Investment objective & strategy
As of Dec. 1, 2025 · prospectusObjective. The iShares Total Return Active ETF (the Fund) seeks to realize a total return that exceeds that of the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index.
Strategy. The Fund typically invests more than 90% of its assets in a diversified portfolio of fixed-income securities such as corporate bonds and notes, mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities, convertible securities, preferred securities and government obligations. Both U.S. and foreign companies and governments may issue these securities. Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests primarily in fixed-income securities. The Fund may invest in fixed-income securities of any duration or maturity. The Fund may invest up to 30% of its net assets in securities of foreign issuers, of which 20% (as a percentage of the Funds net assets) may be in emerging markets issuers. Investments in U.S. dollar-denominated securities of foreign issuers, excluding issuers from emerging markets, are permitted beyond the 30% limit. This … The Fund typically invests more than 90% of its assets in a diversified portfolio of fixed-income securities such as corporate bonds and notes, mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities, convertible securities, preferred securities and government obligations. Both U.S. and foreign companies and governments may issue these securities. Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests primarily in fixed-income securities. The Fund may invest in fixed-income securities of any duration or maturity. The Fund may invest up to 30% of its net assets in securities of foreign issuers, of which 20% (as a percentage of the Funds net assets) may be in emerging markets issuers. Investments in U.S. dollar-denominated securities of foreign issuers, excluding issuers from emerging markets, are permitted beyond the 30% limit. This means that the Fund may invest in such U.S. dollar-denominated securities of foreign issuers without limit. The Fund may also invest in derivative securities for hedging purposes or to increase the return on its investments. The Fund may also invest in credit-linked notes, credit-linked trust certificates, structured notes, or other instruments evidencing interests in special purpose vehicles, trusts, or other entities that hold or represent interests in fixed-income securities. The Fund may also enter into reverse repurchase agreements and mortgage dollar rolls. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in fixed-income securities that are rated below investment grade by the Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organizations (NRSROs), including Moodys Investor Service, Inc. (Moodys), S&P Global Ratings (S&P) or Fitch Ratings, Inc. (Fitch), or in unrated securities of equivalent credit quality. Split rated bonds will be considered to have the higher credit rating. The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in collateralized debt obligations (CDOs), of which 10% (as a percentage of the Funds net assets) may be in collateralized loan obligations (CLOs). CDOs are types of asset-backed securities. CLOs are ordinarily issued by a trust or other special purpose entity and are typically collateralized by a pool of loans, which may include, among others, domestic and non-U.S. senior secured loans, senior unsecured loans, and subordinate corporate loans, including loans that may be rated below investment grade or equivalent unrated loans, held by such issuer. The Fund may seek to provide exposure to the investment returns of real assets that trade in the commodity markets through investment in commodity-linked derivative instruments and investment vehicles that exclusively invest in commodities such as exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which are designed to provide this exposure without direct investment in physical commodities. The Fund may also gain exposure to commodity markets by investing up to 25% of its total assets in BlackRock Cayman Total Return ETF, Ltd. (the Subsidiary), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Fund formed in the Cayman Islands, which invests primarily in commodity-related instruments. The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading of portfolio securities to achieve its primary investment strategies.
Top holdings
As of Jan. 31, 2026 · N-PORT| Security | Ticker | Value | % of fund |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uniform Mortgage-Backed Security, TBA | FNMA | $41.79M | 7.82% |
| Uniform Mortgage-Backed Security, TBA | FNMA | $41.01M | 7.67% |
| BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares | — | $16.63M | 3.11% |
| US TREASURY N/B | — | $16.50M | 3.09% |
| BlackRock Cash Funds: Treasury, SL Agency Shares | — | $15.57M | 2.91% |
| US TREASURY N/B | — | $12.80M | 2.40% |
| Ishares Trust-Ishares Iiboxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond Etf | HYG US | $11.75M | 2.20% |
| FNCL 3 2/26 | — | $11.23M | 2.10% |
| Uniform Mortgage-Backed Security, TBA | FNMA | $8.36M | 1.56% |
| Uniform Mortgage-Backed Security, TBA | FNMA | $6.62M | 1.24% |
Portfolio moves
Oct 31, 2025 → Jan 31, 2026How 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. |
|---|---|---|
| BlackRock Diversified Fixed Income Fund | 30% | 0.15% |
| iShares Flexible Income Active ETF | 25% | 0.40% |
| BlackRock Bond Income Portfolio | 20% | 0.39% |
Advisers
| Firm | Role |
|---|---|
| BlackRock Fund Advisors | Adviser |
| BlackRock International Limited | Sub-adviser |
| BlackRock (Singapore) Limited | Sub-adviser |
Footnotes
- Net assets and holdings count as of January 31, 2026, from the fund's N-PORT filing.
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