ABOUT iSHARES

Our wide range of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) empowers investors to take control of their financial futures and pursue their investment goals.​

OUR PRODUCTS >
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AN INDUSTRY LEADER

iShares has been a global leader in the ETF marketplace for more than two decades, and as a part of BlackRock, our products are engineered by investment professionals with discipline and deep risk management expertise.

20
+
YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
$
4.2
T
GLOBAL AUM1
1500
+
ETFS GLOBALLY2
BROWSE OUR FUNDS >
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WHAT IS AN ETF? WHAT ARE ITS ADVANTAGES?

​An exchange-traded fund (ETF) is a collection of assets that trades on an exchange. ETFs are a diversified and low cost way to invest.

LEARN MORE ABOUT ETFS

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.
  • 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 2009.3

  • 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.4

  • 2000

    A NEW WAY TO TRADE BONDS

    We launched the first bond ETFs, modernizing fixed income portfolios with low costs and deep liquidity.5

  • 2005

    1ST iSHARES SUSTAINABLE ETFs

    We debuted sustainable ETFs, helping investors target Environmental, Social, and Governance-related priorities within their portfolios.6

  • 2017

    1ST SUSTAINABLE FIXED INCOME ETFs

    We launched the first sustainable fixed income ETFs, offering investors multiple approaches to fixed income investing.7

  • 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.8

  • 2019

    FORMED A STRATEGIC ALLIANCE WITH RBC GLOBAL ASSET MANAGEMENT9

    RBC iShares is a strategic alliance between RBC Global Asset Management and BlackRock Canada. RBC iShares provides the largest suite of ETFs to Canadians, and leverages the combined investment expertise of both firms.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

iShares is a global leader in Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) with a line-up of over 1,500 funds.10 As part of BlackRock, iShares ETFs offer investors everywhere access to high quality, high value investment opportunities.

Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs)

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.

In January 2019, BlackRock Canada and RBC Global Asset Management announced a strategic alliance, RBC iShares. This alliance aims to provide financial advisors access to an extensive choice of industry-leading ETFs and unparalleled investment expertise and management capabilities, coupled with renowned support and personalized services.

Explore RBC iShares

We manage over 1,500 ETFs globally, so whether you’re dipping your toes into ETFs or fine-tuning your portfolio, our broad range of cost-efficient ETFs is designed to help you build a portfolio to pursue your needs.11

iShares ETFs offer diversified and low cost 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.

How to invest in ETFs