|
FEBRUARY 28, 2023 |
2023 Semi-Annual Report (Unaudited) |
iShares, Inc.
· |
iShares MSCI Russia ETF | ERUS | |
Table of Contents
Page | ||||
Semi-Annual Report: |
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3 | ||||
4 | ||||
4 | ||||
5 | ||||
Financial Statements | ||||
7 | ||||
8 | ||||
9 | ||||
10 | ||||
11 | ||||
12 | ||||
17 | ||||
18 | ||||
19 |
Fund Summary as of February 28, 2023 | iShares® MSCI Russia ETF |
Investment Objective
The iShares MSCI Russia ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of Russian equities, as represented by the MSCI Russia 25/50 Index (the “Index”). Effective June 1, 2022, the index was discontinued by the index provider, MSCI, Inc. Due to the discontinuation of the Fund’s underlying index and ongoing restrictions relating to Russian securities, the Fund will be unable to meet its investment objective. The Fund is in the process of liquidating its assets and winding up its business pursuant to a plan of liquidation.
Performance
Average Annual Total Returns | Cumulative Total Returns | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
6-Month Total Returns |
1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years | 1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Fund NAV |
(0.07 | )% | (99.13 | )% | (70.63 | )% | (45.80 | )% | (99.13 | )% | (99.78 | )% | (99.78 | )% | ||||||||||||||||||
Fund Market(a) |
N/A | (81.42 | ) | (22.27 | ) | (12.32 | ) | (81.42 | ) | (67.86 | ) | (71.34 | ) | |||||||||||||||||||
Index(b) |
N/A | (99.99 | ) | (91.92 | ) | (71.67 | ) | (99.99 | ) | (99.99 | ) | (99.99 | ) |
(a) |
Effective March 4, 2022, the NYSE Arca, Inc. halted trading of the Fund and the Fund Market returns are as follows: 1 Year return, 5 Years return, and 10 Years return from September 1, 2021, September 1, 2017, and September 1, 2012, respectively through March 4, 2022. A6 Month Fund Market return is not shown as NYSE Arca, Inc. halted trading of the Fund prior to September 1, 2022. |
(b) |
Effective June 1, 2022, the Index was discontinued by the index provider, MSCI, Inc and the Index returns are as follows: 1 Year return, 5 Years return, and 10 Years return from September 1, 2021, September 1, 2017, and September 1, 2012, respectively through May 31, 2022. A6 Month Index return is not shown as MSCI, Inc discontinued the Index prior to September 1, 2022. |
Past performance is not an indication of future results. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. See “About Fund Performance” for more information.
Expense Example
Actual | Hypothetical 5% Return | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Beginning Account Value (09/01/22) |
|
|
Ending Account Value (02/28/23) |
|
|
Expenses Paid During the Period |
(a) |
|
Beginning Account Value (09/01/22) |
|
|
Ending Account Value (02/28/23) |
|
|
Expenses Paid During the Period |
(a) |
|
Annualized Expense Ratio |
| ||||||||||
$ | 1,000.00 | $ | 999.30 | $ | 0.00 | $ | 1,000.00 | $ | 1,024.80 | $ | 0.00 | 0.00 | % |
(a) |
Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 181/365 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). Other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, may be paid which are not reflected in the tables and examples above. See “Disclosure of Expenses” for more information. Effective March 3, 2022, BFA implemented a voluntary waiver of its investment advisory fee for the Fund, which was applied to management fees for the six months ended February 28, 2023. |
Portfolio Information
TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS
Security | Percent
of Total Investments |
|||
BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares |
90.8 | % | ||
Inter RAO UES PJSC |
3.8 | |||
Gazprom PJSC |
0.7 | |||
Surgutneftegas PJSC |
0.6 | |||
Surgutneftegas PJSC (Preferred) |
0.6 | |||
Sberbank of Russia PJSC |
0.5 | |||
VTB Bank PJSC |
0.2 | |||
Alrosa PJSC |
0.2 | |||
United Co. RUSAL International PJSC |
0.2 | |||
Moscow Exchange MICEX-RTS PJSC |
0.1 |
F U N D S U M M A R Y |
3 |
Past performance is not an indication of future results. Financial markets have experienced extreme volatility and trading in many instruments has been disrupted. These circumstances may continue for an extended period of time and may continue to affect adversely the value and liquidity of the Fund’s investments. As a result, current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. Performance data current to the most recent month-end is available at iShares.com. Performance results assume reinvestment of all dividends and capital gain distributions and do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or on the redemption or sale of fund shares. The investment return and principal value of shares will vary with changes in market conditions. Shares may be worth more or less than their original cost when they are redeemed or sold in the market. Performance for certain funds may reflect a waiver of a portion of investment advisory fees. Without such a waiver, performance would have been lower.
Net asset value or “NAV” is the value of one share of a fund as calculated in accordance with the standard formula for valuing mutual fund shares. Beginning August 10, 2020, the price used to calculate market return (“Market Price”) is the closing price. Prior to August 10, 2020, Market Price was determined using the midpoint between the highest bid and the lowest ask on the primary stock exchange on which shares of a fund are listed for trading, as of the time that such fund’s NAV is calculated. Market and NAV returns assume that dividends and capital gain distributions have been reinvested at Market Price and NAV, respectively. The NYSE ARCA, Inc. halted trading of the Fund effective March 4, 2022, and delisted the Fund effective August 29, 2022 therefore, there is no longer a Market Price.
An index is a statistical composite that tracks a specified financial market or sector. Unlike a fund, an index does not actually hold a portfolio of securities and therefore does not incur the expenses incurred by a fund. These expenses negatively impact fund performance. Also, market returns do not include brokerage commissions that may be payable on secondary market transactions. If brokerage commissions were included, market returns would be lower. Effective June 1, 2022, the index was discontinued by the index provider, MSCI, Inc.
Shareholders of the Fund may incur the following charges: (1) transactional expenses, including brokerage commissions on purchases and sales of fund shares and (2) ongoing expenses, including management fees and other fund expenses. The expense example shown (which is based on a hypothetical investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held through the end of the period) is intended to assist shareholders both in calculating expenses based on an investment in the Fund and in comparing these expenses with similar costs of investing in other funds.
The expense example provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. Annualized expense ratios reflect contractual and voluntary fee waivers, if any. In order to estimate the expenses a shareholder paid during the period covered by this report, shareholders can divide their account value by $1,000 and then multiply the result by the number under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During the Period.”
The expense example also provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on a fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses. In order to assist shareholders in comparing the ongoing expenses of investing in the Fund and other funds, compare the 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.
The expenses shown in the expense example are intended to highlight shareholders’ ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional expenses, such as brokerage commissions and other fees paid on purchases and sales of fund shares. Therefore, the hypothetical example is useful in comparing ongoing expenses only and will not help shareholders determine the relative total expenses of owning different funds. If these transactional expenses were included, shareholder expenses would have been higher.
4 |
2 0 2 3 I S H A R E S S E M I - A N N U A L R E P O R T T O S H A R E H O L D E R S |
Schedule of Investments (unaudited) February 28, 2023 |
iShares® MSCI Russia ETF (Percentages shown are based on Net Assets) |
Security | Shares | Value | ||||||
Common Stocks |
| |||||||
Banks — 0.8% | ||||||||
Sberbank of Russia PJSC(a)(b) |
18,835,860 | $ | 2,510 | |||||
TCS Group Holding PLC, GDR(a)(b) |
289,152 | 38 | ||||||
VTB Bank PJSC(a)(b) |
8,307,845,016 | 1,107 | ||||||
|
|
|||||||
3,655 | ||||||||
Capital Markets — 0.1% | ||||||||
Moscow Exchange MICEX-RTS PJSC(a)(b) |
4,737,800 | 631 | ||||||
|
|
|||||||
Chemicals — 0.0% | ||||||||
PhosAgro PJSC(a)(b) |
148,802 | 20 | ||||||
PhosAgro PJSC, New(a)(b) |
2,875 | 29 | ||||||
PhosAgro PJSC, GDR(a)(b) |
2 | — | ||||||
|
|
|||||||
49 | ||||||||
Electric Utilities — 3.8% | ||||||||
Inter RAO UES PJSC(a)(b) |
136,938,300 | 18,246 | ||||||
|
|
|||||||
Food & Staples Retailing — 0.0% | ||||||||
Magnit PJSC, GDR(a)(b) |
1 | — | ||||||
Magnit PJSC(a)(b) |
198,139 | 26 | ||||||
X5 Retail Group NV, GDR(a)(b) |
374,475 | 50 | ||||||
|
|
|||||||
76 | ||||||||
Interactive Media & Services — 0.0% | ||||||||
VK Co. Ltd.(a)(b) |
393,252 | 53 | ||||||
Yandex NV(a)(b) |
361,376 | 48 | ||||||
|
|
|||||||
101 | ||||||||
Internet & Direct Marketing Retail — 0.0% | ||||||||
Ozon Holdings PLC, ADR(a)(b) |
106,824 | 14 | ||||||
|
|
|||||||
Metals & Mining — 0.5% | ||||||||
Alrosa PJSC(a)(b) |
7,486,250 | 998 | ||||||
MMC Norilsk Nickel PJSC(a)(b) |
96,437 | 13 | ||||||
Novolipetsk Steel PJSC(a)(b) |
4,388,590 | 585 | ||||||
Polymetal International PLC(a)(b) |
834,056 | 111 | ||||||
Polyus PJSC(a)(b) |
89,129 | 12 | ||||||
Severstal PAO(a)(b) |
604,068 | 80 | ||||||
United Co. RUSAL International PJSC(a)(b) |
5,811,330 | 774 | ||||||
|
|
|||||||
2,573 | ||||||||
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels — 1.5% | ||||||||
Gazprom PJSC(a)(b) |
24,553,290 | 3,271 |
Security | Shares | Value | ||||||
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels (continued) | ||||||||
LUKOIL PJSC(a)(b) |
856,438 | $ | 114 | |||||
Novatek PJSC(a)(b) |
1,250,860 | 167 | ||||||
Rosneft Oil Co. PJSC(a)(b) |
2,566,222 | 342 | ||||||
Surgutneftegas PJSC(a)(b) |
21,799,946 | 2,905 | ||||||
Tatneft PJSC(a)(b) |
3,516,781 | 469 | ||||||
|
|
|||||||
7,268 | ||||||||
Wireless Telecommunication Services — 0.1% | ||||||||
Mobile TeleSystems PJSC(a)(b) |
2,776,444 | 370 | ||||||
|
|
|||||||
Total
Common Stocks — 6.8% |
32,983 | |||||||
|
|
|||||||
Preferred Stocks |
| |||||||
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels — 0.6% | ||||||||
Surgutneftegas PJSC, Preference Shares, NVS(a)(b) |
21,745,700 | 2,898 | ||||||
|
|
|||||||
Total
Preferred Stocks — 0.6% |
2,898 | |||||||
|
|
|||||||
Total
Long-Term Investments — 7.4% |
35,881 | |||||||
|
|
|||||||
Short-Term Securities |
| |||||||
Money Market Funds — 90.8% | ||||||||
BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares, 4.41%(c)(d) |
440,000 | 440,000 | ||||||
|
|
|||||||
Total
Short-Term Securities — 90.8% |
|
440,000 | ||||||
|
|
|||||||
Total
Investments — 98.2% |
|
475,881 | ||||||
Other Assets Less Liabilities — 1.8% |
|
8,799 | ||||||
|
|
|||||||
Net Assets — 100.0% |
$ | 484,680 | ||||||
|
|
(a) |
Security is valued using significant unobservable inputs and is classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy. |
(b) |
Non-income producing security. |
(c) |
Affiliate of the Fund. |
(d) |
Annualized 7-day yield as of period end. |
Affiliates
Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the six months ended February 28, 2023 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:
Affiliated Issuer |
Value at 08/31/22 |
Purchases at Cost |
Proceeds from Sale |
Net Realized Gain (Loss) |
Change in Unrealized |
Value at 02/28/23 |
Shares Held at |
Income | Capital Gain Distributions from Underlying Funds |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares |
$ | 430,000 | $ | 10,000 | $ | — | $ | — |
$ |
— |
|
$ | 440,000 | $ | 440,000 | $ | 7,888 | $ | — | |||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
S C H E D U L E O F I N V E S T M E N T S |
5 |
Schedule of Investments (unaudited) (continued) February 28, 2023 |
iShares® MSCI Russia ETF |
Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End
Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Fund’s policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.
The following table summarizes the Fund’s financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Fund’s financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.
Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Total | |||||||||||||
Assets |
||||||||||||||||
Investments |
||||||||||||||||
Long-Term Investments |
||||||||||||||||
Common Stocks |
$ | — | $ | — | $ | 32,983 | $ | 32,983 | ||||||||
Preferred Stocks |
— | — | 2,898 | 2,898 | ||||||||||||
Short-Term Securities |
||||||||||||||||
Money Market Funds |
440,000 | — | — | 440,000 | ||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
$ | 440,000 | $ | — | $ | 35,881 | $ | 475,881 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A reconciliation of Level 3 financial instruments is presented when the Fund had a significant amount of Level 3 investments and derivative financial instruments at the beginning and/or end of the period in relation to net assets. The following table is a reconciliation of Level 3 investments for which significant unobservable inputs were used in determining fair value:
Common Stocks |
Preferred Stocks |
Total | |||||||||||||
Assets: |
|||||||||||||||
Opening balance, as of August 31, 2022 |
$ | 40,573 | $ | 3,565 | $ | 44,138 | |||||||||
Transfers into Level 3 |
— | — | — | ||||||||||||
Transfers out of Level 3 |
— | — | — | ||||||||||||
Accrued discounts/premiums |
— | — | — | ||||||||||||
Net realized gain (loss) |
— | — | — | ||||||||||||
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)(a)(b) |
(7,590 | ) | (667 | ) | (8,257 | ) | |||||||||
Purchases |
— | — | — | ||||||||||||
Sales |
— | — | — | ||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Closing balance, as of February 28, 2023 |
$ | 32,983 | $ | 2,898 | $ | 35,881 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investment still held at February 28, 2023 |
$ | (7,590 | ) | $ | (667 | ) | $ | (8,257 | ) | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
(a) |
Included in the related net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) in the Statement of Operations. |
(b) |
Any difference between net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) and net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments still held at February 28, 2023 is generally due to investments no longer held or categorized as Level 3 at period end. |
See notes to financial statements.
6 |
2 0 2 3 I S H A R E S S E M I - A N N U A L R E P O R T T O S H A R E H O L D E R S |
Statement of Assets and Liabilities (unaudited)
February 28, 2023
iShares MSCI Russia ETF |
||||
ASSETS |
||||
Investments, at value — unaffiliated(a) |
$ | 35,881 | ||
Investments, at value — affiliated(b) |
440,000 | |||
Cash |
6,914 | |||
Foreign currency, at value(c) |
283 | |||
Receivables: |
||||
Dividends — affiliated |
1,602 | |||
|
|
|||
Total assets |
484,680 | |||
|
|
|||
NET ASSETS |
$ | 484,680 | ||
|
|
|||
NET ASSETS CONSIST OF |
||||
Paid-in capital |
$ | 615,262,124 | ||
Accumulated loss |
(614,777,444 | ) | ||
|
|
|||
NET ASSETS |
$ | 484,680 | ||
|
|
|||
NET ASSET VALUE |
||||
Shares outstanding |
13,750,000 | |||
|
|
|||
Net asset value |
$ | 0.04 | ||
|
|
|||
Shares authorized |
1 billion | |||
|
|
|||
Par value |
$ | 0.001 | ||
|
|
|||
(a) Investments, at cost — unaffiliated |
$ | 465,451,576 | ||
(b) Investments, at cost — affiliated |
$ | 440,000 | ||
(c) Foreign currency, at cost |
$ | 272 |
See notes to financial statements.
F I N A N C I A L S T A T E M E N T S |
7 |
Statements of Operations (unaudited)
Six Months Ended February 28, 2023
iShares MSCI Russia ETF |
||||
INVESTMENT INCOME |
||||
Dividends — affiliated |
$ | 7,888 | ||
Interest — unaffiliated |
64 | |||
|
|
|||
Total investment income |
7,952 | |||
|
|
|||
EXPENSES |
||||
Investment advisory |
1,427 | |||
|
|
|||
Total expenses |
1,427 | |||
Less: |
||||
Investment advisory fees waived |
(1,427 | ) | ||
|
|
|||
Total expenses after fees waived |
— | |||
|
|
|||
Net investment income |
7,952 | |||
|
|
|||
REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS) |
||||
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on: |
||||
Investments — unaffiliated |
(8,257 | ) | ||
Foreign currency translations |
14 | |||
|
|
|||
(8,243 | ) | |||
|
|
|||
Net realized and unrealized loss |
(8,243 | ) | ||
|
|
|||
NET DECREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS |
$ | (291 | ) | |
|
|
See notes to financial statements.
8 |
2 0 2 3 I S H A R E S S E M I - A N N U A L R E P O R T T O S H A R E H O L D E R S |
Statements of Changes in Net Assets
iShares MSCI Russia ETF |
||||||||
Six Months Ended 02/28/23 (unaudited) |
Year Ended 08/31/22 |
|||||||
INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS |
||||||||
OPERATIONS |
||||||||
Net investment income |
$ | 7,952 | $ | 11,545,224 | ||||
Net realized loss |
— | (1,223,228 | ) | |||||
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) |
(8,243 | ) | (606,314,168 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Net decrease in net assets resulting from operations |
(291 | ) | (595,992,172 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS(a) |
||||||||
From net investment income |
— | (22,039,990 | ) | |||||
Liquidating distribution |
— | (450,000 | ) | |||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Decrease in net assets resulting from distributions to shareholders |
— | (22,489,990 | ) | |||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS |
||||||||
Net increase in net assets derived from capital share transactions |
— | 32,469,779 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
NET ASSETS |
||||||||
Total decrease in net assets |
(291 | ) | (586,012,383 | ) | ||||
Beginning of period |
484,971 | 586,497,354 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
End of period |
$ | 484,680 | $ | 484,971 | ||||
|
|
|
|
(a) |
Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations. |
See notes to financial statements.
F I N A N C I A L S T A T E M E N T S |
9 |
Statement of Cash Flows (unaudited)
Six Months Ended February 28, 2023
iShares MSCI Russia ETF |
CASH PROVIDED BY (USED FOR) OPERATING ACTIVITIES |
||||
Net decrease in net assets resulting from operations |
$ | (291 | ) | |
Adjustments to reconcile net decrease in net assets resulting from operations to net cash used for operating activities: |
||||
Net purchases of short-term securities |
(10,000 | ) | ||
Net change in unrealized (appreciation) depreciation on investments |
8,257 | |||
(Increase) decrease in assets: |
||||
Receivables: |
||||
Dividends — affiliated |
(456 | ) | ||
|
|
|||
Net cash used for operating activities |
(2,490 | ) | ||
|
|
|||
CASH PROVIDED BY (USED FOR) FINANCING ACTIVITIES |
||||
Net cash provided by financing activities |
— | |||
|
|
|||
CASH AND FOREIGN CURRENCY |
||||
Net decrease in restricted and unrestricted cash and foreign currency |
$ | (2,490 | ) | |
Restricted and unrestricted cash and foreign currency at beginning of period |
9,687 | |||
|
|
|||
Restricted and unrestricted cash and foreign currency at end of period |
$ | 7,197 | ||
|
|
|||
RECONCILIATION OF RESTRICTED AND UNRESTRICTED CASH AND FOREIGN CURRENCY ATTHE END OF PERIOD TO THE STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES | ||||
Cash |
$ | 6,914 | ||
Foreign currency, at value |
283 | |||
|
|
|||
$ | 7,197 | |||
|
|
See notes to financial statements.
10 |
2 0 2 3 I S H A R E S S E M I - A N N U A L R E P O R T T O S H A R E H O L D E R S |