iShares iBonds Oct 2030 Term TIPS ETF (IBIG)
AI Summary
The Fund seeks to track the ICE 2030 Maturity US Inflation-Linked Treasury Index, which consists of U.S. Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) maturing between January 1, 2030 and October 15, 2030. It is a term fund that will terminate on or around October 15, 2030 and distribute its remaining assets to shareholders. The Fund aims to provide inflation protection by investing at least 80% of assets in the index components and 90% in U.S. Treasury securities that track the index.
The Fund uses a representative sampling indexing strategy, investing in a sample of securities that collectively mirrors the investment characteristics of the index. It can invest up to 10% in derivatives like futures, options and swaps to enhance index tracking. In the final months, maturing bond proceeds will be held in cash and cash equivalents instead of being reinvested in bonds. The index components are market cap weighted and rebalanced monthly, with new issues included if settled before the next rebalance date.
Strategy Narrative (Prospectus)
The Fund seeks to track the investment results of the ICE 2030 Maturity US Inflation-Linked Treasury Index (the Underlying Index), which consists of inflation-protected public obligations of the U.S. Treasury, commonly known as TIPS, that are scheduled to mature between January 1, 2030 and October 15, 2030, inclusive. The Fund is a term fund that will terminate on or about October 15, 2030, at which time it will distribute its remaining net assets to shareholders pursuant to a plan of liquidation. The Fund does not seek to return any predetermined amount at maturity or in periodic distributions. As of October 31, 2023, there were 2 components in the Underlying Index. TIPS are securities issued by the U.S. Treasury that are designed to provide inflation protection to investors. TIPS are income-generating instruments whose interest and principal payments are adjusted for inflationa sustained increase in prices that erodes the purchasing power of money. The inflation adjustment, which is typically applied monthly to the principal of the bond, follows a designated inflation index, the non-seasonally adjusted Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI), and TIPS principal payments are adjusted according to changes in the CPI. A fixed coupon rate is applied to the inflation-adjusted principal so that, as inflation rises, both the principal value and the interest payments increase. This can provide investors with a hedge against inflation, as it helps preserve the purchasing power of an investment. Because of this inflation adjustment feature, inflation-protected bonds typically have lower yields than conventional fixed-rate bonds. The securities in the Underlying Index must be denominated in U.S. dollars and have (1) a fixed coupon schedule, (2) a remaining term to final maturity of more than one day as of the monthly rebalancing date and (3) at least $1 billion of outstanding face value (excluding amounts held by the Federal Reserve System Open Market Account (SOMA)). Excluded from the Underlying Index are government agency debt with or without a government guarantee, securities issued or marketed primarily to retail investors, floating rate notes, cash management and Treasury bills, original issue zero coupon securities and Separate Trading of Registered Interest and Principal Securities (or STRIPs). However, the amounts outstanding of qualifying securities in the Underlying Index are not reduced by any portions of such securities that have been stripped after inclusion in the Underlying Index. Index constituents are market capitalization weighted based on amounts outstanding reduced by amounts held by the Federal Reserve SOMA times price plus accrued interest. The Underlying Index is rebalanced on the last calendar day of each month. New issues must settle on or before the following calendar month end rebalancing date in order to qualify for inclusion for such following month (e.g., an issue must settle on or before August 31 in order to be included in the index on July 31). The securities in the Underlying Index are updated on the last calendar day of each month until six months prior to maturity. Cash flows from bond payments that are received during the month are retained in the Underlying Index until the end of the month and then are removed as part of the rebalancing. Starting with the May 31, 2030 rebalancing, interest and principal payments (including inflation adjustments applied to the principal of component bonds) received during the month will not be removed from the Underlying Index and will be retained as a growing cash position throughout the remaining life of the Underlying Index. Cash does not earn any reinvestment income while it is held in the Underlying Index. BFA uses an indexing approach to try to achieve the Funds investment objective. Unlike many investment companies, the Fund does not try to beat the index it tracks and does not seek temporary defensive positions when markets decline or appear overvalued. Indexing may eliminate the chance that the Fund will substantially outperform the Underlying Index but also may reduce some of the risks of active management, such as poor security selection. Indexing seeks to achieve lower costs and better after-tax performance by aiming to keep portfolio turnover low in comparison to actively managed investment companies. BFA uses a representative sampling indexing strategy to manage the Fund. Representative sampling is an indexing strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively has an investment profile similar to that of an applicable underlying index. The securities selected are expected to have, in the aggregate, investment characteristics (based on factors such as market value and industry weightings), fundamental characteristics (such as return variability, duration (i.e., a security’s price sensitivity to a change in interest rates), maturity or credit ratings and yield) and liquidity measures similar to those of an applicable underlying index. The Fund may or may not hold all of the securities in the Underlying Index. The Fund will invest at least 80% of its assets in the component securities of the Underlying Index, and the Fund will invest at least 90% of its assets in U.S. Treasury securities that BFA believes will help the Fund track the Underlying Index, in each case except during the last months of the Fund’s operations, as described below. The Fund will invest no more than 10% of its assets in futures, options and swaps contracts that BFA believes will help the Fund track the Underlying Index. Cash and cash equivalent investments associated with a derivative position will be treated as part of that position for the purposes of calculating the percentage of investments included in the Underlying Index. The Fund seeks to track the investment results of the Underlying Index before fees and expenses of the Fund. In the last months of operation, as the bonds held by the Fund mature, the proceeds will not be reinvested by the Fund in bonds but instead will be held in cash and cash equivalents. To the extent that the Fund invests in money market or similar funds, it will incur the fees and expenses of such funds. By October 15, 2030, the Underlying Index is expected to consist almost entirely of cash earned in this manner. On or around this date, the Fund will wind up and terminate, and its net assets will be distributed to then-current shareholders pursuant to a plan of liquidation. The Fund may lend securities representing up to one-third of the value of the Fund’s total assets (including the value of any collateral received). The Underlying Index is owned, maintained and administered by ICE Data Indices, LLC (the Index Provider or IDI), which is independent of the Fund and BFA. The Index Provider determines the composition and relative weightings of the securities in the Underlying Index and publishes information regarding the market value of the Underlying Index.