactions and loss of the Fund’s ownership rights in its portfolio securities as a result of the system of share registration and custody in Russia. Governments, including the U.S., the U.K., the E.U., and many other countries have imposed economic sanctions on certain Russian individuals and Russian corporate and banking entities, and jurisdictions may also institute broader sanctions on Russia. Russia has issued a number of countersanctions, some of which restrict the distribution of profits by limited liability companies (e.g., dividends), and prohibit Russian persons from entering into transactions with designated
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persons from “unfriendly states” as well as the export of raw materials or other products from Russia to certain sanctioned persons. 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, including declines in its stock markets and the value of the ruble against the U.S. dollar, are impossible to predict, but could be significant. Disruptions caused by Russian military action or other actions (including cyberattacks and espionage) or resulting actual and threatened responses to such activity, including purchasing and financing restrictions, boycotts or changes in consumer or purchaser preferences, sanctions, import and export restrictions, tariffs or cyberattacks on the Russian government, Russian companies, or Russian individuals, including politicians, may impact Russia’s economy and Russian companies in which the Fund invests. Actual and threatened responses to Russian military action may also impact the markets for certain Russian commodities, such as oil and natural gas, as well as other sectors of the Russian economy, and are likely to have collateral impacts on such sectors globally. Russian companies may be unable to pay dividends and, if they pay dividends, the Fund may be unable to receive them. As a result of sanctions, the Fund is currently restricted from trading in Russian securities, including those in its portfolio, and the Underlying Index has removed Russian securities. It is unknown when, or if, sanctions may be lifted or the Fund’s ability to trade in Russian securities will resume.
Risk of Investing in Saudi Arabia . Investing in Saudi Arabian issuers subjects the Fund to legal, regulatory, political, currency, security, and economic risks that are specific to Saudi Arabia. The economy of Saudi Arabia is dominated by petroleum exports. A sustained decrease in petroleum prices could have a negative impact on all aspects of the economy. Investments in the securities of Saudi Arabian issuers involve risks not typically associated with investments in securities of issuers in more developed countries, which may negatively affect the value of the Fund’s investments. Such heightened risks may include, among others, the expropriation and/or nationalization of assets, restrictions on and government intervention in international trade, confiscatory taxation, political instability, including authoritarian and/or military involvement in governmental decision-making, armed conflict, crime and instability as a result of religious, ethnic and/or socioeconomic unrest. Instability in the Middle East region could adversely impact the economy of Saudi Arabia, and there is no assurance of political stability in Saudi Arabia.
The ability of foreign investors to invest in the securities of Saudi Arabian companies could be restricted by the Saudi Arabian government at any time, and unforeseen risks could materialize with respect to foreign ownership of such securities. There are a number of ways to conduct transactions in equity securities in the Saudi Arabian market. The Fund generally expects to transact in a manner so that it is not limited by Saudi Arabian regulations to a single broker. However, there may be a limited number of brokers who can provide services to the Fund, which may have an adverse impact on the prices, quantity or timing of Fund transactions.
Securities Lending Risk. The Fund may engage in securities lending. Securities lending involves the risk that the Fund may lose money because the borrower of the loaned securities fails to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. The Fund could
also lose money in the event of a decline in the value of collateral provided for loaned securities or a decline in the value of any investments made with cash collateral. These events could also trigger adverse tax consequences for the Fund.
Technology Companies Risk . Technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technological advances may have limited product lines, markets, financial resources, supply chains and personnel. These companies typically face intense competition, potentially rapid product obsolescence and changes in product cycles and customer preferences. They may face unexpected risks and costs associated with technological developments, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning. Technology companies also depend heavily on intellectual property rights and may be adversely affected by the loss or impairment of those rights. Technology companies may face increased government scrutiny and may be subject to adverse government or legal action.
Tracking Error Risk . The Fund may be subject to “tracking error,” which is the divergence of the Fund’s performance from that of the Underlying Index. Tracking error may occur due to a number of factors, including differences between the securities and other assets held in the Fund’s portfolio and those included in the Underlying Index; differences in the timing and methodologies used to value securities and other assets; transaction costs and other expenses incurred by the Fund that the Underlying Index does not incur; the Fund’s holding of uninvested cash; differences in the timing of the accrual or the valuation of dividends or interest received by the Fund or distributions paid to Fund shareholders; tax gains or losses; differences between the amount and/or timing of withholding taxes on dividends reflected in the Underlying Index from the Fund’s obligation, if any, for foreign withholding taxes; the requirements for the Fund to maintain pass-through tax treatment; portfolio transactions carried out to minimize the distribution of capital gains to shareholders; the acceptance of custom baskets; changes to the Underlying Index; and impacts to the Fund of complying with certain regulatory requirements or limits. Tracking error risk may be heightened during times of increased market volatility or other unusual market conditions. A Fund that tracks an index with exposure to non-U.S. issuers may experience higher tracking error than ETFs that do not track such indexes.
Valuation Risk . The price that the Fund could receive upon the sale (or other disposition) of a security or other asset may differ from the Fund’s valuation of the security or other asset, particularly for securities or other assets that trade in low volume or volatile markets or that are valued using a fair value methodology. The price received by the Fund also may differ from the value used by the Underlying Index. In addition, the value of the securities or other assets in the Fund’s portfolio may change on days or during time periods when investors are not able to purchase or sell Fund shares. Authorized Participants that create or redeem Fund shares on days when the Fund is holding fair valued securities or other assets may receive fewer or more shares, or lower or higher redemption proceeds, than they would have received had the securities or other assets not been fair valued or been valued using a different methodology. The ability to value investments may be impacted by technological issues or errors by pricing services or other third-party service providers.
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Performance Information
The performance information below illustrates how the Fund’s performance has varied over different periods and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the performance of the Fund has varied from one calendar year to another over the periods shown. The table compares the Fund’s performance to that of an appropriate broad-based securities market index and the Underlying Index. Returns assume the reinvestment of any dividends and distributions. The Fund’s returns reflect the impact of any agreements to waive or reimburse expenses, which would reduce performance if not in effect. Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information, including the Fund’s current NAV, may be obtained by visiting www.iShares.com or by calling 1-800-iShares (1-800-474-2737) (toll free).
Calendar Year-by-Year Returns
30% 20% 10% 0% -10% -20%
2 0 1 5 2 0 1 6 2 0 17 2 0 1 8 2 0 1 9 2 0 2 0 2 0 21 2 0 22 2 0 2 3 2 0 2 4
3.05% 7.71%
18.18%
-1.35%
21.32%
2.93%
13.91%
-10.20%
8.17% 11.29%
Return (%) Period Ended Calendar Year-to-Date Return 10.91% September 30, 2025 During the periods shown in the chart: Best Quarter 10.04% March 31, 2019 Worst Quarter -15.95% March 31, 2020
Average Annual Total Returns (for the periods ended December 31, 2024) One Year Five Years Ten Years (Inception Date: 10/18/2011) Return Before Taxes 11.29% 4.85% 7.12% Return After Taxes on Distributions 10.62% 4.30% 6.50% Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 7.06% 3.70% 5.60% MSCI All Country World Index (Net) 1 (Returns do not reflect deductions for fees, expenses or taxes except for withholding taxes on reinvested dividends) 17.49% 10.06% 9.23% MSCI All Country World Minimum Volatility (USD) Index (Net) 1 (Returns do not reflect deductions for fees, expenses or taxes except for withholding taxes on reinvested dividends) 11.37% 4.72% 6.93%
1 Returns for net indices generally assume the reinvestment of dividends after the deduction of the maximum withholding tax in each country applicable to non-residents of the country as determined by the index provider. Such indices use withholding tax rates that are often at a higher rate than the rates to which the Fund is subject in each country, including for countries where the Fund is not subject to withholding taxes. When this is the case, index performance will be lower than if the index used the Fund’s applicable withholding tax rates, if any. After-tax returns in the table above are calculated using the historical highest individual U.S. federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state or local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to tax-exempt investors or investors who hold shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts (“IRAs”). Fund returns after taxes on distributions and sales of Fund shares are calculated assuming that an investor has sufficient capital gains of the same character from other investments to offset any capital losses from the sales of Fund shares. As a result, Fund returns after taxes on distributions and sales of Fund shares may exceed Fund returns before taxes and/or returns after taxes on distributions.
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Management
Investment Adviser. BlackRock Fund Advisors.
Portfolio Managers. Jennifer Hsui, Peter Sietsema, Matt Waldron and Steven White (the “Portfolio Managers”) are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. Each Portfolio Manager supervises a portfolio management team. Ms. Hsui has been a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 2012. Mr. Sietsema, Mr. Waldron and Mr. White have been Portfolio Managers of the Fund since 2025.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is an ETF. Individual shares of the Fund may only be bought and sold in the secondary market through a broker-dealer. Because ETF shares trade at market prices rather than at NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (a premium) or less than NAV (a discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”).
Tax Information
The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement such as a 401(k) plan or an IRA, in which case, your distributions generally will be taxed when withdrawn.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), BFA or other related companies may pay the intermediary for marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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iSHARES ® MSCI GLOBAL SILVER
AND METALS MINERS ETF
Ticker: SLVP Stock Exchange: Cboe BZX
Investment Objective
The iShares MSCI Global 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.
Fees and Expenses
The following table describes the fees and expenses that you will incur if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund. Amounts in the table are rounded to the nearest basis point, which in some cases may be “0.00.” The investment advisory agreement between iShares, Inc. (the “Company”) and BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BFA”) (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”) provides that BFA will pay all operating expenses of the Fund, except: (i) the management fees, (ii) interest expenses, (iii) taxes, (iv) expenses incurred with respect to the acquisition and disposition of portfolio securities and the execution of portfolio transactions, including brokerage commissions, (v) distribution fees or expenses, and (vi) litigation expenses and any extraordinary expenses.
You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below. Annual Fund Operating Expenses (ongoing expenses that you pay each year as a
1 percentage of the value of your investments) 1
Management Fees
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees
Other Expenses
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 0.39% None 0.00% 0.39%
1 Operating expenses paid by BFA under the Investment Advisory Agreement exclude acquired fund fees and expenses, if any. Example. This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of owning shares of the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years $40 $125 $219 $493
Portfolio Turnover. The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 74% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund seeks to track the investment results of the MSCI ACWI Select Silver Miners Investable Market Index (IMI) (the “Underlying Index”), which has been developed by MSCI Inc. (the “Index Provider” or “MSCI”) to focus on approximately 25 companies in developed and emerging markets that are involved in silver mining or exploration. MSCI begins with the MSCI ACWI Investable Market Index (IMI), which captures large-, mid- and small-capitalization exposure across developed and emerging
markets and selects securities of companies primarily mining silver. Companies that are not involved in silver mining are excluded. As necessary to reach the target constituent count of 25, companies in the gold and precious metals and minerals sub industries (under the Global Industry Classification Standard) in the MSCI ACWI IMI are selected in the following order:
• Those that generate at least 25% of their revenue from silver mining;
• Those that are involved in silver mining exploration; and
• Those that generate some revenue (but less than 25%) from silver mining.
If necessary to reach 25 constituents, MSCI selects companies from the MSCI World Micro Cap Index, starting with those that primarily mine silver and then moving to the other eligible categories noted above.
The Underlying Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index. Any gold company that is a constituent is
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included at 5% of its free float market capitalization. A capping methodology limits all issuer weights so that no single issuer of a component exceeds 25% of the Underlying Index, and all issuers with a weight above 5% do not, in the aggregate, exceed 50% of the Underlying Index. A buffer of 10% is applied to these limits at the time of rebalancing. The Underlying Index is reviewed quarterly. The constituents of the Underlying Index may change over time.
As of August 31, 2025, a significant portion of the Underlying Index is represented by securities of companies in the materials industry or sector. The components of the Underlying Index are likely to change over time. As of August 31, 2025, the Underlying Index consisted of stocks of companies in the following seven countries or regions: Canada, China, Mexico, Peru, South Africa, the United Kingdom (the “U.K.”) and the U.S. The Fund, under normal market conditions, will invest at least 40% of its assets in issuers organized or located outside the U.S. or doing business outside the U.S.
BFA uses an indexing approach to try to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. The Fund does not try to “beat” the index it tracks and does not seek temporary defensive positions when markets decline or appear overvalued.
Indexing may eliminate the chance that the Fund will substantially outperform the Underlying Index but also may reduce some of the risks of active management, such as poor security selection. Indexing seeks to achieve lower costs and better after-tax performance by aiming to keep portfolio turnover low in comparison to actively managed investment companies.
BFA uses a representative sampling indexing strategy to manage the Fund. “Representative sampling” is an indexing strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities or other instruments that collectively has an investment profile similar to that of an applicable underlying index. The instruments selected are expected to have, in the aggregate, investment characteristics (based on factors such as market capitalization and industry weightings), fundamental characteristics (such as return variability and yield) and liquidity measures similar to those of an applicable underlying index. The Fund may or may not hold all of the components of the Underlying Index.
The Fund generally will invest at least 80% of its assets in the component securities of its Underlying Index and in investments that have economic characteristics that are substantially identical to the component securities of its Underlying Index ( i.e ., depositary receipts representing securities of the Underlying Index) and may invest up to 20% of its assets in certain futures, options and swap contracts, cash and cash equivalents, including shares of money market funds advised by BFA or its affiliates, as well as in securities not included in the Underlying Index, but which BFA believes will help the Fund track the Underlying Index. Cash and cash equivalent investments associated with a derivative position will be treated as part of that position for the purposes of calculating the percentage of investments included in the Underlying Index. The Fund seeks to track the investment results of the Underlying Index before fees and expenses of the Fund.
The Fund may lend securities representing up to one-third of the value of the Fund’s total assets (including the value of any collateral received).
The Underlying Index is sponsored by MSCI, which is independent of the Fund and BFA. The Index Provider determines the composition and relative weightings of the securities in the Underlying Index and publishes information regarding the market value of the Underlying Index.
Industry Concentration Policy. The Fund will concentrate its investments ( i.e. , hold 25% or more of its total assets) in a particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent that the Underlying Index is concentrated. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including its agencies and instrumentalities) and repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government securities are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.
Summary of Principal Risks
As with any investment, you could lose all or part of your investment in the Fund, and the Fund’s performance could trail that of other investments. The Fund is subject to certain risks, including the principal risks noted below, any of which may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value per share (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and ability to meet its investment objective. Certain key risks are prioritized below (with others following in alphabetical order), but the relative significance of any risk is difficult to predict and may change over time. You should review each risk factor carefully.
Silver Mining Sub-Industry Risk. The profitability of companies in the silver mining sub-industry is related to, among other things, the worldwide price of silver and the costs of extraction and production. Worldwide silver prices may fluctuate substantially over short periods of time, so the Fund’s share price may be more volatile than other types of investments. Silver mining companies may be adversely affected by changes in exchange rates, interest rates, economic conditions, tax treatment, government regulation and intervention, and world events in the regions in which the companies operate ( e.g. , expropriation, nationalization, confiscation of assets and property, repatriation of capital, military coups, social unrest, violence and labor unrest). The price of the equity securities of silver mining companies and silver may not always be closely correlated.
Commodity Risk. The Fund invests in companies that are susceptible to fluctuations in certain commodity markets and to price changes due to trade relations. Any negative changes in commodity markets that may be due to changes in supply and demand for commodities, market events, war, regulatory developments, other catastrophic events, or other factors that the Fund cannot control could have an adverse impact on those companies.
Equity Securities Risk . Equity securities are subject to changes in value, and their values may be more volatile than those of other asset classes. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons that may directly relate to the issuer as well as due to general industry or market conditions. Common stock is subordinated to preferred securities and debt in a company’s capital structure. Common stock has the lowest priority, and the
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greatest risk, with respect to dividends and any liquidation payments in the event of an issuer’s bankruptcy.
Market Risk . The Fund could lose money over short periods due to short-term market movements and over longer periods during more prolonged market downturns. Local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, pandemics or other public health issues, recessions, the prospect or occurrence of a sovereign default or other financial crisis, or other events could have a significant impact on the Fund and its investments and could result in increased premiums or discounts to the Fund’s NAV.
Index-Related Risk. The Index Provider may rely on various sources of information to assess the criteria of components of the Underlying Index, including information that may be based on assumptions and estimates. Neither the Fund nor BFA can offer assurances that the Index Provider’s methodology or sources of information will provide an accurate assessment of included components or will result in the Fund meeting its investment objective. Errors in index data, index computations or the construction of the Underlying Index in accordance with its methodology may occur, and the Index Provider may not identify or correct them promptly or at all, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund and its shareholders. Unusual market conditions or other unforeseen circumstances (such as natural disasters, political unrest or war) may impact the Index Provider or a third-party data provider and could cause the Index Provider to postpone a scheduled rebalance. This could cause the Underlying Index to vary from its normal or expected composition.
Asset Class Risk. The securities and other assets in the Underlying Index or in the Fund’s portfolio may underperform in comparison to financial markets generally, a particular financial market, another index, or other asset classes.
Authorized Participant Concentration Risk. An “Authorized Participant” is a member or participant of a clearing agency registered with the SEC, which has a written agreement with the Fund or one of its service providers that allows the Authorized Participant to place orders for the purchase and redemption of creation units (“Creation Units”). Only an Authorized Participant may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. There are a limited number of institutions that may act as Authorized Participants for the Fund, including on an agency basis on behalf of other market participants. No Authorized Participant is obligated to engage in creation or redemption transactions. To the extent that Authorized Participants exit the business or do not place creation or redemption orders for the Fund and no other Authorized Participant places orders, Fund shares are more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting.
Concentration Risk. The Fund may be susceptible to an increased risk of loss, including losses due to adverse events that affect the Fund’s investments more than the market as a whole, to the extent that the Fund’s investments are concentrated in the securities or other assets of one or more issuers, countries or other geographic units, markets, industries, project types, or asset classes.
Currency Risk . Because the Fund’s NAV is determined in U.S. dollars, the NAV could decline if the currency of a non-U.S. market
in which the Fund invests depreciates against the U.S. dollar or if there are delays or limits on the repatriation of foreign currency. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. As a result, the Fund’s NAV may change quickly and without warning. In addition, the Fund may incur costs in connection with conversions between U.S. dollars and foreign currencies.
Gold Mining Sub-Industry Risk. The profitability of companies in the gold mining sub-industry is related to, among other things, the worldwide price of gold and the costs of extraction and production. Worldwide gold prices may fluctuate substantially over short periods of time, so the Fund’s share price may be more volatile than other types of investments. Gold mining companies may be adversely affected by changes in exchange rates, interest rates, economic conditions, tax treatment, government regulation and intervention and world events in the regions in which the companies operate ( e.g. , expropriation, nationalization, confiscation of assets and property, repatriation of capital, military coups, social unrest, violence and labor unrest). The price of the equity securities of these companies and the price of gold may not always be closely correlated.
Issuer Risk . The performance of the Fund depends on the performance of individual securities or other assets to which the Fund has exposure. The value of securities or other assets may decline, or perform differently from the market as a whole, due to changes in the financial condition or credit rating of the issuer or counterparty.
Large Shareholder and Large-Scale Redemption Risk. Certain shareholders of the Fund, including an Authorized Participant, a third-party investor, the Fund’s adviser, an affiliate of the Fund’s adviser, a market maker, or another entity, may from time to time own or manage a substantial amount of Fund shares, or may hold their investment in the Fund for a limited period of time. There can be no assurance that any large shareholder or large group of shareholders would not redeem their investment. Redemptions of a large number of Fund shares could require the Fund to dispose of assets to meet the redemption requests, which can accelerate the realization of taxable income and/or capital gains and cause the Fund to make taxable distributions to its shareholders earlier than the Fund otherwise would have. In addition, under certain circumstances, non-redeeming shareholders may be treated as receiving a disproportionately large taxable distribution during or with respect to such year. In some circumstances, the Fund may hold a relatively large proportion of its assets in cash in anticipation of large redemptions, diluting its investment returns. These large redemptions may also force the Fund to sell portfolio securities or other assets when it might not otherwise do so, which may negatively impact the Fund’s NAV, increase the Fund’s brokerage costs and/or have a material effect on the market price of Fund shares.
Management Risk . The Fund generally does not attempt to take defensive positions under any market conditions, including declining markets. As the Fund will not fully replicate the Underlying Index and may hold securities or other assets not included in the Underlying Index, it is subject to the risk that the investment strategy of BFA may not produce the intended results. There is no guarantee that the Fund’s investment results will have
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a high degree of correlation to those of the Underlying Index or that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.
Market Trading Risk . The Fund faces numerous market trading risks, including the potential lack of an active market for Fund shares (including through a trading halt), losses from trading in secondary markets, periods of high volatility, and disruptions in the process of creating and redeeming Fund shares. Any of these factors, among others, may lead to the Fund’s shares trading in the secondary market at a premium or discount to NAV or to the intraday value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings. If you buy Fund shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to NAV or sell Fund shares at a time when the market price is at a discount to NAV, you may pay significantly more or receive significantly less than the underlying value of the Fund shares.
Materials Companies Risk . Materials companies may be adversely affected by volatility in commodity prices, changes in exchange rates, social and political unrest, war, depletion of resources, lower demand, overproduction, litigation and government regulations, among other factors.
Mid-Capitalization Companies Risk . Compared to large capitalization companies, mid-capitalization companies may be less stable and more susceptible to adverse developments. The securities of mid-capitalization companies may be more volatile and less liquid than those of large-capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund’s share price may be more volatile than that of a fund with a greater investment in large-capitalization stocks.
National Closed Market Trading Risk. To the extent that securities or other assets held by the Fund trade on foreign exchanges or in foreign markets that may be closed when the securities exchange on which the Fund’s shares trade is open, there are likely to be deviations between such asset’s current price and its last quoted price ( i.e ., the quote from the closed foreign market to the Fund). The impact of a closed foreign market on the Fund is likely to be greater where a large portion of the Fund’s holdings trade on a closed foreign market or when a foreign market is closed for unscheduled reasons. These deviations could result in premiums or discounts to the Fund’s NAV that may be greater than those experienced by other funds.
Non-Diversification Risk . The Fund is classified as “non diversified.” This means that, compared with funds that are classified as “diversified,” the Fund may invest a greater percentage of its assets in securities or other instruments representing a small number of issuers or counterparties and thus may be more susceptible to the risks associated with these particular issuers or counterparties. As a result, the Fund’s performance may depend to a greater extent on the performance of a small number of issuers or counterparties, which may lead to more volatility in the Fund’s NAV.
Non-U.S. Securities Risk . Securities issued by non-U.S. issuers (including depositary receipts) are subject to different legal, regulatory, political, economic, and market risks than securities issued by U.S. issuers. These risks include greater market volatility, less market liquidity, higher transaction costs, expropriation, confiscatory taxation, adverse changes in foreign investment or currency control regulations, restrictions on the repatriation of capital, and political instability. Non-U.S. issuers may be subject to different accounting, audit and financial
reporting standards than U.S. issuers, and there may be less publicly available information about non-U.S. issuers. Foreign market trading hours, different clearing and settlement procedures, and holiday schedules may limit the Fund’s ability to engage in portfolio transactions. To the extent that investments are made in a limited number of countries, events in those countries will have a more significant impact on the Fund. The Fund is specifically exposed to North American Economic Risk . Operational and Technology Risks . The Fund is directly and indirectly susceptible to operational and technology risks, including those related to human errors, processing errors, communication errors, systems failures, cybersecurity incidents, and the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning (“AI”), which may result in losses for the Fund and its shareholders or may impair the Fund’s operations. While the Fund’s service providers are required to have appropriate operational, information security and cybersecurity risk management policies and procedures, their methods of risk management may differ from those of the Fund. Operational and technology risks for the issuers in which the Fund invests could also result in material adverse consequences for such issuers and may cause the Fund’s investments in such issuers to lose value.
Reliance on Trading Partners Risk . The Fund invests in countries or regions whose economies are heavily dependent upon trading with key partners. Any reduction in this trading may have an adverse impact on the Fund’s investments. Through its holdings of securities of certain issuers, the Fund is specifically exposed to North American Economic Risk and U.S. Economic Risk . Risk of Investing in Canada . Investing in Canadian issuers subjects the Fund to legal, regulatory, political, economic, currency, geographic and security risks that are specific to Canada. Canada depends heavily on trading with the U.S., China, Mexico, the United Kingdom and Japan. Its economy may be significantly impacted by changes in the economies and trade policies of these key trading partners, particularly the U.S. The Canadian economy is also sensitive to fluctuations in certain commodity markets, including the energy sector.
Risk of Investing in China . Investments in Chinese securities, including certain Hong Kong-listed and U.S.-listed securities, are subject to risks specific to China. China may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability. Despite economic and market reforms in recent decades, the Chinese government’s control over certain sectors and enterprises and significant regulation of investment and industry are still pervasive. Chinese companies are subject to the risk that Chinese authorities can intervene in their operations and structure. Chinese markets generally continue to experience inefficiency, a lack of publicly available information and/or political and social instability and may be subject to volatility and pricing anomalies resulting from governmental influence. Internal social unrest or confrontations with other countries, including military conflicts in response to such events, may disrupt China’s economy and markets and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency non-convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher inflation.
China has experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international relations. Additionally, China is alleged to have participated in state-sponsored cyberattacks against foreign
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companies and foreign governments. Actual and threatened responses to such activity and strained international relations, including purchasing restrictions, sanctions, export controls, tariffs or cyberattacks on the Chinese government or Chinese companies, may impact China’s economy and Chinese issuers in which the Fund invests. Incidents involving China’s or the region’s security may adversely affect the Chinese economy and markets and the Fund’s investments.
The Chinese economy is highly reliant on trade. A reduction in spending on Chinese products and services, supply chain diversification, the institution of additional tariffs or other trade barriers (including as a result of heightened trade tensions or a trade war between China and the U.S. or in response to actual or alleged Chinese cyber activity) or a downturn in any of the economies of China’s key trading partners may have an adverse impact on the Chinese economy. The Underlying Index may include companies that are subject to economic or trade restrictions (but not investment restrictions) imposed by the U.S. or other governments due to national security, human rights or other concerns of such government. So long as these restrictions do not include restrictions on investments, the Fund is generally expected to invest in such companies, consistent with its objective to track the performance of the Underlying Index.
Chinese companies, including those listed on U.S. exchanges, are not subject to the same degree of regulatory requirements, accounting standards or auditor oversight as companies in more developed countries. As a result, information about the Chinese securities in which the Fund invests may be less reliable or complete. Chinese companies with securities listed on U.S. exchanges may be delisted if they do not meet U.S. accounting standards and auditor oversight requirements, or for other reasons, which would significantly decrease the liquidity and value of the securities. There may be significant obstacles to obtaining information necessary for investigations into or litigation against Chinese companies, and shareholders may have limited legal remedies.
Many Chinese companies listed on U.S. exchanges use variable interest entities or “VIEs” in their structure as a result of foreign ownership restrictions. Any change in the operations of entities in a VIE structure, the status of VIE contractual arrangements or the legal or regulatory environment in China could result in significant, and possibly permanent and/or total, losses for investments in VIE issuers. The Fund does not select investments based on investor protection considerations.
Risk of Investing in Developed Countries . The Fund’s investment in developed country issuers will subject the Fund to legal, regulatory, political, currency, security, economic and other risks associated with developed countries. Developed countries tend to represent a significant portion of the global economy and have generally experienced slower economic growth than some less developed countries. Certain developed countries have experienced security concerns, such as war, terrorism and strained international relations. Incidents involving a country’s or region’s security may cause uncertainty in its markets and may adversely affect its economy and the Fund’s investments. In addition, developed countries may be adversely impacted by changes to the economic conditions of certain key trading
partners, regulatory burdens, debt burdens and the price or availability of certain commodities.
Risk of Investing in Russia. Investing in Russian securities involves significant risks, including legal, regulatory, currency and economic risks that are specific to Russia. In addition, investing in Russian securities involves risks associated with the settlement of portfolio transactions and loss of the Fund’s ownership rights in its portfolio securities as a result of the system of share registration and custody in Russia. Governments, including the U.S., the U.K., the E.U., and many other countries have imposed economic sanctions on certain Russian individuals and Russian corporate and banking entities, and jurisdictions may also institute broader sanctions on Russia. Russia has issued a number of countersanctions, some of which restrict the distribution of profits by limited liability companies (e.g., dividends), and prohibit Russian persons from entering into transactions with designated persons from “unfriendly states” as well as the export of raw materials or other products from Russia to certain sanctioned persons.
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, including declines in its stock markets and the value of the ruble against the U.S. dollar, are impossible to predict, but could be significant. Disruptions caused by Russian military action or other actions (including cyberattacks and espionage) or resulting actual and threatened responses to such activity, including purchasing and financing restrictions, boycotts or changes in consumer or purchaser preferences, sanctions, import and export restrictions, tariffs or cyberattacks on the Russian government, Russian companies, or Russian individuals, including politicians, may impact Russia’s economy and Russian companies in which the Fund invests. Actual and threatened responses to Russian military action may also impact the markets for certain Russian commodities, such as oil and natural gas, as well as other sectors of the Russian economy, and are likely to have collateral impacts on such sectors globally. Russian companies may be unable to pay dividends and, if they pay dividends, the Fund may be unable to receive them. As a result of sanctions, the Fund is currently restricted from trading in Russian securities, including those in its portfolio, and the Underlying Index has removed Russian securities. It is unknown when, or if, sanctions may be lifted or the Fund’s ability to trade in Russian securities will resume.
Securities Lending Risk. The Fund may engage in securities lending. Securities lending involves the risk that the Fund may lose money because the borrower of the loaned securities fails to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. The Fund could also lose money in the event of a decline in the value of collateral provided for loaned securities or a decline in the value of any investments made with cash collateral. These events could also trigger adverse tax consequences for the Fund.
Small-Capitalization Companies Risk . Compared to mid- and large-capitalization companies, small-capitalization companies may be less stable and more susceptible to adverse developments. The securities of small-capitalization companies may be more volatile and less liquid than those of mid- and large capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund’s share price may
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be more volatile than that of a fund with a greater investment in large- or mid-capitalization stocks.
Tracking Error Risk . The Fund may be subject to “tracking error,” which is the divergence of the Fund’s performance from that of the Underlying Index. Tracking error may occur due to a number of factors, including differences between the securities and other assets held in the Fund’s portfolio and those included in the Underlying Index; differences in the timing and methodologies used to value securities and other assets; transaction costs and other expenses incurred by the Fund that the Underlying Index does not incur; the Fund’s holding of uninvested cash; differences in the timing of the accrual or the valuation of dividends or interest received by the Fund or distributions paid to Fund shareholders; tax gains or losses; differences between the amount and/or timing of withholding taxes on dividends reflected in the Underlying Index from the Fund’s obligation, if any, for foreign withholding taxes; the requirements for the Fund to maintain pass-through tax treatment; portfolio transactions carried out to minimize the distribution of capital gains to shareholders; the acceptance of custom baskets; changes to the Underlying Index; and impacts to the Fund of complying with certain regulatory requirements or limits. Tracking error risk may
be heightened during times of increased market volatility or other unusual market conditions. A Fund that tracks an index with exposure to non-U.S. issuers may experience higher tracking error than ETFs that do not track such indexes.
Valuation Risk . The price that the Fund could receive upon the sale (or other disposition) of a security or other asset may differ from the Fund’s valuation of the security or other asset, particularly for securities or other assets that trade in low volume or volatile markets or that are valued using a fair value methodology. The price received by the Fund also may differ from the value used by the Underlying Index. In addition, the value of the securities or other assets in the Fund’s portfolio may change on days or during time periods when investors are not able to purchase or sell Fund shares. Authorized Participants that create or redeem Fund shares on days when the Fund is holding fair valued securities or other assets may receive fewer or more shares, or lower or higher redemption proceeds, than they would have received had the securities or other assets not been fair valued or been valued using a different methodology. The ability to value investments may be impacted by technological issues or errors by pricing services or other third-party service providers.
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Performance Information
The performance information below illustrates how the Fund’s performance has varied over different periods and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the performance of the Fund has varied from one calendar year to another over the periods shown. The table compares the Fund’s performance to that of an appropriate broad-based securities market index and the Underlying Index. Returns assume the reinvestment of any dividends and distributions. The Fund’s returns reflect the impact of any agreements to waive or reimburse expenses, which would reduce performance if not in effect. Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information, including the Fund’s current NAV, may be obtained by visiting www.iShares.com or by calling 1-800-iShares (1-800-474-2737) (toll free).
Calendar Year-by-Year Returns
150% 100% 50% 0% -50% -100%
2 0 1 5 2 0 1 6 2 0 17 2 0 1 8 2 0 1 9 2 0 2 0 2 0 21 2 0 22 2 0 2 3 2 0 2 4
-35.67%
92.00%
3.74%
-22.28%
38.05% 56.00%
-23.05% -18.24% -2.05%
14.52%
Return (%) Period Ended Calendar Year-to-Date Return 136.18% September 30, 2025 During the periods shown in the chart: Best Quarter 77.73% June 30, 2020 Worst Quarter -32.95% March 31, 2020
Average Annual Total Returns (for the periods ended December 31, 2024) One Year Five Years Ten Years (Inception Date: 1/31/2012) Return Before Taxes 14.52% 1.94% 4.23% Return After Taxes on Distributions 14.30% 1.60% 3.83% Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 8.86% 1.50% 3.28% MSCI All Country World Index (Net) 1 (Returns do not reflect deductions for fees, expenses or taxes except for withholding taxes on reinvested dividends) 17.49% 10.06% 9.23% MSCI ACWI Select Silver Miners Investable Market Index (Net) 1 (Returns do not reflect deductions for fees, expenses or taxes except for withholding taxes on reinvested dividends) 13.84% 1.92% 4.19%
1 Returns for net indices generally assume the reinvestment of dividends after the deduction of the maximum withholding tax in each country applicable to non-residents of the country as determined by the index provider. Such indices use withholding tax rates that are often at a higher rate than the rates to which the Fund is subject in each country, including for countries where the Fund is not subject to withholding taxes. When this is the case, index performance will be lower than if the index used the Fund’s applicable withholding tax rates, if any. After-tax returns in the table above are calculated using the historical highest individual U.S. federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state or local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to tax-exempt investors or investors who hold shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts (“IRAs”). Fund returns after taxes on distributions and sales of Fund shares are calculated assuming that an investor has sufficient capital gains of the same character from other investments to offset any capital losses from the sales of Fund shares. As a result, Fund returns after taxes on distributions and sales of Fund shares may exceed Fund returns before taxes and/or returns after taxes on distributions.
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Management
Investment Adviser. BlackRock Fund Advisors.
Portfolio Managers. Jennifer Hsui, Peter Sietsema, Matt Waldron and Steven White (the “Portfolio Managers”) are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. Each Portfolio Manager supervises a portfolio management team. Ms. Hsui has been a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since 2012. Mr. Sietsema, Mr. Waldron and Mr. White have been Portfolio Managers of the Fund since 2025.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is an ETF. Individual shares of the Fund may only be bought and sold in the secondary market through a broker-dealer. Because ETF shares trade at market prices rather than at NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (a premium) or less than NAV (a discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”).
Tax Information
The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement such as a 401(k) plan or an IRA, in which case, your distributions generally will be taxed when withdrawn.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), BFA or other related companies may pay the intermediary for marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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More Information About the Funds
This Prospectus contains important information about investing in the Funds listed below. Please read this Prospectus carefully before you make any investment decisions. Additional information regarding the Funds as well as other funds that are series of iShares Trust, iShares U.S. ETF Trust or iShares, Inc. (each, a “Fund”) is available at www.iShares.com.
Each Fund’s investment objective and its Underlying Index may be changed without shareholder approval.
Fund Underlying Index Investment Objective iShares MSCI Agriculture Producers ETF
MSCI ACWI Select Agriculture Producers Investable Market Index (IMI)
The iShares MSCI Agriculture Producers ETF seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of global equities of companies primarily engaged in the business of agriculture. iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF
MSCI ACWI Select Gold Miners Investable Market Index (IMI)
The iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of global equities of companies primarily engaged in the business of gold mining. iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF
MSCI ACWI Select Metals & Mining Producers ex Gold and Silver Investable Market Index (IMI)
The iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF 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. iShares MSCI Global Min Vol Factor ETF
MSCI ACWI Minimum Volatility (USD) Index
The iShares MSCI Global Min Vol Factor ETF 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. iShares MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners ETF
MSCI ACWI Select Silver Miners Investable Market Index (IMI)
The iShares MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners ETF 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.
ETFs are funds that trade like other publicly traded securities. Shares of each Fund are listed on a national securities exchange and trade in the secondary market at market prices that change throughout the day. The market price for a share of a Fund may be different from the Fund’s most recent NAV.
Each Fund invests in a particular segment of the markets for securities and other instruments (as applicable) and is designed to be used as part of broader asset allocation strategies. Accordingly, an investment in a Fund should not constitute a complete investment program. An investment in a Fund is not a bank deposit, and it is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, any other government agency, BFA or any of BFA’s affiliates.
Index Funds
A share of a Fund represents an ownership interest in an underlying portfolio of securities and other instruments (as applicable) that is intended to track the Fund’s Underlying Index. An index is a financial calculation, based on a grouping of financial instruments, and is not an investment product, while each Fund is an actual investment portfolio. The performance of a Fund and that of its Underlying Index may vary for a number of reasons, including transaction costs, asset or currency valuations, corporate actions, timing variances and differences between the composition of a Fund’s portfolio and that of the Underlying Index resulting from the Fund’s use of representative sampling or from legal restrictions (such as diversification requirements) that apply to the Fund but not to its Underlying Index.
From time to time, the provider of the Underlying Index (“Index Provider”) may make changes to the index methodology or other adjustments to a Fund’s Underlying Index. Unless otherwise determined by BFA, any such change will be reflected in the calculation of the Underlying Index’s performance on a going-forward basis after the effective date of such change. Therefore, the performance of the Underlying Index that is shown for periods prior to the effective date of any such change generally will not be recalculated or restated to reflect the change.
BFA uses a representative sampling indexing strategy to manage the Funds. “Representative sampling” is an indexing strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities or other instruments that collectively has an investment profile similar to that of an applicable underlying index. Because the Funds use representative sampling, they can be expected to have a larger tracking error than if they used a replication indexing strategy. “Replication” is an indexing strategy in which a fund invests in substantially all of the components of its underlying index in approximately the same proportions as in the underlying index.
Borrowing
Each Fund listed below may borrow as a temporary measure for extraordinary or emergency purposes, including to meet redemptions or to facilitate the settlement of securities or other transactions. Each Fund does not intend to borrow money in order to leverage its portfolio.
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iShares MSCI Agriculture Producers ETF iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF iShares MSCI Global Min Vol Factor ETF
European Union Disclosure
The Fund listed below has not been categorized under the European Union (“EU”) sustainable finance disclosure regulation (“SFDR”) as an “Article 8” or “Article 9” product. In addition, the Fund’s investment strategy does not take into account the criteria for environmentally sustainable economic activities under the EU sustainable investment taxonomy regulation or principal adverse impacts (“PAIs”) on sustainability factors under the SFDR. PAIs are identified under the SFDR as the material impacts of investment decisions on sustainability factors relating to environmental, social and employee matters, respect for human rights, and anti-corruption and anti-bribery matters.
iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF
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Additional Information About the Funds’ Risks
Each Fund is subject to various risks, any of which may adversely affect the Fund’s NAV, trading price, yield, total return and ability to meet its investment objective. Each Fund discloses its portfolio holdings daily at www.iShares.com. You could lose all or part of your investment in a Fund, which could underperform other investments. The table below identifies the principal and other (non-principal) risks that apply to each Fund. A Fund that invests in an underlying fund (“Underlying Fund”) also may be indirectly exposed to these risks through such investment. A description of each risk is provided after the table.
iShares MSCI Agriculture Producers ETF
iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF
iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF
iShares MSCI Global Min Vol Factor ETF
iShares MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners ETF
Principal Risk | • Other Risk
African Economic Risk • Agriculture Production Industry Risk Asian Economic Risk • Asset Class Risk Australasian Economic Risk • Authorized Participant Concentration Risk Borrowing Risk • •• Central and South American Economic Risk •
Close-Out Risk for Qualified Financial Contracts •••••
Commodity Risk Communications Companies Risk • Concentration Risk Consumer Goods and Services Companies Risk Currency Risk Custody Risk •• •• Equity Securities Risk European Economic Risk • •• Financial Companies Risk Geographic and Security Risks ••••• Gold Mining Sub-Industry Risk Healthcare Companies Risk • Illiquid Investments Risk ••••• Index-Related Risk Industrial Companies Risk • Issuer Risk Large-Capitalization Companies Risk • Large Shareholder and Large-Scale Redemption Risk Low Volatility Risk Management Risk Market Risk Market Trading Risk Materials Companies Risk Metals and Mining Industry Risk
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iShares MSCI Agriculture Producers ETF
iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF
iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF
iShares MSCI Global Min Vol Factor ETF
iShares MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners ETF
Principal Risk | • Other Risk
Mid-Capitalization Companies Risk • National Closed Market Trading Risk Non-Diversification Risk Non-U.S. Securities Risk North American Economic Risk • Operational and Technology Risks Ownership Limitations Risk ••••• Reliance on Trading Partners Risk Risk of Investing in Agriculture and Livestock Risk of Investing in Australia Risk of Investing in Canada Risk of Investing in China Risk of Investing in Developed Countries Risk of Investing in Emerging Markets •• •• Risk of Investing in Industrial Metals Risk of Investing in Precious Metals • Risk of Investing in Russia Risk of Investing in Saudi Arabia Risk of Investing in the U.S. Securities Lending Risk Silver Mining Sub-Industry Risk Small-Capitalization Companies Risk Sustainability Risk • Technology Companies Risk Tracking Error Risk U.S. Economic Risk Utility Companies Risk • Valuation Risk
African Economic Risk. Investing in African countries involves risks not typically associated with investments in more developed economies or jurisdictions. Such heightened risks include, among others, the expropriation and/or nationalization of assets, restrictions on and government intervention in international trade, confiscatory taxation, imposition of capital controls and delays or limits on repatriation of local currency, political instability, authoritarian and/or military involvement in governmental decision-making, corruption, crime, armed conflict, terrorism, and social instability as a result of religious, ethnic and/or socioeconomic unrest or widespread outbreaks of disease. Other risks to African countries include natural disasters that may occur in the region ( e.g. , droughts, fires, floods). Any of these occurrences may adversely affect African economies, financial markets or issuers of securities, causing an adverse impact on the value of a Fund’s investments.
The governments of certain countries in Africa may exercise substantial influence over many aspects of the private sector and may own or control many companies. The securities markets in Africa are underdeveloped and are often considered to be less correlated to global economic cycles than markets in more developed areas. African securities markets are subject to greater risks associated with market volatility, lower market capitalization, lower trading volume, illiquidity, inflation, greater price fluctuations, uncertainty regarding the e xistence of trading markets, governmental control and heavy regulation of labor and industry. Moreover, trading on African securities markets may be suspended altogether.
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Certain governments in Africa restrict or control the ability of foreign investors to invest in securities of issuers located or operating in those countries. Certain countries may require governmental approval or special licenses for foreign investments; may limit the amount of foreign investment in a particular industry or issuer; may limit foreign investment to a certain class of securities with less advantageous rights than the classes available to domestic investors; and may impose additional taxes on foreign investors. These factors, among others, make investing in issuers located or operating in countries in Africa significantly riskier than investing in issuers located or operating in more developed countries.
Agriculture Production Industry Risk. Companies engaged in agricultural production may be adversely affected by changes or trends in commodity prices and labor costs, which may be influenced by unpredictable factors. Many companies in the agricultural production industry are subject to government subsidy policies and environmental, health and safety laws and regulations. Any changes to these policies and regulations, or the imposition of tariffs or other trade restraints, may have a material adverse effect on companies operating in this industry. Agricultural production companies also may be at risk for environmental damage claims, worker safety liability and other types of litigation. Companies in this industry may be adversely affected by changes in commercial and consumer demand for their products. Adverse weather conditions (such as floods or droughts), natural disasters and other factors, such as disease outbreaks, war or other conflict, also may adversely affect companies operating in this industry.
Asian Economic Risk. Certain Asian economies have experienced rapid growth and industrialization in recent years, but there is no assurance that this growth rate will be maintained. Other Asian economies have experienced high inflation, high unemployment, currency devaluations and restrictions, and over-extension of credit. Geopolitical hostility, political instability, and economic or environmental even ts in any one Asian country may have a significant economic effect on the entire Asian region, as well as on major trading partners outside Asia. An adverse event in the Asian markets may have a significant adverse effect on some or all of the economies of the countries in which a Fund invests. Because many Asian countries depend significantly on international trade, shifts in relationships with key trading partners, such as China and the U.S., may have a region-wide economic impact. Strains in these relations could adversely affect Asian issuers that rely on the U.S. or China for trade and the region as a whole. A shift towards protectionist policies by these countries or other key trading partners could suppress Asia’s exports and reduce foreign investment in the region.
Many Asian countries are subject to political risk, including political instability, corruption and regional conflicts. North Korea and South Korea each have substantial military capabilities, and historical tensions between the two countries present the risk of war. China has a complex territorial dispute regarding the sovereignty of Taiwan and has pledged to take control of Taiwan, including by force if necessary. Continuing hostility between China and Taiwan may have an adverse impact on economies throughout the region and on the value of a Fund’s investments, may cause a suspension in a Fund’s ability to trade in certain securities or other assets, or may otherwise make such investments impracticable or impossible. Frictions between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea pose a risk of escalation potentially leading to military conflict. In addition, many Asian countries are subject to social and labor risks associated with demands for improved political, economic and social conditions. These risks, among others, may adversely affect the value of a Fund’s investments with exposure to Asia.
Asset Class Risk. The securities and other assets in a Fund’s portfolio or, if applicable, its Underlying Index may underperform in comparison to indexes that track, or assets that represent, other countries or geographic units, industries, markets, market segments, or asset classes. Various types of securities, other assets and indexes may experience cycles of outperformance and underperformance in comparison to financial markets generally. This divergence may be due to a number of factors including, among other things, inflation, interest rates, productivity, global demand for local products or resources, and regulation and governmental controls. This may cause a Fund to underperform other investment vehicles that invest in different asset classes.
Australasian Economic Risk. The economies of Australasia, which include Australia and New Zealand, depend on exports from the energy, agricultural and mining sectors and, as a result, are susceptible to fluctuations in the commodity markets. These economies also increasingly depend on their growing service industries. The Australasian economies depend on the economies of their key trading partners, which include China, Japan, South Korea, the U.S. and certain European countries. Reduced spending by any of these trading partners on Australasian products and services, or negative changes in any of these economies, may have an adverse impact on some or all of the Australasian economies. Economic events in key trading countries can have a significant effect on the Australasian economies.
Other risks to Australasian countries include natural disasters that may occur in the region (e.g., droughts, earthquakes, fires, tsunamis) and national or regional security concerns (e.g., terrorism, war, strained international relations). Any such event may adversely affect the Australasian economies, financial markets or issuers of securities, causing an adverse impact on the value of a Fund’s investments.
Authorized Participant Concentration Risk. Only an Authorized Participant may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with a Fund. There are a limited number of institutions that may act as Authorized Participants for the Fund, including on an agency basis on behalf of other market participants. No Authorized Participant is obligated to engage in creation or redemption transactions. To the extent that Authorized Participants exit the business or do not place creation or redemption orders for a Fund and no other Authorized Participant places orders, Fund shares are more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for a Fund that invests in securities issued by non-U.S. issuers or instruments with lower trading volume. Such assets often entail greater settlement and operational complexity and higher capital costs for Authorized Participants, which may limit the number of Authorized Participants that engage with the Fund.
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Borrowing Risk. Borrowing may exaggerate changes in a Fund’s NAV and in the return on its portfolio. A Fund that borrows will incur interest expenses and other fees, which may reduce the Fund’s return. Borrowing may also cause a Fund to liquidate positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations.
Central and South American Economic Risk. Certain Central and South American countries have experienced high interest rates, economic volatility, high levels of inflation, currency devaluations, regime changes, government defaults and high unemployment rates. Additionally, commodities such as oil and gas, minerals and metals represent a significant percentage of the region’s exports, and the economies of countries in the region are particularly sensitive to fluctuations in commodity prices as a result. Central and South American countries depend on the economies of their key trading partners, which include China, the U.S., other countries in the region and certain European countries. Reduced spending by any of these trading partners on products and services, or negative changes in any of these economies, may have an adverse impact on some or all of the economies in the region. The impact of any of the foregoing events in one country could have a significant effect on the entire region.
Other risks to Central and South American countries include natural disasters that may occur in the region (e.g., floods, hurricanes, earthquakes) and national or regional security concerns (e.g., terrorism, war, strained international relations). Any such event may adversely affect Central and South American economies, financial markets or issuers of securities, causing an adverse impact on the value of a Fund’s investments.
Close-Out Risk for Qualified Financial Contracts. Regulations adopted by global prudential regulators require counterparties that are part of U.S. or foreign global systemically important banking organizations to include contractual restrictions on close-out and cross-default in agreements relating to qualified financial contracts. Qualified financial contracts include agreements relating to swaps, currency forwards and other derivatives as well as repurchase agreements and securities lending agreements. The restrictions prevent a Fund from closing out a qualified financial contract during a specified time period if the counterparty is subject to resolution proceedings and also prohibit a Fund from exercising default rights due to a receivership or similar proceeding of an affiliate of the counterparty. These requirements may increase credit risk and other risks to a Fund.
Commodity Risk. Commodity prices may be influenced or characterized by unpredictable factors, including, where applicable, high volatility, changes in supply and demand relationships, weather, agriculture, trade, pestilence, political instability, war, catastrophic even ts, changes in interest rates and monetary and other governmental policies, action and inaction, including price changes due to trade relations. Securities of companies that are dependent on a single commodity, or are concentrated in a single commodity sector, may typically exhibit even higher volatility attributable to commodity prices.
Communications Companies Risk. Communications companies may face rapid product obsolescence as well as unexpected risks and costs related to product compatibility and standardization, new product introduction and technological developments, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning. These companies may need to commit substantial capital to integrate new technologies and develop new products and services. Demographic shifts and changes in consumer preferences and expectations may have negative impacts on their business. Cybersecurity and data privacy risks may be heightened for communications companies, and a theft of proprietary or consumer information or disruptions in service could have a material adverse effect on their operations and reputation.
Communications companies are subject to extensive government regulation, including licensing and franchise requirements. The costs of complying with regulations and seeking required approvals, as well as potential delays or denials, may adversely affect their business. These companies may face increased government scrutiny and may be subject to adverse government or legal action. They depend significantly on patent and other intellectual property rights, and the loss or impairment of these rights may adversely affect their profitability.
Concentration Risk. A Fund may be susceptible to an increased risk of loss, including losses due to adverse events that affect the Fund’s investments more than the market as a whole, to the extent that the Fund’s investments are concentrated in the securities or other assets of one or more issuers, countries or other geographic units, markets, industries, project types, or asset classes. A Fund with investment concentration may be more adversely affected by the underperformance of those assets, may experience greater price volatility and may be more susceptible to adverse economic, market, political or regulatory impacts on those assets compared to a fund that does not concentrate its investments.
Consumer Goods and Services Com panies Risk. Many consumer goods and services companies (“consumer companies”) rely heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending and may be impacted by social trends, marketing campaigns, demographic shifts and other factors affecting consumer preferences and demand. In addition, damage to a brand or a reputation crisis can have a substantial adverse impact on consumer companies.
Certain consumer companies, such as those providing discretionary goods or services, may depend more on business cycles, overall economic conditions and consumer confidence. Many consumer goods and services are subject to government regulation and the related compliance costs, and consumer companies also face the risk of product liability claims. Consumer companies also may be adversely affected by volatility in commodity prices, supply chain disruptions and labor shortages.
Currency Risk. Because each Fund’s NAV is determined on the basis of the U.S. dollar, investors may lose money if the currency of a non U.S. market in which a Fund invests depreciates against the U.S. dollar or if there are delays or limits on repatriation of foreign currency, even if the foreign currency value of the Fund’s holdings in that market increases. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can
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change quickly and unpredictably. As a result, a Fund’s NAV may change quickly and without warning. In addition, a Fund may incur costs in connection with conversions between U.S. dollars and foreign currencies.
Custody Risk. Custody risk refers to the risks in the process of clearing and settling trades, as well as the holding of securities and other assets by local banks, agents and depositories. These risks are heightened in jurisdictions with less developed markets or less robust settlement and custody infrastructure and processes, and they may result in losses or delays in payments, delivery or recovery of money or other assets. Low trading volumes and volatile prices in less developed markets may make trades harder to complete and settle. Governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities and other assets in designated depositories that may not be subject to independent evaluation. Local agents are held only to the standards of care of their local markets. In general, the less developed a country’s securities markets are, the higher the degree of custody risk.
Equity Securities Risk. Equity securities are subject to changes in value due to general market or economic conditions, perceptions about the markets in which issuers participate or a number of factors relating to a specific issuer. Investments in equity securities may be more volatile than investments in other asset classes. Equity securities (both common and preferred stock) are subordinated to debt securities in a company’s capital structure, and so equity holders are generally subject to more risks, particularly in the event of an issuer’s bankruptcy. Common stock has the lowest priority and the greatest risks, including with respect to dividends and any liquidation payments.
European Economic Risk. The Economic and Monetary Union (the “eurozone”) of the EU requires compliance by member states that are members of the eurozone with restrictions on inflation rates, deficits, interest rates and debt levels, as well as fiscal and monetary controls, each of which may significantly affect every country in Europe, including those countries that are not members of the eurozone. Additionally, European countries outside of the eurozone may present economic risks that are independent of the indirect effects that eurozone policies have on them. In particular, the U.K.’s economy may be affected by global economic, industrial and financial shifts. Changes in imports or exports, changes in governmental or EU regulations on trade, changes in the exchange rate of the euro (the common currency of eurozone countries), the default or threat of default by an EU member state on its sovereign debt and/or an economic recession in an EU member state may have a significant adverse effect on the economies of other EU member states and their trading partners. The European financial markets have historically experienced volatility and adverse trends due to concerns about economic downturns or government debt levels in several European countries, including, but not limited to, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Ukraine. These events have affected and may in the future adversely affect the exchange rate of the euro and may significantly affect European countries.
Responses to financial problems by European governments, central banks and others, including austerity measures and reforms, may not produce the desired results, may result in social unrest, may limit future growth and economic recovery or may have other unintended consequences. Further defaults or restructurings by governments and other entities of their debt could have additional adverse effects on economies, financial markets and asset valuations around the world. In addition, one or more countries may abandon the euro and/or withdraw from the EU. The U.K. left the EU (“Brexit”) on January 31, 2020. Brexit could adversely affect European or worldwide political, regulatory, economic or market conditions and could contribute to instability in global political institutions, regulatory agencies and financia l markets.
The national politics of countries in Europe have been unpredictable and subject to influence by disruptive political groups and ideologies, including, for example, secessionist movements. The governments of European countries may be subject to change and such countries may experience social and political unrest. Unanticipated or sudden political or social developments may result in sudden and significant investment losses. The occurrence of terrorist incidents throughout Europe or war in the region could also impact financial markets. The impact of these events is not clear but could be significant and far-reaching and could adversely affect the value and liquidity of a Fund’s investments.
Russian Invasion of Ukraine . 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, including declines in its stock markets and the value of the ruble against the U.S. dollar, are impossible to predict, but could be significant. Disruptions caused by Russian military action or other actions (including cyberattacks and espionage) or resulting actual and threatened responses to such activity, including purchasing and financing restrictions, boycotts or changes in consumer or purchaser preferences, sanctions, import and export restrictions, tariffs or cyberattacks on the Russian government, Russian companies or Russian individuals, including politicians, may impact Russia’s economy, Russian issuers of securities in which a Fund invests, or the economies of Europe as a whole. Actual and threatened responses to Russian military action may also impact the markets for certain Russian commodities, such as oil and natural gas, as well as other sectors of the Russian economy, and are likely to have collateral impacts on such sectors across Europe and globally.
Financial Companies Risk. Financial services companies are subject to extensive governmental regulation and intervention, which may change frequently and may adversely affect their profitability, the scope of their activities, the prices they can charge, the amount of capital and liquid assets they must maintain and their size, among other things. Financial services companies also may be significantly affected by, among other things, interest rates, economic conditions, credit rating downgrades, adverse public perception and exposure concentration. Increased risk-taking by financial companies may result in greater overall risk in the global financial sector. Certain events may cause an unusually high degree of volatility in financial markets and pose the risk of large losses for financial services companies.
Financial companies frequently operate with substantial financial leverage and are exposed directly to the credit risk of their borrowers and counterparties, which also may be leveraged to an unknown degree. Financial companies may have significant exposure to the same
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borrowers and counterparties; as a result, a borrower’s or counterparty’s inability to meet its obligations to one company may affect other financial companies with exposure to the same borrower or counterparty. This interconnectedness of risk may result in significant negative impacts to companies with direct exposure to the defaulting counterparty as well as adverse cascading effects in the markets and the financial sector generally.
Geographic and Security Risks. Issuers in a Fund’s portfolio may be located in, or otherwise connected to, parts of the world affected by natural disasters, such as severe heat, earthquakes, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, wildfires, droughts, floods, hurricanes and tsunamis. In addition, issuers may be impacted by security concerns with respect to a country or region, such as war and other types of conflict, terrorism, strained international relations and territorial disputes. Any of these events may adversely affect the issuers, markets and economies to which a Fund is exposed, which may adversely affect the value of the Fund.
Gold Mining Sub-Industry Risk. The profitability of companies in the gold mining sub-industry is related to, among other things, the worldwide price of gold and the costs of extraction and production of gold. The price of gold may be affected by changes in inflation rates, interest rates, monetary policy, economic conditions and political stability. A significant portion of the world’s gold reserves are held by governments, central banks and related institutions. If one or more of these institutions sold their holdings of gold in significant quantities, it could cause gold prices to fall. Worldwide gold prices may fluctuate substantially over short periods of time, so the Fund’s share price may be more volatile than other types of investments. The price of the equity securities of these companies and the price of gold may not always be closely correlated.
Gold mining companies may be adversely affected by changes in exchange rates, interest rates, economic conditions, tax treatment, government regulation and intervention, and world events in the regions in which the companies operate ( e.g. , expropriation, nationalization, confiscation of assets and property, repatriation of capital, military coups, social unrest, violence and labor unrest). The U.S. or foreign governments may pass laws or regulations limiting gold investments for strategic or other policy reasons. Gold mining companies may also be subject to the effects of competitive pressures in the gold mining sub-industry.
Healthcare Companies Risk. The profitability of healthcare companies may be adversely affected by the following factors, among others: extensive government regulations, restrictions on government reimbursement for medical expenses, rising costs of medical products and services, pricing pressure, a limited number of products, labor shortages, supply chain issues and industry innovation. Many new products in the healthcare sector entail significant research and development and require regulatory approval, all of which may be long and costly, and such efforts ultimately may be unsuccessful. Many healthcare companies depend heavily on obtaining and defending patents, which can be costly, and may be adversely affected by the expiration of patents. Healthcare companies also are subject to extensive litigation based on product liability and similar claims.
Illiquid Investments Risk. 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 significantly changing the market value of the investment. An investment may be illiquid due to, among other things, fewer participants or less capacity to make a market in the investment, the lack of an active market for the investment, capital controls, delays or limits on repatriation of local currency, and the insolvency of local governments. To the extent that a Fund invests in securities or other assets with substantial market and/or credit risk, the Fund will tend to have increased exposure to the risks associated with illiquid investments. Illiquid investments may be harder to value, especially in changing markets.
Liquid investments may become illiquid after purchase by a Fund, particularly during periods of market turmoil. There can be no assurance that a security or other asset that is deemed to be liquid when purchased will continue to be liquid for as long as it is held by a Fund, and any security or other asset held by a Fund may be deemed an illiquid investment pursuant to the Fund’s liquidity risk management program.
Holdings of illiquid investments may reduce a Fund’s returns because the Fund may be unable to transact at advantageous times or prices. If a Fund is forced to sell underlying investments at reduced prices or under unfavorable conditions to meet redemption requests or for other cash needs, the Fund may suffer a loss. This may be magnified in a rising interest rate environment or other circumstances where redemptions of Fund shares may be greater than normal. If other market participants attempt to liquidate holdings at the same time as a Fund, this will lead to an increased supply of the Fund’s underlying investments in the market and contribute to greater illiquid investments risk and downward pricing pressure. In addition, if a Fund is limited in its ability to sell illiquid investments during periods when shareholders are redeeming their shares, the Fund will need to sell liquid securities to meet redemption requests, and illiquid securities will become a larger portion of the Fund’s holdings. During periods of market volatility, liquidity in the market for a Fund’s shares may be impacted by the liquidity in the market for the underlying securities or other assets held by the Fund, which could lead to the Fund’s shares trading at a premium or discount to the Fund’s NAV.
Index-Related Risk. A Fund that tracks an Underlying Index seeks to achieve a return that corresponds generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of its Underlying Index as published by the Index Provider. There is no assurance that the Index Provider or its agents will construct or calculate the Underlying Index accurately. While the Index Provider describes what the Underlying Index is designed to achieve, neither the Index Provider nor its agents provide any warranty or accept any liability regarding the quality, accuracy or completeness of the Underlying Index or its related data, and they do not guarantee that the Underlying Index will be in line with the Index Provider’s methodology. BFA also does not provide any warranty or guarantee against the Index Provider’s or any agent’s errors.
The Index Provider may rely on various sources of information to assess the criteria of components of the Underlying Index, including information that may be based on assumptions and estimates. Neither a Fund nor BFA can offer assurances that the Index Provider’s methodology or sources of information will provide an accurate assessment of included components or will result in the Fund meeting its
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investment objective. Errors in index data, index computations or the construction of an Underlying Index in accordance with its methodology may occur, and the Index Provider may not identify or correct them promptly or at all, particularly for indexes that are less commonly used as benchmarks. In addition, there may be heightened risks associated with the adequacy and reliability of information about emerging markets constituents, as such markets may have less information available or less regulatory oversight. Errors related to an Underlying Index may negatively or positively impact a Fund and its shareholders. For example, if the Underlying Index contains incorrect constituents, the Fund will have exposure to such constituents and will be underexposed to the Underlying Index’s other constituents. Shareholders should understand that any gains from an Index Provider’s errors will be kept by the Fund and its shareholders and any losses or costs from such errors will be borne by the Fund and its shareholders.
Unusual market conditions or other unforeseen circumstances (such as natural disasters, political unrest or war) may impact an Index Provider or a third-party data provider and could cause the Index Provider to postpone a scheduled rebalance to an Underlying Index. This could cause the Underlying Index to vary from its normal or expected composition. If a scheduled rebalance is postponed, index constituents that would otherwise be removed at the rebalance (due to, for example, changes in market capitalization or issuer credit ratings) may remain, causing the performance and constituents of the Underlying Index to vary from those expected under normal conditions. In addition, to the extent circumstances evolve between periodic index reviews and reconstitutions, an Underlying Index may include constituents that do not align with its objective or selection criteria, and the Fund tracking the Underlying Index may be similarly affected.
In addition to scheduled rebalances, an Index Provider or its agents may carry out ad hoc index rebalances due to reaching certain weighting constraints, unusual market conditions, corporate events, or corrections of errors. The relevant Fund will in turn rebalance its portfolio to attempt to increase the correlation between the portfolio and the Underlying Index. The Fund and its shareholders will directly bear any transaction costs and market exposure from such portfolio rebalancing. Therefore, index-related errors and ad hoc rebalances may increase a Fund’s costs and tracking error.
Industrial Companies Risk. Industrial companies face a number of risks, including supply chain and distribution disruptions, business interruptions, third-party vendor risks, cyber attacks, trade disputes, product recalls, liability and environmental damage claims, scarcity of materials or parts, excess capacity, changes in consumer preferences, and volatility in commodity prices and currencies. The products of industrial companies may face obsolescence due to technological developments and new product introduction. Furthermore, changes in trade restrictions and tariffs as well as broader geopolitical developments could adversely affect industrial companies. These companies also may be significantly affected by domestic and international economic conditions, legislative and regulatory changes, and labor relations. Industrial companies may depend on public or private sector financing, which may become difficult to obtain due to government spending constraints or reduced availability of capital. Such companies may be unable to protect their intellectual property rights or may be liable for infringing the intellectual property rights of others.
Issuers with high carbon intensity or high switching costs associated with the transition to low carbon alternatives may be more impacted by climate transition risks. There may be increased impact on a Fund’s performance to the extent that its investments are concentrated in locations that are more susceptible to adverse physical events.
Issuer Risk. The performance of a Fund depends on the performance of individual securities or other assets to which the Fund has exposure. The value of securities or other assets may decline, or perform differently from the market as a whole, due to changes in the financial condition or credit rating of the issuer or counterparty.
Large-Capitalization Companies Risk. Large-capitalization companies may be less able than smaller-capitalization companies to adapt to changing market conditions and competitive challenges. Large-capitalization companies may be more mature and subject to more limited growth potential compared with smaller-capitalization companies. The performance of large-capitalization companies could trail the overall performance of the broader securities markets.
Large Shareholder and Large-Scale Redemption Risk. Certain shareholders of a Fund, including an Authorized Participant, a third-party investor, the Fund’s adviser, an affiliate of the Fund’s adviser, a market maker, or another entity, may from time to time own or manage a substantial amount of Fund shares or may hold their investment in the Fund for a limited period of time. These shareholders may also pledge or loan Fund shares (to secure financing or otherwise), which may result in the shares becoming concentrated in another party. There can be no assurance that any large shareholder or large group of shareholders would not redeem their investment or that the size of a Fund would be maintained. Redemptions of a large number of Fund shares may adversely affect a Fund’s liquidity and net assets. To the extent a Fund permits redemptions in cash, these redemptions may force the Fund to sell portfolio securities or other assets when it might not otherwise do so, which may negatively impact the Fund’s NAV, have a material effect on the market price of Fund shares, increase the Fund’s brokerage costs, accelerate the realization of taxable income and/or capital gains, and cause the Fund to make taxable distributions to its shareholders earlier than the Fund otherwise would have. In addition, under certain circumstances, non-redeeming shareholders may be treated as receiving a disproportionately large taxable distribution during or with respect to such tax year. A Fund also may be required to sell its more liquid investments to meet a large redemption, in which case the Fund’s remaining assets may be less liquid, more volatile, and more difficult to price.
To the extent these large shareholders transact in Fund shares on the secondary market, such transactions may account for a large percentage of the trading volume for Fund shares and may, therefore, have a material upward or downward effect on the market price of the shares. In addition, large purchases of Fund shares may adversely affect the Fund’s performance to the extent that the Fund is delayed in investing new cash and is required to maintain a larger cash position than it ordinarily would, diluting its investment returns.
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Low Volatility Risk. A low volatility strategy may underperform the broader market during periods of strong, rising or speculative stock prices. In addition, there is a risk that a Fund with such an investment strategy may experience more than minimum volatility. Securities in a Fund’s portfolio may be subject to price volatility, and their prices may not be less volatile (and could be more volatile) than the market as a whole, which could adversely affect the Fund’s NAV.
Management Risk. An index Fund invests in securities or other assets included in, or representative of, its Underlying Index, regardless of their investment merits. Such a Fund may be affected by a general decline in market segments related to its Underlying Index, and BFA generally does not attempt to invest the Fund’s assets in defensive positions under any market conditions, including declining markets. Market disruptions and regulatory restrictions could have an adverse effect on a Fund’s ability to adjust its exposure to the required levels in order to track its Underlying Index. Because BFA uses a representative sampling indexing strategy, a Fund will not fully replicate its Underlying Index and may hold securities or other assets not included in the Underlying Index. As a result, a Fund is subject to the risk that BFA’s investment strategy, whose implementation is subject to a number of constraints, may not produce the intended results. There is no guarantee that a Fund’s investment results will have a high degree of correlation to those of its Underlying Index or that a Fund will achieve its investment objective.
Market Risk. A Fund could lose money over short periods due to short-term market movements and over longer periods during more prolonged market downturns. The value of a financial instrument or other asset may decline due to changes in general market conditions, economic trends or events that are not specifically related to the particular instrument or asset, or factors that affect one or more issuers, counterparties, exchanges, countries or other geographic units, markets, industries, or asset classes. Local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, pandemics or other public health issues, recessions, the prospect or occurrence of a sovereign default or other financial crisis, or other events could have a significant impact on a Fund and its investments and could result in increased premiums or discounts to a Fund’s NAV. Changes in market and economic conditions generally do not have the same impact on all types of instruments and assets.
Market Trading Risk. A Fund faces numerous market trading risks, any of which may lead to its shares trading in the secondary market at a premium or discount to NAV or to the intraday value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings. If you buy Fund shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to NAV or sell Fund shares at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV, you may pay significantly more or receive significantly less than the underlying value of the Fund shares.
Absence of an Active Primary Market. Although Fund shares are listed for trading on one or more stock exchanges, there can be no assurance that an active primary trading market for Fund shares will develop or be maintained by market makers or Authorized Participants.
Secondary Listing Risks. A Fund’s shares may be listed or traded on U.S. and non-U.S. stock exchanges other than the U.S. stock exchange where the Fund’s primary listing is maintained. Fund shares also may be available to non-U.S. investors through funds or structured investment vehicles similar to depositary receipts. There can be no assurance that a Fund’s shares will continue to trade on any such stock exchange or in any market or that a Fund’s shares will continue to meet the requirements for exchange listing or market trading. A Fund’s shares may be less actively traded in certain markets than in others, and investors are subject to the execution and settlement risks and market standards of the market where they or their broker direct their trades for execution. Certain information that is available to investors who trade Fund shares on a U.S. stock exchange during regular U.S. market hours may not be available to investors who trade in other markets, which may result in secondary market prices in such markets being less efficient.
Secondary Market Trading Risk. Shares of a Fund may trade in the secondary market at times when the Fund does not accept orders to create or redeem shares. At such times, shares may trade in the secondary market with more significant premiums or discounts to NAV than might be experienced at times when the Fund accepts creation and redemption orders. Securities held by a Fund may be traded in markets that close at a different time than an exchange on which Fund shares are traded. Liquidity in those securities may be reduced after the applicable closing time. As a result, during the time when the exchange is open but after the applicable market closing, fixing or settlement time, there may be wider bid/ask spreads on the exchange and a greater premium or discount to NAV.
In stressed market conditions, the market for a Fund’s shares may become less liquid in response to deteriorating liquidity in the markets for the Fund’s portfolio holdings, and an investor may be unable to sell their Fund shares.
Secondary market trading in Fund shares may be halted by a stock exchange because of market conditions or for other reasons. In times of extraordinary market volatility, Fund shares may be subject to trading halts pursuant to “circuit breaker” rules of a stock exchange or market. If there is a trading halt or unanticipated closure of an exchange or market, an investor may be unable to purchase or sell Fund shares. In addition, if trading in certain securities or financial instruments is restricted, this may disrupt a Fund’s creation/redemption process, affect the price at which Fund shares trade in the secondary market, and result in a Fund being unable to trade certain securities or financial instruments. In such circumstances, a Fund may be unable to rebalance its portfolio or accurately price its portfolio holdings and may incur substantial trading losses.
Shares of a Fund, similar to shares of other issuers listed on a stock exchange, may be sold short and are therefore subject to the risk of increased volatility and price decreases associated with being sold short. In addition, trading activity in derivative products based on a Fund may lead to increased trading volume and volatility in the secondary market for the shares of the Fund.
Fund Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. V. Shares of a Fund trade on stock exchanges at prices at, above or below the Fund’s most recent NAV. A Fund’s NAV is calculated at the end of each business day and fluctuates with changes in the market value of the Fund’s
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portfolio holdings. The trading price of a Fund’s shares fluctuates throughout trading hours based on both market supply of and demand for Fund shares and the underlying value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings or NAV. As a result, the trading prices of a Fund’s shares may deviate significantly from NAV during times of market volatility, significant redemption requests, or other unusual market conditions
However, because Fund shares can be created and redeemed in Creation Units at NAV, BFA believes that large discounts or premiums to a Fund’s NAV are not likely to be sustained over the long term (unlike shares of many closed-end funds, which frequently trade at appreciable discounts from, and sometimes at premiums to, their NAVs). While the creation/redemption feature is designed to make it more likely that a Fund’s shares normally will trade on stock exchanges at prices close to the Fund’s next calculated NAV, exchange prices are not expected to correlate exactly with the Fund’s NAV due to timing reasons, supply and demand imbalances and other factors. In addition, disruptions to creations and redemptions, including disruptions at market makers, Authorized Participants, or other market participants, and during periods of significant market volatility, may result in trading prices for shares of a Fund that differ significantly from its NAV. Authorized Participants may be less willing to create or redeem a Fund’s shares if there is a lack of an active market for such shares or the Fund’s underlying investments, which may contribute to the Fund’s shares trading at a premium or discount to NAV.
Costs of Buying or Selling Fund Shares. Buying or selling Fund shares on an exchange involves two types of costs that apply to all securities transactions. When buying or selling Fund shares through a broker, you will likely incur a brokerage commission and other charges. In addition, you may incur the cost of the “spread,” which is the difference between what investors are willing to pay for Fund shares (the “bid” price) and the price at which they are willing to sell Fund shares (the “ask” price). The spread varies over time for Fund shares based on trading volume and market liquidity. It is generally narrower if a Fund has more trading volume and market liquidity and wider if a Fund has less trading volume and market liquidity. Increased market volatility also may cause wider spreads. In addition, there may be regulatory and other charges that are incurred as a result of trading activity. Because of the costs inherent in buying or selling Fund shares, frequent trading may detract significantly from investment results, and an investment in Fund shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments through a brokerage account.
Materials Companies Risk. The materials sector tends to be closely tied to the economic cycle and can be significantly affected by supply demand dynamics. Materials companies may be adversely affected by commodity price volatility, exchange rate fluctuations, social and political unrest, war, import and export controls, supply chain disruption, increased competition, depletion of resources, technical advances, labor relations, litigation and government regulations, among other factors. Materials companies are at risk of liability for environmental damage and product liability claims and may incur significant costs in complying with environmental laws.
Metals and Mining Industry Risk. Investments in metals and mining companies may be speculative and subject to greater price volatility than investments in other types of companies. The profitability of companies in the metals and mining industry is related to, among other things, worldwide metal prices and extraction and production costs. Worldwide metal prices may fluctuate substantially over short periods of time, and as a result, the Fund’s share price may be more volatile than other types of investments. In addition, metals and mining companies may be significantly affected by changes in global demand for certain metals, economic developments, energy conservation, the success of exploration projects, changes in exchange rates, interest rates, economic conditions, tax treatment, trade treaties, and government regulation and intervention, and events in the regions that the companies to which the Fund has exposure operate ( e.g. , expropriation, nationalization, confiscation of assets and property, the imposition of restrictions on foreign investments or repatriation of capital, military coups, social or political unrest, violence and labor unrest). Metals and mining companies may also be subject to the effects of competitive pressures in the metals and mining industry.
Mid-Capitalization Companies Risk. Investments in mid-capitalization companies may be riskier, less liquid, more volatile and more susceptible to economic, market and industry changes than investments in large-capitalization companies. Mid-capitalization companies may have more limited product lines, markets, financial resources and management experience. As a result, they generally are more vulnerable than large-capitalization companies to adverse business and economic developments. Mid-capitalization companies may have a shorter business track record, with relatively less information available to investors. The securities of mid-sized companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes than the securities of larger companies.
National Closed Market Trading Risk. To the extent that securities or other assets held by a Fund trade on foreign exchanges or in foreign markets that may be closed when the securities exchange on which the Fund’s shares trade is open, there are likely to be deviations between such asset’s current price and its last quoted price ( i.e ., the quote from the closed foreign market to the Fund). The impact of a closed foreign market on a Fund is likely to be greater where a large portion of the Fund’s holdings trade on a closed foreign market or when a foreign market is closed for unscheduled reasons. These deviations could result in premiums or discounts to a Fund’s NAV that may be greater than those experienced by other funds.
Non-Diversification Risk. A Fund that is classified as “non-diversified” may invest a greater percentage of its assets in securities or other instruments representing a small number of issuers or counterparties, compared with funds that are classified as “diversified.” A non diversified Fund thus may be more susceptible to the risks associated with these particular issuers or counterparties. The gains and losses on such holdings may have a greater impact on a non-diversified Fund’s performance than they would on the performance of a diversified Fund, and a non-diversified Fund’s NAV may be more volatile.
Non-U.S. Securities Risk. Securities issued by non-U.S. issuers (including depositary receipts) are subject to different legal, regulatory, political, economic, and market risks than securities issued by U.S. issuers. To the extent that investments are made in a limited number of
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countries, events in those countries will have a more significant impact on a Fund. The risks of investing in non-U.S. securities include the following, any of which may have an adverse impact on a Fund: Less liquid markets, which may make valuing securities more difficult; Greater market volatility; Government intervention in issuers’ operations or structure; Government expropriation or nationalization of assets; Exchange rate fluctuations and currency controls; Limitations on the foreign ownership of securities; Imposition of withholding or other taxes; Restrictions on the repatriation of capital; Higher transaction and custody costs; Foreign market trading hours, different clearing and settlement procedures, and holiday schedules, which may limit a Fund’s ability to engage in portfolio transactions; Less regulation of the securities and other financial markets; Less availability of public information about issuers; Weaker accounting, audit, disclosure and financial reporting requirements and the risk of being delisted from U.S. exchanges; Difficulties in enforcing contractual obligations; and Legal principles relating to corporate governance, directors’ fiduciary duties and liabilities, and shareholder rights that are less robust than those that apply in the U.S.
Withholding Tax Reclaims Risk . A Fund that holds non-U.S. securities may file claims to recover withholding tax on dividend and interest income (if any) received from issuers in certain countries where such withholding tax reclaim is possible. Whether or when a Fund will receive a withholding tax refund is within the control of the tax authorities in such countries. Where a Fund expects to recover withholding tax based on a continuous assessment of the probability of recovery, the Fund’s NAV generally includes accruals for such tax refunds. Funds continue to evaluate tax developments for potential impact to the probability of recovery. If the likelihood of receiving a tax refund materially decreases, such as due to a change in tax regulation or approach, accruals in a Fund’s NAV for such refunds may be written down partially or in full, which will adversely affect the Fund’s NAV. Investors in a Fund at the time when an accrual is written down will bear the impact of any resulting reduction in NAV regardless of whether they were investors during the accrual period. Conversely, if a Fund receives a tax refund that was not previously accrued, investors in the Fund at the time the claim is successful will benefit from any resulting increase in the Fund’s NAV. Investors who sold their shares prior to such time will not benefit from any such NAV increase.
North American Economic Risk . A decrease in imports or exports, changes in trade regulations or an economic recession in any North American country can have a significant economic effect on the entire North American region and on some or all of the North American countries in which a Fund invests.
The U.S. is Canada’s and Mexico’s largest trading and investment partner. The Canadian and Mexican economies are significantly affected by developments in the U.S. economy. Since the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (“NAFTA”) in 1994 among Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, total merchandise trade among the three countries has increased. However, political developments including the implementation of tariffs by the U.S. and the renegotiation of NAFTA in the form of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (“USMCA”), which replaced NAFTA on July 1, 2020, could negatively affect North America’s economic outlook and, as a result, the value of securities held by a Fund. Policy and legislative changes in one country may have a significant effect on North American markets generally, as well as on the value of certain securities held by a Fund.
Operational and Technology Risks. A Fund and the entities with which it interacts directly or indirectly are susceptible to operational and technology risks, including those related to human errors, processing errors, communication errors, systems failures, cybersecurity incidents, and the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning (“AI”), which may result in losses for the Fund and its shareholders or impair the Fund’s operations. These entities include, but are not limited to, a Fund’s adviser, administrator, distributor, other service providers (e.g., index and benchmark providers, accountants, custodians, and transfer agents), financial intermediaries, counterparties, market makers, Authorized Participants, listing exchanges, other financial market operators, and governmental authorities. Operational and technology risks for the issuers in which a Fund invests could also result in material adverse consequences for such issuers and may cause the Fund’s investments in such issuers to lose value. A Fund may incur substantial costs in order to mitigate operational and technology risks.
Cybersecurity incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events against an issuer in which a Fund invests, the Fund or any of its service providers. They include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to systems, misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting or destroying data, and causing operational disruption. Geopolitical tension may increase the scale and sophistication of deliberate attacks, particularly those from nation states or from entities with nation state backing. Cybersecurity incidents may result in any of the following: financial losses; interference with a Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV; disclosure of confidential information; impediments to trading; submission of erroneous trades by a Fund or erroneous subscription or redemption orders; the inability of a Fund or
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its service providers to transact business; violations of applicable privacy and other laws; regulatory fines; penalties; reputational damage; reimbursement or other compensation costs; and other legal and compliance expenses. Furthermore, cybersecurity incidents may render records of a Fund, including records relating to its assets and transactions, shareholder ownership of Fund shares, and other data integral to a Fund’s functioning, inaccessible, inaccurate or incomplete. Power outages, natural disasters, equipment malfunctions and processing errors that threaten information and technology systems relied upon by a Fund or its service providers, as well as market events that occur at a pace that overloads these systems, may also disrupt business operations or impact critical data. In addition, the risks of increased use of AI technologies, such as machine learning, include data risk, transparency risk, and operational risk. The AI technologies, which are generally highly reliant on the collection and analysis of large amounts of data, may incorporate biased or inaccurate data, and it is not possible or practicable to incorporate all relevant data into such technologies. The output or results of any such AI technologies may therefore be incomplete, erroneous, distorted or misleading. Further, AI tools may lack transparency as to how data is utilized and how outputs are generated. AI technologies may also allow the unintended introduction of vulnerabilities into infrastructures and applications. A Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result of these risks associated with AI technologies. AI technologies and their current and potential future applications, and the regulatory frameworks within which they operate, continue to quickly evolve, and it is impossible to anticipate the full scope of future AI capabilities or rules and the associated risks to a Fund.
While a Fund’s service providers are required to have appropriate operational, information security and cybersecurity risk management policies and procedures, their methods of risk management may differ from those of the Fund in the setting of priorities, the personnel and resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. Each Fund and its adviser seek to reduce these risks through controls, procedures and oversight, including establishing business continuity plans and risk management systems. However, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems, including the possibility that certain risks that may affect a Fund have not been identified or may emerge in the future; that such plans and systems may not completely eliminate the occurrence or mitigate the effects of operational or information security disruptions or failures or of cybersecurity incidents; or that prevention and remediation efforts will not be successful or that incidents will go undetected. A Fund cannot control the systems, information security or other cybersecurity of the issuers in which it invests or its service providers, counterparties, and other third parties whose activities affect the Fund.
Lastly, the regulatory climate governing cybersecurity and data protection is developing quickly and may vary considerably across jurisdictions. Regulators continue to develop new rules and standards related to cybersecurity and data protection. Compliance with evolving regulations can be demanding and costly, requiring substantial resources to monitor and implement required changes.
Ownership Limitations Risk. If certain aggregate and/or fund-level ownership thresholds are reached through transactions undertaken by BFA, its affiliates or a Fund, or as a result of third-party transactions or actions by an issuer or regulator, the ability of BFA and its affiliates on behalf of clients (including a Fund) to purchase or dispose of investments, exercise rights or undertake business transactions may be restricted by law, regulation or rules or otherwise impaired. The capacity of a Fund to invest in certain securities or other assets may be affected by the relevant threshold limits, and such limitations may have adverse effects on the liquidity and performance of a Fund’s portfolio holdings.
For example, ownership limits may apply to securities whose issuers operate in certain regulated industries or in certain international markets. Such limits also may apply where the investing entity (such as a Fund) is subject to corporate or regulatory ownership restrictions or invests in certain futures or other derivative transactions. In certain circumstances, aggregate and/or fund-level amounts invested or voted by BFA and its affiliates for client funds and accounts managed by BFA (including a Fund) may not exceed the relevant limits without the grant of a license or other regulatory or corporate approval, order, consent, relief or non-disapproval. However, there is no guarantee that permission will be granted or that, once granted, it will not be modified or revoked at a later date with minimal or no notice. In other cases, exceeding such thresholds may cause BFA and its affiliates, a Fund or other client accounts to suffer disadvantages or business restrictions.
Ownership limitations are highly complex. It is possible that, despite BFA’s intent to either comply with or be granted permission to exceed ownership limitations, it may inadvertently breach a limit or violate the corporate or regulatory approval, order, consent, relief or non disapproval that was obtained.
Reliance on Trading Partners Risk. The economies of some countries or regions depend on trading with certain key trading partners. A reduction in spending on the products and services of these countries or regions, the institution of tariffs or other trade barriers by a key trading partner or a slowdown in the economy of a key trading partner may cause an adverse impact on the economies of such countries or regions and may negatively impact the performance of a Fund with exposure to those countries or regions.
Risk of Investing in Agriculture and Livestock. The agricultural and livestock sectors are subject to government subsidy policies and environmental, health and safety laws and regulations. Specific governmental policies, such as taxes, tariffs, duties, subsidies and import and export restrictions on agricultural commodities, commodity products and livestock, can influence the profitability of investing in agriculture and livestock. These industries may also be adversely affected by changes in commercial and consumer demand for their products. A growing competitive landscape and increased availability of such commodities can influence: (i) the planting and raising of certain crops/livestock versus other uses of resources; (ii) the location and size of crop and livestock production; (iii) whether unprocessed or processed commodity products are traded; and (iv) the volume and types of imports and exports. Economic recession or labor difficulties may also lead to a decrease in demand for the products and services involved in agriculture. As a result, the price of agricultural or livestock commodities could decline, which would affect the performance of the Fund.
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The agricultural and livestock sectors also are particularly sensitive to changing weather conditions, such as floods or droughts, natural disasters and other factors, such as disease outbreaks and pollution.
Risk of Investing in Australia. Investing in Australian issuers involves legal, regulatory, political, currency, security, and economic risks that are specific to Australia. The Australian economy depends heavily on exports from the energy, agricultural and mining sectors and, as a result, is susceptible to fluctuations in the commodity markets. The Australian economy also increasingly depends on its growing services industry. Intensifying natural disasters in Australia, including drought and bushfires, could adversely impact the value of investments in Australian issuers. The Australian economy depends on trading with key trading partners, including China, Japan, South Korea, the U.S., and certain European countries. Reduced spending by any of these trading partners on Australian products and services, or negative changes in any of these economies, may have an adverse impact on the Australian economy. Economic events in key trading countries can have a significant effect on the Australian economy.
Risk of Investing in Canada. Investing in Canadian issuers involves legal, regulatory, political, economic, currency, geographic and security risks that are specific to Canada. The U.S. is Canada’s largest trading and investment partner, and the Canadian economy may be significantly affected by developments in the U.S. economy and U.S. trade policy changes. The U.S. and Canada are particularly interdependent with respect to their energy, timber and manufacturing sectors. Canada’s other key trading partners include China, Mexico, the United Kingdom and Japan. In addition, Canada is a large supplier of natural resources, including oil, natural gas and agricultural products. As a result, the Canadian economy is sensitive to fluctuations in certain commodity prices. Other risks facing the Canadian economy include persistent inflation and low productivity.
Risk of Investing in China. Investments in Chinese securities, including certain Hong Kong-listed and U.S.-listed securities, subject a Fund to risks specific to China. China is subject to a considerable degree of economic, political and social instability.
Political and Social Risk. The Chinese government is authoritarian and has periodically used force to suppress civil dissent. Disparities of wealth and the pace of economic liberalization may lead to social turmoil, violence and labor unrest. In addition, China continues to experience disagreements related to integration with Hong Kong and religious and nationalist disputes in Tibet and Xinjiang. There is also a greater risk in China than in many other countries of currency fluctuations, currency non-convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher rates of inflation as a result of internal social unrest or conflicts with other countries. Unanticipated political or social developments may result in sudden and significant investment losses. China’s income inequality, rapidly aging population and significant environmental issues also are factors that may affect the Chinese economy.
Government Control and Regulations. Despite the Chinese government’s implementation of economic and market reforms in recent decades, government control over certain sectors and enterprises and significant regulation of investment and industry are still pervasive. China has restrictions on investment in companies or industries deemed to be sensitive to particular national interests, trading of securities of Chinese issuers, foreign ownership of Chinese corporations and/or the repatriation of assets by foreign investors. Restrictions on foreign ownership of Chinese securities may have adverse effects on a Fund’s liquidity and performance and could lead to higher tracking error. Chinese government intervention in the market may have a negative impact on market sentiment, which may in turn affect the performance of the Chinese economy and a Fund’s investments. Chinese markets generally continue to experience inefficiency, lack of publicly available information, and political and social instability and may be subject to volatility and pricing anomalies resulting from governmental influence. Chinese companies, such as those in the financial services, technology and potentially other sectors, are also subject to the risk that Chinese authorities can intervene in their operations and structure, which may negatively affect the value of a Fund’s investments.
Economic Risk. The Chinese economy is highly reliant on trade and may be adversely affected by, among other things, a deterioration in global demand and spending for Chinese exports or a contraction in spending on domestic goods by Chinese consumers. The institution of additional tariffs or other trade barriers (including as a result of heightened trade tensions between China and the U.S. or in response to actual or alleged Chinese cyber activity) or a downturn in any of the economies of China’s key trading partners may have an adverse impact on the Chinese economy and companies in which a Fund invests. The current political climate has intensified concerns about a potential trade war between China and the U.S. as each country has imposed tariffs on the other. These actions and their consequences (which are difficult to predict) could have a negative impact on a Fund’s performance. It is unclear whether further tariffs or other escalating actions may occur.
In addition, certain Chinese companies (which may change from time to time) are directly or indirectly subject to economic or trade restrictions imposed by the U.S. or other governments due to national security, human rights or other concerns of such government. For example, certain foreign technology companies are subject to export controls as those companies are believed to pose a risk to U.S. interests. The U.S. also bans imports of goods produced in certain regions of China or by certain Chinese companies due to concerns about forced labor. Such restrictions may have unanticipated and adverse effects on the Chinese economy and companies. Any action that targets Chinese financial markets or securities exchanges could interfere with orderly trading, delay settlement or cause market disruptions. A Fund’s Underlying Index may include companies that are subject to economic or trade restrictions (but not investment restrictions) imposed by the U.S. or other governments. So long as these restrictions do not include restrictions on investments, a Fund is generally expected to invest in such companies, consistent with its objective to track the performance of its Underlying Index. Other economic challenges for China include indebtedness, weak consumer demand, and an aging population. China continues to face pressure from its trading partners over its exporting of its excess industrial capacity and overall approach to economic management.
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Expropriation Risk. The Chinese government maintains a major role in economic policymaking, and investing in China involves risk of loss due to expropriation, nationalization, confiscation of assets and property or the imposition of restrictions on foreign investments and on repatriation of capital invested.
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"text": "sections of the SAI entitled \u201cPlacement of Creation Orders,\u201d \u201cAcceptance of Orders for Creation"
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"text": "Units\u201d and \u201cPlacement of Redemption Orders.\u201d"
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"text": "4) For each Fund, the section of the SAI entitled \u201cCosts Associated with Creation Transactions\u201d is"
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"text": "deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following, although each SAI will include a"
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"text": "\u201cStandard Creation Transaction Fee\u201d table only for applicable Funds"
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"text": ":"
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"text": "Costs Associated with Creation Transactions."
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"text": "A standard creation transaction fee is imposed to offset the transfer and other transaction costs"
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"text": "associated with the issuance of Creation Units. Under an ETF Services Agreement, the Funds"
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"text": "have retained BRIL, an affiliate of BFA, to perform the ETF Services. BRIL will receive from an"
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"text": "Authorized Participant a standard transaction fee on each creation order, which consists of (1) a"
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"text": "fee for providing the ETF Services (the \u201cETF Servicing Fee\u201d) and (2) transfer, processing and"
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"text": "other transaction costs charged by a Fund custodian in connection with the issuance of"
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"text": "Creation Units for such creation order (\u201cCustody Transaction Costs\u201d). BRIL is entitled to retain"
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"text": "the ETF Servicing Fee pursuant to the ETF Services Agreement, but BRIL will reimburse any"
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"text": "Custody Transaction Costs to the applicable Fund custodian according to the amounts invoiced"
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"text": "The ETF Servicing Fee is a flat fee per order regardless of the number of Creation Units being"
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"text": "purchased, which amount will vary among different Funds based on a number of factors,"
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"text": "including the complexity of the order and the types of securities or instruments included in a"
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"text": "and settlement locations associated with the issuance of a Creation Unit. The following table"
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