Benefits of investing in the iShares International Equity Index Fund

• Index tracking: The Fund is an index tracker and seeks to provide investors with similar returns, before fees, to those of its benchmark index.
  
• Diversification: In contrast to a direct investment in a single company or bond, the Fund provides, as far as practicable and possible, exposure to all of the securities or instruments within its benchmark index.
  
• Lower cost: As the Fund is passively managed and designed to track a particular index, the expenses of managing the Fund are generally lower compared to other forms of retail managed funds.
  

Risk level

High

The Fund is considered high risk. Generally, the risk level associated with the Fund is greater if the Fund is held for a period less than the minimum suggested timeframe.

Investor suitability

The Fund may be suitable for long-term investors seeking a broad exposure to to the world's developed stock markets.

Fund Strategy

The strategy uses a full-replication approach to match the performance of the benchmark. This approach aims to purchase every security in the relevant index. We take into consideration the short-term transaction costs associated with acquiring a particular stock. Each security is held in the portfolio at, or close to, its index weight. As a result, security-level tracking error and security-specific risk are minimised.

Our investment style is based on our belief that people, leveraged by technology, are central to the consistent achievement of our clients' investment goals.

We believe that a focus on total performance management is the best way to achieve superior investment results. Through total performance management, we aim to understand; measure; forecast; and manage the three dimensions of investment performance — return, risk and cost.

We believe that full replication is the most appropriate investment strategy to track the performance of the Index as risk relative to the Index is minimised. Portfolios automatically rebalance, which minimises turnover and trading costs.

Our full-replication approach normally aims to purchase every security in the Index, while considering transaction costs.    

How we invest your money

To achieve its investment objective the Fund invests substantially all of its assets in units of the iShares Wholesale International Equity Index Fund (Underlying Fund), another fund managed by us that has the same investment strategy as the Fund. The Underlying Fund invests in the international developed market stocks that form the Index. Derivatives, such as futures, forwards and options can be used to manage risk and return. When derivative positions are established, they will always be backed by cash holdings and/or underlying assets. Derivative securities will not be used to gear the Underlying Fund.

The Fund and Underlying Fund may also hold a small allocation of cash (or cash equivalents that may include units in other BlackRock funds) for cash flow management purposes.

The Fund's investment strategy aims to remain fully exposed to the international developed stock market, with cash exposure being maintained at a minimum, which may be, wherever practicable, equitised using index futures.

While the constitution of the Fund allows the Responsible Entity to borrow, it is our intention that no borrowing arrangements will be entered into, other than temporary overdrafts, which may be used as a means of managing certain cash flows.