UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM N-CSR
CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF REGISTERED MANAGEMENT
INVESTMENT COMPANIES
Investment Company Act file number: 811-05742
| Name of Fund: | BlackRock FundsSM |
| BlackRock Exchange Portfolio |
| Fund Address: | 100 Bellevue Parkway, Wilmington, DE 19809 |
Name and address of agent for
service: John M. Perlowski, Chief Executive Officer, BlackRock FundsSM, 50
Hudson Yards, New York, NY 10001
Registrants telephone number, including area code: (800) 441-7762
Date of fiscal year end: 12/31/2023
Date of reporting period: 12/31/2023
Item 1 Report to Stockholders
(a) The Report to Shareholders is attached herewith.
|
|
DECEMBER 31, 2023 |
| 2023 Annual Report
| ||
BlackRock FundsSM
| · | BlackRock Exchange Portfolio |
| Not FDIC Insured May Lose Value No Bank Guarantee |
Dear Shareholder,
The combination of continued economic growth and cooling inflation provided a supportive backdrop for investors during the 12-month reporting period ended December 31, 2023. Significantly tighter monetary policy helped to rein in inflation, and the Consumer Price Index decelerated substantially in the first half of the year before stalling between 3% and 4% in the second half. A moderating labor market helped ease inflationary pressure, although wages continued to grow. Wage and job growth powered robust consumer spending, backstopping the economy. On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a horrific attack on Israel. The ensuing war will have a significant humanitarian impact and could lead to heightened economic and market volatility. We see geopolitics as a structural market risk going forward. See our geopolitical risk dashboard at blackrock.com for more details.
Equity returns were robust during the period, as interest rates stabilized and the economy proved to be more resilient than many investors expected. The U.S. economy continued to show strength, and growth further accelerated in the third quarter of 2023. Large-capitalization U.S. stocks posted particularly substantial gains, supported by the performance of a few notable technology companies and small-capitalization U.S. stocks also advanced. Meanwhile, international developed market equities and emerging market stocks posted solid gains.
The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield ended 2023 where it began despite an eventful year that saw significant moves in bond markets. Overall, U.S. Treasuries gained as investors began to anticipate looser financial conditions. The corporate bond market benefited from improving economic sentiment, although high-yield corporate bond prices fared significantly better than investment-grade bonds as demand from yield-seeking investors remained strong.
The U.S. Federal Reserve (the Fed), attempting to manage persistent inflation, raised interest rates four times during the 12-month period, but paused its tightening in the second half of the period. The Fed also wound down its bond-buying programs and incrementally reduced its balance sheet by not replacing securities that reach maturity.
Supply constraints appear to have become an embedded feature of the new macroeconomic environment, making it difficult for developed economies to increase production without sparking higher inflation. Geopolitical fragmentation and an aging population risk further exacerbating these constraints, keeping the labor market tight and wage growth high. Although the Fed has stopped tightening for now, we believe that the new economic regime means that the Fed will need to maintain high rates for an extended period despite the markets hopes for interest rate cuts, as reflected in the recent rally. In this new regime, we anticipate greater volatility and dispersion of returns, creating more opportunities for selective portfolio management.
We believe developed market equities have priced in an optimistic scenario for rate cuts, which we view as premature, so we prefer an underweight stance in the near term. Nevertheless, we are overweight on Japanese stocks as shareholder-friendly policies generate increased investor interest. We also believe that stocks with an AI tilt should benefit from an investment cycle that is set to support revenues and margins. In credit, there are selective opportunities in the near term despite tighter credit and financial conditions. For fixed income investing with a six- to twelve-month horizon, we see the most attractive investments in short-term U.S. Treasuries, U.S. mortgage-backed securities, and hard-currency emerging market bonds.
Overall, our view is that investors need to think globally, position themselves to be prepared for a decarbonizing economy, and be nimble as market conditions change. We encourage you to talk with your financial advisor and visit blackrock.com for further insight about investing in todays markets.
Sincerely,
Rob Kapito
President, BlackRock Advisors, LLC
Rob Kapito
President, BlackRock Advisors, LLC
| Total Returns as of December 31, 2023 | ||||||||
| 6-Month |
12-Month |
|||||||
| U.S. large cap equities |
8.04% | 26.29% | ||||||
| U.S. small cap equities |
8.18 | 16.93 | ||||||
| International equities |
5.88 | 18.24 | ||||||
| Emerging market equities |
4.71 | 9.83 | ||||||
| 3-month Treasury
bills |
2.70 | 5.02 | ||||||
| U.S. Treasury securities |
1.11 | 2.83 | ||||||
| U.S. investment grade bonds |
3.37 | 5.53 | ||||||
| Tax-exempt municipal
bonds |
3.63 | 6.40 | ||||||
| U.S. high yield bonds |
7.65 | 13.44 | ||||||
| Past performance is not an indication of future results. Index performance is shown for illustrative purposes only. You cannot invest directly in an index. |
| |||||||
| 2 |
T H I S P A G E I S N O T P A R T O F Y O U R F U N D R E P O R T |
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| Annual Report: |
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| Financial Statements: |
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| 31 | ||||
| 3 |
| Fund Summary as of December 31, 2023 | BlackRock Exchange Portfolio |
Investment Objective
BlackRock Exchange Portfolios (the Fund) investment objective is long-term growth of capital and consequent long-term growth of income.
Portfolio Management Commentary
How did the Fund perform?
For the 12-month period ended December 31, 2023, the Fund underperformed its benchmark, the S&P 500® Index.
What factors influenced performance?
The U.S. equity market produced robust returns in 2023 thanks to stronger-than-expected economic growth and a more favorable outlook for Fed policy.
Positioning in the communication services sector was the primary detractor from Fund performance, largely as a result of a zero weighting in Meta Platforms, Inc. A zero weighting in the consumer discretionary sector, which outperformed, was an additional detractor. The Fund also lost some relative performance from stock positioning in healthcare, particularly an out-of-benchmark holding in AstraZeneca PLC.
Positioning in the information technology and utilities sectors made the largest contributions to performance, followed by stock positioning in the financials sector. In information technology, an overweight in the software industry contributed, led by Microsoft Corp. The positive result in utilities was primarily the result of zero weightings in the underperforming electric utilities and multi-utilities industries. A position in JP Morgan Chase & Co was the leading contributor in financials.
Describe recent portfolio activity.
Due to a combination of market changes and portfolio activity, the Funds allocations to the information technology and financials sectors increased, while its weightings in healthcare and consumer staples decreased.
Describe portfolio positioning at period end.
The Funds largest overweight position was in the financials sector, followed by information technology and consumer staples. Its largest underweights were in consumer discretionary, communication services, and real estate.
The views expressed reflect the opinions of BlackRock as of the date of this report and are subject to change based on changes in market, economic or other conditions. These views are not intended to be a forecast of future events and are no guarantee of future results.
| 4 |
2 0 2 3 B L A C K R O C K A N N U A L R E P O R T T O S H A R E H O L D E R S |
| Fund Summary as of December 31, 2023(continued) | BlackRock Exchange Portfolio |
GROWTH OF $10,000 INVESTMENT
| (a) | Assuming transaction costs and other operating expenses, including investment advisory fees and administration fees, if any. |
| (b) | Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests largely in a diversified and supervised portfolio of common stocks or convertible securities, believed by management to have growth potential over the years. Shares of the Fund are not currently available for purchase. |
| (c) | An unmanaged index that covers 500 leading companies and captures approximately 80% coverage of available market capitalization. |
Performance
| Average Annual Total Returns(a) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years | ||||||||||||||
| BlackRock Shares |
20.71 | % | 16.02 | % | 11.13 | % | ||||||||||
| S&P 500® Index |
26.29 | 15.69 | 12.03 | |||||||||||||
| (a) | See About Fund Performance for a detailed description of performance related information. |
Past performance is not an indication of future results.
Performance results may include adjustments made for financial reporting purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
Expense Example
| Actual | Hypothetical 5% Return | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
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|
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|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |
Beginning Account Value (07/01/23) |
|
|
Ending Account Value (12/31/23) |
|
|
Expenses Paid During the Period |
(a) |
|
Beginning Account Value (07/01/23) |
|
|
Ending Account Value (12/31/23) |
|
|
Expenses Paid During the Period |
(a) |
|
Annualized Expense Ratio |
| ||||||||||||
| BlackRock Shares |
$ | 1,000.00 | $ | 1,064.00 | $ | 4.70 | $ | 1,000.00 | $ | 1,020.66 | $ | 4.58 | 0.90 | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| (a) | Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio for the class, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 184/365 (to reflect the one-half year period shown). |
See Disclosure of Expenses for further information on how expenses were calculated.
| F U N D S U M M A R Y |
5 |
| Fund Summary as of December 31, 2023(continued) | BlackRock Exchange Portfolio |
Portfolio Information
TEN LARGEST HOLDINGS
| Security(a) | Percent of Net Assets |
|||
| Microsoft Corp. |
33.4 | % | ||
| Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., Class B |
11.5 | |||
| General Dynamics Corp. |
8.7 | |||
| JPMorgan Chase & Co. |
6.7 | |||
| American Express Co. |
4.9 | |||
| Visa, Inc., Class A |
4.5 | |||
| Johnson & Johnson |
3.7 | |||
| AstraZeneca PLC, ADR |
3.7 | |||
| Merck & Co., Inc. |
3.2 | |||
| Novartis AG, ADR |
3.0 | |||
SECTOR ALLOCATION
| Sector(b) | Percent of Net Assets |
|||
| Information Technology |
34.4 | % | ||
| Financials |
27.6 | |||
| Health Care |
15.4 | |||
| Consumer Staples |
9.3 | |||
| Industrials |
8.8 | |||
| Energy |
4.4 | |||
| Short-Term Securities |
0.3 | |||
| Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets |
(0.2 | ) | ||
| (a) | Excludes short-term securities. |
| (b) | For Fund compliance purposes, the Funds sector classifications refer to one or more of the sector sub-classifications used by one or more widely recognized market indexes or ratings group indexes, and/or as defined by the investment adviser. These definitions may not apply for purposes of this report, which may combine such sector sub-classifications for reporting ease. |
| 6 |
2 0 2 3 B L A C K R O C K A N N U A L R E P O R T T O S H A R E H O L D E R S |
BlackRock Shares are not subject to any sales charge. These shares bear no ongoing distribution or service fees and are not currently available for purchase. These shares are only available through distribution reinvestments by current holders.
Past performance is not an indication of future results. Financial markets have experienced extreme volatility and trading in many instruments has been disrupted. These circumstances may continue for an extended period of time and may continue to affect adversely the value and liquidity of the Funds investments. As a result, current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. Refer to blackrock.com to obtain performance data current to the most recent month-end. Performance results do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Figures shown in the performance table assumes reinvestment of all distributions, if any, at net asset value (NAV) on the ex-dividend date or payable date, as applicable. Investment return and principal value of shares will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost.
BlackRock Advisors, LLC (the Manager), the Funds investment adviser, has contractually and/or voluntarily agreed to waive and/or reimburse a portion of the Funds expenses. Without such waiver(s) and/or reimbursement(s), the Funds performance would have been lower. With respect to the Funds voluntary waiver(s), if any, the Manager is under no obligation to waive and/or reimburse or to continue waiving and/or reimbursing its fees and such voluntary waiver(s) may be reduced or discontinued at any time. With respect to the Funds contractual waiver(s), if any, the Manager is under no obligation to continue waiving and/or reimbursing its fees after the applicable termination date of such agreement. See the Notes to Financial Statements for additional information on waivers and/or reimbursements.
Shareholders of the Fund may incur the following charges: (a) transactional expenses; and (b) operating expenses, including investment advisory fees, administration fees and other fund expenses. The expense example shown (which is based on a hypothetical investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held through the end of the period) is intended to assist shareholders both in calculating expenses based on an investment in the Fund and in comparing these expenses with similar costs of investing in other mutual funds.
The expense example provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. Annualized expense ratios reflect contractual and voluntary fee waivers, if any. In order to estimate the expenses a shareholder paid during the period covered by this report, shareholders can divide their account value by $1,000 and then multiply the result by the number corresponding to their share class under the heading entitled Expenses Paid During the Period.
The expense example also provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Funds actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses. In order to assist shareholders in comparing the ongoing expenses of investing in the Fund and other funds, compare the 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in shareholder reports of other funds.
The expenses shown in the expense example are intended to highlight shareholders ongoing costs only and do not reflect transactional expenses, such as sales charges, if any. Therefore, the hypothetical example is useful in comparing ongoing expenses only and will not help shareholders determine the relative total expenses of owning different funds. If these transactional expenses were included, shareholder expenses would have been higher.
|
A B O U T F U N D P E R F O R M A N C E / D I S C L O S U R E O F E X P E N S E S |
7 |
|
December 31, 2023 |
BlackRock Exchange Portfolio (Percentages shown are based on Net Assets) |
| Security | Shares | Value | ||||||
| Common Stocks |
||||||||
| Aerospace & Defense 8.8% | ||||||||
| General Dynamics Corp. |
78,065 | $ | 20,271,138 | |||||
|
|
|
|||||||
| Banks 6.7% | ||||||||
| JPMorgan Chase & Co. |
90,739 | 15,434,704 | ||||||
|
|
|
|||||||
| Consumer Finance 4.9% | ||||||||
| American Express Co. |
61,141 | 11,454,155 | ||||||
|
|
|
|||||||
| Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail 1.9% | ||||||||
| Walmart, Inc. |
27,424 | 4,323,394 | ||||||
|
|
|
|||||||
| Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components 1.0% | ||||||||
| Keysight Technologies, Inc.(a) |
14,874 | 2,366,305 | ||||||
|
|
|
|||||||
| Energy Equipment & Services 1.6% | ||||||||
| Schlumberger NV |
70,328 | 3,659,869 | ||||||
|
|
|
|||||||
| Financial Services 16.0% | ||||||||
| Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., Class B(a) |
75,033 | 26,761,270 | ||||||
| Visa, Inc., Class A |
39,748 | 10,348,392 | ||||||
|
|
|
|||||||
| 37,109,662 | ||||||||
| Food Products 1.5% | ||||||||
| Kraft Heinz Co. (The) |
17,761 | 656,802 | ||||||
| Mondelez International, Inc., Class A |
40,283 | 2,917,697 | ||||||
|
|
|
|||||||
| 3,574,499 | ||||||||
| Health Care Equipment & Supplies 0.5% | ||||||||
| Alcon, Inc. |
13,736 | 1,073,056 | ||||||
|
|
|
|||||||
| Household Products 2.5% | ||||||||
| Procter & Gamble Co. (The) |
39,631 | 5,807,527 | ||||||
|
|
|
|||||||
| Machinery 0.0% | ||||||||
| Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corp. |
380 | 48,222 | ||||||
|
|
|
|||||||
| Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels 2.8% | ||||||||
| BP PLC, ADR |
31,546 | 1,116,729 | ||||||
| Exxon Mobil Corp. |
54,584 | 5,457,308 | ||||||
|
|
|
|||||||
| 6,574,037 | ||||||||
| Pharmaceuticals 14.9% | ||||||||
| AstraZeneca PLC, ADR |
128,000 | 8,620,800 | ||||||
| Johnson & Johnson |
55,418 | 8,686,217 | ||||||
| Security | Shares | Value | ||||||
| Pharmaceuticals (continued) | ||||||||
| Merck & Co., Inc. |
68,117 | $ | 7,426,115 | |||||
| Novartis AG, ADR |
68,681 | 6,934,720 | ||||||
| Organon & Co. |
6,811 | 98,215 | ||||||
| Pfizer, Inc. |
76,397 | 2,199,470 | ||||||
| Sandoz Group AG, ADR(a)(b) |
13,736 | 439,689 | ||||||
| Viatris, Inc. |
14,108 | 152,790 | ||||||
|
|
|
|||||||
| 34,558,016 | ||||||||
| Software 33.4% | ||||||||
| Microsoft Corp. |
205,989 | 77,460,104 | ||||||
|
|
|
|||||||
| Tobacco 3.4% | ||||||||
| Altria Group, Inc. |
77,000 | 3,106,180 | ||||||
| Philip Morris International, Inc. |
50,136 | 4,716,795 | ||||||
|
|
|
|||||||
| 7,822,975 | ||||||||
|
|
|
|||||||
| Total Long-Term Investments 99.9% |
231,537,663 | |||||||
|
|
|
|||||||
| Short-Term Securities |
||||||||
| Money Market Funds 0.3% | ||||||||
| BlackRock Liquidity Funds, T-Fund, Institutional Class, 5.26%(c)(d) |
487,469 | 487,469 | ||||||
| SL Liquidity Series, LLC, Money Market Series, 5.58%(c)(d)(e) |
300,350 | 300,440 | ||||||
|
|
|
|||||||
| Total Short-Term Securities 0.3% |
787,909 | |||||||
|
|
|
|||||||
| Total Investments 100.2% |
232,325,572 | |||||||
| Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets (0.2)% |
|
(564,317 | ) | |||||
|
|
|
|||||||
| Net Assets 100.0% |
$ | 231,761,255 | ||||||
|
|
|
|||||||
| (a) | Non-income producing security. |
| (b) | All or a portion of this security is on loan. |
| (c) | Affiliate of the Fund. |
| (d) | Annualized 7-day yield as of period end. |
| (e) | All or a portion of this security was purchased with the cash collateral from loaned securities. |
Affiliates
Investments in issuers considered to be affiliate(s) of the Fund during the year ended December 31, 2023 for purposes of Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, were as follows:
| Affiliated Issuer | Value at 12/31/22 |
Purchases at Cost |
Proceeds from Sale |
Net Realized Gain (Loss) |
Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) |
Value at 12/31/23 |
Shares Held at 12/31/23 |
Income | Capital Gain |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| BlackRock Liquidity Funds, T-Fund, Institutional Class |
$ | 595,592 | $ | | $ | (108,123 | )(a) | $ | | $ | | $ | 487,469 | 487,469 | $ | 37,984 | $ | | ||||||||||||||||||
| SL Liquidity Series, LLC, Money Market Series |
| 300,352 | (a) | | 118 | (30 | ) | 300,440 | 300,350 | 855 | (b) | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| $ | 118 | $ | (30 | ) | $ | 787,909 | $ | 38,839 | $ | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (a) | Represents net amount purchased (sold). |
| (b) | All or a portion represents securities lending income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral from loaned securities, net of fees and collateral investment expenses, and other payments to and from borrowers of securities. |
| 8 |
2 0 2 3 B L A C K R O C K A N N U A L R E P O R T T O S H A R E H O L D E R S |
| Schedule of Investments (continued) December 31, 2023 |
BlackRock Exchange Portfolio |
For Fund compliance purposes, the Funds industry classifications refer to one or more of the industry sub-classifications used by one or more widely recognized market indexes or rating group indexes, and/or as defined by the investment adviser. These definitions may not apply for purposes of this report, which may combine such industry sub-classifications for reporting ease.
Fair Value Hierarchy as of Period End
Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. For a description of the input levels and information about the Funds policy regarding valuation of financial instruments, refer to the Notes to Financial Statements.
The following table summarizes the Funds financial instruments categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The breakdown of the Funds financial instruments into major categories is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments above.
| Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Total | |||||||||||||
| Assets |
||||||||||||||||
| Investments |
||||||||||||||||
| Long-Term Investments |
||||||||||||||||
| Common Stocks |
$ | 231,537,663 | $ | | $ | | $ | 231,537,663 | ||||||||
| Short-Term Securities |
||||||||||||||||
| Money Market Funds |
487,469 | | | 487,469 | ||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
| $ | 232,025,132 | $ | | $ | | 232,025,132 | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
| Investments valued at NAV(a) |
300,440 | |||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||
| $ | 232,325,572 | |||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||
| (a) | Certain investments of the Fund were fair valued using NAV as a practical expedient as no quoted market value is available and therefore have been excluded from the fair value hierarchy. |
See notes to financial statements.
|
S C H E D U L E O F I N V E S T M E N T S |
9 |
Statement of Assets and Liabilities
December 31, 2023
| BlackRock Exchange Portfolio |
||||
| ASSETS |
||||
| Investments, at value unaffiliated(a)(b) |
$ |
231,537,663 |
| |
| Investments, at value affiliated(c) |
|
787,909 |
| |
| Receivables: |
||||
| Securities lending income affiliated |
|
303 |
| |
| Dividends unaffiliated |
|
245,087 |
| |
| Dividends affiliated |
|
2,915 |
| |
| From the Manager |
|
1,088 |
| |
| Prepaid expenses |
|
604 |
| |
|
|
|
|||
| Total assets |
|
232,575,569 |
| |
|
|
|
|||
| LIABILITIES |
||||
| Collateral on securities loaned |
|
300,352 |
| |
| Payables: |
||||
| Administration fees |
|
8,415 |
| |
| Capital shares redeemed |
|
41,005 |
| |
| Federal income tax |
|
315,323 |
| |
| Investment advisory fees |
|
69,661 |
| |
| Trustees and Officers fees |
|
1,686 |
| |
| Other accrued expenses |
|
30,852 |
| |
| Other affiliate fees |
|
45 |
| |
| Professional fees |
|
46,975 |
| |
|
|
|
|||
| Total liabilities |
|
814,314 |
| |
|
|
|
|||
| Commitments and contingent liabilities |
||||
| NET ASSETS |
$ |
231,761,255 |
| |
|
|
|
|||
| NET ASSETS CONSIST OF: |
||||
| Paid-in capital |
$ |
15,117,202 |
| |
| Accumulated earnings |
|
216,644,053 |
| |
|
|
|
|||
| NET ASSETS |
$ |
231,761,255 |
| |
|
|
|
|||
| NET ASSET VALUE |
||||
| BlackRock Shares |
||||
| Net assets |
$ |
231,761,255 |
| |
|
|
|
|||
| Shares outstanding |
|
116,989.7 |
| |
|
|
|
|||
| Net asset value |
$ |
1,981.04 |
| |
|
|
|
|||
| Shares authorized |
|
Unlimited |
| |
|
|
|
|||
| Par value |
$ |
0.001 |
| |
|
|
|
|||
|
(a) Investments, at cost unaffiliated |
$ |
14,922,076 |
| |
|
(b) Securities loaned, at value |
$ |
296,861 |
| |
|
(c) Investments, at cost affiliated |
$ |
787,939 |
| |
See notes to financial statements.
| 10 |
2 0 2 3 B L A C K R O C K A N N U A L R E P O R T T O S H A R E H O L D E R S |
Year Ended December 31, 2023
|
BlackRock |
||||
| INVESTMENT INCOME |
||||
| Dividends unaffiliated |
$ |
3,847,968 |
| |
| Dividends affiliated |
|
37,984 |
| |
| Securities lending income affiliated net |
|
855 |
| |
| Foreign taxes withheld |
|
(84,589 |
) | |
|
|
|
|||
| Total investment income |
|
3,802,218 |
| |
|
|
|
|||
| EXPENSES |
||||
| Investment advisory |
|
1,068,432 |
| |
| Administration |
|
133,554 |
| |
| Professional |
|
100,081 |
| |
| Accounting services |
|
48,184 |
| |
| Printing and postage |
|
26,654 |
| |
| Transfer agent |
|
15,437 |
| |
| Trustees and Officer |
|
7,727 |
| |
| Custodian |
|
6,944 |
| |
| Miscellaneous |
|
6,938 |
| |
|
|
|
|||
| Total expenses excluding federal income tax |
|
1,413,951 |
| |
| Federal income tax |
315,323 | |||
|
|
|
|||
| Total expenses |
|
1,729,274 |
| |
| Less: |
||||
| Administration fees waived by the Manager |
(42,028 | ) | ||
| Fees waived and/or reimbursed by the Manager |
(35,018 | ) | ||
| Transfer agent fees waived and/or reimbursed by the Manager |
(12,008 | ) | ||
|
|
|
|||
| Total expenses after fees waived and/or reimbursed |
|
1,640,220 |
| |
|
|
|
|||
| Net investment income |
|
2,161,998 |
| |
|
|
|
|||
| REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS) |
||||
| Net realized gain from: |
||||
| Investments unaffiliated |
|
1,501,790 |
| |
| Investments affiliated |
|
118 |
| |
| Foreign currency transactions |
|
1 |
| |
| In-kind redemptions(a) |
|
2,311,791 |
| |
|
|
|
|||
|
|
3,813,700 |
| ||
|
|
|
|||
| Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on: |
||||
| Investments unaffiliated |
|
34,456,983 |
| |
| Investments affiliated |
|
(30 |
) | |
| Foreign currency translations |
|
126 |
| |
|
|
|
|||
|
|
34,457,079 |
| ||
|
|
|
|||
| Net realized and unrealized gain |
|
38,270,779 |
| |
|
|
|
|||
| NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS |
$ |
40,432,777 |
| |
|
|
|
|||
| (a) | See Note 2 of the Notes to Financial Statements. |
See notes to financial statements.
|
F I N A N C I A L S T A T E M E N T S |
11 |
Statements of Changes in Net Assets
| BlackRock Exchange Portfolio | ||||||||
| Year Ended 12/31/23 |
Year Ended 12/31/22 |
|||||||
| INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS |
||||||||
| OPERATIONS |
||||||||
| Net investment income |
$ | 2,161,998 | $ | 2,109,618 | ||||
| Net realized gain |
1,501,909 | 1,400,257 | ||||||
| Net realized gain from in-kind redemption transactions |
2,311,791 | 6,354,288 | ||||||
| Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) |
34,457,079 | (22,047,141 | ) | |||||
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
| Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations |
40,432,777 | (12,182,978 | ) | |||||
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
| DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS(a) |
||||||||
| BlackRock Shares |
(2,471,337 | ) | (2,410,562 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
| CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS |
||||||||
| Net decrease in net assets derived from capital share transactions |
(3,739,118 | ) | (7,885,504 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
| NET ASSETS |
||||||||
| Total increase (decrease) in net assets |
34,222,322 | (22,479,044 | ) | |||||
| Beginning of year |
197,538,933 | 220,017,977 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
| End of year |
$ | 231,761,255 | $ | 197,538,933 | ||||
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
| (a) | Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations. |
See notes to financial statements.
| 12 |
2 0 2 3 B L A C K R O C K A N N U A L R E P O R T T O S H A R E H O L D E R S |
(For a share outstanding throughout each period)
| BlackRock Exchange Portfolio | ||||||||||||||||||||
| BlackRock Shares | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Year Ended 12/31/23 |
Year Ended 12/31/22 |
Year Ended 12/31/21 |
Year Ended 12/31/20 |
Year Ended 12/31/19 |
||||||||||||||||
| Net asset value, beginning of year |
$ | 1,658.98 | $ | 1,777.46 | $ | 1,368.32 | $ | 1,270.46 | $ | 1,001.87 | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||
| Net investment income(a) |
18.34 | 17.47 | 14.63 | 15.80 | 15.81 | |||||||||||||||
| Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) |
324.85 | (115.72 | ) | 412.41 | 100.33 | 270.58 | ||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||
| Net increase (decrease) from investment operations |
343.19 | (98.25 | ) | 427.04 | 116.13 | 286.39 | ||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||
| Distributions from net investment income(b) |
(21.13 | ) | (20.23 | ) | (17.90 | ) | (18.27 | ) | (17.80 | ) | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||
| Net asset value, end of year |
$ | 1,981.04 | $ | 1,658.98 | $ | 1,777.46 | $ | 1,368.32 | $ | 1,270.46 | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||
| Total Return(c) |
||||||||||||||||||||
| Based on net asset value |
20.71 | % | (5.52 | )% | 31.23 | % | 9.19 | % | 28.63 | % | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||
| Ratios to Average Net Assets(d) |
||||||||||||||||||||
| Total expenses |
0.81 | % | 0.80 | % | 0.84 | % | 0.83 | % | 0.82 | % | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||
| Total expenses after fees waived and/or reimbursed(e) |
0.77 | % | 0.77 | % | 0.81 | % | 0.79 | % | 0.76 | % | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||
| Net investment income |
1.01 | % | 1.05 | % | 0.92 | % | 1.27 | % | 1.37 | % | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||
| Supplemental Data |
||||||||||||||||||||
| Net assets, end of year (000) |
$ | 231,761 | $ | 197,539 | $ | 220,018 | $ | 182,217 | $ | 185,706 | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||
| Portfolio turnover rate |
| % | | % | | % | | % | | % | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||
| (a) | Based on average shares outstanding. |
| (b) | Distributions for annual periods determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations. |
| (c) | Where applicable, assumes the reinvestment of distributions. |
| (d) | Excludes fees and expenses incurred indirectly as a result of investments in underlying funds. |
| (e) | Includes U.S. federal income taxes. Excluding such tax expense, total expenses after fees waived and/or reimbursed would have been as follows: |
| Year Ended 12/31/23 |
Year Ended 12/31/22 |
Year Ended 12/31/21 |
Year Ended 12/31/20 |
Year Ended 12/31/19 |
||||||||||||||||
| Excluding U.S. federal income taxes |
0.62 | % | 0.62 | % | 0.62 | % | 0.62 | % | 0.62 | % | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||
See notes to financial statements.
|
F I N A N C I A L H I G H L I G H T S |
13 |
| 1. | ORGANIZATION |
BlackRock FundsSM (the Trust) is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), as an open-end management investment company. The Trust is organized as a Massachusetts business trust. BlackRock Exchange Portfolio (the Fund) is a series of the Trust. The Fund is classified as diversified.
The Fund, together with certain other registered investment companies advised by BlackRock Advisors, LLC (the Manager) or its affiliates, is included in a complex of funds referred to as the BlackRock Multi-Asset Complex.
| 2. | SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES |
The financial statements are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (U.S. GAAP), which may require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The Fund is considered an investment company under U.S. GAAP and follows the accounting and reporting guidance applicable to investment companies. Below is a summary of significant accounting policies:
Investment Transactions and Income Recognition: For financial reporting purposes, investment transactions are recorded on the dates the transactions are executed. Realized gains and losses on investment transactions are determined using the specific identification method. In 2005, the Fund acquired all of the assets and liabilities of State Street Research Exchange Fund (the Predecessor Fund). For securities exchanged into the Predecessor Fund at its inception in 1976, the cost for financial reporting purposes is the value of those securities as used in the exchange. The cost, for income tax purposes, of securities exchanged into the Predecessor Fund is the tax basis of the individual investor. Dividend income and capital gain distributions, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend dates. Non-cash dividends, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend dates at fair value. Dividends from foreign securities where the ex-dividend dates may have passed are subsequently recorded when the Fund is informed of the ex-dividend dates. Under the applicable foreign tax laws, a withholding tax at various rates may be imposed on capital gains, dividends and interest.
Foreign Currency Translation: The Funds books and records are maintained in U.S. dollars. Securities and other assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars using exchange rates determined as of the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Purchases and sales of investments are recorded at the rates of exchange prevailing on the respective dates of such transactions. Generally, when the U.S. dollar rises in value against a foreign currency, the investments denominated in that currency will lose value; the opposite effect occurs if the U.S. dollar falls in relative value.
The Fund does not isolate the effect of fluctuations in foreign exchange rates from the effect of fluctuations in the market prices of investments for financial reporting purposes. Accordingly, the effects of changes in exchange rates on investments are not segregated in the Statement of Operations from the effects of changes in market prices of those investments, but are included as a component of net realized and unrealized gain (loss) from investments. The Fund reports realized currency gains (losses) on foreign currency related transactions as components of net realized gain (loss) for financial reporting purposes, whereas such components are generally treated as ordinary income for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Foreign Taxes: The Fund may be subject to foreign taxes (a portion of which may be reclaimable) on income, stock dividends, capital gains on investments, or certain foreign currency transactions. All foreign taxes are recorded in accordance with the applicable foreign tax regulations and rates that exist in the foreign jurisdictions in which the Fund invests. These foreign taxes, if any, are paid by the Fund and are reflected in its Statement of Operations as follows: foreign taxes withheld at source are presented as a reduction of income, foreign taxes on securities lending income are presented as a reduction of securities lending income, foreign taxes on stock dividends are presented as Foreign taxes withheld, and foreign taxes on capital gains from sales of investments and foreign taxes on foreign currency transactions are included in their respective net realized gain (loss) categories. Foreign taxes payable or deferred as of December 31, 2023, if any, are disclosed in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities.
The Fund files withholding tax reclaims in certain jurisdictions to recover a portion of amounts previously withheld. The Fund may record a reclaim receivable based on collectability, which includes factors such as the jurisdictions applicable laws, payment history and market convention. The Statement of Operations includes tax reclaims recorded as well as professional and other fees, if any, associated with recovery of foreign withholding taxes.
Collateralization: If required by an exchange or counterparty agreement, the Fund may be required to deliver/deposit cash and/or securities to/with an exchange, or broker-dealer or custodian as collateral for certain investments.
In-Kind Redemptions: The Fund transferred securities and cash to shareholders in connection with in-kind redemption transactions. For financial reporting purposes, these transactions were treated as a sale of securities and the resulting gains and losses were recognized based on the market value of the securities on the date of the redemption. For the year ended December 31, 2023, the Fund had in-kind redemptions of $2,391,800. For tax purposes, no gains or losses were recognized. Net gains and losses resulting from such in-kind redemptions are shown in the Statement of Operations.
Distributions: Distributions paid by the Fund are recorded on the ex-dividend dates. The character and timing of distributions are determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations, which may differ from U.S. GAAP.
Indemnifications: In the normal course of business, the Fund enters into contracts that contain a variety of representations that provide general indemnification. The Funds maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown because it involves future potential claims against the Fund, which cannot be predicted with any certainty.
Other: Expenses directly related to the Fund are charged to the Fund. Other operating expenses shared by several funds, including other funds managed by the Manager, are prorated among those funds on the basis of relative net assets or other appropriate methods.
The Fund has an arrangement with its custodian whereby credits are earned on uninvested cash balances, which could be used to reduce custody fees and/or overdraft charges. The Fund may incur charges on overdrafts, subject to certain conditions.
| 14 |
2 0 2 3 B L A C K R O C K A N N U A L R E P O R T T O S H A R E H O L D E R S |
| Notes to Financial Statements (continued) |
| 3. | INVESTMENT VALUATION AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS |
Investment Valuation Policies: The Funds investments are valued at fair value (also referred to as market value within the financial statements) each day that the Fund is open for business and, for financial reporting purposes, as of the report date. U.S. GAAP defines fair value as the price a fund would receive to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The Board of Trustees of the Trust (the Board) has approved the designation of the Funds Manager as the valuation designee for the Fund. The Fund determines the fair values of its financial instruments using various independent dealers or pricing services under the Managers policies. If a securitys market price is not readily available or does not otherwise accurately represent the fair value of the security, the security will be valued in accordance with the Managers policies and procedures as reflecting fair value. The Manager has formed a committee (the Valuation Committee) to develop pricing policies and procedures and to oversee the pricing function for all financial instruments, with assistance from other BlackRock pricing committees.
Fair Value Inputs and Methodologies: The following methods and inputs are used to establish the fair value of the Funds assets and liabilities:
| | Equity investments traded on a recognized securities exchange are valued at that days official closing price, as applicable, on the exchange where the stock is primarily traded. Equity investments traded on a recognized exchange for which there were no sales on that day may be valued at the last available bid (long positions) or ask (short positions) price. |
| | Investments in open-end U.S. mutual funds (including money market funds) are valued at that days published net asset value (NAV). |
| | The Fund values its investment in SL Liquidity Series, LLC, Money Market Series (the Money Market Series) at fair value, which is ordinarily based upon its pro rata ownership in the underlying funds net assets. |
Generally, trading in foreign instruments is substantially completed each day at various times prior to the close of trading on the NYSE. Each business day, the Fund uses current market factors supplied by independent pricing services to value certain foreign instruments (Systematic Fair Value Price). The Systematic Fair Value Price is designed to value such foreign securities at fair value as of the close of trading on the NYSE, which follows the close of the local markets.
If events (e.g., market volatility, company announcement or a natural disaster) occur that are expected to materially affect the value of such investment, or in the event that application of these methods of valuation results in a price for an investment that is deemed not to be representative of the market value of such investment, or if a price is not available, the investment will be valued by the Valuation Committee in accordance with the Managers policies and procedures as reflecting fair value (Fair Valued Investments). The fair valuation approaches that may be used by the Valuation Committee include market approach, income approach and cost approach. Valuation techniques such as discounted cash flow, use of market comparables and matrix pricing are types of valuation approaches and are typically used in determining fair value. When determining the price for Fair Valued Investments, the Valuation Committee seeks to determine the price that the Fund might reasonably expect to receive or pay from the current sale or purchase of that asset or liability in an arms-length transaction. Fair value determinations shall be based upon all available factors that the Valuation Committee deems relevant and consistent with the principles of fair value measurement.
Fair Value Hierarchy: Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of financial instruments. These inputs to valuation techniques are categorized into a fair value hierarchy consisting of three broad levels for financial reporting purposes as follows:
| | Level 1 Unadjusted price quotations in active markets/exchanges for identical assets or liabilities that the Fund has the ability to access; |
| | Level 2 Other observable inputs (including, but not limited to, quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in markets that are active, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the assets or liabilities (such as interest rates, yield curves, volatilities, prepayment speeds, loss severities, credit risks and default rates) or other marketcorroborated inputs); and |
| | Level 3 Unobservable inputs based on the best information available in the circumstances, to the extent observable inputs are not available (including the Valuation Committees assumptions used in determining the fair value of financial instruments). |
The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements). Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised in determining fair value is greatest for instruments categorized in Level 3. The inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, for disclosure purposes, the fair value hierarchy classification is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. Investments classified within Level 3 have significant unobservable inputs used by the Valuation Committee in determining the price for Fair Valued Investments. Level 3 investments include equity or debt issued by privately held companies or funds that may not have a secondary market and/or may have a limited number of investors. The categorization of a value determined for financial instruments is based on the pricing transparency of the financial instruments and is not necessarily an indication of the risks associated with investing in those securities.
As of December 31, 2023, certain investments of the Fund were fair valued using NAV as a practical expedient as no quoted market value is available and therefore have been excluded from the fair value hierarchy.
| 4. | SECURITIES AND OTHER INVESTMENTS |
Securities Lending: The Fund may lend its securities to approved borrowers, such as brokers, dealers and other financial institutions. The borrower pledges and maintains with the Fund collateral consisting of cash, an irrevocable letter of credit issued by a bank, or securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government. The initial collateral received by the Fund is required to have a value of at least 102% of the current value of the loaned securities for securities traded on U.S. exchanges and a value of at least 105% for all other securities. The collateral is maintained thereafter at a value equal to at least 100% of the current market value of the securities on loan. The market value of the loaned securities is determined at the close of each business day of the Fund and any additional required collateral is delivered to the Fund, or excess collateral returned by the Fund, on the next business day. During the term of the loan, the Fund is entitled to all distributions made on or in respect of the loaned securities, but does not receive interest income on securities received as collateral. Loans of securities are terminable at any time and the borrower, after notice, is required to return borrowed securities within the standard time period for settlement of securities transactions.
|
N O T E S T O F I N A N C I A L S T A T E M E N T S |
15 |
Notes to Financial Statements (continued)
As of period end, any securities on loan were collateralized by cash and/or U.S. Government obligations. Cash collateral invested by the securities lending agent, BlackRock Investment Management, LLC (BIM), if any, is disclosed in the Schedule of Investments. Any non-cash collateral received cannot be sold, re-invested or pledged by the Fund, except in the event of borrower default. The securities on loan, if any, are disclosed in the Funds Schedule of Investments. The market value of any securities on loan and the value of related collateral, if any, are shown separately in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities as a component of investments at value unaffiliated and collateral on securities loaned, respectively.
Securities lending transactions are entered into by the Fund under Master Securities Lending Agreements (each, an MSLA), which provide the right, in the event of default (including bankruptcy or insolvency), for the non-defaulting party to liquidate the collateral and calculate a net exposure to the defaulting party or request additional collateral. In the event that a borrower defaults, the Fund, as lender, would offset the market value of the collateral received against the market value of the securities loaned. When the value of the collateral is greater than that of the market value of the securities loaned, the lender is left with a net amount payable to the defaulting party. However, bankruptcy or insolvency laws of a particular jurisdiction may impose restrictions on or prohibitions against such a right of offset in the event of an MSLA counterpartys bankruptcy or insolvency. Under the MSLA, absent an event of default, the borrower can resell or re-pledge the loaned securities, and the Fund can reinvest cash collateral received in connection with loaned securities. Upon an event of default, the parties obligations to return the securities or collateral to the other party are extinguished, and the parties can resell or re-pledge the loaned securities or the collateral received in connection with the loaned securities in order to satisfy the defaulting partys net payment obligation for all transactions under the MSLA. The defaulting party remains liable for any deficiency.
As of period end, the following table is a summary of the Funds securities on loan by counterparty which are subject to offset under an MSLA:
| Counterparty
|
|
Securities
|
|
|
Cash
|
|
|
Non-Cash Collateral Received, at Fair Value
|
(a)
|
|
Net Amount
|
| ||||
| Citigroup Global Markets, Inc. |
$ |
149,615 |
|
$ |
(149,615 |
) |
$ |
|
|
$ |
|
| ||||
| Morgan Stanley |
|
147,246 |
|
|
(147,246 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
| ||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
| $ |
296,861 |
|
$ |
(296,861 |
) |
$ |
|
|
$ |
|
| |||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| (a) | Collateral received, if any, in excess of the market value of securities on loan is not presented in this table. The total cash collateral received by the Fund is disclosed in the Funds Statement of Assets and Liabilities. |
The risks of securities lending include the risk that the borrower may not provide additional collateral when required or may not return the securities when due. To mitigate these risks, the Fund benefits from a borrower default indemnity provided by BIM. BIMs indemnity allows for full replacement of the securities loaned to the extent the collateral received does not cover the value on the securities loaned in the event of borrower default. The Fund could incur a loss if the value of an investment purchased with cash collateral falls below the market value of loaned securities or if the value of an investment purchased with cash collateral falls below the value of the original cash collateral received. Such losses are borne entirely by the Fund.
| 5. | INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES |
Investment Advisory: The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, entered into an Investment Advisory Agreement with the Manager, the Funds investment adviser and an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of BlackRock, Inc. (BlackRock), to provide investment advisory services. The Manager is responsible for the management of the Funds portfolio and provides the personnel, facilities, equipment and certain other services necessary to the operations of the Fund.
For such services, the Fund pays the Manager a monthly fee at an annual rate equal to the following percentages of the average daily value of the Funds net assets:
| Average Daily Net Assets |
Investment Advisory Fees |
|||
| First $1 billion |
0.50% | |||
| $1 billion - $3 billion |
0.47 | |||
| $3 billion - $5 billion |
0.45 | |||
| $5 billion - $10 billion |
0.44 | |||
| Greater than $10 billion |
0.43 | |||
Administration: The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, entered into an Administration Agreement with the Manager, an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of BlackRock, to provide administrative services. For these services, the Manager receives an administration fee computed daily and payable monthly, based on a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund. The administration fee, which is shown as administration in the Statement of Operations, is paid at the annual rates below.
| Average Daily Net Assets |
Administration Fees |
|||
| First $500 million |
0.0425% | |||
| $500 million - $1 billion |
0.0400 | |||
| $1 billion - $2 billion |
0.0375 | |||
| $2 billion - $4 billion |
0.0350 | |||
| $4 billion - $13 billion |
0.0325 | |||
| Greater than $13 billion |
0.0300 | |||
In addition, the Manager charges BlackRock Shares an administration fee, which is shown as administration in the Statement of Operations, at an annual rate of 0.02% of the average daily net assets of BlackRock Shares.
| 16 |
2 0 2 3 B L A C K R O C K A N N U A L R E P O R T T O S H A R E H O L D E R S |
| Notes to Financial Statements (continued) |
Transfer Agent: Pursuant to written agreements, certain financial intermediaries, some of which may be affiliates, provide the Fund with sub-accounting, recordkeeping, sub-transfer agency and other administrative services with respect to servicing of underlying investor accounts. For these services, these entities receive an asset-based fee or an annual fee per shareholder account, which will vary depending on share class and/or net assets. For the year ended December 31, 2023, the Fund did not pay any amounts to affiliates in return for these services.
The Manager maintains a call center that is responsible for providing certain shareholder services to the Fund. Shareholder services include responding to inquiries and processing purchases and sales based upon instructions from shareholders. For the year ended December 31, 2023, the Fund reimbursed the Manager $2,315 for costs incurred in running the call center, which are included in transfer agent in the Statement of Operations.
Expense Limitations, Waivers and Reimbursements: The Manager contractually agreed to waive its investment advisory fees by the amount of investment advisory fees the Fund pays to the Manager indirectly through its investment in affiliated money market funds (the affiliated money market fund waiver) through June 30, 2024. The contractual agreement may be terminated upon 90 days notice by a majority of the trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust, as defined in the 1940 Act (Independent Trustees), or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. The amount of waivers and/or reimbursements of fees and expenses made pursuant to the expense limitation described below will be reduced by the amount of the affiliated money market fund waiver. This amount is included in fees waived and/or reimbursed by the Manager in the Statement of Operations. For the year ended December 31, 2023, the amount waived was $572.
The Manager has contractually agreed to waive its investment advisory fee with respect to any portion of the Funds assets invested in affiliated equity and fixed-income mutual funds and affiliated exchange-traded funds that have a contractual management fee through June 30, 2024. The contractual agreement may be terminated upon 90 days notice by a majority of the Independent Trustees, or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. For the year ended December 31, 2023, there were no fees waived by the Manager pursuant to this arrangement.
The Manager contractually agreed to waive and/or reimburse fees or expenses in order to limit expenses, excluding interest expense, dividend expense, tax expense, acquired fund fees and expenses, and certain other fund expenses, which constitute extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Funds business (expense limitation). The expense limitation as a percentage of average daily net assets is 0.62%.
The Manager has agreed not to reduce or discontinue the contractual expense limitation through June 30, 2024, unless approved by the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. For the year ended December 31, 2023, the Manager waived and/or reimbursed investment advisory fees of $34,446 which is included in fees waived and/or reimbursed by the Manager in the Statement of Operations.
In addition, these amounts waived and/or reimbursed by the Manager are included in administration fees waived by the Manager and transfer agent fees waived and/or reimbursed by the Manager, respectively, in the Statement of Operations. For the year ended December 31, 2023, expense waivers and/or reimbursements were as follows:
|
BlackRock Shares |
||||
| Administration fees waived by the Manager |
$ | 42,028 | ||
| Transfer agent fees waived and/or reimbursed by the Manager |
12,008 | |||
Securities Lending: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has issued an exemptive order which permits BIM, an affiliate of the Manager, to serve as securities lending agent for the Fund, subject to applicable conditions. As securities lending agent, BIM bears all operational costs directly related to securities lending. The Fund is responsible for expenses in connection with the investment of cash collateral received for securities on loan (the collateral investment expenses). The cash collateral is invested in a private investment company, Money Market Series, managed by the Manager or its affiliates. However, BIM has agreed to cap the collateral investment expenses of the Money Market Series to an annual rate of 0.04%. The investment adviser to the Money Market Series will not charge any advisory fees with respect to shares purchased by the Fund. The Money Market Series may impose a discretionary liquidity fee of up to 2% of the value withdrawn, if such fee is determined to be in the best interests of the Money Market Series. The Money Market Series seeks current income consistent with maintaining liquidity and preserving capital. Although the Money Market Series is not registered under the 1940 Act, its investments may follow the parameters of investments by a money market fund that is subject to Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act.
Securities lending income is equal to the total of income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral, net of fees and other payments to and from borrowers of securities, and less the collateral investment expenses. The Fund retains a portion of securities lending income and remits a remaining portion to BIM as compensation for its services as securities lending agent.
Pursuant to the current securities lending agreement, the Fund retains 81% of securities lending income (which excludes collateral investment expenses), and this amount retained can never be less than 70% of the total of securities lending income plus the collateral investment expenses.
In addition, commencing the business day following the date that the aggregate securities lending income earned across the BlackRock Multi-Asset Complex in a calendar year exceeds a specified threshold, the Fund, pursuant to the securities lending agreement, will retain for the remainder of that calendar year securities lending income in an amount equal to 81% of securities lending income (which excludes collateral investment expenses), and this amount retained can never be less than 70% of the total of securities lending income plus the collateral investment expenses.
The share of securities lending income earned by the Fund is shown as securities lending income affiliated net in the Statement of Operations. For the year ended December 31, 2023, the Fund paid BIM $190 for securities lending agent services.
Trustees and Officers: Certain trustees and/or officers of the Trust are directors and/or officers of BlackRock or its affiliates. The Fund reimburses the Manager for a portion of the compensation paid to the Trusts Chief Compliance Officer, which is included in Trustees and Officer in the Statement of Operations.
|
N O T E S T O F I N A N C I A L S T A T E M E N T S |
17 |
| Notes to Financial Statements (continued) |
| 6. | PURCHASES AND SALES |
For the year ended December 31, 2023, sales of investments, excluding short-term securities and in-kind redemptions, were $1,507,614. For the year ended December 31, 2023, there were no purchases.
| 7. | INCOME TAX INFORMATION |
It is the Funds policy to comply with the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, applicable to regulated investment companies, and to distribute substantially all of its taxable income to its shareholders. The Funds current practice is to retain long-term capital gains, if any, and to pay U.S. federal taxes thereon at corporate tax rates on behalf of the shareholders. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, shareholders will be required to include their proportionate share of the retained capital gains in income and are entitled to report a credit for their share of the tax paid by the Fund.
The Fund files U.S. federal and various state and local tax returns. No income tax returns are currently under examination. The statute of limitations on the Funds U.S. federal tax returns generally remains open for a period of three years after they are filed. The statutes of limitations on the Funds state and local tax returns may remain open for an additional year depending upon the jurisdiction.
Management has analyzed tax laws and regulations and their application to the Fund as of December 31, 2023, inclusive of the open tax return years, and does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability in the Funds financial statements.
U.S. GAAP requires that certain components of net assets be adjusted to reflect permanent differences between financial and tax reporting. These reclassifications have no effect on net assets or NAVs per share. As of period end, permanent differences attributable to redemption in-kind transactions, non-deductible expenses and long-term capital gains deemed distributed to shareholders were reclassified to the following accounts:
|
Amounts |
||||
| Paid-in capital |
$ 3,497,777 | |||
| Accumulated earnings (loss) |
(3,497,777 | ) | ||
The tax character of distributions paid was as follows:
|
Year Ended |
Year Ended | |||
| Ordinary income |
$ 2,471,337 | $ 2,410,562 | ||
|
|
| |||
As of December 31, 2023, the tax components of accumulated earnings (loss) were as follows:
| Fund Name |
Undistributed |
Net Unrealized |
Total |
|||||||||
| BlackRock Exchange Portfolio |
$ | 26,847 | $ | 216,617,206 | $ | 216,644,053 | ||||||
| (a) | The difference between book-basis and tax-basis net unrealized gains was attributable primarily to the basis differences on contributed securities and timing and recognition of partnership income. |
As of December 31, 2023, gross unrealized appreciation and depreciation based on cost of investments (including short positions and derivatives, if any) for U.S. federal income tax purposes were as follows:
| Fund Name |
Tax Cost |
Gross Unrealized |
Gross Unrealized |
Net Unrealized |
||||||||||
| BlackRock Exchange Portfolio |
$ 15,717,940 | $ | 216,607,662 | $ | (30 | ) | $ | 216,607,632 | ||||||
| 8. | BANK BORROWINGS |
The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, along with certain other funds managed by the Manager and its affiliates (Participating Funds), is party to a 364-day, $2.50 billion credit agreement with a group of lenders. Under this agreement, the Fund may borrow to fund shareholder redemptions. Excluding commitments designated for certain individual funds, the Participating Funds, including the Fund, can borrow up to an aggregate commitment amount of $1.75 billion at any time outstanding, subject to asset coverage and other limitations as specified in the agreement. The credit agreement has the following terms: a fee of 0.10% per annum on unused commitment amounts and interest at a rate equal to the higher of (a) Overnight Bank Funding Rate (OBFR) (but, in any event, not less than 0.00%) on the date the loan is made plus 0.80% per annum, (b) the Fed Funds rate (but, in any event, not less than 0.00%) in effect from time to time plus 0.80% per annum on amounts borrowed or (c) the sum of (x) Daily Simple Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) (but, in any event, not less than 0.00%) on the date the loan is made plus 0.10% and (y) 0.80% per annum. The agreement expires in April 2024 unless extended or renewed. These fees were allocated among such funds based upon portions of the aggregate commitment available to them and relative net assets of Participating Funds. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Fund did not borrow under the credit agreement.
| 18 |
2 0 2 3 B L A C K R O C K A N N U A L R E P O R T T O S H A R E H O L D E R S |
| Notes to Financial Statements (continued) |
| 9. | PRINCIPAL RISKS |
In the normal course of business, the Fund invests in securities or other instruments and may enter into certain transactions, and such activities subject the Fund to various risks, including among others, fluctuations in the market (market risk) or failure of an issuer to meet all of its obligations. The value of securities or other instruments may also be affected by various factors, including, without limitation: (i) the general economy; (ii) the overall market as well as local, regional or global political and/or social instability; (iii) regulation, taxation or international tax treaties between various countries; or (iv) currency, interest rate and price fluctuations. Local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant impact on the Fund and its investments. The Funds prospectus provides details of the risks to which the Fund is subject.
The Fund may be exposed to additional risks when reinvesting cash collateral in money market funds that do not seek to maintain a stable NAV per share of $1.00, which may be subject to discretionary liquidity fees under certain circumstances.
Valuation Risk: The market values of equities, such as common stocks and preferred securities or equity related investments, such as futures and options, may decline due to general market conditions which are not specifically related to a particular company. They may also decline due to factors which affect a particular industry or industries. The Fund may invest in illiquid investments. An illiquid investment is any investment that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. The Fund may experience difficulty in selling illiquid investments in a timely manner at the price that it believes the investments are worth. Prices may fluctuate widely over short or extended periods in response to company, market or economic news. Markets also tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising and falling prices. This volatility may cause the Funds NAV to experience significant increases or decreases over short periods of time. If there is a general decline in the securities and other markets, the NAV of the Fund may lose value, regardless of the individual results of the securities and other instruments in which the Fund invests.
Counterparty Credit Risk: The Fund may be exposed to counterparty credit risk, or the risk that an entity may fail to or be unable to perform on its commitments related to unsettled or open transactions, including making timely interest and/or principal payments or otherwise honoring its obligations. The Fund manages counterparty credit risk by entering into transactions only with counterparties that the Manager believes have the financial resources to honor their obligations and by monitoring the financial stability of those counterparties. Financial assets, which potentially expose the Fund to market, issuer and counterparty credit risks, consist principally of financial instruments and receivables due from counterparties. The extent of the Funds exposure to market, issuer and counterparty credit risks with respect to these financial assets is approximately their value recorded in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities, less any collateral held by the Fund.
Geographic/Asset Class Risk: A diversified portfolio, where this is appropriate and consistent with a funds objectives, minimizes the risk that a price change of a particular investment will have a material impact on the NAV of a fund. The investment concentrations within the Funds portfolio are disclosed in its Schedule of Investments.
The Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in securities within a single or limited number of market sectors. When a fund concentrates its investments in this manner, it assumes the risk that economic, regulatory, political and social conditions affecting such sectors may have a significant impact on the Fund and could affect the income from, or the value or liquidity of, the Funds portfolio. Investment percentages in specific sectors are presented in the Schedule of Investments.
The Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in securities of issuers located in the United States. A decrease in imports or exports, changes in trade regulations, inflation and/or an economic recession in the United States may have a material adverse effect on the U.S. economy and the securities listed on U.S. exchanges. Proposed and adopted policy and legislative changes in the United States may also have a significant effect on U.S. markets generally, as well as on the value of certain securities. Governmental agencies project that the United States will continue to maintain elevated public debt levels for the foreseeable future which may constrain future economic growth. Circumstances could arise that could prevent the timely payment of interest or principal on U.S. government debt, such as reaching the legislative debt ceiling. Such non-payment would result in substantial negative consequences for the U.S. economy and the global financial system. If U.S. relations with certain countries deteriorate, it could adversely affect issuers that rely on the United States for trade. The United States has also experienced increased internal unrest and discord. If these trends were to continue, they may have an adverse impact on the U.S. economy and the issuers in which the Fund invests.
Significant Shareholder Redemption Risk: Certain shareholders may own or manage a substantial amount of fund shares and/or hold their fund investments for a limited period of time. Large redemptions of fund shares by these shareholders may force a fund to sell portfolio securities, which may negatively impact the funds NAV, increase the funds brokerage costs, and/or accelerate the realization of taxable income/gains and cause the fund to make additional taxable distributions to shareholders.
|
N O T E S T O F I N A N C I A L S T A T E M E N T S |
19 |
| Notes to Financial Statements (continued) |
| 10. | CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS |
Transactions in capital shares were as follows:
| Year Ended 12/31/23 | Year Ended 12/31/22 | |||||||||||||||
| Share Class | Shares | Amount | Shares | Amount | ||||||||||||
| BlackRock Shares |
||||||||||||||||
| Shares issued in reinvestment of distributions |
307 | $ | 600,524 | 272 | $ | 449,644 | ||||||||||
| Shares redeemed |
(2,389 | )(a) | (4,339,642 | ) | (4,982 | )(b) | (8,335,148 | ) | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
| (2,082 | ) | $ | (3,739,118 | ) | (4,710 | ) | $ | (7,885,504 | ) | |||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
| (a) | Including (1,339) representing in-kind redemptions. |
| (b) | Including (3,869) representing in-kind redemptions. |
| 11. | SUBSEQUENT EVENTS |
Management has evaluated the impact of all subsequent events on the Fund through the date the financial statements were issued and has determined that there were no subsequent events requiring adjustment or additional disclosure in the financial statements.
| 20 |
2 0 2 3 B L A C K R O C K A N N U A L R E P O R T T O S H A R E H O L D E R S |
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Shareholders of BlackRock Exchange Portfolio and the Board of Trustees of BlackRock FundsSM:
Opinion on the Financial Statements and Financial Highlights
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of BlackRock Exchange Portfolio of BlackRock FundsSM (the Fund), including the schedule of investments, as of December 31, 2023, the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, and the related notes. In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund as of December 31, 2023, and the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Funds management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Funds financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Fund is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Funds internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements and financial highlights, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements and financial highlights. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements and financial highlights. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of December 31, 2023, by correspondence with custodians or counterparties; when replies were not received, we performed other auditing procedures. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Deloitte & Touche LLP
Boston, Massachusetts
February 23, 2024
We have served as the auditor of one or more BlackRock investment companies since 1992.
|
R E P O R T O F I N D E P E N D E N T R E G I S T E R E D P U B L I C A C C O U N T I N G F I R M |
21 |
Important Tax Information (unaudited)
The following amount, or maximum amount allowable by law are hereby designated as qualified dividend income for individuals for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023:
|
|
||||
| Fund Name | Qualified Dividend Income |
|||
|
|
||||
| BlackRock Exchange Portfolio |
$ | 3,797,252 | ||
|
|
||||
The Fund hereby designates the following amount, or maximum amount allowable by law, of distributions from direct federal obligation interest for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023:
|
|
||||
| Fund Name | Federal Obligation Interest |
|||
|
|
||||
| BlackRock Exchange Portfolio |
$ | 3,880 | ||
|
|
||||
The law varies in each state as to whether and what percent of ordinary income dividends attributable to federal obligations is exempt from state income tax. Shareholders are advised to check with their tax advisers to determine if any portion of the dividends received is exempt from state income tax.
The following percentage, or maximum percentage allowable by law, of ordinary income distributions paid during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 qualified for the dividends-received deduction for corporate shareholders:
|
|
||||
| Fund Name | Dividends-Received Deduction |
|||
|
|
||||
| BlackRock Exchange Portfolio |
100.00 | % | ||
|
|
||||
The Fund hereby designates the following amount, or maximum amount allowable by law, as interest income eligible to be treated as a Section 163(j) interest dividend for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023:
|
|
||||
| Fund Name | Interest Dividends | |||
|
|
||||
| BlackRock Exchange Portfolio |
$ | 24,745 | ||
|
|
||||
The Fund hereby designates the following amount, or maximum amount allowable by law, as interest-related dividends eligible for exemption from U.S. withholding tax for nonresident aliens and foreign corporations, for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023:
|
|
||||
| Fund Name | Interest-Related Dividends |
|||
|
|
||||
| BlackRock Exchange Portfolio |
$ | 24,745 | ||
|
|
||||
| 22 |
2 0 2 3 B L A C K R O C K A N N U A L R E P O R T T O S H A R E H O L D E R S |
Statement Regarding Liquidity Risk Management Program
In compliance with Rule 22e-4 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the Liquidity Rule), BlackRock FundsSM (the Trust) has adopted and implemented a liquidity risk management program (the Program) for BlackRock Exchange Portfolio (the Fund), a series of the Trust, which is reasonably designed to assess and manage the Funds liquidity risk.
The Board of Trustees (the Board) of the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, met on November 16-17, 2023 (the Meeting) to review the Program. The Board previously appointed BlackRock Advisors, LLC or BlackRock Fund Advisors (BlackRock), each an investment adviser to certain BlackRock funds, as the program administrator for the Funds Program, as applicable. BlackRock also previously delegated oversight of the Program to the 40 Act Liquidity Risk Management Committee (the Committee). At the Meeting, the Committee, on behalf of BlackRock, provided the Board with a report that addressed the operation of the Program and assessed its adequacy and effectiveness of implementation, including the management of the Funds Highly Liquid Investment Minimum (HLIM) where applicable, and any material changes to the Program (the Report). The Report covered the period from October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2023 (the Program Reporting Period).
The Report described the Programs liquidity classification methodology for categorizing the Funds investments (including derivative transactions) into one of four liquidity buckets. It also referenced the methodology used by BlackRock to establish the Funds HLIM and noted that the Committee reviews and ratifies the HLIM assigned to the Fund no less frequently than annually. The Report also discussed notable events affecting liquidity over the Program Reporting Period, including the imposition of capital controls in certain countries.
The Report noted that the Program complied with the key factors for consideration under the Liquidity Rule for assessing, managing and periodically reviewing the Funds liquidity risk, as follows:
| a) | The Funds investment strategy and liquidity of portfolio investments during both normal and reasonably foreseeable stressed conditions. During the Program Reporting Period, the Committee reviewed whether the Funds strategy is appropriate for an open-end fund structure with a focus on funds with more significant and consistent holdings of less liquid and illiquid assets. The Committee also factored a funds concentration in an issuer into the liquidity classification methodology by taking issuer position sizes into account. Where a fund participated in borrowings for investment purposes (such as tender option bonds or reverse repurchase agreements), such borrowings were factored into the Programs calculation of a funds liquidity bucketing. A funds derivative exposure was also considered in such calculation. |
| b) | Short-term and long-term cash flow projections during both normal and reasonably foreseeable stressed conditions. During the Program Reporting Period, the Committee reviewed historical redemption activity and used this information as a component to establish the Funds reasonably anticipated trading size utilized for liquidity classifications. The Fund has adopted an in-kind redemption policy which may be utilized to meet larger redemption requests. The Committee may also take into consideration a funds shareholder ownership concentration (which, depending on product type and distribution channel, may or may not be available), a funds distribution channels, and the degree of certainty associated with a funds short-term and long-term cash flow projections. |
| c) | Holdings of cash and cash equivalents, as well as borrowing arrangements. The Committee considered the terms of the credit facility committed to the Fund, the financial health of the institution providing the facility and the fact that the credit facility is shared among multiple funds (including that a portion of the aggregate commitment amount is specifically designated for BlackRock Floating Rate Income Portfolio, a series of BlackRock Funds V, and BlackRock Floating Rate Loan ETF, a series of BlackRock ETF Trust II). The Committee also considered other types of borrowing available to the Fund, such as the ability to use reverse repurchase agreements and interfund lending, as applicable. |
There were no material changes to the Program during the Program Reporting Period other than the enhancement of certain model components in the Programs classification methodology. The Report provided to the Board stated that the Committee concluded that based on the operation of the functions, as described in the Report, the Program is operating as intended and is effective in implementing the requirements of the Liquidity Rule.
|
S T A T E M E N T R E G A R D I N G L I Q U I D I T Y R I S K M A N A G E M E N T P R O G R A M |
23 |
Trustee and Officer Information
| Independent Trustees(a) | ||||||||
| Name Year of Birth(b) |
Position(s) Held (Length of Service)(c) |
Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 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 5 Years | ||||
| Mark Stalnecker 1951 |
Chair of the Board (Since 2019) and Trustee (Since 2015) |
Chief Investment Officer, University of Delaware from 1999 to 2013; Trustee and Chair of the Finance and Investment Committees, Winterthur Museum and Country Estate from 2005 to 2016; Member of the Investment Committee, Delaware Public Employees Retirement System since 2002; Member of the Investment Committee, Christiana Care Health System from 2009 to 2017; Member of the Investment Committee, Delaware Community Foundation from 2013 to 2014; Director and Chair of the Audit Committee, SEI Private Trust Co. from 2001 to 2014. |
28 RICs consisting of 166 Portfolios | None | ||||
| Susan J. Carter 1956 |
Trustee (Since 2016) |
Trustee, Financial Accounting Foundation from 2017 to 2021; Advisory Board Member, Center for Private Equity and Entrepreneurship at Tuck School of Business from 1997 to 2021; Director, Pacific Pension Institute from 2014 to 2018; 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 from 2015 to 2018 and Board Member thereof from 2018 to 2022; Advisory Board Member, Bridges Fund Management from 2016 to 2018; Practitioner Advisory Board Member, Private Capital Research Institute (PCRI) since 2017; Lecturer in the Practice of Management, Yale School of Management since 2019; Advisor to Finance Committee, Altman Foundation since 2020; Investment Committee Member, Tostan since 2021; Member of the Presidents Counsel, Commonfund since 2023. |
28 RICs consisting of 166 Portfolios | None | ||||
| Collette Chilton 1958 |
Trustee (Since 2015) |
Senior advisor, Insignia since 2024; Chief Investment Officer, Williams College from 2006 to 2023; Chief Investment Officer, Lucent Asset Management Corporation from 1998 to 2006; Director, Boys and Girls Club of Boston since 2017; Director, B1 Capital since 2018; Director, David and Lucile Packard Foundation since 2020. |
28 RICs consisting of 166 Portfolios | None | ||||
| Neil A. Cotty 1954 |
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. |
28 RICs consisting of 166 Portfolios | None | ||||
| Lena G. Goldberg 1949 |
Trustee (Since 2019) |
Director, Pioneer Public Interest Law Center since 2023; Director, Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc. from 2013 to 2021; Senior Lecturer, Harvard Business School from 2008 to 2021; FMR LLC/Fidelity Investments (financial services) from 1996 to 2008, serving in various senior roles including Executive Vice President - Strategic Corporate Initiatives and Executive Vice President and General Counsel; Partner, Sullivan & Worcester LLP from 1985 to 1996 and Associate thereof from 1979 to 1985. |
28 RICs consisting of 166 Portfolios | None | ||||
| 24 |
2 0 2 3 B L A C K R O C K A N N U A L R E P O R T T O S H A R E H O L D E R S |
Trustee and Officer Information (continued)
| Independent Trustees(a) | ||||||||
| Name Year of Birth(b) |
Position(s) Held (Length of Service)(c) |
Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 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 5 Years | ||||
| Henry R. Keizer 1956 |
Trustee (Since 2019) |
Director, Park Indemnity Ltd. (captive insurer) from 2010 to 2022. |
28 RICs consisting of 166 Portfolios | GrafTech International Ltd. (materials manufacturing); Sealed Air Corp. (packaging); WABCO (commercial vehicle safety systems) from 2015 to 2020; Hertz Global Holdings (car rental) from 2015 to 2021. | ||||
| Cynthia A. Montgomery 1952 |
Trustee (Since 2007) |
Professor, Harvard Business School since 1989. |
28 RICs consisting of 166 Portfolios | None | ||||
| Donald C. Opatrny 1952 |
Trustee (Since 2019) |
Chair of the Board of Phoenix Art Museum since 2022 and Trustee thereof since 2018; Chair of the Investment Committee of The Arizona Community Foundation since 2022 and Trustee thereof since 2020; Director, Athena Capital Advisors LLC (investment management firm) from 2013 to 2020; Trustee, Vice Chair, Member of the Executive Committee and Chair of the Investment Committee, Cornell University from 2004 to 2019; Member of Affordable Housing Supply Board of Jackson, Wyoming from 2017 to 2022; Member, Investment Funds Committee, State of Wyoming from 2017 to 2023; Trustee, Artstor (a Mellon Foundation affiliate) from 2010 to 2015; Member of the Investment Committee, Mellon Foundation from 2009 to 2015; President, Trustee and Member of the Investment Committee, The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum from 2007 to 2014; Trustee and Chair of the Investment Committee, Community Foundation of Jackson Hole since 2014. |
28 RICs consisting of 166 Portfolios | None | ||||
| Kenneth L. Urish 1951 |
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 2001, Emeritus since 2022; 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; Member, Advisory Board, ESG Competent Boards since 2020. |
28 RICs consisting of 166 Portfolios | None | ||||
|
T R U S T E E A N D O F FI C E R I N F O R M A T I O N |
25 |
Trustee and Officer Information (continued)
| Independent Trustees(a) | ||||||||
| Name Year of Birth(b) |
Position(s) Held (Length of Service)(c) |
Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 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 5 Years | ||||
| Claire A. Walton 1957 |
Trustee (Since 2016) |
Advisory Board Member, Grossman School of Business at the University of Vermont since 2023; Advisory Board Member, Scientific Financial Systems since 2022; General Partner of Neon Liberty Capital Management, LLC from 2003 to 2023; Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Liberty Square Asset Management, LP from 1998 to 2015; Director, Boston Hedge Fund Group from 2009 to 2018; Director, Massachusetts Council on Economic Education from 2013 to 2015; Director, Woodstock Ski Runners from 2013 to 2022. |
28 RICs consisting of 166 Portfolios | None | ||||
| 26 |
2 0 2 3 B L A C K R O C K A N N U A L R E P O R T T O S H A R E H O L D E R S |
Trustee and Officer Information (continued)
| Interested Trustees(a)(d) | ||||||||
| Name Year of Birth(b) |
Position(s) Held (Length of Service)(c) |
Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 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 5 Years | ||||
| Robert Fairbairn 1965 |
Trustee (Since 2018) |
Vice Chairman of BlackRock, Inc. since 2019; Member of BlackRocks Global Executive and Global Operating Committees; Co-Chair of BlackRocks Human Capital Committee; Senior Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. from 2010 to 2019; oversaw BlackRocks Strategic Partner Program and Strategic Product Management Group from 2012 to 2019; Member of the Board of Managers of BlackRock Investments, LLC from 2011 to 2018; Global Head of BlackRocks Retail and iShares® businesses from 2012 to 2016. |
97 RICs consisting of 268 Portfolios | None | ||||
| John M. Perlowski(e) 1964 |
Trustee (Since 2015), President and Chief Executive Officer (Since 2010) |
Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2009; Head of BlackRock Global Accounting and Product Services since 2009; Advisory Director of Family Resource Network (charitable foundation) since 2009. |
99 RICs consisting of 270 Portfolios | None | ||||
| (a) | The address of each Trustee is c/o BlackRock, Inc., 50 Hudson Yards, New York, New York 10001. |
| (b) | Independent Trustees serve until their resignation, retirement, removal or death, or until December 31 of the year in which they turn 75. The Board may determine to extend the terms of Independent Trustees on a case-by-case basis, as appropriate. |
| (c) | Following the combination of Merrill Lynch Investment Managers, L.P. (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. Furthermore, effective January 1, 2019, three BlackRock Fund Complexes were realigned and consolidated into two BlackRock Fund Complexes. As a result, although the chart shows the year that each Independent Trustee joined the Board, certain Independent Trustees first became members of the boards of other BlackRock-advised Funds, legacy MLIM funds or legacy BlackRock funds as follows: Cynthia A. Montgomery, 1994; Kenneth L. Urish, 1999; Lena G. Goldberg, 2016; Henry R. Keizer, 2016; Donald C. Opatrny, 2015. |
| (d) | Mr. Fairbairn and Mr. Perlowski are both interested persons, as defined in the 1940 Act, of the Trust based on their positions with BlackRock, Inc. and its affiliates. Mr. Fairbairn and Mr. Perlowski are also board members of the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex. |
| (e) | Mr. Perlowski is also a trustee of the BlackRock Credit Strategies Fund and BlackRock Private Investment Fund. |
|
T R U S T E E A N D O F FI C E R I N F O R M A T I O N |
27 |
Trustee and Officer Information (continued)
| Officers Who Are Not Trustees(a) | ||||
| Name Year of Birth(b) |
Position(s) Held (Length of Service) |
Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years | ||
| Roland Villacorta 1971 |
Vice President (Since 2022) | Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2022; Head of Global Cash Management and Head of Securities Lending within BlackRocks Portfolio Management Group since 2022; Member of BlackRocks Global Operating Committee since 2022; Head of Portfolio Management in BlackRocks Financial Markets Advisory Group within BlackRock Solutions from 2008 to 2015; Co-Head of BlackRock Solutions Portfolio Analytics Group; previously Mr. Villacorta was Co-Head of Fixed Income within BlackRocks Risk & Quantitative Analysis Group. | ||
| Jennifer McGovern 1977 |
Vice President (Since 2014) | Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2016; Director of BlackRock, Inc. from 2011 to 2015; Head of Americas Product Development and Governance for BlackRocks Global Product Group since 2019; Head of Product Structure and Oversight for BlackRocks U.S. Wealth Advisory Group from 2013 to 2019. | ||
| Trent Walker 1974 |
Chief Financial Officer (Since 2021) | Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since September 2019; Executive Vice President of PIMCO from 2016 to 2019; Senior Vice President of PIMCO from 2008 to 2015; Treasurer from 2013 to 2019 and Assistant Treasurer from 2007 to 2017 of PIMCO Funds, PIMCO Variable Insurance Trust, PIMCO ETF Trust, PIMCO Equity Series, PIMCO Equity Series VIT, PIMCO Managed Accounts Trust, 2 PIMCO-sponsored interval funds and 21 PIMCO-sponsored closed-end funds. | ||
| Jay M. Fife 1970 |
Treasurer (Since 2007) | Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2007. | ||
| Aaron Wasserman 1974 |
Chief Compliance Officer (Since 2023) | Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2018; Chief Compliance Officer of the BlackRock-advised funds in the BlackRock Multi-Asset Complex, the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex and the iShares Complex since 2023; Deputy Chief Compliance Officer for the BlackRock-advised funds in the BlackRock Multi-Asset Complex, the BlackRock Fixed-Income Complex and the iShares Complex from 2014 to 2023. | ||
| Lisa Belle 1968 |
Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer (Since 2019) | Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2019; Global Financial Crime Head for Asset and Wealth Management of JP Morgan from 2013 to 2019; Managing Director of RBS Securities from 2012 to 2013; Head of Financial Crimes for Barclays Wealth Americas from 2010 to 2012. | ||
| Janey Ahn 1975 |
Secretary (Since 2019) | Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2018; Director of BlackRock, Inc. from 2009 to 2017. | ||
| (a) | The address of each Officer is c/o BlackRock, Inc., 50 Hudson Yards, New York, New York 10001. |
| (b) | Officers of the Trust serve at the pleasure of the Board. |
Further information about the Trusts Trustees and Officers is available in the Funds Statement of Additional Information, which can be obtained without charge by calling (800) 441-7762.
Effective July 1, 2023, Aaron Wasserman replaced Charles Park as Chief Compliance Officer of the Trust.
| 28 |
2 0 2 3 B L A C K R O C K A N N U A L R E P O R T T O S H A R E H O L D E R S |
| Additional Information |
Tailored Shareholder Reports for Open-End Mutual Funds and ETFs
Effective January 24, 2023, the SEC adopted rule and form amendments to require open-end mutual funds and ETFs to transmit concise and visually engaging streamlined annual and semiannual reports to shareholders that highlight key information. Other information, including financial statements, will no longer appear in a streamlined shareholder report but must be available online, delivered free of charge upon request, and filed on a semiannual basis on Form N-CSR. The rule and form amendments have a compliance date of July 24, 2024. At this time, management is evaluating the impact of these amendments on the shareholder reports for the Fund.
General Information
Quarterly performance, semi-annual and annual reports, current net asset value and other information regarding the Fund may be found on BlackRocks website, which can be accessed at blackrock.com. Any reference to BlackRocks website in this report is intended to allow investors public access to information regarding the Fund and does not, and is not intended to, incorporate BlackRocks website in this report.
Householding
The Fund will mail only one copy of shareholder documents, including prospectuses, annual and semi-annual reports, Rule 30e-3 notices and proxy statements, to shareholders with multiple accounts at the same address. This practice is commonly called householding and is intended to reduce expenses and eliminate duplicate mailings of shareholder documents. Mailings of your shareholder documents may be householded indefinitely unless you instruct us otherwise. If you do not want the mailing of these documents to be combined with those for other members of your household, please call the Fund at (800) 441-7762.
Availability of Quarterly Schedule of Investments
The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to its reports on Form N-PORT. The Funds Form N-PORT is available on the SECs website at sec.gov. Additionally, the Fund makes its portfolio holdings for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year available at blackrock.com/fundreports.
Availability of Proxy Voting Policies, Procedures and Voting Records
A description of the policies and procedures that the Fund uses to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities and information about how the Fund voted proxies relating to securities held in the Funds portfolio during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available without charge, upon request (1) by calling (800) 441-7762; (2) on the BlackRock website at blackrock.com; and (3) on the SECs website at sec.gov.
BlackRocks Mutual Fund Family
BlackRock offers a diverse lineup of open-end mutual funds crossing all investment styles and managed by experts in equity, fixed-income and tax-exempt investing. Visit blackrock.com for more information.
Shareholder Privileges
Account Information
Call us at (800) 441-7762 from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM ET on any business day to get information about your account balances, recent transactions and share prices. You can also visit blackrock.com for more information.
Automatic Investment Plans
Investor class shareholders who want to invest regularly can arrange to have $50 or more automatically deducted from their checking or savings account and invested in any of the BlackRock funds.
Systematic Withdrawal Plans
Investor class shareholders can establish a systematic withdrawal plan and receive periodic payments of $50 or more from their BlackRock funds, as long as their account balance is at least $10,000.
Retirement Plans
Shareholders may make investments in conjunction with Traditional, Rollover, Roth, Coverdell, Simple IRAs, SEP IRAs and 403(b) Plans.
BlackRock Privacy Principles
BlackRock is committed to maintaining the privacy of its current and former fund investors and individual clients (collectively, Clients) and to safeguarding their non-public personal information. The following information is provided to help you understand what personal information BlackRock collects, how we protect that information and why in certain cases we share such information with select parties.
|
A D D I T I O N A L I N F O R M A T I O N |
29 |
Additional Information(continued)
If you are located in a jurisdiction where specific laws, rules or regulations require BlackRock to provide you with additional or different privacy-related rights beyond what is set forth below, then BlackRock will comply with those specific laws, rules or regulations.
BlackRock obtains or verifies personal non-public information from and about you from different sources, including the following: (i) information we receive from you or, if applicable, your financial intermediary, on applications, forms or other documents; (ii) information about your transactions with us, our affiliates, or others; (iii) information we receive from a consumer reporting agency; and (iv) from visits to our websites.
BlackRock does not sell or disclose to non-affiliated third parties any non-public personal information about its Clients, except as permitted by law or as is necessary to respond to regulatory requests or to service Client accounts. These non-affiliated third parties are required to protect the confidentiality and security of this information and to use it only for its intended purpose.
We may share information with our affiliates to service your account or to provide you with information about other BlackRock products or services that may be of interest to you. In addition, BlackRock restricts access to non-public personal information about its Clients to those BlackRock employees with a legitimate business need for the information. BlackRock maintains physical, electronic and procedural safeguards that are designed to protect the non-public personal information of its Clients, including procedures relating to the proper storage and disposal of such information.
Fund and Service Providers
| Investment Adviser and Administrator |
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm | |
| BlackRock Advisors, LLC |
Deloitte & Touche LLP | |
| Wilmington, DE 19809 |
Boston, MA 02116 | |
| Accounting Agent and Transfer Agent |
Distributor | |
| BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. |
BlackRock Investments, LLC | |
| Wilmington, DE 19809 |
New York, NY 10001 | |
| Custodian |
Legal Counsel | |
| The Bank of New York Mellon |
Sidley Austin LLP | |
| New York, NY 10286 |
New York, NY 10019 | |
| Address of the Trust | ||
| 100 Bellevue Parkway | ||
| Wilmington, DE 19809 | ||
| 30 |
2 0 2 3 B L A C K R O C K A N N U A L R E P O R T T O S H A R E H O L D E R S |
| Glossary of Terms Used in this Report |
Portfolio Abbreviation
ADR American Depositary Receipt
|
G L O S S A R Y O F T E R M S U S E D I N T H I S R E P O R T |
31 |
Want to know more?
blackrock.com | 800-441-7762
This report is intended for current holders. It is not authorized for use as an offer of sale or a solicitation of an offer to buy shares of the Fund unless preceded or accompanied by the Funds current prospectus. Past performance results shown in this report should not be considered a representation of future performance. Investment returns and principal value of shares will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Statements and other information herein are as dated and are subject to change.
EXCH-12/23-AR
|
|
|
(b) Not Applicable
| Item 3 | Audit Committee Financial Expert The registrants board of directors (the board of directors), has determined that (i) the registrant has the following audit committee financial experts serving on its audit committee and (ii) each audit committee financial expert is independent: |
Neil A. Cotty
Henry R. Keizer
Kenneth L. Urish
Under applicable securities laws, a person determined to be an audit committee financial expert will not be deemed an expert for any purpose, including without limitation for the purposes of Section 11 of the Securities Act of 1933, as a result of being designated or identified as an audit committee financial expert. The designation or identification of a person as an audit committee financial expert does not impose on such person any duties, obligations, or liabilities greater than the duties, obligations, and liabilities imposed on such person as a member of the audit committee and board of directors in the absence of such designation or identification. The designation or identification of a person as an audit committee financial expert does not affect the duties, obligations, or liability of any other member of the audit committee or board of directors.
| Item 4 | Principal Accountant Fees and Services |
The following table presents fees billed by Deloitte & Touche LLP (D&T) in each of the last two fiscal years for the services rendered to the Fund:
| (a) Audit Fees |
(b) Audit-Related Fees1 |
(c) Tax Fees2 | (d) All Other Fees | |||||||||||||
| Entity Name |
Current End |
Previous End |
Current Year End |
Previous End |
Current End |
Previous Year End |
Current End |
Previous Year End | ||||||||
| BlackRock Exchange Portfolio | $18,156 | $17,442 | $0 | $0 | $13,000 | $12,500 | $407 | $431 | ||||||||
The following table presents fees billed by D&T that were required to be approved by the registrants audit committee (the Committee) for services that relate directly to the operations or financial reporting of the Fund and that are rendered on behalf of BlackRock Advisors, LLC (the Investment Adviser or BlackRock) and entities controlling, controlled by, or under common control with BlackRock (not including any sub-adviser whose role is primarily portfolio management and is subcontracted with or overseen by another investment adviser) that provide ongoing services to the Fund (Affiliated Service Providers):
| Current Fiscal Year End | Previous Fiscal Year End | |||
| (b) Audit-Related Fees1 |
$0 | $0 | ||
| (c) Tax Fees2 |
$0 | $0 | ||
| (d) All Other Fees3 |
$2,154,000 | $2,098,000 |
2
1 The nature of the services includes assurance and related services reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of financial statements not included in Audit Fees, including accounting consultations, agreed-upon procedure reports, attestation reports, comfort letters, out-of-pocket expenses and internal control reviews not required by regulators.
2 The nature of the services includes tax compliance and/or tax preparation, including services relating to the filing or amendment of federal, state or local income tax returns, regulated investment company qualification reviews, taxable income and tax distribution calculations.
3 Non-audit fees of $2,154,000 and $2,098,000 for the current fiscal year and previous fiscal year, respectively, were paid to the Funds principal accountant in their entirety by BlackRock, in connection with services provided to the Affiliated Service Providers of the Fund and of certain other funds sponsored and advised by BlackRock or its affiliates for a service organization review and an accounting research tool subscription. These amounts represent aggregate fees paid by BlackRock and were not allocated on a per fund basis.
(e)(1) Audit Committee Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures:
The Committee has adopted policies and procedures with regard to the pre-approval of services. Audit, audit-related and tax compliance services provided to the registrant on an annual basis require specific pre-approval by the Committee. The Committee also must approve other non-audit services provided to the registrant and those non-audit services provided to the Investment Adviser and Affiliated Service Providers that relate directly to the operations and the financial reporting of the registrant. Certain of these non-audit services that the Committee believes are (a) consistent with the SECs auditor independence rules and (b) routine and recurring services that will not impair the independence of the independent accountants may be approved by the Committee without consideration on a specific case-by-case basis (general pre-approval). The term of any general pre-approval is 12 months from the date of the pre-approval, unless the Committee provides for a different period. Tax or other non-audit services provided to the registrant which have a direct impact on the operations or financial reporting of the registrant will only be deemed pre-approved provided that any individual project does not exceed $10,000 attributable to the registrant or $50,000 per project. For this purpose, multiple projects will be aggregated to determine if they exceed the previously mentioned cost levels.
Any proposed services exceeding the pre-approved cost levels will require specific pre-approval by the Committee, as will any other services not subject to general pre-approval (e.g., unanticipated but permissible services). The Committee is informed of each service approved subject to general pre-approval at the next regularly scheduled in-person board meeting. At this meeting, an analysis of such services is presented to the Committee for ratification. The Committee may delegate to the Committee Chairman the authority to approve the provision of and fees for any specific engagement of permitted non-audit services, including services exceeding pre-approved cost levels.
(e)(2) None of the services described in each of Items 4(b) through (d) were approved by the Committee pursuant to the de minimis exception in paragraph (c)(7)(i)(C) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X.
(f) Not Applicable
(g) The aggregate non-audit fees, defined as the sum of the fees shown under Audit-Related Fees, Tax Fees and All Other Fees, paid to the accountant for services rendered by the accountant to the registrant, the Investment Adviser and the Affiliated Service Providers were:
| Entity Name | Current Fiscal Year End |
Previous Fiscal Year End | ||
| BlackRock Exchange Portfolio | $13,407 | $12,931 |
3
Additionally, the amounts billed by D&T in connection with services provided to the Affiliated Service Providers of the Fund and of other funds sponsored and advised by BlackRock or its affiliates during the current and previous fiscal years for a service organization review and an accounting research tool subscription were:
| Current Fiscal Year End |
Previous Fiscal Year End | |
|
$2,154,000 |
$2,098,000 |
These amounts represent aggregate fees paid by BlackRock and were not allocated on a per fund basis.
(h) The Committee has considered and determined that the provision of non-audit services that were rendered to the Investment Adviser and the Affiliated Service Providers that were not pre-approved pursuant to paragraph (c)(7)(ii) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X is compatible with maintaining the principal accountants independence.
(i) Not Applicable
(j) Not Applicable
| Item 5 | Audit Committee of Listed Registrant Not Applicable |
| Item 6 | Investments |
(a) The registrants Schedule of Investments is included as part of the Report to Stockholders filed under Item 1(a) of this Form.
(b) Not Applicable due to no such divestments during the semi-annual period covered since the previous Form N-CSR filing.
| Item 7 | Disclosure of Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures for Closed-End Management Investment Companies Not Applicable |
| Item 8 | Portfolio Managers of Closed-End Management Investment Companies Not Applicable |
| Item 9 | Purchases of Equity Securities by Closed-End Management Investment Company and Affiliated Purchasers Not Applicable |
| Item 10 | Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders There have been no material changes to these procedures. |
| Item 11 | Controls and Procedures |
(a) The registrants principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, have concluded that the registrants disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act)) are effective as of a date within 90 days of the filing of this report based on the evaluation of these controls and procedures required by Rule 30a-3(b) under the 1940 Act and Rule 15d-15(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
4
(b) There were no changes in the registrants internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the 1940 Act) that occurred during the period covered by this report that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrants internal control over financial reporting.
| Item 12 | Disclosure of Securities Lending Activities for Closed-End Management Investment Companies Not Applicable |
| Item 13 | Recovery of Erroneously Awarded Compensation Not Applicable |
| Item 14 | Exhibits attached hereto |
(a)(1) Code of Ethics See Item 2
(a)(2) Section 302 Certifications are attached
(a)(3) Any written solicitation to purchase securities under Rule 23c-1 Not Applicable
(a)(4) Change in Registrants independent public accountant Not Applicable
(b) Section 906 Certifications are attached
5
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
BlackRock FundsSM
| By: |
/s/ John M. Perlowski | |||
| John M. Perlowski | ||||
| Chief Executive Officer (principal executive officer) of | ||||
| BlackRock FundsSM |
Date: February 23, 2024
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
| By: |
/s/ John M. Perlowski | |||
| John M. Perlowski | ||||
| Chief Executive Officer (principal executive officer) of | ||||
| BlackRock FundsSM |
Date: February 23, 2024
| By: |
/s/ Trent Walker | |||
| Trent Walker | ||||
| Chief Financial Officer (principal financial officer) of | ||||
| BlackRock FundsSM |
Date: February 23, 2024
6
EX-99. CERT
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO RULE 30a-2(a) UNDER THE 1940 ACT AND SECTION 302 OF THE
SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
I, John M. Perlowski, Chief Executive Officer (principal executive officer) of BlackRock FundsSM, certify that:
1. I have reviewed this report on Form N-CSR of BlackRock FundsSM;
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations, changes in net assets, and cash flows (if the financial statements are required to include a statement of cash flows) of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;
4. The registrants other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) for the registrant and have:
a) designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
b) designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
c) evaluated the effectiveness of the registrants disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of this report based on such evaluation; and
d) disclosed in this report any change in the registrants internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrants internal control over financial reporting; and
5. The registrants other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed to the registrants auditors and the audit committee of the registrants board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
a) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrants ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial information; and
b) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrants internal control over financial reporting.
Date: February 23, 2024
/s/ John M. Perlowski
John M. Perlowski
Chief Executive Officer (principal executive officer) of
BlackRock FundsSM
EX-99. CERT
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO RULE 30a-2(a) UNDER THE 1940 ACT AND SECTION 302 OF THE
SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
I, Trent Walker, Chief Financial Officer (principal financial officer) of BlackRock FundsSM, certify that:
1. I have reviewed this report on Form N-CSR of BlackRock FundsSM;
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations, changes in net assets, and cash flows (if the financial statements are required to include a statement of cash flows) of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;
4. The registrants other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) for the registrant and have:
a) designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
b) designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
c) evaluated the effectiveness of the registrants disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of this report based on such evaluation; and
d) disclosed in this report any change in the registrants internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrants internal control over financial reporting; and
5. The registrants other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed to the registrants auditors and the audit committee of the registrants board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
a) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrants ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial information; and
b) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrants internal control over financial reporting.
Date: February 23, 2024
/s/ Trent Walker
Trent Walker
Chief Financial Officer (principal financial officer) of
BlackRock FundsSM
Exhibit 99.906CERT
Certification Pursuant to Rule 30a-2(b) under the 1940 Act and
Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350, the undersigned officer of BlackRock FundsSM (the Registrant), hereby certifies, to the best of his knowledge, that the Registrants Report on Form N-CSR for the period ended December 31, 2023 (the Report) fully complies with the requirements of Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and that the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Registrant.
Date: February 23, 2024
/s/ John M. Perlowski
John M. Perlowski
Chief Executive Officer (principal executive officer) of
BlackRock FundsSM
Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350, the undersigned officer of BlackRock FundsSM (the Registrant), hereby certifies, to the best of his knowledge, that the Registrants Report on Form N-CSR for the period ended December 31, 2023 (the Report) fully complies with the requirements of Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and that the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Registrant.
Date: February 23, 2024
/s/ Trent Walker
Trent Walker
Chief Financial Officer (principal financial officer) of
BlackRock FundsSM
This certification is being furnished pursuant to Rule 30a-2(b) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and 18 U.S.C. § 1350 and is not being filed as part of the Form N-CSR with the Securities and Exchange Commission.