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iShares Files For 2015 S&P AMT-FREE MUNICIPAL SERIES ETF

October 19th, 2009

coming-soonINVESTMENT OBJECTIVE: The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the S&P AMT-Free Municipal Series 2015 Index (the “Underlying Index”). The Fund does not seek to return any predetermined amount at maturity. The Fund’s investment objective and the Underlying Index may be changed without shareholder approval.

The Underlying Index is sponsored by an organization (the “Index Provider”) that is independent of the Fund and Barclays Global Fund Advisors (“BGFA”). 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. The Fund’s Index Provider is Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC (a subsidiary of The McGraw-Hill Companies) (“S&P”). Additional information regarding the Index Provider is provided in the INDEX PROVIDER section of the Prospectus. The Fund is a series of iShares Trust (the “Trust”).

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES: The Underlying Index measures the performance of investment-grade U.S. municipal bonds maturing in 2015. As of October 8, 2009, there were 1,748 issues in the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index includes municipal bonds from issuers that are primarily state or local governments or agencies (including the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and U.S. territories such as the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam) such that the interest on the bonds is exempt from U.S. federal income taxes and the federal alternative minimum tax (“AMT”) as determined by the Index Provider in accordance with its methodology. Each bond must have a rating of at least BBB- by Standard & Poor’s, Baa3 by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc., or BBB- by Fitch Inc. Each bond must have a minimum maturity par amount of $2 million to be eligible for inclusion. To remain in the Underlying Index, bonds must maintain a minimum par amount greater than or equal to $2 million as of each rebalancing date. All bonds in the Underlying Index will mature between June 1 and August 31 of the same year as noted in the name of the Underlying Index. When a bond matures in the Underlying Index, an amount representing its maturity value will be included in the Underlying Index throughout the remaining life of the Underlying Index, and any such amount will be assumed to earn a rate equal to the performance of the Standard & Poor’s Weekly High Grade Index, which consists of Moody’s Investment Grade-1 municipal tax-exempt notes that are not subject to AMT. By August 31, 2015, the Underlying Index is expected to consist entirely of cash carried in this manner. The Underlying Index is a market value weighted index, and the securities in the Underlying Index are updated after the close on the last business day of each month. BGFA uses a “passive” or indexing approach to try to achieve the Fund’s 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.

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Indexing may eliminate the chance that the Fund will substantially outperform its 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 keeping portfolio turnover low in comparison to actively managed investment companies.

The Fund generally invests at least 80% of its assets in the securities of its Underlying Index. The Fund may at times invest up to 20% of its assets in cash and cash equivalents (including money market funds, whether or not affiliated with BGFA), as well as in municipal bonds not included in its Underlying Index, but which BGFA believes will help the Fund track its Underlying Index. For example, the Fund may invest in municipal bonds not included in the Underlying Index in order to reflect prospective changes in the Underlying Index (such as index reconstitutions, additions and deletions). The Fund will generally hold municipal bond securities issued by state and local municipalities whose interest is exempt from federal income tax and the federal AMT. In addition, the Fund may invest any cash assets in one or more affiliated or non-affiliated tax- free money market funds. In the last year of operation, when the bonds held by the Fund mature, the Fund’s portfolio will transition to cash and cash
equivalents, including without limitation AMT-free tax-exempt municipal notes, variable rate demand notes and obligations, tender option bonds and municipal commercial paper. On or about August 31, 2015, the Fund will wind up and terminate, and its net assets will be distributed to then-current shareholders pursuant to a plan of liquidation.

BGFA 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 the Underlying Index. The securities selected are expected to have, in the aggregate, investment characteristics (based on factors such as market capitalization and industry weightings), fundamental characteristics (such as return variability, duration, maturity or credit ratings and yield) and liquidity measures similar to those of the Underlying Index. The Fund may or may not hold all of the securities in the Underlying Index.

For the full filing click: HERE

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