BlackRock’s (NYSEArca: BLK) iShares unit, the world’s largest issuer of exchange traded funds, will roll out two new ETFs Thursday.
The actively managed iShares Enhanced International Large-Cap ETF (NYSEArca: IEIL) “will seek to invest in strategic international large-capitalization stocks with targeted investment characteristics. BFA utilizes a proprietary investment process to assemble an investment portfolio from a defined group of international large-capitalization stocks based on certain quantitative investment characteristics, including, but not limited to, cash earnings, earnings variability, leverage, price-to-book ratio and market capitalization. Companies in the universe of international large-capitalization securities primarily include consumer discretionary, financial and telecommunications companies, and may change over time,” according to an October 2013 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
IEIL has an annual expense ratio of 0.35%, which is low by the standards of actively managed ETFs.
iShares is also introducing the iShares Enhanced International Small-Cap ETF (NYSEArca: IEIS), which appears to be a small-cap answer to IEIL. Like IEIL, IEIS is actively managed.
IEIS holdings will be screened on quantitative factors, including, but not limited to, cash earnings, earnings variability, leverage, price-to-book ratio and market capitalization, according to an SEC filing.