iShares is a global leader in Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) with a line-up of over 1,600 funds. As part of BlackRock, iShares ETFs offer investors everywhere access to high quality, high value investment opportunities.
ABOUT iSHARES
With a global lineup of 1,600+ Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), we are committed to unlocking opportunity across markets to match the ambition of our investors large and small.1
CHAMPIONING INVESTOR PROGRESS
01.
Access
Our ETFs are designed to help all investors access the financial markets -- no matter where they are in their financial journey nor how much they want to invest.
02.
Value
iShares ETFs are built to be low-cost and tax efficient, helping investors keep more of what they earn.
03.
Quality
We are fully committed to seeking the highest standards of precise tracking and ETF market quality, in all market conditions.
AN INDUSTRY LEADER
iShares has been a leader in the ETF marketplace for more than two decades. As a part of BlackRock, our products are engineered by investment professionals with discipline and deep risk management expertise.
20
YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
430
NEW ETF AND INDEX MUTUAL FUND ASSETS2
5
GLOBAL AUM3
OUR PRODUCTS
With hundreds of ways to tailor your portfolio, our products can help you take on many challenges, from strengthening your core to investing in forces transforming the world.
1,600
ETFs GLOBALLY4
1.1
GLOBAL FIXED INCOME AUM (APPROX)5
620
DOLLARS SAVED BY INVESTORS THROUGH iSHARES' REDUCTION IN FUND FEES6
OUR HISTORY
Buoyed by a “never-finished” outlook, we’ve always focused on anticipating investor needs and innovating to stay ahead of new market realities.
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1973
OUR BEGINNINGS
Our predecessors at Wells Fargo pioneered the first index strategy. Their unit was later sold to Barclays which was then sold to BlackRock in 2009.7
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1996
1st iSHARES ETF
Our first 17 ETFs launched in 1996, including the first international ETFs with exposure to Mexico, Canada, and Brazil, making us one of the earliest ETF innovators.8
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2002
A NEW WAY TO TRADE BONDS
We launched the first bond ETFs, modernizing fixed income portfolios with low costs and deep liquidity.9
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2005
1st iSHARES SUSTAINABLE ETFs
We debuted sustainable ETFs, helping investors target Environmental, Social, and Governance-related priorities within their portfolios.10
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2017
1st SUSTAINABLE FIXED INCOME ETFs
We launched the first sustainable fixed income ETFs, offering investors multiple approaches to fixed income investing.11
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2019
LAUNCHED THEMATIC ETF SUITE
We created a suite of thematic ETFs, offering investors access to companies focused on long-term innovation in industries including tech, pharmaceuticals, and agriculture.12
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2024
LAUNCHED DIGITAL ASSET ETPs
We launched the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT), the fastest ETP to reach $50 billion AUM, and the iShares Ethereum Trust ETF (ETHA).
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2025
A PROVIDER WITH OVER 1,600 FUNDS GLOBALLY AND OVER $5T AUM
ETFs are powering portfolios and helping investors pursue better financial futures. Just over 50 years after introducing our first index fund and less-than 30 years after our first ETF client, iShares ETFs are available in over 25 countries.13
MEET SOME OF THE BRAINS BEHIND iSHARES
The iShares team is a dynamic team of industry experts who keep an eye on micro and macro trends in investing.
LEARN ABOUT THE iSHARES APPROACH TO ETFs FROM SAMARA
Samara is Chief Investment Officer of iShares and leads the teams focused on delivering the market quality and investment integrity of iShares ETFs. From risk managers to platform architects, Samara and her teams seek to modernize the ETF markets to help more people experience financial well-being.
TAP INTO iSHARES MARKET INSIGHTS WITH GARGI
As Chief Investment and Portfolio Strategist for the Americas, Gargi and her team focus on delivering global macro thought leadership, investment insights, trade ideas and content to retail, wealth and institutional clients of the firm.
BE IN THE KNOW ON EMERGING TRENDS WITH JAY
Jay Jacobs is the U.S. Head of Thematics and Active Equity ETFs and leads research and development of our thematic ETF suite, unlocking opportunities across innovative trends including electric vehicles, blockchain, clean energy and more.
DISCOVER THE ROLE BONDS CAN PLAY IN YOUR PORTFOLIO
Karen is the Head of iShares U.S. Fixed Income Strategy and produces thought leadership on fixed income markets and ETFs for iShares clients. An expert on fixed income ETFs, Karen works with the iShares Product Innovation team on new fixed income ETF launches.
GET TO THE 'CORE' OF INVESTING
Danny is responsible for driving strategy, thought leadership, and client engagement for the suite of products he oversees. He currently co-leads the SF Financial Inclusion Team (FIT) network which aims to improve financial outcomes in underserved communities.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
In March of 1996, our first ETFs were created, originally known as World Equity Benchmark Shares (WEBS). Four years later, the WEBS funds were folded into a new line of iShares-branded ETFs.
iShares ETFs offer diversified, low-cost, and tax-efficient access to the world’s investment markets. To learn about the benefits and uses of ETFs, visit our education hub page “What is an ETF?”.
Please visit our page “How to Invest in ETFs” to learn how to buy iShares.
ACCESS MORE WITH iSHARES
We offer tools, insights, and enhanced fund data to help you build smarter portfolios.