December 30, 2021 | |
2021 Prospectus |
• | iShares MSCI India Small-Cap ETF | SMIN | CBOE BZX |
Ticker: SMIN | Stock Exchange: Cboe BZX |
(ongoing expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investments) | ||||||
Management Fees |
Distribution
and Service (12b-1) Fees |
Other Expenses1 |
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses | |||
1 |
1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years | |||
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
1 |
One Year | Five Years | Since
Fund Inception | |||
(Inception
Date: |
|||||
Return Before Taxes | |||||
Return After Taxes on Distributions2 | |||||
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares2 | |||||
MSCI India Small Cap Index (Index returns do not reflect deductions for fees, expenses or taxes) |
2 |
■ | General Impact. This outbreak has resulted in travel restrictions, closed international borders, enhanced health screenings at ports of entry and elsewhere, disruption of, and delays in, healthcare service preparation and delivery, prolonged quarantines, cancellations, supply chain disruptions, lower consumer demand, temporary and permanent closures of stores, restaurants and other commercial establishments, layoffs, defaults and other significant economic impacts, as well as general concern and uncertainty. |
■ | Market Volatility. The outbreak has also resulted in extreme volatility, severe losses, and disruptions in markets which can adversely impact the Fund and its investments, including impairing hedging activity to the extent a Fund engages in such activity, as expected correlations between related markets or instruments may no longer apply. In addition, to the extent the Fund invests in short-term instruments that have negative yields, the Fund’s value may be impaired as a result. Certain issuers of equity securities have cancelled or announced the suspension of dividends. The outbreak has, and may continue to, negatively affect the credit ratings of some fixed-income securities and their issuers. |
■ | Market Closures. Certain local markets have been or may be subject to closures, and there can be no assurance that trading will continue in any local markets in which the Fund may invest, when any resumption of trading will occur or, once such markets resume trading, whether they will face further closures. Any suspension of trading in markets in which the Fund invests will have an impact on the Fund and its investments and will impact the Fund’s ability to purchase or sell securities in such markets. |
■ | Operational Risk. The outbreak could also impair the information technology and other operational systems upon which the Fund’s service providers, including BFA, rely, and could otherwise disrupt the ability of employees of the Fund's service providers to perform critical tasks relating to the Fund, for example, due to the service providers’ employees performing tasks in alternate locations than under normal operating conditions or the illness of certain employees of the Fund's service providers. |
■ | Governmental Interventions. Governmental and quasi-governmental authorities and regulators throughout the world have responded to the outbreak and the resulting economic disruptions with a variety of fiscal and monetary policy changes, including direct capital infusions into companies and other issuers, new monetary policy tools, and lower interest rates. An unexpected or sudden reversal of these policies, or the ineffectiveness of such policies, is likely to increase market volatility, which could adversely affect the Fund’s investments. |
■ | Pre-Existing Conditions. Public health crises caused by the outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally, |
which could adversely affect the Fund and its investments and could result in increased premiums or discounts to the Fund's NAV. |
■ | Government intervention in issuers' operations or structure; |
■ | A lack of market liquidity and market efficiency; |
■ | Greater securities price volatility; |
■ | Exchange rate fluctuations and exchange controls; |
■ | Less availability of public information about issuers; |
■ | Limitations on foreign ownership of securities; |
■ | Imposition of withholding or other taxes; |
■ | Imposition of restrictions on the expatriation of the funds or other assets of the Fund; |
■ | Higher transaction and custody costs and delays in settlement procedures; |
■ | Difficulties in enforcing contractual obligations; |
■ | Lower levels of regulation of the securities markets; |
■ | Weaker accounting, disclosure and reporting requirements and the risk of being delisted from U.S. exchanges; and |
■ | Legal principles relating to corporate governance, directors’ fiduciary duties and liabilities and stockholders’ rights in markets in which the Fund invests may differ from or may not be as extensive or protective as those that apply in the U.S. |
■ | With respect to a foreign entity that holds the Indian assets directly, if the transferor |
■ | With respect to a foreign entity that holds the Indian assets indirectly, if the transferor of share or interest in such foreign entity (along with its associated enterprises), at any time in the twelve months preceding the year of transfer does not hold the right of control or management in relation to the foreign entity, which would entitle them to the right of control or management in the foreign entity which directly holds the Indian assets; or does not hold voting power or share capital or interest exceeding 5% of the total voting power or total share capital or total interest in the foreign entity, which results in holding the same share capital or voting power in the entity which directly holds the Indian assets. |
■ | creates rights, or obligations, which are not ordinarily created between persons dealing at arm's length; |
■ | results, directly or indirectly, in the misuse, or abuse, of the provisions of IT Act; |
■ | lacks commercial substance; or |
■ | is entered into, or carried out, by means, or in a manner, which are not ordinarily employed for bona fide purposes. |
■ | any arrangement where the aggregate tax benefit to all the parties of the arrangement in the relevant financial year does not exceed INR 30 million; |
■ | foreign institutional investors (“FIIs”) that choose not to take any benefit under any tax treaty entered with India and have invested in listed or unlisted securities with prior permission of the competent authority in accordance with the applicable regulations; |
■ | non-resident investor in an FII who has invested in an FII, directly or indirectly, by way of an offshore derivative instrument or otherwise; or |
■ | any income derived from the transfer of shares or interests made prior to April 1, 2017. |
■ | Dividend: Prior to the Finance Act, 2020, the dividend distributed by a domestic company was subject to dividend distribution tax at an effective rate of 20.56% (inclusive of surcharge), in the hands of such domestic company. Such dividends received by non-resident shareholders are exempt from taxation in India in the hands of such non-resident shareholders. However, the Finance Act, 2020 amended the IT Act to abolish the dividend distribution tax regime. |
■ | Under the amended IT Act, the dividend income would be subject to tax directly from the shareholder and no tax is required to be paid by the domestic company distributing dividends. Dividend income earned by a non-resident would be subject to tax at the rate of 21.84% under the IT Act. |
■ | The Subsidiary, being a resident of Mauritius, may claim the benefit of the DTAA. As per the DTAA, dividend income received by the Subsidiary from an Indian company would be taxed at the rate of 5%, provided the Subsidiary directly holds at least 10% of the capital of such company. Otherwise such dividend income would be subject to tax at the rate of 15%. Further, the distribution of dividends would also be subject to withholding tax and the domestic company distributing dividends to the Subsidiary would be required to withhold tax at the aforementioned rates. |
■ | Interest: Interest paid to the Subsidiary in respect of debt obligations of Indian issuers will be subject to Indian income tax. The tax rate in the case of a rupee-denominated debt obligation is 43.68%. However if the Subsidiary is a SEBI registered FPI, interest income earned from June 1, 2013 to June 30, 2023 on rupee denominated bonds of Indian companies and Indian government securities will be subject to tax at the rate of 5.46%, provided that the rate of interest does not exceed the prescribed rates. In the case of a foreign-currency denominated debt obligation, the tax rate is 21.84%. For approved foreign-currency loans advanced from July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2023, the tax rate on interest is 5.46% and for approved foreign currency long-term bonds issued from October 1, 2014 to June 30, 2023, the tax rate on interest is 5.46%. The IT Act provides the withholding tax rate on rupee-denominated bonds issued before July 1, 2023 to be 5.46%. The Subsidiary may claim the benefit of the provisions of the DTAA, to the extent they are more beneficial. DTAA provides for a withholding rate of 7.5% on the interest payments made on or after April 1, 2017. |
■ | Securities Transaction Tax: All transactions entered on a recognized stock exchange in India are subject to a Securities Transaction Tax (“STT”). STT has been introduced under Section 98 of the Finance (No.2) Act, 2004 on transactions relating to sale, purchases and redemption of shares made by purchasers or sellers of Indian securities and equity oriented mutual fund units. The current STT as levied on the transaction value as follows: |
■ | 0.1% payable by the buyer and 0.1% by the seller on the value of transactions of delivery based transfer of an equity share in an Indian company entered in a recognized stock exchange; |
■ | 0.001% on the value of transactions of delivery based sale of a unit of an equity oriented mutual fund entered in a recognized stock exchange, payable by the seller; |
■ | 0.025% on the value of transactions of non-delivery based sale of an equity share in an Indian company or a unit of an equity oriented mutual fund, entered in a recognized stock exchange payable by the seller; |
■ | 0.05% on the value of transactions of derivatives being options, entered in a recognized stock exchange. STT is to be paid by the seller; |
■ | 0.01% on the value of transactions of sale of derivatives being futures, entered in a recognized stock exchange. STT is to be paid by the seller; |
■ | 0.001% on the value of transactions of sale of units of an equity-oriented fund to the Mutual Fund, payable by the seller in accordance with the Finance Act, 2013; |
■ | 0.125% on the value of transactions of sale of derivatives being options, where the option is exercised, entered in a recognized stock exchange. STT is to be paid by buyer; |
■ | 0.2% on the value of transactions of the sale of unlisted shares by existing shareholders in an initial public offer. |
■ | Capital Gains: Assuming total income will be more than INR 100 million, the taxation of capital gains would be as follows: (i) long-term capital gains (being gains on sale of shares held for a period of more than 12 months) listed on a recognized stock |
exchange would be taxable in India at a rate of 10.92%, provided STT has been paid, both on acquisition and sale (subject to certain transactions, to which the provisions of applicability and payment of STT upon acquisition shall not be applicable) of such shares. Capital gains tax would be calculated on gains exceeding INR 0.1 million (without any indexation and foreign exchange fluctuation benefits). It may also be noted that any capital gains arising up to January 31, 2018 have been grandfathered; (ii) short-term capital gains (being gains on sale of shares held for a period of 12 months or less) from the sale of Indian shares listed on a recognized stock exchange will be taxed at the rate of 16.38% provided STT has been paid on the same; (iii) long-term capital gains (being gains on sale of shares held for a period of more than 24 months) arising to the Subsidiary from the sale of unlisted securities will be taxed at the rate of 10.92% (without indexation) and short-term capital gains (being gains on sale of shares held for a period of 24 months or less) will be taxed at the rate of 32.76%; (iv) capital gains realized on sale of listed equity shares not executed on a recognized stock exchange in India would be taxed at the rate of 10.92% for long-term gains (being gains on sale of shares held for a period of more than 12 months) and at 32.76% in the case of short-term gains (being gains on sale of shares held for a period of 12 months or less); and (v) capital gains arising from the transfer of depositary receipts outside India between non-resident investors will not be subject to tax in India. These rates will be subject to the beneficial provisions of the DTAA. |
■ | With respect to a foreign entity that holds the Indian assets directly, if the transferor of share or interest in such a foreign entity (along with its associated enterprises), at any time in the twelve months preceding the year of transfer neither holds the right of control or management in the foreign entity, nor holds voting power or share capital or interest exceeding 5% of the total voting power or total share capital or total interest in such foreign entity. |
■ | With respect to a foreign entity that holds the Indian assets indirectly, if the transferor of share or interest in such foreign entity (along with its associated enterprises), at any time in the twelve months preceding the year of transfer does not hold the right of control or management in relation to the foreign entity, which would entitle them to the right of control or management in the foreign entity which |
directly holds the Indian assets; or does not hold voting power or share capital or interest exceeding 5% of the total voting power or total share capital or total interest in the foreign entity, which results in holding the same share capital or voting power in the entity which directly holds the Indian assets. |
■ | any arrangement where the aggregate tax benefit to all the parties of the arrangement in the relevant financial year does not exceed INR 30 Million; |
■ | FIIs that choose not to take any benefit under any tax treaty entered with India and have invested in listed or unlisted securities with prior permission of the competent authority in accordance with the applicable regulations; |
■ | non-resident investor in an FII who has invested in an FII, directly or indirectly, by way of an offshore derivative instrument or otherwise; or |
■ | any income derived from the transfer of shares or interests made prior to April 1, 2017. |
iShares MSCI India Small-Cap ETF | |||||||||
Year
Ended 08/31/21 |
Year
Ended 08/31/20 |
Year
Ended 08/31/19 |
Year
Ended 08/31/18 |
Year
Ended 08/31/17 | |||||
Net asset value, beginning of year | $34.60 | $33.39 | $44.10 | $46.27 | $36.01 | ||||
Net investment income (loss)(a) | (0.01) | 0.15 | 0.10 | (0.00)(b) | 0.09 | ||||
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)(c) | 23.26 | 1.88 | (10.60) | (1.06) | 10.55 | ||||
Net increase (decrease) from investment operations | 23.25 | 2.03 | (10.50) | (1.06) | 10.64 | ||||
Distributions(d) | |||||||||
From net investment income | (0.05) | (0.82) | (0.21) | (0.63) | (0.38) | ||||
Return of capital | (0.00)(b) | — | — | (0.48) | — | ||||
Total distributions | (0.05) | (0.82) | (0.21) | (1.11) | (0.38) | ||||
Net asset value, end of year | $57.80 | $34.60 | $33.39 | $44.10 | $46.27 | ||||
Total Return(e) | |||||||||
Based on net asset value | 67.25% | 6.35% | (23.88)% | (2.36)% | 29.97% | ||||
Ratios to Average Net Assets | |||||||||
Total expenses | 0.74% | 0.81% | 0.76% | 0.77% | 0.75% | ||||
Net investment income (loss) | (0.01)% | 0.45% | 0.28% | (0.00)%(f) | 0.21% | ||||
Supplemental Data | |||||||||
Net assets, end of year (000) | $329,466 | $193,770 | $270,433 | $282,264 | $205,914 | ||||
Portfolio turnover rate(g) | 55%(h) | 32%(h) | 24%(h) | 49%(h) | 38%(h) | ||||
(a) Based on average shares outstanding. | |||||||||
(b) Rounds to less than $0.01. | |||||||||
(c) The amounts reported for a share outstanding may not accord with the change in aggregate gains and losses in securities for the fiscal period due to the timing of capital share transactions in relation to the fluctuating market values of the Fund’s underlying securities. | |||||||||
(d) Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations. | |||||||||
(e) Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions. | |||||||||
(f) Rounds to less than 0.01%. | |||||||||
(g) Portfolio turnover rate includes portfolio transactions that are executed as a result of the Fund offering and redeeming Creation Units solely for cash in U.S. dollars (“cash creations”). | |||||||||
(h) Portfolio turnover rate excluding cash creations was as follows: | 37% | 28% | 19% | 31% | 22% |
Call: | 1-800-iShares
or 1-800-474-2737 (toll free) Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. (Eastern time) |
Email: | [email protected] |
Write: | c/o
BlackRock Investments, LLC 1 University Square Drive, Princeton, NJ 08540 |