iShares is a global leader in Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) with a line-up of over 1,500 funds.10 As part of BlackRock, iShares ETFs offer investors everywhere access to high quality, high value investment opportunities.
AN INDUSTRY LEADER
iShares has been a global leader in the ETF marketplace for more than two decades, and as a part of BlackRock, our products are engineered by investment professionals with discipline and deep risk management expertise.
20
YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
4.2
GLOBAL AUM1
1500
ETFS GLOBALLY2
WHAT IS AN ETF? WHAT ARE ITS ADVANTAGES?
An exchange-traded fund (ETF) is a collection of assets that trades on an exchange. ETFs are a diversified and low cost way to invest.
OUR HISTORY
Buoyed by a “never-finished” outlook, we’ve always focused on anticipating investor needs and innovating to stay ahead of new market realities.
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1973
OUR BEGINNINGS
Our predecessors at Wells Fargo pioneered the first index strategy. Their unit was later sold to Barclays which was then sold to BlackRock in 2009.3
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1996
1ST iSHARES ETF
Our first 17 ETFs launched in 1996, including the first international ETFs with exposure to Mexico, Canada, and Brazil, making us one of the earliest ETF innovators.4
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2000
A NEW WAY TO TRADE BONDS
We launched the first bond ETFs, modernizing fixed income portfolios with low costs and deep liquidity.5
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2005
1ST iSHARES SUSTAINABLE ETFs
We debuted sustainable ETFs, helping investors target Environmental, Social, and Governance-related priorities within their portfolios.6
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2017
1ST SUSTAINABLE FIXED INCOME ETFs
We launched the first sustainable fixed income ETFs, offering investors multiple approaches to fixed income investing.7
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2019
LAUNCHED THEMATIC ETF SUITE
We created a suite of thematic ETFs, offering investors access to companies focused on long-term innovation in industries including tech, pharmaceuticals, and agriculture.8
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2019
FORMED A STRATEGIC ALLIANCE WITH RBC GLOBAL ASSET MANAGEMENT9
RBC iShares is a strategic alliance between RBC Global Asset Management and BlackRock Canada. RBC iShares provides the largest suite of ETFs to Canadians, and leverages the combined investment expertise of both firms.
ACCESS MORE WITH iSHARES
We offer tools, insights, and enhanced fund data to help you build smarter portfolios.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
In March of 1996, our first ETFs were created, originally known as World Equity Benchmark Shares (WEBS). Four years later, the WEBS funds were folded into a new line of iShares-branded ETFs.
In January 2019, BlackRock Canada and RBC Global Asset Management announced a strategic alliance, RBC iShares. This alliance aims to provide financial advisors access to an extensive choice of industry-leading ETFs and unparalleled investment expertise and management capabilities, coupled with renowned support and personalized services.
We manage over 1,500 ETFs globally, so whether you’re dipping your toes into ETFs or fine-tuning your portfolio, our broad range of cost-efficient ETFs is designed to help you build a portfolio to pursue your needs.11
iShares ETFs offer diversified and low cost access to the world’s investment markets. To learn about the benefits and uses of ETFs, visit our education hub page “What is an ETF?”.
Please visit our page “How to Invest in ETFs” to learn how to buy iShares.
