Strategy. The Fund invests in equity securities of issuers located throughout the world, including non-dollar denominated securities and securities of emerging market issuers. Equity securities include, but are not limited to, common stock, preferred stock, convertible securities, depositary receipts and other financial instruments that have similar economic characteristics to such equity securities. The Fund may invest in issuers of any market capitalization, including small-to mid-capitalization companies. BlackRock will seek to invest in portfolio securities that BlackRock believes (i) can bring additional and measurable impact based on the Impact Themes (as defined below) and (ii) also have the potential to produce attractive long-term returns across economic sectors. As part of its methodology, BlackRock identifies Impact Themes (including, but not limited to, affordable … Show more… The Fund invests in equity securities of issuers located throughout the world, including non-dollar denominated securities and securities of emerging market issuers. Equity securities include, but are not limited to, common stock, preferred stock, convertible securities, depositary receipts and other financial instruments that have similar economic characteristics to such equity securities. The Fund may invest in issuers of any market capitalization, including small-to mid-capitalization companies. BlackRock will seek to invest in portfolio securities that BlackRock believes (i) can bring additional and measurable impact based on the Impact Themes (as defined below) and (ii) also have the potential to produce attractive long-term returns across economic sectors. As part of its methodology, BlackRock identifies Impact Themes (including, but not limited to, affordable housing, education and skilling, financial and digital inclusion, public health, safety and security, efficiency, electrification and digitalization, green energy, pollution remediation and prevention, sustainable food, water and waste) that seek to encapsulate companies which are helping to address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through their products and services. The SDGs are a series of goals published by the United Nations that recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with improvements in health, education, and economic growth, and reduction in inequalities, while tackling climate change and working to preserve the planets oceans and forests. BlackRock maps its Impact Themes to the SDGs and considers whether a portfolio companys core business areas align to the Impact Themes. BlackRock considers three main criteria when selecting portfolio constituents for the investment universe: materiality (that a majority of revenues or business activity advances one or more of the SDGs); additionality (that a companys products and/or services address a specific need that is unlikely to be met by other institutions); and measurability (that the impact a company is achieving over time can be quantified). Under normal circumstances, the Fund anticipates it will allocate a substantial amount (approximately 40% or more unless market conditions are not deemed favorable by Fund management, in which case the Fund would invest at least 30%) of its total assets in foreign securities, which may include securities (i) of foreign government issuers, (ii) of issuers organized or located outside the United States, (iii) of issuers which primarily trade in a market located outside the United States, or (iv) of issuers doing a substantial amount of business outside the United States, which the Fund considers to be companies that derive at least 50% of their revenue or profits from business outside the United States or have at least 50% of their sales or assets outside the United States. The Fund will allocate its assets among various regions and countries, including the United States (but in no fewer than three different countries). From time to time, the Fund may invest a substantial amount of its assets in issuers located in a single country or a limited number of countries. The Fund may enter into forward foreign exchange transactions in order to hedge (or protect) the value of its assets against adverse movements in currency exchange rates. Show less