At a glance
BALI charges 0.35% a year, above the 0.17% average of the 7 funds most like it (the 7th cheapest of 8). It has $252.0M in assets, the 6th largest of that group; it paid 7.73% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, monthly. Over the past year it returned +17.6% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%), the best of those 8 funds; over three years it returned +22.7% a year.
The short version
iShares Advantage Large Cap Income ETF (BALI) is an income-focused stock fund from BlackRock's iShares line. It invests in large companies and pays distributions monthly, with a trailing 12-month yield of 7.73% as of October 27, 2026. It charges 0.35% a year, about double the 0.17% average of the similar large-cap funds we compared. It also has only about three years of history.
Price history
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BALI +17.6% over the year to Oct 27, 2026, total return with distributions reinvested.
How it has behaved
| YTD | 1 yr | 3 yr | 5 yr | 10 yr | Since start | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BALI price data to Oct 27, 2026 | +16.3% | +17.6% | +22.7% | — | — | +20.7% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, BALI returned +17.6%, 1st of 8 among similar funds.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2025 (+14.5%); its best was 2024 (+22.4%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 16.6% (Dec 5, 2024 to Apr 8, 2025), recovered by Jun 30, 2025.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data |
|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | +16.3% |
| 2025 | +14.5% |
| 2024 | +22.4% |
| 2008 financial crisis stocks fell Oct 9, 2007 – Mar 9, 2009 | Before this security existed |
|---|---|
| 2020 COVID crash stocks fell Feb 19, 2020 – Mar 23, 2020 | Before this security existed |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Before this security existed |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | $2.0200 | |
| 2025 | $2.6800 | +24.1% |
| 2024 | $2.1600 |
How it works
BALI is an exchange-traded fund from BlackRock's iShares family. Its name and asset class show that it holds large-company stocks with an income goal. It launched on September 26, 2023. We could not find its prospectus in SEC records when we prepared this page. So this page does not cover how it picks and weights stocks or how often it rebalances.
Its track record does tell us a few things. It paid distributions every month, totaling $2.68 per share over the 12 months to October 27, 2026. That is a 7.73% trailing yield, meaning income paid over the past year divided by the share price. Its one-year beta was 0.79. Beta measures how much a fund tends to move with the overall stock market, so 0.79 means it moved about 79% as much as the market on average.
Some income funds with yields this high sell covered calls. That means selling other investors the right to buy the fund's stocks at a set price. The fund collects cash for this but gives up some gains when stocks rise sharply. Other income funds lean on high-dividend stocks. BALI's prospectus will show which approach it uses and what limits apply. It will also show whether any payouts count as a return of capital, which means money handed back from your own investment rather than earned income.
What it really costs
- BALI charges 0.35% a year, versus an average of 0.17% for the similar funds below (7th of 8, cheapest first).
In a retirement portfolio
BALI pays distributions monthly and had a 7.73% trailing yield as of October 27, 2026, so its main appeal is regular cash flow from large-company stocks.
BALI could add a monthly income stream. It paid $2.68 per share over the 12 months to October 27, 2026, a 7.73% trailing yield. Its record is short. It launched on September 26, 2023, so it missed the 2008, 2020 and 2022 market declines. Its deepest drop was 16.6%, from December 5, 2024 to April 8, 2025. It recovered by June 30, 2025, about 2.7 months later. Both of its full calendar years were gains: 22.4% in 2024 and 14.5% in 2025. That period did not include a long bear market. So a retiree who might need to sell shares or rely on its income in a bad year has little evidence of how it holds up. Its 0.35% expense ratio is higher than most similar funds. Past results don't predict the future, and a plan should look at the whole portfolio, not one fund.
Who it may suit — and who should look elsewhere
May suit
- Investors seeking monthly cash payouts from large-company stocks; the trailing yield was 7.73% as of October 27, 2026.
- Holders who want stock exposure that has moved less than the market, with a one-year beta of 0.79 and 10.4% volatility.
- Those willing to pay 0.35% a year for an income-focused approach rather than a plain large-cap index fund.
Look elsewhere if
- Cost-focused investors: iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) charges 0.03% and Vanguard Mega Cap ETF (MGC) 0.07%, versus BALI's 0.35%.
- Anyone who wants a record through a full bear market; BALI launched in September 2023 and missed the 2008, 2020 and 2022 declines.
- Investors who prefer large, long-established funds; BALI had about $252 million in assets, ranking sixth of eight among similar funds.
Close alternatives
Matched by legacy category (no holdings report for this fund).
| Fund | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BALI this fund | 0.35% | $252.0M | +17.6% | +22.7% |
| IWL iShares Russell Top 200 ETF | 0.15% | $1.60B | +12.5% | +25.5% |
| MGC Vanguard Mega Cap ETF | 0.07% | $6.40B | +13.5% | +26.0% |
| FYEE Fidelity Yield Enhanced Equity ETF | 0.28% | $11.9M | +15.1% | — |
| GPIX S&P 500 Core Premium Income ETF | 0.29% | $542.4M | +14.7% | +22.6% |
| IVV iShares Core S&P 500 ETF | 0.03% | $579.90B | +11.5% | +22.0% |
| XYLG Global X S&P 500 Covered Call & Growth ETF | 0.35% | $50.5M | +15.0% | +20.1% |
| BKLC BNY Mellon US Large Cap Core Equity ETF | 0% | $3.20B | +13.4% | +25.4% |
Questions investors ask
Does BALI pay monthly dividends?
Yes. BALI pays distributions every month. Over the 12 months to October 27, 2026, it paid a total of $2.68 per share, a trailing yield of 7.73%. Monthly payouts can make budgeting easier for people living off their investments. The amount can change from month to month, though, and past payouts are not guaranteed. BALI's prospectus explains where its income comes from.
What is BALI's dividend yield?
BALI's trailing 12-month yield was 7.73% as of October 27, 2026, based on $2.68 per share in distributions. A trailing yield looks backward. It divides the income paid over the past year by the share price. It does not promise future income. A yield this high from large-company stocks may come partly from sources other than ordinary dividends. BALI's prospectus and tax documents show what each payout consists of.
What's the difference between BALI and IVV?
Both are iShares funds, but IVV is a low-cost S&P 500 index fund and BALI is income-focused. IVV charges 0.03% a year versus BALI's 0.35%. As of late October 2026, BALI returned 17.6% over one year versus IVV's 12.4%. Over three years, IVV returned 23.6% a year versus BALI's 22.7%. IVV had about $579.9 billion in net assets, compared with BALI's $252 million. Note that these funds were matched by broad category, not by strategy.
Is BALI good for retirement income?
BALI may suit retirees who want monthly income from large-company stocks. It had a 7.73% trailing yield as of October 27, 2026, and its one-year beta was 0.79. The drawbacks are a short record and a higher cost. It launched in September 2023, so it has not been through a long bear market. Its 0.35% expense ratio is about double the 0.17% average of similar funds.
How risky is BALI?
BALI has been somewhat less volatile than the broad stock market so far, but it is still a stock fund. Over three years to October 27, 2026, its volatility was 12.6%, and its one-year beta was 0.79. Its deepest drop was 16.6%, between December 5, 2024 and April 8, 2025. It recovered by June 30, 2025. Its short history does not include a major crash such as 2008 or 2020.