- The iShares Core now includes low-cost options for access to the U.S. Total Stock Market, currency-hedged developed markets and the world

- iShares also launches a new unhedged option to access dividend-paying U.S. companies

TORONTO, ONTARIO—(Marketwired — Feb. 17, 2015) - (TSX:XUU)(TSX:XAW)(TSX:XHU)(TSX:XFH)(TSX:XUH) — iShares, the industry-leading exchange traded fund (ETF) business at BlackRock Asset Management Canada Limited (BlackRock Canada), an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of BlackRock, Inc. (BlackRock), announced the launch of four new funds in the iShares Core, providing even more comprehensive exposures and currency-hedging optionality to the asset classes sought most by Canadian investors today(1). In addition, iShares also announced the launch of a new fund that provides an unhedged option to dividend-paying U.S. companies, offering additional ways for Canadian investors to reach for income in an ongoing low-yield environment. XUU, XAW, XHU, XFH and XUH have now closed the initial offering of their units. The units of XUU, XAW, XHU and XFH will be listed on the TSX when the market opens today. The units of XUH are expected to be listed on the TSX when the market opens on February 19, 2015.

Strengthen the core of your portfolio. And lower your costs.

With the addition of the four new iShares Core funds, the iShares Core — which has been a popular suite of funds among Canadian investors, capturing 30% of flows across the respective asset classes since launching in March of last year(2) — provides additional options for investors, including the U.S. total stock market, and all-world access. With a full range of low-cost funds offering exposures to domestic stocks and bonds, U.S. and global equities, the expanded iShares Core is now a more comprehensive suite of funds giving Canadian investors more choice, market exposures and cost efficiency in building the long-term portions of their portfolios. Now by owning just three iShares Core funds — XIC (Canadian stocks), XQB (Canadian bonds) and the new XAW (Global stocks) — investors can have a diversified core portfolio at approximately 1/10th the average cost of owning a traditional global equity balanced mutual fund in Canada(3).

The latest expansion of the iShares Core for Canadian investors comes in response to the continuing demand for low-cost, well-diversified funds to comprise core allocations in their portfolios, said Warren Collier, Managing Director, Head of iShares, BlackRock Canada. With the market continually changing, the flexibility and currency optionality we have built into the iShares Core gives investors the ability to invest and adapt their portfolios to their individual needs while also helping them to lower their costs over the long term.

The iShares Core New Fund Additions: