BlackRock Canada Wins "Best ETF Initiative" and "Canadian Investment Marketing Award" at 2015 Canadian Morningstar® Awards

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Nov. 26, 2015) - Following last night's 2015 Morningstar awards gala in Toronto, BlackRock Asset Management Canada Limited (BlackRock Canada), an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of BlackRock, Inc. (BlackRock) is pleased to announce wins in both the Best ETF Initiative and Canadian Investment Marketing Award categories. The Morningstar Investment awards are a global awards program that are celebrated throughout Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas, honouring companies and individuals that provide superior investment products, service, marketing, and education. BlackRock Canada won Best ETF Initiative for "Helping Investors Navigate Fixed Income" and the Canadian Investment Marketing Award for the iShares "iThinking Campaign."

"Investment education and awareness is an important focus for us, and we are honoured to have been awarded the Best ETF Initiative award for the second year in a row," said Warren Collier, Managing Director and Head of iShares at BlackRock Canada. "With this campaign, our goal was to help Canadian investors navigate the evolving and diverging fixed income landscape, through a multi-faceted campaign of education, thought leadership, investment strategies and solutions. We want to thank Morningstar for its continued recognition and support around this initiative."

In a year of increased market volatility, the campaign was designed to address the evolving landscape facing fixed income investors today, and inform investors on the solutions and strategies available to them, including how investors can gain unique access to otherwise hard-to-reach international exposures such as emerging markets corporate bonds. Included in these efforts, BlackRock Canada introduced the first fund in the new iShares Strategic Fixed income suite in January 2015, the model-driven iShares Short Term Strategic Fixed Income ETF (XSI). This was followed in September 2015 by the two additional funds in the suite, the iShares Conservative Short Term Strategic Fixed Income ETF (XSC) and the iShares Conservative Strategic Fixed Income ETF (XSE).

In addition to the Best ETF Initiative Award, BlackRock Canada was also awarded Canadian Investment Marketing Award for its iShares iThinking campaign.

With a flood of 'noise' in the marketplace and relatively few precision tools available to execute on good ideas, there was an opportunity to provide investors with informed intelligence that they could act on. At its core, the iThinking campaign was designed to translate important trends into actionable investment ideas, capture marketplace movements before the insights became conventional wisdom with iShares funds, and provide access to explore opportunities for your own investment strategy.

"We are excited to have been awarded Morningstar's 2015 Best Canadian Investment Marketing Award," says Karrie Van Belle, Managing Director, Head of Marketing & Communications, BlackRock Canada. "We know that financial advisors and engaged investors are constantly looking for ways to be both informed and nimble. The powerful connection of insights, ideas and implementation of iThinking allowed us to serve the unique groups who trust us with their financial wellbeing. Through a content-led strategy, executed in carefully selected platforms, iShares was able to successfully connect this engaged audience with global and actionable thought-leadership."

For more information about iShares, BlackRock Canada or either of the aforementioned initiatives, please visit www.blackrock.com/ca.

For more information on iThinking, please visit www.ithinking.ca

About BlackRock

BlackRock is a global leader in investment management, risk management and advisory services for institutional and retail clients. At September 30, 2015, BlackRock's AUM was US $4.506 trillion. BlackRock helps clients around the world meet their goals and overcome challenges with a range of products that include separate accounts, mutual funds, iShares® (exchange-traded funds), and other pooled investment vehicles. BlackRock also offers risk management, advisory and enterprise investment system services to a broad base of institutional investors through BlackRock Solutions®. As of September 30, 2015, the firm had approximately 12,900 employees in more than 30 countries and a major presence in key global markets, including North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and the Middle East and Africa. For additional information, please visit the Company's website at www.blackrock.com/ca - Twitter: @BlackRockCA - Blog: www.blackrockblog.com/can

About iShares

iShares is a global leader in exchange-traded funds (ETFs), with more than a decade of expertise and commitment to individual and institutional investors of all sizes. With over 700 funds globally across multiple asset classes and strategies and more than US $1 trillion in assets under management as of September 30, 2015, iShares helps clients around the world build the core of their portfolios, meet specific investment goals and implement market views. iShares funds are powered by the expert portfolio and risk management of BlackRock, trusted to manage more money than any other investment firm¹.

Commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with investing in iShares Funds. Please read the relevant prospectus before investing. Fund securities are not covered by the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation or by any other government deposit insurer. There can be no assurances that the fund will be able to maintain its net asset value per security at a constant amount or that the full amount of your investment in the fund will be returned to you. The fund is not guaranteed, its values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. Tax, investment and all other decisions should be made, as appropriate, only with guidance from a qualified professional.

¹ Based on US $4.721 trillion in AUM as of 6/30/15.