Investment objective & strategy
As of Aug. 16, 2024 · prospectusObjective. The investment objective of BlackRock LifePath Dynamic 2025 Fund (LifePath Dynamic 2025 Fund or the Fund), a series of BlackRock Funds III (the Trust), is to seek to provide for retirement outcomes based on quantitatively measured risk. In pursuit of this objective, the Fund will be broadly diversified across global asset classes, with asset allocations becoming more conservative over time.
Strategy. LifePath Dynamic 2025 Fund allocates and reallocates its assets among a combination of equity, bond and money market funds (the Underlying Funds) and derivatives in proportions based on its own comprehensive investment strategy. Under normal circumstances, the Fund intends to invest primarily in affiliated open-end funds and affiliated exchange-traded funds (ETFs), some of which may be index funds. The Fund may, when consistent with its investment goal, buy or sell options or futures, or enter into total return swaps and foreign currency transactions (collectively, commonly known as derivatives). The Fund may seek to obtain market exposure to the securities in which it primarily invests by entering into a series of purchase and sale contracts or by using other investment techniques … LifePath Dynamic 2025 Fund allocates and reallocates its assets among a combination of equity, bond and money market funds (the Underlying Funds) and derivatives in proportions based on its own comprehensive investment strategy. Under normal circumstances, the Fund intends to invest primarily in affiliated open-end funds and affiliated exchange-traded funds (ETFs), some of which may be index funds. The Fund may, when consistent with its investment goal, buy or sell options or futures, or enter into total return swaps and foreign currency transactions (collectively, commonly known as derivatives). The Fund may seek to obtain market exposure to the securities in which it primarily invests by entering into a series of purchase and sale contracts or by using other investment techniques (such as reverse repurchase agreements or dollar rolls). The Fund may use derivatives as a substitute for taking a position in an Underlying Fund and/or as part of a strategy to reduce exposure to certain risks. The Fund may also use derivatives to enhance return, in which case their use may involve leveraging risk. Derivatives that are used as a substitute for taking a position in an Underlying Fund, to reduce exposure to risks (other than duration or currency risk) or to enhance return will increase or decrease the Funds equity or fixed income allocations for purposes of the glide path by the notional amount of such derivatives. Derivatives that are used to manage duration or hedge currency risk will not be allocated to the Funds equity or fixed income allocations for purposes of the glide path. The Fund is designed for investors expecting to retire or to begin withdrawing assets around the year 2025. The Fund seeks to provide for retirement outcomes based on quantitatively measured risk. BFA employs a multi-dimensional approach to assess risk for the Fund and to determine the Funds allocation across asset classes. As part of this multi-dimensional approach, BFA aims to quantify risk using proprietary risk measurement tools that, among other things, analyze historical and forward-looking securities market data, including risk, asset class correlations, and expected returns. As of March 31, 2024, the Fund held approximately 48% of its assets (including notional exposure through derivatives) in equity Underlying Funds and equity related derivatives, approximately 55% of its assets (including notional exposure through derivatives) in fixed income Underlying Funds and fixed income related derivatives and approximately -3% of its assets in cash (including cash offsets from derivatives) and Underlying Funds that invest primarily in money market instruments. Certain Underlying Funds may invest in equity securities of issuers that are primarily engaged in or related to the real estate industry, real estate investment trusts (REITs), foreign securities, emerging market securities, below investment-grade bonds, commodity-related instruments and derivative securities or instruments, such as options and futures, the value of which is derived from another security, a commodity, a currency or an index. Under normal circumstances, the asset allocation will change over time according to a glide path as the Fund approaches its target date. The glide path below represents the shifting of asset classes over time. As the glide path shows, the Funds asset mix becomes more conservative prior to retirement as time elapses. This reflects the need for reduced investment risks as retirement approaches and the need for lower volatility of the Fund, which may be a primary source of income after retirement. The following chart illustrates the glide path the target allocation among asset classes as the Fund approaches its target date. The following table lists the target allocation by years until retirement: Years Until Retirement Equity Funds (includes REITs) 1 Fixed-Income Funds 1 ? 45 99 % 1 % ? 40 99 % 1 % ? 35 99 % 1 % ? 30 96 % 4 % ? 25 89 % 11 % ? 20 79 % 21 % ? 15 68 % 32 % ? 10 56 % 44 % 5 43 % 57 % 0 40 % 60 % 1 ?BFA may adjust the allocation to equity and fixed-income in the Fund, based on an assessment of the current market conditions and the potential contribution of each asset class to the expected risk and return characteristics of the Fund. In general, the adjustments will be limited to +/- 10% relative to the target allocations. ? The asset allocation targets are established by the portfolio managers. The investment team, including the portfolio managers, meets regularly to assess market conditions, review the asset allocation targets of the Fund, and determine whether any changes are required to enable the Fund to achieve its investment objective. Although the asset allocation targets listed for the glide path are general, long-term targets, BFA may adjust the allocation to equity and fixed-income in the Fund, based on an assessment of the current market conditions and the potential contribution of each asset class to the expected risk and return characteristics of the Fund. In general, the adjustments will be limited to +/- 10% relative to the target allocations. BFA may determine, in light of market conditions or other factors, that a greater variation is warranted to protect the Fund or achieve its investment objective. Investments in Underlying Funds will be allocated towards the equity and fixed income percentages based on their classification. The Fund may also seek asset allocation to equity and fixed income by investing in funds that invest in a mix of equity and fixed income instruments (multi-asset funds). Investments in multi-asset funds will be allocated towards the equity and fixed income percentages listed for the glide path based on the multi-asset funds underlying investments in equity and fixed income instruments. BFAs second step in the structuring of the Fund is the selection of the Underlying Funds, equity securities and derivatives. Factors such as fund classifications, historical risk and performance, and the relationship to other Underlying Funds in the Fund are considered when selecting Underlying Funds. The specific Underlying Funds selected for the Fund are determined at BFAs discretion and may change as deemed appropriate to allow the Fund to meet its investment objective. See the Details About the Funds Information About the Underlying Funds section of the prospectus for a list of the Underlying Funds, their classification into equity, fixed income, multi-asset or money market funds and a brief description of their investment objectives and primary investment strategies. The specific securities or derivatives selected for the Fund are determined at BFAs discretion and may change as deemed appropriate to allow the Fund to meet its investment objective. Within the prescribed percentage allocations to equity and fixed-income, BFA seeks to diversify the Fund. The equity allocation may be further diversified by style (including both value and growth funds and issuers), market capitalization (including large cap, mid cap, small cap and emerging growth funds and issuers), region (including domestic and international (including emerging market) funds and issuers) or other factors. The fixed-income allocation may be further diversified by sector (including government, corporate, agency, and other sectors), duration (a calculation of the average life of a bond which measures its price risk), credit quality (including non-investment grade debt or junk bonds), geographic location (including U.S. and foreign-issued securities), or other factors. Though BFA seeks to diversify the Fund, certain Underlying Funds may concentrate their investments in specific sectors or geographic regions or countries. The percentage allocation to the various styles of equity and fixed-income are determined at the discretion of the investment team and can be changed to reflect the current market environment.
Top holdings
As of Sept. 30, 2024 · N-PORT| Security | Ticker | Value | % of fund |
|---|---|---|---|
| BlackRock Diversified Fixed Income Fund | — | $44.63M | 32.90% |
| DIVERSIFIED EQUITY MASTER MUTUAL FUNDS | — | $32.92M | 24.27% |
| BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares | — | $27.60M | 20.35% |
| ISHARES TIPS BOND ETF MUTUAL FUND | TIP | $10.63M | 7.84% |
| International Tilts Master Portfolio | — | $6.36M | 4.69% |
| BlackRock Tactical Opportunities Fund | PBAKX | $4.62M | 3.41% |
| iShares Developed Real Estate Index Fund | — | $2.36M | 1.74% |
| ISHARES MSCI EAFE SMALL CAP ETF | SCZ | $2.25M | 1.66% |
| BlackRock Advantage Emerging Markets Fund | — | $2.15M | 1.58% |
| BlackRock High Yield Portfolio | BRHYX | $663.64K | 0.49% |
Portfolio moves
Jun 30, 2024 → Sep 30, 2024How many positions this fund opened, exited, grew, trimmed, or left unchanged between its two most recent N-PORT snapshots — net changes between point-in-time reports, not a trade log.
Similar funds
Funds whose portfolios most overlap this one, by weight| Fund | Overlap | Net exp. |
|---|---|---|
| iShares Frontier and Select EM ETF · FM | 20% | 0.20% |
| iShares iBonds Dec 2024 Term Corporate ETF · IBDP | 20% | 0.10% |
| iShares Gold Strategy ETF | 20% | 0.25% |
Footnotes
- Net assets and holdings count as of September 30, 2024, from the fund's N-PORT filing.
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