BlackRock (NYSE: BLK) said Monday that its iShares unit, the world’s largest issuer of exchange traded funds, added four ETFs to its core lineup of funds aimed at cost-conscious buy-and-hold investors.
The new additions to the iShares core suite are previously existing ETFs, each of which came to market in 2008 that have been renamed and altered to become “ETFs of ETFs” that hold other iShares ETFs, including core funds.
For example, the iShares Core Conservative Allocation ETF (NYSEArca: AOK) has added core to its name and now counts the iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (NYSEArca: AGG) and the iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (NYSEArca: IVV) among its top holdings.
The iShares Core Moderate Allocation Fund (NYSEArca: AOM) is another new addition to the iShares core suite. AOM’s top holdings also include AGG and IVV along with the iShares MSCI EAFE Index (NYSEArca: EFA) and the iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (NYSEArca: HYG). [ETFs for Core Bond Exposure]
The iShares Core Growth Allocation ETF (NYSEArca: AOR) holds 10 other iShares ETFS, including IVV, AGG, EFA and the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (NYSEArca: EEM).
The iShares Core Aggressive Allocation ETF (NYSEArca: AOA), an ETF that looks to mitigate risk by avoiding heavy asset class and sector concentrations, also holds stakes in IVV, EFA, AGG and EEM, among other iShares ETFs. [One-Stop ETF for Aggressive Investors]