BlackRock is to move all of the exchange traded products in its portfolio to the iShares brand, in a strategic move designed to improve customer recognition.
In a regulatory announcement, the world’s largest asset management group said the change will take place on 10 October 2024 and affect 22 BlackRock branded exchange traded funds, aligning them with the company’s 420 iShares branded products.
“To help clients better navigate BlackRock’s product offerings, we will be branding all our ETFs as iShares,” the company said in a statement.
Some of the funds included in the transition are substantial such as the US Equity Factor Rotation ETF which has around £7.7 billion ($9.8 billion) in assets under management.
Other products affected include ETFS such as the Ultra Short-Term Bond, Flexible Income, Short Duration Bond and the AAA CLO exchange traded fund.
The news comes as the company continues to add clarity to the marketing and branding of several business lines.
It is already undergoing a programme to integrate its newly acquired private markets data operation, Preqin, with its successful Aladdin tech business.
Speaking at the end of June, Rob Goldstein, the company’s chief operating officer, said: “BlackRock’s vision has always been to bring together investments, technology, and data to offer solutions that meet our clients’ needs across their whole portfolio.
“As clients increasingly evolve their focus from choosing products to constructing portfolios, this shift requires technology, data, and analytics that create a ‘common language’ for investing across both public and private markets.”