Office address: 55 E 52nd St, New York, NY 10022
Website: ishares.com/us
Year established: 1996
Company type: financial services
Employees: 19,800+ (BlackRock)
Expertise: exchange traded funds (ETFs), index mutual funds, fixed income, equity investing, thematic investing, sustainable investing, factor investing, retirement solutions, digital assets, commodities
Parent company: BlackRock
Key people: Samara Cohen (global head), Gargi Pal Chaudhuri (chief investment and portfolio strategist), Jay Jacobs, Karen Veraa-Perry, Daniel Prince, Kristy Akullian (heads), Jasmine Fan (investment strategist)
Financing status: corporate-backed or acquired
iShares is a New York-based ETF provider and the largest ETF issuer in the US and globally. BlackRock manages its lineup of more than 1,600 funds covering stocks, bonds, real estate, and commodities. The fund family oversees $5 trillion in global AUM and roughly $1.1 trillion in fixed income assets as of 2025.
The story of the provider started in 1973 when Wells Fargo built the first index strategy. Barclays later acquired the unit before selling it to BlackRock in 2009.
The iShares brand launched in 1996 with 17 ETFs, including the first international funds covering Mexico, Canada, and Brazil. This early move made the product line one of the first ETF innovators in the industry.
The fund family continued to lead with more firsts in the years that followed. The division launched the first bond ETFs in 2002, bringing low costs and deep liquidity to fixed income.
It introduced the first sustainable ETFs in 2005 for investors focused on ESG priorities. The provider then added the first sustainable fixed income ETFs in 2017.
The fund family expanded into thematic investing in 2019 with a new suite of ETFs. These funds gave investors access to companies driving innovation in tech, pharmaceuticals, and agriculture.
It entered digital assets in 2024 with the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) and Ethereum Trust ETF (ETHA). IBIT became the fastest exchange traded product to reach $50 billion in AUM.
The provider hit major milestones in 2024 by opening its $435 billion Core S&P 500 ETF to proxy voting choice. This gave roughly 3 million retail shareholders a voice in corporate governance for the first time.
The fund family also expanded its global footprint by launching on Cboe Australia. This made it the first provider to list ETFs on all five Cboe exchanges worldwide. As of 2025, it offers over 1,600 funds with more than $5 trillion in AUM across 25 countries.
iShares offers diversified, low-cost, and tax-efficient ETFs across multiple asset classes:
It also provides tools for financial advisors to build tax-efficient portfolios based on correlation and holdings overlap. Institutional investors can analyze ETF trade costs and liquidity through dedicated resources.
iShares operates with what it calls a "never-finished" outlook. The ETF provider aims to stay ahead of investor needs and market changes. Its principles include:
As a BlackRock brand, employees receive various well-being benefits. Its culture centers on growth and work-life balance:
Behind these offerings is a team with more than 20 years of industry experience. iShares experts track both macro and micro trends in investing.
Samara Cohen became BlackRock's global head of market development in 2025 and sits on the Global Executive Committee. Cohen previously worked at Goldman Sachs and served as BlackRock's first CIO of ETF and Index Investments. She holds a BS in finance from Wharton and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Several leaders work alongside Cohen to guide iShares' investment strategies:
These experts monitor micro and macro trends across global markets. Their insights help shape iShares' investment approach and product development.
iShares launched the Total USD Fixed Income Market ETF (BTOT) in 2025, marking a first for BlackRock. The fund covers more of the bond market than traditional benchmarks, including bank loans and inflation-linked securities. This release shows that the provider is working to give investors more complete bond market access.
The provider's reach also extends into global equity markets. The iShares Europe ETF (IEV) returned about 35 percent in 2025, more than doubling the S&P 500's 16 percent gain. Wealth managers now cite IEV as a key benchmark when comparing European and US stock performance. This result shows how the fund family's international ETFs can help investors find growth beyond domestic markets.
Allocations to cash helped Schwab's robo post the second-best one-year trailing performance, according to a new report from Condor Capital.
A relatively smoother ride in the financial markets this year should allow advisors and their clients to breathe a sigh of relief.
DoubleLine's Jeff Sherman and BlackRock's Steve Laipply see many opportunities in the fixed-income market.
