LOGO

 

  JULY 31, 2022

 

   2022 Annual Report

 

iShares Trust

 

·  

iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF | EFG | Cboe BZX

 

·  

iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF | EFV | Cboe BZX


The Markets in Review

Dear Shareholder,

The 12-month reporting period as of July 31, 2022 saw the emergence of significant challenges that disrupted the economic recovery and strong financial markets. The U.S. economy shrank in the first half of 2022, ending the run of robust growth that followed the reopening of global economies and the development of COVID-19 vaccines. Changes in consumer spending patterns and a tight labor market led to elevated inflation, which reached a 40-year high. Moreover, while the foremost effect of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been a severe humanitarian crisis, the ongoing war continued to present challenges for both investors and policymakers.

Equity prices fell as interest rates rose, particularly weighing on relatively high-valuation growth stocks and economically sensitive small-capitalization stocks. While both large- and small-capitalization U.S. stocks fell, declines for small-capitalization U.S. stocks were steeper. Both emerging market stocks and international equities from developed markets fell significantly, pressured by rising interest rates and a strengthening U.S. dollar.

The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield (which is inversely related to bond prices) rose notably during the reporting period as investors reacted to higher inflation and attempted to anticipate its impact on future interest rate changes. The corporate bond market also faced inflationary headwinds, and increasing uncertainty led to higher corporate bond spreads (the difference in yield between U.S. Treasuries and similarly-dated corporate bonds).

The U.S. Federal Reserve (the “Fed”), acknowledging that inflation is growing faster than expected, raised interest rates four times while indicating that additional rate hikes were likely. Furthermore, the Fed wound down its bond-buying programs and began to reduce its balance sheet. Continued high inflation and the Fed’s statements led many analysts to anticipate that interest rates have room to rise before peaking, although investors’ inflation expectations began to decline near the end of the period.

The horrific war in Ukraine has significantly clouded the outlook for the global economy, leading to major volatility in energy and metals markets. Sanctions on Russia, Europe’s top energy supplier, and general wartime disruption have magnified supply problems for key commodities. We believe elevated energy prices will continue to exacerbate inflationary pressure while also constraining economic growth. Combating inflation without stifling a recovery, while buffering against ongoing supply and price shocks, will be an especially challenging environment for setting effective monetary policy. Despite the likelihood of more rate increases on the horizon, we believe the Fed will ultimately err on the side of protecting employment, even at the expense of higher inflation. In the meantime, however, we believe that we are likely to see a period of slowing growth paired with relatively high inflation.

In this environment, while we favor an overweight to equities in the long-term, the market’s concerns over excessive rate hikes from central banks moderate our outlook. Furthermore, the energy shock and a deteriorating economic backdrop in China and Europe are likely to challenge corporate earnings, so we are underweight equities overall in the near-term. We take the opposite view on credit, where higher spreads provide near-term opportunities, while the likelihood of higher inflation leads us to take an underweight stance on credit in the long-term. We believe that investment-grade corporates, U.K. gilts, local-currency emerging market debt, and inflation-protected bonds (particularly in Europe) offer strong opportunities for a six- to twelve-month horizon.

Overall, our view is that investors need to think globally, extend their scope across a broad array of asset classes, and be nimble as market conditions change. We encourage you to talk with your financial advisor and visit iShares.com for further insight about investing in today’s markets.

Sincerely,

 

LOGO

Rob Kapito

President, BlackRock, Inc.

LOGO

Rob Kapito

President, BlackRock, Inc.

Total Returns as of July 31, 2022

 

     6-Month    12-Month

 

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

 

 

 

(7.81)%

 

 

(4.64)%

 

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

 

 

 

(6.42)    

 

 

(14.29)   

 

International equities
(MSCI Europe, Australasia,

Far East Index)

 

 

 

(11.27)    

 

 

(14.32)   

 

Emerging market equities
(MSCI Emerging Markets

Index)

 

 

 

(16.24)    

 

 

(20.09)   

 

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

 

 

 

0.21   

 

 

0.22   

 

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

 

 

 

(6.38)   

 

 

(10.00)   

 

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

 

 

 

(6.14)   

 

 

(9.12)   

 

Tax-exempt municipal bonds
(Bloomberg Municipal Bond Index)

 

 

 

(3.95)   

 

 

(6.93)   

 

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

 

 

 

(6.58)   

 

 

(8.03)   

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

 

 

 

 

2  

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


Table of Contents

 

      Page  

The Markets in Review

     2  

Annual Report:

  

Market Overview

     4  

Fund Summary

     5  

About Fund Performance

     9  

Disclosure of Expenses

     9  

Schedules of Investments

     10  

Financial Statements:

  

Statements of Assets and Liabilities

     24  

Statements of Operations

     25  

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

     26  

Financial Highlights

     27  

Notes to Financial Statements

     29  

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

     38  

Important Tax Information

     39  

Board Review and Approval of Investment Advisory Contract

     40  

Supplemental Information

     44  

Trustee and Officer Information

     45  

General Information

     48  

Glossary of Terms Used in this Report

     49  

 

 

  3


Market Overview

 

iShares Trust

Global Market Overview

Global equity markets declined during the 12 months ended July 31, 2022 (“reporting period”). The MSCI ACWI, a broad global equity index that includes both developed and emerging markets, returned -10.48% in U.S. dollar terms for the reporting period.

For the first five months of the reporting period, economic recovery supported stocks in most regions of the world. The global economy continued to rebound from the impact of restrictions imposed at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, as mitigation and adaptation allowed most economic activity to continue. However, substantial challenges emerged at the beginning of 2022, which negatively affected stock prices. Inflation rose significantly in many countries, reducing consumers’ purchasing power and leading many central banks to tighten monetary policy. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine presented a further challenge to the global economy, disrupting important commodities markets.

The U.S. economy grew briskly over the final half of 2021, powered primarily by consumer spending. Record-high personal savings rates allowed consumers to spend at an elevated level, releasing pent-up demand for goods and services. Growth subsequently stalled in the first half of 2022, and the economy contracted amid lower inventories and faltering business investment. Despite the economic downturn, unemployment declined substantially, falling to 3.5% in July 2022 — identical to the pre-pandemic rate in February 2020. Although high inflation negatively impacted consumer sentiment, which declined significantly, consumer spending continued to increase.

Rising inflation led to a shift in policy from the U.S. Federal Reserve (“the Fed”). As the reporting period began, the Fed was using accommodative monetary policy to stimulate the economy. Short-term interest rates were kept at near-zero levels, and the Fed used bond-buying programs to stabilize debt markets. However, rising prices led the Fed to tighten monetary policy during the reporting period in an attempt to prevent runaway inflation. The Fed slowed and then ended its bond-buying activities, finally reversing course as it began to reduce its balance sheet in June 2022. In March 2022, the Fed began to raise short-term interest rates, followed by three more increases for a total increase of 225 basis points, the most rapid rise in decades. Interest rates rose significantly in response, leading to higher borrowing costs for businesses.

Stocks declined in Europe and economic growth stalled, with the Eurozone economy slowing substantially beginning in the fourth quarter of 2021. Significantly higher inflation and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine negatively impacted equities. Russia is an important trading partner with many European countries, and new sanctions imposed limits on certain types of trade with Russia. Investors became concerned that the sharp rise in energy prices during the reporting period would constrain economic growth, as Europe relies on imported energy for much of its industrial and heating needs. The European Central Bank (“ECB”) responded to elevated inflation by raising interest rates in July 2022, the first such increase in over a decade.

Despite relatively low inflation by global standards, Asia-Pacific stocks declined significantly. Chinese stocks faced significant headwinds amid regulatory interventions by the Chinese government and strict lockdowns following COVID-19 outbreaks. Japanese stocks also declined amid an economic contraction in the first quarter of 2022 and a sharp decline in the Japanese yen relative to the U.S. dollar. Emerging market stocks declined substantially, as higher interest rates and a strengthening U.S. dollar raised the cost of borrowing in many emerging economies.

 

 

4  

2 0 2 2   H A R E S   A N N U A L   R E P O R T   T O    S H A R E H O L D E R S


Fund Summary as of July 31, 2022    iShares® MSCI EAFE Growth ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of developed market equities, excluding the U.S. and Canada, that exhibit growth characteristics, as represented by the MSCI EAFE Growth Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

      Average Annual Total Returns             Cumulative Total Returns  
     1 Year      5 Years      10 Years            1 Year      5 Years      10 Years  

Fund NAV

    (18.92 )%       4.44      6.70       (18.92 )%       24.27      91.24

Fund Market

    (18.82      4.44        6.80         (18.82      24.25        93.15  

Index

    (19.11      4.56        6.92               (19.11      24.97        95.30  

GROWTH OF $10,000 INVESTMENT

(AT NET ASSET VALUE)

 

LOGO

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
(02/01/22)
 
 
 
      

Ending
Account Value
(07/31/22)
 
 
 
      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a) 
           

Beginning
Account Value
(02/01/22)
 
 
 
      

Ending
Account Value
(07/31/22)
 
 
 
      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a) 
    

Annualized
Expense
Ratio
 
 
 
  $ 1,000.00        $ 877.10        $ 1.72             $ 1,000.00        $ 1,023.00        $ 1.86        0.37

 

  (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.

 

 

 

U N D   S U M M A R Y

  5


Fund Summary as of July 31, 2022  (continued)    iShares® MSCI EAFE Growth ETF

 

Portfolio Management Commentary

Growth-oriented stocks in developed markets outside the U.S. and Canada declined during the reporting period, as higher inflation, rising interest rates, and weakening global economies sent markets lower. Rising interest rates typically pressure high-valuation growth-oriented stocks by lowering the current value of future earnings. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine also increased investor uncertainty, as international sanctions on Russia disrupted global economic activity, unsettled commodities markets, and constrained companies that had connections to Russia. The combination of resilient consumer demand and persistent supply chain disruptions contributed to higher inflation in many countries. Inflationary pressure led some of the world’s central banks to adopt less accommodative stances regarding monetary policy. The Chinese government’s imposition of new lockdowns to quell the spread of COVID-19 pressured Asian stocks.

Japanese stocks detracted the most from the Index’s performance, particularly in the industrials and information technology sectors. Several companies in these sectors posted strong earnings but nevertheless detracted from the Index’s return due primarily to the weakness of the Japanese yen relative to the U.S. dollar. The Japanese yen hit a 24-year low in July 2022 against the U.S. dollar, weakening returns from the country as the Bank of Japan continued its low interest rate policy while some other central banks raised interest rates. Japan’s gross domestic product shrank in the first quarter as supply chain disruptions dampened exports and production. Lockdowns in China, Japan’s largest export market, idled factories and warehouses and slowed deliveries of goods.

European stocks, most notably in France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, also detracted from the Index’s return. The decline of the euro, which reached parity with the U.S. dollar for the first time in 20 years, and a more modest weakening of the Swiss franc against the U.S. dollar devalued returns from the continent for U.S. investors. In addition, the war in Ukraine disrupted supply chains, clouded the outlook for economic growth, and contributed to record-high inflation across the Eurozone as commodities and oil prices soared. Late in the reporting period, the ECB and the Swiss central bank raised interest rates to fight growing inflation.

Portfolio Information

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION

 

 

   

Sector

   

Percent of

Total Investments

 

(a) 

Industrials

    20.3

Health Care

    16.9  

Consumer Discretionary

    14.2  

Information Technology

    13.6  

Consumer Staples

    13.5  

Financials

    9.6  

Materials

    5.4  

Communication Services

    3.7  

Real Estate

    1.2  

Other (each representing less than 1%)

    1.6  

 

  (a)

Excludes money market funds

 

GEOGRAPHIC ALLOCATION

 

 

   

Country/Geographic Region

   

Percent of

Total Investments

 

(a) 

Japan

    21.9

Switzerland

    14.5  

France

    13.6  

United Kingdom

    9.9  

Australia

    7.9  

Netherlands

    6.9  

Germany

    5.1  

Denmark

    4.8  

Sweden

    4.5  

Hong Kong

    3.1  

 

 

6  

2 0 2 2   H A R E S   A N N U A L   R E P O R T   T O    S H A R E H O L D E R S


Fund Summary as of July 31, 2022    iShares® MSCI EAFE Value ETF

 

Investment Objective

The iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of developed market equities, excluding the U.S. and Canada, that exhibit value characteristics, as represented by the MSCI EAFE Value Index (the “Index”). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index.

Performance

 

    Average Annual Total Returns           Cumulative Total Returns  
     1 Year      5 Years      10 Years            1 Year      5 Years      10 Years  

Fund NAV

    (9.23 )%       0.32      4.31       (9.23 )%       1.63      52.50

Fund Market

    (9.47      0.28        4.34         (9.47      1.40        52.95  

Index

    (9.89      0.27        4.40               (9.89      1.35        53.88  

GROWTH OF $10,000 INVESTMENT

(AT NET ASSET VALUE)

 

LOGO

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
(02/01/22)
 
 
 
      

Ending
Account Value
(07/31/22)
 
 
 
      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a) 
           

Beginning
Account Value
(02/01/22)
 
 
 
      

Ending
Account Value
(07/31/22)
 
 
 
      

Expenses
Paid During
the Period
 
 
(a) 
    

Annualized
Expense
Ratio
 
 
 
  $ 1,000.00        $ 887.20        $ 1.68             $ 1,000.00        $ 1,023.00        $ 1.81        0.36

 

  (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.

 

 

 

U N D   S U M M A R Y

  7


Fund Summary as of July 31, 2022  (continued)    iShares® MSCI EAFE Value ETF

 

Portfolio Management Commentary

Value-oriented stocks in developed markets outside the U.S. and Canada declined during the reporting period, as higher inflation, rising interest rates, and weakening global economies sent markets lower. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine also increased investor uncertainty, as international sanctions on Russia disrupted global economic activity, unsettled commodities markets, and constrained companies that had connections to Russia. The combination of resilient consumer demand and persistent supply chain disruptions contributed to higher inflation in many countries. Inflationary pressure led some of the world’s central banks to adopt less accommodative stances regarding monetary policy. The Chinese government’s imposition of new lockdowns to quell the spread of COVID-19 pressured Asian stocks.

German stocks detracted the most from the Index’s performance, particularly in the industrials, consumer discretionary, and materials sectors. The weakening euro, which reached parity with the U.S. dollar for the first time in 20 years, devalued returns from Germany for U.S. investors. In addition, the war in Ukraine disrupted supply chains, clouded the economic outlook, and contributed to record-high inflation across the Eurozone as commodities and energy prices soared. Some companies incurred significant costs related to exiting the Russian market, which weighed on earnings. The ECB raised interest rates in July 2022 for the first time in 11 years to fight growing inflation. Similar factors negatively impacted stocks across Europe. In France, the financials and consumer discretionary sectors detracted the most, and in Italy, utilities and financials stocks led the decline.

Japanese stocks also weighed on the Index’s return, most notably in the consumer discretionary sector. The Japanese yen hit a 24-year low in July 2022 against the U.S. dollar, weakening returns from the country as the Bank of Japan continued its low interest rate policy while other central banks raised interest rates. Japan’s gross domestic product shrank in the first quarter as supply chain disruptions dampened exports and production. Lockdowns in China, Japan’s largest export market, idled factories and warehouses and slowed deliveries of goods.

Portfolio Information

 

SECTOR ALLOCATION

 

   

Sector

   
Percent of
Total Investments
 
(a) 

Financials

    25.2

Industrials

    10.5  

Health Care

    9.8  

Materials

    9.4  

Consumer Discretionary

    8.7  

Energy

    8.7  

Consumer Staples

    8.2  

Communication Services

    6.1  

Utilities

    6.1  

Real Estate

    4.7  

Information Technology

    2.6  

 

  (a)

Excludes money market funds

 

GEOGRAPHIC ALLOCATION

 

   

Country/Geographic Region

   
Percent of
Total Investments
 
(a) 

Japan

    22.9

United Kingdom

    20.2  

Germany

    10.1  

Australia

    9.6  

France

    8.6  

Switzerland

    6.7  

Spain

    3.3  

Italy

    3.1  

Hong Kong

    3.0  

Sweden

    2.2  

 

 

 

8  

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About Fund Performance

 

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

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

An index is a statistical composite that tracks a specified financial market or sector. Unlike a fund, an index does not actually hold a portfolio of securities and therefore does not incur the expenses incurred by a fund. These expenses negatively impact fund performance. Also, 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.

Disclosure of Expenses

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

  9


Schedule of Investments

July 31, 2022

  

iShares® MSCI EAFE Growth ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Common Stocks

   
Australia — 7.9%            

Ampol Ltd.

    326,133     $ 7,726,580  

APA Group

    817,223       6,700,698  

Aristocrat Leisure Ltd.

    830,706       20,724,495  

ASX Ltd.

    274,883       17,085,287  

Brambles Ltd.

    1,980,499       15,940,445  

Cochlear Ltd.

    90,761       13,680,122  

Coles Group Ltd.

    1,841,472       24,252,806  

Commonwealth Bank of Australia

    1,176,102       83,523,707  

Computershare Ltd.

    750,396       13,257,237  

CSL Ltd.

    663,466       135,092,943  

Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Ltd.

    82,147       4,200,164  

Endeavour Group Ltd./Australia

    1,856,936       10,345,796  

Evolution Mining Ltd.

    2,549,904       4,710,382  

Goodman Group

    2,317,073       33,910,504  

IDP Education Ltd.(a)

    289,670       5,828,124  

Macquarie Group Ltd.

    330,371       42,281,993  

Medibank Pvt Ltd.

    1,913,200       4,600,351  

Mineral Resources Ltd.

    235,254       8,964,139  

National Australia Bank Ltd.

    4,450,002       96,104,505  

Newcrest Mining Ltd.

    1,227,976       16,548,519  

Northern Star Resources Ltd.

    1,599,921       8,792,572  

Orica Ltd.

    566,514       6,714,454  

Qantas Airways Ltd.(b)

    649,555       2,093,093  

QBE Insurance Group Ltd.

    1,023,834       8,278,439  

Ramsay Health Care Ltd.

    164,671       8,135,037  

REA Group Ltd.

    73,244       6,461,902  

Reece Ltd.(a)

    315,436       3,406,810  

SEEK Ltd.

    466,380       7,554,020  

Sonic Healthcare Ltd.

    629,188       15,151,800  

Telstra Corp. Ltd.

    1,996,355       5,456,057  

Transurban Group

    4,229,125       43,228,795  

Treasury Wine Estates Ltd.

    997,969       8,602,528  

Washington H Soul Pattinson & Co. Ltd.

    298,115       5,397,270  

Wesfarmers Ltd.

    1,562,459       51,194,769  

WiseTech Global Ltd.

    203,428       7,204,324  

Woolworths Group Ltd.

    1,669,781       43,930,405  
   

 

 

 
          797,081,072  
Austria — 0.1%            

Verbund AG

    94,095       10,347,203  
   

 

 

 
Belgium — 0.8%            

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV

    598,166       32,042,433  

D’ieteren Group

    34,508       5,663,663  

Elia Group SA/NV

    45,752       6,945,690  

Groupe Bruxelles Lambert SA

    91,546       8,103,201  

Sofina SA

    21,409       5,013,757  

UCB SA

    87,508       6,837,765  

Umicore SA

    287,999       10,432,005  

Warehouses De Pauw CVA

    206,095       7,006,034  
   

 

 

 
      82,044,548  
Denmark — 4.8%            

AP Moller-Maersk A/S, Class A

    2,751       7,369,860  

Carlsberg A/S, Class B

    48,693       6,298,045  

Chr Hansen Holding A/S

    145,885       9,548,583  

Coloplast A/S, Class B

    163,771       19,167,580  

Demant A/S(b)

    133,332       5,079,379  

DSV A/S

    264,443       44,558,884  

Genmab A/S(b)

    90,543       32,217,002  
Security   Shares     Value  
Denmark (continued)            

GN Store Nord A/S

    179,557     $ 6,252,911  

Novo Nordisk A/S, Class B

    2,319,120       270,116,610  

Novozymes A/S, Class B

    283,600       18,116,442  

Orsted A/S(c)

    91,496       10,651,656  

Pandora A/S

    131,382       9,760,593  

Rockwool A/S, Class B

    12,316       3,051,893  

Tryg A/S

    249,660       5,692,583  

Vestas Wind Systems A/S

    1,391,041       36,561,739  
   

 

 

 
      484,443,760  
Finland — 0.8%            

Elisa OYJ

    69,317       3,833,582  

Kesko OYJ, Class B

    377,671       9,340,999  

Kone OYJ, Class B

    162,420       7,422,827  

Neste OYJ

    582,857       29,971,255  

Nokia OYJ

    2,616,328       13,627,353  

Orion OYJ, Class B

    52,132       2,488,651  

Stora Enso OYJ, Class R

    760,744       11,765,429  
   

 

 

 
      78,450,096  
France — 13.5%            

Accor SA(b)

    153,738       3,989,333  

Aeroports de Paris(b)

    26,883       3,714,473  

Air Liquide SA

    720,248       99,021,401  

Airbus SE

    812,412       87,595,631  

BioMerieux

    57,420       6,214,988  

Bureau Veritas SA

    406,595       11,214,137  

Capgemini SE

    225,549       43,020,501  

Cie. de Saint-Gobain

    343,327       16,009,276  

Dassault Aviation SA

    34,759       4,971,323  

Dassault Systemes SE

    918,622       39,401,231  

Edenred

    344,173       17,666,572  

Eiffage SA(a)

    57,803       5,424,175  

EssilorLuxottica SA

    257,412       40,357,655  

Eurofins Scientific SE

    185,753       14,481,000  

Getlink SE

    601,833       12,045,281  

Hermes International

    43,604       59,822,238  

Ipsen SA

    52,368       5,297,397  

Kering SA

    103,198       59,079,922  

La Francaise des Jeux SAEM(c)

    143,370       5,120,893  

Legrand SA

    368,430       30,162,855  

L’Oreal SA

    331,837       125,453,407  

LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE

    382,327       265,470,279  

Pernod Ricard SA

    288,459       56,666,138  

Remy Cointreau SA

    31,885       6,299,111  

Safran SA

    470,605       51,726,798  

Sartorius Stedim Biotech

    37,823       15,130,689  

Schneider Electric SE

    744,676       102,991,542  

SEB SA

    12,351       1,039,836  

Sodexo SA

    122,299       9,937,232  

Teleperformance

    80,915       27,058,051  

Thales SA

    147,084       18,291,309  

Ubisoft Entertainment SA(b)

    65,618       2,793,647  

Valeo

    186,604       4,008,258  

Veolia Environnement SA

    916,226       22,915,583  

Vinci SA

    735,818       70,534,587  

Vivendi SE

    996,161       9,456,887  

Wendel SE

    36,484       3,357,974  

Worldline SA/France(b)(c)

    328,968       14,520,031  
   

 

 

 
          1,372,261,641  

 

 

10  

2 0 2 2   H A R E S   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  (continued)

July 31, 2022

  

iShares® MSCI EAFE Growth ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
Germany — 4.9%            

adidas AG

    238,064     $ 41,183,042  

Bechtle AG

    111,437       5,154,391  

Beiersdorf AG

    139,049       14,339,390  

Brenntag SE

    211,834       14,880,298  

Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, Bearer

    55,699       8,128,702  

Delivery Hero SE(b)(c)

    144,746       6,983,467  

Deutsche Boerse AG

    267,656       46,723,450  

Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Registered(a)(b)

    541,664       3,334,404  

Deutsche Post AG, Registered

    478,304       19,103,396  

Deutsche Telekom AG, Registered

    2,231,699       42,399,993  

E.ON SE

    1,086,637       9,767,889  

GEA Group AG

    212,403       7,928,491  

HelloFresh SE(b)

    228,741       6,322,339  

Infineon Technologies AG

    1,799,055       49,338,122  

Knorr-Bremse AG

    65,636       3,910,301  

Merck KGaA

    178,029       33,907,514  

MTU Aero Engines AG

    73,718       14,250,675  

Muenchener Rueckversicherungs-Gesellschaft AG in Muenchen, Registered

    96,639       21,908,640  

Nemetschek SE

    80,167       5,366,905  

Puma SE

    145,947       9,854,890  

QIAGEN NV(b)

    318,358       15,955,075  

Rational AG

    7,082       4,936,474  

Rheinmetall AG

    59,657       10,939,726  

SAP SE

    503,290       46,943,221  

Scout24 SE(c)

    111,167       6,355,248  

Siemens Healthineers AG(c)

    389,399       19,954,217  

Symrise AG

    183,048       21,359,066  

Zalando SE(b)(c)

    307,998       8,671,104  
   

 

 

 
      499,900,430  
Hong Kong — 3.1%            

AIA Group Ltd.

    16,760,600       168,387,773  

Budweiser Brewing Co. APAC Ltd.(c)

    2,536,000       7,022,019  

ESR Group Ltd.(b)(c)

    2,969,800       7,722,745  

Futu Holdings Ltd., ADR(b)

    116,405       4,842,448  

Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd.

    3,090,000       18,382,635  

Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing Ltd.

    1,417,700       65,058,869  

Sands China Ltd.(b)

    3,758,800       8,816,416  

SITC International Holdings Co. Ltd.

    1,344,000       4,576,220  

Techtronic Industries Co. Ltd.

    1,981,500       21,987,954  

WH Group Ltd.(c)

    4,676,500       3,541,686  

Xinyi Glass Holdings Ltd.(a)

    1,114,000       2,197,179  
   

 

 

 
          312,535,944  
Ireland — 0.7%            

Flutter Entertainment PLC, Class DI(b)

    229,142       23,005,721  

James Hardie Industries PLC

    614,901       15,186,030  

Kerry Group PLC, Class A

    219,369       23,154,642  

Kingspan Group PLC

    212,908       13,781,125  
   

 

 

 
      75,127,518  
Israel — 0.7%            

Azrieli Group Ltd.

    20,945       1,678,887  

Check Point Software Technologies Ltd.(a)(b)

    142,396       17,742,542  

Elbit Systems Ltd.

    36,755       8,480,605  

ICL Group Ltd.

    979,026       8,921,293  

Israel Discount Bank Ltd., Class A

    603,290       3,430,222  

Kornit Digital Ltd.(a)(b)

    65,620       1,785,520  

Mizrahi Tefahot Bank Ltd.

    107,068       3,980,364  

Nice Ltd.(b)

    87,101       18,595,829  

Tower Semiconductor Ltd.(b)

    151,051       7,200,289  
Security   Shares     Value  
Israel (continued)            

Wix.com Ltd.(a)(b)

    39,816     $ 2,362,283  
   

 

 

 
      74,177,834  
Italy — 1.0%            

Amplifon SpA

    172,754       5,712,652  

Atlantia SpA

    240,572       5,559,772  

DiaSorin SpA

    34,924       4,855,918  

Ferrari NV

    173,603       36,866,721  

FinecoBank Banca Fineco SpA

    297,483       3,697,108  

Infrastrutture Wireless Italiane SpA(c)

    466,882       4,906,171  

Moncler SpA

    281,166       14,094,533  

Nexi SpA(b)(c)

    726,469       6,597,820  

Prysmian SpA

    352,545       11,209,836  

Recordati Industria Chimica e Farmaceutica SpA

    144,871       6,424,926  

Telecom Italia SpA/Milano(a)(b)

    9,103,120       2,019,613  
   

 

 

 
      101,945,070  
Japan — 21.9%            

Advantest Corp.

    261,700       15,565,126  

Aeon Co. Ltd.

    449,900       9,073,094  

Ajinomoto Co. Inc.

    642,200       16,900,121  

ANA Holdings Inc.(b)

    111,000       2,072,223  

Asahi Intecc Co. Ltd.

    298,200       5,516,707  

Astellas Pharma Inc.

    897,800       14,060,791  

Azbil Corp.

    157,900       4,753,286  

Bandai Namco Holdings Inc.

    274,900       21,475,848  

Capcom Co. Ltd.

    241,200       6,704,764  

Chubu Electric Power Co. Inc.

    312,100       3,329,299  

Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

    925,500       25,999,872  

CyberAgent Inc.

    587,500       5,862,309  

Daifuku Co. Ltd.

    140,400       8,952,820  

Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd.

    2,414,100       64,009,145  

Daikin Industries Ltd.

    343,900       60,312,573  

Denso Corp.

    594,500       32,516,214  

Disco Corp.

    38,800       9,479,992  

East Japan Railway Co.

    143,900       7,512,582  

Eisai Co. Ltd.

    347,300       15,904,545  

FANUC Corp.

    263,700       45,477,824  

Fast Retailing Co. Ltd.

    80,400       48,689,459  

Fuji Electric Co. Ltd.

    60,800       2,746,086  

Fujitsu Ltd.

    270,200       36,223,646  

GLP J-Reit

    2,949       3,878,389  

GMO Payment Gateway Inc.

    58,000       4,819,969  

Hakuhodo DY Holdings Inc.

    162,900       1,675,532  

Hamamatsu Photonics KK

    194,800       8,851,882  

Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Inc.

    315,800       9,160,324  

Hikari Tsushin Inc.

    8,500       936,600  

Hirose Electric Co. Ltd.

    27,600       3,965,166  

Hitachi Construction Machinery Co. Ltd.

    147,800       3,260,743  

Hitachi Metals Ltd.(b)

    193,600       2,976,959  

Hoshizaki Corp.

    76,600       2,285,132  

Hoya Corp.

    508,200       50,917,389  

Ibiden Co. Ltd.

    151,900       4,482,803  

Isuzu Motors Ltd.

    282,600       3,099,727  

Ito En Ltd.

    73,400       3,458,703  

ITOCHU Corp.

    1,061,300             30,894,083  

Itochu Techno-Solutions Corp.

    134,200       3,596,519  

Japan Airlines Co. Ltd.(b)

    65,600       1,136,403  

Japan Exchange Group Inc.

    753,700       11,984,381  

JSR Corp.

    163,800       4,536,923  

Kakaku.com Inc.

    182,500       3,574,562  

 

 

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

  11


Schedule of Investments  (continued)

July 31, 2022

  

iShares® MSCI EAFE Growth ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Japan (continued)

   

Kao Corp.

    229,600     $ 9,986,313  

Keio Corp.

    142,211       5,445,273  

Keisei Electric Railway Co. Ltd.

    192,000       5,264,031  

Keyence Corp.

    267,448       106,000,901  

Kikkoman Corp.

    200,800       11,906,378  

Kintetsu Group Holdings Co. Ltd.

    83,400       2,756,115  

Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

    73,500       4,896,562  

Kobe Bussan Co. Ltd.

    207,000       5,900,566  

Koei Tecmo Holdings Co. Ltd.

    81,850       2,857,411  

Koito Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

    144,200       4,740,098  

Komatsu Ltd.

    1,274,600       29,466,676  

Konami Group Corp.

    125,300       7,405,910  

Kose Corp.

    45,900       4,097,121  

Kubota Corp.

    492,400       8,175,484  

Kurita Water Industries Ltd.

    143,900       5,836,519  

Kyowa Kirin Co. Ltd.

    184,400       4,347,272  

Lasertec Corp.

    105,700       15,133,075  

M3 Inc.

    608,400       21,196,601  

Makita Corp.

    109,200       2,668,679  

McDonald’s Holdings Co. Japan Ltd.

    119,000       4,466,717  

MINEBEA MITSUMI Inc.

    499,400       8,983,269  

MISUMI Group Inc.

    389,900       9,700,049  

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd.

    440,500       16,356,849  

Mitsui & Co. Ltd.

    962,200       21,228,309  

Mitsui Fudosan Co. Ltd.

    1,254,300       28,032,869  

MonotaRO Co. Ltd.

    345,900       6,176,160  

Murata Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

    792,100       46,267,112  

NEC Corp.

    331,100       12,222,368  

Nexon Co. Ltd.

    679,500       15,426,078  

Nidec Corp.

    616,600       42,850,029  

Nihon M&A Center Holdings Inc.

    419,500       5,613,764  

Nintendo Co. Ltd.

    151,400           67,702,000  

Nippon Paint Holdings Co. Ltd.

    1,145,700       8,757,930  

Nippon Prologis REIT Inc.

    1,469       3,820,143  

Nippon Sanso Holdings Corp.

    237,800       4,009,945  

Nippon Shinyaku Co. Ltd.

    66,400       4,109,601  

Nissan Chemical Corp.

    176,400       9,019,884  

Nissin Foods Holdings Co. Ltd.

    86,300       6,250,370  

Nitori Holdings Co. Ltd.

    110,200       11,659,003  

Nitto Denko Corp.

    197,000       12,685,867  

Nomura Research Institute Ltd.

    463,170       13,915,618  

NTT Data Corp.

    870,100       13,168,963  

Obic Co. Ltd.

    95,400       15,251,563  

Odakyu Electric Railway Co. Ltd.

    406,400       5,828,757  

Olympus Corp.

    1,697,900       36,338,719  

Omron Corp.

    256,400       14,339,938  

Ono Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

    507,400       14,267,529  

Open House Group Co. Ltd.

    113,500       4,951,461  

Oracle Corp. Japan

    53,800       3,355,409  

Oriental Land Co. Ltd./Japan

    274,200       41,631,430  

Otsuka Corp.

    79,800       2,488,618  

Otsuka Holdings Co. Ltd.

    535,900       19,143,929  

Pan Pacific International Holdings Corp.

    524,300       8,163,597  

Persol Holdings Co. Ltd.

    242,900       5,028,462  

Rakuten Group Inc.

    606,200       3,005,259  

Recruit Holdings Co. Ltd.

    1,985,200       74,192,942  

Renesas Electronics Corp.(b)

    1,606,200       15,298,810  

Rohm Co. Ltd.

    120,000       8,905,273  

SCSK Corp.

    140,800       2,479,523  

Secom Co. Ltd.

    186,100       12,429,631  
Security   Shares     Value  

Japan (continued)

   

Sekisui Chemical Co. Ltd.

    182,200     $ 2,563,456  

SG Holdings Co. Ltd.

    398,500       7,605,186  

Shimadzu Corp.

    325,400       11,577,383  

Shimano Inc.

    100,000       16,704,621  

Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. Ltd.

    517,500       66,288,765  

Shionogi & Co. Ltd.

    181,300       9,299,139  

Shiseido Co. Ltd.

    549,000       22,582,136  

SMC Corp.

    78,900       38,884,782  

Sony Group Corp.

    1,735,300       147,201,870  

Square Enix Holdings Co. Ltd.

    117,900       5,470,535  

SUMCO Corp.

    480,900       6,729,099  

Sumitomo Metal Mining Co. Ltd.

    223,000       7,011,968  

Suntory Beverage & Food Ltd.

    94,600       3,732,674  

Sysmex Corp.

    231,300       16,193,735  

T&D Holdings Inc.

    367,100       4,154,852  

TDK Corp.

    533,500       16,802,394  

Terumo Corp.

    886,500       30,268,293  

TIS Inc.

    312,700       8,866,334  

Tobu Railway Co. Ltd.

    260,400       6,183,167  

Toho Co. Ltd./Tokyo

    98,300       3,903,566  

Tokio Marine Holdings Inc.

    865,400       50,660,446  

Tokyo Electric Power Co. Holdings Inc.(b)

    742,900       2,923,582  

Tokyo Electron Ltd.

    205,700       70,800,591  

Tokyu Corp.

    732,600       8,982,831  

Toshiba Corp.

    535,000       21,703,625  

TOTO Ltd.

    96,100       3,273,344  

Trend Micro Inc/Japan

    91,400       5,311,638  

Unicharm Corp.

    555,400       20,117,831  

USS Co. Ltd.

    150,300       2,949,264  

Welcia Holdings Co. Ltd.

    127,400       2,845,467  

Yakult Honsha Co. Ltd.

    176,400       10,742,670  

Yamaha Corp.

    193,600       8,257,824  

Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd.

    143,800       2,777,803  

Yamato Holdings Co. Ltd.

    402,400       7,041,598  

Yaskawa Electric Corp.

    329,400       11,536,870  

Yokogawa Electric Corp.

    204,400       3,624,680  

Z Holdings Corp.

    2,391,000       8,450,364  

ZOZO Inc.

    172,200       3,719,810  
   

 

 

 
          2,217,979,440  
Netherlands — 6.9%            

Adyen NV(b)(c)

    29,813       53,626,784  

Akzo Nobel NV

    250,418       16,853,252  

Argenx SE(b)

    43,359       15,839,104  

ASM International NV

    64,243       19,733,628  

ASML Holding NV

    559,786       321,741,413  

Davide Campari-Milano NV

    723,608       8,033,395  

Euronext NV(c)

    124,291       10,127,052  

Heineken Holding NV

    49,108       3,880,453  

Heineken NV

    357,076       35,202,982  

IMCD NV

    78,801       12,619,892  

JDE Peet’s NV

    139,879       4,056,826  

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

    88,681       1,625,457  

Koninklijke DSM NV

    240,697       38,547,397  

Koninklijke Philips NV

    610,208       12,629,017  

OCI NV

    146,343       5,080,537  

Prosus NV, Class N

    1,143,127       74,571,877  

Universal Music Group NV

    1,004,767       22,744,406  

Wolters Kluwer NV

    361,510       39,260,803  
   

 

 

 
      696,174,275  

 

 

12  

2 0 2 2   H A R E S   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  (continued)

July 31, 2022

  

iShares® MSCI EAFE Growth ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

New Zealand — 0.3%

   

Auckland International Airport Ltd.(b)

    1,730,946     $ 8,127,993  

Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corp. Ltd.

    797,600       10,666,005  

Xero Ltd.(b)

    185,753       12,237,164  
   

 

 

 
      31,031,162  
Norway — 0.4%            

Adevinta ASA(b)

    406,921       3,094,372  

Aker BP ASA

    412,290       14,325,572  

Kongsberg Gruppen ASA

    124,298       4,580,223  

Mowi ASA

    570,007       13,152,962  

Salmar ASA

    81,691       5,851,421  
   

 

 

 
      41,004,550  
Portugal — 0.1%            

Jeronimo Martins SGPS SA

    391,726       9,067,260  
   

 

 

 
Singapore — 1.4%            

Capitaland Investment Ltd/Singapore

    3,591,000       10,217,573  

DBS Group Holdings Ltd.

    1,248,500       28,488,706  

Genting Singapore Ltd.

    8,396,100       4,903,641  

Grab Holdings Ltd., Class A(a)(b)

    1,509,133       4,451,942  

Sea Ltd., ADR(a)(b)

    495,295       37,800,914  

Singapore Airlines Ltd.(a)(b)

    1,206,800       4,774,281  

Singapore Exchange Ltd.

    657,000       4,709,764  

Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd.

    2,161,100       6,301,248  

Singapore Telecommunications Ltd.

    11,388,800       21,537,050  

United Overseas Bank Ltd.

    570,900       11,390,216  

Venture Corp. Ltd.(a)

    382,600       4,874,408  
   

 

 

 
          139,449,743  
Spain — 1.4%            

Acciona SA

    34,189       7,035,087  

Aena SME SA(b)(c)

    103,572       13,100,785  

Amadeus IT Group SA(b)

    402,034       23,442,684  

Cellnex Telecom SA(c)

    748,878       33,496,626  

EDP Renovaveis SA

    259,586       6,751,645  

Ferrovial SA

    432,744       11,588,072  

Industria de Diseno Textil SA

    1,503,161       36,507,203  

Repsol SA

    702,544       8,752,472  

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy SA(b)

    330,489       6,080,752  
   

 

 

 
      146,755,326  
Sweden — 4.5%            

Alfa Laval AB

    405,734       12,132,181  

Assa Abloy AB, Class B

    1,380,628       32,618,746  

Atlas Copco AB, Class A

    3,701,085       43,263,313  

Atlas Copco AB, Class B

    2,163,409       22,472,818  

Embracer Group AB(a)(b)

    884,890       6,743,325  

Epiroc AB, Class A

    909,700       16,085,028  

Epiroc AB, Class B

    539,678       8,572,019  

EQT AB

    448,985       12,186,932  

Evolution AB(c)

    251,750       24,427,499  

Fastighets AB Balder, Class B(b)

    875,520       5,592,887  

Getinge AB, Class B

    316,779       7,148,409  

Hexagon AB, Class B

    2,683,181       31,593,228  

Holmen AB, Class B

    84,968       3,491,499  

Industrivarden AB, Class A

    114,281       2,981,824  

Industrivarden AB, Class C

    135,372       3,492,631  

Indutrade AB

    373,288       8,773,595  

Investment AB Latour, Class B

    205,676       5,117,492  

Investor AB, Class A

    688,734       14,160,559  

Investor AB, Class B

    2,508,840       46,819,268  

Kinnevik AB, Class B(b)

    329,926       5,942,585  
Security   Shares     Value  

Sweden (continued)

   

L E Lundbergforetagen AB, Class B

    37,323     $ 1,771,330  

Lifco AB, Class B

    323,291       6,293,181  

Nibe Industrier AB, Class B

    2,085,139       21,005,909  

Sagax AB, Class B

    263,721       6,796,642  

Sandvik AB

    1,470,834       27,101,851  

Sinch AB(a)(b)(c)

    778,326       1,973,354  

Svenska Cellulosa AB SCA, Class B

    413,659       6,047,520  

Swedish Match AB

    2,177,964       22,800,060  

Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB(b)

    234,452       5,148,796  

Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson, Class B

    4,022,358       30,595,034  

Volvo AB, Class A

    278,063       5,181,294  

Volvo Car AB, Class B(a)(b)

    825,930       6,149,690  
   

 

 

 
      454,480,499  
Switzerland — 14.5%            

ABB Ltd., Registered

    1,470,303       44,696,623  

Alcon Inc.

    688,134       54,158,954  

Bachem Holding AG, Class A

    43,279       2,918,453  

Barry Callebaut AG, Registered

    4,920       10,901,058  

Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Spruengli AG, Participation Certificates, NVS

    1,469       16,245,174  

Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Spruengli AG, Registered

    149       17,182,991  

Cie. Financiere Richemont SA, Class A, Registered

    719,486       86,753,823  

Clariant AG, Registered

    195,352       3,660,025  

Credit Suisse Group AG, Registered

    1,449,388       8,430,460  

EMS-Chemie Holding AG, Registered

    9,694       7,697,857  

Geberit AG, Registered

    49,244       25,935,665  

Givaudan SA, Registered

    12,726       44,484,454  

Kuehne + Nagel International AG, Registered

    74,894       20,170,551  

Logitech International SA, Registered

    238,831       13,437,149  

Lonza Group AG, Registered

    102,709       62,421,530  

Nestle SA, Registered

    3,876,705       475,002,089  

Partners Group Holding AG

    31,764       34,678,218  

Roche Holding AG, Bearer

    36,816       15,008,581  

Roche Holding AG, NVS

    967,569       321,237,278  

Schindler Holding AG, Participation Certificates, NVS

    28,232       5,518,193  

Schindler Holding AG, Registered

    21,228       4,030,916  

SGS SA, Registered

    4,385       10,701,450  

Siemens Energy AG(b)

    297,798       4,948,654  

Sika AG, Registered

    199,851       49,380,675  

Sonova Holding AG, Registered

    73,970       26,642,645  

STMicroelectronics NV

    941,406       35,626,121  

Straumann Holding AG

    153,217       20,722,674  

Swiss Re AG

    207,992       15,607,054  

Temenos AG, Registered

    87,990       6,983,987  

VAT Group AG(c)

    37,319       10,866,224  

Vifor Pharma AG(b)

    59,522       10,399,232  
   

 

 

 
          1,466,448,758  
United Kingdom — 9.9%            

Ashtead Group PLC

    611,996       34,449,076  

Associated British Foods PLC

    490,162       10,011,738  

AstraZeneca PLC

    1,066,866       140,336,842  

Auto Trader Group PLC(c)

    1,301,437       10,033,446  

AVEVA Group PLC

    166,090       4,805,067  

Barclays PLC

    8,020,958       15,364,647  

Bunzl PLC

    464,215       17,422,291  

Burberry Group PLC

    550,026       12,091,529  

CNH Industrial NV

    1,411,191       18,179,890  

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners PLC

    283,549       15,345,672  

Compass Group PLC

    2,457,110       57,585,896  

 

 

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

  13


Schedule of Investments  (continued)

July 31, 2022

  

iShares® MSCI EAFE Growth ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
United Kingdom (continued)            

Croda International PLC

    192,239     $ 17,580,256  

Diageo PLC

    3,188,601       151,049,949  

Entain PLC(b)

    807,129       11,876,945  

Experian PLC

    1,269,050       44,432,300  

Ferguson PLC

    301,854       37,972,838  

Halma PLC

    523,305       14,737,774  

Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC

    239,091       5,053,666  

Informa PLC(b)

    2,059,518       14,978,140  

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC

    253,690       15,037,496  

Intertek Group PLC

    222,031       11,866,491  

JD Sports Fashion PLC

    3,551,395       5,640,900  

London Stock Exchange Group PLC

    458,527       44,748,878  

Melrose Industries PLC

    6,020,871       11,851,838  

Next PLC

    182,145       15,163,897  

NMC Health PLC, NVS(d)

    50,450       1  

Ocado Group PLC(a)(b)

    396,817       4,079,379  

Prudential PLC

    3,787,767       46,719,780  

Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC

    491,740       39,887,359  

RELX PLC

    2,664,286       78,888,018  

Rentokil Initial PLC

    2,560,498       16,906,861  

Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC(b)

    11,523,029       12,593,966  

Sage Group PLC (The)

    911,099       7,851,954  

Segro PLC

    1,076,273       14,398,358  

Severn Trent PLC

    223,849       8,047,780  

Smith & Nephew PLC

    423,916       5,435,092  

Spirax-Sarco Engineering PLC

    101,284       14,778,240  

Tesco PLC

    3,678,595       11,797,753  

Whitbread PLC

    139,066       4,426,446  
   

 

 

 
      1,003,428,449  
   

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks — 99.6%
(Cost: $10,010,508,784)

 

        10,094,134,578  
   

 

 

 
Preferred Stocks            
Germany — 0.2%            

Sartorius AG, Preference Shares, NVS

    33,638       15,046,252  
   

 

 

 

Total Preferred Stocks — 0.2%
(Cost: $10,287,829)

 

    15,046,252  
   

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 99.8%
(Cost: $10,020,796,613)

 

    10,109,180,830  
   

 

 

 
Security   Shares     Value  

Short-Term Securities

   
Money Market Funds — 0.3%            

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares, 1.93%(e)(f)(g)

    30,383,933     $ 30,380,895  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares, 1.81%(e)(f)

    2,190,000       2,190,000  
   

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 0.3%
(Cost: $32,565,899)

 

    32,570,895  
   

 

 

 

Total Investments in Securities — 100.1%
(Cost: $10,053,362,512)

 

    10,141,751,725  

Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets — (0.1)%

 

    (6,133,786
   

 

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

 

  $   10,135,617,939  
   

 

 

 

 

(a) 

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(b) 

Non-income producing security.

(c) 

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

(d) 

Security is valued using significant unobservable inputs and is classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.

(e) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(f) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

(g) 

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

 

 

14  

2 0 2 2   H A R E S   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  (continued)

July 31, 2022

  

iShares® MSCI EAFE Growth ETF

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the year ended July 31, 2022 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

Affiliated Issuer   Value at
07/31/21
    Purchases
at Cost
    Proceeds
from Sale
    Net Realized
Gain (Loss)
    Change in
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
    Value at
07/31/22
    Shares
Held at
07/31/22
    Income    

Capital

Gain

Distributions
from
Underlying
Funds

 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares

  $ 9,848,791     $ 20,560,457 (a)    $     $ (27,633   $ (720   $ 30,380,895       30,383,933     $ 247,861 (b)    $  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares

    3,140,000             (950,000 )(a)                  2,190,000       2,190,000       10,711        
       

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 
        $ (27,633   $ (720   $ 32,570,895       $ 258,572     $  
       

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

 
  (b) 

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

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

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

TOPIX Index

     68          09/08/22        $   9,881   $ 3,986  

Euro STOXX 50 Index

     281          09/16/22        10,607     647,581  

FTSE 100 Index

     63          09/16/22        5,656     150,473  
              

 

 

 
               $ 802,040  
              

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

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

 

     
Commodity
Contracts
 
 
    
Credit
Contracts
 
 
    
Equity
Contracts
 
 
    


Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
 
 
 
 
    

Interest
Rate
Contracts
 
 
 
    
Other
Contracts
 
 
     Total  
               

Assets — Derivative Financial Instruments

                   

Futures contracts

                   

Unrealized appreciation on futures contracts(a)

    $            —        $            —        $802,040        $            —        $            —        $            —        $802,040  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

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

 

For the period ended July 31, 2022, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

     
Commodity
Contracts
 
 
    
Credit
Contracts
 
 
    
Equity
Contracts
 
 
   


Foreign
Currency
Exchange
Contracts
 
 
 
 
    

Interest
Rate
Contracts
 
 
 
    
Other
Contracts
 
 
     Total  
               

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                  

Futures contracts

    $            —        $            —        $(1,261,118)       $            —        $            —        $            —        $(1,261,118)  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

                  

Futures contracts

    $            —        $            —        $1,059,818       $            —        $            —        $            —        $1,059,818  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

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

  15


Schedule of Investments  (continued)

July 31, 2022

  

iShares® MSCI EAFE Growth ETF

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure (continued)

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

Futures contracts

   

Average notional value of contracts — long

  $38,713,496

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

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

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

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

 

         
      Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

Investments

                 

Assets

                 

Common Stocks

   $ 94,730,553        $ 9,999,404,024        $ 1        $ 10,094,134,578  

Preferred Stocks

              15,046,252                   15,046,252  

Money Market Funds

     32,570,895                            32,570,895  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $     127,301,448        $ 10,014,450,276        $                 1        $ 10,141,751,725  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Derivative financial instruments(a)

                 

Assets

                 

Futures Contracts

   $        $ 802,040        $        $ 802,040  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

  (a)

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

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

16  

2 0 2 2   H A R E S   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

July 31, 2022

  

iShares® MSCI EAFE Value ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  

Common Stocks

   

Australia — 9.6%

   

APA Group

    1,197,144     $ 9,815,804  

Aurizon Holdings Ltd.

    3,734,684       10,570,259  

Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd.

    5,704,460       92,191,265  

Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd., New

    383,614       6,137,914  

BHP Group Ltd.

    10,212,034       279,455,945  

BlueScope Steel Ltd.

    993,651       11,671,801  

Commonwealth Bank of Australia

    1,721,078       122,226,487  

Dexus

    2,176,227       14,624,255  

Fortescue Metals Group Ltd.

    3,410,295       43,885,578  

Glencore PLC

    19,948,658       113,062,988  

GPT Group (The)

    3,847,247       12,377,361  

Insurance Australia Group Ltd.

    4,984,070       15,682,693  

Lendlease Corp. Ltd.

    1,383,312       10,021,594  

Lottery Corp. Ltd. (The)(a)

    4,502,166       14,281,316  

Macquarie Group Ltd.

    257,980       33,017,149  

Medibank Pvt Ltd.

    2,816,896       6,773,317  

Mirvac Group

    7,918,644       11,996,635  

Origin Energy Ltd.

    3,666,053       15,391,424  

Qantas Airways Ltd.(a)

    944,152       3,042,388  

QBE Insurance Group Ltd.

    1,498,345       12,115,203  

Ramsay Health Care Ltd.

    128,674       6,356,722  

Rio Tinto Ltd.

    748,761       51,877,567  

Rio Tinto PLC

    2,261,550       136,528,590  

Santos Ltd.

    6,489,601       33,735,411  

Scentre Group

    10,479,523       21,475,082  

South32 Ltd.

    9,340,957       25,459,844  

Stockland

    4,794,769       12,992,321  

Suncorp Group Ltd.

    2,549,322       20,132,731  

Telstra Corp. Ltd.

    5,368,629       14,672,512  

Vicinity Centres

    7,771,847       11,371,727  

Westpac Banking Corp.

    7,062,403       106,946,967  

Woodside Energy Group Ltd.

    3,801,111       85,830,906  
   

 

 

 
        1,365,721,756  
Austria — 0.2%            

Erste Group Bank AG

    694,214       17,600,182  

OMV AG

    301,467       12,839,456  

voestalpine AG

    239,246       5,387,013  
   

 

 

 
      35,826,651  
Belgium — 0.8%            

Ageas SA/NV

    328,387       14,332,547  

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV

    872,550       46,740,578  

Groupe Bruxelles Lambert SA

    72,599       6,426,106  

KBC Group NV

    504,470       26,422,606  

Proximus SADP

    304,969       4,225,954  

Solvay SA

    151,731       13,326,977  

UCB SA

    128,115       10,010,746  
   

 

 

 
      121,485,514  
Denmark — 0.8%            

AP Moller - Maersk A/S, Class A

    2,182       5,845,523  

AP Moller - Maersk A/S, Class B, NVS

    10,737       29,315,587  

Carlsberg A/S, Class B

    131,995       17,072,483  

Danske Bank A/S

    1,393,493       19,487,021  

Orsted A/S(b)

    254,511       29,629,313  

Tryg A/S

    362,248       8,259,741  
   

 

 

 
      109,609,668  
Finland — 1.7%            

Elisa OYJ

    185,674       10,268,715  
Security   Shares     Value  
Finland (continued)            

Fortum OYJ

    924,605     $ 10,378,035  

Kone OYJ, Class B

    445,969       20,381,422  

Nokia OYJ

    7,094,476       36,952,145  

Nordea Bank Abp

    6,674,655       65,811,867  

Orion OYJ, Class B

    142,563       6,805,600  

Sampo OYJ, Class A

    1,001,985       43,288,489  

UPM-Kymmene OYJ

    1,076,498       34,113,962  

Wartsila OYJ Abp

    950,638       8,352,811  
   

 

 

 
      236,353,046  
France — 8.5%            

Accor SA(a)

    122,747       3,185,150  

Aeroports de Paris(a)

    21,556       2,978,432  

Alstom SA

    641,288       15,240,653  

Amundi SA(b)

    124,600       6,765,133  

ArcelorMittal SA

    1,229,429       30,334,849  

Arkema SA

    120,425       11,408,528  

AXA SA

    3,907,709       90,043,420  

BNP Paribas SA

    2,240,879       105,875,458  

Bollore SE

    1,796,901       9,072,300  

Bouygues SA

    460,933       13,933,881  

Carrefour SA

    1,246,880       21,249,383  

Cie Generale des Etablissements Michelin SCA

    1,370,060       38,340,532  

Cie. de Saint-Gobain

    499,989       23,314,396  

Covivio

    94,928       6,003,586  

Credit Agricole SA(c)

    2,512,458       23,149,359  

Danone SA

    1,317,782       72,661,386  

Eiffage SA

    83,628       7,847,566  

Electricite de France SA(c)

    1,144,059       13,893,737  

Engie SA

    3,683,972       45,579,346  

EssilorLuxottica SA

    202,183       31,698,723  

Eurazeo SE

    87,484       6,248,764  

Gecina SA

    92,260       9,459,473  

Klepierre SA

    432,048       9,600,126  

Orange SA

    4,007,974       40,955,207  

Publicis Groupe SA

    458,235       24,385,132  

Renault SA(a)

    389,771       11,523,336  

Sanofi

    2,294,033       227,966,135  

SEB SA

    33,425       2,814,065  

Societe Generale SA

    1,606,315       35,991,721  

TotalEnergies SE

    5,001,336       255,455,008  

Ubisoft Entertainment SA(a)

    96,319       4,100,724  

Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield(a)

    238,592       13,548,384  

Valeo

    144,743       3,109,083  
   

 

 

 
        1,217,732,976  
Germany — 9.3%            

Allianz SE, Registered

    823,952       149,634,698  

Aroundtown SA(c)

    2,005,686       6,432,304  

BASF SE

    1,852,720       82,566,789  

Bayer AG, Registered

    1,981,758       115,596,413  

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG

    666,460       54,458,663  

Commerzbank AG(a)

    2,150,761       14,735,139  

Continental AG

    222,366       15,841,610  

Covestro AG(b)

    390,951       13,184,971  

Daimler Truck Holding AG(a)

    909,271       24,845,790  

Delivery Hero SE(a)(b)

    117,387       5,663,495  

Deutsche Bank AG, Registered

    4,174,100       36,510,651  

Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Registered(a)(c)

    430,057       2,647,367  

Deutsche Post AG, Registered

    1,299,602       51,905,925  

Deutsche Telekom AG, Registered

    3,255,906       61,858,876  

 

 

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

  17


Schedule of Investments  (continued)

July 31, 2022

  

iShares® MSCI EAFE Value ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
Germany (continued)            

E.ON SE

    2,943,169     $ 26,456,440  

Evonik Industries AG

    421,097       8,981,867  

Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA

    413,959       15,346,898  

Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA

    844,766       21,616,680  

Hannover Rueck SE

    121,802       17,277,251  

HeidelbergCement AG

    296,564       15,106,080  

Henkel AG & Co. KGaA

    210,314       13,261,306  

KION Group AG

    147,503       6,727,997  

Knorr-Bremse AG

    52,471       3,125,989  

LEG Immobilien SE

    147,397       13,390,317  

Mercedes-Benz Group AG

    1,618,536       95,451,512  

Muenchener Rueckversicherungs-Gesellschaft AG in Muenchen, Registered

    141,552       32,090,687  

RWE AG

    1,295,771       53,305,356  

SAP SE

    1,369,179       127,707,032  

Siemens AG, Registered

    1,543,189       172,133,414  

Telefonica Deutschland Holding AG

    2,090,260       5,557,226  

Uniper SE(c)

    186,678       1,247,270  

United Internet AG, Registered

    194,712       5,128,942  

Volkswagen AG

    59,269       11,739,269  

Vonovia SE

    1,409,768       46,973,177  
   

 

 

 
        1,328,507,401  
Hong Kong — 2.9%            

BOC Hong Kong Holdings Ltd.

    7,436,000       26,898,352  

Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Ltd.(c)

    4,020,000       7,950,585  

CK Asset Holdings Ltd.

    4,026,500       28,506,521  

CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd.

    5,418,000       35,939,093  

CK Infrastructure Holdings Ltd.

    1,282,000       8,039,132  

CLP Holdings Ltd.

    3,323,500       28,181,849  

Hang Lung Properties Ltd.

    4,059,088       7,405,783  

Hang Seng Bank Ltd.(c)

    1,535,800       24,773,399  

Henderson Land Development Co. Ltd.

    2,919,794       10,164,228  

HK Electric Investments & HK Electric Investments Ltd., Class SS

    5,420,500       4,902,680  

HKT Trust & HKT Ltd., Class SS

    7,613,000       10,666,690  

Hong Kong & China Gas Co. Ltd.(c)

    23,184,650       24,486,055  

Hongkong Land Holdings Ltd.

    2,296,200       11,935,785  

Jardine Matheson Holdings Ltd.

    430,300       22,726,645  

Link REIT

    4,240,400       35,510,505  

MTR Corp. Ltd.

    3,131,000       16,580,224  

New World Development Co. Ltd.

    3,035,250       10,149,563  

Power Assets Holdings Ltd.

    2,804,000       18,359,876  

Sino Land Co. Ltd.

    6,952,000       10,329,539  

SITC International Holdings Co. Ltd.

    969,000       3,299,373  

Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd.

    2,924,500       34,910,138  

Swire Pacific Ltd., Class A

    1,006,000       5,729,291  

Swire Properties Ltd.

    2,350,800       5,601,321  

WH Group Ltd.(b)

    10,892,500       8,249,292  

Wharf Real Estate Investment Co. Ltd.

    3,377,419       15,033,592  

Xinyi Glass Holdings Ltd.

    2,406,000       4,745,433  
   

 

 

 
      421,074,944  
Ireland — 0.5%            

CRH PLC

    1,545,175       59,294,763  

Smurfit Kappa Group PLC

    503,812       18,261,874  
   

 

 

 
      77,556,637  
Israel — 0.8%            

Azrieli Group Ltd.

    56,840       4,556,121  

Bank Hapoalim BM

    2,606,346       24,291,155  

Bank Leumi Le-Israel BM

    3,107,140       30,212,614  
Security   Shares     Value  
Israel (continued)            

CyberArk Software Ltd.(a)(c)

    80,546     $ 10,481,451  

Isracard Ltd.

    1       3  

Israel Discount Bank Ltd., Class A

    1,617,543       9,197,121  

Mizrahi Tefahot Bank Ltd.

    159,332       5,923,333  

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., ADR(a)(c)

    2,228,822       20,906,350  

Wix.com Ltd.(a)(c)

    56,502       3,352,264  

ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd.

    170,536       8,496,103  
   

 

 

 
        117,416,515  
Italy — 3.1%            

Assicurazioni Generali SpA

    2,229,136       33,324,791  

Atlantia SpA

    651,084       15,046,965  

Enel SpA

    16,406,030       82,707,132  

Eni SpA

    5,090,980       61,196,527  

FinecoBank Banca Fineco SpA

    796,140       9,894,399  

Intesa Sanpaolo SpA

    33,244,387       59,035,658  

Mediobanca Banca di Credito Finanziario SpA

    1,226,408       10,518,546  

Poste Italiane SpA(b)

    1,059,721       8,901,989  

Snam SpA

    4,177,854       20,962,517  

Stellantis NV

    4,406,285       63,275,363  

Telecom Italia SpA/Milano(a)(c)

    6,989,946       1,550,785  

Tenaris SA

    955,987       13,378,114  

Terna - Rete Elettrica Nazionale

    2,838,768       21,733,050  

UniCredit SpA

    4,265,575       42,185,198  
   

 

 

 
      443,711,034  
Japan — 22.8%            

Aeon Co. Ltd.

    662,400       13,358,563  

AGC Inc.

    391,400       14,267,792  

Aisin Corp.

    296,200       8,796,720  

ANA Holdings Inc.(a)

    160,600       2,998,189  

Asahi Group Holdings Ltd.

    921,100       32,023,276  

Asahi Kasei Corp.

    2,534,800       20,335,190  

Astellas Pharma Inc.

    2,440,300       38,218,477  

Bridgestone Corp.

    1,152,200       44,942,545  

Brother Industries Ltd.

    480,000       8,991,087  

Canon Inc.

    2,018,100       47,743,844  

Central Japan Railway Co.

    289,900       33,946,384  

Chiba Bank Ltd. (The)

    1,066,900       5,917,940  

Chubu Electric Power Co. Inc.

    851,200       9,080,100  

Concordia Financial Group Ltd.

    2,189,100       7,447,313  

Dai Nippon Printing Co. Ltd.

    446,400       9,850,855  

Dai-ichi Life Holdings Inc.

    2,024,400       35,214,190  

Daito Trust Construction Co. Ltd.

    124,800       11,831,359  

Daiwa House Industry Co. Ltd.

    1,204,800       29,768,282  

Daiwa House REIT Investment Corp.

    4,430       10,662,103  

Daiwa Securities Group Inc.

    2,754,800       12,716,776  

Dentsu Group Inc.

    437,800       15,293,034  

East Japan Railway Co.

    396,900       20,720,944  

ENEOS Holdings Inc.

    6,167,050       23,856,629  

Fuji Electric Co. Ltd.

    165,700       7,483,987  

FUJIFILM Holdings Corp.

    725,700       41,453,451  

GLP J-Reit

    4,288       5,639,380  

Hakuhodo DY Holdings Inc.

    239,000       2,458,270  

Hikari Tsushin Inc.

    27,600       3,041,194  

Hirose Electric Co. Ltd.

    22,190       3,187,936  

Hitachi Ltd.

    1,953,600       98,906,949  

Hitachi Metals Ltd.(a)

    153,500       2,360,347  

Honda Motor Co. Ltd.

    3,288,600       84,277,536  

Hoshizaki Corp.

    109,400       3,263,622  

Hulic Co. Ltd.

    772,700       6,197,123  

 

 

18  

2 0 2 2   H A R E S   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  (continued)

July 31, 2022

  

iShares® MSCI EAFE Value ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares      Value  
Japan (continued)             

Idemitsu Kosan Co. Ltd.

    423,183      $ 11,004,790  

Iida Group Holdings Co. Ltd.

    294,900        4,828,224  

Inpex Corp.

    2,090,200        23,957,397  

Isuzu Motors Ltd.

    771,000        8,456,791  

ITOCHU Corp.

    835,800        24,329,855  

Japan Airlines Co. Ltd.(a)

    191,400        3,315,662  

Japan Metropolitan Fund Invest

    14,050        11,449,216  

Japan Post Bank Co. Ltd.(c)

    829,400        6,634,917  

Japan Post Holdings Co. Ltd.

    4,937,700        35,550,606  

Japan Post Insurance Co. Ltd.

    401,500        6,491,393  

Japan Real Estate Investment Corp.

    2,527        12,202,785  

Japan Tobacco Inc.

    2,420,900        43,468,740  

JFE Holdings Inc.

    997,400        11,245,533  

JSR Corp.

    127,400        3,528,718  

Kajima Corp.

    849,900        9,702,205  

Kansai Electric Power Co. Inc. (The)

    1,426,000        14,457,826  

Kao Corp.

    620,500        26,988,271  

KDDI Corp.

    3,254,400        104,343,608  

Kintetsu Group Holdings Co. Ltd.

    224,200        7,409,124  

Kirin Holdings Co. Ltd.

    1,659,300        27,292,747  

Kubota Corp.

    1,339,300        22,236,852  

Kyocera Corp.

    646,800        35,954,879  

Kyowa Kirin Co. Ltd.

    275,500        6,494,975  

Lixil Corp.

    599,000        12,396,446  

Makita Corp.

    292,700        7,153,135  

Marubeni Corp.

    3,144,100        29,247,255  

Mazda Motor Corp.

    1,154,900        9,735,311  

MEIJI Holdings Co. Ltd.

    230,100        12,013,522  

Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corp.

    2,590,100        14,565,496  

Mitsubishi Corp.

    2,547,100        75,697,970  

Mitsubishi Electric Corp.

    3,892,500        41,082,327  

Mitsubishi Estate Co. Ltd.

    2,385,500        35,428,509  

Mitsubishi HC Capital Inc.

    1,327,500        6,432,933  

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc.

    24,111,400        135,855,484  

Mitsui & Co. Ltd.

    1,407,900        31,061,460  

Mitsui Chemicals Inc.

    370,200        7,797,979  

Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd.

    695,300        19,065,754  

Mizuho Financial Group Inc.

    4,865,620        58,029,201  

MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings Inc.

    898,408        29,136,573  

NGK Insulators Ltd.

    478,000        6,991,335  

Nippon Building Fund Inc.

    3,097        16,428,801  

Nippon Express Holdings Inc.

    154,800        9,250,136  

Nippon Prologis REIT Inc.

    2,147        5,583,286  

Nippon Steel Corp.

    1,623,800        24,162,516  

Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp.

    2,411,200        68,876,696  

Nippon Yusen KK

    324,600        25,497,756  

Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.

    4,690,800        17,838,460  

Nisshin Seifun Group Inc.

    405,830        4,995,541  

Nomura Holdings Inc.

    5,874,600        22,414,603  

Nomura Real Estate Holdings Inc.

    238,400        5,783,432  

Nomura Real Estate Master Fund Inc.

    8,528        10,683,795  

Obayashi Corp.

    1,305,900        9,604,158  

Oji Holdings Corp.

    1,633,000        6,808,229  

ORIX Corp.

    2,407,700        42,909,594  

Osaka Gas Co. Ltd.

    759,200        13,648,971  

Otsuka Corp.

    115,300        3,595,709  

Panasonic Holdings Corp.

    4,453,400        36,767,873  

Rakuten Group Inc.

    885,600        4,390,395  

Resona Holdings Inc.

    4,367,900        16,974,738  

Ricoh Co. Ltd.

    1,152,900        9,272,844  
Security   Shares      Value  
Japan (continued)             

SBI Holdings Inc/Japan

    501,500      $ 10,174,145  

SCSK Corp.

    110,600        1,947,693  

Secom Co. Ltd.

    147,700        9,864,893  

Seiko Epson Corp.

    568,000        8,532,879  

Sekisui Chemical Co. Ltd.

    493,500        6,943,279  

Sekisui House Ltd.

    1,238,700        21,939,106  

Seven & i Holdings Co. Ltd.

    1,519,800        61,947,363  

Sharp Corp./Japan

    492,200        3,961,718  

Shimizu Corp.

    1,109,200        6,287,657  

Shionogi & Co. Ltd.

    268,000        13,746,107  

Shizuoka Bank Ltd. (The)

    897,700        5,432,357  

SoftBank Corp.

    5,793,400        66,984,748  

SoftBank Group Corp.

    2,433,300        102,215,084  

Sompo Holdings Inc.

    631,100        28,166,754  

Subaru Corp.

    1,237,100        21,526,659  

Sumitomo Chemical Co. Ltd.

    2,994,400        11,767,782  

Sumitomo Corp.

    2,271,200        31,932,963  

Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd.

    1,446,300        16,124,491  

Sumitomo Metal Mining Co. Ltd.

    177,100        5,568,697  

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc.

    2,633,500        82,618,400  

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc.

    682,005        22,403,350  

Sumitomo Realty & Development Co. Ltd.

    625,800        17,280,254  

Suntory Beverage & Food Ltd.

    139,800        5,516,150  

Suzuki Motor Corp.

    743,400        24,368,154  

T&D Holdings Inc.

    532,700        6,029,119  

Taisei Corp.

    383,600        12,239,450  

Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

    3,031,800        88,953,593  

Toho Co. Ltd./Tokyo

    80,100        3,180,831  

Tokyo Electric Power Co. Holdings
Inc.(a)

    2,047,300        8,056,871  

Tokyo Gas Co. Ltd.

    802,700        15,765,756  

Toppan Inc.

    527,200        8,970,546  

Toray Industries Inc.

    2,787,600        15,268,625  

Tosoh Corp.

    522,700        6,813,498  

TOTO Ltd.

    142,300        4,847,002  

Toyota Industries Corp.

    296,400        18,047,633  

Toyota Motor Corp.

    21,392,780        347,226,722  

Toyota Tsusho Corp.

    429,800        14,668,833  

Trend Micro Inc/Japan

    134,500        7,816,360  

USS Co. Ltd.

    220,400        4,324,803  

West Japan Railway Co.

    442,800        16,264,361  

Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd.

    394,600        7,622,539  

Yokogawa Electric Corp.

    164,500        2,917,123  

Z Holdings Corp.

    1,870,800        6,611,853  
    

 

 

 
       3,247,650,925  
Malta — 0.0%             

BGP Holdings PLC, NVS(a)(d)

    2,256,851        23  
    

 

 

 
Netherlands — 2.1%             

ABN AMRO Bank NV, CVA(b)

    858,977        8,759,756  

Aegon NV

    3,619,768        15,898,761  

AerCap Holdings NV(a)(c)

    275,692        12,367,543  

Argenx SE(a)

    34,050        12,438,513  

EXOR NV

    219,527        15,439,866  

Heineken Holding NV

    133,077        10,515,579  

ING Groep NV

    7,875,032        76,496,675  

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

    243,235        4,458,316  

Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize NV

    2,109,318        58,087,927  

Koninklijke KPN NV

    6,638,120        21,899,094  

Koninklijke Philips NV

    892,670        18,474,921  

NN Group NV

    574,900        26,975,684  

 

 

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

  19


Schedule of Investments  (continued)

July 31, 2022

  

iShares® MSCI EAFE Value ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
Netherlands (continued)            

Randstad NV

    244,926     $ 12,379,290  
   

 

 

 
      294,191,925  
New Zealand — 0.2%            

Mercury NZ Ltd.

    1,394,052       5,332,132  

Meridian Energy Ltd.

    2,620,831       8,224,808  

Spark New Zealand Ltd.

    3,754,622       12,073,268  
   

 

 

 
      25,630,208  
Norway — 1.3%            

DNB Bank ASA

    1,874,290       36,971,810  

Equinor ASA

    1,971,342       75,904,322  

Gjensidige Forsikring ASA

    409,236       8,559,478  

Norsk Hydro ASA

    2,717,344       18,410,632  

Orkla ASA

    1,520,491       13,125,290  

Telenor ASA

    1,405,455       17,068,053  

Yara International ASA

    338,949       14,445,107  
   

 

 

 
      184,484,692  
Portugal — 0.3%            

EDP - Energias de Portugal SA

    5,677,587       28,722,360  

Galp Energia SGPS SA

    1,015,277       10,716,837  
   

 

 

 
      39,439,197  
Singapore — 1.5%            

Ascendas Real Estate Investment Trust

    6,884,200       14,817,954  

CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust

    10,884,904       17,195,099  

City Developments Ltd.

    839,300       4,715,384  

DBS Group Holdings Ltd.

    1,829,300       41,741,601  

Keppel Corp. Ltd.

    2,983,700       14,907,111  

Mapletree Commercial Trust

    4,648,100       6,402,628  

Mapletree Logistics Trust(c)

    6,673,300       8,517,085  

Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. Ltd.(c)

    6,830,500       57,886,421  

Singapore Airlines Ltd.(a)(c)

    962,600       3,808,190  

Singapore Exchange Ltd.

    260,500       1,867,418  

United Overseas Bank Ltd.

    1,547,700       30,878,679  

UOL Group Ltd.

    970,100       5,241,332  

Wilmar International Ltd.

    3,936,400       11,470,300  
   

 

 

 
      219,449,202  
Spain — 3.3%            

ACS Actividades de Construccion y Servicios SA

    477,973       11,489,350  

Amadeus IT Group SA(a)

    334,555       19,507,969  

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA

    13,604,347       61,650,401  

Banco Santander SA

    35,233,520       88,149,699  

CaixaBank SA

    8,962,243       26,911,232  

EDP Renovaveis SA

    206,192       5,362,906  

Enagas SA

    186,158       3,674,509  

Endesa SA

    702,226       12,871,395  

Ferrovial SA

    382,193       10,234,411  

Grifols SA(c)

    665,951       9,717,306  

Iberdrola SA

    11,797,891       125,983,465  

Iberdrola SA, NVS

    333,436       3,554,424  

Naturgy Energy Group SA(c)

    335,246       9,833,465  

Red Electrica Corp. SA

    389,421       7,656,166  

Repsol SA

    1,908,384       23,775,133  

Telefonica SA

    11,195,637       49,973,860  
   

 

 

 
      470,345,691  
Sweden — 2.2%            

Boliden AB

    552,416       18,461,117  

Electrolux AB, Class B

    461,297       6,653,665  

Essity AB, Class B

    1,228,268       31,265,655  

H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB, Class B

    1,475,284       18,875,577  
Security   Shares     Value  
Sweden (continued)            

Holmen AB, Class B

    67,921     $ 2,791,005  

Husqvarna AB, Class B

    841,224       6,704,330  

Industrivarden AB, Class A

    95,959       2,503,766  

Industrivarden AB, Class C

    108,133       2,789,858  

L E Lundbergforetagen AB, Class B

    100,988       4,792,838  

Securitas AB, Class B

    640,498       6,476,919  

Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB, Class A

    3,279,443       35,527,606  

Skanska AB, Class B

    683,321       11,657,424  

SKF AB, Class B

    776,532       13,068,597  

Svenska Cellulosa AB SCA, Class B

    615,042       8,991,654  

Svenska Handelsbanken AB, Class A

    2,930,089       26,347,099  

Swedbank AB, Class A

    1,819,234       25,196,672  

Tele2 AB, Class B

    1,161,076       13,263,707  

Telia Co. AB

    5,365,367       19,821,526  

Volvo AB, Class B

    3,031,742       54,431,964  
   

 

 

 
      309,620,979  
Switzerland — 6.7%            

ABB Ltd., Registered

    1,159,473       35,247,515  

Adecco Group AG, Registered

    324,698       11,438,138  

Baloise Holding AG, Registered

    92,717       14,772,513  

Clariant AG, Registered

    155,785       2,918,716  

Coca-Cola HBC AG, Class DI

    411,170       10,119,555  

Credit Suisse Group AG, Registered

    3,511,798       20,426,603  

Holcim AG

    1,114,132       52,240,139  

Julius Baer Group Ltd.

    446,937       23,111,132  

Novartis AG, Registered

    4,419,821       379,793,582  

Schindler Holding AG, Participation Certificates, NVS

    40,999       8,013,616  

Schindler Holding AG, Registered

    17,070       3,241,367  

SGS SA, Registered

    6,444       15,726,372  

Siemens Energy AG(a)

    443,624       7,371,916  

Swatch Group AG (The), Bearer

    59,316       15,790,916  

Swatch Group AG (The), Registered

    107,966       5,391,681  

Swiss Life Holding AG, Registered

    63,594       33,688,048  

Swiss Prime Site AG, Registered

    155,475       14,158,111  

Swiss Re AG

    303,225       22,753,033  

Swisscom AG, Registered

    52,076       28,154,229  

UBS Group AG, Registered

    7,095,111       115,936,402  

Zurich Insurance Group AG

    303,519       132,494,641  
   

 

 

 
      952,788,225  
United Kingdom — 20.1%            

3i Group PLC

    1,976,132       30,704,640  

abrdn PLC

    4,057,996       8,227,272  

Admiral Group PLC

    364,738       8,524,503  

Anglo American PLC

    2,564,283       92,685,621  

Antofagasta PLC

    799,069       11,369,698  

AstraZeneca PLC

    1,562,840       205,577,860  

Aviva PLC

    5,707,380       27,639,834  

BAE Systems PLC

    6,347,396       59,657,513  

Barclays PLC

    21,972,090       42,088,914  

Barratt Developments PLC

    2,071,485       12,701,715  

Berkeley Group Holdings PLC

    227,363       11,782,737  

BP PLC

    39,282,643       192,259,455  

British American Tobacco PLC

    4,391,877       172,089,692  

British Land Co. PLC (The)

    1,787,449       10,747,461  

BT Group PLC

    13,961,157       27,563,829  

DCC PLC

    199,753       13,041,735  

GSK PLC

    8,204,158       172,371,023  

Haleon PLC(a)

    10,230,227       36,353,520  

Hargreaves Lansdown PLC

    735,997       7,619,603  

 

 

20  

2 0 2 2   H A R E S   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  (continued)

July 31, 2022

  

iShares® MSCI EAFE Value ETF

(Percentages shown are based on Net Assets)

 

Security   Shares     Value  
United Kingdom (continued)            

HSBC Holdings PLC

    40,855,117     $ 255,914,692  

Imperial Brands PLC

    1,822,886       40,023,886  

J Sainsbury PLC

    3,553,462       9,585,714  

Johnson Matthey PLC

    376,470       9,842,614  

Kingfisher PLC

    4,151,263       13,134,060  

Land Securities Group PLC

    1,427,722       12,758,165  

Legal & General Group PLC

    12,019,249       38,383,675  

Lloyds Banking Group PLC

    143,213,572       79,291,352  

M&G PLC

    5,265,939       13,726,733  

Mondi PLC

    981,004       18,616,724  

National Grid PLC

    7,352,934       101,246,912  

NatWest Group PLC

    11,363,143       34,512,776  

Ocado Group PLC(a)

    591,156       6,077,233  

Pearson PLC

    1,379,560       12,768,175  

Persimmon PLC

    645,663       14,892,999  

Phoenix Group Holdings PLC

    1,506,236       11,867,060  

Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC

    719,518       58,363,511  

Sage Group PLC (The)

    732,113       6,309,432  

Schroders PLC

    256,646       9,308,987  

Segro PLC

    854,131       11,426,547  

Severn Trent PLC

    178,933       6,432,968  

Shell PLC

    15,348,707       409,446,904  

Smith & Nephew PLC

    1,155,570       14,815,741  

Smiths Group PLC

    783,559       14,787,476  

SSE PLC

    2,151,190       46,462,246  

St. James’s Place PLC

    1,110,791       16,685,267  

Standard Chartered PLC

    5,265,257       36,291,777  

Taylor Wimpey PLC

    7,399,765       11,517,575  

Tesco PLC

    9,999,566       32,069,964  

Unilever PLC

    5,166,273       251,612,412  

United Utilities Group PLC

    1,377,974       18,308,500  

Vodafone Group PLC

    54,345,601       80,086,784  

Whitbread PLC

    202,932       6,459,289  

WPP PLC

    2,294,987       24,768,380  
   

 

 

 
      2,870,803,155  
   

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks — 98.7%
(Cost: $15,413,175,036)

      14,089,400,364  
   

 

 

 

Preferred Stocks

   
Germany — 0.8%            

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, Preference Shares, NVS

    116,049       8,811,031  
Security   Shares      Value  
Germany (continued)             

Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, Preference Shares, NVS

    359,457      $ 22,963,298  

Porsche Automobil Holding SE, Preference Shares, NVS

    309,049        22,369,495  

Volkswagen AG, Preference Shares, NVS

    373,563        52,818,014  
    

 

 

 
       106,961,838  
    

 

 

 

Total Preferred Stocks — 0.8%
(Cost: $142,869,027)

       106,961,838  
    

 

 

 

Total Long-Term Investments — 99.5%
(Cost: $15,556,044,063)

       14,196,362,202  
    

 

 

 

Short-Term Securities

    
Money Market Funds — 0.4%             

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares, 1.93%(e)(f)(g)

    57,877,939        57,872,151  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares, 1.81%(e)(f)

    3,960,000        3,960,000  
    

 

 

 

Total Short-Term Securities — 0.4%
(Cost: $61,825,185)

       61,832,151  
    

 

 

 

Total Investments in Securities — 99.9%
(Cost: $15,617,869,248)

 

     14,258,194,353  

Other Assets Less Liabilities — 0.1%

       15,119,098  
    

 

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

     $ 14,273,313,451  
    

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Non-income producing security.

(b) 

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

(c) 

All or a portion of this security is on loan.

(d) 

Security is valued using significant unobservable inputs and is classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.

(e) 

Affiliate of the Fund.

(f) 

Annualized 7-day yield as of period end.

(g) 

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

 

 

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

  21


Schedule of Investments  (continued)

July 31, 2022

  

iShares® MSCI EAFE Value ETF

 

Affiliates

Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the year ended July 31, 2022 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:

 

                   
Affiliated Issuer    Value at
07/31/21
     Purchases
at Cost
     Proceeds
from Sale
     Net Realized
Gain (Loss)
     Change in
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
     Value at
07/31/22
     Shares
Held at
07/31/22
     Income      Capital
Gain
Distributions
from
Underlying
Funds
 

BlackRock Cash Funds: Institutional, SL Agency Shares

   $ 23,325,094      $ 34,567,302 (a)     $      $ (18,089    $ (2,156    $ 57,872,151        57,877,939      $ 1,185,719 (b)     $  

BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares

     4,010,000               (50,000 )(a)                     3,960,000        3,960,000        57,256         
           

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

       

 

 

    

 

 

 
            $ (18,089    $ (2,156    $ 61,832,151         $ 1,242,975      $  
           

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

       

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Represents net amount purchased (sold).

 
  (b) 

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

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Outstanding as of Period End

Futures Contracts

 

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

Long Contracts

                 

TOPIX Index

     118          09/08/22        $ 17,147        $ 221,030  

Euro STOXX 50 Index

     660          09/16/22          24,912          1,608,171  

FTSE 100 Index

     341          09/16/22          30,614          961,510  
                 

 

 

 
                  $ 2,790,711  
                 

 

 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure

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

 

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

Assets — Derivative Financial Instruments

                                

Futures contracts

                                

Unrealized appreciation on futures contracts(a)

   $        $        $ 2,790,711        $        $        $        $ 2,790,711  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

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

 

For the period ended July 31, 2022, the effect of derivative financial instruments in the Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

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

Net Realized Gain (Loss) from

                                

Futures contracts

   $        $        $ 623,103        $        $        $        $ 623,103  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on

                                

Futures contracts

   $        $        $ 3,579,132        $        $        $        $ 3,579,132  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

22  

2 0 2 2   H A R E S   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  (continued)

July 31, 2022

  

iShares® MSCI EAFE Value ETF

 

Derivative Financial Instruments Categorized by Risk Exposure (continued)

Average Quarterly Balances of Outstanding Derivative Financial Instruments

 

   

Futures contracts

  

Average notional value of contracts — long

   $ 96,158,952  

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

Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End

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

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

 

 

 
     Level 1        Level 2        Level 3        Total  

 

 

Investments

                 

Assets

                 

Common Stocks

   $     111,141,227        $ 13,978,259,114        $ 23        $ 14,089,400,364  

Preferred Stocks

              106,961,838                   106,961,838  

Money Market Funds

     61,832,151                                       —          61,832,151  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 
   $ 172,973,378        $ 14,085,220,952        $ 23        $ 14,258,194,353  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

Derivative financial instruments(a)

                 

Assets

                 

Futures Contracts

   $        $ 2,790,711        $        $ 2,790,711  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

  (a)

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

 

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

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

  23


Statements of Assets and Liabilities

July 31, 2022

 

    iShares
MSCI EAFE Growth
ETF
    iShares
MSCI EAFE Value
ETF
 

 

 

ASSETS

   

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

  $ 10,109,180,830     $ 14,196,362,202  

Investments, at value — affiliated(c)

    32,570,895       61,832,151  

Cash

    1,689,515       5,173  

Foreign currency, at value(d)

    9,558,862       27,882,221  

Foreign currency collateral pledged for futures contracts(e)

    1,891,796       5,227,260  

Receivables:

   

Investments sold

    2,942,936        

Securities lending income — affiliated

    42,016       24,926  

Variation margin on futures contracts

    277,963       895,379  

Capital shares sold

    57,016,654        

Dividends — unaffiliated

    2,944,044       20,236,499  

Dividends — affiliated

    2,578       3,932  

Tax reclaims

    12,875,859       24,347,972  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total assets

    10,230,993,948       14,336,817,715  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

LIABILITIES

   

Collateral on securities loaned, at value

    30,428,409       57,887,488  

Payables:

   

Investments purchased

    62,130,399       417,361  

Capital shares redeemed

          95,520  

Investment advisory fees

    2,670,564       4,051,405  

Professional fees

    146,637       1,052,490  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total liabilities

    95,376,009       63,504,264  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

  $ 10,135,617,939     $ 14,273,313,451  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS CONSIST OF

   

Paid-in capital

  $ 10,792,354,774     $ 16,880,630,754  

Accumulated loss

    (656,736,835     (2,607,317,303
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

  $ 10,135,617,939     $ 14,273,313,451  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSET VALUE

   

Shares outstanding

    116,800,000       322,000,000  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net asset value

  $ 86.78     $ 44.33  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Shares authorized

    Unlimited       Unlimited  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Par value

    None       None  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

(a)   Investments, at cost — unaffiliated

  $ 10,020,796,613     $ 15,556,044,063  

(b)   Securities loaned, at value

  $ 29,756,623     $ 52,858,858  

(c)   Investments, at cost — affiliated

  $ 32,565,899     $ 61,825,185  

(d)   Foreign currency, at cost

  $ 9,412,481     $ 27,416,039  

(e)   Foreign currency collateral pledged, at cost

  $ 1,977,438     $ 5,418,459  

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

24  

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Statements of Operations

Year Ended July 31, 2022

 

   

iShares
MSCI EAFE
Growth ETF
 
 
 
   

iShares
MSCI EAFE Value
ETF
 
 
 

 

 

INVESTMENT INCOME

   

Dividends — unaffiliated

  $ 185,128,157     $ 718,950,013  

Dividends — affiliated

    12,123       60,922  

Securities lending income — affiliated — net

    246,449       1,182,053  

Other income — unaffiliated

    22,511       3,677,266  

Foreign taxes withheld

    (16,433,538     (53,758,369

Foreign withholding tax claims

    1,469,664       22,670,278  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total investment income

    170,445,366       692,782,163  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

EXPENSES

   

Investment advisory fees

    39,210,640       51,236,794  

Professional fees

    149,435       2,636,405  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total expenses

    39,360,075       53,873,199  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net investment income

    131,085,291       638,908,964  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS)

   

Net realized gain (loss) from:

   

Investments — unaffiliated

    (308,646,945     (385,322,970

Investments — affiliated

    (27,633     (18,089

In-kind redemptions — unaffiliated(a)

    778,858,068       239,560,762  

Futures contracts

    (1,261,118     623,103  

Foreign currency transactions

    (3,845,210     (12,386,916
 

 

 

   

 

 

 
    465,077,162       (157,544,110
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:

   

Investments — unaffiliated

    (2,957,429,352     (2,041,390,828

Investments — affiliated

    (720     (2,156

Futures contracts

    1,059,818       3,579,132  

Foreign currency translations

    (793,097     (1,709,990
 

 

 

   

 

 

 
    (2,957,163,351     (2,039,523,842
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net realized and unrealized loss

    (2,492,086,189     (2,197,067,952
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET DECREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS

  $ (2,361,000,898   $ (1,558,158,988
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(a)

See Note 2 of the Notes to Financial Statements

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

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

  25


Statements of Changes in Net Assets

 

    iShares
MSCI EAFE Growth ETF
    iShares
MSCI EAFE Value ETF
 
   

Year Ended

07/31/22

 

 

   

Year Ended

07/31/21

 

 

   

Year Ended

07/31/22

 

 

   

Year Ended

07/31/21

 

 

 

 

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS

       

OPERATIONS

       

Net investment income

  $ 131,085,291     $ 112,261,025     $ 638,908,964     $ 337,345,831  

Net realized gain (loss)

    465,077,162       524,736,372       (157,544,110     192,414,204  

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

    (2,957,163,351     1,643,569,188       (2,039,523,842     1,632,862,528  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

    (2,361,000,898     2,280,566,585       (1,558,158,988     2,162,622,563  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS(a)

       

Decrease in net assets resulting from distributions to shareholders

    (185,249,184     (120,719,418     (793,319,046     (332,175,925
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

       

Net increase in net assets derived from capital share transactions

    566,537,999       1,961,152,434       2,190,485,100       6,804,357,557  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

NET ASSETS

       

Total increase (decrease) in net assets

    (1,979,712,083     4,120,999,601       (160,992,934     8,634,804,195  

Beginning of year

    12,115,330,022       7,994,330,421       14,434,306,385       5,799,502,190  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

End of year

  $ 10,135,617,939     $ 12,115,330,022     $ 14,273,313,451     $ 14,434,306,385  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(a)

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

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

26  

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Financial Highlights

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF  
 

 

 

 
   
Year Ended
07/31/22
 
 
   
Year Ended
07/31/21
 
 
   
Year Ended
07/31/20
 
 
    
Year Ended
07/31/19
 
 
    
Year Ended
07/31/18
 
 

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of year

  $ 108.95     $ 86.52     $ 80.40      $ 80.65      $ 75.38  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

    1.19 (b)       1.15       1.06        1.42        1.41  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(c)

    (21.67     22.53       6.06        (0.29      5.19  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

    (20.48     23.68       7.12        1.13        6.60  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(d)

    (1.69     (1.25     (1.00      (1.38      (1.33
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of year

  $ 86.78     $ 108.95     $ 86.52      $ 80.40      $ 80.65  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Return(e)

           

Based on net asset value

    (18.92 )%(b)       27.42     8.91      1.52      8.79
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(f)

           

Total expenses

    0.36     0.36     0.39      0.40      0.40
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total expenses excluding professional fees for foreign withholding tax claims

    0.36     0.36     N/A        0.40      N/A  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net investment income

    1.19 %(b)       1.15     1.31      1.86      1.77
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

           

Net assets, end of year (000)

  $ 10,135,618     $ 12,115,330     $ 7,994,330      $ 3,955,693      $ 3,516,376  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(g)

    25     24     33      22      22
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Based on average shares outstanding.

(b) 

Reflects the one-time, positive effect of foreign withholding tax claims, net of the associated professional fees, which resulted in the following increases for the year ended July 31, 2022:

  

• Net investment income per share by $0.01.

  

• Total return by 0.01%.

  

• Ratio of net investment income to average net assets by 0.01%.

(c) 

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

(d) 

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

(e) 

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

(f) 

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

(g) 

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

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

  27


Financial Highlights (continued)

(For a share outstanding throughout each period)

 

    iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF  
 

 

 

 
   
Year Ended
07/31/22
 
 
   
Year Ended
07/31/21
 
 
   
Year Ended
07/31/20
 
 
    
Year Ended
07/31/19
 
 
    
Year Ended
07/31/18
 
 

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of year

  $ 51.48     $ 39.94     $ 47.08      $ 52.87      $ 53.18  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net investment income(a)

    2.06 (b)       1.67       1.48        2.03        2.05  

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(c)

    (6.66     11.39       (7.18      (5.81      (0.15
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) from investment operations

    (4.60     13.06       (5.70      (3.78      1.90  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Distributions from net investment income(d)

    (2.55     (1.52     (1.44      (2.01      (2.21
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of year

  $ 44.33     $ 51.48     $ 39.94      $ 47.08      $ 52.87  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Return(e)

           

Based on net asset value

    (9.23 )%(b)       32.79     (12.48 )%       (7.05 )%       3.63
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Ratios to Average Net Assets(f)

           

Total expenses

    0.35     0.36     0.39      0.39      0.38
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total expenses excluding professional fees for foreign withholding tax claims

    0.33     0.36     N/A        0.39      N/A  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net investment income

    4.17 %(b)       3.42     3.36      4.17      3.75
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Supplemental Data

           

Net assets, end of year (000)

  $ 14,273,313     $ 14,434,306     $ 5,799,502      $ 5,423,659      $ 5,561,771  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Portfolio turnover rate(g)

    26     25     27      21      22
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(a) 

Based on average shares outstanding.

(b) 

Reflects the one-time, positive effect of foreign withholding tax claims, net of the associated professional fees, which resulted in the following increases for the year ended July 31, 2022:

  

• Net investment income per share by $0.06.

  

• Total return by 0.12%.

  

• Ratio of net investment income to average net assets by 0.13%.

(c) 

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

(d) 

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

(e) 

Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions.

(f)

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

(g) 

Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions.

See notes to financial statements.

 

 

28  

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Notes to Financial Statements        

 

1.

ORGANIZATION

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

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

 

iShares ETF  

Diversification

Classification

 

MSCI EAFE Growth

    Diversified  

MSCI EAFE Value

    Diversified  

 

2.

SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES    

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

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

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

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

Foreign Taxes: The Funds may be subject to foreign taxes (a portion of which may be reclaimable) on income, stock dividends, capital gains on investments, or certain foreign currency transactions. All foreign taxes are recorded in accordance with the applicable foreign tax regulations and rates that exist in the foreign jurisdictions in which each Fund invests. These foreign taxes, if any, are paid by each Fund and are reflected in its Statements of Operations as follows: foreign taxes withheld at source are presented as a reduction of income, foreign taxes on securities lending income are presented as a reduction of securities lending income, foreign taxes on stock dividends are presented as “Other foreign taxes”, and foreign taxes on capital gains from sales of investments and foreign taxes on foreign currency transactions are included in their respective net realized gain (loss) categories. Foreign taxes payable or deferred as of July 31, 2022, if any, are disclosed in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

  29


Notes to Financial Statements  (continued)        

 

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

 

3.

INVESTMENT VALUATION AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

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

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

 

   

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

 

   

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

 

   

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

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

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

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

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

 

   

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

 

   

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

 

   

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

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

 

 

30  

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Notes to Financial Statements  (continued)        

 

4.

SECURITIES AND OTHER INVESTMENTS

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

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

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

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

 

 

 
iShares ETF and Counterparty    
Securities Loaned
at Value
 
 
    
Cash Collateral
Received
 
(a)  
    
Non-Cash Collateral
Received, at Fair Value
 
(a) 
     Net Amount  

 

 

MSCI EAFE Growth

          

BNP Paribas SA

  $ 5,382,691      $ (5,382,691    $      $  

BofA Securities, Inc.

    4,624,257        (4,624,257              

Citigroup Global Markets, Inc.

    2,251,786        (2,251,786              

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

    3,452,257        (3,363,102             89,155 (b) 

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

    1,653,584        (1,653,584              

Macquarie Bank Ltd.

    378,366        (378,366              

Morgan Stanley

    7,985,133        (7,918,436             66,697 (b) 

National Financial Services LLC

    1,747,728        (1,747,728              

Scotia Capital (USA), Inc.

    310,590        (310,590              

UBS Securities LLC

    1,970,231        (1,970,231              
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
  $ 29,756,623      $ (29,600,771    $      $ 155,852  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

MSCI EAFE Value

          

BNP Paribas SA

  $ 1,545,661      $ (1,545,661    $      $  

BofA Securities, Inc.

    17,137,693        (17,137,693              

Citigroup Global Markets, Inc.

    10,481,881        (10,481,881              

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

    2,971,967        (2,971,967              

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

    5,232,372        (5,232,372              

Morgan Stanley

    8,283,822        (8,283,822              

UBS Securities LLC

    2,935,021        (2,935,021              

Virtu Americas LLC

    1,683,710        (1,683,710              

Wells Fargo Bank N.A.

    2,586,731        (2,586,731              
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
  $ 52,858,858      $ (52,858,858    $      $  
 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  (a) 

Collateral received in excess of the market value of securities on loan is not presented in this table. The total cash collateral received by each Fund is disclosed in the Fund’s statement of assets and liabilities.

 
  (b) 

The market value of the loaned securities is determined as of July 31, 2022. Additional collateral is delivered to the Fund on the next business day in accordance with the MSLA. The net amount would be subject to the borrower default indemnity in the event of default by a counterparty.

 

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

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements  (continued)        

 

value of an investment purchased with cash collateral falls below the market value of the loaned securities or if the value of an investment purchased with cash collateral falls below the value of the original cash collateral received. Such losses are borne entirely by each Fund.

 

5.

DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

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

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

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

 

6.

INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES

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

For its investment advisory services to the iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF, BFA is entitled to an annual investment advisory fee, accrued daily and paid monthly by the Fund, based on the average daily net assets of the Fund as follows:

 

   
Average Daily Net Assets   Investment Advisory Fees  

First $3 billion

    0.4000

Over $3 billion, up to and including $4.5 billion

    0.3800  

Over $4.5 billion, up to and including $6 billion

    0.3610  

Over $6 billion, up to and including $7.5 billion

    0.3430  

Over $7.5 billion, up to and including $9 billion

    0.3258  

Over $9 billion, up to and including $10.5 billion

    0.3095  

Over $10.5 billion

    0.2940  

For its investment advisory services to the iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF, BFA is entitled to an annual investment advisory fee, accrued daily and paid monthly by the Fund, based on the average daily net assets of the Fund as follows:

 

   
Average Daily Net Assets   Investment Advisory Fees  

First $3 billion

    0.4000

Over $3 billion, up to and including $4.5 billion

    0.3800  

Over $4.5 billion, up to and including $6 billion

    0.3610  

Over $6 billion, up to and including $7.5 billion

    0.3430  

Over $7.5 billion, up to and including $9 billion

    0.3258  

Over $9 billion, up to and including $10.5 billion

    0.3096  

Over $10.5 billion, up to and including $12 billion

    0.2941  

Over $12 billion, up to and including $13.5 billion

    0.2793  

Over $13.5 billion, up to and including $15 billion

    0.2653  

Over $15 billion

    0.2520  

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements  (continued)        

 

Prior to June 30, 2022, for its investment advisory services to the iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF, BFA was entitled to an annual investment advisory fee, accrued daily and paid monthly by the Fund, based on the average daily net assets of the Fund as follows:

 

   
Average Daily Net Assets   Investment Advisory Fees  

First $3 billion

    0.4000

Over $3 billion, up to and including $4.5 billion

    0.3800  

Over $4.5 billion, up to and including $6 billion

    0.3610  

Over $6 billion, up to and including $7.5 billion

    0.3430  

Over $7.5 billion, up to and including $9 billion

    0.3258  

Over $9 billion, up to and including $10.5 billion

    0.3096  

Over $10.5 billion, up to and including $12 billion

    0.2941  

Over $12 billion, up to and including $13.5 billion

    0.2793  

Over $13.5 billion

    0.2653  

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

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

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

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

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

The share of securities lending income earned by each Fund is shown as securities lending income – affiliated – net in its Statements of Operations. For the year ended July 31, 2022, the Funds paid BTC the following amounts for securities lending agent services:

 

   
iShares ETF   Fees Paid
to BTC
 

MSCI EAFE Growth

  $ 68,553  

MSCI EAFE Value

    272,822  

Officers and Trustees: Certain officers and/or trustees of the Trust are officers and/or trustees of BlackRock or its affiliates.

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

For the year ended July 31, 2022, transactions executed by the Funds pursuant to Rule 17a-7 under the 1940 Act were as follows:

 

       
iShares ETF   Purchases      Sales      Net Realized
Gain (Loss)
 

MSCI EAFE Growth

  $  1,963,432,316      $  1,663,220,092      $ (116,795,056

MSCI EAFE Value

    2,007,177,597        1,965,331,680        (177,508,623

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

 

 

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  33


Notes to Financial Statements  (continued)        

 

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

 

7.

PURCHASES AND SALES

For the year ended July 31, 2022, purchases and sales of investments, excluding short-term investments and in-kind transactions, were as follows:

 

     
iShares ETF   Purchases      Sales  

MSCI EAFE Growth

  $  2,819,485,574      $  2,737,034,766  

MSCI EAFE Value

    4,143,265,417        3,917,313,619  

For the year ended July 31, 2022, in-kind transactions were as follows:

 

     
iShares ETF   In-kind
Purchases
    

In-kind

Sales

 

MSCI EAFE Growth

  $  2,806,223,740      $  2,373,914,802  

MSCI EAFE Value

    3,296,202,362        1,398,433,877  

 

8.

INCOME TAX INFORMATION

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

Management has analyzed tax laws and regulations and their application to the Funds as of July 31, 2022, inclusive of the open tax return years, and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability in the Funds’ financial statements.

U.S. GAAP requires that certain components of net assets be adjusted to reflect permanent differences between financial and tax reporting. These reclassifications have no effect on net assets or NAV per share. As of July 31, 2022, permanent differences attributable to realized gains (losses) from in-kind redemptions were reclassified to the following accounts:

 

     
iShares ETF   Paid-in
Capital
     Accumulated
Earnings (Loss)
 

MSCI EAFE Growth

  $  766,392,561      $  (766,392,561

MSCI EAFE Value

    194,789,670        (194,789,670

The tax character of distributions paid was as follows:

 

     
iShares ETF   Year Ended
07/31/22
     Year Ended
07/31/21
 

MSCI EAFE Growth

    

Ordinary income

  $ 185,249,184      $ 120,719,418  
 

 

 

    

 

 

 

MSCI EAFE Value

    

Ordinary income

  $ 793,319,046      $ 332,175,925  
 

 

 

    

 

 

 

As of July 31, 2022, the tax components of accumulated net earnings (losses) were as follows:

 

         
iShares ETF    

Non-expiring
Capital Loss
Carryforwards


(a) 
   
Net Unrealized
Gains (Losses)
 
(b) 
   
Qualified
Late-Year Losses
 
(c) 
    Total  

MSCI EAFE Growth

  $ (677,396,974   $ 36,106,288     $ (15,446,149   $ (656,736,835

MSCI EAFE Value

    (936,771,230     (1,665,989,903     (4,556,170     (2,607,317,303

 

  (a) 

Amounts available to offset future realized capital gains.

 
  (b) 

The difference between book-basis and tax-basis unrealized gains (losses) was attributable primarily to the tax deferral of losses on wash sales, the realization for tax purposes of unrealized gains (losses) on certain futures contracts, the timing and recognition of partnership income, the characterization of corporate actions and the realization for tax purposes of unrealized gains on investments in passive foreign investment companies.

 
  (c) 

The Funds have elected to defer certain qualified late-year losses and recognize such losses in the next taxable year.

 

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

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements  (continued)        

 

As of July 31, 2022, gross unrealized appreciation and depreciation based on cost of investments (including short positions and derivatives, if any) for U.S. federal income tax purposes were as follows:

 

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

MSCI EAFE Growth

  $ 10,105,204,539      $ 797,150,338      $ (760,599,166   $ 36,551,172  

MSCI EAFE Value

    15,922,913,894        469,096,830        (2,133,595,341     (1,664,498,511

 

9.

PRINCIPAL RISKS

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

BFA uses a “passive” or index approach to try to achieve each Fund’s investment objective following the securities included in its underlying index during upturns as well as downturns. BFA does not take steps to reduce market exposure or to lessen the effects of a declining market. Divergence from the underlying index and the composition of the portfolio is monitored by BFA.

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

Market Risk: An outbreak of respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus has developed into a global pandemic and has resulted in closing borders, quarantines, disruptions to supply chains and customer activity, as well as general concern and uncertainty. The impact of this pandemic, and other global health crises that may arise in the future, could affect the economies of many nations, individual companies and the market in general in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen at the present time. This pandemic may result in substantial market volatility and may adversely impact the prices and liquidity of a fund’s investments. Although vaccines have been developed and approved for use by various governments, the duration of this pandemic and its effects cannot be determined with certainty.

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

The price each Fund could receive upon the sale of any particular portfolio investment may differ from each Fund’s valuation of the investment, particularly for securities that trade in thin or volatile markets or that are valued using a fair valuation technique or a price provided by an independent pricing service. Changes to significant unobservable inputs and assumptions (i.e., publicly traded company multiples, growth rate, time to exit) due to the lack of observable inputs.

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

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

With exchange-traded futures, there is less counterparty credit risk to the Funds since the exchange or clearinghouse, as counterparty to such instruments, guarantees against a possible default. The clearinghouse stands between the buyer and the seller of the contract; therefore, credit risk is limited to failure of the clearinghouse. While offset rights may exist under applicable law, a Fund does not have a contractual right of offset against a clearing broker or clearinghouse in the event of a default (including the bankruptcy or insolvency). Additionally, credit risk exists in exchange-traded futures with respect to initial and variation margin that is held in a clearing broker’s customer accounts. While clearing brokers are required to segregate customer margin from their own assets, in the event that a clearing broker becomes insolvent or goes into bankruptcy and at that time there is a shortfall in the aggregate amount of margin held by the clearing broker for all its clients, typically the shortfall would be allocated on a pro rata basis across all the clearing broker’s customers, potentially resulting in losses to the Funds.

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements  (continued)        

 

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

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

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

Certain Funds invest a significant portion of their assets in securities of issuers located in Asia or with significant exposure to Asian issuers or countries. The Asian financial markets have recently experienced volatility and adverse trends due to concerns in several Asian countries regarding monetary policy, government intervention in the markets, rising government debt levels or economic downturns. These events may spread to other countries in Asia and may affect the value and liquidity of certain of the Funds’ investments.

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

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

LIBOR Transition Risk: The United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority announced a phase out of the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”). Although many LIBOR rates ceased to be published or no longer are representative of the underlying market they seek to measure after December 31, 2021, a selection of widely used USD LIBOR rates will continue to be published through June 2023 in order to assist with the transition. The Funds may be exposed to financial instruments tied to LIBOR to determine payment obligations, financing terms, hedging strategies or investment value. The transition process away from LIBOR might lead to increased volatility and illiquidity in markets for, and reduce the effectiveness of new hedges placed against instruments whose terms currently include LIBOR. The ultimate effect of the LIBOR transition process on the Funds is uncertain.

 

10.

CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS

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

Transactions in capital shares were as follows:

 

 

 
   

Year Ended

07/31/22

   

Year Ended

07/31/21

 
 

 

 

   

 

 

 
iShares ETF   Shares     Amount     Shares     Amount  

 

 

MSCI EAFE Growth

       

Shares sold

    30,800,000     $ 2,944,052,063       31,200,000     $ 3,178,620,940  

Shares redeemed

    (25,200,000     (2,377,514,064     (12,400,000     (1,217,468,506
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    5,600,000     $ 566,537,999       18,800,000     $ 1,961,152,434  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

MSCI EAFE Value

       

Shares sold

    71,600,000     $ 3,596,755,484       160,400,000     $ 7,988,182,543  

Shares redeemed

    (30,000,000     (1,406,270,384     (25,200,000     (1,183,824,986
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    41,600,000     $ 2,190,485,100       135,200,000     $ 6,804,357,557  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

The consideration for the purchase of Creation Units of a fund in the Trust generally consists of the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities and a specified amount of cash. Certain funds in the Trust may be offered in Creation Units solely or partially for cash in U.S. dollars. Investors purchasing and redeeming Creation Units may pay a purchase transaction fee and a redemption transaction fee directly to State Street Bank and Trust Company, the Trust’s administrator, to offset transfer and other transaction costs associated with the issuance and redemption of Creation Units, including Creation Units for cash. Investors transacting in Creation Units for cash may also

 

 

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Notes to Financial Statements  (continued)

 

pay an additional variable charge to compensate the relevant fund for certain transaction costs (i.e., stamp taxes, taxes on currency or other financial transactions, and brokerage costs) and market impact expenses relating to investing in portfolio securities. Such variable charges, if any, are included in shares sold in the table above.

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

 

11.

FOREIGN WITHHOLDING TAX CLAIMS

The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) has issued guidance to address U.S. income tax liabilities attributable to fund shareholders resulting from the recovery of foreign taxes withheld in prior calendar years. These withheld foreign taxes were passed through to shareholders in the form of foreign tax credits in the year the taxes were withheld. Assuming there are sufficient foreign taxes paid which the iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF and iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF are able to pass through to its shareholders as a foreign tax credit in the current year, the iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF and iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF will be able to offset the prior years’ withholding taxes recovered against the foreign taxes paid in the current year. Accordingly, no federal income tax liability is recorded by the Fund.

 

12.

SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

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

 

 

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

  37


Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

To the Board of Trustees of

iShares Trust and Shareholders of each of the two funds listed in the table below

Opinions on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying statements of assets and liabilities, including the schedules of investments, of each of the funds listed in the table below (two of the funds constituting iShares Trust, hereafter collectively referred to as the “Funds”) as of July 31, 2022, the related statements of operations for the year ended July 31, 2022, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period ended July 31, 2022, including the related notes, and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period ended July 31, 2022 (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of each of the Funds as of July 31, 2022, the results of each of their operations for the year then ended, the changes in each of their net assets for each of the two years in the period ended July 31, 2022 and each of the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period ended July 31, 2022 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

 

 

  iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF

  iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF

Basis for Opinions

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Funds’ management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Funds’ financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Funds in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits of these financial statements in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud.

Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of July 31, 2022 by correspondence with the custodian, transfer agent and brokers; when replies were not received from brokers, we performed other auditing procedures. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.

 

/s/PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

September 23, 2022

We have served as the auditor of one or more BlackRock investment companies since 2000.

 

 

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Important Tax Information (unaudited)

 

The following amounts, or maximum amounts allowable by law, are hereby designated as qualified dividend income for individuals for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2022:

 

iShares ETF   Qualified Dividend
Income
 

MSCI EAFE Growth

  $     182,220,748  

MSCI EAFE Value

    762,423,705  

The Funds intend to pass through to their shareholders the following amounts, or maximum amounts allowable by law, of foreign source income earned and foreign taxes paid for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2022:

 

iShares ETF   Foreign Source
Income Earned
     Foreign
Taxes Paid
 

MSCI EAFE Growth

  $     194,777,443      $     12,720,214  

MSCI EAFE Value

    817,649,767        21,869,174  

 

 

M P O R T A N T   T A X   I N F  O R M A T I O N

  39


Board Review and Approval of Investment Advisory Contract

 

iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF (the “Fund”)

Under Section 15(c) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”), the Trust’s Board of Trustees (the “Board”), including a majority of Board Members who are not “interested persons” of the Trust (as that term is defined in the 1940 Act) (the “Independent Board Members”), is required annually to consider and approve the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust and BFA (the “Advisory Agreement”) on behalf of the Fund. The Board’s consideration entails a year-long process whereby the Board and its committees (composed solely of Independent Board Members) assess BlackRock’s services to the Fund, including investment management; fund accounting; administrative and shareholder services; oversight of the Fund’s service providers; risk management and oversight; legal and compliance services; and ability to meet applicable legal and regulatory requirements. The Independent Board Members requested, and BFA provided, such information as the Independent Board Members, with advice from independent counsel, deemed reasonably necessary to evaluate the Advisory Agreement. At meetings on May 3, 2022 and May 18, 2022, a committee composed of all of the Independent Board Members (the “15(c) Committee”), with independent counsel, met with management and reviewed and discussed information provided in response to initial requests of the 15(c) Committee and/or its independent counsel, and requested certain additional information, which management agreed to provide. At a meeting held on June 13-15, 2022, the Board, including the Independent Board Members, reviewed the additional information provided by management in response to these requests.

After extensive discussions and deliberations, the Board, including all of the Independent Board Members, approved the continuance of the Advisory Agreement for the Fund, based on a review of qualitative and quantitative information provided by BFA and their cumulative experience as Board Members. The Board noted its satisfaction with the extent and quality of information provided and its frequent interactions with management, as well as the detailed responses and other information provided by BFA. The Independent Board Members were advised by their independent counsel throughout the process, including about the legal standards applicable to their review. In approving the continuance of the Advisory Agreement for the Fund, the Board, including the Independent Board Members, considered various factors, including: (i) the expenses and performance of the Fund; (ii) the nature, extent and quality of the services provided by BFA; (iii) the costs of services provided to the Fund and profits realized by BFA and its affiliates; (iv) potential economies of scale and the sharing of related benefits; (v) the fees and services provided for other comparable funds/accounts managed by BFA and its affiliates; and (vi) other benefits to BFA and/or its affiliates. The material factors, none of which was controlling, and conclusions that formed the basis for the Board, including the Independent Board Members, to approve the continuance of the Advisory Agreement are discussed below.

Expenses and Performance of the Fund: The Board reviewed statistical information prepared by Broadridge Financial Solutions Inc. (“Broadridge”), an independent provider of investment company data, regarding the expense ratio components, including gross and net total expenses, fees and expenses of another fund in which the Fund invests (if applicable), and waivers/reimbursements (if applicable) of the Fund in comparison with the same information for other ETFs, objectively selected by Broadridge as comprising the Fund’s applicable expense peer group pursuant to Broadridge’s proprietary ETF methodology (the “Peer Group”). The Board was provided with a detailed description of the proprietary ETF methodology used by Broadridge to determine the Fund’s Peer Group. The Board noted that, due to the limitations in providing comparable funds in the Peer Group, the statistical information provided in Broadridge’s report may or may not provide meaningful direct comparisons to the Fund in all instances. The Board also noted that the investment advisory fee rate and overall expenses (net of waivers and reimbursements) for the Fund were within range of the median of the investment advisory fee rates and overall expenses (net of waivers and reimbursements) of the funds in its Peer Group, excluding iShares funds.

In addition, to the extent that any of the comparison funds included in the Peer Group, excluding iShares funds, track the same index as the Fund, Broadridge also provided, and the Board reviewed, a comparison of the Fund’s performance for the one-year, three-year, five-year, ten-year, and since inception periods, as applicable, and for the quarter ended December 31, 2021, to that of such relevant comparison fund(s) for the same periods. The Board noted that the Fund seeks to track its specified underlying index and that, during the year, the Board received periodic reports on the Fund’s short- and longer-term performance in comparison with its underlying index. Such periodic comparative performance information, including additional detailed information as requested by the Board, was also considered. The Board noted that the Fund generally performed in line with its underlying index over the relevant periods.

Based on this review, the other factors considered at the meeting, and their general knowledge of ETF pricing, the Board concluded that the investment advisory fee rate and expense level and the historical performance of the Fund supported the Board’s approval of the continuance of the Advisory Agreement for the coming year.

Nature, Extent and Quality of Services Provided: Based on management’s representations, including information about recent enhancements and initiatives with respect to the iShares business, including with respect to capital markets support and analysis, technology, portfolio management, product design and quality, compliance and risk management, global public policy and other services, the Board expected that there would be no diminution in the scope of services required of or provided by BFA under the Advisory Agreement for the coming year as compared with the scope of services provided by BFA during prior years. In reviewing the scope of these services, the Board considered BFA’s investment philosophy and experience, noting that BFA and its affiliates have committed significant resources over time, including during the past year, to support the iShares funds and their shareholders and have made significant investments into the iShares business. The Board also considered BFA’s compliance program and its compliance record with respect to the Fund. In that regard, the Board noted that BFA reports to the Board about portfolio management and compliance matters on a periodic basis in connection with regularly scheduled meetings of the Board, and on other occasions as necessary and appropriate, and has provided information and made relevant officers and other employees of BFA (and its affiliates) available as needed to provide further assistance with these matters. The Board also reviewed the background and experience of the persons responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund, as well as the resources available to them in managing the Fund. In addition to the above considerations, the Board reviewed and considered detailed presentations regarding BFA’s investment performance, investment and risk management processes and strategies, provided at the May 3, 2022 meeting and throughout the year, and matters related to BFA’s portfolio compliance program.

Based on review of this information, and the performance information discussed above, the Board concluded that the nature, extent and quality of services provided to the Fund under the Advisory Agreement supported the Board’s approval of the continuance of the Advisory Agreement for the coming year.

Costs of Services Provided to the Fund and Profits Realized by BFA and its Affiliates: The Board reviewed information about the estimated profitability to BlackRock in managing the Fund, based on the fees payable to BFA and its affiliates (including fees under the Advisory Agreement), and other sources of revenue and expense to BFA

 

 

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Board Review and Approval of Investment Advisory Contract  (continued)

 

and its affiliates from the Fund’s operations for the last calendar year. The Board reviewed BlackRock’s methodology for calculating estimated profitability of the iShares funds, noting that the 15(c) Committee and the Board had focused on the methodology and profitability presentation. The Board recognized that profitability may be affected by numerous factors, including, among other things, fee waivers by BFA, the types of funds managed, expense allocations and business mix. The Board thus recognized that calculating and comparing profitability at individual fund levels is challenging. The Board discussed with management the sources of direct and ancillary revenue, including the revenues to BTC, a BlackRock affiliate, from securities lending by the Fund. The Board also discussed BFA’s estimated profit margin as reflected in the Fund’s profitability analysis and reviewed information regarding potential economies of scale (as discussed below).

Based on this review, the Board concluded that the information considered with respect to the profits realized by BFA and its affiliates under the Advisory Agreement and from other relationships between the Fund and BFA and/or its affiliates, if any, as well as the other factors considered at the meeting, supported the Board’s approval of the continuance of the Advisory Agreement for the coming year.

Economies of Scale: The Board reviewed information and considered the extent to which economies of scale might be realized as the assets of the Fund increase, noting that the issue of potential economies of scale had been focused on by the 15(c) Committee and the Board during their meetings and addressed by management. The 15(c) Committee and the Board received information regarding BlackRock’s historical estimated profitability, including BFA’s and its affiliates’ estimated costs in providing services. The estimated cost information distinguished, among other things, between fixed and variable costs, and showed how the level and nature of fixed and variable costs may impact the existence or size of scale benefits, with the Board recognizing that potential economies of scale are difficult to measure. The 15(c) Committee and the Board reviewed information provided by BFA regarding the sharing of scale benefits with the iShares funds through various means, including, as applicable, through relatively low fee rates established at inception, breakpoints, waivers, or other fee reductions, as well as through additional investment in the iShares business and the provision of improved or additional infrastructure and services to the iShares funds and their shareholders. The Board noted that the Advisory Agreement for the Fund already provided for breakpoints in the Fund’s investment advisory fee rate as the assets of the Fund, on an aggregated basis with the assets of certain other iShares funds, increase. The Board noted that it would continue to assess the appropriateness of adding new or revised breakpoints in the future.

The Board concluded that this review of potential economies of scale and the sharing of related benefits, as well as the other factors considered at the meeting, supported the Board’s approval of the continuance of the Advisory Agreement for the coming year.

Fees and Services Provided for Other Comparable Funds/Accounts Managed by BFA and its Affiliates: The Board received and considered information regarding the investment advisory/management fee rates for other funds/accounts in the U.S. for which BFA (or its affiliates) provides investment advisory/management services, including open-end funds registered under the 1940 Act (including sub-advised funds), collective trust funds, and institutional separate accounts (collectively, the “Other Accounts”). The Board acknowledged BFA’s representation that the iShares funds are fundamentally different investment vehicles from the Other Accounts.

The Board received detailed information regarding how the Other Accounts generally differ from the Fund, including in terms of the types of services and generally more extensive services provided to the Fund, as well as other significant differences. In that regard, the Board considered that the pricing of services to institutional clients is typically based on a number of factors beyond the nature and extent of the specific services to be provided and often depends on the overall relationship between the client and its affiliates and the adviser and its affiliates. In addition, the Board considered the relative complexity and inherent risks and challenges of managing and providing other services to the Fund, as a publicly traded investment vehicle, as compared to the Other Accounts, particularly those that are institutional clients, in light of differing regulatory requirements and client-imposed mandates. The Board noted that BFA and its affiliates do not manage Other Accounts with substantially the same investment objective and strategy as the Fund and that track the same index as the Fund. The Board also acknowledged management’s assertion that, for certain iShares funds, and for client segmentation purposes, BlackRock has launched an iShares fund that may provide a similar investment exposure at a lower investment advisory fee rate.

The Board considered the “all-inclusive” nature of the Fund’s advisory fee structure, and the Fund’s expenses borne by BFA under this arrangement and noted that the investment advisory fee rate under the Advisory Agreement for the Fund was generally higher than the investment advisory/management fee rates for certain of the Other Accounts (particularly institutional clients) and concluded that the differences appeared to be consistent with the factors discussed.

Other Benefits to BFA and/or its Affiliates: The Board reviewed other benefits or ancillary revenue received by BFA and/or its affiliates in connection with the services provided to the Fund by BFA, both direct and indirect, including, but not limited to, payment of revenue to BTC, the Fund’s securities lending agent, for loaning portfolio securities (which was included in the profit margins reviewed by the Board pursuant to BFA’s estimated profitability methodology), payment of advisory fees or other fees to BFA (or its affiliates) in connection with any investments by the Fund in other funds for which BFA (or its affiliates) provides investment advisory services or other services, and BlackRock’s profile in the investment community. The Board also noted the revenue received by BFA and/or its affiliates pursuant to an agreement that permits a service provider to use certain portions of BlackRock’s technology platform to service accounts managed by BFA and/or its affiliates, including the iShares funds. The Board noted that BFA generally does not use soft dollars or consider the value of research or other services that may be provided to BFA (including its affiliates) in selecting brokers for portfolio transactions for the Fund. The Board concluded that any such ancillary benefits would not be disadvantageous to the Fund and thus would not alter the Board’s conclusion with respect to the appropriateness of approving the continuance of the Advisory Agreement for the coming year.

Conclusion: Based on a review of the factors described above, as well as such other factors as deemed appropriate by the Board, the Board, including all of the Independent Board Members, determined that the Fund’s investment advisory fee rate under the Advisory Agreement does not constitute a fee that is so disproportionately large as to bear no reasonable relationship to the services rendered and that could not have been the product of arm’s-length bargaining, and concluded to approve the continuance of the Advisory Agreement for the coming year.

iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF (the “Fund”)

Under Section 15(c) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”), the Trust’s Board of Trustees (the “Board”), including a majority of Board Members who are not “interested persons” of the Trust (as that term is defined in the 1940 Act) (the “Independent Board Members”), is required annually to consider and approve the

 

 

O A R D   R E V I E W   A N D    A P P R O V A L   O F   I N V E S T M E N T   A  D V I S O R Y   C O N T R A C T

  41


Board Review and Approval of Investment Advisory Contract  (continued)

 

Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust and BFA (the “Advisory Agreement”) on behalf of the Fund. The Board’s consideration entails a year-long process whereby the Board and its committees (composed solely of Independent Board Members) assess BlackRock’s services to the Fund, including investment management; fund accounting; administrative and shareholder services; oversight of the Fund’s service providers; risk management and oversight; legal and compliance services; and ability to meet applicable legal and regulatory requirements. The Independent Board Members requested, and BFA provided, such information as the Independent Board Members, with advice from independent counsel, deemed reasonably necessary to evaluate the Advisory Agreement. At meetings on May 3, 2022 and May 18, 2022, a committee composed of all of the Independent Board Members (the “15(c) Committee”), with independent counsel, met with management and reviewed and discussed information provided in response to initial requests of the 15(c) Committee and/or its independent counsel, and requested certain additional information, which management agreed to provide. At a meeting held on June 13-15, 2022, the Board, including the Independent Board Members, reviewed the additional information provided by management in response to these requests.

After extensive discussions and deliberations, the Board, including all of the Independent Board Members, approved the continuance of the Advisory Agreement for the Fund, based on a review of qualitative and quantitative information provided by BFA and their cumulative experience as Board Members. The Board noted its satisfaction with the extent and quality of information provided and its frequent interactions with management, as well as the detailed responses and other information provided by BFA. The Independent Board Members were advised by their independent counsel throughout the process, including about the legal standards applicable to their review. In approving the continuance of the Advisory Agreement for the Fund, the Board, including the Independent Board Members, considered various factors, including: (i) the expenses and performance of the Fund; (ii) the nature, extent and quality of the services provided by BFA; (iii) the costs of services provided to the Fund and profits realized by BFA and its affiliates; (iv) potential economies of scale and the sharing of related benefits; (v) the fees and services provided for other comparable funds/accounts managed by BFA and its affiliates; and (vi) other benefits to BFA and/or its affiliates. The material factors, none of which was controlling, and conclusions that formed the basis for the Board, including the Independent Board Members, to approve the continuance of the Advisory Agreement are discussed below.

Expenses and Performance of the Fund: The Board reviewed statistical information prepared by Broadridge Financial Solutions Inc. (“Broadridge”), an independent provider of investment company data, regarding the expense ratio components, including gross and net total expenses, fees and expenses of another fund in which the Fund invests (if applicable), and waivers/reimbursements (if applicable) of the Fund in comparison with the same information for other ETFs, objectively selected by Broadridge as comprising the Fund’s applicable expense peer group pursuant to Broadridge’s proprietary ETF methodology (the “Peer Group”). The Board was provided with a detailed description of the proprietary ETF methodology used by Broadridge to determine the Fund’s Peer Group. The Board noted that, due to the limitations in providing comparable funds in the Peer Group, the statistical information provided in Broadridge’s report may or may not provide meaningful direct comparisons to the Fund in all instances. The Board also noted that the investment advisory fee rate and overall expenses (net of waivers and reimbursements) for the Fund were lower than the median of the investment advisory fee rates and overall expenses (net of waivers and reimbursements) of the funds in its Peer Group, excluding iShares funds.

In addition, to the extent that any of the comparison funds included in the Peer Group, excluding iShares funds, track the same index as the Fund, Broadridge also provided, and the Board reviewed, a comparison of the Fund’s performance for the one-year, three-year, five-year, ten-year, and since inception periods, as applicable, and for the quarter ended December 31, 2021, to that of such relevant comparison fund(s) for the same periods. The Board noted that the Fund seeks to track its specified underlying index and that, during the year, the Board received periodic reports on the Fund’s short- and longer-term performance in comparison with its underlying index. Such periodic comparative performance information, including additional detailed information as requested by the Board, was also considered. The Board noted that the Fund generally performed in line with its underlying index over the relevant periods.

Based on this review, the other factors considered at the meeting, and their general knowledge of ETF pricing, the Board concluded that the investment advisory fee rate and expense level and the historical performance of the Fund supported the Board’s approval of the continuance of the Advisory Agreement for the coming year.

Nature, Extent and Quality of Services Provided: Based on management’s representations, including information about recent enhancements and initiatives with respect to the iShares business, including with respect to capital markets support and analysis, technology, portfolio management, product design and quality, compliance and risk management, global public policy and other services, the Board expected that there would be no diminution in the scope of services required of or provided by BFA under the Advisory Agreement for the coming year as compared with the scope of services provided by BFA during prior years. In reviewing the scope of these services, the Board considered BFA’s investment philosophy and experience, noting that BFA and its affiliates have committed significant resources over time, including during the past year, to support the iShares funds and their shareholders and have made significant investments into the iShares business. The Board also considered BFA’s compliance program and its compliance record with respect to the Fund. In that regard, the Board noted that BFA reports to the Board about portfolio management and compliance matters on a periodic basis in connection with regularly scheduled meetings of the Board, and on other occasions as necessary and appropriate, and has provided information and made relevant officers and other employees of BFA (and its affiliates) available as needed to provide further assistance with these matters. The Board also reviewed the background and experience of the persons responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund, as well as the resources available to them in managing the Fund. In addition to the above considerations, the Board reviewed and considered detailed presentations regarding BFA’s investment performance, investment and risk management processes and strategies, provided at the May 3, 2022 meeting and throughout the year, and matters related to BFA’s portfolio compliance program.

Based on review of this information, and the performance information discussed above, the Board concluded that the nature, extent and quality of services provided to the Fund under the Advisory Agreement supported the Board’s approval of the continuance of the Advisory Agreement for the coming year.

Costs of Services Provided to the Fund and Profits Realized by BFA and its Affiliates: The Board reviewed information about the estimated profitability to BlackRock in managing the Fund, based on the fees payable to BFA and its affiliates (including fees under the Advisory Agreement), and other sources of revenue and expense to BFA and its affiliates from the Fund’s operations for the last calendar year. The Board reviewed BlackRock’s methodology for calculating estimated profitability of the iShares funds, noting that the 15(c) Committee and the Board had focused on the methodology and profitability presentation. The Board recognized that profitability may be affected by numerous factors, including, among other things, fee waivers by BFA, the types of funds managed, expense allocations and business mix. The Board thus recognized that calculating and comparing profitability at individual fund levels is challenging. The Board discussed with management the sources of direct and ancillary revenue,

 

 

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Board Review and Approval of Investment Advisory Contract  (continued)

 

including the revenues to BTC, a BlackRock affiliate, from securities lending by the Fund. The Board also discussed BFA’s estimated profit margin as reflected in the Fund’s profitability analysis and reviewed information regarding potential economies of scale (as discussed below).

Based on this review, the Board concluded that the information considered with respect to the profits realized by BFA and its affiliates under the Advisory Agreement and from other relationships between the Fund and BFA and/or its affiliates, if any, as well as the other factors considered at the meeting, supported the Board’s approval of the continuance of the Advisory Agreement for the coming year.

Economies of Scale: The Board reviewed information and considered the extent to which economies of scale might be realized as the assets of the Fund increase, noting that the issue of potential economies of scale had been focused on by the 15(c) Committee and the Board during their meetings and addressed by management. The 15(c) Committee and the Board received information regarding BlackRock’s historical estimated profitability, including BFA’s and its affiliates’ estimated costs in providing services. The estimated cost information distinguished, among other things, between fixed and variable costs, and showed how the level and nature of fixed and variable costs may impact the existence or size of scale benefits, with the Board recognizing that potential economies of scale are difficult to measure. The 15(c) Committee and the Board reviewed information provided by BFA regarding the sharing of scale benefits with the iShares funds through various means, including, as applicable, through relatively low fee rates established at inception, breakpoints, waivers, or other fee reductions, as well as through additional investment in the iShares business and the provision of improved or additional infrastructure and services to the iShares funds and their shareholders. The Board noted that the Advisory Agreement for the Fund already provided for breakpoints in the Fund’s investment advisory fee rate, and the Board and BFA agreed during the June 13-15, 2022 meeting to revise the Advisory Agreement for the Fund to provide for one or more additional breakpoints, as the assets of the Fund increase. The Board noted that it would continue to assess the appropriateness of adding new or revised breakpoints in the future.

The Board concluded that this review of potential economies of scale and the sharing of related benefits, as well as the other factors considered at the meeting, supported the Board’s approval of the continuance of the Advisory Agreement for the coming year.

Fees and Services Provided for Other Comparable Funds/Accounts Managed by BFA and its Affiliates: The Board received and considered information regarding the investment advisory/management fee rates for other funds/accounts in the U.S. for which BFA (or its affiliates) provides investment advisory/management services, including open-end funds registered under the 1940 Act (including sub-advised funds), collective trust funds, and institutional separate accounts (collectively, the “Other Accounts”). The Board acknowledged BFA’s representation that the iShares funds are fundamentally different investment vehicles from the Other Accounts.

The Board received detailed information regarding how the Other Accounts generally differ from the Fund, including in terms of the types of services and generally more extensive services provided to the Fund, as well as other significant differences. In that regard, the Board considered that the pricing of services to institutional clients is typically based on a number of factors beyond the nature and extent of the specific services to be provided and often depends on the overall relationship between the client and its affiliates and the adviser and its affiliates. In addition, the Board considered the relative complexity and inherent risks and challenges of managing and providing other services to the Fund, as a publicly traded investment vehicle, as compared to the Other Accounts, particularly those that are institutional clients, in light of differing regulatory requirements and client-imposed mandates. The Board noted that BFA and its affiliates manage Other Accounts with substantially the same investment objective and strategy as the Fund and that track the same index as the Fund. The Board also acknowledged management’s assertion that, for certain iShares funds, and for client segmentation purposes, BlackRock has launched an iShares fund that may provide a similar investment exposure at a lower investment advisory fee rate.

The Board considered the “all-inclusive” nature of the Fund’s advisory fee structure, and the Fund’s expenses borne by BFA under this arrangement and noted that the investment advisory fee rate under the Advisory Agreement for the Fund was generally higher than the investment advisory/management fee rates for certain of the Other Accounts (particularly institutional clients) and concluded that the differences appeared to be consistent with the factors discussed.

Other Benefits to BFA and/or its Affiliates: The Board reviewed other benefits or ancillary revenue received by BFA and/or its affiliates in connection with the services provided to the Fund by BFA, both direct and indirect, including, but not limited to, payment of revenue to BTC, the Fund’s securities lending agent, for loaning portfolio securities (which was included in the profit margins reviewed by the Board pursuant to BFA’s estimated profitability methodology), payment of advisory fees or other fees to BFA (or its affiliates) in connection with any investments by the Fund in other funds for which BFA (or its affiliates) provides investment advisory services or other services, and BlackRock’s profile in the investment community. The Board also noted the revenue received by BFA and/or its affiliates pursuant to an agreement that permits a service provider to use certain portions of BlackRock’s technology platform to service accounts managed by BFA and/or its affiliates, including the iShares funds. The Board noted that BFA generally does not use soft dollars or consider the value of research or other services that may be provided to BFA (including its affiliates) in selecting brokers for portfolio transactions for the Fund. The Board concluded that any such ancillary benefits would not be disadvantageous to the Fund and thus would not alter the Board’s conclusion with respect to the appropriateness of approving the continuance of the Advisory Agreement for the coming year.

Conclusion: Based on a review of the factors described above, as well as such other factors as deemed appropriate by the Board, the Board, including all of the Independent Board Members, determined that the Fund’s investment advisory fee rate under the Advisory Agreement does not constitute a fee that is so disproportionately large as to bear no reasonable relationship to the services rendered and that could not have been the product of arm’s-length bargaining, and concluded to approve the continuance of the Advisory Agreement for the coming year.

 

 

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Supplemental Information (unaudited)

 

Section 19(a) Notices

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

July 31, 2022

 

     Total Cumulative Distributions
for the Fiscal Year
    % Breakdown of the Total Cumulative
Distributions for the Fiscal Year
 
iShares ETF   Net
Investment
Income
    Net Realized
Capital Gains
    Return of
Capital
    Total Per
Share
    Net
Investment
Income
    Net Realized
Capital Gains
    Return of
Capital
    Total Per
Share
 

MSCI EAFE Growth(a)

  $     1.599795     $             —     $   0.088288     $   1.688083       95         5     100

MSCI EAFE Value(a)

    2.522577             0.029021       2.551598       99             1       100  

 

  (a) 

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

 

Premium/Discount Information

Information on the Fund’s net asset value, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads can be found at iShares.com.

 

 

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Trustee and Officer Information (unaudited)

 

The Board of Trustees has responsibility for the overall management and operations of the Funds, including general supervision of the duties performed by BFA and other service providers. Each Trustee serves until he or she resigns, is removed, dies, retires or becomes incapacitated. Each officer shall hold office until his or her successor is elected and qualifies or until his or her death, resignation or removal. Trustees who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust are referred to as independent trustees (“Independent Trustees”).

The registered investment companies advised by BFA or its affiliates (the “BlackRock-advised Funds”) are organized into one complex of open-end equity, multi-asset, index and money market funds and ETFs (the “BlackRock Multi-Asset Complex”), one complex of closed-end funds and open-end non-index fixed-income funds (including ETFs) (the “BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex”) and one complex of ETFs (“Exchange-Traded Fund Complex”) (each, a “BlackRock Fund Complex”). Each Fund is included in the Exchange-Traded Fund Complex. Each Trustee also serves as a Director of iShares, Inc. and a Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust and, as a result, oversees all of the funds within the Exchange-Traded Fund Complex, which consists of 384 funds as of July 31, 2022. With the exception of Robert S. Kapito, Salim Ramji and Charles Park, the address of each Trustee and officer is c/o BlackRock, Inc., 400 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA 94105. The address of Mr. Kapito, Mr. Ramji and Mr. Park is c/o BlackRock, Inc., Park Avenue Plaza, 55 East 52nd Street, New York, NY 10055. The Board has designated John E. Kerrigan as its Independent Board Chair. Additional information about the Funds’ Trustees and officers may be found in the Funds’ combined Statement of Additional Information, which is available without charge, upon request, by calling toll-free 1-800-iShares (1-800-474-2737).

 

Interested Trustees
       
 Name (Age)    Position(s)   

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years

   Other Directorships Held by Trustee
Robert S. Kapito(a) (65)    Trustee (since 2009).    President, BlackRock, Inc. (since 2006); Vice Chairman of BlackRock, Inc. and Head of BlackRock’s Portfolio Management Group (since its formation in 1998) and BlackRock, Inc.’s predecessor entities (since 1988); Trustee, University of Pennsylvania (since 2009); President of Board of Directors, Hope & Heroes Children’s Cancer Fund (since 2002).    Director of BlackRock, Inc. (since 2006); Director of iShares, Inc. (since 2009); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2011).
Salim Ramji(b) (52)    Trustee (since 2019).    Senior Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. (since 2014); Global Head of BlackRock’s ETF and Index Investments Business (since 2019); Head of BlackRock’s U.S. Wealth Advisory Business (2015-2019); Global Head of Corporate Strategy, BlackRock, Inc. (2014-2015); Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company (2010-2014).    Director of iShares, Inc. (since 2019); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2019).

(a)   Robert S. Kapito is deemed to be an “interested person” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust due to his affiliations with BlackRock, Inc. and its affiliates.

(b)   Salim Ramji is deemed to be an “interested person” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust due to his affiliations with BlackRock, Inc. and its affiliates.

Independent Trustees
       
 Name (Age)    Position(s)   

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years

   Other Directorships Held by Trustee
John E. Kerrigan (67)    Trustee (since 2005); Independent Board Chair (since 2022).    Chief Investment Officer, Santa Clara University (since 2002).    Director of iShares, Inc. (since 2005); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2011); Independent Board Chair of iShares, Inc. and iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2022).
Jane D. Carlin (66)    Trustee (since 2015); Risk Committee Chair (since 2016).    Consultant (since 2012); Member of the Audit Committee (2012-2018), Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee (2017-2018) and Director of PHH Corporation (mortgage solutions) (2012-2018); Managing Director and Global Head of Financial Holding Company Governance & Assurance and the Global Head of Operational Risk Management of Morgan Stanley (2006-2012).    Director of iShares, Inc. (since 2015); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2015); Member of the Audit Committee (since 2016), Chair of the Audit Committee (since 2020) and Director of The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (since 2016).
Richard L. Fagnani (67)    Trustee (since 2017); Audit Committee Chair (since 2019).    Partner, KPMG LLP (2002-2016).    Director of iShares, Inc. (since 2017); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2017).

 

 

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Trustee and Officer Information (unaudited) (continued)

 

Independent Trustees (continued)
       
 Name (Age)    Position(s)   

Principal Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years

   Other Directorships Held by Trustee
Cecilia H. Herbert (73)    Trustee (since 2005); Nominating and Governance and Equity Plus Committee Chairs (since 2022).    Chair of the Finance Committee (since 2019) and Trustee and Member of the Finance, Audit and Quality Committees of Stanford Health Care (since 2016); Trustee of WNET, New York’s public media company (since 2011) and Member of the Audit Committee (since 2018) and Investment Committee (since 2011); Chair (1994-2005) and Member (since 1992) of the Investment Committee, Archdiocese of San Francisco; Trustee of Forward Funds (14 portfolios) (2009-2018); Trustee of Salient MF Trust (4 portfolios) (2015-2018); Director (1998-2013) and President (2007-2011) of the Board of Directors, Catholic Charities CYO; Trustee (2002-2011) and Chair of the Finance and Investment Committee (2006-2010) of the Thacher School; Director of the Senior Center of Jackson Hole (since 2020).    Director of iShares, Inc. (since 2005); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2011); Trustee of Thrivent Church Loan and Income Fund (since 2019).
Drew E. Lawton (63)    Trustee (since 2017); 15(c) Committee Chair (since 2017).    Senior Managing Director of New York Life Insurance Company (2010-2015).    Director of iShares, Inc. (since 2017); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2017).
John E. Martinez (61)    Trustee (since 2003); Securities Lending Committee Chair (since 2019).    Director of Real Estate Equity Exchange, Inc. (since 2005); Director of Cloudera Foundation (2017-2020); and Director of Reading Partners (2012-2016).    Director of iShares, Inc. (since 2003); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2011).
Madhav V. Rajan (57)    Trustee (since 2011); Fixed Income Plus Committee Chair (since 2019).    Dean, and George Pratt Shultz Professor of Accounting, University of Chicago Booth School of Business (since 2017); Advisory Board Member (since 2016) and Director (since 2020) of C.M. Capital Corporation; Chair of the Board for the Center for Research in Security Prices, LLC (since 2020); Robert K. Jaedicke Professor of Accounting, Stanford University Graduate School of Business (2001-2017); Professor of Law (by courtesy), Stanford Law School (2005-2017); Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Head of MBA Program, Stanford University Graduate School of Business (2010-2016).    Director of iShares, Inc. (since 2011); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2011).
Officers
     
 Name (Age)    Position(s)    Principal Occupation(s)
During Past 5 Years
Armando Senra (51)    President (since 2019).    Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. (since 2007); Head of U.S., Canada and Latam iShares, BlackRock, Inc. (since 2019); Head of Latin America Region, BlackRock, Inc. (2006-2019); Managing Director, Bank of America Merrill Lynch (1994-2006).
Trent Walker (48)    Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer (since 2020).    Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. (since September 2019); Chief Financial Officer of iShares Delaware Trust Sponsor LLC, BlackRock Funds, BlackRock Funds II, BlackRock Funds IV, BlackRock Funds V and BlackRock Funds VI (since 2021); Executive Vice President of PIMCO (2016-2019); Senior Vice President of PIMCO (2008-2015); Treasurer (2013-2019) and Assistant Treasurer (2007-2017) of PIMCO Funds, PIMCO Variable Insurance Trust, PIMCO ETF Trust, PIMCO Equity Series, PIMCO Equity Series VIT, PIMCO Managed Accounts Trust, 2 PIMCO-sponsored interval funds and 21 PIMCO-sponsored closed-end funds.
Charles Park (54)    Chief Compliance Officer (since 2006).    Chief Compliance Officer of BlackRock Advisors, LLC and the BlackRock-advised Funds in the BlackRock Multi-Asset Complex and the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex (since 2014); Chief Compliance Officer of BFA (since 2006).
Marisa Rolland (41)    Secretary (since 2022).    Director, BlackRock, Inc. (since 2018); Vice President, BlackRock, Inc. (2010-2017).
Rachel Aguirre (40)    Executive Vice President (since 2022).    Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. (since 2018); Director, BlackRock, Inc. (2009-2018); Head of U.S. iShares Product (since 2022); Head of EII U.S. Product Engineering (since 2021); Co-Head of EII’s Americas Portfolio Engineering (2020-2021); Head of Developed Markets Portfolio Engineering (2016-2019).
Jennifer Hsui (46)    Executive Vice President (since 2022).    Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. (since 2009); Co-Head of Index Equity (since 2022).
James Mauro (51)    Executive Vice President (since 2022).    Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. (since 2010); Head of Fixed Income Index Investments in the Americas and Head of San Francisco Core Portfolio Management (since 2020).

 

 

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Trustee and Officer Information (unaudited) (continued)

 

 

Effective March 18, 2022, Rachel Aguirre, Jennifer Hsui, and James Mauro have replaced Scott Radell, Alan Mason, and Marybeth Leithead as Executive Vice Presidents.

Effective June 15, 2022, Marisa Rolland replaced Deepa Damre Smith as Secretary.

 

 

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  47


General Information

 

Electronic Delivery

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

To enroll in electronic delivery:

 

   

Go to icsdelivery.com.

   

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

Householding

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

Availability of Quarterly Schedule of Investments

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

Availability of Proxy Voting Policies and Proxy Voting Records

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

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

 

 

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Glossary of Terms Used in this Report

 

Portfolio Abbreviations
ADR    American Depositary Receipt
NVS    Non-Voting Shares
REIT    Real Estate Investment Trust

 

 

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Want to know more?

iShares.com    |     1-800-474-2737

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

Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal.

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

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

©2022 BlackRock, Inc. All rights reserved. iSHARES and BLACKROCK are registered trademarks of BlackRock, Inc. or its subsidiaries. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

iS-AR-702-0722

 

 

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