REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 | ☒ |
Pre-Effective Amendment No. | □ |
Post-Effective Amendment No. 663 | ☒ |
INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 | ☒ |
Amendment No. 665 | ☒ |
Counsel for the Fund: | |
Frank
P. Bruno, Esq.
Sidley Austin LLP 787 Seventh Avenue New York, New York 10019--6018 |
Benjamin
Archibald, Esq.
BlackRock Advisors, LLC 55 East 52nd Street New York, New York 10055 |
► | BlackRock Mid-Cap Growth Equity Portfolio |
Investor A: BMGAX • Investor B: BMGBX • Investor C: BMGCX • Institutional: CMGIX • Class R: BMRRX |
► | BlackRock Advantage Small Cap Growth Fund |
Investor A: CSGEX • Investor C: CGICX • Institutional: PSGIX |
Fund Overview | Key facts and details about the Funds listed in this prospectus, including investment objectives, principal investment strategies, principal risk factors, fee and expense information and historical performance information | |
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Details About the Funds | Information about how the Funds invest, including investment objectives, investment processes, principal strategies and risk factors | |
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Account Information | Information about account services, sales charges and waivers, shareholder transactions, and distribution and other payments | |
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Management of the Funds | Information about BlackRock and the Portfolio Managers | |
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Financial Highlights |
Financial Performance of the
Funds
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Glossary |
Glossary of Investment
Terms
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61 |
For More Information |
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Inside Back Cover |
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Back Cover |
Shareholder
Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment) |
Investor
A
Shares |
Investor
B
Shares |
Investor
C
Shares |
Institutional
Shares |
Class
R
Shares |
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) | 5.25% | None | None | None | None |
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of offering price or redemption proceeds, whichever is lower) | None 1 | 4.50% 2 | 1.00% 3 | None | None |
Annual
Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) |
Investor
A
Shares |
Investor
B
Shares |
Investor
C
Shares |
Institutional
Shares |
Class
R
Shares |
Management Fee 4 | 0.80% | 0.80% | 0.80% | 0.80% | 0.80% |
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees | 0.25% | 1.00% | 1.00% | None | 0.50% |
Other Expenses | 0.40% | 1.40% | 0.34% | 0.31% | 0.48% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 1.45% | 3.20% | 2.14% | 1.11% | 1.78% |
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements 4,5 | (0.06)% | (1.04)% | — | — | (0.13)% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements 4,5 | 1.39% | 2.16% | 2.14% | 1.11% | 1.65% |
1 | A contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”) of 1.00% is assessed on certain redemptions of Investor A Shares made within 18 months after purchase where no initial sales charge was paid at time of purchase as part of an investment of $1,000,000 or more. |
2 | The CDSC is 4.50% if shares are redeemed in less than one year. The CDSC for Investor B Shares decreases for redemptions made in subsequent years. After six years there is no CDSC on Investor B Shares. (See the section “Details About the Share Classes — Investor B Shares” in the Fund’s prospectus for the complete schedule of CDSCs.) |
3 | There is no CDSC on Investor C Shares after one year. |
4 | As described in the “Management of the Funds” section of the Fund’s prospectus beginning on page 44, BlackRock has contractually agreed to waive the management fee with respect to any portion of the Fund’s assets estimated to be attributable to investments in other equity and fixed-income mutual funds and exchange-traded funds managed by BlackRock or its affiliates that have a contractual management fee, through January 31, 2018. The contractual agreement may be terminated upon 90 days’ notice by a majority of the non-interested trustees of the Trust or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. |
5 | As described in the “Management of the Funds” section of the Fund’s prospectus beginning on page 44, BlackRock has contractually agreed to waive and/or reimburse fees or expenses in order to limit Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements (excluding Dividend Expense, Interest Expense, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and certain other Fund expenses) as a percentage of average daily net assets to 1.39% (for Investor A Shares), 2.16% (for Investor B and Investor C Shares), 1.11% (for Institutional Shares) and 1.65% (for Class R Shares) through January 31, 2018. The Fund may have to repay some of these waivers and/or reimbursements to BlackRock in the following two years. The contractual agreement may be terminated upon 90 days’ notice by a majority of the non-interested trustees of the Trust or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. |
1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years | |
Investor A Shares | $659 | $ 954 | $1,270 | $2,164 |
Investor B Shares | $669 | $1,239 | $1,784 | $3,023 |
Investor C Shares | $317 | $ 670 | $1,149 | $2,472 |
Institutional Shares | $113 | $ 353 | $ 612 | $1,352 |
Class R Shares | $168 | $ 548 | $ 952 | $2,084 |
1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years | |
Investor B Shares | $219 | $889 | $1,584 | $3,023 |
Investor C Shares | $217 | $670 | $1,149 | $2,472 |
■ | Convertible Securities Risk — The market value of a convertible security performs like that of a regular debt security; that is, if market interest rates rise, the value of a convertible security usually falls. In addition, convertible securities are subject to the risk that the issuer will not be able to pay interest or dividends when due, and their market value may change based on changes in the issuer’s credit rating or the market’s perception of the issuer’s |
creditworthiness. Since it derives a portion of its value from the common stock into which it may be converted, a convertible security is also subject to the same types of market and issuer risks that apply to the underlying common stock. |
■ | Derivatives Risk — The Fund’s use of derivatives may increase its costs, reduce the Fund’s returns and/or increase volatility. Derivatives involve significant risks, including: |
Volatility Risk — Volatility is defined as the characteristic of a security, an index or a market to fluctuate significantly in price within a short time period. A risk of the Fund’s use of derivatives is that the fluctuations in their values may not correlate with the overall securities markets. | |
Counterparty Risk — Derivatives are also subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the other party in the transaction will not fulfill its contractual obligation. | |
Market and Liquidity Risk — The possible lack of a liquid secondary market for derivatives and the resulting inability of the Fund to sell or otherwise close a derivatives position could expose the Fund to losses and could make derivatives more difficult for the Fund to value accurately. | |
Valuation Risk — Valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil since many investors and market makers may be reluctant to purchase complex instruments or quote prices for them. |
Hedging Risk — Hedges are sometimes subject to imperfect matching between the derivative and the underlying security, and there can be no assurance that the Fund’s hedging transactions will be effective. The use of hedging may result in certain adverse tax consequences. |
Leverage Risk — Certain transactions in derivatives involve substantial leverage risk and may expose the Fund to potential losses that exceed the amount originally invested by the Fund. |
Tax Risk — Certain aspects of the tax treatment of derivative instruments, including swap agreements and commodity-linked derivative instruments, are currently unclear and may be affected by changes in legislation, regulations or other legally binding authority. Such treatment may be less favorable than that given to a direct investment in an underlying asset and may adversely affect the timing, character and amount of income the Fund realizes from its investments. |
■ | Equity Securities Risk — Stock markets are volatile. The price of equity securities fluctuates based on changes in a company’s financial condition and overall market and economic conditions. |
■ | Investment Style Risk — Under certain market conditions, growth investments have performed better during the later stages of economic expansion. Therefore, this investment style may over time go in and out of favor. At times when the investment style used by the Fund is out of favor, the Fund may underperform other equity funds that use different investment styles. |
■ | Leverage Risk — Some transactions may give rise to a form of economic leverage. These transactions may include, among others, derivatives, and may expose the Fund to greater risk and increase its costs. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet any required asset segregation requirements. Increases and decreases in the value of the Fund’s portfolio will be magnified when the Fund uses leverage. |
■ | Market Risk and Selection Risk — Market risk is the risk that one or more markets in which the Fund invests will go down in value, including the possibility that the markets will go down sharply and unpredictably. Selection risk is the risk that the securities selected by Fund management will underperform the markets, the relevant indices or the securities selected by other funds with similar investment objectives and investment strategies. This means you may lose money. |
■ | Mid Cap Securities Risk — The securities of mid cap companies generally trade in lower volumes and are generally subject to greater and less predictable price changes than the securities of larger capitalization companies. |
■ | “New Issues” Risk — “New issues” are IPOs of equity securities. Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods. In addition, the prices of securities sold in IPOs may be highly volatile or may decline shortly after the IPO. |
■ | Preferred Securities Risk — Preferred securities may pay fixed or adjustable rates of return. Preferred securities are subject to issuer-specific and market risks applicable generally to equity securities. In addition, a company’s preferred securities generally pay dividends only after the company makes required payments to holders of its bonds and other debt. For this reason, the value of preferred securities will usually react more strongly than bonds and other debt to actual or perceived changes in the company’s financial condition or prospects. Preferred securities of smaller companies may be more vulnerable to adverse developments than preferred stock of larger companies. |
As
of 12/31/16
Average Annual Total Returns |
1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years 1 |
BlackRock Mid-Cap Growth Equity Portfolio — Investor A Shares | |||
Return Before Taxes | (2.61)% | 12.31% | 6.58% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions | (2.61)% | 10.23% | 5.59% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | (1.48)% | 9.25% | 5.03% |
BlackRock Mid-Cap Growth Equity Portfolio — Investor B Shares | |||
Return Before Taxes | (2.58)% | 12.38% | 6.50% |
BlackRock Mid-Cap Growth Equity Portfolio — Investor C Shares | |||
Return Before Taxes | 1.02% | 12.66% | 6.35% |
BlackRock Mid-Cap Growth Equity Portfolio — Institutional Shares | |||
Return Before Taxes | 3.04% | 13.85% | 7.54% |
BlackRock Mid-Cap Growth Equity Portfolio — Class R Shares | |||
Return Before Taxes | 2.47% | 13.22% | 6.98% |
As
of 12/31/16
Average Annual Total Returns |
1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years 1 |
Russell
Midcap
®
Growth Index
(Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
7.33% | 13.51% | 7.83% |
1 | A portion of the Fund’s total return was attributable to proceeds received in the fiscal years ended September 30, 2009, 2010 and 2011 in settlement of litigation. |
Name |
Portfolio
Manager
of the Fund Since |
Title |
Lawrence Kemp | 2013 | Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. |
Kathryn Mongelli | 2013 | Director of BlackRock, Inc. |
Phil Ruvinsky | 2013 | Director of BlackRock, Inc. |
Investor
A and
Investor C Shares |
Investor B Shares | Institutional Shares | Class R Shares | |
Minimum
Initial
Investment |
$1,000
for all accounts except:
• $250 for certain fee-based programs. • $100 for certain employer-sponsored retirement plans. • $50, if establishing an Automatic Investment Plan. |
Available only through exchanges and dividend reinvestments by current holders and for purchase by certain employer-sponsored retirement plans. |
There
is no minimum initial investment for employer-sponsored retirement plans (not including SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs or SARSEPs), state sponsored 529 college savings plans, collective trust funds, investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles,
unaffiliated thrifts and unaffiliated banks and trust companies, each of which may purchase shares of the Fund through a Financial Intermediary that has entered into an agreement with the Fund’s distributor to purchase such shares.
|
$100 for all accounts. |
Minimum
Additional
Investment |
$50 for all accounts (with the exception of certain employer-sponsored retirement plans which may have a lower minimum). | N/A | No subsequent minimum. | No subsequent minimum. |
Shareholder
Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment) |
Investor
A
Shares |
Investor
C
Shares |
Institutional
Shares |
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) | 5.25% | None | None |
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of offering price or redemption proceeds, whichever is lower) | None 1 | 1.00% 2 | None |
Annual
Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) |
Investor
A
Shares |
Investor
C
Shares |
Institutional
Shares |
Management Fee 3,4,5 | 0.45% | 0.45% | 0.45% |
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees | 0.25% | 1.00% | None |
Other Expenses | 0.34% | 0.40% | 0.31% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 4 | 1.04% | 1.85% | 0.76% |
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements 5,6 | (0.29)% | (0.35)% | (0.26)% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements 5,6 | 0.75% | 1.50% | 0.50% |
1 | A contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”) of 1.00% is assessed on certain redemptions of Investor A Shares made within 18 months after purchase where no initial sales charge was paid at time of purchase as part of an investment of $1,000,000 or more. |
2 | There is no CDSC on Investor C Shares after one year. |
3 | Management Fee has been restated to reflect current fees. |
4 | The Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses do not correlate to the ratios of expenses to average net assets given in the Fund’s most recent annual report, which do not include the restatement of the Management Fee to reflect current fees. |
5 | As described in the “Management of the Funds” section of the Fund’s prospectus beginning on page 44, BlackRock has contractually agreed to waive the management fee with respect to any portion of the Fund’s assets estimated to be attributable to investments in other equity and fixed-income mutual funds and exchange-traded funds managed by BlackRock or its affiliates that have a contractual management fee, through January 31, 2018. The contractual agreement may be terminated upon 90 days’ notice by a majority of the non-interested trustees of the Trust or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. |
6 | As described in the “Management of the Funds” section of the Fund’s prospectus beginning on page 44, BlackRock has contractually agreed to waive and/or reimburse fees and/or expenses in order to limit Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements (excluding Interest Expense, Dividend Expense, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and certain other Fund expenses) as a percentage of daily net assets to 0.75% (for Investor A Shares), 1.50% (for Investor C Shares) and 0.50% (for Institutional Shares) through January 31, 2018. The Fund may have to repay some of these waivers and/or reimbursements to BlackRock in the following two years. This contractual agreement may be terminated upon 90 days’ notice by a majority of the non-interested trustees of the Fund or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. |
1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years | |
Investor A Shares | $598 | $811 | $1,042 | $1,704 |
Investor C Shares | $253 | $548 | $ 968 | $2,141 |
Institutional Shares | $ 51 | $217 | $ 397 | $ 918 |
1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years | |
Investor C Shares | $153 | $548 | $968 | $2,141 |
■ | Convertible Securities Risk — The market value of a convertible security performs like that of a regular debt security; that is, if market interest rates rise, the value of a convertible security usually falls. In addition, convertible |
securities are subject to the risk that the issuer will not be able to pay interest or dividends when due, and their market value may change based on changes in the issuer’s credit rating or the market’s perception of the issuer’s creditworthiness. Since it derives a portion of its value from the common stock into which it may be converted, a convertible security is also subject to the same types of market and issuer risks that apply to the underlying common stock. |
■ | Derivatives Risk — The Fund’s use of derivatives may increase its costs, reduce the Fund’s returns and/or increase volatility. Derivatives involve significant risks, including: |
Volatility Risk — Volatility is defined as the characteristic of a security, an index or a market to fluctuate significantly in price within a short time period. A risk of the Fund’s use of derivatives is that the fluctuations in their values may not correlate with the overall securities markets. | |
Counterparty Risk — Derivatives are also subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the other party in the transaction will not fulfill its contractual obligation. | |
Market and Liquidity Risk — The possible lack of a liquid secondary market for derivatives and the resulting inability of the Fund to sell or otherwise close a derivatives position could expose the Fund to losses and could make derivatives more difficult for the Fund to value accurately. | |
Valuation Risk — Valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil since many investors and market makers may be reluctant to purchase complex instruments or quote prices for them. |
Hedging Risk — Hedges are sometimes subject to imperfect matching between the derivative and the underlying security, and there can be no assurance that the Fund’s hedging transactions will be effective. The use of hedging may result in certain adverse tax consequences. |
Leverage Risk — Certain transactions in derivatives involve substantial leverage risk and may expose the Fund to potential losses that exceed the amount originally invested by the Fund. |
Tax Risk — Certain aspects of the tax treatment of derivative instruments, including swap agreements and commodity-linked derivative instruments, are currently unclear and may be affected by changes in legislation, regulations or other legally binding authority. Such treatment may be less favorable than that given to a direct investment in an underlying asset and may adversely affect the timing, character and amount of income the Fund realizes from its investments. |
■ | Equity Securities Risk — Stock markets are volatile. The price of equity securities fluctuates based on changes in a company’s financial condition and overall market and economic conditions. |
■ | High Portfolio Turnover Risk — The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading of its portfolio securities. High portfolio turnover (more than 100%) may result in increased transaction costs to the Fund, including brokerage commissions, dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs on the sale of the securities and on reinvestment in other securities. The sale of Fund portfolio securities may result in the realization and/or distribution to shareholders of higher capital gains or losses as compared to a fund with less active trading policies. These effects of higher than normal portfolio turnover may adversely affect Fund performance. |
■ | Investment Style Risk — Under certain market conditions, growth investments have performed better during the later stages of economic expansion. Therefore, this investment style may over time go in and out of favor. At times when the investment style used by the Fund is out of favor, the Fund may underperform other equity funds that use different investment styles. |
■ | Leverage Risk — Some transactions may give rise to a form of economic leverage. These transactions may include, among others, derivatives, and may expose the Fund to greater risk and increase its costs. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet any required asset segregation requirements. Increases and decreases in the value of the Fund’s portfolio will be magnified when the Fund uses leverage. |
■ | Market Risk and Selection Risk — Market risk is the risk that one or more markets in which the Fund invests will go down in value, including the possibility that the markets will go down sharply and unpredictably. Selection risk is the risk that the securities selected by Fund management will underperform the markets, the relevant indices or the securities selected by other funds with similar investment objectives and investment strategies. This means you may lose money. |
■ | “New Issues” Risk — “New issues” are IPOs of equity securities. Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods. In addition, the prices of securities sold in IPOs may be highly volatile or may decline shortly after the IPO. |
■ | Preferred Securities Risk — Preferred securities may pay fixed or adjustable rates of return. Preferred securities are subject to issuer-specific and market risks applicable generally to equity securities. In addition, a company’s preferred securities generally pay dividends only after the company makes required payments to holders of its bonds and other debt. For this reason, the value of preferred securities will usually react more strongly than bonds and other debt to actual or perceived changes in the company’s financial condition or prospects. Preferred securities of smaller companies may be more vulnerable to adverse developments than preferred stock of larger companies. |
■ | Small Cap and Emerging Growth Securities Risk — Small cap or emerging growth companies may have limited product lines or markets. They may be less financially secure than larger, more established companies. They may depend on a more limited management group than larger capitalized companies. |
■ | Warrants Risk — If the price of the underlying stock does not rise above the exercise price before the warrant expires, the warrant generally expires without any value and the Fund will lose any amount it paid for the warrant. Thus, investments in warrants may involve substantially more risk than investments in common stock. Warrants may trade in the same markets as their underlying stock; however, the price of the warrant does not necessarily move with the price of the underlying stock. |
As
of 12/31/16
Average Annual Total Returns |
1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years 1 |
BlackRock Advantage Small Cap Growth Fund — Investor A Shares | |||
Return Before Taxes | 7.12% | 10.95% | 6.63% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions | 7.12% | 5.79% | 4.08% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | 4.03% | 7.25% | 4.64% |
BlackRock Advantage Small Cap Growth Fund — Investor C Shares | |||
Return Before Taxes | 11.16% | 11.27% | 6.30% |
BlackRock Advantage Small Cap Growth Fund — Institutional Shares | |||
Return Before Taxes | 13.45% | 12.50% | 7.59% |
Russell
2000
®
Growth Index
(Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
11.32% | 13.74% | 7.76% |
1 | A portion of the Fund’s total return was attributable to proceeds received in the fiscal year ended September 30, 2009 in settlement of litigation. |
Name |
Portfolio
Manager
of the Fund Since |
Title |
Travis Cooke, CFA | 2013 | Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. |
Investor A and Investor C Shares | Institutional Shares | |
Minimum
Initial
Investment |
$1,000
for all accounts except:
• $250 for certain fee-based programs. • $100 for certain employer-sponsored retirement plans. • $50, if establishing an Automatic Investment Plan. |
There
is no minimum initial investment for employer-sponsored retirement plans (not including SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs or SARSEPs), state sponsored 529 college savings plans, collective trust funds, investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles,
unaffiliated thrifts and unaffiliated banks and trust companies, each of which may purchase shares of the Fund through a Financial Intermediary that has entered into an agreement with the Fund’s distributor to purchase such shares.
|
Minimum
Additional
Investment |
$50 for all accounts (with the exception of certain employer-sponsored retirement plans which may have a lower minimum). | No subsequent minimum. |
■ | Debt Securities (Advantage Small Cap Growth) — The Fund may invest in debt securities, including debt securities that are issued together with a particular equity security. |
■ | Foreign Securities — Each Fund may invest in equity securities of companies located outside the United States. Mid-Cap Growth Equity may invest up to 10% of its assets in foreign securities. |
■ | Illiquid/Restricted Securities (Advantage Small Cap Growth) — The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities that it cannot sell within seven days at approximately current value. The Fund may also invest in restricted securities, which are securities that cannot be offered for public resale unless registered under the applicable securities laws or that have a contractual restriction that prohibits or limits their resale (i.e., Rule 144A securities). They may include private placement securities that have not been registered under the applicable securities laws. Restricted securities may not be listed on an exchange and may have no active trading market and therefore may be considered to be illiquid. Rule 144A securities are restricted securities that can be resold to qualified institutional buyers but not to the general public and may be considered to be liquid securities. |
■ | Investment Companies — Each Fund has the ability to invest in other investment companies, such as exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), unit investment trusts, and open-end and closed-end funds. Each Fund may invest in affiliated investment companies, including affiliated money market funds and affiliated ETFs. |
■ | Money Market Securities — Each Fund may invest in high quality money market securities pending investments or when it expects to need cash to pay redeeming shareholders. Each Fund will not be deemed to deviate from its normal strategies if it holds these securities pending investments. |
■ | Real Estate Investment Trusts (Advantage Small Cap Growth) — The Fund may invest in real estate investment trusts (“REITs”). REITs are companies that own interests in real estate or in real estate related loans or other interests, and have revenue primarily consisting of rent derived from owned, income producing real estate properties and capital gains from the sale of such properties. REITs can generally be classified as equity REITs, mortgage REITs and hybrid REITs. Equity REITs invest the majority of their assets directly in real property and derive their income primarily from rents. Equity REITs can also realize capital gains by selling properties that have appreciated in value. Mortgage REITs invest the majority of their assets in real estate mortgages and derive their income primarily from interest payments. Hybrid REITs combine the characteristics of both equity REITs and mortgage REITs. REITs are not taxed on income distributed to shareholders provided they comply with the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”). |
■ | Repurchase Agreements and Purchase and Sale Contracts (Advantage Small Cap Growth) — The Fund may enter into certain types of repurchase agreements or purchase and sale contracts. Under a repurchase agreement, the seller agrees to repurchase a security at a mutually agreed-upon time and price. A purchase and sale contract is similar to a repurchase agreement, but purchase and sale contracts also provide that the purchaser receives any interest on the security paid during the period. |
■ | Securities Lending (Advantage Small Cap Growth) — The Fund may lend securities with a value up to 33 1 ⁄ 3 % of its total assets to financial institutions that provide cash or securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government as collateral. |
■ | Temporary Defensive Strategies — It is possible that in extreme market conditions a Fund may temporarily invest some or all of its assets in high quality money market securities. Such a temporary defensive strategy would be inconsistent with a Fund’s principal investment strategies. The reason for acquiring money market securities would be to avoid market losses. However, if market conditions improve, this strategy could result in reducing the potential gain from the market upswing, thus reducing the Fund’s opportunity to achieve its investment objective. |
■ | When-Issued and Delayed Delivery Securities and Forward Commitments — The purchase or sale of securities on a when-issued basis, on a delayed delivery basis or through a forward commitment involves the purchase or sale of securities by a Fund at an established price with payment and delivery taking place in the future. Each Fund enters into these transactions to obtain what is considered an advantageous price to the Fund at the time of entering into the transaction. |
■ | Convertible Securities Risk — The market value of a convertible security performs like that of a regular debt security; that is, if market interest rates rise, the value of a convertible security usually falls. In addition, convertible securities are subject to the risk that the issuer will not be able to pay interest or dividends when due, and their market value may change based on changes in the issuer’s credit rating or the market’s perception of the issuer’s creditworthiness. Since it derives a portion of its value from the common stock into which it may be converted, a convertible security is also subject to the same types of market and issuer risks that apply to the underlying common stock. |
■ | Derivatives Risk — The Fund’s use of derivatives may increase its costs, reduce the Fund’s returns and/or increase volatility. Derivatives involve significant risks, including: |
Volatility Risk – The Fund’s use of derivatives may reduce the Fund’s returns and/or increase volatility. Volatility is defined as the characteristic of a security, an index or a market to fluctuate significantly in price within a short time period. A risk of the Fund’s use of derivatives is that the fluctuations in their values may not correlate with the overall securities markets. | |
Counterparty Risk – Derivatives are also subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the other party in the transaction will not fulfill its contractual obligation. | |
Market and Liquidity Risk – Some derivatives are more sensitive to interest rate changes and market price fluctuations than other securities. The possible lack of a liquid secondary market for derivatives and the resulting inability of the Fund to sell or otherwise close a derivatives position could expose the Fund to losses and could make derivatives more difficult for the Fund to value accurately. The Fund could also suffer losses related to its derivatives positions as a result of unanticipated market movements, which losses are potentially unlimited. Finally, BlackRock Advisors, LLC (“BlackRock”) may not be able to predict correctly the direction of securities prices, interest rates and other economic factors, which could cause the Fund’s derivatives positions to lose value. | |
Valuation Risk – Valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil since many investors and market makers may be reluctant to purchase complex instruments or quote prices for them. Derivatives may also expose the Fund to greater risk and increase its costs. Certain transactions in derivatives involve substantial leverage risk and may expose the Fund to potential losses that exceed the amount originally invested by the Fund. | |
Hedging Risk – When a derivative is used as a hedge against a position that the Fund holds, any loss generated by the derivative generally should be substantially offset by gains on the hedged investment, and vice versa. While hedging can reduce or eliminate losses, it can also reduce or eliminate gains. Hedges are sometimes subject to imperfect matching between the derivative and the underlying security, and there can be no assurance that the Fund’s hedging transactions will be effective. The use of hedging may result in certain adverse tax consequences noted below. |
Tax Risk – The federal income tax treatment of a derivative may not be as favorable as a direct investment in an underlying asset and may adversely affect the timing, character and amount of income the Fund realizes from its investments. As a result, a larger portion of the Fund’s distributions may be treated as ordinary income rather than capital gains. In addition, certain derivatives are subject to mark-to-market or straddle provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. If such provisions are applicable, there could be an increase (or decrease) in the amount of taxable dividends paid by the Fund. In addition, the tax treatment of certain derivatives, such as swaps, is unsettled and may be subject to future legislation, regulation or administrative pronouncements issued by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). | |
Regulatory Risk – Derivative contracts, including, without limitation, swaps, currency forwards and non-deliverable forwards, are subject to regulation under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank Act”) in the United States and under comparable regimes in Europe, Asia and other non-U.S. jurisdictions. Under the Dodd-Frank Act, certain derivatives will become subject to margin requirements and swap dealers will be required to collect margin from the Fund with respect to such derivatives. Implementation of such regulations under the Dodd-Frank Act regarding clearing, mandatory trading and margining of swaps and other derivatives may increase the costs to the Fund of trading in these instruments and, as a result, may affect returns to investors in the Fund. |
In December 2015, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) proposed a new rule to regulate the use of derivatives by registered investment companies, such as the Fund. If the rule goes into effect, it could limit the ability of the Fund to invest or remain invested in derivatives. In addition, other future regulatory developments may impact the Fund’s ability to invest or remain invested in certain derivatives. Legislation or regulation may also change the way in which the Fund itself is regulated. BlackRock cannot predict the effects of any new governmental |
regulation that may be implemented on the ability of the Fund to use swaps or any other financial derivative product, and there can be no assurance that any new governmental regulation will not adversely affect the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. | |
Risks Specific to Certain Derivatives Used by the Fund |
■ | Equity Securities Risk — Common and preferred stocks represent equity ownership in a company. Stock markets are volatile. The price of equity securities will fluctuate and can decline and reduce the value of a portfolio investing in equities. The value of equity securities purchased by the Fund could decline if the financial condition of the companies the Fund invests in declines or if overall market and economic conditions deteriorate. The value of equity securities may also decline due to factors that affect a particular industry or industries, such as labor shortages or an increase in production costs and competitive conditions within an industry. In addition, the value may decline due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to a company or industry, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates or generally adverse investor sentiment. |
■ | High Portfolio Turnover Risk (Advantage Small Cap Growth Principal Risk; Mid-Cap Growth Equity Other Risk) — The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading of its portfolio securities. High portfolio turnover (more than 100%) may result in increased transaction costs to the Fund, including brokerage commissions, dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs on the sale of the securities and on reinvestment in other securities. The sale of Fund portfolio securities may result in the realization and/or distribution to shareholders of higher capital gains or losses |
as compared to a fund with less active trading policies. These effects of higher than normal portfolio turnover may adversely affect Fund performance. |
■ | Investment Style Risk — Under certain market conditions, growth investments have performed better during the later stages of economic expansion. Therefore, this investment style may over time go in and out of favor. At times when the investment style used by the Fund is out of favor, the Fund may underperform other equity funds that use different investment styles. |
■ | Leverage Risk — Some transactions may give rise to a form of economic leverage. These transactions may include, among others, derivatives, and may expose the Fund to greater risk and increase its costs. As an open-end investment company registered with the SEC, the Fund is subject to the federal securities laws, including the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”), the rules thereunder, and various SEC and SEC staff interpretive positions. In accordance with these laws, rules and positions, the Fund must “set aside” liquid assets (often referred to as “asset segregation”), or engage in other SEC- or staff-approved measures, to “cover” open positions with respect to certain kinds of instruments. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet any required asset segregation requirements. Increases and decreases in the value of the Fund’s portfolio will be magnified when the Fund uses leverage. |
■ | Market Risk and Selection Risk — Market risk is the risk that one or more markets in which the Fund invests will go down in value, including the possibility that the markets will go down sharply and unpredictably. Selection risk is the risk that the securities selected by Fund management will underperform the markets, the relevant indices or the securities selected by other funds with similar investment objectives and investment strategies. This means you may lose money. |
■ | Mid Cap Securities Risk (Mid-Cap Growth Equity) — The securities of mid cap companies generally trade in lower volumes and are generally subject to greater and less predictable price changes than the securities of larger capitalization companies. |
■ | “New Issues” Risk — “New issues” are IPOs of equity securities. Investments in companies that have recently gone public have the potential to produce substantial gains for the Fund. However, there is no assurance that the Fund will have access to profitable IPOs and therefore investors should not rely on these past gains as an indication of future performance. The investment performance of the Fund during periods when it is unable to invest significantly or at all in IPOs may be lower than during periods when the Fund is able to do so. In addition, as the Fund increases in size, the impact of IPOs on the Fund’s performance will generally decrease. Securities issued in IPOs are subject to many of the same risks as investing in companies with smaller market capitalizations. Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods. In addition, the prices of securities sold in IPOs may be highly volatile or may decline shortly after the IPO. When an IPO is brought to the market, availability may be limited and the Fund may not be able to buy any shares at the offering price, or, if it is able to buy shares, it may not be able to buy as many shares at the offering price as it would like. |
■ | Preferred Securities Risk — Preferred securities may pay fixed or adjustable rates of return. Preferred securities are subject to issuer-specific and market risks applicable generally to equity securities. In addition, a company’s preferred securities generally pay dividends only after the company makes required payments to holders of its bonds and other debt. For this reason, the value of preferred securities will usually react more strongly than bonds and other debt to actual or perceived changes in the company’s financial condition or prospects. Preferred securities of smaller companies may be more vulnerable to adverse developments than preferred stock of larger companies. |
■ | Small Cap and Emerging Growth Securities Risk (Advantage Small Cap Growth) — Small cap or emerging growth companies may have limited product lines or markets. They may be less financially secure than larger, more established companies. They may depend on a small number of key personnel. If a product fails or there are other adverse developments, or if management changes, the Fund’s investment in a small cap or emerging growth company may lose substantial value. In addition, it is more difficult to get information on smaller companies, which tend to be less well known, have shorter operating histories, do not have significant ownership by large investors and are followed by relatively few securities analysts. |
The securities of small cap and emerging growth companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than larger cap securities or the market as a whole. In addition, small cap and emerging growth securities may be particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates, borrowing costs and earnings. Investing in small cap and emerging growth securities requires a longer term view. |
■ | Warrants Risk (Advantage Small Cap Growth) — If the price of the underlying stock does not rise above the exercise price before the warrant expires, the warrant generally expires without any value and the Fund will lose any |
amount it paid for the warrant. Thus, investments in warrants may involve substantially more risk than investments in common stock. Warrants may trade in the same markets as their underlying stock; however, the price of the warrant does not necessarily move with the price of the underlying stock. |
■ | Borrowing Risk — Borrowing may exaggerate changes in the net asset value of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio. Borrowing will cost the Fund interest expense and other fees. The costs of borrowing may reduce the Fund’s return. Borrowing may cause the Fund to liquidate positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations. |
■ | Debt Securities Risk (Advantage Small Cap Growth) — Debt securities, such as bonds, involve credit risk. Credit risk is the risk that the borrower will not make timely payments of principal and interest. Changes in an issuer’s credit rating or the market’s perception of an issuer’s creditworthiness may also affect the value of the Fund’s investment in that issuer. The degree of credit risk depends on the issuer’s financial condition and on the terms of the securities. Debt securities are also subject to interest rate risk. Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of a debt security may fall when interest rates rise. In general, the market price of debt securities with longer maturities will go up or down more in response to changes in interest rates than the market price of shorter-term securities. The Fund may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates due to the current period of historically low rates. |
■ | Emerging Markets Risk (Advantage Small Cap Growth) — The risks of foreign investments are usually much greater for emerging markets. Investments in emerging markets may be considered speculative. Emerging markets may include those in countries considered emerging or developing by the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation or the United Nations. Emerging markets are riskier than more developed markets because they tend to develop unevenly and may never fully develop. They are more likely to experience hyperinflation and currency devaluations, which adversely affect returns to U.S. investors. In addition, many emerging markets have far lower trading volumes and less liquidity than developed markets. Since these markets are often small, they may be more likely to suffer sharp and frequent price changes or long-term price depression because of adverse publicity, investor perceptions or the actions of a few large investors. In addition, traditional measures of investment value used in the United States, such as price to earnings ratios, may not apply to certain small markets. Also, there may be less publicly available information about issuers in emerging markets than would be available about issuers in more developed capital markets, and such issuers may not be subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and requirements comparable to those to which U.S. companies are subject. Communications between the United States and emerging market countries may be unreliable, increasing the risk of delayed settlements or losses of security certificates. |
Many emerging markets have histories of political instability and abrupt changes in policies. As a result, their governments are more likely to take actions that are hostile or detrimental to private enterprise or foreign investment than those of more developed countries. Some countries have pervasive corruption and crime that may hinder investments. Certain emerging markets may also face other significant internal or external risks, including the risk of war, and ethnic, religious and racial conflicts. In addition, governments in many emerging market countries participate to a significant degree in their economies and securities markets, which may impair investment and economic growth. | |
■ | Expense Risk — Fund expenses are subject to a variety of factors, including fluctuations in the Fund’s net assets. Accordingly, actual expenses may be greater or less than those indicated. For example, to the extent that the Fund’s net assets decrease due to market declines or redemptions, the Fund’s expenses will increase as a percentage of Fund net assets. During periods of high market volatility, these increases in the Fund’s expense ratio could be significant. |
■ | Foreign Securities Risk — Because the Fund may invest in companies located in countries other than the United States, the Fund may be exposed to risks associated with foreign investments. |
■ | The value of holdings traded outside the United States (and any hedging transactions in foreign currencies) will be affected by changes in currency exchange rates. |
■ | The costs of non-U.S. securities transactions tend to be higher than those of U.S. transactions. |
■ | Foreign holdings may be adversely affected by foreign government action. |
■ | International trade barriers or economic sanctions against certain non-U.S. countries may adversely affect these holdings. |
■ | The economies of certain countries may compare unfavorably with the U.S. economy. |
■ | Foreign securities markets may be smaller than the U.S. markets, which may make trading more difficult. |
■ | Investment in Other Investment Companies Risk — As with other investments, investments in other investment companies, including ETFs, are subject to market and selection risk. In addition, if the Fund acquires shares of investment companies, including ones affiliated with the Fund, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of expenses in the Fund (including management and advisory fees) and, indirectly, the expenses of the investment companies (to the extent not offset by BlackRock through waivers to the Fund’s management fees). To the extent the Fund is held by an affiliated fund, the ability of the Fund itself to hold other investment companies may be limited. |
■ | Liquidity Risk (Advantage Small Cap Growth) — Liquidity risk exists when particular investments are difficult to purchase or sell. The Fund’s investments in illiquid securities may reduce the returns of the Fund because it may be difficult to sell the illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price. To the extent that the Fund’s principal investment strategies involve derivatives or securities with substantial market and/or credit risk, the Fund will tend to have the greatest exposure to liquidity risk. Liquid investments may become illiquid after purchase by the Fund, particularly during periods of market turmoil. Illiquid investments may be harder to value, especially in changing markets, and if the Fund is forced to sell these investments to meet redemption requests or for other cash needs, the Fund may suffer a loss. In addition, when there is illiquidity in the market for certain securities, the Fund, due to limitations on illiquid investments, may be subject to purchase and sale restrictions. |
■ | Money Market Securities Risk — If market conditions improve while the Fund has invested some or all of its assets in high quality money market securities, this strategy could result in reducing the potential gain from the market upswing, thus reducing the Fund’s opportunity to achieve its investment objective. |
■ | Real Estate Related Securities Risk (Advantage Small Cap Growth) — The main risk of real estate related securities is that the value of the underlying real estate may go down. Many factors may affect real estate values. These factors include both the general and local economies, the amount of new construction in a particular area, the laws and regulations (including zoning and tax laws) affecting real estate and the costs of owning, maintaining and improving real estate. The availability of mortgages and changes in interest rates may also affect real estate values. If the Fund’s real estate related investments are concentrated in one geographic area or in one property type, the Fund will be particularly subject to the risks associated with that area or property type. |
■ | REIT Investment Risk (Advantage Small Cap Growth) — In addition to the risks facing real estate related securities, such as a decline in property values due to increasing vacancies, a decline in rents resulting from unanticipated economic, legal or technological developments or a decline in the price of securities of real estate companies due to a failure of borrowers to pay their loans or poor management, investments in REITs involve unique risks. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in limited volume and may be more volatile than other securities. |
■ | Repurchase Agreements and Purchase and Sale Contracts Risk (Advantage Small Cap Growth) — If the other party to a repurchase agreement or purchase and sale contract defaults on its obligation under the agreement, the Fund may suffer delays and incur costs or lose money in exercising its rights under the agreement. If the seller fails to repurchase the security in either situation and the market value of the security declines, the Fund may lose money. |
■ | Securities Lending Risk (Advantage Small Cap Growth) — Securities lending involves the risk that the borrower may fail to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. As a result, the Fund may lose money and there may be a delay in recovering the loaned securities. The Fund could also lose money if it does not recover the securities and/or the value of the collateral falls, including the value of investments made with cash collateral. These events could trigger adverse tax consequences for the Fund. |
■ | Valuation Risk —The price the Fund could receive upon the sale of any particular portfolio investment may differ from the Fund’s valuation of the investment, particularly for securities that trade in thin or volatile markets or that are valued using a fair valuation methodology or a price provided by an independent pricing service. As a result, the price received upon the sale of an investment may be less than the value ascribed by the Fund, and the Fund could realize a greater than expected loss or lesser than expected gain upon the sale of the investment. Pricing services that value fixed-income securities generally utilize a range of market-based and security-specific inputs and assumptions, as well as considerations about general market conditions, to establish a price. Pricing services generally value fixed-income securities assuming orderly transactions of an institutional round lot size, but may be held or transactions may be conducted in such securities in smaller, odd lot sizes. Odd lots often trade at lower prices than institutional round lots. The Fund’s ability to value its investments may also be impacted by technological issues and/or errors by pricing services or other third-party service providers. |
■ | When-Issued and Delayed Delivery Securities and Forward Commitments Risk — When-issued and delayed delivery securities and forward commitments involve the risk that the security the Fund buys will lose value prior to its delivery. There also is the risk that the security will not be issued or that the other party to the transaction will |
Investor A | Investor B 2 | Investor C 3,4 | Institutional | Class R 2 | |
Availability | Generally available through Financial Intermediaries. | Available only through exchanges and dividend reinvestments by current holders and for purchase by certain employer-sponsored retirement plans. | Generally available through Financial Intermediaries. |
Limited
to certain investors, including:
• Individuals and “Institutional Investors,” which include, but are not limited to, endowments, foundations, family offices, local, city, and state governmental institutions, corporations and insurance company separate accounts, who may purchase shares of the Fund through a Financial Intermediary that has entered into an agreement with the Distributor to purchase such shares. • Employer-sponsored retirement plans (not including SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs or SARSEPs), state sponsored 529 college savings plans, collective trust funds, investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles, unaffiliated thrifts and unaffiliated banks and trust companies, each of which may purchase shares of the Fund through a Financial Intermediary that has entered into an agreement with the Distributor to purchase such shares. • Employees, officers and directors/trustees of BlackRock or its affiliates. • Participants in certain programs sponsored by BlackRock or its affiliates or other Financial Intermediaries. |
Available only to certain employer-sponsored retirement plans. |
Investor A | Investor B 2 | Investor C 3,4 | Institutional | Class R 2 | |
Minimum Investment |
$1,000
for all accounts except:
• $250 for certain fee-based programs. • $100 for certain employer-sponsored retirement plans. • $50, if establishing an Automatic Investment Plan (“AIP”). |
Investor B Shares are not generally available for purchase (see above). |
$1,000
for all accounts except:
• $250 for certain fee-based programs. • $100 for certain employer-sponsored retirement plans. • $50, if establishing an AIP. |
There
is no investment minimum for:
• Employer-sponsored retirement plans (not including SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs or SARSEPs), state sponsored 529 college savings plans, collective trust funds, investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles, unaffiliated thrifts and unaffiliated banks and trust companies. • Employees, officers and directors/trustees of BlackRock or its affiliates. |
• $100 for all accounts. |
Initial Sales Charge? | Yes. Payable at time of purchase. Lower sales charges are available for larger investments. | No. Entire purchase price is invested in shares of the Fund. | No. Entire purchase price is invested in shares of the Fund. | No. Entire purchase price is invested in shares of the Fund. | No. Entire purchase price is invested in shares of the Fund. |
1 | Please see “Details About the Share Classes” for more information about each share class. |
3 | If you establish a new account directly with a Fund and do not have a Financial Intermediary associated with your account, you may only invest in Investor A Shares. Applications without a Financial Intermediary that select Investor C Shares will not be accepted. |
4 | The Funds will not accept a purchase order of $500,000 or more for Investor C Shares. Your Financial Intermediary may set a lower maximum for Investor C Shares. |
Your Investment |
Sales
Charge
as a % of Offering Price |
Sales
Charge
as a % of Your Investment 1 |
Dealer
Compensation as a % of Offering Price |
Less than $25,000 | 5.25% | 5.54% | 5.00% |
$25,000 but less than $50,000 | 4.75% | 4.99% | 4.50% |
$50,000 but less than $100,000 | 4.00% | 4.17% | 3.75% |
$100,000 but less than $250,000 | 3.00% | 3.09% | 2.75% |
$250,000 but less than $500,000 | 2.50% | 2.56% | 2.25% |
$500,000 but less than $750,000 | 2.00% | 2.04% | 1.75% |
$750,000 but less than $1,000,000 | 1.50% | 1.52% | 1.25% |
$1,000,000 and over 2 | 0.00% | 0.00% | — 2 |
1 | Rounded to the nearest one-hundredth percent. |
2 | If you invest $1,000,000 or more in Investor A Shares, you will not pay an initial sales charge. In that case, BlackRock compensates the Financial Intermediary from its own resources. However, if you redeem your shares within 18 months after purchase, you may be charged a deferred sales charge of 1.00% of the lesser of the original cost of the shares being redeemed or your redemption proceeds. Such deferred sales charge may be waived in connection with certain fee-based programs. |
■ | Certain employer-sponsored retirement plans. For purposes of this waiver, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs or SARSEPs; |
■ | Rollovers of current investments through certain employer-sponsored retirement plans, provided the shares are transferred to the same BlackRock Fund as either a direct rollover, or subsequent to distribution, the rolled-over proceeds are contributed to a BlackRock IRA through an account directly with the Fund; or purchases by IRA programs that are sponsored by Financial Intermediary firms provided the Financial Intermediary firm has entered into a Class A Net Asset Value agreement with respect to such program with the Distributor; |
■ | Insurance company separate accounts; |
■ | Registered investment advisers, trust companies and bank trust departments exercising discretionary investment authority with respect to amounts to be invested in the Fund; |
■ | Persons participating in a fee-based program (such as a wrap account) under which they pay advisory fees to a broker-dealer or other financial institution; |
■ | Financial Intermediaries who have entered into an agreement with the Distributor and have been approved by the Distributor to offer Fund shares to self-directed investment brokerage accounts that may or may not charge a transaction fee; |
■ | Persons associated with a Fund, a Fund’s manager, a Fund’s sub-advisers, transfer agent, Distributor, fund accounting agents, Barclays PLC (“Barclays”) and their respective affiliates (to the extent permitted by these firms) including: (a) officers, directors and partners; (b) employees and retirees; (c) employees of firms who have entered into selling agreements to distribute shares of BlackRock Funds; (d) immediate family members of such persons; and (e) any trust, pension, profit-sharing or other benefit plan for any of the persons set forth in (a) through (d); and |
■ | State sponsored 529 college savings plans. |
Years Since Purchase | Sales Charge 1 |
0–1 | 4.50% |
1–2 | 4.00% |
2–3 | 3.50% |
3–4 | 3.00% |
4–5 | 2.00% |
5–6 | 1.00% |
6 and thereafter | 0.00% |
1 | The percentage charge will apply to the lesser of the original cost of the shares being redeemed or the proceeds of your redemption. Not all BlackRock Funds have identical deferred sales charge schedules. If you exchange your shares for shares of another BlackRock Fund, the original deferred sales charge schedule will apply. |
■ | Redemptions of shares purchased through certain employer-sponsored retirement plans and rollovers of current investments in a Fund through such plans; |
■ | Exchanges pursuant to the exchange privilege, as described in “How to Buy, Sell, Exchange and Transfer Shares — How to Exchange Shares or Transfer your Account”; |
■ | Redemptions made in connection with minimum required distributions from IRA or 403(b)(7) accounts due to the shareholder reaching the age of 70½; |
■ | Certain post-retirement withdrawals from an IRA or other retirement plan if you are over 59½ years old and you purchased your shares prior to October 2, 2006; |
■ | Redemptions made with respect to certain retirement plans sponsored by a Fund, BlackRock or an affiliate; |
■ | Redemptions resulting from shareholder death as long as the waiver request is made within one year of death or, if later, reasonably promptly following completion of probate (including in connection with the distribution of account assets to a beneficiary of the decedent); |
■ | Withdrawals resulting from shareholder disability (as defined in the Internal Revenue Code) as long as the disability arose subsequent to the purchase of the shares; |
■ | Involuntary redemptions made of shares in accounts with low balances; |
■ | Certain redemptions made through the Systematic Withdrawal Plan offered by a Fund, BlackRock or an affiliate; |
■ | Redemptions related to the payment of BNY Mellon Investment Servicing Trust Company custodial IRA fees; and |
■ | Redemptions when a shareholder can demonstrate hardship, in the absolute discretion of a Fund. |
■ | Individuals and “Institutional Investors” with a minimum initial investment of $2 million who may purchase shares of a Fund through a Financial Intermediary that has entered into an agreement with the Distributor to purchase such shares; |
■ | Investors of Financial Intermediaries that: (i) charge such investors a fee for advisory, investment consulting, or similar services or (ii) have entered into an agreement with the Distributor to offer Institutional Shares through a no-load program or investment platform, in each case, with a minimum initial investment of $1,000; |
■ | Employer-sponsored retirement plans (not including SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs or SARSEPs), state sponsored 529 college savings plans, collective trust funds, investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles, unaffiliated thrifts and unaffiliated banks and trust companies, each of which is not subject to any minimum initial investment and may purchase shares of a Fund through a Financial Intermediary that has entered into an agreement with the Distributor to purchase such shares; |
■ | Trust department clients of PNC Bank and Bank of America, N.A. and their affiliates for whom they (i) act in a fiduciary capacity (excluding participant directed employee benefit plans); (ii) otherwise have investment discretion; or (iii) act as custodian for at least $2 million in assets, who are not subject to any minimum initial investment; |
■ | Holders of certain Bank of America Corporation (“BofA Corp.”) sponsored unit investment trusts (“UITs”) who reinvest dividends received from such UITs in shares of the Fund, who are not subject to any minimum initial investment; and |
■ | Employees, officers and directors/trustees of BlackRock, Inc., BlackRock Funds, BofA Corp., PNC, Barclays or their respective affiliates, who are not subject to any minimum initial investment. |
■ | Answering customer inquiries regarding account status and history, the manner in which purchases, exchanges and redemptions or repurchases of shares may be effected and certain other matters pertaining to the customers’ investments; |
■ | Assisting customers in designating and changing dividend options, account designations and addresses; and |
■ | Providing other similar shareholder liaison services. |
Your Choices | Important Information for You to Know | |
How to Pay for Shares | Making payment for purchases |
Payment
for an order must be made in Federal funds or other immediately available funds by the time specified by your Financial Intermediary, but in no event later than 4:00 p.m. (Eastern time) on the third business day (in the case of Investor Shares) or
the first business day (in the case of Institutional Shares) following BlackRock’s receipt of the order. If payment is not received by this time, the order will be canceled, and you and your Financial Intermediary will be responsible for any
loss to the Fund.
|
Your Choices | Important Information for You to Know | |
Full or Partial Redemption of Shares | Have your Financial Intermediary submit your sales order |
You
can make redemption requests through your Financial Intermediary. Shareholders should indicate whether they are redeeming Investor A, Investor B, Investor C, Institutional or Class R Shares. The price of your shares is based on the next calculation
of the Fund’s net asset value after your order is placed. For your redemption request to be priced at the net asset value on the day of your request, you must submit your request to your Financial Intermediary prior to that day’s close
of business on the NYSE (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time). Certain Financial Intermediaries, however, may require submission of orders prior to that time. Any redemption request placed after that time will be priced at the net asset value at the
close of business on the next business day.
|
Selling shares held directly with BlackRock |
Methods
of Redeeming
|
Your Choices | Important Information for You to Know | |
Full or Partial Redemption of Shares (continued) | Selling shares held directly with BlackRock (continued) |
amounts
up to $25,000, either through check, ACH or wire.
|
Your Choices | Important Information for You to Know | |
Full or Partial Redemption of Shares (continued) | Selling shares held directly with BlackRock (continued) |
The
Fund is not responsible for the efficiency of the Federal wire system or the shareholder’s firm or bank. To change the name of the single, designated bank account to receive wire redemption proceeds, it is necessary to send a written request
to the Fund at the address on the back cover of this prospectus.
***
If you make a redemption request before the Fund has collected payment for the purchase of shares, the Fund may delay mailing your proceeds. This delay will usually not exceed ten days. |
Your Choices | Important Information for You to Know | |
Exchange Privilege | Selling shares of one fund to purchase shares of another BlackRock Fund (“exchanging”) |
Investor
A, Investor B, Investor C or Institutional Shares of the Fund are generally exchangeable for shares of the same class of another BlackRock Fund. No exchange privilege is available for Class R Shares.
|
Your Choices | Important Information for You to Know | |
Exchange Privilege (continued) | Selling shares of one fund to purchase shares of another BlackRock Fund (“exchanging”) (continued) | Although there is currently no limit on the number of exchanges that you can make, the exchange privilege may be modified or terminated at any time in the future. The Fund may suspend or terminate your exchange privilege at any time for any reason, including if the Fund believes, in its sole discretion, that you are engaging in market timing activities. See “Short-Term Trading Policy” below. For Federal income tax purposes a share exchange is a taxable event and a capital gain or loss may be realized. Please consult your tax adviser or other Financial Intermediary before making an exchange request. |
Transfer Shares to Another Financial Intermediary | Transfer to a participating Financial Intermediary |
You
may transfer your shares of the Fund only to another Financial Intermediary that has entered into an agreement with the Distributor. Certain shareholder services may not be available for the transferred shares. All future trading of these assets
must be coordinated by the receiving firm.
|
Transfer to a non-participating Financial Intermediary |
You
must either:
• Transfer your shares to an account with the Fund; or • Sell your shares, paying any applicable deferred sales charge. |
Automatic Investment Plan | Allows systematic investments on a periodic basis from your checking or savings account. | BlackRock’s AIP allows you to invest a specific amount on a periodic basis from your checking or savings account into your investment account. You may apply for this option upon account opening or by completing the Automatic Investment Plan application. The minimum investment amount for an automatic investment is $50 per portfolio. This is no longer available for purchase of Investor B Shares. If a shareholder has an AIP for purchase of Investor B Shares, the investor must redirect investment into Investor A or Investor C Shares. |
Dividend Allocation Plan | Automatically invests your distributions into another BlackRock Fund of your choice pursuant to your instructions, without any fees or sales charges. | Dividend and capital gains distributions may be reinvested in your account to purchase additional shares or paid in cash. Using the Dividend Allocation Plan, you can direct your distributions to your bank account (checking or savings), to purchase shares of another fund at BlackRock without any fees or sales charges, or by check to a special payee. Please call (800) 441-7762 for details. If investing in another fund at BlackRock, the receiving fund must be open to new purchases. |
EZ Trader | Allows an investor to purchase or sell Investor Shares by telephone or over the Internet through ACH. |
(NOTE:
This option is offered to shareholders whose accounts are held directly with BlackRock. Please speak with your Financial Intermediary if your account is held elsewhere.)
|
■ | Suspend the right of redemption if trading is halted or restricted on the NYSE or under other emergency conditions described in the Investment Company Act; |
■ | Postpone the date of payment upon redemption if trading is halted or restricted on the NYSE or under other emergency conditions described in the Investment Company Act or if a redemption request is made before the Fund has collected payment for the purchase of shares; |
■ | Redeem shares for property other than cash as may be permitted under the Investment Company Act; and |
■ | Redeem shares involuntarily in certain cases, such as when the value of a shareholder account falls below a specified level. |
Average Daily Net Assets |
Rate
of
Management Fee |
First $1 billion | 0.800% |
$1 billion – $2 billion | 0.700% |
$2 billion – $3 billion | 0.650% |
Greater than $3 billion | 0.625% |
Contractual
Caps
1
on Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses 2 (excluding Dividend Expense, Interest Expense, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and certain other Fund expenses) |
|
Investor A | 1.39% |
Contractual
Caps
1
on Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses 2 (excluding Dividend Expense, Interest Expense, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and certain other Fund expenses) |
|
Investor B | 2.16% |
Investor C | 2.16% |
Institutional | 1.11% |
Class R | 1.65% |
1 | The contractual caps are in effect through January 31, 2018. The contractual agreement may be terminated upon 90 days’ notice by a majority of the non-interested trustees of the Trust or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. |
2 | As a percentage of average daily net assets. |
Average Daily Net Assets |
Rate
of
Management Fee |
First $1 billion | 0.45% |
$1 billion – $3 billion | 0.42% |
$3 billion – $5 billion | 0.41% |
$5 billion – $10 billion | 0.39% |
Greater than $10 billion | 0.38% |
Average Daily Net Assets |
Rate
of
Management Fee |
First $1 billion | 0.550% |
$1 billion – $2 billion | 0.500% |
$2 billion – $3 billion | 0.475% |
Greater than $3 billion | 0.450% |
1 | The contractual caps are in effect through January 31, 2018. The contractual agreement may be terminated upon 90 days’ notice by a majority of the non-interested Trustees of the Trust or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. |
2 | As a percentage of average daily net assets. |
Mid-Cap Growth Equity | 0.80% |
Advantage Small Cap Growth | 0.55% |
Portfolio Manager | Primary Role | Since | Title and Recent Biography |
Lawrence Kemp | Jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio, including setting the Fund’s overall investment strategy and overseeing the management of the Fund. | 2013 | Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2012; Prior to joining BlackRock, Inc., Mr. Kemp was a Managing Director at UBS Global Asset Management. |
Kathryn Mongelli | Jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio, including setting the Fund’s overall investment strategy and overseeing the management of the Fund. | 2013 | Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2013; Vice President and Research Analyst at T. Rowe Price Associates from 2010 to 2013; Director of UBS Global Asset Management from 2005 to 2010. |
Phil Ruvinsky | Jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio, including setting the Fund’s overall investment strategy and overseeing the management of the Fund. | 2013 | Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2013; Sector Head and Research Analyst at Surview Capital LLC from 2010 to 2013; Various positions, including Portfolio Manager and Investment Analyst, at UBS Global Asset Management from 2002 to 2010. |
Portfolio Manager | Primary Role | Since | Title and Recent Biography |
Travis Cooke, CFA | Primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio, including setting the Fund’s overall investment strategy and overseeing the management of the Fund. | 2013 | Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2012; Director of BlackRock, Inc. from 2009 to 2011; Principal of Barclays Global Investors from 2002 to 2009. |
Institutional | |||||
Year Ended September 30, | |||||
2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |
Per Share Operating Performance | |||||
Net asset value, beginning of year | $ 16.42 | $ 17.67 | $ 18.22 | $ 13.58 | $ 11.10 |
Net investment income (loss) 1 | (0.12) | (0.11) | (0.12) | 0.05 | 0.04 |
Net realized and unrealized gain | 2.00 | 0.77 | 2.49 | 4.59 | 2.44 |
Net increase from investment operations | 1.88 | 0.66 | 2.37 | 4.64 | 2.48 |
Distributions from net realized gain 2 | (0.43) | (1.91) | (2.92) | — | — |
Net asset value, end of year | $ 17.87 | $ 16.42 | $ 17.67 | $ 18.22 | $ 13.58 |
Total Return 3 | |||||
Based on net asset value | 11.60% | 4.37% | 14.70% | 34.17% | 22.34% |
Ratios to Average Net Assets | |||||
Total expenses 4 | 1.11% | 1.06% | 1.11% | 1.13% | 1.11% |
Total expenses after fees waived, reimbursed and paid indirectly | 1.08% | 1.05% | 1.10% | 1.11% | 1.07% |
Net investment income (loss) | (0.71)% | (0.61)% | (0.68)% | 0.30% | 0.27% |
Supplemental Data | |||||
Net assets, end of year (000) | $99,759 | $84,605 | $33,448 | $21,485 | $18,526 |
Portfolio turnover rate | 81% | 95% | 123% | 160% | 88% |
1 | Based on average shares outstanding. |
2 | Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with federal income tax regulations. |
3 | Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions. |
4 | Includes recoupment of past waived and/or reimbursed fees. Excluding the recoupment of past waived and/or reimbursed fees, the ratios were as follows: |
Year Ended September 30, | |||||
2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |
Expense ratios | 1.10% | 1.06% | 1.08% | 1.11% | 1.11% |
Investor A | |||||
Year Ended September 30, | |||||
2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |
Per Share Operating Performance | |||||
Net asset value, beginning of year | $ 14.43 | $ 15.78 | $ 16.56 | $ 12.38 | $ 10.15 |
Net investment income (loss) 1 | (0.15) | (0.14) | (0.16) | 0.00 2 | (0.01) |
Net realized and unrealized gain | 1.76 | 0.67 | 2.24 | 4.18 | 2.24 |
Net increase from investment operations | 1.61 | 0.53 | 2.08 | 4.18 | 2.23 |
Distributions from net realized gain 3 | (0.38) | (1.88) | (2.86) | — | — |
Net asset value, end of year | $ 15.66 | $ 14.43 | $ 15.78 | $ 16.56 | $ 12.38 |
Total Return 4 | |||||
Based on net asset value | 11.29% | 4.01% | 14.38% | 33.76% | 21.97% |
Ratios to Average Net Assets | |||||
Total expenses | 1.45% | 1.43% 5 | 1.48% | 1.55% | 1.55% |
Total expenses after fees waived, reimbursed and paid indirectly | 1.39% | 1.39% | 1.39% | 1.39% | 1.39% |
Net investment income (loss) | (1.02)% | (0.89)% | (1.01)% | 0.03% | (0.06)% |
Supplemental Data | |||||
Net assets, end of year (000) | $394,544 | $350,962 | $315,762 | $282,726 | $237,748 |
Portfolio turnover rate | 81% | 95% | 123% | 160% | 88% |
1 | Based on average shares outstanding. |
2 | Amount is less than $0.005 per share. |
3 | Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with federal income tax regulations. |
4 | Where applicable, excludes the effects of any sales charges and assumes the reinvestment of distributions. |
5 | Includes recoupment of past waived and/or reimbursed fees. There was no financial impact to the expense ratios for the year ended September 30, 2015. |
Investor B | |||||
Year Ended September 30, | |||||
2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |
Per Share Operating Performance | |||||
Net asset value, beginning of year | $11.77 | $13.22 | $14.27 | $10.75 | $ 8.88 |
Net investment loss 1 | (0.21) | (0.21) | (0.24) | (0.08) | (0.09) |
Net realized and unrealized gain | 1.42 | 0.55 | 1.90 | 3.60 | 1.96 |
Net increase from investment operations | 1.21 | 0.34 | 1.66 | 3.52 | 1.87 |
Distributions from net realized gain 2 | (0.31) | (1.79) | (2.71) | — | — |
Net asset value, end of year | $12.67 | $11.77 | $13.22 | $14.27 | $10.75 |
Total Return 3 | |||||
Based on net asset value | 10.40% | 3.23% | 13.47% | 32.74% | 21.06% |
Ratios to Average Net Assets | |||||
Total expenses | 3.20% | 2.75% | 2.66% | 2.70% | 2.59% |
Total expenses after fees waived, reimbursed and paid indirectly | 2.16% | 2.16% | 2.16% | 2.16% | 2.16% |
Net investment loss | (1.80)% | (1.65)% | (1.79)% | (0.66)% | (0.88)% |
Supplemental Data | |||||
Net assets, end of year (000) | $1,178 | $2,069 | $3,313 | $4,330 | $5,123 |
Portfolio turnover rate | 81% | 95% | 123% | 160% | 88% |
1 | Based on average shares outstanding. |
2 | Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with federal income tax regulations. |
3 | Where applicable, excludes the effects of any sales charges and assumes the reinvestment of distributions. |
Investor C | |||||
Year Ended September 30, | |||||
2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |
Per Share Operating Performance | |||||
Net asset value, beginning of year | $ 11.68 | $ 13.16 | $ 14.28 | $ 10.75 | $ 8.89 |
Net investment loss 1 | (0.20) | (0.21) | (0.23) | (0.09) | (0.08) |
Net realized and unrealized gain | 1.41 | 0.55 | 1.88 | 3.62 | 1.94 |
Net increase from investment operations | 1.21 | 0.34 | 1.65 | 3.53 | 1.86 |
Distributions from net realized gain 2 | (0.34) | (1.82) | (2.77) | — | — |
Net asset value, end of year | $ 12.55 | $ 11.68 | $ 13.16 | $ 14.28 | $ 10.75 |
Total Return 3 | |||||
Based on net asset value | 10.48% | 3.23% | 13.42% | 32.84% | 20.92% |
Ratios to Average Net Assets | |||||
Total expenses | 2.14% 4 | 2.16% 4 | 2.17% 4 | 2.23% 4 | 2.31% |
Total expenses after fees waived, reimbursed and paid indirectly | 2.12% | 2.16% | 2.16% | 2.16% | 2.16% |
Net investment loss | (1.75)% | (1.67)% | (1.77)% | (0.75)% | (0.81)% |
Supplemental Data | |||||
Net assets, end of year (000) | $52,723 | $44,719 | $31,257 | $23,959 | $18,774 |
Portfolio turnover rate | 81% | 95% | 123% | 160% | 88% |
1 | Based on average shares outstanding. |
2 | Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with federal income tax regulations. |
3 | Where applicable, excludes the effects of any sales charges and assumes the reinvestment of distributions. |
4 | Includes recoupment of past waived and/or reimbursed fees. Excluding the recoupment of past waived and/or reimbursed fees, the ratios were as follows: |
Year Ended September 30, | |||||
2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |
Expense ratios | 2.13% | 2.12% | 2.16% | 2.23% | — |
Class R | |||||
Year Ended September 30, | |||||
2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |
Per Share Operating Performance | |||||
Net asset value, beginning of year | $14.27 | $15.63 | $16.44 | $12.32 | $10.13 |
Net investment loss 1 | (0.18) | (0.18) | (0.20) | (0.04) | (0.03) |
Net realized and unrealized gain | 1.72 | 0.68 | 2.22 | 4.16 | 2.22 |
Net increase from investment operations | 1.54 | 0.50 | 2.02 | 4.12 | 2.19 |
Distributions from net realized gain 2 | (0.34) | (1.86) | (2.83) | — | — |
Net asset value, end of year | $15.47 | $14.27 | $15.63 | $16.44 | $12.32 |
Total Return 3 | |||||
Based on net asset value | 10.94% | 3.79% | 14.03% | 33.44% | 21.62% |
Ratios to Average Net Assets | |||||
Total expenses 4 | 1.78% | 1.73% | 1.74% 4 | 1.74% | 1.84% |
Total expenses after fees waived, reimbursed and paid indirectly | 1.65% | 1.65% | 1.65% | 1.65% | 1.65% |
Net investment loss | (1.28)% | (1.15)% | (1.26)% | (0.26)% | (0.28)% |
Supplemental Data | |||||
Net assets, end of year (000) | $7,646 | $7,495 | $7,704 | $9,352 | $6,663 |
Portfolio turnover rate | 81% | 95% | 123% | 160% | 88% |
1 | Based on average shares outstanding. |
2 | Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with federal income tax regulations. |
3 | Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions. |
4 | Includes recoupment of past waived and/or reimbursed fees with no financial impact to the expense ratios. |
Institutional | |||||
Year Ended September 30, | |||||
2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |
Per Share Operating Performance | |||||
Net asset value, beginning of year | $ 17.82 | $ 22.28 | $ 29.86 | $ 26.67 | $ 20.09 |
Net investment income (loss) 1 | 0.03 | 0.02 | (0.06) | 0.01 | 0.04 |
Net realized and unrealized gain | 1.11 | 0.49 | 2.58 | 5.90 | 7.14 |
Net increase from investment operations | 1.14 | 0.51 | 2.52 | 5.91 | 7.18 |
Distributions: 2 | |||||
From net investment income | — | — | — | (0.07) | — |
From net realized gain | (1.02) | (4.97) | (10.10) | (2.65) | (0.60) |
Total distributions | (1.02) | (4.97) | (10.10) | (2.72) | (0.60) |
Net asset value, end of year | $ 17.94 | $ 17.82 | $ 22.28 | $ 29.86 | $ 26.67 |
Total Return 3 | |||||
Based on net asset value | 6.81% | 2.35% | 8.90% | 25.36% | 36.16% |
Ratios to Average Net Assets | |||||
Total expenses | 0.86% | 0.82% | 0.87% 4 | 0.82% | 0.82% |
Total expenses after fees waived, reimbursed and paid indirectly | 0.86% | 0.82% | 0.87% | 0.82% | 0.82% |
Net investment income (loss) | 0.20% | 0.12% | (0.24)% | 0.06% | 0.15% |
Supplemental Data | |||||
Net assets, end of year (000) | $490,215 | $503,423 | $454,928 | $862,261 | $979,582 |
Portfolio turnover rate | 103% | 137% | 132% | 175% | 147% |
1 | Based on average shares outstanding. |
2 | Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with federal income tax regulations. |
3 | Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions. |
4 | Includes recoupment of past waived and/or reimbursed fees with no financial impact to the expense ratios. |
Investor A | |||||
Year Ended September 30, | |||||
2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |
Per Share Operating Performance | |||||
Net asset value, beginning of year | $ 14.38 | $ 18.91 | $ 26.75 | $ 24.17 | $ 18.31 |
Net investment loss 1 | (0.01) | (0.03) | (0.12) | (0.06) | (0.04) |
Net realized and unrealized gain | 0.88 | 0.41 | 2.31 | 5.27 | 6.50 |
Net increase from investment operations | 0.87 | 0.38 | 2.19 | 5.21 | 6.46 |
Distributions from net realized gain 2 | (0.97) | (4.91) | (10.03) | (2.63) | (0.60) |
Net asset value, end of year | $ 14.28 | $ 14.38 | $ 18.91 | $ 26.75 | $ 24.17 |
Total Return 3 | |||||
Based on net asset value | 6.57% | 2.01% | 8.60% | 24.91% | 35.73% |
Ratios to Average Net Assets | |||||
Total expenses | 1.14% | 1.13% | 1.15% | 1.14% | 1.17% |
Total expenses after fees waived, reimbursed and paid indirectly | 1.14% | 1.13% | 1.15% | 1.14% | 1.17% |
Net investment loss | (0.09)% | (0.17)% | (0.56)% | (0.25)% | (0.18)% |
Supplemental Data | |||||
Net assets, end of year (000) | $250,357 | $255,692 | $282,684 | $332,978 | $352,073 |
Portfolio turnover rate | 103% | 137% | 132% | 175% | 147% |
1 | Based on average shares outstanding. |
2 | Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with federal income tax regulations. |
3 | Where applicable, excludes the effects of any sales charges and assumes the reinvestment of distributions. |
Investor C | |||||
Year Ended September 30, | |||||
2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |
Per Share Operating Performance | |||||
Net asset value, beginning of year | $ 9.37 | $ 13.99 | $ 22.23 | $ 20.50 | $ 15.73 |
Net investment loss 1 | (0.08) | (0.10) | (0.21) | (0.21) | (0.19) |
Net realized and unrealized gain | 0.56 | 0.30 | 1.89 | 4.38 | 5.56 |
Net increase from investment operations | 0.48 | 0.20 | 1.68 | 4.17 | 5.37 |
Distributions from net realized gain 2 | (0.97) | (4.82) | (9.92) | (2.44) | (0.60) |
Net asset value, end of year | $ 8.88 | $ 9.37 | $ 13.99 | $ 22.23 | $ 20.50 |
Total Return 3 | |||||
Based on net asset value | 5.72% | 1.19% | 7.73% | 23.91% | 34.63% |
Ratios to Average Net Assets | |||||
Total expenses | 1.95% | 1.91% | 1.93% | 1.95% | 1.99% |
Total expenses after fees waived, reimbursed and paid indirectly | 1.95% | 1.91% | 1.93% | 1.95% | 1.99% |
Net investment loss | (0.90)% | (0.96)% | (1.33)% | (1.06)% | (0.99)% |
Supplemental Data | |||||
Net assets, end of year (000) | $23,689 | $28,109 | $32,598 | $33,193 | $28,787 |
Portfolio turnover rate | 103% | 137% | 132% | 175% | 147% |
1 | Based on average shares outstanding. |
2 | Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with federal income tax regulations. |
3 | Where applicable, excludes the effects of any sales charges and assumes the reinvestment of distributions. |
■ | Access the BlackRock website at http://www.blackrock.com/edelivery; and |
■ | Log into your account |
► | BlackRock Mid-Cap Growth Equity Portfolio |
Service: CMGSX |
► | BlackRock Advantage Small Cap Growth Fund |
Service: PCGEX |
Fund Overview | Key facts and details about the Funds listed in this prospectus, including investment objectives, principal investment strategies, principal risk factors, fee and expense information and historical performance information | |
|
3 | |
|
8 |
Details About the Funds | Information about how the Funds invest, including investment objectives, investment processes, principal strategies and risk factors | |
|
13 | |
|
15 |
Account Information | Information about account services, sales charges and waivers, shareholder transactions, and distribution and other payments | |
|
22 | |
|
22 | |
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23 | |
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27 | |
|
28 |
Management of the Funds | Information about BlackRock and the Portfolio Managers | |
|
29 | |
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31 | |
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32 | |
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33 | |
|
34 |
Financial Highlights |
Financial Performance of the
Funds
|
36 |
Glossary |
Glossary of Investment
Terms
|
40 |
For More Information |
|
Inside Back Cover |
|
Back Cover |
Annual
Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) |
Service
Shares |
Management Fee 1 | 0.80% |
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees | 0.25% |
Other Expenses | 0.21% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 1.26% |
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements 1,2 | — |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements 1,2 | 1.26% |
1 | As described in the “Management of the Funds” section of the Fund’s prospectus beginning on page 29, BlackRock Advisors, LLC (“BlackRock”) has contractually agreed to waive the management fee with respect to any portion of the Fund’s assets estimated to be attributable to investments in other equity and fixed-income mutual funds and exchange-traded funds managed by BlackRock or its affiliates that have a contractual management fee, through January 31, 2018. The contractual agreement may be terminated upon 90 days’ notice by a majority of the non-interested trustees of the Trust or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. |
2 | As described in the “Management of the Funds” section of the Fund’s prospectus beginning on page 29, BlackRock has contractually agreed to waive and/or reimburse fees or expenses in order to limit Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements (excluding Dividend Expense, Interest Expense, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and certain other Fund expenses) to 1.58% of average daily net assets through January 31, 2018. The Fund may have to repay some of these waivers and/or reimbursements to BlackRock in the following two years. The contractual agreement may be terminated upon 90 days’ notice by a majority of the non-interested trustees of the Trust or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. |
1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years | |
Service Shares | $128 | $400 | $692 | $1,523 |
■ | Convertible Securities Risk — The market value of a convertible security performs like that of a regular debt security; that is, if market interest rates rise, the value of a convertible security usually falls. In addition, convertible securities are subject to the risk that the issuer will not be able to pay interest or dividends when due, and their market value may change based on changes in the issuer’s credit rating or the market’s perception of the issuer’s creditworthiness. Since it derives a portion of its value from the common stock into which it may be converted, a convertible security is also subject to the same types of market and issuer risks that apply to the underlying common stock. |
■ | Derivatives Risk — The Fund’s use of derivatives may increase its costs, reduce the Fund’s returns and/or increase volatility. Derivatives involve significant risks, including: |
Volatility Risk — Volatility is defined as the characteristic of a security, an index or a market to fluctuate significantly in price within a short time period. A risk of the Fund’s use of derivatives is that the fluctuations in their values may not correlate with the overall securities markets. | |
Counterparty Risk — Derivatives are also subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the other party in the transaction will not fulfill its contractual obligation. | |
Market and Liquidity Risk — The possible lack of a liquid secondary market for derivatives and the resulting inability of the Fund to sell or otherwise close a derivatives position could expose the Fund to losses and could make derivatives more difficult for the Fund to value accurately. | |
Valuation Risk — Valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil since many investors and market makers may be reluctant to purchase complex instruments or quote prices for them. |
Hedging Risk — Hedges are sometimes subject to imperfect matching between the derivative and the underlying security, and there can be no assurance that the Fund’s hedging transactions will be effective. The use of hedging may result in certain adverse tax consequences. |
Leverage Risk — Certain transactions in derivatives involve substantial leverage risk and may expose the Fund to potential losses that exceed the amount originally invested by the Fund. |
Tax Risk — Certain aspects of the tax treatment of derivative instruments, including swap agreements and commodity-linked derivative instruments, are currently unclear and may be affected by changes in legislation, regulations or other legally binding authority. Such treatment may be less favorable than that given to a direct investment in an underlying asset and may adversely affect the timing, character and amount of income the Fund realizes from its investments. | |
Regulatory Risk — Derivative contracts, including, without limitation, swaps, currency forwards and non-deliverable forwards, are subject to regulation under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank Act”) in the United States and under comparable regimes in Europe, Asia and other non-U.S. jurisdictions. Under the Dodd-Frank Act, certain derivatives will become subject to margin requirements and swap dealers will be required to collect margin from the Fund with respect to such derivatives. Implementation of such regulations under the Dodd-Frank Act regarding clearing, mandatory trading and margining of swaps and other derivatives may increase the costs to the Fund of trading in these instruments and, as a result, may affect returns to investors in |
■ | Equity Securities Risk — Stock markets are volatile. The price of equity securities fluctuates based on changes in a company’s financial condition and overall market and economic conditions. |
■ | Investment Style Risk — Under certain market conditions, growth investments have performed better during the later stages of economic expansion. Therefore, this investment style may over time go in and out of favor. At times when the investment style used by the Fund is out of favor, the Fund may underperform other equity funds that use different investment styles. |
■ | Leverage Risk — Some transactions may give rise to a form of economic leverage. These transactions may include, among others, derivatives, and may expose the Fund to greater risk and increase its costs. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet any required asset segregation requirements. Increases and decreases in the value of the Fund’s portfolio will be magnified when the Fund uses leverage. |
■ | Market Risk and Selection Risk — Market risk is the risk that one or more markets in which the Fund invests will go down in value, including the possibility that the markets will go down sharply and unpredictably. Selection risk is the risk that the securities selected by Fund management will underperform the markets, the relevant indices or the securities selected by other funds with similar investment objectives and investment strategies. This means you may lose money. |
■ | Mid Cap Securities Risk — The securities of mid cap companies generally trade in lower volumes and are generally subject to greater and less predictable price changes than the securities of larger capitalization companies. |
■ | “New Issues” Risk — “New issues” are IPOs of equity securities. Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods. In addition, the prices of securities sold in IPOs may be highly volatile or may decline shortly after the IPO. |
■ | Preferred Securities Risk — Preferred securities may pay fixed or adjustable rates of return. Preferred securities are subject to issuer-specific and market risks applicable generally to equity securities. In addition, a company’s preferred securities generally pay dividends only after the company makes required payments to holders of its bonds and other debt. For this reason, the value of preferred securities will usually react more strongly than bonds and other debt to actual or perceived changes in the company’s financial condition or prospects. Preferred securities of smaller companies may be more vulnerable to adverse developments than preferred stock of larger companies. |
As
of 12/31/16
Average Annual Total Returns |
1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years 1 |
BlackRock Mid-Cap Growth Equity Portfolio — Service Shares | |||
Return Before Taxes | 2.86% | 13.39% | 7.17% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions | 2.86% | 11.39% | 6.22% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | 1.62% | 10.17% | 5.54% |
Russell
Midcap
®
Growth Index
(Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
7.33% | 13.51% | 7.83% |
1 | A portion of the Fund’s total return was attributable to proceeds received in the fiscal years ended September 30, 2009, 2010 and 2011 in settlement of litigation. |
Name |
Portfolio
Manager
of the Fund Since |
Title |
Lawrence Kemp | 2013 | Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. |
Kathryn Mongelli | 2013 | Director of BlackRock, Inc. |
Phil Ruvinsky | 2013 | Director of BlackRock, Inc. |
Service Shares | |
Minimum Initial Investment | $5,000 |
Minimum Additional Investment | No subsequent minimum. |
Annual
Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) |
Service
Shares |
Management Fee 1,2,3 | 0.45% |
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees | 0.25% |
Other Expenses | 0.33% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 2 | 1.03% |
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements 3,4 | (0.28)% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements 3,4 | 0.75% |
1 | Management Fee has been restated to reflect current fees. |
2 | The Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses do not correlate to the ratio of expenses to average net assets given in the Fund’s most recent annual report, which does not include the restatement of the Management Fee to reflect current fees. |
3 | As described in the “Management of the Funds” section of the Fund’s prospectus beginning on page 29, BlackRock Advisors, LLC (“BlackRock”) has contractually agreed to waive the management fee with respect to any portion of the Fund’s assets estimated to be attributable to investments in other equity and fixed-income mutual funds and exchange-traded funds managed by BlackRock or its affiliates that have a contractual management fee, through January 31, 2018. The contractual agreement may be terminated upon 90 days’ notice by a majority of the non-interested trustees of the Trust or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. |
4 | As described in the “Management of the Funds” section of the Fund’s prospectus beginning on page 29, BlackRock Advisors, LLC (“BlackRock”) has contractually agreed to waive and/or reimburse fees and/or expenses in order to limit Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements (excluding Dividend Expense, Interest Expense, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and certain other Fund expenses) to 0.75% of average daily net assets through January 31, 2018. The Fund may have to repay some of these waivers and/or reimbursements to BlackRock in the following two years. This contractual agreement may be terminated upon 90 days’ notice by a majority of the non-interested trustees of the Fund or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. |
1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years | |
Service Shares | $77 | $300 | $541 | $1,234 |
■ | Convertible Securities Risk — The market value of a convertible security performs like that of a regular debt security; that is, if market interest rates rise, the value of a convertible security usually falls. In addition, convertible securities are subject to the risk that the issuer will not be able to pay interest or dividends when due, and their market value may change based on changes in the issuer’s credit rating or the market’s perception of the issuer’s creditworthiness. Since it derives a portion of its value from the common stock into which it may be converted, a convertible security is also subject to the same types of market and issuer risks as apply to the underlying common stock. |
■ | Derivatives Risk — The Fund’s use of derivatives may increase its costs, reduce the Fund’s returns and/or increase volatility. Derivatives involve significant risks, including: |
Volatility Risk — Volatility is defined as the characteristic of a security, an index or a market to fluctuate significantly in price within a short time period. A risk of the Fund’s use of derivatives is that the fluctuations in their values may not correlate with the overall securities markets. | |
Counterparty Risk — Derivatives are also subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the other party in the transaction will not fulfill its contractual obligation. | |
Market and Liquidity Risk — The possible lack of a liquid secondary market for derivatives and the resulting inability of the Fund to sell or otherwise close a derivatives position could expose the Fund to losses and could make derivatives more difficult for the Fund to value accurately. | |
Valuation Risk — Valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil since many investors and market makers may be reluctant to purchase complex instruments or quote prices for them. |
Hedging Risk — Hedges are sometimes subject to imperfect matching between the derivative and the underlying security, and there can be no assurance that the Fund’s hedging transactions will be effective. The use of hedging may result in certain adverse tax consequences. |
Leverage Risk — Certain transactions in derivatives involve substantial leverage risk and may expose the Fund to potential losses that exceed the amount originally invested by the Fund. |
Tax Risk — Certain aspects of the tax treatment of derivative instruments, including swap agreements and commodity-linked derivative instruments, are currently unclear and may be affected by changes in legislation, regulations or other legally binding authority. Such treatment may be less favorable than that given to a direct investment in an underlying asset and may adversely affect the timing, character and amount of income the Fund realizes from its investments. |
■ | Equity Securities Risk — Stock markets are volatile. The price of equity securities fluctuates based on changes in a company’s financial condition and overall market and economic conditions. |
■ | High Portfolio Turnover Risk — The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading of its portfolio securities. High portfolio turnover (more than 100%) may result in increased transaction costs to the Fund, including brokerage commissions, dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs on the sale of the securities and on reinvestment in other securities. The sale of Fund portfolio securities may result in the realization and/or distribution to shareholders of higher capital gains or losses as compared to a fund with less active trading policies. These effects of higher than normal portfolio turnover may adversely affect Fund performance. |
■ | Investment Style Risk — Under certain market conditions, growth investments have performed better during the later stages of economic expansion. Therefore, this investment style may over time go in and out of favor. At times when the investment style used by the Fund is out of favor, the Fund may underperform other equity funds that use different investment styles. |
■ | Leverage Risk — Some transactions may give rise to a form of economic leverage. These transactions may include, among others, derivatives, and may expose the Fund to greater risk and increase its costs. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet any required asset segregation requirements. Increases and decreases in the value of the Fund’s portfolio will be magnified when the Fund uses leverage. |
■ | Market Risk and Selection Risk — Market risk is the risk that one or more markets in which the Fund invests will go down in value, including the possibility that the markets will go down sharply and unpredictably. Selection risk is the risk that the securities selected by Fund management will underperform the markets, the relevant indices or the securities selected by other funds with similar investment objectives and investment strategies. This means you may lose money. |
■ | “New Issues” Risk — “New issues” are IPOs of equity securities. Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods. In addition, the prices of securities sold in IPOs may be highly volatile or may decline shortly after the IPO. |
■ | Preferred Securities Risk — Preferred securities may pay fixed or adjustable rates of return. Preferred securities are subject to issuer-specific and market risks applicable generally to equity securities. In addition, a company’s preferred securities generally pay dividends only after the company makes required payments to holders of its bonds and other debt. For this reason, the value of preferred securities will usually react more strongly than bonds and other debt to actual or perceived changes in the company’s financial condition or prospects. Preferred securities of smaller companies may be more vulnerable to adverse developments than preferred stock of larger companies. |
■ | Small Cap and Emerging Growth Securities Risk — Small cap or emerging growth companies may have limited product lines or markets. They may be less financially secure than larger, more established companies. They may depend on a more limited management group than larger capitalized companies. |
■ | Warrants Risk — If the price of the underlying stock does not rise above the exercise price before the warrant expires, the warrant generally expires without any value and the Fund will lose any amount it paid for the warrant. Thus, investments in warrants may involve substantially more risk than investments in common stock. Warrants may trade in the same markets as their underlying stock; however, the price of the warrant does not necessarily move with the price of the underlying stock. |
As
of 12/31/16
Average Annual Total Returns |
1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years 1 |
BlackRock Advantage Small Cap Growth Fund — Service Shares | |||
Return Before Taxes | 13.11% | 12.17% | 7.29% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions | 13.11% | 7.20% | 4.84% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | 7.42% | 8.30% | 5.22% |
Russell
2000
®
Growth Index
(Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
11.32% | 13.74% | 7.76% |
1 | A portion of the Fund’s total return was attributable to proceeds received in the fiscal year ended September 30, 2009 in settlement of litigation. |
Name |
Portfolio
Manager
of the Fund Since |
Title |
Travis Cooke, CFA | 2013 | Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. |
Service Shares | |
Minimum Initial Investment | $5,000 |
Minimum Additional Investment | No subsequent minimum. |
■ | Debt Securities (Advantage Small Cap Growth) — The Fund may invest in debt securities, including debt securities that are issued together with a particular equity security. |
■ | Foreign Securities — Each Fund may invest in equity securities of companies located outside the United States. Mid-Cap Growth Equity may invest up to 10% of its assets in foreign securities. |
■ | Illiquid/Restricted Securities (Advantage Small Cap Growth) — The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities that it cannot sell within seven days at approximately current value. The Fund may also invest in restricted securities, which are securities that cannot be offered for public resale unless registered under the applicable securities laws or that have a contractual restriction that prohibits or limits their resale (i.e., Rule 144A securities). They may include private placement securities that have not been registered under the applicable securities laws. Restricted securities may not be listed on an exchange and may have no active trading market and therefore may be considered to be illiquid. Rule 144A securities are restricted securities that can be resold to qualified institutional buyers but not to the general public and may be considered to be liquid securities. |
■ | Investment Companies — Each Fund has the ability to invest in other investment companies, such as exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), unit investment trusts, and open-end and closed-end funds. Each Fund may invest in affiliated investment companies, including affiliated money market funds and affiliated ETFs. |
■ | Money Market Securities — Each Fund may invest in high quality money market securities pending investments or when it expects to need cash to pay redeeming shareholders. Each Fund will not be deemed to deviate from its normal strategies if it holds these securities pending investments. |
■ | Real Estate Investment Trusts (Advantage Small Cap Growth) — The Fund may invest in real estate investment trusts (“REITs”). REITs are companies that own interests in real estate or in real estate related loans or other interests, and have revenue primarily consisting of rent derived from owned, income producing real estate properties and capital gains from the sale of such properties. REITs can generally be classified as equity REITs, mortgage REITs and hybrid REITs. Equity REITs invest the majority of their assets directly in real property and derive their income primarily from rents. Equity REITs can also realize capital gains by selling properties that have appreciated in value. Mortgage REITs invest the majority of their assets in real estate mortgages and derive their income primarily from interest payments. Hybrid REITs combine the characteristics of both equity REITs and mortgage REITs. REITs are not taxed on income distributed to shareholders provided they comply with the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”). |
■ | Repurchase Agreements and Purchase and Sale Contracts (Advantage Small Cap Growth) — The Fund may enter into certain types of repurchase agreements or purchase and sale contracts. Under a repurchase agreement, the seller agrees to repurchase a security at a mutually agreed-upon time and price. A purchase and sale contract is similar to a repurchase agreement, but purchase and sale contracts also provide that the purchaser receives any interest on the security paid during the period. |
■ | Securities Lending (Advantage Small Cap Growth) — The Fund may lend securities with a value up to 33 1 ⁄ 3 % of its total assets to financial institutions that provide cash or securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government as collateral. |
■ | Temporary Defensive Strategies — It is possible that in extreme market conditions a Fund may temporarily invest some or all of its assets in high quality money market securities. Such a temporary defensive strategy would be inconsistent with a Fund’s principal investment strategies. The reason for acquiring money market securities would be to avoid market losses. However, if market conditions improve, this strategy could result in reducing the potential gain from the market upswing, thus reducing the Fund’s opportunity to achieve its investment objective. |
■ | When-Issued and Delayed Delivery Securities and Forward Commitments — The purchase or sale of securities on a when-issued basis, on a delayed delivery basis or through a forward commitment involves the purchase or sale of securities by a Fund at an established price with payment and delivery taking place in the future. Each Fund enters into these transactions to obtain what is considered an advantageous price to the Fund at the time of entering into the transaction. |
■ | Convertible Securities Risk — The market value of a convertible security performs like that of a regular debt security; that is, if market interest rates rise, the value of a convertible security usually falls. In addition, convertible securities are subject to the risk that the issuer will not be able to pay interest or dividends when due, and their market value may change based on changes in the issuer’s credit rating or the market’s perception of the issuer’s creditworthiness. Since it derives a portion of its value from the common stock into which it may be converted, a convertible security is also subject to the same types of market and issuer risks that apply to the underlying common stock. |
■ | Derivatives Risk — The Fund’s use of derivatives may increase its costs, reduce the Fund’s returns and/or increase volatility. Derivatives involve significant risks, including: |
Volatility Risk – The Fund’s use of derivatives may reduce the Fund’s returns and/or increase volatility. Volatility is defined as the characteristic of a security, an index or a market to fluctuate significantly in price within a short time period. A risk of the Fund’s use of derivatives is that the fluctuations in their values may not correlate with the overall securities markets. | |
Counterparty Risk – Derivatives are also subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the other party in the transaction will not fulfill its contractual obligation. | |
Market and Liquidity Risk – Some derivatives are more sensitive to interest rate changes and market price fluctuations than other securities. The possible lack of a liquid secondary market for derivatives and the resulting inability of the Fund to sell or otherwise close a derivatives position could expose the Fund to losses and could make derivatives more difficult for the Fund to value accurately. The Fund could also suffer losses related to its derivatives positions as a result of unanticipated market movements, which losses are potentially unlimited. Finally, BlackRock Advisors, LLC (“BlackRock”) may not be able to predict correctly the direction of securities prices, interest rates and other economic factors, which could cause the Fund’s derivatives positions to lose value. | |
Valuation Risk – Valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil since many investors and market makers may be reluctant to purchase complex instruments or quote prices for them. Derivatives may also expose the Fund to greater risk and increase its costs. Certain transactions in derivatives involve substantial leverage risk and may expose the Fund to potential losses that exceed the amount originally invested by the Fund. | |
Hedging Risk – When a derivative is used as a hedge against a position that the Fund holds, any loss generated by the derivative generally should be substantially offset by gains on the hedged investment, and vice versa. While hedging can reduce or eliminate losses, it can also reduce or eliminate gains. Hedges are sometimes subject to imperfect matching between the derivative and the underlying security, and there can be no assurance that the Fund’s hedging transactions will be effective. The use of hedging may result in certain adverse tax consequences noted below. |
Tax Risk – The federal income tax treatment of a derivative may not be as favorable as a direct investment in an underlying asset and may adversely affect the timing, character and amount of income the Fund realizes from its investments. As a result, a larger portion of the Fund’s distributions may be treated as ordinary income rather than capital gains. In addition, certain derivatives are subject to mark-to-market or straddle provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. If such provisions are applicable, there could be an increase (or decrease) in the amount of taxable dividends paid by the Fund. In addition, the tax treatment of certain derivatives, such as swaps, is unsettled and may be subject to future legislation, regulation or administrative pronouncements issued by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). | |
Regulatory Risk – Derivative contracts, including, without limitation, swaps, currency forwards and non-deliverable forwards, are subject to regulation under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank Act”) in the United States and under comparable regimes in Europe, Asia and other non-U.S. jurisdictions. Under the Dodd-Frank Act, certain derivatives will become subject to margin requirements and swap dealers will be required to collect margin from the Fund with respect to such derivatives. Implementation of such regulations under the Dodd-Frank Act regarding clearing, mandatory trading and margining of swaps and other derivatives may increase the costs to the Fund of trading in these instruments and, as a result, may affect returns to investors in the Fund. |
In December 2015, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) proposed a new rule to regulate the use of derivatives by registered investment companies, such as the Fund. If the rule goes into effect, it could limit the ability of the Fund to invest or remain invested in derivatives. In addition, other future regulatory developments may impact the Fund’s ability to invest or remain invested in certain derivatives. Legislation or regulation may also change the way in which the Fund itself is regulated. BlackRock cannot predict the effects of any new governmental |
regulation that may be implemented on the ability of the Fund to use swaps or any other financial derivative product, and there can be no assurance that any new governmental regulation will not adversely affect the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. | |
Risks Specific to Certain Derivatives Used by the Fund |
■ | Equity Securities Risk — Common and preferred stocks represent equity ownership in a company. Stock markets are volatile. The price of equity securities will fluctuate and can decline and reduce the value of a portfolio investing in equities. The value of equity securities purchased by the Fund could decline if the financial condition of the companies the Fund invests in declines or if overall market and economic conditions deteriorate. The value of equity securities may also decline due to factors that affect a particular industry or industries, such as labor shortages or an increase in production costs and competitive conditions within an industry. In addition, the value may decline due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to a company or industry, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates or generally adverse investor sentiment. |
■ | High Portfolio Turnover Risk (Advantage Small Cap Growth Principal Risk; Mid-Cap Growth Equity Other Risk) — The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading of its portfolio securities. High portfolio turnover (more than 100%) may result in increased transaction costs to the Fund, including brokerage commissions, dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs on the sale of the securities and on reinvestment in other securities. The sale of Fund portfolio securities may result in the realization and/or distribution to shareholders of higher capital gains or losses |
as compared to a fund with less active trading policies. These effects of higher than normal portfolio turnover may adversely affect Fund performance. |
■ | Investment Style Risk — Under certain market conditions, growth investments have performed better during the later stages of economic expansion. Therefore, this investment style may over time go in and out of favor. At times when the investment style used by the Fund is out of favor, the Fund may underperform other equity funds that use different investment styles. |
■ | Leverage Risk — Some transactions may give rise to a form of economic leverage. These transactions may include, among others, derivatives, and may expose the Fund to greater risk and increase its costs. As an open-end investment company registered with the SEC, the Fund is subject to the federal securities laws, including the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”), the rules thereunder, and various SEC and SEC staff interpretive positions. In accordance with these laws, rules and positions, the Fund must “set aside” liquid assets (often referred to as “asset segregation”), or engage in other SEC- or staff-approved measures, to “cover” open positions with respect to certain kinds of instruments. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet any required asset segregation requirements. Increases and decreases in the value of the Fund’s portfolio will be magnified when the Fund uses leverage. |
■ | Market Risk and Selection Risk — Market risk is the risk that one or more markets in which the Fund invests will go down in value, including the possibility that the markets will go down sharply and unpredictably. Selection risk is the risk that the securities selected by Fund management will underperform the markets, the relevant indices or the securities selected by other funds with similar investment objectives and investment strategies. This means you may lose money. |
■ | Mid Cap Securities Risk (Mid-Cap Growth Equity) — The securities of mid cap companies generally trade in lower volumes and are generally subject to greater and less predictable price changes than the securities of larger capitalization companies. |
■ | “New Issues” Risk — “New issues” are IPOs of equity securities. Investments in companies that have recently gone public have the potential to produce substantial gains for the Fund. However, there is no assurance that the Fund will have access to profitable IPOs and therefore investors should not rely on these past gains as an indication of future performance. The investment performance of the Fund during periods when it is unable to invest significantly or at all in IPOs may be lower than during periods when the Fund is able to do so. In addition, as the Fund increases in size, the impact of IPOs on the Fund’s performance will generally decrease. Securities issued in IPOs are subject to many of the same risks as investing in companies with smaller market capitalizations. Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods. In addition, the prices of securities sold in IPOs may be highly volatile or may decline shortly after the IPO. When an IPO is brought to the market, availability may be limited and the Fund may not be able to buy any shares at the offering price, or, if it is able to buy shares, it may not be able to buy as many shares at the offering price as it would like. |
■ | Preferred Securities Risk — Preferred securities may pay fixed or adjustable rates of return. Preferred securities are subject to issuer-specific and market risks applicable generally to equity securities. In addition, a company’s preferred securities generally pay dividends only after the company makes required payments to holders of its bonds and other debt. For this reason, the value of preferred securities will usually react more strongly than bonds and other debt to actual or perceived changes in the company’s financial condition or prospects. Preferred securities of smaller companies may be more vulnerable to adverse developments than preferred stock of larger companies. |
■ | Small Cap and Emerging Growth Securities Risk (Advantage Small Cap Growth) — Small cap or emerging growth companies may have limited product lines or markets. They may be less financially secure than larger, more established companies. They may depend on a small number of key personnel. If a product fails or there are other adverse developments, or if management changes, the Fund’s investment in a small cap or emerging growth company may lose substantial value. In addition, it is more difficult to get information on smaller companies, which tend to be less well known, have shorter operating histories, do not have significant ownership by large investors and are followed by relatively few securities analysts. |
The securities of small cap and emerging growth companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than larger cap securities or the market as a whole. In addition, small cap and emerging growth securities may be particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates, borrowing costs and earnings. Investing in small cap and emerging growth securities requires a longer term view. |
■ | Warrants Risk (Advantage Small Cap Growth) — If the price of the underlying stock does not rise above the exercise price before the warrant expires, the warrant generally expires without any value and the Fund will lose any |
amount it paid for the warrant. Thus, investments in warrants may involve substantially more risk than investments in common stock. Warrants may trade in the same markets as their underlying stock; however, the price of the warrant does not necessarily move with the price of the underlying stock. |
■ | Borrowing Risk — Borrowing may exaggerate changes in the net asset value of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio. Borrowing will cost the Fund interest expense and other fees. The costs of borrowing may reduce the Fund’s return. Borrowing may cause the Fund to liquidate positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations. |
■ | Debt Securities Risk (Advantage Small Cap Growth) — Debt securities, such as bonds, involve credit risk. Credit risk is the risk that the borrower will not make timely payments of principal and interest. Changes in an issuer’s credit rating or the market’s perception of an issuer’s creditworthiness may also affect the value of the Fund’s investment in that issuer. The degree of credit risk depends on the issuer’s financial condition and on the terms of the securities. Debt securities are also subject to interest rate risk. Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of a debt security may fall when interest rates rise. In general, the market price of debt securities with longer maturities will go up or down more in response to changes in interest rates than the market price of shorter-term securities. The Fund may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates due to the current period of historically low rates. |
■ | Emerging Markets Risk (Advantage Small Cap Growth) — The risks of foreign investments are usually much greater for emerging markets. Investments in emerging markets may be considered speculative. Emerging markets may include those in countries considered emerging or developing by the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation or the United Nations. Emerging markets are riskier than more developed markets because they tend to develop unevenly and may never fully develop. They are more likely to experience hyperinflation and currency devaluations, which adversely affect returns to U.S. investors. In addition, many emerging markets have far lower trading volumes and less liquidity than developed markets. Since these markets are often small, they may be more likely to suffer sharp and frequent price changes or long-term price depression because of adverse publicity, investor perceptions or the actions of a few large investors. In addition, traditional measures of investment value used in the United States, such as price to earnings ratios, may not apply to certain small markets. Also, there may be less publicly available information about issuers in emerging markets than would be available about issuers in more developed capital markets, and such issuers may not be subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and requirements comparable to those to which U.S. companies are subject. Communications between the United States and emerging market countries may be unreliable, increasing the risk of delayed settlements or losses of security certificates. |
Many emerging markets have histories of political instability and abrupt changes in policies. As a result, their governments are more likely to take actions that are hostile or detrimental to private enterprise or foreign investment than those of more developed countries. Some countries have pervasive corruption and crime that may hinder investments. Certain emerging markets may also face other significant internal or external risks, including the risk of war, and ethnic, religious and racial conflicts. In addition, governments in many emerging market countries participate to a significant degree in their economies and securities markets, which may impair investment and economic growth. | |
■ | Expense Risk — Fund expenses are subject to a variety of factors, including fluctuations in the Fund’s net assets. Accordingly, actual expenses may be greater or less than those indicated. For example, to the extent that the Fund’s net assets decrease due to market declines or redemptions, the Fund’s expenses will increase as a percentage of Fund net assets. During periods of high market volatility, these increases in the Fund’s expense ratio could be significant. |
■ | Foreign Securities Risk — Because the Fund may invest in companies located in countries other than the United States, the Fund may be exposed to risks associated with foreign investments. |
■ | The value of holdings traded outside the United States (and any hedging transactions in foreign currencies) will be affected by changes in currency exchange rates. |
■ | The costs of non-U.S. securities transactions tend to be higher than those of U.S. transactions. |
■ | Foreign holdings may be adversely affected by foreign government action. |
■ | International trade barriers or economic sanctions against certain non-U.S. countries may adversely affect these holdings. |
■ | The economies of certain countries may compare unfavorably with the U.S. economy. |
■ | Foreign securities markets may be smaller than the U.S. markets, which may make trading more difficult. |
■ | Investment in Other Investment Companies Risk — As with other investments, investments in other investment companies, including ETFs, are subject to market and selection risk. In addition, if the Fund acquires shares of investment companies, including ones affiliated with the Fund, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of expenses in the Fund (including management and advisory fees) and, indirectly, the expenses of the investment companies (to the extent not offset by BlackRock through waivers to the Fund’s management fees). To the extent the Fund is held by an affiliated fund, the ability of the Fund itself to hold other investment companies may be limited. |
■ | Liquidity Risk (Advantage Small Cap Growth) — Liquidity risk exists when particular investments are difficult to purchase or sell. The Fund’s investments in illiquid securities may reduce the returns of the Fund because it may be difficult to sell the illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price. To the extent that the Fund’s principal investment strategies involve derivatives or securities with substantial market and/or credit risk, the Fund will tend to have the greatest exposure to liquidity risk. Liquid investments may become illiquid after purchase by the Fund, particularly during periods of market turmoil. Illiquid investments may be harder to value, especially in changing markets, and if the Fund is forced to sell these investments to meet redemption requests or for other cash needs, the Fund may suffer a loss. In addition, when there is illiquidity in the market for certain securities, the Fund, due to limitations on illiquid investments, may be subject to purchase and sale restrictions. |
■ | Money Market Securities Risk — If market conditions improve while the Fund has invested some or all of its assets in high quality money market securities, this strategy could result in reducing the potential gain from the market upswing, thus reducing the Fund’s opportunity to achieve its investment objective. |
■ | Real Estate Related Securities Risk (Advantage Small Cap Growth) — The main risk of real estate related securities is that the value of the underlying real estate may go down. Many factors may affect real estate values. These factors include both the general and local economies, the amount of new construction in a particular area, the laws and regulations (including zoning and tax laws) affecting real estate and the costs of owning, maintaining and improving real estate. The availability of mortgages and changes in interest rates may also affect real estate values. If the Fund’s real estate related investments are concentrated in one geographic area or in one property type, the Fund will be particularly subject to the risks associated with that area or property type. |
■ | REIT Investment Risk (Advantage Small Cap Growth) — In addition to the risks facing real estate related securities, such as a decline in property values due to increasing vacancies, a decline in rents resulting from unanticipated economic, legal or technological developments or a decline in the price of securities of real estate companies due to a failure of borrowers to pay their loans or poor management, investments in REITs involve unique risks. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in limited volume and may be more volatile than other securities. |
■ | Repurchase Agreements and Purchase and Sale Contracts Risk (Advantage Small Cap Growth) — If the other party to a repurchase agreement or purchase and sale contract defaults on its obligation under the agreement, the Fund may suffer delays and incur costs or lose money in exercising its rights under the agreement. If the seller fails to repurchase the security in either situation and the market value of the security declines, the Fund may lose money. |
■ | Securities Lending Risk (Advantage Small Cap Growth) — Securities lending involves the risk that the borrower may fail to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. As a result, the Fund may lose money and there may be a delay in recovering the loaned securities. The Fund could also lose money if it does not recover the securities and/or the value of the collateral falls, including the value of investments made with cash collateral. These events could trigger adverse tax consequences for the Fund. |
■ | Valuation Risk —The price the Fund could receive upon the sale of any particular portfolio investment may differ from the Fund’s valuation of the investment, particularly for securities that trade in thin or volatile markets or that are valued using a fair valuation methodology or a price provided by an independent pricing service. As a result, the price received upon the sale of an investment may be less than the value ascribed by the Fund, and the Fund could realize a greater than expected loss or lesser than expected gain upon the sale of the investment. Pricing services that value fixed-income securities generally utilize a range of market-based and security-specific inputs and assumptions, as well as considerations about general market conditions, to establish a price. Pricing services generally value fixed-income securities assuming orderly transactions of an institutional round lot size, but may be held or transactions may be conducted in such securities in smaller, odd lot sizes. Odd lots often trade at lower prices than institutional round lots. The Fund’s ability to value its investments may also be impacted by technological issues and/or errors by pricing services or other third-party service providers. |
■ | When-Issued and Delayed Delivery Securities and Forward Commitments Risk — When-issued and delayed delivery securities and forward commitments involve the risk that the security the Fund buys will lose value prior to its delivery. There also is the risk that the security will not be issued or that the other party to the transaction will |
Availability | Limited to certain investors, including: Financial Intermediaries (such as banks and brokerage firms) acting on behalf of their customers, certain persons who were shareholders of the Compass Capital Group of Funds at the time of its combination with The PNC ® Fund in 1996 and investors that participate in the Capital Directions SM asset allocation program. Service Shares will normally be held by Financial Intermediaries or in the name of nominees of Financial Intermediaries on behalf of their customers. Service Shares are normally purchased through a customer’s account at a Financial Intermediary through procedures established by such Financial Intermediary. In these cases, confirmation of share purchases and redemptions will be sent to the Financial Intermediaries. A customer’s ownership of shares will be recorded by the Financial Intermediary and reflected in the account statements provided by such Financial Intermediaries to their customers. Investors wishing to purchase Service Shares should contact their Financial Intermediaries. |
Minimum Investment | $5,000. However, institutions may set a higher minimum for their customers. |
Initial Sales Charge? | No. Entire purchase price is invested in shares of the Fund. |
Deferred Sales Charge? | No. |
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees? | No Distribution Fee. 0.25% Annual Service Fee. |
Redemption Fees? | No. |
Advantage | No up-front sales charge so you start off owning more shares. |
Disadvantage | Limited availability. |
■ | Answering customer inquiries regarding account status and history, the manner in which purchases, exchanges and redemptions or repurchases of shares may be effected and certain other matters pertaining to the customers’ investments; |
■ | Assisting customers in designating and changing dividend options, account designations and addresses; and |
■ | Providing other similar shareholder liaison services. |
Your Choices | Important Information for You to Know | |
Full or Partial Redemption of Shares | Have your Financial Intermediary submit your sales order |
You
can make redemption requests through your Financial Intermediary in accordance with the procedures applicable to your accounts. These procedures may vary according to the type of account and the Financial Intermediary involved and customers should
consult their Financial Intermediary in this regard.
|
Selling shares held directly with BlackRock |
Methods
of Redeeming
|
Your Choices | Important Information for You to Know | |
Full or Partial Redemption of Shares (continued) | Selling shares held directly with BlackRock (continued) |
required.
***
If you make a redemption request before the Fund has collected payment for the purchase of shares, the Fund may delay mailing your proceeds. This delay will usually not exceed ten days. |
Your Choices | Important Information for You to Know | |
Exchange Privilege | Selling shares of one fund to purchase shares of another BlackRock Fund (“exchanging”) |
Service
Shares of the Fund are generally exchangeable for shares of the same class of another BlackRock Fund.
|
Your Choices | Important Information for You to Know | |
Exchange Privilege (continued) | Selling shares of one fund to purchase shares of another BlackRock Fund (“exchanging”) (continued) |
You
may only exchange into a share class and fund that are open to new investors or in which you have a current account if the fund is closed to new investors
|
Transfer Shares to Another Financial Intermediary | Transfer to a participating Financial Intermediary | You may transfer your shares of the Fund only to another Financial Intermediary that has an agreement with the Distributor. Certain shareholder services may not be available for the transferred shares. All future trading of these assets must be coordinated by the receiving firm. |
Transfer to a non-participating Financial Intermediary |
You
must either:
• Transfer your shares to an account with the Fund; or • Sell your shares. |
■ | Suspend the right of redemption if trading is halted or restricted on the NYSE or under other emergency conditions described in the Investment Company Act; |
■ | Postpone the date of payment upon redemption if trading is halted or restricted on the NYSE or under other emergency conditions described in the Investment Company Act or if a redemption request is made before the Fund has collected payment for the purchase of shares; |
■ | Redeem shares for property other than cash as may be permitted under the Investment Company Act; and |
■ | Redeem shares involuntarily in certain cases, such as when the value of a shareholder account falls below a specified level. |
Average Daily Net Assets |
Rate
of
Management Fee |
First $1 billion | 0.800% |
$1 billion – $2 billion | 0.700% |
$2 billion – $3 billion | 0.650% |
Greater than $3 billion | 0.625% |
Contractual
Cap
1
on Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses 2 (excluding Dividend Expense, Interest Expense, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and certain other Fund expenses) |
|
Service | 1.58% |
1 | The contractual cap is in effect through January 31, 2018. The contractual agreement may be terminated upon 90 days’ notice by a majority of the non-interested trustees of the Trust or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. |
2 | As a percentage of average daily net assets. |
Average Daily Net Assets |
Rate
of
Management Fee |
First $1 billion | 0.45% |
$1 billion – $3 billion | 0.42% |
$3 billion – $5 billion | 0.41% |
$5 billion – $10 billion | 0.39% |
Greater than $10 billion | 0.38% |
Average Daily Net Assets |
Rate
of
Management Fee |
First $1 billion | 0.550% |
$1 billion – $2 billion | 0.500% |
$2 billion – $3 billion | 0.475% |
Greater than $3 billion | 0.450% |
Contractual
Cap
1
on
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 2 (excluding Dividend Expense, Interest Expense, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and certain other Fund expenses |
|
Service Shares | 0.75% |
1 | The contractual cap is in effect through January 31, 2018. The contractual agreement may be terminated upon 90 days’ notice by a majority of the non-interested Trustees of the Trust or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. |
2 | As a percentage of daily net assets. |
Mid-Cap Growth Equity | 0.80% |
Advantage Small Cap Growth | 0.55% |
Portfolio Manager | Primary Role | Since | Title and Recent Biography |
Lawrence Kemp | Jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio, including setting the Fund’s overall investment strategy and overseeing the management of the Fund. | 2013 | Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2012; Prior to joining BlackRock, Inc., Mr. Kemp was a Managing Director at UBS Global Asset Management. |
Kathryn Mongelli | Jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio, including setting the Fund’s overall investment strategy and overseeing the management of the Fund. | 2013 | Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2013; Vice President and Research Analyst at T. Rowe Price Associates from 2010 to 2013; Director of UBS Global Asset Management from 2005 to 2010. |
Phil Ruvinsky | Jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio, including setting the Fund’s overall investment strategy and overseeing the management of the Fund. | 2013 | Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2013; Sector Head and Research Analyst at Surview Capital LLC from 2010 to 2013; Various positions, including Portfolio Manager and Investment Analyst, at UBS Global Asset Management from 2002 to 2010. |
Portfolio Manager | Primary Role | Since | Title and Recent Biography |
Travis Cooke, CFA | Primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio, including setting the Fund’s overall investment strategy and overseeing the management of the Fund. | 2013 | Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2012; Director of BlackRock, Inc. from 2009 to 2011; Principal of Barclays Global Investors from 2002 to 2009. |
Service | |||||
Year Ended September 30, | |||||
2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |
Per Share Operating Performance | |||||
Net asset value, beginning of year | $15.00 | $16.34 | $17.05 | $12.77 | $10.49 |
Net investment loss 1 | (0.13) | (0.16) | (0.19) | (0.02) | (0.01) |
Net realized and unrealized gain | 1.82 | 0.71 | 2.31 | 4.30 | 2.29 |
Net increase from investment operations | 1.69 | 0.55 | 2.12 | 4.28 | 2.28 |
Distributions from net realized gain 2 | (0.34) | (1.89) | (2.83) | — | — |
Net asset value, end of year | $16.35 | $15.00 | $16.34 | $17.05 | $12.77 |
Total Return 3 | |||||
Based on net asset value | 11.39% | 3.94% | 14.11% | 33.52% | 21.74% |
Ratios to Average Net Assets | |||||
Total expenses | 1.26% 4 | 1.50% 4 | 1.58% 4 | 1.67% 4 | 2.29% |
Total expenses after fees waived, reimbursed and paid indirectly | 1.25% | 1.48% | 1.58% | 1.58% | 1.58% |
Net investment loss | (0.88)% | (1.00)% | (1.17)% | (0.15)% | (0.06)% |
Supplemental Data | |||||
Net assets, end of year (000) | $1,343 | $1,384 | $3,838 | $2,065 | $1,865 |
Portfolio turnover rate | 81% | 95% | 123% | 160% | 88% |
1 | Based on average shares outstanding. |
2 | Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with federal income tax regulations. |
3 | Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions. |
4 | Includes recoupment of past waived and/or reimbursed fees. Excluding the recoupment of past waived and/or reimbursed fees, the ratios were as follows: |
Year Ended September 30, | |||||
2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |
Expense ratios | 1.24% | 1.42% | 1.33% | 1.51% | — |
Service | |||||
Year Ended September 30, | |||||
2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |
Per Share Operating Performance | |||||
Net asset value, beginning of year | $ 15.55 | $ 20.05 | $ 27.81 | $ 25.01 | $ 18.93 |
Net investment loss 1 | (0.01) | (0.03) | (0.12) | (0.06) | (0.04) |
Net realized and unrealized gain | 0.97 | 0.43 | 2.40 | 5.49 | 6.72 |
Net increase from investment operations | 0.96 | 0.40 | 2.28 | 5.43 | 6.68 |
Distributions from net realized gain 2 | (0.98) | (4.90) | (10.04) | (2.63) | (0.60) |
Net asset value, end of year | $ 15.53 | $ 15.55 | $ 20.05 | $ 27.81 | $ 25.01 |
Total Return 3 | |||||
Based on net asset value | 6.57% | 2.00% | 8.62% | 24.96% | 35.72% |
Ratios to Average Net Assets | |||||
Total expenses | 1.13% 4 | 1.12% | 1.12% | 1.12% | 1.20% |
Total expenses after fees waived, reimbursed and paid indirectly | 1.13% | 1.12% | 1.12% | 1.12% | 1.17% |
Net investment loss | (0.07)% | (0.17)% | (0.53)% | (0.25)% | (0.15)% |
Supplemental Data | |||||
Net assets, end of year (000) | $12,054 | $19,596 | $23,621 | $24,792 | $29,281 |
Portfolio turnover rate | 103% | 137% | 132% | 175% | 147% |
1 | Based on average shares outstanding. |
2 | Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with federal income tax regulations. |
3 | Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions. |
4 | Includes recoupment of past waived and/or reimbursed fees with no financial impact to the expense ratios. |
■ | Access the BlackRock website at http://www.blackrock.com/edelivery; and |
■ | Log into your account |
► | BlackRock Mid-Cap Growth Equity Portfolio |
Class K: BMGKX |
Fund Overview | Key facts and details about the Fund, including investment objective, principal investment strategies, principal risk factors, fee and expense information and historical performance information | |
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7 |
Details About the Fund | Information about how the Fund invests, including investment objective, investment processes, principal strategies and risk factors | |
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8 | |
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9 |
Account Information | Information about account services, sales charges and waivers, shareholder transactions, and distribution and other payments | |
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Management of the Fund | Information about BlackRock and the Portfolio Managers | |
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24 | |
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25 |
Financial Highlights |
Financial Performance of the
Fund
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27 |
Glossary |
Glossary of Investment
Terms
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30 |
For More Information |
|
Inside Back Cover |
|
Back Cover |
Annual
Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) |
Class
K
Shares |
Management Fee 1 | 0.80% |
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees | None |
Other Expenses | 0.18% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 0.98% |
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements 1,2 | — |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements 1,2 | 0.98% |
1 | As described in the “Management of the Fund” section of the Fund’s prospectus beginning on page 21, BlackRock Advisors, LLC (“BlackRock”) has contractually agreed to waive the management fee with respect to any portion of the Fund’s assets estimated to be attributable to investments in other equity and fixed-income mutual funds and exchange-traded funds managed by BlackRock or its affiliates that have a contractual management fee, through January 31, 2018. The contractual agreement may be terminated upon 90 days’ notice by a majority of the non-interested trustees of the Trust or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. |
2 | As described in the “Management of the Fund” section of the Fund’s prospectus beginning on page 21, BlackRock has contractually agreed to waive and/or reimburse fees or expenses in order to limit Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements (excluding Dividend Expense, Interest Expense, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and certain other Fund expenses) to 1.01% of average daily net assets through January 31, 2018. The Fund may have to repay some of these waivers and/or reimbursements to BlackRock in the following two years. The contractual agreement may be terminated upon 90 days’ notice by a majority of the noninterested trustees of the Trust or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. |
1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years | |
Class K Shares | $100 | $312 | $542 | $1,201 |
■ | Convertible Securities Risk — The market value of a convertible security performs like that of a regular debt security; that is, if market interest rates rise, the value of a convertible security usually falls. In addition, convertible securities are subject to the risk that the issuer will not be able to pay interest or dividends when due, and their market value may change based on changes in the issuer’s credit rating or the market’s perception of the issuer’s creditworthiness. Since it derives a portion of its value from the common stock into which it may be converted, a convertible security is also subject to the same types of market and issuer risks that apply to the underlying common stock. |
■ | Derivatives Risk — The Fund’s use of derivatives may increase its costs, reduce the Fund’s returns and/or increase volatility. Derivatives involve significant risks, including: |
Volatility Risk — Volatility is defined as the characteristic of a security, an index or a market to fluctuate significantly in price within a short time period. A risk of the Fund’s use of derivatives is that the fluctuations in their values may not correlate with the overall securities markets. | |
Counterparty Risk — Derivatives are also subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the other party in the transaction will not fulfill its contractual obligation. | |
Market and Liquidity Risk — The possible lack of a liquid secondary market for derivatives and the resulting inability of the Fund to sell or otherwise close a derivatives position could expose the Fund to losses and could make derivatives more difficult for the Fund to value accurately. | |
Valuation Risk — Valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil since many investors and market makers may be reluctant to purchase complex instruments or quote prices for them. | |
Hedging Risk — Hedges are sometimes subject to imperfect matching between the derivative and the underlying security, and there can be no assurance that the Fund’s hedging transactions will be effective. The use of hedging may result in certain adverse tax consequences. | |
Leverage Risk — Certain transactions in derivatives involve substantial leverage risk and may expose the Fund to potential losses that exceed the amount originally invested by the Fund. | |
Tax Risk — Certain aspects of the tax treatment of derivative instruments, including swap agreements and commodity-linked derivative instruments, are currently unclear and may be affected by changes in legislation, regulations or other legally binding authority. Such treatment may be less favorable than that given to a direct investment in an underlying asset and may adversely affect the timing, character and amount of income the Fund realizes from its investments. |
Regulatory Risk — Derivative contracts, including, without limitation, swaps, currency forwards and non-deliverable forwards, are subject to regulation under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank Act”) in the United States and under comparable regimes in Europe, Asia and other non-U.S. jurisdictions. Under the Dodd-Frank Act, certain derivatives will become subject to margin requirements and swap dealers will be required to collect margin from the Fund with respect to such derivatives. Implementation of such regulations under the Dodd-Frank Act regarding clearing, mandatory trading and margining of swaps and other derivatives may increase the costs to the Fund of trading in these instruments and, as a result, may affect returns to investors in |
the Fund. In December 2015, the Securities and Exchange Commission proposed a new rule to regulate the use of derivatives by registered investment companies, such as the Fund. If the rule goes into effect, it could limit the ability of the Fund to invest or remain invested in derivatives. | |
■ | Equity Securities Risk — Stock markets are volatile. The price of equity securities fluctuates based on changes in a company’s financial condition and overall market and economic conditions. |
■ | Investment Style Risk — Under certain market conditions, growth investments have performed better during the later stages of economic expansion. Therefore, this investment style may over time go in and out of favor. At times when the investment style used by the Fund is out of favor, the Fund may underperform other equity funds that use different investment styles. |
■ | Leverage Risk — Some transactions may give rise to a form of economic leverage. These transactions may include, among others, derivatives, and may expose the Fund to greater risk and increase its costs. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet any required asset segregation requirements. Increases and decreases in the value of the Fund’s portfolio will be magnified when the Fund uses leverage. |
■ | Market Risk and Selection Risk — Market risk is the risk that one or more markets in which the Fund invests will go down in value, including the possibility that the markets will go down sharply and unpredictably. Selection risk is the risk that the securities selected by Fund management will underperform the markets, the relevant indices or the securities selected by other funds with similar investment objectives and investment strategies. This means you may lose money. |
■ | Mid Cap Securities Risk — The securities of mid cap companies generally trade in lower volumes and are generally subject to greater and less predictable price changes than the securities of larger capitalization companies. |
■ | “New Issues” Risk — “New issues” are IPOs of equity securities. Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods. In addition, the prices of securities sold in IPOs may be highly volatile or may decline shortly after the IPO. |
■ | Preferred Securities Risk — Preferred securities may pay fixed or adjustable rates of return. Preferred securities are subject to issuer-specific and market risks applicable generally to equity securities. In addition, a company’s preferred securities generally pay dividends only after the company makes required payments to holders of its bonds and other debt. For this reason, the value of preferred securities will usually react more strongly than bonds and other debt to actual or perceived changes in the company’s financial condition or prospects. Preferred securities of smaller companies may be more vulnerable to adverse developments than preferred stock of larger companies. |
As
of 12/31/16
Average Annual Total Returns |
1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years 1 |
BlackRock Mid-Cap Growth Equity Portfolio — Institutional Shares | |||
Return Before Taxes | 3.04% | 13.85% | 7.54% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions | 3.04% | 11.90% | 6.62% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | 1.72% | 10.56% | 5.86% |
Russell
Midcap
®
Growth Index
(Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
7.33% | 13.51% | 7.83% |
1 | A portion of the Fund’s total return was attributable to proceeds received in the fiscal years ended September 30, 2009, 2010 and 2011 in settlement of litigation. |
Name |
Portfolio
Manager
of the Fund Since |
Title |
Lawrence Kemp | 2013 | Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. |
Kathryn Mongelli | 2013 | Director of BlackRock, Inc. |
Phil Ruvinsky | 2013 | Director of BlackRock, Inc. |
■ | Foreign Securities — The Fund may invest in equity securities of companies located outside the United States. The Fund may invest up to 10% of its assets in foreign securities. |
■ | Investment Companies — The Fund has the ability to invest in other investment companies, such as exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), unit investment trusts, and open-end and closed-end funds. The Fund may invest in affiliated investment companies, including affiliated money market funds and affiliated ETFs. |
■ | Money Market Securities — The Fund may invest in high quality money market securities pending investments or when it expects to need cash to pay redeeming shareholders. The Fund will not be deemed to deviate from its normal strategies if it holds these securities pending investments. |
■ | Temporary Defensive Strategies — It is possible that in extreme market conditions the Fund may temporarily invest some or all of its assets in high quality money market securities. Such a temporary defensive strategy would be inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies. The reason for acquiring money market securities would be to avoid market losses. However, if market conditions improve, this strategy could result in reducing the potential gain from the market upswing, thus reducing the Fund’s opportunity to achieve its investment objective. |
■ | When-Issued and Delayed Delivery Securities and Forward Commitments — The purchase or sale of securities on a when-issued basis, on a delayed delivery basis or through a forward commitment involves the purchase or sale of securities by the Fund at an established price with payment and delivery taking place in the future. The Fund enters into these transactions to obtain what is considered an advantageous price to the Fund at the time of entering into the transaction. |
■ | Convertible Securities Risk — The market value of a convertible security performs like that of a regular debt security; that is, if market interest rates rise, the value of a convertible security usually falls. In addition, convertible securities are subject to the risk that the issuer will not be able to pay interest or dividends when due, and their market value may change based on changes in the issuer’s credit rating or the market’s perception of the issuer’s creditworthiness. Since it derives a portion of its value from the common stock into which it may be converted, a convertible security is also subject to the same types of market and issuer risks that apply to the underlying common stock. |
■ | Derivatives Risk — The Fund’s use of derivatives may increase its costs, reduce the Fund’s returns and/or increase volatility. Derivatives involve significant risks, including: |
Volatility Risk – The Fund’s use of derivatives may reduce the Fund’s returns and/or increase volatility. Volatility is defined as the characteristic of a security, an index or a market to fluctuate significantly in price within a short time period. A risk of the Fund’s use of derivatives is that the fluctuations in their values may not correlate with the overall securities markets. | |
Counterparty Risk – Derivatives are also subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the other party in the transaction will not fulfill its contractual obligation. |
Market and Liquidity Risk – Some derivatives are more sensitive to interest rate changes and market price fluctuations than other securities. The possible lack of a liquid secondary market for derivatives and the resulting inability of the Fund to sell or otherwise close a derivatives position could expose the Fund to losses and could make derivatives more difficult for the Fund to value accurately. The Fund could also suffer losses related to its derivatives positions as a result of unanticipated market movements, which losses are potentially unlimited. Finally, BlackRock Advisors, LLC (“BlackRock”) may not be able to predict correctly the direction of securities prices, interest rates and other economic factors, which could cause the Fund’s derivatives positions to lose value. | |
Valuation Risk – Valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil since many investors and market makers may be reluctant to purchase complex instruments or quote prices for them. Derivatives may also expose the Fund to greater risk and increase its costs. Certain transactions in derivatives involve substantial leverage risk and may expose the Fund to potential losses that exceed the amount originally invested by the Fund. | |
Hedging Risk – When a derivative is used as a hedge against a position that the Fund holds, any loss generated by the derivative generally should be substantially offset by gains on the hedged investment, and vice versa. While hedging can reduce or eliminate losses, it can also reduce or eliminate gains. Hedges are sometimes subject to imperfect matching between the derivative and the underlying security, and there can be no assurance that the Fund’s hedging transactions will be effective. The use of hedging may result in certain adverse tax consequences noted below. | |
Tax Risk – The federal income tax treatment of a derivative may not be as favorable as a direct investment in an underlying asset and may adversely affect the timing, character and amount of income the Fund realizes from its investments. As a result, a larger portion of the Fund’s distributions may be treated as ordinary income rather than capital gains. In addition, certain derivatives are subject to mark-to-market or straddle provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”). If such provisions are applicable, there could be an increase (or decrease) in the amount of taxable dividends paid by the Fund. In addition, the tax treatment of certain derivatives, such as swaps, is unsettled and may be subject to future legislation, regulation or administrative pronouncements issued by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). |
Regulatory Risk – Derivative contracts, including, without limitation, swaps, currency forwards and non-deliverable forwards, are subject to regulation under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank Act”) in the United States and under comparable regimes in Europe, Asia and other non-U.S. jurisdictions. Under the Dodd-Frank Act, certain derivatives will become subject to margin requirements and swap dealers will be required to collect margin from the Fund with respect to such derivatives. Implementation of such regulations under the Dodd-Frank Act regarding clearing, mandatory trading and margining of swaps and other derivatives may increase the costs to the Fund of trading in these instruments and, as a result, may affect returns to investors in the Fund. |
In December 2015, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) proposed a new rule to regulate the use of derivatives by registered investment companies, such as the Fund. If the rule goes into effect, it could limit the ability of the Fund to invest or remain invested in derivatives. In addition, other future regulatory developments may impact the Fund’s ability to invest or remain invested in certain derivatives. Legislation or regulation may also change the way in which the Fund itself is regulated. BlackRock cannot predict the effects of any new governmental regulation that may be implemented on the ability of the Fund to use swaps or any other financial derivative product, and there can be no assurance that any new governmental regulation will not adversely affect the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. | |
Risks Specific to Certain Derivatives Used by the Fund |
■ | Equity Securities Risk — Common and preferred stocks represent equity ownership in a company. Stock markets are volatile. The price of equity securities will fluctuate and can decline and reduce the value of a portfolio investing in equities. The value of equity securities purchased by the Fund could decline if the financial condition of the companies the Fund invests in declines or if overall market and economic conditions deteriorate. The value of equity securities may also decline due to factors that affect a particular industry or industries, such as labor shortages or an increase in production costs and competitive conditions within an industry. In addition, the value may decline due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to a company or industry, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates or generally adverse investor sentiment. |
■ | Investment Style Risk — Under certain market conditions, growth investments have performed better during the later stages of economic expansion. Therefore, this investment style may over time go in and out of favor. At times when the investment style used by the Fund is out of favor, the Fund may underperform other equity funds that use different investment styles. |
■ | Leverage Risk — Some transactions may give rise to a form of economic leverage. These transactions may include, among others, derivatives, and may expose the Fund to greater risk and increase its costs. As an open-end investment company registered with the SEC, the Fund is subject to the federal securities laws, including the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”), the rules thereunder, and various SEC and SEC staff interpretive positions. In accordance with these laws, rules and positions, the Fund must “set aside” liquid assets (often referred to as “asset segregation”), or engage in other SEC- or staff-approved measures, to “cover” open positions with respect to certain kinds of instruments. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet any required asset segregation requirements. Increases and decreases in the value of the Fund’s portfolio will be magnified when the Fund uses leverage. |
■ | Market Risk and Selection Risk — Market risk is the risk that one or more markets in which the Fund invests will go down in value, including the possibility that the markets will go down sharply and unpredictably. Selection risk is the risk that the securities selected by Fund management will underperform the markets, the relevant indices or the securities selected by other funds with similar investment objectives and investment strategies. This means you may lose money. |
■ | Mid Cap Securities Risk — The securities of mid cap companies generally trade in lower volumes and are generally subject to greater and less predictable price changes than the securities of larger capitalization companies. |
■ | “New Issues” Risk — “New issues” are IPOs of equity securities. Investments in companies that have recently gone public have the potential to produce substantial gains for the Fund. However, there is no assurance that the |
Fund will have access to profitable IPOs and therefore investors should not rely on these past gains as an indication of future performance. The investment performance of the Fund during periods when it is unable to invest significantly or at all in IPOs may be lower than during periods when the Fund is able to do so. In addition, as the Fund increases in size, the impact of IPOs on the Fund’s performance will generally decrease. Securities issued in IPOs are subject to many of the same risks as investing in companies with smaller market capitalizations. Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods. In addition, the prices of securities sold in IPOs may be highly volatile or may decline shortly after the IPO. When an IPO is brought to the market, availability may be limited and the Fund may not be able to buy any shares at the offering price, or, if it is able to buy shares, it may not be able to buy as many shares at the offering price as it would like. |
■ | Preferred Securities Risk — Preferred securities may pay fixed or adjustable rates of return. Preferred securities are subject to issuer-specific and market risks applicable generally to equity securities. In addition, a company’s preferred securities generally pay dividends only after the company makes required payments to holders of its bonds and other debt. For this reason, the value of preferred securities will usually react more strongly than bonds and other debt to actual or perceived changes in the company’s financial condition or prospects. Preferred securities of smaller companies may be more vulnerable to adverse developments than preferred stock of larger companies. |
■ | Borrowing Risk — Borrowing may exaggerate changes in the net asset value of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio. Borrowing will cost the Fund interest expense and other fees. The costs of borrowing may reduce the Fund’s return. Borrowing may cause the Fund to liquidate positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations. |
■ | Expense Risk — Fund expenses are subject to a variety of factors, including fluctuations in the Fund’s net assets. Accordingly, actual expenses may be greater or less than those indicated. For example, to the extent that the Fund’s net assets decrease due to market declines or redemptions, the Fund’s expenses will increase as a percentage of Fund net assets. During periods of high market volatility, these increases in the Fund’s expense ratio could be significant. |
■ | Foreign Securities Risk — Because the Fund may invest in companies located in countries other than the United States, the Fund may be exposed to risks associated with foreign investments. |
■ | The value of holdings traded outside the United States (and any hedging transactions in foreign currencies) will be affected by changes in currency exchange rates. |
■ | The costs of non-U.S. securities transactions tend to be higher than those of U.S. transactions. |
■ | Foreign holdings may be adversely affected by foreign government action. |
■ | International trade barriers or economic sanctions against certain non-U.S. countries may adversely affect these holdings. |
■ | The economies of certain countries may compare unfavorably with the U.S. economy. |
■ | Foreign securities markets may be smaller than the U.S. markets, which may make trading more difficult. |
■ | High Portfolio Turnover Risk — The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading of its portfolio securities. High portfolio turnover (more than 100%) may result in increased transaction costs to the Fund, including brokerage commissions, dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs on the sale of the securities and on reinvestment in other securities. The sale of Fund portfolio securities may result in the realization and/or distribution to shareholders of higher capital gains or losses as compared to a fund with less active trading policies. These effects of higher than normal portfolio turnover may adversely affect Fund performance. |
■ | Investment in Other Investment Companies Risk — As with other investments, investments in other investment companies, including ETFs, are subject to market and selection risk. In addition, if the Fund acquires shares of investment companies, including ones affiliated with the Fund, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of expenses in the Fund (including management and advisory fees) and, indirectly, the expenses of the investment companies (to the extent not offset by BlackRock through waivers to the Fund’s management fees). To the extent the Fund is held by an affiliated fund, the ability of the Fund itself to hold other investment companies may be limited. |
■ | Money Market Securities Risk — If market conditions improve while the Fund has invested some or all of its assets in high quality money market securities, this strategy could result in reducing the potential gain from the market upswing, thus reducing the Fund’s opportunity to achieve its investment objective. |
■ | Valuation Risk — The price the Fund could receive upon the sale of any particular portfolio investment may differ from the Fund’s valuation of the investment, particularly for securities that trade in thin or volatile markets or that are valued using a fair valuation methodology or a price provided by an independent pricing service. As a result, the price received upon the sale of an investment may be less than the value ascribed by the Fund, and the Fund could realize a greater than expected loss or lesser than expected gain upon the sale of the investment. Pricing services that value fixed-income securities generally utilize a range of market-based and security-specific inputs and assumptions, as well as considerations about general market conditions, to establish a price. Pricing services generally value fixed-income securities assuming orderly transactions of an institutional round lot size, but may be held or transactions may be conducted in such securities in smaller, odd lot sizes. Odd lots often trade at lower prices than institutional round lots. The Fund’s ability to value its investments may also be impacted by technological issues and/or errors by pricing services or other third-party service providers. |
■ | When-Issued and Delayed Delivery Securities and Forward Commitments Risk — When-issued and delayed delivery securities and forward commitments involve the risk that the security the Fund buys will lose value prior to its delivery. There also is the risk that the security will not be issued or that the other party to the transaction will not meet its obligation. If this occurs, the Fund may lose both the investment opportunity for the assets it set aside to pay for the security and any gain in the security’s price. |
Availability | Available only to (i) employer-sponsored retirement plans (not including SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs and SARSEPs) (“Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans”), (ii) collective trust funds, investment companies and other pooled investment vehicles, each of which may purchase shares of the Fund through a Financial Intermediary that has entered into an agreement with the Distributor to purchase such shares, (iii) “Institutional Investors,” which include, but are not limited to, endowments, foundations, family offices, local, city, and state governmental institutions, corporations and insurance company separate accounts, each of which may purchase shares of the Fund through a Financial Intermediary that has entered into an agreement with the Distributor to purchase such shares and (iv) any other investors who met the eligibility criteria for BlackRock Shares or Class K Shares prior to August 15, 2016 and have continually held Class K Shares of the Fund in the same account since August 15, 2016. |
Minimum Investment |
There
is no minimum initial investment requirement for any Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans or any other eligible investors other than Institutional Investors.
|
Initial Sales Charge? | No. Entire purchase price is invested in shares of the Fund. |
Deferred Sales Charge? | No. |
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees? | No. |
Redemption Fees? | No. |
Your Choices | Important Information for You to Know | |
Initial Purchase |
Determine
the amount of
your investment |
There
is no minimum initial investment for any Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans or any other investors other than Institutional Investors.
|
Have
your Financial
Intermediary submit your purchase order |
The
price of your shares is based on the next calculation of the Fund’s net asset value after your order is placed. Any purchase orders placed prior to the close of business on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) (generally 4:00
p.m. Eastern time) will be priced at the net asset value determined that day. Certain Financial Intermediaries, however, may require submission of orders prior to that time. Purchase orders placed after that time will be priced at the net asset
value determined on the next business day. A broker-dealer or financial institution maintaining the account in which you hold shares may charge a separate account, service or transaction fee on the purchase or sale of Fund shares that would be in
addition to the fees and expenses shown in the Fund’s “Fees and Expenses” table.
|
|
Or
contact BlackRock
(for accounts held directly with BlackRock) |
For investors not purchasing shares through an Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plan, to purchase shares directly from BlackRock, call (800) 537-4942 and request a new account application. | |
Add
to Your
Investment |
Purchase additional shares | There is no minimum investment amount for additional purchases. |
Have
your Financial
Intermediary submit your purchase order for additional shares |
To purchase additional shares, you may contact your Financial Intermediary or Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plan. | |
Or
contact BlackRock
(for accounts held directly with BlackRock) |
For
Investors Not Purchasing Shares Through an Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plan:
|
Your Choices | Important Information for You to Know | |
Add
to Your
Investment (continued) |
Or
contact BlackRock
(for accounts held directly with BlackRock) (continued) |
Purchase
by Internet
:
You may purchase your shares, and view activity in your account, by logging onto the BlackRock website at www.blackrock.com. Purchases made on the Internet using
the Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) will have a trade date that is the day after the purchase is made. Certain institutional clients’ purchase orders placed by wire prior to the close of business on the NYSE will be priced at the
net asset value determined that day. Contact your Financial Intermediary or BlackRock for further information. Limits on amounts that may be purchased via Internet may vary. For additional information call BlackRock at (800) 537-4942.
|
Acquire
additional shares by
reinvesting dividends and capital gains |
All dividends and capital gains distributions are automatically reinvested without a sales charge. To make any changes to your dividend and/or capital gains distributions options, please call BlackRock at (800) 537-4942 (for investors who are not purchasing shares through an Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plan) or contact your Financial Intermediary. | |
How
to Pay for
Shares |
Making payment for purchases |
If
you are purchasing shares through an Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plan, payment for an order must be made in Federal funds or other immediately available funds by the time specified by your Financial Intermediary, but in no event later than 4:00
p.m. (Eastern time) on the first business day following the receipt of the order. If payment is not received by this time, the order will be canceled and you and your Financial Intermediary will be responsible for any loss to the Fund.
|
Your Choices | Important Information for You to Know | |
Full or Partial Redemption of Shares |
Have
your Financial
Intermediary submit your sales order |
If
you purchased shares through an Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plan, you can make redemption requests through your Financial Intermediary in accordance with the procedures applicable to your accounts. These procedures may vary according to the type
of account and the Financial Intermediary involved, and customers should consult their Financial Intermediary in this regard. Financial Intermediaries are responsible for transmitting redemption orders and crediting their customers’ accounts
with redemption proceeds on a timely basis. Information relating to such redemption services and charges to process a redemption of shares, if any, should be obtained by customers from their Financial Intermediaries.
|
Your Choices | Important Information for You to Know | |
Full or Partial Redemption of Shares (continued) |
Have
your Financial
Intermediary submit your sales order (continued) |
that
day’s close of business on the NYSE (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time). Certain Financial Intermediaries, however, may require submission of orders prior to that time. Any redemption request placed after that time will be priced at the net
asset value at the close of business on the next business day.
|
Selling
shares held
directly with BlackRock |
Methods
of Redeeming if You Did Not Purchase Your Shares Through an Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plan
|
Your Choices | Important Information for You to Know | |
Full or Partial Redemption of Shares (continued) |
Selling
shares held
directly with BlackRock (continued) |
amounts
are subject to the risk of loss like any fund investment. If you elect to receive distributions in cash and a check remains undeliverable or uncashed for more than 6 months, your cash election may also be changed automatically to reinvest and your
future dividend and capital gains distributions will be reinvested in the Fund at the net asset value as of the date of payment of the distribution.
***
If you make a redemption request before the Fund has collected payment for the purchase of shares, the
Fund may delay mailing your proceeds. This delay will usually not exceed ten days.
|
Your Choices | Important Information for You to Know | |
Transfer
Shares to
Another Financial Intermediary |
Transfer
to a participating
Financial Intermediary |
You
may transfer your Class K Shares of the Fund only to another Financial Intermediary that has entered into an agreement with the Distributor. Certain shareholder services may not be available for the transferred shares. All future trading of these
assets must be coordinated by the receiving firm.
|
Transfer
to a non-participating
Financial Intermediary |
You
must either:
• Transfer your Class K Shares to an account with the Fund; or • Sell your Class K Shares. |
■ | Suspend the right of redemption if trading is halted or restricted on the NYSE or under other emergency conditions described in the Investment Company Act; |
■ | Postpone the date of payment upon redemption if trading is halted or restricted on the NYSE or under other emergency conditions described in the Investment Company Act or if a redemption request is made before the Fund has collected payment for the purchase of shares; |
■ | Redeem shares for property other than cash as may be permitted under the Investment Company Act; and |
■ | Redeem shares involuntarily in certain cases, such as when the value of a shareholder account falls below a specified level. |
Average Daily Net Assets |
Rate
of
Management Fee |
First $1 billion | 0.800% |
$1 billion – $2 billion | 0.700% |
$2 billion – $3 billion | 0.650% |
Greater than $3 billion | 0.625% |
Contractual
Cap
1
on Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses 2 (excluding Dividend Expense, Interest Expense, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and certain other Fund expenses) |
|
Class K Shares | 1.01% |
1 | The contractual cap is in effect through January 31, 2018. The contractual agreement may be |
terminated upon 90 days’ notice by a majority of the non-interested trustees of the Trust or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. | |
2 |
As a
percentage of average daily net assets.
|
Portfolio Manager | Primary Role | Since | Title and Recent Biography |
Lawrence Kemp | Jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio, including setting the Fund’s overall investment strategy and overseeing the management of the Fund. | 2013 | Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2012; Prior to joining BlackRock, Inc., Mr. Kemp was a Managing Director at UBS Global Asset Management. |
Kathryn Mongelli | Jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio, including setting the Fund’s overall investment strategy and overseeing the management of the Fund. | 2013 | Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2013; Vice President and Research Analyst at T. Rowe Price Associates from 2010 to 2013; Director of UBS Global Asset Management from 2005 to 2010. |
Portfolio Manager | Primary Role | Since | Title and Recent Biography |
Phil Ruvinsky | Jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio, including setting the Fund’s overall investment strategy and overseeing the management of the Fund. | 2013 | Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2013; Sector Head and Research Analyst at Surview Capital LLC from 2010 to 2013; Various positions, including Portfolio Manager and Investment Analyst, at UBS Global Asset Management from 2002 to 2010. |
Class K | |
Period
March 28, 2016 1 to September 30, 2016 |
|
Per Share Operating Performance | |
Net asset value, beginning of period | $15.57 |
Net investment loss 2 | (0.05) |
Net realized and unrealized gain | 2.36 |
Net increase from investment operations | 2.31 |
Net asset value, end of period | $17.88 |
Total Return 3 | |
Based on net asset value | 14.84% 4 |
Ratios to Average Net Assets | |
Total expenses | 0.98% 5 |
Total expenses after fees waived, reimbursed and paid indirectly | 0.97% 5 |
Net investment loss | (0.59)% 5 |
Supplemental Data | |
Net assets, end of period (000) | $ 230 |
Portfolio turnover rate | 81% 6 |
1 | Commencement of operations. |
2 | Based on average shares outstanding. |
3 | Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions. |
4 | Aggregate total return. |
5 | Annualized. |
6 | Portfolio turnover is representative of the Fund for the entire year. |
■ | Access the BlackRock website at http://www.blackrock.com/edelivery; and |
■ | Log into your account |
Ticker Symbols | ||||
Class |
BlackRock
Mid-Cap Growth Equity Portfolio |
BlackRock
Advantage Small Cap Growth Fund |
||
Investor A Shares
|
BMGAX | CSGEX | ||
Investor B
Shares
|
BMGBX | — | ||
Investor C Shares
|
BMGCX | CGICX | ||
Institutional Shares
|
CMGIX | PSGIX | ||
Class R Shares
|
BMRRX | — | ||
Service Shares
|
CMGSX | PCGEX | ||
Class K
Shares
|
BMGKX | — |
Mid-Cap
Growth Equity |
Advantage
Small
Cap Growth |
|
144A Securities | X | X |
Asset-Backed Securities | ||
Asset-Based Securities | ||
Precious Metal-Related Securities | X | X |
Bank Loans | ||
Borrowing and Leverage | X | X |
Cash Flows; Expenses | ||
Cash Management | X | |
Collateralized Debt Obligations | ||
Collateralized Loan Obligations | ||
Collateralized Bond Obligations | ||
Commercial Paper | X | |
Commodity-Linked Derivative Instruments and Hybrid Instruments | ||
Qualifying Hybrid Instruments | ||
Hybrid Instruments Without Principal Protection | ||
Limitations on Leverage | ||
Counterparty Risk | ||
Convertible Securities | X | X |
Cyber Security Issues | X | X |
Debt Securities | X | X |
Depositary Receipts (ADRs, EDRs and GDRs) | X | X |
Derivatives | X | X |
Hedging | X | X |
Mid-Cap
Growth Equity |
Advantage
Small
Cap Growth |
|
Indexed and Inverse Securities | X | X |
Swap Agreements | X | X |
Credit Default Swap Agreements and Similar Instruments | ||
Credit Linked Securities | ||
Interest Rate Transactions and Swaptions | See note 1 below | See note 1 below |
Total Return Swap Agreements | X | X |
Types of Options | See note 1 below | See note 1 below |
Options on Securities and Securities Indices | X | X |
Call Options | See note 1 below | See note 1 below |
Put Options | See note 1 below | See note 1 below |
Options on Government National Mortgage Association (“GNMA”) Certificates | ||
Risks Associated with Options | X | X |
Futures | X | X |
Risks Associated with Futures | X | X |
Foreign Exchange Transactions | X | X |
Forward Foreign Exchange Transactions | X | X |
Currency Futures | X | X |
Currency Options | See note 2 below | |
Currency Swaps | X | |
Limitations on Currency Transactions | X | X |
Risk Factors in Hedging Foreign Currency | X | X |
Risk Factors in Derivatives | X | X |
Credit Risk | X | X |
Currency Risk | X | X |
Leverage Risk | X | X |
Liquidity Risk | X | X |
Correlation Risk | X | X |
Index Risk | X | X |
Additional Risk Factors of OTC Transactions; Limitations on the Use of OTC Derivatives | X | |
Distressed Securities | X | |
Dollar Rolls | ||
Equity Securities | X | X |
Exchange Traded Notes (“ETNs”) | ||
Foreign Investment Risks | X | X |
Foreign Market Risk | X | X |
Foreign Economy Risk | X | X |
Currency Risk and Exchange Risk | X | X |
Governmental Supervision and Regulation/Accounting Standards | X | X |
Certain Risks of Holding Fund Assets Outside the United States | X | X |
Publicly Available Information | X | X |
Settlement Risk | X | X |
Funding Agreements | ||
Guarantees | ||
Illiquid or Restricted Securities | X | X |
Inflation-Indexed Bonds | ||
Inflation Risk | X | |
Information Concerning the Indices | ||
Standard & Poor’s 500 ® Index (“S&P 500”) | ||
Russell 2000 Index | ||
EAFE Index | ||
FTSE (“Financial Times Stock Exchange”) Indexes | ||
Initial Public Offering (“IPO”) Risk | X | X |
Interfund Lending Program |
Mid-Cap
Growth Equity |
Advantage
Small
Cap Growth |
|
Borrowing, to the extent permitted by the Fund’s investment policies and restrictions | ||
Lending, to the extent permitted by the Fund’s investment policies and restrictions | ||
Investment Grade Debt Obligations | X | X |
Investment in Emerging Markets | X | X |
Brady Bonds | ||
Investment in Other Investment Companies | X | X |
Exchange Traded Funds | X | X |
Junk Bonds | X | |
Lease Obligations | ||
Liquidity Management | X | |
Master Limited Partnerships | X | X |
Merger Transaction Risk | ||
Mezzanine Investments | ||
Money Market Obligations of Domestic Banks, Foreign Banks and Foreign Branches of U.S. Banks | X | X |
Mortgage-Related Securities | ||
Mortgage-Backed Securities | ||
Collateralized Mortgage Obligations (“CMOs”) | ||
Adjustable Rate Mortgage Securities | ||
CMO Residuals | ||
Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities | ||
Tiered Index Bonds | ||
TBA Commitments | ||
Municipal Bonds | ||
Risk Factors and Special Considerations Relating to Municipal Bonds | ||
General Obligation Bonds | ||
Revenue Bonds | ||
PABs | ||
Tender Option Bonds | ||
Participation Notes | ||
Pay-in-Kind Bonds | ||
Portfolio Turnover Rates | X | X |
Preferred Stock | X | X |
Real Estate Related Securities | X | |
Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”) | X | X |
Repurchase Agreements and Purchase and Sale Contracts | X | X |
Reverse Repurchase Agreements | X | X |
Rights Offerings and Warrants to Purchase | X | X |
Risks of Investing in China | X | |
Securities Lending | X | X |
Securities of Smaller or Emerging Growth Companies | X | X |
Short Sales | See note 3 below | See note 3 below |
Sovereign Debt | ||
Standby Commitment Agreements | X | X |
Stripped Securities | X | |
Structured Notes | ||
Supranational Entities | ||
Trust Preferred Securities | ||
U.S. Government Obligations | X | X |
U.S. Treasury Obligations | X | X |
Utility Industries | X | X |
When-Issued Securities, Delayed Delivery Securities and Forward Commitments | X | X |
Yields and Ratings | X | |
Zero Coupon Securities |
1 | Fund may purchase (but not write) interest rate options. |
2 | Fund may purchase (but not write) currency options. |
3 | Fund may only make short sales against the box and with respect to futures contracts and related options. |
Trustees | Experience, Qualifications and Skills | |
Independent Trustees | ||
Susan J. Carter | Susan J. Carter recently joined as a member of the boards of the funds in the Equity-Liquidity Complex. She has over 35 years of experience in investment management. She has served as President & Chief Executive Officer of Commonfund Capital, Inc. (“CCI”), a registered investment adviser focused on non-profit investors, from 1997 to 2013, Chief Executive Officer of CCI from 2013 to 2014 and Senior Advisor to CCI in 2015. Ms. Carter currently serves as director to Pacific Pension Institute, Advisory Board Member for the Center for Private Equity and Entrepreneurship at Tuck School of Business, Advisory Board Member for Girls Who Invest and Advisory Board Member for Bridges Ventures. These positions have provided her with insight and perspective on the markets and the economy. The Board expects to benefit from this knowledge and experience. | |
Collette Chilton | Collette Chilton recently joined as a member of the boards of the funds in the Equity-Liquidity Complex. Ms. Chilton has over 20 years of experience in investment management. She has held the position of Chief Investment Officer of Williams College since October 2006. Prior to that she was President and Chief Investment Officer of Lucent Asset Management Corporation, where she oversaw approximately $40 billion in pension and retirement savings assets for the company. These positions have provided her with insight and perspective on the markets and the economy. The Board benefits from this knowledge and experience. | |
Neil A. Cotty | Neil A. Cotty recently joined as a member of the boards of the funds in the Equity-Liquidity Complex. He has more than 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, including 19 years at Bank of America Corporation and its affiliates, where he served, at different times, as the Chief Financial Officer of various businesses including Investment Banking, Global Markets, Wealth Management and Consumer and also served ten years as the Chief Accounting Officer for Bank of America Corporation. The Board expects to benefit from this knowledge and experience. | |
Rodney D. Johnson | Rodney D. Johnson has served for over 20 years on the boards of registered investment companies, most recently as a member of the boards of the funds in the Equity-Liquidity Complex and its predecessor funds, including the legacy BlackRock funds. He has over 25 years of experience as a financial advisor covering a range of engagements, which has broadened his knowledge of and experience with the investment management business. Prior to founding Fairmount Capital Advisors, Inc., Mr. Johnson served as Chief Financial Officer of Temple University for four years. He served as Director of Finance and Managing Director, in addition to a variety of other roles, for the City of Philadelphia, and has extensive experience in municipal finance. Mr. Johnson was also a tenured associate professor of finance at Temple University and a research economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. |
Trustees | Experience, Qualifications and Skills | |
Cynthia A. Montgomery | Cynthia A. Montgomery has served for over 20 years on the boards of registered investment companies, most recently as a member of the boards of the funds in the Equity-Liquidity Complex and its predecessor funds, including the legacy MLIM funds. The Board benefits from Ms. Montgomery’s more than 20 years of academic experience as a professor at Harvard Business School where she taught courses on corporate strategy and corporate governance. Ms. Montgomery also has business management and corporate governance experience through her service on the corporate boards of a variety of public companies. She has also authored numerous articles and books on these topics. | |
Joseph P. Platt | Joseph P. Platt has served for over 15 years on the boards of registered investment companies, most recently as a member of the boards of the funds in the Equity-Liquidity Complex and its predecessor funds, including the legacy BlackRock funds. Mr. Platt currently serves as general partner at Thorn Partners, LP, a private investment company. Prior to his joining Thorn Partners, LP, he was an owner, director and executive vice president with Johnson and Higgins, an insurance broker and employee benefits consultant. He has over 25 years of experience in the areas of insurance, compensation and benefits. Mr. Platt also serves on the boards of public, private and non-profit companies. | |
Robert C. Robb, Jr. | Robert C. Robb, Jr. has served for over 15 years on the boards of registered investment companies, most recently as a member of the boards of the funds in the Equity-Liquidity Complex and its predecessor funds, including the legacy BlackRock funds. Mr. Robb has over 30 years of experience in management consulting and has worked with many companies and business associations located throughout the United States, including being a former director of PNC Bank Board and a former director of Brinks, Inc. Mr. Robb brings to the Board a wealth of practical business experience across a range of industries. | |
Mark Stalnecker | Mark Stalnecker recently joined as a member of the boards of the funds in the Equity-Liquidity Complex. Mr. Stalnecker has gained a wealth of experience in investing and asset management from his over 13 years of service as the Chief Investment Officer of the University of Delaware as well as from his various positions with First Union Corporation, including Senior Vice President and State Investment Director of First Investment Advisors. The Board benefits from his experience and perspective as the Chief Investment Officer of a university endowment and from the oversight experience he gained from service on various private and non-profit boards. | |
Kenneth L. Urish | Kenneth L. Urish has served for over 15 years on the boards of registered investment companies, most recently as a member of the boards of the funds in the Equity-Liquidity Complex and its predecessor funds, including the legacy BlackRock funds. He has over 30 years of experience in public accounting. Mr. Urish has served as a managing member of an accounting and consulting firm. Mr. Urish has been determined by the Audit Committee to be an audit committee financial expert, as such term is defined in the applicable Commission rules. | |
Claire A. Walton | Claire A. Walton recently joined as a member of the boards of the funds in the Equity-Liquidity Complex. She has over 25 years of experience in investment management. She has served as the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Liberty Square Asset Management, LP from 1998 to 2015, an investment manager that specialized in long/short non-U.S. equity investments, and has been an owner and General Partner of Neon Liberty Capital Management, LLC since 2003, a firm focusing on long/short equities in global emerging and frontier markets. These positions have provided her with insight and perspective on the markets and the economy. The Board expects to benefit from this knowledge and experience. |
Trustees | Experience, Qualifications and Skills | |
Frederick W. Winter | Frederick W. Winter has served for over 15 years on the boards of registered investment companies, most recently as a member of the boards of the funds in the Equity-Liquidity Complex and its predecessor funds, including the legacy BlackRock funds. The Board benefits from Mr. Winter’s years of academic experience, having served as a professor and dean emeritus of the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh since 2005, and dean thereof from 1997 to 2005. He is widely regarded as a specialist in marketing strategy, marketing management, business-to-business marketing and services marketing. He has also served as a consultant to more than 50 different firms. | |
Interested Trustees | ||
Barbara G. Novick | Barbara G. Novick recently joined as a member of the boards of the funds in the Equity-Liquidity Complex. Ms. Novick has extensive experience in the financial services industry, including more than 26 years with BlackRock. Ms. Novick currently is a member of BlackRock’s Global Executive, Global Operating and Corporate Risk Management Committees and chairs BlackRock’s Government Relations Steering Committee. For the first twenty years at BlackRock, Ms. Novick oversaw global business development, marketing and client service across equity, fixed income, liquidity, alternative investment and real estate products, and in her current role, heads BlackRock’s efforts globally on government relations and public policy. Prior to joining BlackRock, Ms. Novick was Vice President of the Mortgage Products Group at the First Boston Corporation and prior to that, was with Morgan Stanley. The Board benefits from Ms. Novick’s wealth of experience and long history with BlackRock and BlackRock’s management practices, investment strategies and products, which stretches back to BlackRock’s founding in 1988. | |
John M. Perlowski | John M. Perlowski recently joined as a member of the boards of the funds in the Equity-Liquidity Complex. Mr. Perlowski’s experience as Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2009, as the Head of BlackRock Global Fund & Accounting Services since 2009, and as President and Chief Executive Officer of the BlackRock-advised Funds provides him with a strong understanding of the BlackRock-advised Funds, their operations, and the business and regulatory issues facing the BlackRock-advised Funds. Mr. Perlowski’s prior position as Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Global Product Group at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, and his former service as Treasurer and Senior Vice President of the Goldman Sachs Mutual Funds and as Director of the Goldman Sachs Offshore Funds provides the Board with the benefit of his experience with the management practices of other financial companies. |
Name,
Address
1
and Year of Birth |
Position(s)
Held with the Trust |
Length
of
Time Served 3 |
Principal
Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years |
Number
of
BlackRock- Advised Registered Investment Companies (“RICs”) Consisting of Investment Portfolios (“Portfolios”) Overseen |
Public
Company and Other Investment Company Directorships Held During Past Five Years |
|||||
Independent Trustees 2 | ||||||||||
Rodney
D. Johnson
|
Chair of the Board and Trustee | Since 2007 | President, Fairmount Capital Advisors, Inc. from 1987 to 2013; Member of the Archdiocesan Investment Committee of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia from 2004 to 2012; Director, The Committee of Seventy (civic) from 2006 to 2012; Director, Fox Chase Cancer Center from 2004 to 2011; Director, The Mainstay (non-profit) since 2016. | 26 RICs consisting of 146 Portfolios | None | |||||
Susan
J. Carter
|
Trustee | Since 2016 | Director, Pacific Pension Institute since 2014; Advisory Board Member, Center for Private Equity and Entrepreneurship at Tuck School of Business since 1997; Senior Advisor, Commonfund Capital, Inc. (“CCI”) (investment adviser) in 2015; Chief Executive Officer, CCI from 2013 to 2014; President & Chief Executive Officer, CCI from 1997 to 2013; Advisory Board Member, Girls Who Invest since 2015; Advisory Board Member, Bridges Ventures since 2016. | 26 RICs consisting of 146 Portfolios | None | |||||
Collette
Chilton
|
Trustee | Since 2015 | Chief Investment Officer, Williams College since 2006; Chief Investment Officer, Lucent Asset Management Corporation from 1998 to 2006. | 26 RICs consisting of 146 Portfolios | None | |||||
Neil
A. Cotty
|
Trustee | Since 2016 | Bank of America Corporation from 1996 to 2015, serving in various senior finance leadership roles, including Chief Accounting Officer from 2009 to 2015, Chief Financial Officer of Global Banking, Markets and Wealth Management from 2008 to 2009, Chief Accounting Officer from 2004 to 2008, Chief Financial Officer of Consumer Bank from 2003 to 2004, Chief Financial Officer of Global Corporate Investment Bank from 1999 to 2002. | 26 RICs consisting of 146 Portfolios | None | |||||
Cynthia
A. Montgomery
|
Trustee | Since 2007 | Professor, Harvard Business School since 1989; Director, McLean Hospital from 2005 to 2012. | 26 RICs consisting of 146 Portfolios | Newell Rubbermaid, Inc. (manufacturing) | |||||
Joseph
P. Platt
|
Trustee | Since 2007 | General Partner, Thorn Partners, LP (private investments) since 1998; Director, WQED Multi-Media (public broadcasting not-for-profit) since 2001; Chair, Basic Health International (non-profit) since 2015. | 26 RICs consisting of 146 Portfolios | Greenlight Capital Re, Ltd. (reinsurance company); Consol Energy Inc. | |||||
Robert
C. Robb, Jr.
|
Trustee | Since 2007 | Partner, Lewis, Eckert, Robb and Company (management and financial consulting firm) since 1981 and Principal since 2010. | 26 RICs consisting of 146 Portfolios | None |
Name,
Address
1
and Year of Birth |
Position(s)
Held with the Trust |
Length
of
Time Served 3 |
Principal
Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years |
Number
of
BlackRock- Advised Registered Investment Companies (“RICs”) Consisting of Investment Portfolios (“Portfolios”) Overseen |
Public
Company and Other Investment Company Directorships Held During Past Five Years |
|||||
Mark
Stalnecker
|
Trustee | Since 2015 | Chief Investment Officer, University of Delaware from 1999 to 2013; Trustee, Winterthur Museum and Country Estate from 2001 to 2015; Member of the Investment Committee, Delaware Public Employees’ Retirement System since 2002; Member of the Investment Committee, Christiana Care Health System since 2009; Member of the Investment Committee, Delaware Community Foundation from 2013 to 2014; Director, SEI Private Trust Co. from 2001 to 2014. | 26 RICs consisting of 146 Portfolios | None | |||||
Kenneth
L. Urish
|
Trustee | Since 2007 | Managing Partner, Urish Popeck & Co., LLC (certified public accountants and consultants) since 1976; Past-Chairman of the Professional Ethics Committee of the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Committee Member thereof since 2007; Member of External Advisory Board, The Pennsylvania State University Accounting Department since founding in 2001; Principal, UP Strategic Wealth Investment Advisors, LLC since 2013; Trustee, The Holy Family Institute from 2001 to 2010; President and Trustee, Pittsburgh Catholic Publishing Associates from 2003 to 2008; Director, Inter-Tel from 2006 to 2007. | 26 RICs consisting of 146 Portfolios | None | |||||
Claire
A. Walton
|
Trustee | Since 2016 | Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Liberty Square Asset Management, LP from 1998 to 2015; General Partner of Neon Liberty Capital Management, LLC since 2003; Director, Boston Hedge Fund Group since 2009; Director, Woodstock Ski Runners since 2013; Director, Massachusetts Council on Economic Education from 2013 to 2015. | 26 RICs consisting of 146 Portfolios | None | |||||
Frederick
W. Winter
|
Trustee | Since 2007 | Director, Alkon Corporation since 1992; Dean Emeritus of the Joseph M. Katz School of Business, University of Pittsburgh, Dean and Professor from 1997 to 2005, Professor until 2013. | 26 RICs consisting of 146 Portfolios | None | |||||
Interested Trustees 4 | ||||||||||
Barbara
G. Novick
|
Trustee | Since 2015 | Vice Chairman of BlackRock, Inc. since 2006; Chair of BlackRock’s Government Relations Steering Committee since 2009; Head of the Global Client Group of BlackRock, Inc. from 1988 to 2008. | 100 RICs consisting of 220 Portfolios | None |
Name,
Address
1
and Year of Birth |
Position(s)
Held with the Trust |
Length
of
Time Served 3 |
Principal
Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years |
Number
of
BlackRock- Advised Registered Investment Companies (“RICs”) Consisting of Investment Portfolios (“Portfolios”) Overseen |
Public
Company and Other Investment Company Directorships Held During Past Five Years |
|||||
John
M. Perlowski
|
Trustee, President and Chief Executive Officer | Since 2015 (Trustee); Since 2010 (President and Chief Executive Officer) | Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2009; Head of BlackRock Global Fund & Accounting Services since 2009; Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Global Product Group at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P. from 2003 to 2009; Treasurer of Goldman Sachs Mutual Funds from 2003 to 2009 and Senior Vice President thereof from 2007 to 2009; Director of Goldman Sachs Offshore Funds from 2002 to 2009; Director of Family Resource Network (charitable foundation) since 2009. | 128 RICs consisting of 318 Portfolios | None |
1 | The address of each Trustee is c/o BlackRock, Inc., 55 East 52 nd Street, New York, NY 10055. |
2 | Independent Trustees serve until their resignation, retirement, removal or death, or until December 31 of the year in which they turn 75. The Board has determined to extend the terms of Independent Trustees on a case-by-case basis, as appropriate. |
3 | Following the combination of MLIM and BlackRock, Inc. in September 2006, the various legacy MLIM and legacy BlackRock fund boards were realigned and consolidated into three new fund boards in 2007. As a result, although the chart shows certain Independent Trustees as joining the Board in 2007, those Independent Trustees first became members of the boards of other legacy MLIM or legacy BlackRock funds as follows: Rodney D. Johnson, 1995; Cynthia A. Montgomery, 1994; Joseph P. Platt, 1999; Robert C. Robb, Jr., 1999; Kenneth L. Urish, 1999; and Frederick W. Winter, 1999. |
4 | Ms. Novick and Mr. Perlowski are both “interested persons,” as defined in the Investment Company Act, of the Trust based on their positions with BlackRock, Inc. and its affiliates. Mr. Perlowski and Ms. Novick are also board members of certain complexes of BlackRock registered open-end and closed-end funds. Mr. Perlowski is also a board member of the BlackRock Equity-Bond Complex and the BlackRock Closed-End Complex, and Ms. Novick is a board member of the BlackRock Closed-End Complex. |
Name,
Address
1
and Year of Birth |
Position(s)
Held with the Trust |
Length
of
Time Served as an Officer |
Principal
Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years |
|||
Officers Who Are Not Trustees 2 | ||||||
Thomas
Callahan
|
Vice President | Since 2016 | Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2013; Head of BlackRock’s Global Cash Management Business since 2016; Co-Head of the Global Cash Management Business from 2014 to 2016; Deputy Head of the Global Cash Management Business from 2013 to 2014; Member of the Cash Management Group Executive Committee since 2013; Chief Executive Officer of NYSE Liffe U.S. from 2008 to 2013. | |||
Jennifer
McGovern
|
Vice President | Since 2014 | Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2016; Director of BlackRock, Inc. from 2011 to 2015; Head of Product Structure and Oversight for BlackRock’s U.S. Wealth Advisory Group since 2013; Vice President of BlackRock, Inc. from 2008 to 2010. | |||
Neal
J. Andrews
|
Chief Financial Officer | Since 2007 | Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2006; Senior Vice President and Line of Business Head of Fund Accounting and Administration at PNC Global Investment Servicing (U.S.) Inc. from 1992 to 2006. |
Name,
Address
1
and Year of Birth |
Position(s)
Held with the Trust |
Length
of
Time Served as an Officer |
Principal
Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years |
|||
Jay
M. Fife
|
Treasurer | Since 2007 | Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2007; Director of BlackRock, Inc. in 2006; Assistant Treasurer of the MLIM and Fund Asset Management, L.P. advised funds from 2005 to 2006; Director of MLIM Fund Services Group from 2001 to 2006. | |||
Charles
Park
|
Chief
Compliance Officer |
Since 2014 | Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer for the BlackRock-advised Funds in the Equity-Bond Complex, the Equity-Liquidity Complex and the Closed-End Complex from 2014 to 2015; Chief Compliance Officer of BlackRock Advisors, LLC and the BlackRock-advised Funds in the Equity-Bond Complex, the Equity-Liquidity Complex and the Closed-End Complex since 2014; Principal of and Chief Compliance Officer for iShares ® Delaware Trust Sponsor LLC since 2012 and BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BFA”) since 2006; Chief Compliance Officer for the BFA-advised iShares ® exchange traded funds since 2006; Chief Compliance Officer for BlackRock Asset Management International Inc. since 2012. | |||
Fernanda
Piedra
|
Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer | Since 2015 | Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2014; Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer and Regional Head of Financial Crime for the Americas at BlackRock, Inc. since 2014; Head of Regulatory Changes and Remediation for the Asset Wealth Management Division of Deutsche Bank from 2010 to 2014; Vice President of Goldman Sachs (Anti-Money Laundering/Suspicious Activities Group) from 2004 to 2010. | |||
Benjamin
Archibald
|
Secretary | Since 2012 | Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2014; Director of BlackRock, Inc. from 2010 to 2013; Secretary of the iShares ® exchange traded funds since 2015; Secretary of the BlackRock-advised mutual funds since 2012. |
1 | The address of each Officer is c/o BlackRock, Inc., 55 East 52 nd Street, New York, NY 10055. |
2 | Officers of the Trust serve at the pleasure of the Board. |
Name of Trustee |
Aggregate
Dollar Range of Equity Securities in Mid-Cap Growth Equity |
Aggregate
Dollar Range of Equity Securities in Advantage Small Cap Growth |
Aggregate
Dollar Range
of Equity Securities in Supervised Funds |
|||
Interested Trustees: | ||||||
Barbara G.
Novick
|
None | None | Over $100,000 | |||
John M.
Perlowski
|
None | None | Over $100,000 | |||
Independent Trustees: | ||||||
Susan J.
Carter
|
None | None | $50,001-$100,000 | |||
Collette
Chilton
|
None | None | Over $100,000 | |||
Neil A.
Cotty
|
None | None | Over $100,000 | |||
Rodney D. Johnson
|
Over $100,000 | None | Over $100,000 |
Name of Trustee |
Aggregate
Dollar Range of Equity Securities in Mid-Cap Growth Equity |
Aggregate
Dollar Range of Equity Securities in Advantage Small Cap Growth |
Aggregate
Dollar Range
of Equity Securities in Supervised Funds |
|||
Cynthia A.
Montgomery
|
None | None | Over $100,000 | |||
Joseph P.
Platt
|
None | None | Over $100,000 | |||
Robert C. Robb,
Jr
|
None | None | Over $100,000 | |||
Mark
Stalnecker
|
None | None | Over $100,000 | |||
Kenneth L. Urish
|
None | None | Over $100,000 | |||
Claire A.
Walton
|
None | None | Over $100,000 | |||
Frederick W. Winter
|
None | $10,001—$50,000 | Over $100,000 |
Name |
Compensation
from Mid-Cap Growth Equity |
Compensation
from Advantage Small Cap Growth |
Estimated
Annual Benefits Upon Retirement |
Aggregate
Compensation from the Funds and Other BlackRock- Advised Funds 1 |
||||
Independent Trustees | ||||||||
David O.
Beim
2
|
$1,719 | $2,205 | None | $380,000 | ||||
Susan J.
Carter
3
|
$1,267 | $1,544 | None | $339,203 | ||||
Collette
Chilton
|
$1,685 | $2,155 | None | $370,000 | ||||
Neil A.
Cotty
3
|
$1,267 | $1,544 | None | $339,203 | ||||
Frank J.
Fabozzi
4
|
$412 | $602 | None | $433,343 | ||||
Dr. Matina S.
Horner
2
|
$1,719 | $2,205 | None | $380,000 | ||||
Rodney D.
Johnson
5
|
$2,048 | $2,687 | None | $472,500 | ||||
Herbert I.
London
6
|
$307 | $447 | None | None | ||||
Cynthia A.
Montgomery
7
|
$1,616 | $2,087 | None | $362,500 | ||||
Joseph P.
Platt
8
|
$1,719 | $2,205 | None | $380,000 | ||||
Robert C. Robb,
Jr.
|
$1,685 | $2,155 | None | $370,000 | ||||
Toby
Rosenblatt
6
|
$307 | $447 | None | None |
Name |
Compensation
from Mid-Cap Growth Equity |
Compensation
from Advantage Small Cap Growth |
Estimated
Annual Benefits Upon Retirement |
Aggregate
Compensation from the Funds and Other BlackRock- Advised Funds 1 |
||||
Mark
Stalnecker
9
|
$1,685 | $2,155 | None | $370,000 | ||||
Kenneth L.
Urish
10
|
$1,754 | $2,256 | None | $390,000 | ||||
Claire A.
Walton
3
|
$1,267 | $1,544 | None | $339,203 | ||||
Frederick W.
Winter
|
$1,685 | $2,155 | None | $370,000 | ||||
Interested Trustees | ||||||||
Barbara G.
Novick
|
None | None | None | None | ||||
John M.
Perlowski
|
None | None | None | None |
1 | For the number of BlackRock-advised Funds from which each Trustee receives compensation, see the Biographical Information chart beginning on page I-10. |
2 | Mr. Beim and Dr. Horner retired as Trustees of the Trust effective December 31, 2016. Mr. Beim and Dr. Horner also retired as a director or trustee of all other BlackRock-advised Funds effective December 31, 2016. |
3 | Each of Mses. Carter and Walton and Mr. Cotty was elected to serve as a Trustee of the Trust effective February 8, 2016. |
4 | Mr. Fabozzi resigned as a Trustee of the Trust effective February 5, 2016. After his resignation, Mr. Fabozzi served as a consultant to the Board through the first quarter of 2016, and received a fee for such services. Mr. Fabozzi will continue as a board member of the funds in the Closed-End Complex. |
5 | Chair of the Board. |
6 | Messrs. London and Rosenblatt retired as Trustees of the Trust effective December 31, 2015. Messrs. London and Rosenblatt also retired as a director or trustee of all other BlackRock-advised Funds effective December 31, 2015. |
7 | Chair of the Governance Committee. |
8 | Chair of the Compliance Committee. |
9 | Chair of the Performance Oversight Committee. |
10 | Chair of the Audit Committee. |
Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2016 | ||||||
Fund |
Fees
Paid
to BlackRock |
Fees
Waived
by BlackRock 1 |
Expenses
Reimbursed by BlackRock |
|||
Mid-Cap Growth Equity
|
$4,196,774 | $13,337 | $98,983 | |||
Advantage Small Cap
Growth
|
$4,161,941 | $ 5,769 | $ 0 |
1 | In addition to the contractual waivers discussed above and in the prospectus, BlackRock has voluntarily agreed to waive a |
Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2015 | ||||||
Fund |
Fees
Paid
to BlackRock |
Fees
Waived
by BlackRock 1 |
Expenses
Reimbursed by BlackRock |
|||
Mid-Cap Growth Equity
|
$3,603,226 | $ 6,626 | $51,889 | |||
Advantage Small Cap
Growth
|
$4,747,228 | $11,872 | $ 0 |
1 | In addition to the contractual waivers discussed above and in the prospectus, BlackRock has voluntarily agreed to waive a |
Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2014 | ||||||
Fund |
Fees
Paid
to BlackRock |
Fees
Waived
by BlackRock 1 |
Expenses
Reimbursed by BlackRock |
|||
Mid-Cap Growth
Equity
|
$3,075,521 | $1,675 | $92,770 | |||
Advantage Small Cap
Growth
|
$5,107,392 | $8,871 | $ 0 |
1 | In addition to the contractual waivers discussed above and in the prospectus, BlackRock has voluntarily agreed to waive a |
Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2016 | ||||
Fund |
Fees
Paid to
the Administrators |
Fees
Waived by
the Administrators |
||
Mid-Cap Growth Equity
|
$327,175 | $83,973 | ||
Advantage Small Cap
Growth
|
$466,576 | $ 0 |
Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2015 | ||||
Fund |
Fees
Paid to
the Administrators |
Fees
Waived by
the Administrators |
||
Mid-Cap Growth Equity
|
$317,826 | $55,114 |
Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2015 | ||||
Fund |
Fees
Paid to
the Administrators |
Fees
Waived by
the Administrators |
||
Advantage Small Cap Growth
|
$599,424 | $ 91 |
Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2014 | ||||
Fund |
Fees
Paid to
the Administrators |
Fees
Waived by
the Administrators |
||
Mid-Cap Growth Equity
|
$384,400 | $82,409 | ||
Advantage Small Cap
Growth
|
$877,039 | $ 0 |
Fiscal Year Ended September 30, | ||||||
Fund | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | |||
Mid-Cap Growth
Equity
|
$132,150 | $145,405 | $148,181 | |||
Advantage Small Cap
Growth
|
$ 14,850 | $ 13,309 | $ 10,798 |
Advantage Small Cap Growth |
Number
of Other Accounts Managed
and Assets by Account Type |
Number
of Other Accounts and Assets for
Which Advisory Fee is Performance-Based |
||||
Name of Portfolio Manager |
Other
Registered Investment Companies |
Other
Pooled
Investment Vehicles |
Other
Accounts |
Other
Registered Investment Companies |
Other
Pooled
Investment Vehicles |
Other
Accounts |
Travis Cooke | 6 | 26 | 17 | 0 | 26 | 17 |
$555.6 Million | $6.26 Billion | $7.30 Billion | $0 | $6.26 Billion | $7.30 Billion |
Portfolio Manager | Fund Name | Applicable Benchmarks | ||
Lawrence
Kemp
Kathryn Mongelli Phil Ruvinsky |
Mid-Cap Growth Equity | Lipper Large Cap Growth fund classification, Lipper Mid-Cap Growth fund classification and eVestment Alliance US Large Cap Growth Equity category | ||
Travis Cooke | Advantage Small Cap Growth | No Benchmarks |
Portfolio Manager | Fund Managed | Dollar Range | ||
Lawrence
Kemp
|
Mid-Cap Growth Equity | Over $1 Million | ||
Kathryn
Mongelli
|
Mid-Cap Growth Equity | $10,001–$50,000 | ||
Phil
Ruvinsky
|
Mid-Cap Growth Equity | $100,001–$500,000 | ||
Travis
Cooke
|
Advantage Small Cap Growth | None |
Investor A Shares | ||||||||
For the Fiscal Year Ended September 30, |
Gross
Sales Charges Collected |
Sales
Charges Retained by BRIL |
Sales
Charges Paid To Affiliates |
CDSCs
Received on Redemption of Load-Waived Shares |
||||
2016
|
$760,183 | $59,038 | $59,038 | $12,415 | ||||
2015
|
$480,743 | $34,725 | $34,725 | $ 3,392 | ||||
2014
|
$309,173 | $23,384 | $23,408 | $ 761 |
Investor B Shares | ||||
For the Fiscal Year Ended September 30, |
CDSCs
Received by BRIL |
CDSCs
Paid to Affiliates |
||
2016
|
$ 0 | $ 0 | ||
2015
|
$ 82 | $ 82 |
Investor B Shares | ||||
For the Fiscal Year Ended September 30, |
CDSCs
Received by BRIL |
CDSCs
Paid to Affiliates |
||
2014
|
$566 | $566 |
Investor C Shares | ||||
For the Fiscal Year Ended September 30, |
CDSCs
Received by BRIL |
CDSCs
Paid to Affiliates |
||
2016
|
$18,834 | $18,834 | ||
2015
|
$ 5,834 | $ 5,834 | ||
2014
|
$ 3,317 | $ 3,317 |
Investor A Shares | ||||||||
For the Fiscal Year Ended September 30, |
Gross
Sales Charges Collected |
Sales
Charges Retained by BRIL |
Sales
Charges Paid To Affiliates |
CDSCs
Received on Redemption of Load-Waived Shares |
||||
2016
|
$125,081 | $10,472 | $10,472 | $ 291 | ||||
2015
|
$185,849 | $15,295 | $15,295 | $ 724 | ||||
2014
|
$222,888 | $18,348 | $18,348 | $2,372 |
Investor C Shares | ||||
For the Fiscal Year Ended September 30, |
CDSCs
Received by BRIL |
CDSCs
Paid to Affiliates |
||
2016
|
$2,098 | $2,098 | ||
2015
|
$2,746 | $2,746 | ||
2014
|
$2,806 | $2,806 |
Fund |
Net
Shareholder
Servicing Fees |
|
Mid-Cap Growth
Equity
|
$931,538 | |
Advantage Small Cap Growth
|
$597,430 |
Fund |
Net
Distribution Fees |
Net
Shareholder
Servicing Fees |
||
Mid-Cap Growth Equity
|
$12,182 | $4,060 |
Fund |
Net
Distribution Fees |
Net
Shareholder
Servicing Fees |
||
Mid-Cap Growth Equity
|
$380,947 | $126,983 | ||
Advantage Small Cap
Growth
|
$184,681 | $ 61,560 |
Fund |
Net
Shareholder
Servicing Fees |
|
Mid-Cap Growth Equity
|
$ 4,535 | |
Advantage Small Cap Growth
|
$39,604 |
Fund |
Net
Distribution Fees |
Net
Shareholder
Servicing Fees |
||
Mid-Cap Growth
Equity
|
$18,606 | $18,606 |
Computation of Offering Price Per Share: |
Mid-Cap
Growth Equity |
Advantage
Small Cap Growth |
|
Net Assets
|
$394,544,218 | $250,357,330 | |
Number of Shares
Outstanding
|
25,195,920 | 17,534,502 | |
Net Asset Value Per Share (net assets divided by number of shares
outstanding)
|
$15.66 | $14.28 | |
Sales Charge (5.25% of offering price; 5.54% of net asset value per
share)
1
|
0.87 | 0.79 | |
Offering Price
|
$16.53 | $15.07 |
1 | Rounded to the nearest one-hundredth percent; assumes maximum sales charge is applicable. |
Aggregate
Brokerage Commissions Paid
Fiscal Year Ended September 30, |
|||||
2016 | 2015 | 2014 | |||
Mid-Cap Growth
Equity
|
$364,278 | $ 427,963 | $ 458,991 | ||
Advantage Small Cap
Growth
1
|
$700,768 | $1,209,719 | $1,559,847 |
1 | The decrease in brokerage commissions paid by the Fund was due to a decrease in trading activity. |
Fund |
Amount
of Commissions
Paid to Brokers for Providing 28(e) Eligible Research Services |
Amount
of Brokerage
Transactions Involved |
||
Mid-Cap Growth Equity
|
$364,278 | $ 869,867,666 |
Fund |
Amount
of Commissions
Paid to Brokers for Providing 28(e) Eligible Research Services |
Amount
of Brokerage
Transactions Involved |
||
Advantage Small Cap Growth
|
$645,148 | $1,515,623,534 |
Fiscal Year Ended September 30, |
Mid-Cap
Growth Equity |
Advantage
Small Cap Growth |
||
2016
|
$43,167 | $251,995 | ||
2015
|
$22,305 | $384,168 | ||
2014
|
$28,217 | $304,665 |
Name | Address | Percentage | Class | |||
NFS LLC FEBO |
499
Washington Boulevard FL 5
Jersey City, NJ 07310-2010 |
9.94% | Investor A Shares | |||
Edward D. Jones And Co. |
12555
Manchester Road
St Louis, MO 63131-3710 |
7.90% | Investor A Shares | |||
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated |
4800
Deer Lake Drive East 3
rd
FL
Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484 |
6.35% | Investor A Shares | |||
Pershing LLC |
1
Pershing Plaza
Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001 |
20.74% | Investor B Shares | |||
NFS LLC FEBO |
499
Washington Boulevard
Jersey City, NJ 07310 |
5.94% | Investor B Shares | |||
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated |
4800
Deer Lake Drive East 3
rd
FL
Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484 |
18.83% | Investor C Shares | |||
UBS WM USA |
1000
Harbor Boulevard
Weehowken, NJ 07086 |
12.78% | Investor C Shares | |||
Morgan Stanley & Co. |
Harborside
Financial Center
Plaza II 3 rd FL Jersey City, NJ 07311 |
8.52% | Investor C Shares | |||
Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC |
2801
Market Street
Saint Louis, MO 63103 |
7.21% | Investor C Shares | |||
Pershing LLC |
1
Pershing Plaza
Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001 |
6.15% | Investor C Shares | |||
LPL Financial Omnibus Customer Account |
4707
Executive Drive
San Diego, CA 92121 |
5.67% | Investor C Shares | |||
Raymond James Omnibus Mutual Funds |
880
Carillon Parkway
St. Petersburg, FL 33716 |
5.64% | Investor C Shares |
Name | Address | Percentage | Class | |||
RBC Capital Markets Corp FBO Mutual Fund Omnibus Processing |
60
South 6
th
Street
Minneapolis, MN 55402-4400 |
5.34% | Investor C Shares | |||
Wells Fargo Clearing Svcs. LLC |
2801
Market Street
Saint Louis, MO 63103 |
19.74% | Institutional Shares | |||
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated |
4800
Deer Lake Drive East 3
rd
FL
Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484 |
13.35% | Institutional Shares | |||
UBS WM USA |
1000
Harbor Boulevard
Weehowken, NJ 07086 |
12.85% | Institutional Shares | |||
Edward D. Jones And Co. |
1255
Manchester Road
St Louis, MO 63131-3710 |
5.95% | Institutional Shares | |||
NFS LLC |
499
Washington Boulevard FL 5
Jersey City, NJ 07310-2010 |
5.66% | Institutional Shares | |||
Pershing LLC |
1
Pershing Plaza
Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001 |
5.38% | Institutional Shares | |||
Morgan Stanley & Co. |
Harborside
Financial Center
Plaza II 3 rd FL Jersey City, NJ 07311 |
5.00% | Institutional Shares | |||
TD Ameritrade FBO |
P.O.
Box 226
Omaha, NE 68103 |
35.13% | Service Shares | |||
NFS LLC FEBO |
499
Washington Boulevard FL 5
Jersey City, NJ 07310-2010 |
21.16% | Service Shares | |||
CBNA As Direct Trustee FBO |
6
Rhoads Drive Suite 7
Utica, NY 13502 |
13.68% | Service Shares | |||
Raymond James Omnibus Fund |
880
Carillon Parkway
St Petersburg, FL 33716 |
11.45% | Service Shares | |||
RBC Capital Markets LLC Mutual Fund Omnibus Processing |
60
South 6
th
Street
Minneapolis, MN 55402-4400 |
10.18% | Service Shares | |||
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated |
4800
Deer Lake Drive East 3
rd
FL
Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484 |
45.47% | Class R Shares | |||
Hartford Life Insurance Company |
P.O.
Box 2999
Hartford, CT 06104-2999 |
9.28% | Class R Shares | |||
BlackRock Holdco2 Inc |
40
East 52
nd
Street Fl. 10
New York, NY 10022-5911 |
98.52% | Class K Shares |
Name | Address | Percentage | Class | |||
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated |
4800
Deer Lake Drive East 3
rd
FL
Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484 |
46.67% | Investor A Shares | |||
NFS LLC FEBO |
499
Washington Boulevard FL 5
Jersey City, NJ 07310-2010 |
9.00% | Investor A Shares | |||
Pershing LLC |
1
Pershing Plaza
Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001 |
5.18% | Investor A Shares | |||
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated |
4800
Deer Lake Drive East 3
rd
FL
Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484 |
27.60% | Investor C Shares |
Name | Address | Percentage | Class | |||
RBC Capital Markets Corp FBO Mutual Fund Omnibus Processing |
60
South 6
th
Street
Minneapolis, MN 55402-4400 |
19.62% | Investor C Shares | |||
Morgan Stanley & Co. |
Harborside
Financial Center
Plaza II 3 rd FL Jersey City, NJ 07311 |
8.71% | Investor C Shares | |||
Pershing LLC |
1
Pershing Plaza
Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001 |
5.35% | Investor C Shares | |||
LPL Financial Omnibus Customer Account |
4707
Executive Drive
San Diego, CA 92121 |
19.05% | Institutional Shares | |||
Fidelity Investments Institutional Op Co. Inc. FIIOC |
100
Magellan Way
Covington, KY 41015-0000 |
15.36% | Institutional Shares | |||
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated |
4800
Deer Lake Drive East
Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484 |
14.76% | Institutional Shares | |||
Blackrock Advisors LLC Growth Portfolio Option |
100
Bellevue Parkway
Wilmington, DE 19809 |
6.40% | Institutional Shares | |||
Great-West
Trust Company LLC
Retirement Plans |
8515
East Orchard Road 2T2
Greenwood Village, CO 80111 |
37.9% | Service Shares | |||
Vanguard Fiduciary Trust Company Attn Outside Funds K 22 |
P.O.
Box 2600
Valley Forge, PA 19482-2600 |
19.49% | Service Shares | |||
ICMA Retirement Corportation |
777
North Capitol Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002 |
11.34% | Service Shares | |||
NFS LLC FEBO |
499
Washington Boulevard FL 5
Jersey City, NJ 07310-2010 |
10.26% | Service Shares |
• | Junk bonds may be issued by less creditworthy companies. These securities are vulnerable to adverse changes in the issuer’s industry and to general economic conditions. Issuers of junk bonds may be unable to meet their interest or principal payment obligations because of an economic downturn, specific issuer developments or the unavailability of additional financing. |
• | The issuers of junk bonds may have a larger amount of outstanding debt relative to their assets than issuers of investment grade bonds. If the issuer experiences financial stress, it may be unable to meet its debt obligations. The issuer’s ability to pay its debt obligations also may be lessened by specific issuer developments, or the unavailability of additional financing. Issuers of high yield securities are often in the growth stage of their development and/or involved in a reorganization or takeover. |
• | Junk bonds are frequently ranked junior to claims by other creditors. If the issuer cannot meet its obligations, the senior obligations are generally paid off before the junior obligations, which will potentially limit a Fund’s ability to fully recover principal or to receive interest payments when senior securities are in default. Thus, investors in high yield securities have a lower degree of protection with respect to principal and interest payments then do investors in higher rated securities. |
• | Junk bonds frequently have redemption features that permit an issuer to repurchase the security from a Fund before it matures. If an issuer redeems the junk bonds, a Fund may have to invest the proceeds in bonds with lower yields and may lose income. |
• | Prices of junk bonds are subject to extreme price fluctuations. Negative economic developments may have a greater impact on the prices of junk bonds than on those of other higher rated fixed-income securities. |
• | Junk bonds may be less liquid than higher rated fixed-income securities even under normal economic conditions. Under certain economic and/or market conditions, a Fund may have difficulty disposing of certain high yield securities due to the limited number of investors in that sector of the market. There are fewer dealers in the junk bond market, and there may be significant differences in the prices quoted for junk bonds by the dealers, and such quotations may not be the actual prices available for a purchase or sale. Because junk bonds are less liquid, judgment may play a greater role in valuing certain of a Fund’s portfolio securities than in the case of securities trading in a more liquid market. |
• | The secondary markets for high yield securities are not as liquid as the secondary markets for higher rated securities. The secondary markets for high yield securities are concentrated in relatively few market makers and participants in the markets are mostly institutional investors, including insurance companies, banks, other financial institutions and mutual funds. In addition, the trading volume for high yield securities is generally lower than that for higher rated securities and the secondary markets could contract under adverse market or economic conditions independent of any specific adverse changes in the condition of a particular issuer. Under certain economic and/or market conditions, a Fund may have difficulty disposing of certain high yield securities due to the limited number of investors in that sector of the market. An illiquid secondary market may adversely affect the market price of the high yield security, which may result in increased difficulty selling the particular issue and obtaining accurate market quotations on the issue when valuing a Fund’s assets. Market quotations on high yield securities are available only from a limited number of dealers, and such quotations may not be the actual prices available for a purchase or sale. When the secondary market for high yield securities becomes more illiquid, or in the absence of readily available market quotations for such securities, the relative lack of reliable objective data makes it more difficult to value a Fund’s securities, and judgment plays a more important role in determining such valuations. |
• | A Fund may incur expenses to the extent necessary to seek recovery upon default or to negotiate new terms with a defaulting issuer. |
• | The junk bond markets may react strongly to adverse news about an issuer or the economy, or to the perception or expectation of adverse news, whether or not it is based on fundamental analysis. Additionally, prices for high yield securities may be affected by legislative and regulatory developments. These developments could adversely affect a Fund’s net asset value and investment practices, the secondary market for high yield securities, the financial condition of issuers of these securities and the value and liquidity of outstanding high yield securities, especially in a thinly traded market. For example, federal legislation requiring the divestiture by federally insured savings and loan associations of their investments in high yield bonds and limiting the deductibility of interest by certain corporate issuers of high yield bonds adversely affected the market in the past. |
• | The rating assigned by a rating agency evaluates the issuing agency’s assessment of the safety of a non-investment grade security’s principal and interest payments, but does not address market value risk. Because such ratings of the ratings agencies may not always reflect current conditions and events, in addition to using recognized rating agencies and other sources, the sub-adviser performs its own analysis of the issuers whose non-investment grade securities a Fund holds. Because of this, the Fund’s performance may depend more on the sub-adviser’s own credit analysis than in the case of mutual funds investing in higher-rated securities. |
(a) | U.S. dollar-denominated obligations issued or supported by the credit of U.S. or foreign banks or savings institutions with total assets in excess of $1 billion (including assets of domestic and foreign branches of such banks); |
(b) | high quality commercial paper and other obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. and foreign corporations and other issuers rated (at the time of purchase) A-2 or higher by S&P, Prime-2 or higher by Moody’s or F-2 or higher by Fitch, as well as high quality corporate bonds rated (at the time of purchase) A or higher by those rating agencies; |
(c) | unrated notes, paper and other instruments that are of comparable quality to the instruments described in (b) above as determined by the Fund’s Manager; |
(d) | asset-backed securities (including interests in pools of assets such as mortgages, installment purchase obligations and credit card receivables); |
(e) | securities issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. Government or by its agencies or authorities and related custodial receipts; |
(f) | dollar-denominated securities issued or guaranteed by foreign governments or their political subdivisions, agencies or authorities; |
(g) | funding agreements issued by highly-rated U.S. insurance companies; |
(h) | securities issued or guaranteed by state or local governmental bodies; |
(i) | repurchase agreements relating to the above instruments; |
(j) | municipal bonds and notes whose principal and interest payments are guaranteed by the U.S. Government or one of its agencies or instrumentalities or which otherwise depend directly or indirectly on the credit of the United States; |
(k) | fixed and variable rate notes and similar debt instruments rated MIG-2, VMIG-2 or Prime-2 or higher by Moody’s, SP-2 or A-2 or higher by S&P, or F-2 or higher by Fitch; |
(l) | tax-exempt commercial paper and similar debt instruments rated Prime-2 or higher by Moody’s, A-2 or higher by S&P, or F-2 or higher by Fitch; |
(m) | municipal bonds rated A or higher by Moody’s, S&P or Fitch; |
(n) | unrated notes, paper or other instruments that are of comparable quality to the instruments described above, as determined by the Fund’s Manager under guidelines established by the Board; and |
(o) | municipal bonds and notes which are guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. Government or an agency or instrumentality thereof or which otherwise depend directly or indirectly on the credit of the United States. |
• | Portfolio Characteristics: Portfolio characteristics include, but are not limited to, sector allocation, credit quality breakdown, maturity distribution, duration and convexity measures, average credit quality, average maturity, average coupon, top 10 holdings with percent of the fund held, average market capitalization, capitalization range, ROE, P/E, P/B, P/CF, P/S, and EPS. Additional characteristics specific to money market funds include, but are not limited to, historical daily and weekly liquid assets (as defined under Rule 2a-7) and historical fund net inflows and outflows. |
• | Portfolio Holdings: Portfolio holdings include, but are not limited to, issuer name, CUSIP, ticker symbol, total shares and market value for equity portfolios and issuer name, CUSIP, ticker symbol, coupon, maturity current face value and market value for fixed-income portfolios. Other information that will be treated as portfolio holdings for purposes of the Guidelines includes but is not limited to quantity, SEDOL, market price, yield, WAL, duration and convexity as of a specific date. For derivatives, indicative data may also be provided, including but not limited to, pay leg, receive leg, notional amount, reset frequency, and trade counterparty. Risk related information ( e.g. , value at risk, standard deviation) will be treated as portfolio holdings. |
Open-End Mutual Funds (Excluding Money Market Funds) | |||
Time Periods (Calendar Days) | |||
Prior
to 5
Calendar Days After Month-End |
5-20
Calendar
Days After Month-End |
20 Calendar Days After Month-End To Date of Public Filing | |
Portfolio
Holdings |
Cannot disclose without non-disclosure or confidentiality agreement and Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) approval. | May disclose to shareholders, prospective shareholders, intermediaries, consultants and third-party data providers ( e.g. , Lipper, Morningstar and Bloomberg), except with respect to Global Allocation funds* (whose holdings may be disclosed 40 calendar days after quarter-end based on the applicable fund’s fiscal year end). If portfolio holdings are disclosed to one party, they must also be disclosed to all other parties requesting the same information. | |
Portfolio
Characteristics |
Cannot disclose without non-disclosure or confidentiality agreement and CCO approval*, ** | May disclose to shareholders, prospective shareholders, intermediaries, consultants and third-party data providers ( e.g ., Lipper, Morningstar and Bloomberg). If portfolio characteristics are disclosed to one party, they must also be disclosed to all other parties requesting the same information. | |
*Global
Allocation:
For purposes of portfolio holdings, Global Allocation funds include BlackRock Global Allocation Fund, Inc., BlackRock Global Allocation Portfolio of BlackRock Series Fund, Inc. and BlackRock Global
Allocation V.I. Fund of BlackRock Variable Series Funds, Inc. Information on certain portfolio characteristics of BlackRock Global Allocation Portfolio and BlackRock Global Allocation V.I. Fund are available, upon request, to insurance companies
that use these funds as underlying investments (and to advisers and sub-advisers of funds invested in BlackRock Global Allocation Portfolio and BlackRock Global Allocation V.I. Fund) in their variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance
policies on a weekly basis (or such other period as may be determined to be appropriate). Disclosure of such characteristics of these two funds constitutes a disclosure of Confidential Information and is being made for reasons deemed appropriate by
BlackRock and in accordance with the requirements set forth in the Guidelines.
**Strategic Income Opportunities: Information on certain portfolio characteristics of the Strategic Income Opportunities Portfolio may be made available to shareholders, prospective shareholders, intermediaries, consultants and third party data providers, upon request on a more frequent basis as may be deemed appropriate by BlackRock from time-to-time. |
Money Market Funds | ||
Time Periods (Calendar Days) | ||
Prior
to 5 Calendar Days
After Month-End |
5
Calendar Days After
Month-End to Date of Public Filing |
|
Portfolio
Holdings |
Cannot
disclose without non-disclosure or confidentiality agreement and CCO approval except the following portfolio holdings information may be released as follows:
• Weekly portfolio holdings information released on the website at least one business day after week-end. • Other information as may be required under Rule 2a-7 ( e.g., name of issuer, category of investment, principal amount, maturity dates, yields). |
May disclose to shareholders, prospective shareholders, intermediaries, consultants and third-party data providers. If portfolio holdings are disclosed to one party, they must also be disclosed to all other parties requesting the same information. |
Portfolio
Characteristics |
Cannot
disclose without non-disclosure or confidentiality agreement and CCO approval except the following information may be released on the Fund’s website daily:
• Historical net asset values per share (“NAVs”) calculated based on market factors ( e.g., marked to market) • Percentage of fund assets invested in daily and weekly liquid assets (as defined under Rule 2a-7) • Daily net inflows and outflows • Yields, SEC yields, WAM, WAL, current assets • Other information as may be required by Rule 2a-7 |
May disclose to shareholders, prospective shareholders, intermediaries, consultants and third-party data providers. If portfolio characteristics are disclosed to one party, they must also be disclosed to all other parties requesting the same information. |
(i) | the preparation and posting of the Fund’s portfolio holdings and/or portfolio characteristics to its website on a more frequent basis than authorized above; |
(ii) | the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings to third-party service providers not noted above; and |
(iii) | the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings and/or portfolio characteristics to other parties for legitimate business purposes. |
• | Fund Fact Sheets are available to shareholders, prospective shareholders, intermediaries and consultants on a monthly or quarterly basis no earlier than the fifth calendar day after the end of a month or quarter. |
• | Money Market Performance Reports are available to shareholders, prospective shareholders, intermediaries and consultants by the tenth calendar day of the month (and on a one day lag for certain institutional funds). They contain monthly money market Fund performance, rolling 12-month average and benchmark performance. |
1. | Fund’s Board of Directors and, if necessary, Independent Directors’ counsel and Fund counsel. |
2. | Fund’s Transfer Agent |
3. | Fund’s Custodian |
4. | Fund’s Administrator, if applicable. |
5. | Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm. |
6. | Fund’s accounting services provider |
7. | Independent rating agencies — Morningstar, Inc., Lipper Inc., S&P, Moody’s, Fitch |
8. | Information aggregators — Markit on Demand, Thomson Financial and Bloomberg, eVestments Alliance, Informa/PSN Investment Solutions, Crane Data, and iMoneyNet. |
9. | Sponsors of 401(k) plans that include BlackRock-advised funds — E.I. Dupont de Nemours and Company, Inc. |
10. | Consultants for pension plans that invest in BlackRock-advised funds — Rocaton Investment Advisors, LLC, Mercer Investment Consulting, Callan Associates, Brockhouse & Cooper, Cambridge Associates, Morningstar/Investorforce, Russell Investments (Mellon Analytical Solutions) and Wilshire Associates. |
11. | Pricing Vendors — Reuters Pricing Service, Bloomberg, FT Interactive Data (FT IDC), ITG, Telekurs Financial, FactSet Research Systems, Inc., JP Morgan Pricing Direct (formerly Bear Stearns Pricing Service), Standard and Poor’s Security Evaluations Service, Lehman Index Pricing, Bank of America High Yield Index, Loan Pricing Corporation (LPC), LoanX, Super Derivatives, IBOXX Index, Barclays Euro Gov’t Inflation-Linked Bond Index, JPMorgan Emerging & Developed Market Index, Reuters/WM Company, Nomura BPI Index, Japan Securities Dealers Association, Valuation Research Corporation and Murray, Devine & Co., Inc. |
12. | Portfolio Compliance Consultants — Oracle/i-Flex Solutions, Inc. |
13. | Third-party feeder funds — Hewitt Money Market Fund, Hewitt Series Fund, Hewitt Financial Services LLC, Homestead, Inc., Transamerica, State Farm Mutual Fund and Sterling Capital Funds and their respective boards, sponsors, administrators and other service providers. |
14. | Affiliated feeder funds — BlackRock Cayman Prime Money Market Fund, Ltd. and BlackRock Cayman Treasury Money Market Fund Ltd., and their respective boards, sponsors, administrators and other service providers. |
15. | Other — Investment Company Institute, Mizuho Asset Management Co., Ltd. and Nationwide Fund Advisors. |
All
Funds Except
Balanced Capital |
Balanced Capital | ||
Less than
$3,000,000
|
1.00% | 0.75% | |
$3 million but less than $15
million
|
0.50% | 0.50% | |
$15 million and
above
|
0.25% | 0.25% |
Years
Since Purchase
Payment Made |
CDSC
as a Percentage
of Dollar Amount Subject to Charge* |
|
0 – 1
|
4.50% | |
1 – 2
|
4.00% | |
2 – 3
|
3.50% | |
3 – 4
|
3.00% | |
4 – 5
|
2.00% | |
5 – 6
|
1.00% | |
6 and thereafter
|
None |
* | The percentage charge will apply to the lesser of the original cost of the shares being redeemed or the proceeds of your redemption. Shares acquired through reinvestment of dividends are not subject to a deferred sales charge. Not all BlackRock funds have identical deferred sales charge schedules. If you exchange your shares for shares of another fund, the original charge will apply. |
Aaa | Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk. |
Aa | Obligations rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk. |
A | Obligations rated A are judged to be upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk. |
Baa | Obligations rated Baa are judged to be medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics. |
Ba | Obligations rated Ba are judged to be speculative and are subject to substantial credit risk. |
B | Obligations rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk. |
Caa | Obligations rated Caa are judged to be speculative of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk. |
Ca | Obligations rated Ca are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest. |
C | Obligations rated C are the lowest rated and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest. |
P-1 | Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations. |
P-2 | Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations. |
P-3 | Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations. |
NP | Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories. |
MIG 1 | This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing. |
MIG 2 | This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group. |
MIG 3 | This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established. |
SG | This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection. |
VMIG 1 | This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand. |
VMIG 2 | This designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand. |
VMIG 3 | This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand. |
SG | This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have an investment grade short-term rating or may lack the structural and/or legal protections necessary to ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand. |
• | Likelihood of payment — capacity and willingness of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on an obligation in accordance with the terms of the obligation; |
• | Nature of and provisions of the obligation, and the promise we impute; |
• | Protection afforded by, and relative position of, the obligation in the event of bankruptcy, reorganization, or other arrangement under the laws of bankruptcy and other laws affecting creditors’ rights. |
AAA | An obligation rated ‘AAA’ has the highest rating assigned by Standard & Poor’s. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong. |
AA | An obligation rated ‘AA’ differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is very strong. |
A | An obligation rated ‘A’ is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is still strong. |
BBB | An obligation rated ‘BBB’ exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. |
BB;
B; CCC; CC; and C |
Obligations rated ‘BB’, ‘B’, ‘CCC’, ‘CC’, and ‘C’ are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. ‘BB’ indicates the least degree of speculation and ‘C’ the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions. |
BB | An obligation rated ‘BB’ is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, which could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. |
B | An obligation rated ‘B’ is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated ‘BB’, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor’s capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. |
CCC | An obligation rated ‘CCC’ is currently vulnerable to nonpayment, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. |
CC | An obligation rated ‘CC’ is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The ‘CC’ rating is used when a default has not yet occurred, but Standard & Poor’s expects default to be a virtual certainty, regardless of the anticipated time to default. |
C | An obligation rated ‘C’ is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, and the obligation is expected to have lower relative seniority or lower ultimate recovery compared to obligations that are rated higher. |
D | An obligation rated ‘D’ is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the ‘D’ rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless Standard & Poor’s believes that such payments will be made within five business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or 30 calendar days. The ‘D’ rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation’s rating is lowered to ‘D’ if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer. |
NR | This indicates that no rating has been requested, or that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that Standard & Poor’s does not rate a particular obligation as a matter of policy. |
A-1 | A short-term obligation rated ‘A-1’ is rated in the highest category by Standard & Poor’s. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on these obligations is extremely strong. |
A-2 | A short-term obligation rated ‘A-2’ is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is satisfactory. |
A-3 | A short-term obligation rated ‘A-3’ exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. |
B | A short-term obligation rated ‘B’ is regarded as vulnerable and has significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments. |
C | A short-term obligation rated ‘C’ is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. |
D | A short-term obligation rated ‘D’ is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the ‘D’ rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless Standard & Poor’s believes that such payments will be made within any stated grace period. However, any stated grace period longer than five business days will be treated as five business days. The ‘D’ rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation’s rating is lowered to ‘D’ if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer. |
• | Amortization schedule — the larger the final maturity relative to other maturities, the more likely it will be treated as a note; and |
• | Source of payment — the more dependent the issue is on the market for its refinancing, the more likely it will be treated as a note. |
Standard & Poor’s municipal short-term note rating symbols are as follows: |
SP-1 | Strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation. |
SP-2 | Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes. |
SP-3 | Speculative capacity to pay principal and interest. |
AAA | Highest credit quality. ‘AAA’ ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit risk. They are assigned only in cases of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events. |
AA | Very high credit quality. ‘AA’ ratings denote expectations of very low credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events. |
A | High credit quality. ‘A’ ratings denote expectations of low credit risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings. |
BBB | Good credit quality. ‘BBB’ ratings indicate that expectations of credit risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity. |
BB | Speculative. ‘BB’ ratings indicate an elevated vulnerability to credit risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time; however, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met. |
B | Highly speculative. ‘B’ ratings indicate that material credit risk is present. |
CCC | Substantial credit risk. ‘CCC’ ratings indicate that substantial credit risk is present. |
CC | Very high levels of credit risk. ‘CC’ ratings indicate very high levels of credit risk. |
C | Exceptionally high levels of credit risk. ‘C’ indicates exceptionally high levels of credit risk. |
F1 | Highest short-term credit quality. Indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added “+” to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature. |
F2 | Good short-term credit quality. Good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments. |
F3 | Fair short-term credit quality. The intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate. |
B | Speculative short-term credit quality. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions. |
C | High short-term default risk. Default is a real possibility. |
RD | Restricted default. Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other financial obligations. Typically applicable to entity ratings only. |
D | Default. Indicates a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a short-term obligation. |
1 | iShares MSCI All Peru Capped ETF, iShares MSCI KLD 400 Social ETF, iShares MSCI USA ESG Select ETF and iShares MSCI ACWI Low Carbon Target ETF have separate Fund Proxy Voting Policies. |
Page | |
|
B-5 |
|
B-5 |
|
B-5 |
|
B-6 |
|
B-7 |
|
B-7 |
|
B-8 |
|
B-8 |
|
B-8 |
|
B-9 |
|
B-9 |
|
B-9 |
|
B-10 |
|
B-11 |
|
B-11 |
• | Boards and directors |
• | Auditors and audit-related issues |
• | Capital structure, mergers, asset sales and other special transactions |
• | Remuneration and benefits |
• | Social, ethical and environmental issues |
• | General corporate governance matters |
• | establishing an appropriate corporate governance structure; |
• | supporting and overseeing management in setting strategy; |
• | ensuring the integrity of financial statements; |
• | making decisions regarding mergers, acquisitions and disposals; |
• | establishing appropriate executive compensation structures; and |
• | addressing business issues including social, ethical and environmental issues when they have the potential to materially impact company reputation and performance. |
• | current employment at the company or a subsidiary; |
• | former employment within the past several years as an executive of the company; |
• | providing substantial professional services to the company and/or members of the company’s management; |
• | having had a substantial business relationship in the past three years; |
• | having, or representing a shareholder with, a substantial shareholding in the company; |
• | being an immediate family member of any of the aforementioned; and |
• | interlocking directorships. |
• | BlackRock has adopted a proxy voting oversight structure whereby the Corporate Governance Committees oversee the voting decisions and other activities of the Corporate Governance Group, and particularly its activities with respect to voting in the relevant region of each Corporate Governance Committee’s jurisdiction. |
• | The Corporate Governance Committees have adopted Guidelines for each region, which set forth the firm’s views with respect to certain corporate governance and other issues that typically arise in the proxy voting context. The Corporate Governance Committees receive periodic reports regarding the specific votes cast by the Corporate Governance Group and regular updates on material process issues, procedural changes and other matters of concern to the Corporate Governance Committees. |
• | BlackRock’s Global Corporate Governance Oversight Committee oversees the Global Head, the Corporate Governance Group and the Corporate Governance Committees. The Global Corporate Governance Oversight Committee conducts a review, at least annually, of the proxy voting process to ensure compliance with BlackRock’s risk policies and procedures. |
• | BlackRock maintains a reporting structure that separates the Global Head and Corporate Governance Group from employees with sales responsibilities. In addition, BlackRock maintains procedures intended to ensure that all engagements with corporate issuers or dissident shareholders are managed consistently and without regard to BlackRock’s relationship with the issuer of the proxy or dissident shareholder. Within the normal course of business, the Global Head or Corporate Governance Group may engage directly with BlackRock clients, and with employees with sales responsibilities, in discussions regarding general corporate governance policy matters, and to otherwise ensure that proxy-related client service levels are met. The Global Head or Corporate Governance Group does not discuss any specific voting matter with a client prior to the disclosure of the vote decision to all applicable clients after the shareholder meeting has taken place, except if the client is acting in the capacity as issuer of the proxy or dissident shareholder and is engaging through the established procedures independent of the client relationship. |
• | In certain instances, BlackRock may determine to engage an independent fiduciary to vote proxies as a further safeguard to avoid potential conflicts of interest or as otherwise required by applicable law. The independent fiduciary may either vote such proxies or provide BlackRock with instructions as to how to vote such proxies. In the latter case, BlackRock votes the proxy in accordance with the independent fiduciary’s determination. Use of an independent fiduciary has been adopted for voting the proxies related to any company that is affiliated with BlackRock or any company that includes BlackRock employees on its board of directors. |
Exhibit
Number |
Description | |
1 | Articles of Incorporation | |
(a) | Declaration of Trust of the Registrant dated December 22, 1988 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (1)(a) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 33 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-26305) (the “Registration Statement”) filed on January 27, 1998. | |
(b) | Amendment No. 1 to Declaration of Trust dated May 4, 1989 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (1)(b) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 33 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on January 27, 1998. | |
(c) | Amendment No. 2 to the Declaration of Trust dated December 23, 1993 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (1)(c) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 33 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on January 27, 1998. | |
(d) | Amendment No. 3 to the Declaration of Trust dated January 5, 1996 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 1(d) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 23 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 18, 1996. | |
(e) | Amendment No. 4 to the Declaration of Trust dated December 23, 1997 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (1)(e) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 33 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on January 27, 1998. | |
(f) | Certification of Classification of Shares dated September 15, 2008 is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 1(g) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 116 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on November 24, 2009. | |
(g) | Certification of Classification of Shares dated March 10, 2009 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 1(f) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 116 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on November 24, 2009. | |
(h) | Certification of Classification of Shares dated May 21, 2010 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 1(h) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 134 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on May 25, 2010. | |
(i) | Certification of Classification of Shares dated November 16, 2010 is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 163 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on April 29, 2011. | |
(j) | Certification of Classification of Shares dated September 23, 2011 is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 186 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on September 29, 2011. | |
(k) | Certification of Classification of Shares dated May 15, 2012 is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 219 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on May 15, 2012. | |
(l) | Certification of Classification of Shares dated July 31, 2012 is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 259 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on December 21, 2012. | |
(m) | Certification of Classification of Shares dated September 21, 2012 is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 259 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on December 21, 2012. | |
(n) | Certification of Classification of Shares dated March 11, 2013 is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 282 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on March 13, 2013. | |
(o) | Certification of Classification of Shares dated April 25, 2013 is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 295 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on May 16, 2013. |
Exhibit
Number |
Description | |
(p) | Certification of Classification of Shares dated June 28, 2013 is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 302 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on July 9, 2013. | |
(q) | Certification of Classification of Shares dated August 16, 2013 is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 308 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on August 16, 2013. | |
(r) | Certification of Classification of Shares dated June 20, 2014 is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 380 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on July 25, 2014. | |
(s) | Certification of Classification of Shares dated October 7, 2014 is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 412 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on December 2, 2014. | |
(t) | Certification of Classification of Shares dated May 4, 2015 is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 454 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on May 13, 2015. | |
(u) | Certification of Classification of Shares dated May 11, 2015 is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 455 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on May 18, 2015. | |
(v) | Certification of Classification of Shares dated May 4, 2015 is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 459 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on May 29, 2015. | |
(w) | Certification of Classification of Shares dated May 4, 2015 is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 465 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on June 8, 2015. | |
(x) | Certification of Classification of Shares dated July 31, 2015 is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 473 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on August 12, 2015. | |
(y) | Certification of Classification of Shares dated September 30, 2015 is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 486 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 5, 2015. | |
(z) | Certification of Classification of Shares dated February 9, 2016 is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 537 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on February 16, 2016 | |
(aa) | Certification of Classification of Shares dated February 18, 2016 is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 545 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on February 22, 2016. | |
(bb) | Certification of Classification of Shares dated January 25, 2016 is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 558 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on March 24, 2016. | |
(cc) | Certification of Classification of Shares dated June 7, 2016 to be filed by amendment. | |
(dd) | Certification of Classification of Shares dated June 29, 2016 is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 590 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on July 12, 2016. | |
(ee) | Certification of Classification of Shares dated July 26, 2016 is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 594 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on July 29, 2016 | |
(ff) | Certification of Classification of Shares dated August 17, 2016 is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 602 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on August 23, 2016. | |
(gg) | Certification of Classification of Shares dated December 15, 2015 is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 610 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 3, 2016. |
Exhibit
Number |
Description | |
(hh) | Certification of Classification of Shares dated May 5, 2016 is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 610 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 3, 2016. | |
(ii) | Certification of Classification of Shares dated November 13, 2016 is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 649 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on December 20, 2016. | |
(jj) | Certification of Classification of Shares dated August 29, 2016 is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 660 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on January 26, 2017. | |
2 | By-laws | |
(a) | Amended and Restated Code of Regulations of the Registrant, effective December 2008 is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2 of Post-Effective Amendment No. 116 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on November 24, 2009. | |
3 | Instruments Defining Rights of Security Holders | |
(a) | Sections V, VIII and IX of Registrant’s Declaration of Trust dated December 22, 1988 are incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (1)(a) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 33 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on January 27, 1998; Article II of Registrant’s Code of Regulations is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 2(a) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 116 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on November 24, 2009. | |
4 | Investment Advisory Contracts. | |
(a) | Form of Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Advisors, LLC relating to existing Portfolios except Index Equity Portfolio is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4(a) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 100 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 13, 2006. | |
(b) | Form of Addendum No. 2 to Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Advisors, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4(c) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 110 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on September 24, 2008. | |
(c) | Form of Addendum No. 3 to Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Advisors, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4(c) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 134 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on May 25, 2010. | |
(d) | Form of Addendum No. 4 to Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Advisors, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4(d) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 163 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on April 29, 2011. | |
(e) | Form of Addendum No. 6 to Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Advisors, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4(e) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 186 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on September 29, 2011. | |
(f) | Form of Addendum No. 7 to Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Advisors, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 259 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on December 21, 2012. | |
(g) | Form of Addendum No. 8 to Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Advisors, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 282 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on March 13, 2013. | |
(h) | Form of Addendum No. 9 to Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Advisors, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 295 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on May 16, 2013. | |
(i) | Form of Sub-Advisory Agreement between BlackRock Advisors, LLC and BlackRock International, Ltd. with respect to the International Opportunities Portfolio is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4(e) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 100 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 13, 2006. |
Exhibit
Number |
Description | |
(j) | Form of Sub-Advisory Agreement between BlackRock Advisors, LLC and BlackRock International Limited with respect to BlackRock Global Long/Short Credit Fund and BlackRock Commodity Strategies Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4(h) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 144 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on January 28, 2011. | |
(k) | Form of Sub-Advisory Agreement between BlackRock Advisors, LLC and BlackRock International Limited with respect to BlackRock Strategic Risk Allocation Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 259 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on December 21, 2012. | |
(l) | Form of Sub-Advisory Agreement between BlackRock Advisors, LLC and BlackRock (Hong Kong) Limited with respect to BlackRock Emerging Markets Dividend Fund (f/k/a BlackRock China Fund) and BlackRock Tactical Opportunities Fund (f/k/a BlackRock Managed Volatility Portfolio) is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 269 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on January 28, 2013. | |
(m) | Form of Sub-Advisory Agreement between BlackRock Advisors, LLC and BlackRock (Singapore) Limited with respect to BlackRock Tactical Opportunities Fund (f/k/a BlackRock Managed Volatility Portfolio) is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 269 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on January 28, 2013. | |
(n) | Form of Sub-Investment Advisory Agreement between BlackRock Advisors, LLC and BlackRock International Limited with respect to BlackRock Total Emerging Markets Fund (f/k/a BlackRock Emerging Market Allocation Portfolio) is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 295 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on May 16, 2013. | |
(o) | Form of Sub-Advisory Agreement between BlackRock Advisors, LLC and BlackRock Asset Management North Asia Limited with respect to BlackRock Total Emerging Markets Fund (f/k/a BlackRock Emerging Market Allocation Portfolio) is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 295 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on May 16, 2013. | |
(p) | Form of Sub-Advisory Agreement between BlackRock Advisors, LLC and BlackRock (Singapore) Limited with respect to BlackRock Total Emerging Markets Fund (f/k/a Emerging Market Allocation Portfolio) is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 295 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on May 16, 2013. | |
(q) | Form of Sub-Investment Advisory Agreement between BlackRock Advisors, LLC and BlackRock International Limited with respect to BlackRock Emerging Markets Dividend Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 308 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on August 16, 2013. | |
(r) | Form of Addendum No. 10 to Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and BlackRock Advisors, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 380 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on July 25, 2014. | |
(s) | Form of Sub-Advisory Agreement between BlackRock Advisors, LLC and Sub-Advisers with respect to the BlackRock Multi-Manager Alternative Strategies Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 380 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on July 25, 2014. | |
(t) | Form of Addendum No. 11 to Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and BlackRock Advisors, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 412 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on December 2, 2014. | |
(u) | Form of Sub-Investment Advisory Agreement between BlackRock Advisors, LLC and BlackRock International Limited with respect to BlackRock Macro Themes Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 412 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on December 2, 2014. | |
(v) | Form of Sub-Investment Advisory Agreement between BlackRock Advisors, LLC and BlackRock International Limited with respect to BlackRock Real Estate Securities Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 450 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on April 29, 2015. | |
(w) | Form of Sub-Advisory Agreement between BlackRock Advisors, LLC and BlackRock (Singapore) Limited with respect to BlackRock Real Estate Securities Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 450 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on April 29, 2015. |
Exhibit
Number |
Description | |
(x) | Form of Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Advisors, LLC with respect to BlackRock Midcap Index Fund, BlackRock MSCI World Index Fund and BlackRock MSCI Asia ex Japan Index Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 454 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on May 13, 2015. | |
(y) | Appendix A to Form of Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Advisors, LLC with respect to BlackRock Midcap Index Fund, BlackRock MSCI World Index Fund and BlackRock MSCI Asia ex Japan Index Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 465 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on June 8, 2015. | |
(z) | Form of Addendum No. 12 to Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and BlackRock Advisors, LLC with respect to BlackRock Alternative Capital Strategies Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 455 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on May 18, 2015. | |
(aa) | Form of Sub-Investment Advisory Agreement between BlackRock Advisors, LLC and BlackRock International Limited with respect to BlackRock Alternative Capital Strategies Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 455 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on May 18, 2015. | |
(bb) | Form of Addendum No. 1 to Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Advisors, LLC with respect to BlackRock Midcap Index Fund, BlackRock MSCI World Index Fund, BlackRock MSCI Asia ex Japan Index Fund and BlackRock Developed Real Estate Index Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 473 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on August 12, 2015. | |
(cc) | Form of Addendum No. 2 to Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Advisors, LLC with respect to BlackRock Midcap Index Fund, BlackRock MSCI World Index Fund, BlackRock MSCI Asia ex Japan Index Fund, BlackRock Developed Real Estate Index Fund and BlackRock Small/Mid Cap Index Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 474 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on August 12, 2015. | |
(dd) | Form of Addendum No. 3 to Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Advisors, LLC with respect to BlackRock Midcap Index Fund, BlackRock MSCI World Index Fund, BlackRock MSCI Asia ex Japan Index Fund, BlackRock Developed Real Estate Index Fund, BlackRock Small/Mid Cap Index Fund and BlackRock Total Stock Market Index Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 475 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on August 12, 2015. | |
(ee) | Form of Addendum No. 13 to Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Advisors, LLC with respect to BlackRock Impact U.S. Equity Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 486 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 5, 2015. | |
(ff) | Form of Addendum No. 5 to Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Advisors, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 491 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on November 24, 2015. | |
(gg) | Form of Amendment to Addendum No. 5 to Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Advisors, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 491 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on November 24, 2015. | |
(hh) | Form of Amended and Restated Addendum No. 10 to Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Advisors, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 491 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on November 24, 2015. | |
(ii) | Form of Addendum No. 4 with respect to BlackRock Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund to Investment Advisory Agreement for certain index funds between Registrant and BlackRock Advisors, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 537 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on February 16, 2016. | |
(jj) | Form of Addendum No. 14 to Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and BlackRock Advisors, LLC with respect to BlackRock Emerging Markets Equity Strategies Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 545 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on February 22, 2016. |
Exhibit
Number |
Description | |
(kk) | Form of Sub-Investment Advisory Agreement between BlackRock Advisors, LLC and BlackRock International Limited with respect to BlackRock Emerging Markets Equity Strategies Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 545 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on February 22, 2016. | |
(ll) | Form of Addendum No. 5 with respect to BlackRock Multifactor USA Index Fund, BlackRock Multifactor International Index Fund, BlackRock Min Vol USA Index Fund and BlackRock Min Vol EAFE Index Fund to Investment Advisory Agreement for certain index funds between Registrant and BlackRock Advisors, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 590 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on July 12, 2016. | |
(mm) | Form of Addendum No. 15 to Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and BlackRock Advisors, LLC with respect to BlackRock Impact Bond Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 602 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on August 23, 2016. | |
(nn) | Form of Sub-Investment Advisory Agreement between BlackRock Advisors, LLC and BlackRock International Limited with respect to BlackRock Impact Bond Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 602 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on August 23, 2016. | |
(oo) | Form of Amendment to Addendum No. 6 to Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Advisors, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 620 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on November 22, 2016 | |
(pp) | Form of Sub-Investment Advisory Agreement between BlackRock Advisors, LLC and BlackRock International Limited with respect to BlackRock Global Long/Short Equity Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 620 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on November 22, 2016. | |
(qq) | Form of Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and BlackRock Fund Advisors with respect to BlackRock USA Momentum Factor Index Fund, BlackRock USA Quality Factor Index Fund, BlackRock USA Size Factor Index Fund and BlackRock USA Value Factor Index Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 649 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on December 20, 2016. | |
(rr) | Form of Amendment No. 2 to Addendum No. 5 to Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Advisors, LLC is filed herewith. | |
5 | Underwriting Contracts | |
(a) | Form of Distribution Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Investments, LLC (formerly BlackRock Investments, Inc.) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 5(a) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 111 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on January 28, 2009. | |
(b) | Exhibit A to Distribution Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Investments, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 259 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on December 21, 2012. | |
(c) | Form of Cooperation Agreement among the Registrant, on behalf of All-Cap Energy & Resources Portfolio, BlackRock Advisors, LLC and UBS AG is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 5(b) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 116 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on November 24, 2009. | |
6 | Bonus or Profit Sharing Contracts | |
(a) | None | |
7 | Custodian Agreements | |
(a) | Amended and Restated Custodian Agreement dated February 10, 2004 between BlackRock Funds and PFPC Trust Company is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 7(a) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 86 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on November 3, 2004. | |
(b) | Custody Agreement dated October 12, 2011 between BlackRock Funds and The Bank of New York Mellon is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 7(b) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 387 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on September 29, 2014. | |
(c) | Reserved |
Exhibit
Number |
Description | |
(d) | Reserved | |
(e) | Sub-Custodian Agreement dated April 27, 1992 among the Registrant, PNC Bank, National Association and The Chase Manhattan Bank is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (8)(e) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 34 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on February 13, 1998. | |
(f) | Global Custody Agreement between Barclays Bank PLC and PNC Bank, National Association dated October 28, 1992 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (8)(f) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 33 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on January 27, 1998. | |
(g) | Form of Custodian Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 7(a) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 110 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on September 24, 2008. | |
(h) | Custodian Agreement between State Street Bank and Trust Company and PNC Bank, National Association dated June 13, 1983 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (8)(g) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 34 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on February 13, 1998. | |
(i) | Amendment No. 1 to Custodian Agreement between State Street Bank and Trust Company and PNC Bank, National Association dated November 21, 1989 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (8)(h) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 34 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on February 13, 1998. | |
(j) | Subcustodial Services Agreement dated October 1, 1996 between PNC Bank, National Association and Citibank, N.A. is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 8(j) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 27 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on January 28, 1997. | |
8 | Other Material Contracts | |
(a) | Form of Administration Agreement dated January 1, 2015 between Registrant and BlackRock Advisors, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 8(a) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 148 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A of BlackRock Funds II (File No. 333-142592), filed on January 28, 2015. | |
(b) | Form of Administration and Accounting Services Agreement dated June 25, 2010 between Registrant and BNY Investment Servicing (US) Inc. (formerly PNC Global Investment Servicing (U.S.) Inc.) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 8(g) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 28 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A of BlackRock Capital Appreciation Fund, Inc. (File No. 33-47875), filed on January 28, 2013. | |
(c) | Form of Administrative Services Agreement dated December 29, 2000 between Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 8(d) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A of BlackRock Focus Growth Fund, Inc. (formerly Merrill Lynch Focus Twenty Fund, Inc.) (File No. 333-89775), filed on March 20, 2001. | |
(d) | Form of Transfer Agency and Shareholder Services Agreement between Registrant and BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 8(a) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 48 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A of BlackRock Series Fund, Inc. (File No. 2-69062), filed on April 18, 2014. | |
(e) | Share Acquisition Agreement dated April 29, 1998 by and among Registrant and PNC Bank, National Association and PNC Bank, Delaware, respectively, each as trustee for certain of the common trust funds listed therein is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 9(l) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 36 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on April 29, 1998. | |
(f) | Form of Seventh Amended and Restated Expense Limitation Agreement by and between Registrant and BlackRock Advisors, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 8(f) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 50 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A of Funds For Institutions Series (File No. 33-14190), filed on August 26, 2015. | |
(g) | Form of Amended and Restated Shareholders’ Administrative Services Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Advisors, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 8(g) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 450 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on April 29, 2015. | |
(h) | Form of Third Amended and Restated Credit Agreement among the Registrant, a syndicate of banks and certain other parties is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 56 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A of BlackRock Pacific Fund, Inc. (File No. 2-56978), filed on April 27, 2016. |
Exhibit
Number |
Description | |
(i) | Form of Third Amended and Restated Securities Lending Agency Agreement between the Registrant and BlackRock Investment Management, LLC is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 8(d) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 41 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A of BlackRock California Municipal Opportunities Fund of BlackRock California Municipal Series Trust (File No. 2-96581), filed on January 26, 2015. | |
(j) | Form of Investment Advisory Agreement between BlackRock Advisors, LLC and BlackRock Cayman Emerging Market Allocation Fund, Ltd. is incorporated by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 295 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on May 16, 2013. | |
(k) | Form of Investment Advisory Agreement between BlackRock Advisors, LLC and BlackRock Cayman Multi-Manager Alternatives Fund Ltd. is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 380 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on July 25, 2014. | |
(l) | Form of Investment Advisory Agreement between BlackRock Advisors, LLC and BlackRock Cayman Macro Themes Fund, Ltd. is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 412 to Registrant's Registration Statement filed on December 2, 2014. | |
(m) | Form of Master Advisory Fee Waiver Agreement between the Registrant, BlackRock Advisors, LLC and BlackRock Fund Advisors is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 8(h) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 43 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A of BlackRock EuroFund (File No. 33-04026), filed on October 27, 2016. | |
9 | Legal Opinion | |
(a) | None. | |
10 | Other Opinions | |
(a) | Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm is filed herewith. | |
11 | Omitted Financial Statements | |
(a) | None | |
12 | Initial Capital Agreements | |
(a) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and Registrant’s distributor relating to Classes A-1, B-1, C-1, D-2, E-2, F-2, G-2, H-2, I-1, I-2, J-1, J-2, K-2, L-2, M-2, N-2, O-2, P-2, D-1, E-1, F-1, G-1, H-1, K-1, L-1, M-1, N-1, O-1, P-1, A-2, B-2, C-2, I-2, J-2, A-3, B-3, C-3, D-3, E-3, F-3, G-3, H-3, I-3, J-3, K-3, L-3, M-3, N-3, O-3, P-3, Q-1, Q-2, Q-3, R-1, R-2, R-3, S-1, S-2, S-3, T-1, T-2, T-3, U-1, U-2, U-3, A-4, D-4, E-4, F-4, G-4, H-4, K-4, L-4, M-4, N-4, O-4, P-4, R-4, S-4, T-4, U-4, W-4, X-4, Y-4, V-1, V-2, V-3, W-1, W-2, W-3, X-1, X-2, X-3, Y-1, Y-2, Y-3, Z-1, Z-2, Z-3, AA-1, AA-2, AA-3, AA-4, AA-5, BB-1, BB-2, BB-3, BB-4, BB-5, CC-3, A-5, B-4, B-5, C-4, C-5, I-4, I-5, J-4, J-5, Q-4, Q-5, V-4, V-5, Z-4, Z-5, X-1, X-3, D-5, E-5, F-5, G-5, H-5, K-5, L-5, M-5, N-5, O-5, P-5, R-5, S-5, T-5, U-5, W-5, X-5, Y-5, DD-1, DD-2, DD-3, DD-4, DD-5, EE-1, EE-2, EE-3, EE-4, EE-5, R-6, BB-6, FF-3, GG-3, HH-1, HH-2, HH-3, HH-4, HH-5, II-1, II-2, II-3, II-4, II-5, S-6, JJ-1, JJ-2, JJ-3, JJ-4, JJ-5, KK-1, KK-2, KK-3, KK-4, KK-5, LL-1, LL-2, LL-3, LL-4 and LL-5 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (13)(a) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 34 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on February 13, 1998. | |
(b) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and Registrant’s distributor relating to Classes MM-1, MM-2, MM-3, MM-4, MM-5 and MM-6 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 13(b) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 37 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on August 7, 1998. | |
(c) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and Registrant’s distributor relating to Class NN-3 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 12(c) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 42 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on June 11, 1999. | |
(d) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and Registrant’s distributor relating to Classes A-7 and C-7 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 12(d) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 43 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on August 6, 1999. | |
(e) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and Registrant’s distributor relating to Classes OO-1, OO-2, OO-3, OO-4 and OO-5 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 12(e) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 54 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on May 10, 2000. |
Exhibit
Number |
Description | |
(f) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and Registrant’s distributor relating to Classes PP-1, PP-2, PP-3, PP-4 and PP-5, QQ-1, QQ-2, QQ-3, QQ-4, QQ-5 and U-6 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 12(f) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 55 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on June 6, 2000. | |
(g) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and Registrant’s distributor relating to Class RR-3 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 12(g) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 56 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on August 16, 2000. | |
(h) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Distributors, Inc. relating to shares of Classes SS-1, SS-2, SS-3, SS-4 and SS-5 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 12(h) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 58 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on November 14, 2000. | |
(i) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Distributors, Inc. relating to shares of Classes TT-1, TT-2, TT-3, TT-4, TT-5 and TT-6 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 12(i) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 58 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on November 14, 2000. | |
(j) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Distributors, Inc. relating to shares of Class UU-1, UU-2, UU-3, UU-4 and UU-5 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 12(j) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 60 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on November 14, 2001. | |
(k) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Distributors, Inc. relating to shares of Class H-6 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 12(k) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 63 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on September 26, 2002. | |
(l) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Distributors, Inc. relating to shares of Class JJ-6 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 12(l) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 64 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on September 30, 2002. | |
(m) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Distributors, Inc. relating to shares of Classes G-6, O-6 and X-6 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 12(m) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 67 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on November 27, 2002. | |
(n) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Distributors, Inc. relating to shares of Classes VV-1, VV-2, VV-3, VV-6, WW-1, WW-2, WW-3, and WW-6 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 12(n) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 72 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on February 11, 2004. | |
(o) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Distributors, Inc. relating to shares of Class P-6 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 12(o) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 76 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on April 8, 2004. | |
(p) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Distributors, Inc. relating to shares of Class W-6 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 12(p) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 77 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on May 18, 2004. | |
(q) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Distributors, Inc. relating to shares of Classes XX-1, XX-2, XX-3, XX-4, XX-5, XX-6, YY-1, YY-2, YY-3, YY-4, YY-5 and YY-6 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 12(q) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 79 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on June 18, 2004. | |
(r) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Distributors, Inc. relating to shares of Classes ZZ-1, ZZ-2, ZZ-3, ZZ-4 and ZZ-5 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 12(r) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 82 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on August 24, 2004. | |
(s) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Distributors, Inc. relating to shares of Class X-1 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 12(s) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 85 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 27, 2004. | |
(t) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Distributors, Inc. relating to shares of Classes AAA-6, BBB-1, BBB-2, BBB-3, BBB-4, BBB-5, CCC-1, CCC-2, CCC-3, CCC-4, CCC-5, EEE-1, EEE-2, EEE-3, EEE-4, EEE-5, EEE-6, EEE-8, FFF-1, FFF-2, FFF-3, FFF-4, FFF-5, GGG-1, GGG-2, GGG-3, GGG-4 and GGG-5 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 12(t) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 86 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on November 3, 2004. |
Exhibit
Number |
Description | |
(u) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Distributors, Inc. relating to shares of Classes HHH-1, HHH-2, HHH-3, HHH-4, HHH-5 and HHH-6 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 12(u) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 87 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on November 19, 2004. | |
(v) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Distributors, Inc. relating to shares of Classes III-1, III-2, III-3, III-4 and III-5 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 12(v) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 94 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on January 27, 2006. | |
(w) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Distributors, Inc. relating to shares of Classes JJJ-2, JJJ-3, JJJ-6 and JJJ-13 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 12(w) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 100 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 13, 2006. | |
(x) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Distributors, Inc. relating to shares of Classes X-3, R-8, R-9, X-9, MM-9, R-10, R-11, X-11, MM-11, R-12 and R shares of certain Portfolios is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 12(x) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 97 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on September 19, 2006. | |
(y) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Investments, LLC relating to BlackRock Emerging Markets Dividend Fund (f/k/a BlackRock China Fund) is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 163 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on April 29, 2011. | |
(z) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Investments, LLC relating to BlackRock Global Long/Short Credit Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 186 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on September 29, 2011. | |
(aa) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Investments, LLC relating to BlackRock Commodity Strategies Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 187 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on September 29, 2011. | |
(bb) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Investments, LLC relating to BlackRock Emerging Markets Long/Short Equity Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 188 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 6, 2011. | |
(cc) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Investments, LLC relating to BlackRock Real Estate Securities Fund is incorporated by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 298 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on May 31, 2013. | |
(dd) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Investments, LLC relating to BlackRock Short Obligations Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 243 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on November 2, 2012. | |
(ee) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc. relating to BlackRock Global Long/Short Equity Fund is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 12(ii) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 257 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on December 19, 2012. | |
(ff) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc. relating to BlackRock Strategic Risk Allocation Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 259 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on December 21, 2012. | |
(gg) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc. relating to BlackRock Disciplined Small Cap Core Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 282 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on March 13, 2013. | |
(hh) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc. relating to BlackRock Total Emerging Markets Fund (f/k/a BlackRock Emerging Market Allocation Portfolio) is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 295 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on May 16, 2013. | |
(ii) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc. relating to BlackRock Multi-Manager Alternative Strategies Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 380 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on July 25, 2014. |
Exhibit
Number |
Description | |
(jj) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc. relating to BlackRock Macro Themes Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 412 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on December 2, 2014. | |
(kk) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc. relating to BlackRock Midcap Index Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 454 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on May 13, 2015. | |
(ll) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc. relating to BlackRock Alternative Capital Strategies Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 455 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on May 18, 2015. | |
(mm) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc. relating to BlackRock MSCI World Index Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 459 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on May 29, 2015. | |
(nn) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc. relating to BlackRock MSCI Asia ex Japan Index Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 465 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on June 8, 2015. | |
(oo) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc. relating to BlackRock Developed Real Estate Index Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 473 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on August 12, 2015. | |
(pp) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc. relating to BlackRock Small/Mid Cap Index Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 474 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on August 12, 2015. | |
(qq) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc. relating to BlackRock Total Stock Market Index Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 475 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on August 12, 2015. | |
(rr) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc. relating to BlackRock Impact U.S. Equity Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 486 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 5, 2015. | |
(ss) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc. relating to BlackRock Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 537 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on February 16, 2016. | |
(tt) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc. relating to BlackRock Emerging Markets Equity Strategies Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 545 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on February 22, 2016. | |
(uu) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc. relating to BlackRock Multifactor USA Index Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 590 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on July 12, 2016. | |
(vv) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc. relating to BlackRock Multifactor International Index Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 590 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on July 12, 2016. | |
(ww) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc. relating to BlackRock Min Vol USA Index Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 590 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on July 12, 2016. | |
(xx) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc. relating to BlackRock Min Vol EAFE Index Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 590 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on July 12, 2016. | |
(yy) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc. relating to BlackRock Impact Bond Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 602 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on August 23, 2016. |
Exhibit
Number |
Description | |
(zz) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc. relating to BlackRock USA Momentum Factor Index Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 649 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on December 20, 2016. | |
(aaa) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc. relating to BlackRock USA Quality Factor Index Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 649 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on December 20, 2016. | |
(bbb) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc. relating to BlackRock USA Size Factor Index Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 649 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on December 20, 2016. | |
(ccc) | Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc. relating to BlackRock USA Value Factor Index Fund is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 649 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on December 20, 2016. | |
13 | Rule 12b-1 Plan. | |
(a) | Form of Distribution and Service Plan for Institutional, Service, Investor A, Investor B, Investor C, Hilliard Lyons, R and BlackRock Shares is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 13(a) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 111 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on January 28, 2009. | |
(b) | Form of Exhibit A to Distribution and Service Plan is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 259 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on December 21, 2012. | |
14 | Rule 18f-3 Plan. | |
(a) | Amended and Restated Plan Pursuant to Rule 18f-3 for Operation of a Multi-Class Distribution System is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 14(a) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 521 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on December 28, 2015. | |
15 | Reserved | |
16 | Codes of Ethics. | |
(a) | Code of Ethics of BlackRock Funds is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 15(a) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 48 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A of BlackRock Value Opportunities Fund, Inc. (File No. 2-60836), filed on July, 28, 2014. | |
(b) | Code of Ethics of BlackRock Investments, LLC (formerly BlackRock Investments, Inc.) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 15(b) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 48 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A of BlackRock Value Opportunities Fund, Inc. (File No. 2-60836), filed on July, 28, 2014. | |
(c) | Code of Ethics of BlackRock Advisors, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 15(c) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 48 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A of BlackRock Value Opportunities Fund, Inc. (File No. 2-60836), filed on July, 28, 2014. | |
99 | Power of Attorney. | |
(a) | Power of Attorney is incorporated herein by reference to an Exhibit of Post-Effective Amendment No. 545 to Registrant’s Registration Statement, filed on February 22, 2016. |
BLACKROCK
FUNDS
SM
(Registrant)
on behalf of BlackRock Mid-Cap Growth Equity Portfolio and BlackRock Small Cap Growth Equity Portfolio |
|
By: | /s/ John M. Perlowski |
(John
M. Perlowski,
President and Chief Executive Officer) |
Signature | Title | Date | ||
/s/
John M. Perlowski
(John M. Perlowski) |
Trustee,
President and Chief Executive Officer
(Principal Executive Officer) |
January 27, 2017 | ||
/s/
Neal J. Andrews
(Neal J. Andrews) |
Chief
Financial Officer (Principal
Financial and Accounting Officer) |
January 27, 2017 | ||
Susan
J. Carter*
(Susan J. Carter) |
Trustee | |||
Collette
Chilton*
(Collette Chilton) |
Trustee | |||
Neil
A. Cotty*
(Neil A. Cotty) |
Trustee | |||
Rodney
D. Johnson*
(Rodney D. Johnson) |
Trustee | |||
Cynthia
A. Montgomery*
(Cynthia A. Montgomery) |
Trustee | |||
Joseph
P. Platt*
(Joseph P. Platt) |
Trustee | |||
Robert C. Robb, Jr.*
(Robert C. Robb, Jr.) |
Trustee | |||
Mark
Stalnecker*
(Mark Stalnecker) |
Trustee | |||
Kenneth
L. Urish*
(Kenneth L. Urish) |
Trustee | |||
Claire
A. Walton*
(Claire A. Walton) |
Trustee |
Signature | Title | Date | ||
Frederick
W. Winter*
(Frederick W. Winter) |
Trustee | |||
Barbara
G. Novick*
(Barbara G. Novick) |
Trustee | |||
*By:
/s/ Benjamin
Archibald
(Benjamin Archibald, Attorney-In-Fact) |
January 27, 2017 |
Exhibits | Description | |
4(rr) | — | Form of Amendment No. 2 to Addendum No. 5 to the Investment Advisory Agreement. |
10(a) | — | Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. |
EXHIBIT 4(rr)
BLACKROCK FUNDS
Amendment No. 2 to Addendum No. 5 to the Investment Advisory Agreement
This Amendment dated as of the day of December, 2016 is entered into by and between BLACKROCK FUNDS, a Massachusetts business trust (the Fund) and BLACKROCK ADVISORS, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the Adviser), and is effective as of the date hereof.
WHEREAS, the Fund and the Adviser desire to amend the original Addendum No. 5 (the Addendum) to the Advisory Agreement (as defined below), made June 1, 2011, as amended to the date hereof, in order to reflect the provisions set forth herein, only with respect to BlackRock Small Cap Growth Equity Portfolio (the Portfolio); and
WHEREAS, the Fund and the Adviser have entered into an Investment Advisory Agreement dated as of September 29, 2006 (the Advisory Agreement) pursuant to which the Fund appointed the Adviser to act as investment adviser to certain investment portfolios of the Fund; and
WHEREAS, Section 1(b) of the Advisory Agreement provides that in the event the Fund establishes one or more additional investment portfolios with respect to which it desires to retain the Adviser to act as investment adviser under the Advisory Agreement, the Fund shall so notify the Adviser in writing and if the Adviser is willing to render such services it shall so notify the Fund in writing; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 1(b) of the Advisory Agreement, the Fund previously notified the Adviser that it established the Portfolio, and that it desired to retain the Adviser to act as the investment adviser therefore, and the Adviser notified the Fund that it is willing to serve as investment adviser to the Portfolio; and
WHEREAS, the Fund and the Adviser entered into the Addendum, with respect to the Portfolio and other series of the Fund; and
WHEREAS, the Fund and the Adviser desire to amend the Addendum, only with respect to the Portfolio; and
WHEREAS, except as amended hereby, all the terms of the Addendum shall remain in full force and effect;
NOW, THEREFORE, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree to amend and modify the Addendum as follows:
1. | Compensation . |
The Adviser shall receive annual compensation from the Fund on behalf of the Portfolio for the services provided and the expenses assumed pursuant to the
Advisory Agreement computed daily and payable monthly, as a percentage of the Portfolios average daily net assets, and calculated as follows:
|
Average Daily Net Assets |
Management
Fee Rate |
||||
BlackRock Small Cap Growth Equity Portfolio |
First $1 billion |
|
0.45
|
%
|
||
$1 billion - $3 billion |
0.42 | % | ||||
$3 billion - $5 billion | 0.41 | % | ||||
$5 billion - $10 billion | 0.39 | % | ||||
Greater than $10 billion | 0.38 | % |
2. | Miscellaneous . Except to the extent supplemented hereby, the Addendum shall remain unchanged and in full force and effect. |
3. | Release . BlackRock Funds and Trustees of BlackRock Funds refer respectively to the trust created and the Trustees, as trustees but not individually or personally, acting from time to time under a Declaration of Trust dated December 22, 1988, as amended, which is hereby referred to and a copy of which is on file at the office of the State Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and at the principal office of the Fund. The obligations of BlackRock Funds entered into in the name or on behalf thereof by any of the Trustees, officers, representatives or agents are made not individually, but in such capacities, and are not binding upon any of the Trustees, shareholders, officers, representatives or agents of the Fund personally, but bind only the Trust Property (as defined in the Declaration of Trust), and all persons dealing with any class of shares of the Fund must look solely to the Trust Property belonging to such class for the enforcement of any claims against the Fund. |
[End of Text]
2
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Amendment No. 2 to Addendum No. 5 to the Advisory Agreement to be executed by their officers designated below as of the day and year first above written.
BLACKROCK FUNDS | ||
By: |
|
|
Name: | ||
Title: | ||
BLACKROCK ADVISORS, LLC | ||
By: |
|
|
Name: | ||
Title: |
3
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Post-Effective Amendment No. 663 to Registration Statement No. 33-26305 on Form N-1A of our report dated November 23, 2016, relating to the financial statements and financial highlights of BlackRock Mid-Cap Growth Equity Portfolio and BlackRock Small Cap Growth Equity Portfolio, each a series of BlackRock Funds SM , appearing in the Annual Report on Form N-CSR of the BlackRock Funds SM for the year ended September 30, 2016, and to the references to us under the headings Financial Highlights and Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm in the Prospectuses and Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm and Financial Statements in the Statement of Additional Information, which are part of such Registration Statement.
/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
January 25, 2017