Blackrock Funds

09/03/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/03/2025 09:43

Summary Prospectus by Investment Company (Form 497K)

AUGUST 28, 2025 
Summary Prospectus
BlackRock FundsSM | Investor A and Institutional Shares
BlackRock Defensive Advantage Emerging Markets Fund
Investor A: BADEX • Institutional: BIDEX
Before you invest, you may want to review the Fund's prospectus, which contains more information about the Fund and its risks. You can find the Fund's prospectus (including amendments and supplements), reports to shareholders and other information about the Fund, including the Fund's statement of additional information, online at https://www.blackrock.com/prospectus. You can also get this information at no cost by calling (800) 441-7762 or by sending an e-mail request to [email protected], or from your financial professional. The Fund's prospectus and statement of additional information, both dated August 28, 2025, as amended and supplemented from time to time, are incorporated by reference into (legally made a part of) this Summary Prospectus.
This Summary Prospectus contains information you should know before investing, including information about risks. Please read it before you invest and keep it for future reference.
The Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this Summary Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Not FDIC Insured ● May Lose Value ● No Bank Guarantee
Summary Prospectus
Key Facts About BlackRock Defensive Advantage Emerging Markets Fund
Investment Objective
The investment objective of BlackRock Defensive Advantage Emerging Markets Fund (the "Fund"), a series of BlackRock FundsSM (the "Trust"), is to seek to provide long-term capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to your financial professional or your selected securities dealer, broker, investment adviser, service provider or industry professional (including BlackRock Advisors, LLC ("BlackRock") and its affiliates) (each, a "Financial Intermediary"), which are not reflected in the table and example below. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $25,000 in the fund complex advised by BlackRock or its affiliates. More information about these and other discounts is available from your Financial Intermediary and in the "Details About the Share Classes" and the "Intermediary-Defined Sales Charge Waiver Policies" sections on pages 32 and A-1, respectively, of the Fund's prospectus and in the "Purchase of Shares" section on page II-95 of Part II of the Fund's Statement of Additional Information. 
Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
Investor A
Shares
Institutional
Shares
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)
5.25%
None
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of offering price or redemption proceeds,
whichever is lower)
None1
None
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a
percentage of the value of your investment)
Investor A
Shares
Institutional
Shares
Management Fee2
0.80%
0.80%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees
0.25%
None
Other Expenses
3.60%
3.50%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
4.65%
4.30%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements2,3
(3.54)%
(3.44)%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements2,3
1.11%
0.86%
1
A contingent deferred sales charge ("CDSC") of 1.00% is assessed on certain redemptions of Investor A Shares made within 18 months after purchase where no initial sales charge was paid at the time of purchase as part of an investment of $1,000,000 or more.
2
As described in the "Management of the Fund" section of the Fund's prospectus beginning on page 47, BlackRock has contractually agreed to waive the management fee with respect to any portion of the Fund's assets estimated to be attributable to investments in other equity and fixed-income mutual funds and exchange-traded funds managed by BlackRock or its affiliates that have a contractual management fee, through June 30, 2027. In addition, BlackRock has contractually agreed to waive its management fees by the amount of investment advisory fees the Fund pays to BlackRock indirectly through its investment in money market funds managed by BlackRock or its affiliates, through June 30, 2027. The contractual agreements may be terminated upon 90 days' notice by a majority of the non-interested trustees of the Trust or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund.
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As described in the "Management of the Fund" section of the Fund's prospectus beginning on page 47, BlackRock has contractually agreed to waive and/or reimburse fees or expenses in order to limit Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements (excluding Dividend Expense, Interest Expense, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and certain other Fund expenses) to 1.11% (for Investor A Shares) and 0.86% (for Institutional Shares) of average daily net assets through June 30, 2027. The contractual agreement may be terminated upon 90 days' notice by a majority of the non-interested trustees of the Trust or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund.
Example:
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be: 
2
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Investor A Shares
$632
$1,551
$2,476
$4,817
Institutional Shares
$88
$990
$1,904
$4,247
Portfolio Turnover:
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 218% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund
The Fund pursues a "defensive" investment style, seeking to provide downside protection with upside potential through active stock selection, risk management and diversification. The Fund seeks to pursue its investment objective by investing in securities in a disciplined manner, by using proprietary return forecast models that incorporate quantitative analysis. These forecast models are designed to prioritize insights that demonstrate downside protection as well as identify aspects of mispricing across stocks which the Fund can seek to capture by over- and under-weighting particular equity securities while seeking to control incremental risk.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund seeks to invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities issued by, or tied economically to, companies in emerging markets and derivatives that have similar economic characteristics to such securities. Investments in derivatives are counted toward the Fund's 80% policy to the extent that they provide investment exposure to one or more market risk factors associated with such securities. BlackRock considers an emerging market country to include any country that is: (1) generally recognized to be an emerging market country by the international financial community, including the World Bank; (2) classified by the United Nations as a developing country; or (3) included in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index (the "MSCI EM Index"). BlackRock determines that an investment is tied economically to an emerging market if such investment satisfies one or more of the following conditions: (1) the issuer's primary trading market is in an emerging market; (2) the issuer is organized under the laws of, derives at least 50% of its revenue from, or has at least 50% of its assets in emerging markets; or (3) the investment is included in an index representative of emerging markets.
The Fund primarily intends to invest in equity securities, which include common stock, preferred stock and depositary receipts, or other financial instruments that are components of, or have characteristics similar to, the securities included in the MSCI EM Index. The MSCI EM Index is a capitalization-weighted index from a broad range of industries chosen for market size, liquidity and industry group representation. As of July 31, 2025, the issuers in the MSCI EM Index have a market capitalization ranging from $119.56 million to $957.46 billion. The Fund primarily seeks to buy common stock and may also invest in preferred stock. The Fund may also purchase convertible securities. From time to time, the Fund may invest in shares of companies through "new issues" or initial public offerings ("IPOs").
The Fund may use derivatives, including options, futures, swaps (including, but not limited to, total return swaps, some of which may be referred to as contracts for difference) and forward contracts both to seek to increase the return of the Fund and to hedge (or protect) the value of its assets against adverse movements in currency exchange rates, interest rates and movements in the securities markets. In order to manage cash flows into or out of the Fund effectively, the Fund may buy and sell financial futures contracts or options on such contracts. Derivatives are financial instruments whose value is derived from another security, a currency or an index, including but not limited to the MSCI EM Index. The use of options, futures, swaps (including, but not limited to, total return swaps, some of which may be referred to as contracts for difference) and forward contracts can be effective in protecting or enhancing the value of the Fund's assets.
The Fund seeks to pursue its investment objective by investing in securities in a disciplined manner, by using proprietary return forecast models that incorporate quantitative analysis. These forecast models are designed to prioritize insights that demonstrate downside protection as well as identify aspects of mispricing across stocks which the Fund can seek to capture by over- and under-weighting particular equity securities while seeking to control incremental risk. BlackRock then constructs and rebalances the portfolio by integrating its investment insights with the model-based optimization process.
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Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
Risk is inherent in all investing. The value of your investment in the Fund, as well as the amount of return you receive on your investment, may fluctuate significantly from day to day and over time. You may lose part or all of your investment in the Fund or your investment may not perform as well as other similar investments. The following is a summary description of the principal risks of investing in the Fund. The relative significance of each risk factor below may change over time and you should review each risk factor carefully.
Equity Securities Risk - Stock markets are volatile. The price of equity securities fluctuates based on changes in a company's financial condition and overall market and economic conditions.
Emerging Markets Risk - Emerging markets are riskier than more developed markets because they tend to develop unevenly and may never fully develop. Investments in emerging markets may be considered speculative. Emerging markets are more likely to experience hyperinflation and currency devaluations, which adversely affect returns to U.S. investors. In addition, many emerging financial markets have far lower trading volumes and less liquidity than developed markets.
Foreign Securities Risk - Foreign investments often involve special risks not present in U.S. investments that can increase the chances that the Fund will lose money. These risks include:
The Fund generally holds its foreign securities and cash in foreign banks and securities depositories, which may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business and may be subject to only limited or no regulatory oversight.
Changes in foreign currency exchange rates can affect the value of the Fund's portfolio.
The economies of certain foreign markets may not compare favorably with the economy of the United States with respect to such issues as growth of gross national product, reinvestment of capital, resources and balance of payments position.
The governments of certain countries, or the U.S. Government with respect to certain countries, may prohibit or impose substantial restrictions through capital controls and/or sanctions on foreign investments in the capital markets or certain industries in those countries, which may prohibit or restrict the ability to own or transfer currency, securities, derivatives or other assets.
Many foreign governments do not supervise and regulate stock exchanges, brokers and the sale of securities to the same extent as does the United States and may not have laws to protect investors that are comparable to U.S. securities laws.
Settlement and clearance procedures in certain foreign markets may result in delays in payment for or delivery of securities not typically associated with settlement and clearance of U.S. investments.
The Fund's claims to recover foreign withholding taxes may not be successful, and if the likelihood of recovery of foreign withholding taxes materially decreases, due to, for example, a change in tax regulation or approach in the foreign country, accruals in the Fund's net asset value for such refunds may be written down partially or in full, which will adversely affect the Fund's net asset value.
Model Risk - The Fund seeks to pursue its investment objective by using proprietary models that incorporate quantitative analysis. Investments selected using these models may perform differently than as forecasted due to the factors incorporated into the models and the weighting of each factor, changes from historical trends, and issues in the construction and implementation of the models (including, but not limited to, software issues, issues related to the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning ("AI"), and other technological issues). There is no guarantee that BlackRock's use of these models will result in effective investment decisions for the Fund.
The information and data used in the models may be supplied by third parties. Inaccurate or incomplete data may limit the effectiveness of the models. In addition, some of the data that BlackRock uses may be historical data, which may not accurately predict future market movement. There is a risk that the models will not be successful in selecting investments or in determining the weighting of investment positions that will enable the Fund to achieve its investment objective.
China Investments Risk - Investments in Chinese securities, including certain Hong Kong-listed and U.S.-listed securities, are subject to risks specific to China. China may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability. Despite significant economic and market reforms in recent decades, the Chinese government's control over certain sectors and enterprises and significant regulation of investment and industry are still pervasive. Chinese companies are subject to the risk that Chinese authorities can intervene in their operations and structure. Chinese markets generally continue to experience inefficiency, volatility and pricing anomalies resulting from governmental influence, a lack of publicly available information and/or political and social instability. Internal social unrest or confrontations with other countries, including military conflicts in response to such events,
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may disrupt China's economy and markets and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency non-convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher inflation.
China has experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international relations. Additionally, China is alleged to have participated in state-sponsored cyberattacks against foreign companies and foreign governments. Actual and threatened responses to such activity and strained international relations, including purchasing restrictions, sanctions, export controls, tariffs or cyberattacks on the Chinese government or Chinese companies, may impact China's economy and Chinese issuers in which the Fund invests. Incidents involving China's or the region's security may adversely affect the Chinese economy and markets and the Fund's investments. The Chinese economy is highly reliant on trade. A reduction in spending on Chinese products and services, supply chain diversification, the institution of additional tariffs or other trade barriers (including as a result of heightened trade tensions or a trade war between China and the United States or in response to actual or alleged Chinese cyber activity) or a downturn in any of the economies of China's key trading partners may have an adverse impact on the Chinese economy. Certain companies may be subject to economic or trade restrictions (but not investment restrictions) imposed by the United States or other governments due to national security, human rights or other concerns of such government. So long as these restrictions do not include restrictions on investments, the Fund may invest in such companies. Other economic challenges for China include indebtedness, weak consumer demand, and an aging population. China continues to face pressure from its trading partners over its exporting of its excess industrial capacity and overall approach to economic management.
The United States and China have been engaged in an ongoing trade war with one another, which has led to trade frictions between their economies and negative flow-on consequences on global markets and other nations closely affiliated with those countries. The current political climate has intensified concerns about an ongoing trade war between China and the United States, as each country has imposed tariffs on the other country's products. These actions may trigger a significant reduction in international trade, the oversupply of certain manufactured goods, substantial price reductions of goods and possible failure of individual companies and/or large segments of China's export industry, which could have a negative impact on the Fund's performance. In addition, there is a risk that further capital controls and/or sanctions may be imposed, which could include the prohibition of, or restrictions on, the ability to own or transfer currency, securities, derivatives or other assets and may also include retaliatory actions, such as seizure of assets. Any of these actions could severely impair the Fund's ability to purchase, sell, transfer, receive, deliver or otherwise obtain exposure to Chinese securities and assets, including the ability to transfer the Fund's assets or income back into the United States, and could negatively impact the value and/or liquidity of such assets or otherwise adversely affect the Fund's operations, causing the Fund to decline in value. Events such as these and their consequences are difficult to predict and it is unclear whether further tariffs may be imposed or other escalating actions may be taken in the future. From time to time, China has experienced outbreaks of infectious illnesses. The country may be subject to other public health threats, infectious illnesses, diseases or similar issues in the future. Any spread of an infectious illness, public health threat or similar issue could reduce consumer demand or economic output, result in market closures, travel restrictions or quarantines, and generally have a significant impact on the Chinese economy, which in turn could adversely affect the Fund's investments.
Chinese companies, including those listed on U.S. exchanges, are not subject to the same degree of regulatory requirements, accounting standards or auditor oversight as companies in more developed countries. As a result, information about the Chinese securities in which the Fund invests may be less reliable or complete. Chinese companies with securities listed on U.S. exchanges may be delisted if they do not meet U.S. accounting standards and auditor oversight requirements, which would significantly decrease the liquidity and value of the securities. There may be significant obstacles to obtaining information necessary for investigations into or litigation against Chinese companies, and shareholders may have limited legal remedies. Many Chinese companies listed on U.S. exchanges use variable interest entities or "VIEs" in their structure as a result of foreign ownership restrictions. Any change in the operations of entities in a VIE structure, the status of VIE contractual arrangements or the legal or regulatory environment in China could result in significant, and possibly permanent and/or total, losses for investments in VIE issuers. The Fund does not select investments based on investor protection considerations.
Convertible Securities Risk - The market value of a convertible security performs like that of a regular debt security; that is, if market interest rates rise, the value of a convertible security usually falls. In addition, convertible securities are subject to the risk that the issuer will not be able to pay interest, principal or dividends when due, and their market value may change based on changes in the issuer's credit rating or the market's perception of the issuer's creditworthiness. Since it derives a portion of its value from the common stock into which it may be converted, a convertible security is also subject to the same types of market and issuer risks that apply to the underlying common stock, including the potential for increased volatility in the price of the convertible security.
Depositary Receipts Risk - Depositary receipts are generally subject to the same risks as the foreign securities that they evidence or into which they may be converted. In addition to investment risks associated with the
5
underlying issuer, depositary receipts expose the Fund to additional risks associated with the non-uniform terms that apply to depositary receipt programs, credit exposure to the depository bank and to the sponsors and other parties with whom the depository bank establishes the programs, currency risk and the risk of an illiquid market for depositary receipts. The issuers of unsponsored depositary receipts are not obligated to disclose information that is, in the United States, considered material. Therefore, there may be less information available regarding these issuers and there may not be a correlation between such information and the market value of the depositary receipts. While depositary receipts provide an alternative to directly purchasing underlying foreign securities in their respective markets and currencies, they continue to be subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities, including political, economic, and currency risk.
Derivatives Risk - The Fund's use of derivatives may increase its costs, reduce the Fund's returns and/or increase volatility. Derivatives involve significant risks, including:
Leverage Risk - The Fund's use of derivatives can magnify the Fund's gains and losses. Relatively small market movements may result in large changes in the value of a derivatives position and can result in losses that greatly exceed the amount originally invested.
Market Risk - Some derivatives are more sensitive to interest rate changes and market price fluctuations than other securities. The Fund could also suffer losses related to its derivatives positions as a result of unanticipated market movements, which losses are potentially unlimited. Finally, BlackRock may not be able to predict correctly the direction of securities prices, interest rates and other economic factors, which could cause the Fund's derivatives positions to lose value.
Counterparty Risk - Derivatives are also subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the other party in the transaction will be unable or unwilling to fulfill its contractual obligation, and the related risks of having concentrated exposure to such a counterparty.
Illiquidity Risk - The possible lack of a liquid secondary market for derivatives and the resulting inability of the Fund to sell or otherwise close a derivatives position could expose the Fund to losses and could make derivatives more difficult for the Fund to value accurately.
Operational Risk - The use of derivatives includes the risk of potential operational issues, including documentation issues, settlement issues, systems failures, inadequate controls and human error.
Legal Risk - The risk of insufficient documentation, insufficient capacity or authority of counterparty, or legality or enforceability of a contract.
Volatility and Correlation Risk - Volatility is defined as the characteristic of a security, an index or a market to fluctuate significantly in price within a short time period. A risk of the Fund's use of derivatives is that the fluctuations in their values may not correlate with the overall securities markets.
Valuation Risk - Valuation for derivatives may not be readily available in the market. Valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil since many investors and market makers may be reluctant to purchase complex instruments or quote prices for them.
Hedging Risk - Hedges are sometimes subject to imperfect matching between the derivative and the underlying security, and there can be no assurance that the Fund's hedging transactions will be effective. The use of hedging may result in certain adverse tax consequences.
Tax Risk - Certain aspects of the tax treatment of derivative instruments, including swap agreements and commodity-linked derivative instruments, are currently unclear and may be affected by changes in legislation, regulations or other legally binding authority. Such treatment may be less favorable than that given to a direct investment in an underlying asset and may adversely affect the timing, character and amount of income the Fund realizes from its investments.
High Portfolio Turnover Risk - The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading of its portfolio securities. High portfolio turnover (more than 100%) may result in increased transaction costs to the Fund, including brokerage commissions, dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs on the sale of the securities and on reinvestment in other securities. The sale of Fund portfolio securities may result in the realization and/or distribution to shareholders of higher capital gains or losses as compared to a fund with less active trading policies. These effects of higher than normal portfolio turnover may adversely affect Fund performance.
Investment in a Particular Geographic Region or Country Risk - Asia-Pacific Countries - In addition to the risks of investing in non-U.S. securities and the risks of investing in emerging markets, Asia-Pacific countries are subject to certain additional or specific risks.
In many of the emerging market Asia-Pacific countries, there is a high concentration of market capitalization and trading volume in a small number of issuers representing a limited number of industries, as well as a high concentration of investors and financial intermediaries. Many emerging market Asia-Pacific countries have
6
experienced rapid growth and industrialization in recent years, but there is no assurance that this growth rate will be maintained. Other emerging market Asia-Pacific countries, however, have experienced high inflation, high unemployment, currency devaluations and restrictions, and over-extension of credit. Brokers in emerging market Asia-Pacific countries typically are fewer in number and less well capitalized than brokers in the United States.
Many of the emerging market Asia-Pacific countries may be subject to a greater degree of economic, political and social instability than is the case in the United States and Western European countries. Such instability may result from, among other things: (i) authoritarian governments or military involvement in political and economic decision- making, including changes in government through extra-constitutional means; (ii) popular unrest associated with demands for improved political, economic and social conditions; (iii) internal insurgencies; (iv) hostile relations with neighboring countries; and (v) ethnic, religious and racial disaffection. In addition, the governments of many of such countries have a substantial role in regulating and supervising the economy.
Another risk common to most such countries is that the economy is heavily export oriented and, accordingly, is dependent upon international trade. The existence of overburdened infrastructure and obsolete financial systems also presents risks in certain countries, as do environmental problems. Certain economies also depend to a significant degree upon exports of primary commodities and, therefore, are vulnerable to changes in commodity prices that, in turn, may be affected by a variety of factors.
The rights of investors in emerging market Asia-Pacific companies may be more limited than those of shareholders of U.S. corporations. It may be difficult or impossible to obtain and/or enforce a judgment in an emerging market Asia-Pacific country.
Some developing Asia-Pacific countries prohibit or impose substantial restrictions on investments in their capital markets, particularly their equity markets, by foreign entities. For example, certain countries may require governmental approval prior to investments by foreign persons or limit the amount of investment by foreign persons in a particular company.
Geopolitical hostility, political instability, and economic or environmental events in any one of the Asia-Pacific countries may have a significant economic effect on the entire Asia-Pacific region, as well as on major trading partners outside the Asia-Pacific region. Any adverse event in the Asia-Pacific markets may have a significant adverse effect on some or all of the economies of the Asia-Pacific countries. In particular, China is a key trading partner of many Asia-Pacific countries and any changes in trading relationships between China and other Asia-Pacific countries may affect the region as a whole. Many Asia-Pacific countries are subject to political risk, including political instability, corruption and regional conflict with neighboring countries. North Korea and South Korea each have substantial military capabilities, and historical tensions between the two countries present the risk of war. Escalated tensions involving the two countries and any outbreak of hostilities between the two countries, or even the threat of an outbreak of hostilities, could have a severe adverse effect on the entire Asia-Pacific region. Certain Asia-Pacific countries have developed increasingly strained relationships with the U.S., and if these relations were to worsen, they could adversely affect Asia-Pacific issuers that rely on the U.S. for trade. In addition, many Asia-Pacific countries are subject to social and labor risks associated with demands for improved political, economic and social conditions.
Leverage Risk - Some transactions may give rise to a form of economic leverage. These transactions may include, among others, derivatives, and may expose the Fund to greater risk and increase its costs. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet the applicable requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "Investment Company Act"), and the rules thereunder. Increases and decreases in the value of the Fund's portfolio will be magnified when the Fund uses leverage.
Market Risk and Selection Risk - Market risk is the risk that one or more markets in which the Fund invests will go down in value, including the possibility that the markets will go down sharply and unpredictably. The value of a security or other asset may decline due to changes in general market conditions, economic trends or events that are not specifically related to the issuer of the security or other asset, or factors that affect a particular issuer or issuers, exchange, country, group of countries, region, market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class. Local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues like pandemics or epidemics, recessions, or other events could have a significant impact on the Fund and its investments. Selection risk is the risk that the securities selected by Fund management will underperform the markets, the relevant indices or the securities selected by other funds with similar investment objectives and investment strategies. The Fund seeks to pursue its investment objective by using proprietary models that incorporate quantitative analysis and is subject to "Model Risk" as described above. This means you may lose money.
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"New Issues" Risk - "New issues" are IPOs of equity securities. Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods. In addition, the prices of securities sold in IPOs may be highly volatile or may decline shortly after the IPO.
Operational and Technology Risks - The Fund is directly and indirectly susceptible to operational and technology risks, including those related to human errors, processing errors, communication errors, systems failures, cybersecurity incidents, and the use of AI, which may result in losses for the Fund and its shareholders or may impair the Fund's operations. While the Fund's service providers are required to have appropriate operational, information security and cybersecurity risk management policies and procedures, their methods of risk management may differ from those of the Fund. Operational and technology risks for the issuers in which the Fund invests could also result in material adverse consequences for such issuers and may cause the Fund's investments in such issuers to lose value.
Preferred Securities Risk - Preferred securities may pay fixed or adjustable rates of return. Preferred securities are subject to issuer-specific and market risks applicable generally to equity securities. In addition, a company's preferred securities generally pay dividends only after the company makes required payments to holders of its bonds and other debt. For this reason, the value of preferred securities will usually react more strongly than bonds and other debt to actual or perceived changes in the company's financial condition or prospects. Preferred securities of smaller companies may be more vulnerable to adverse developments than preferred securities of larger companies.
Small and Mid-Capitalization Company Risk - Companies with small or mid-size market capitalizations will normally have more limited product lines, markets and financial resources and will be dependent upon a more limited management group than larger capitalized companies. In addition, it is more difficult to get information on smaller companies, which tend to be less well known, have shorter operating histories, do not have significant ownership by large investors and are followed by relatively few securities analysts.
Performance Information
The information shows you how the performance of the Fund has varied for the periods since inception and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The table compares the Fund's performance to that of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index (Net) and the MSCI Emerging Markets Minimum Volatility Index (Net). The MSCI Emerging Markets Minimum Volatility Index (Net) is relevant to the Fund because it has characteristics similar to the Fund's investment strategies. To the extent that dividends and distributions have been paid by the Fund, the performance information for the Fund in the chart and table assumes reinvestment of the dividends and distributions. As with all such investments, past performance (before and after taxes) is not an indication of future results. Sales charges are not reflected in the bar chart. If they were, returns would be less than those shown. However, the table includes all applicable fees and sales charges. If BlackRock and its affiliates had not waived or reimbursed certain Fund expenses during these periods, the Fund's returns would have been lower. Information on the Fund's performance, including its current net asset value, can be obtained by visiting www.blackrock.com or can be obtained by phone at (800) 882-0052.
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Investor A Shares
ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS
BlackRock Defensive Advantage Emerging Markets Fund
As of 12/31
During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 8.65% (quarter ended September 30, 2024) and the lowest return for a quarter was -10.18% (quarter ended June 30, 2022). The year-to-date return as of June 30, 2025 was 9.13%. 
For the periods ended 12/31/24
Average Annual Total Returns
1 Year
Since Inception
(December 21, 2020)
BlackRock Defensive Advantage Emerging Markets Fund - Investor A
Return Before Taxes
4.38
%
2.60
%
Return After Taxes on Distributions
4.13
%
1.72
%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares
3.30
%
1.89
%
BlackRock Defensive Advantage Emerging Markets Fund - Institutional Shares
Return Before Taxes
10.45
%
4.24
%
MSCI Emerging Markets Index (Net)1
(Reflects deduction for fees, expenses or taxes, except for withholding taxes on
reinvested dividends)
7.50
%
(1.38
)%
MSCI Emerging Markets Minimum Volatility Index (Net)1
(Reflects deduction for fees, expenses or taxes, except for withholding taxes on
reinvested dividends)
9.03
%
2.54
%
1 Returns for net indices generally assume the reinvestment of dividends after the deduction of the maximum withholding tax in each country applicable to non-residents of the country as determined by the index provider. Such indices use withholding tax rates that are often at a higher rate than the rates to which the Fund is subject in each country, including for countries where the Fund is not subject to withholding taxes. When this is the case, index performance will be lower than if the index used the Fund's applicable withholding tax rates, if any.
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown, and the after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. After-tax returns are shown for Investor A Shares only, and the after-tax returns for Institutional Shares will vary.
Investment Manager
The Fund's investment manager is BlackRock Advisors, LLC (previously defined as "BlackRock"). The Fund's subadviser is BlackRock International Limited (the "Sub-Adviser"). Where applicable, "BlackRock" refers also to the Sub-Adviser.
Portfolio Managers  
Portfolio Manager
Portfolio Manager of the Fund Since
Title
Jeff Shen, PhD
2020
Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc.
David Piazza
2020
Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc.
Richard Mathieson
2020
Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc.
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Portfolio Manager
Portfolio Manager of the Fund Since
Title
Robert Fisher, CFA
2020
Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund each day the New York Stock Exchange is open. To purchase or sell shares, you should contact your Financial Intermediary, or, if you hold your shares through the Fund, you should contact the Fund by phone at (800) 441-7762, by mail (c/o BlackRock Funds, P.O. Box 534429, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15253-4429), or by the Internet at www.blackrock.com. The Fund's initial and subsequent investment minimums generally are as follows, although the Fund may reduce or waive the minimums in some cases: 
Investor A Shares
Institutional Shares
Minimum Initial
Investment
$1,000 for all accounts except:
•$50, if establishing an Automatic Investment
Plan.
•There is no investment minimum for employer-
sponsored retirement plans (not including SEP
IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs or SARSEPs).
•There is no investment minimum for certain fee-
based programs.
There is no minimum initial investment for:
•Employer-sponsored retirement plans (not
including SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs or SARSEPs),
state sponsored 529 college savings plans,
collective trust funds, investment companies or
other pooled investment vehicles, unaffiliated
thrifts and unaffiliated banks and trust
companies, each of which may purchase shares
of the Fund through a Financial Intermediary that
has entered into an agreement with the Fund's
distributor to purchase such shares.
•Clients of Financial Intermediaries that: (i) charge
such clients a fee for advisory, investment
consulting, or similar services or (ii) have entered
into an agreement with the Fund's distributor to
offer Institutional Shares through a no-load
program or investment platform.
•Clients investing through a self-directed IRA
brokerage account program sponsored by a
retirement plan record-keeper, provided that such
program offers only mutual fund options and that
the program maintains an account with the Fund
on an omnibus basis.
$2 million for individuals and "Institutional
Investors," which include, but are not limited to,
endowments, foundations, family offices, local,
city, and state governmental institutions,
corporations and insurance company separate
accounts who may purchase shares of the Fund
through a Financial Intermediary that has entered
into an agreement with the Fund's distributor to
purchase such shares.
$1,000 for:
•Clients investing through Financial Intermediaries
that offer such shares on a platform that charges
a transaction based sales commission outside of
the Fund.
•Tax-qualified accounts for insurance agents that
are registered representatives of an insurance
company's broker-dealer that has entered into an
agreement with the Fund's distributor to offer
Institutional Shares, and the family members of
such persons.
Minimum Additional
Investment
$50 for all accounts (with the exception of certain
employer-sponsored retirement plans which may
have a lower minimum).
No subsequent minimum.
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Tax Information
The Fund's dividends and distributions may be subject to U.S. federal income taxes and may be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are a tax-exempt investor or are investing through a qualified tax-exempt plan described in section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, in which case you may be subject to U.S. federal income tax when distributions are received from such tax-deferred arrangements.
Payments to Broker/Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a Financial Intermediary, the Fund and BlackRock Investments, LLC, the Fund's distributor, or its affiliates may pay the Financial Intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services.
These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the Financial Intermediary and your individual financial professional to recommend the Fund over another investment.
Ask your individual financial professional or visit your Financial Intermediary's website for more information.
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INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT FILE # 811-05742
SPRO-DA-0825
Blackrock Funds published this content on September 03, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via SEC EDGAR on September 03, 2025 at 15:43 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]