The Fund seeks to achieve its objective by tracking the performance of the MSCI World Ex Australia Custom ESG Leaders Index (AUD) (referred to in this section 5 of the PDS as the Index). 

The Fund aims to provide investors with the performance of an index, before fees and expenses. The index is designed to measure the performance of global, developed market large and mid-capitalisation companies with better sustainability credentials relative to their sector peers. 

Benefits of iShares

iShares ETFs are managed funds listed or quoted on exchanges (including ASX) providing you with the opportunity to gain exposure to a diversified portfolio of assets in a single transaction.

The significant benefits of investing in the Funds include:

• low cost access to diversified portfolios of international shares;

• access to market capitalisation weighted, minimum volatility and multiple-factor exposures; and

• currency hedged options, to seek to minimise the impact of Australian dollar volatility on investor returns.

Other benefits of investing in iShares ETFs generally include:

• Diversification: In contrast to a direct investment in a single company or bond, an iShares ETF provides, as far as possible and practicable, exposure to all of the securities or instruments within the index that the particular iShares ETF seeks to track.

• Access global markets: iShares ETFs let you achieve international diversification by investing in overseas equity and bond markets. With iShares ETFs you can gain exposure by asset class, market capitalisation, country and sector.

• Liquidity and transparency: Each iShares ETF seeks investment results that correspond generally to the performance (before fees and expenses) of a particular index. As a traded security, an iShares ETF enables you to enter and exit your holding on the ASX. You can easily track performance and trade during ASX trading hours (subject to ASX rules).

• Managing risk: Investing in an iShares ETF can assist you in establishing a portfolio appropriate to your investment needs and risk profile.

• Lower cost: As each iShares ETF is passively managed and designed to track the performance of a particular index, the expenses of managing an iShares ETF are generally lower compared to other forms of retail managed funds. However, brokerage or adviser fees may still apply when buying or selling units of an iShares ETF.

• Receipt of income: You will generally receive income from your investment in the form of distributions. Distributions may include dividends, coupons and other income. There may be years in which no distributions are made.

• Accessibility: iShares ETFs can offer a cost-effective way to gain exposure to a diversified portfolio of securities. They can be less costly than purchasing a large number of individual securities as there are less trading costs and they offer lower thresholds than an investor might otherwise be able to afford.

About the Fund

The fund aims to provide investors with the performance of the MSCI World Investable Market AUD Index, before fees and expenses.

The index is designed to measure the performance of global, developed market large-, mid- and small- capitalisation companies.

Why IWLD?

• Exposure to a broad range of developed market companies around the world 

• Total market coverage, providing a broader and more representative exposure 

• Use to diversify internationally and seek long-term growth opportunities in your portfolio

How we invest your money

The Fund seeks to achieve its objective by tracking the performance of the MSCI World IMI Net TR Index (referred to in this section 5 of the PDS as the Index).

We believe that an optimisation investment strategy is the most appropriate investment strategy to track the performance of the Index as it takes into account liquidity and transaction cost impact and overall risk relative to the Index. Optimisation is an indexing strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively has an investment profile similar to that of the Index. The securities selected are expected to have, in aggregate, investment characteristics (based on factors such as market capitalisation and industry weightings), fundamental characteristics (such as return variability and yield) and liquidity measures similar to those of the Index. Therefore, the securities to which the Fund is exposed may or may not include all of the securities in its Index and the weighting of such securities may differ to the weighting of securities in the Index.

The Fund may choose to implement some or all of its optimisation investment strategy through an investment in the following iShares ETFs (each referred to in this section 6 of the PDS as an Underlying Fund in the singular or the Underlying Funds collectively):

1. iShares Core S&P 500 ETF, which aims to track the performance of the S&P 500;
2. iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF, which aims to track the performance of the MSCI EAFE Investable Market Index;
3. iShares Core S&P Small‐Cap ETF, which aims to track the performance of the S&P SmallCap 600; and
4. iShares Core S&P/TSX Capped Composite Index ETF, which aims to track the performance of the S&P/TSX Capped Composite Index.

The iShares Core S&P 500 ETF, iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF and iShares Core S&P Small‐Cap ETF are US domiciled funds that employ an optimisation investment strategy, generally similar to the optimisation strategy of the Fund. While the iShares Core S&P/TSX Capped Composite Index ETF is a Canadian domiciled fund that employs a full replication investment strategy, which generally aims to purchase every security in the Underlying Fund's index, with each security being held in similar weights to the index. Refer to the section of the PDS titled The Underlying Funds' for further information on the Underlying Funds.

What does the Fund invest in?

The Fund will generally be exposed to the international developed market stocks that form the Index and to depositary receipts representing securities of the Index.

The Fund may have limited exposure to securities that are not constituents of the Index, including derivatives, where such securities provide similar performance (with matching risk profile) to Index securities. However, from time to time the Fund may be exposed to all constituents of the Index.

The Fund obtains exposure to the aforementioned securities either:

• directly, by investing in such securities; or

• indirectly, by investing in the Underlying Funds, which invest in such securities.

Generally, the Fund and Underlying Funds may also be exposed to a small allocation of cash (or cash equivalents, that may include other BlackRock Group funds) for cash flow management purposes.

About the Index

The Index is designed to measure the performance of large‐, mid‐ and small‐capitalisation companies in certain developed market countries.

The Index is a free float‐adjusted market capitalisation weighted index, based on the MSCI Global Investable Market Indexes (GIMI) Methodology, which provides a comprehensive and consistent approach to index construction that allows for meaningful global views and cross regional comparisons across all market capitalisation size, sector and style segments and combinations.

For more information please see Section 6 of the PDS