iShares Large Cap Growth Active ETF

iShares Large Cap Growth Active ETF (BGRO) is a BlackRock fund whose managers pick large growth stocks instead of tracking an index. As of July 31, 2026, it held 34 stocks, led by NVIDIA, Amazon and Microsoft. It may suit investors who want a concentrated, tech-heavy growth fund. Its 0.55% fee is higher than the 0.38% average of similar funds, and its $8.9 million in net assets on that date made it the smallest of them.

• Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, BGRO returned +5.7%, 4th of 9 among similar funds.
• Its worst full calendar year was 2025 (+12.4%); its best was 2025 (+12.4%).
• The deepest fall in its price history was 24.9% (Jan 23, 2025 to Apr 8, 2025), recovered by Jun 26, 2025.

As of Jul 31, 2026, the fund held 34 securities; the ten largest made up 56.63% of assets, and 2.13% sat in cash and money-market holdings.

By sector

• Over the three months to Jul 31, 2026, investors withdrew a net $853K (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
• Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +10.06%, -2.22%, -3.04%.

BGRO does not track an index. BlackRock's managers pick the stocks, aiming for long-term capital appreciation (growth in value, not income). Normally at least 80% of net assets goes into large growth companies. These are stocks that, when purchased, fall within the size range of the Russell 1000 Growth Index ($2.91 billion to $4.88 trillion in market value as of July 31, 2026). They must also appear in at least one growth index BlackRock uses, such as the Russell 3000 Growth or S&P Composite 1500 Growth.

There is no weighting formula or rebalancing calendar. The managers decide how much of each stock to hold. As of July 31, 2026, the fund owned 34 stocks, and the top 10 made up about 57% of assets. The largest were NVIDIA (11.7%), Amazon (8.8%) and Microsoft (6.4%). Because the fund is non-diversified, it can put more money into fewer companies. It may own foreign firms through American Depositary Receipts (US-traded shares of foreign companies). It can also invest up to 20% of total assets in other foreign securities.

The fund trades often. The prospectus reports 99% portfolio turnover, roughly equal to replacing the whole portfolio once a year. The fund may also pay out cash instead of stocks when large institutions redeem shares. That can force it to dispose of holdings and realize taxable gains. The prospectus allows derivatives, but the fund held none as of July 31, 2026.

• BGRO charges 0.55% a year, versus an average of 0.38% for the similar funds below (5th of 9, cheapest first).
• Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $56 in the first year and $689 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).

A concentrated, tech-heavy portfolio of 34 stocks (as of July 31, 2026), bigger swings than the market and no income point to a smaller, higher-risk role rather than a core one.

BGRO launched in June 2024, so it has no record through the 2008, 2020 or 2022 market slumps. Its only full calendar year, 2025, returned 12.31%. Within that year, though, it fell 24.9% from January 23 to April 8 and got back to its high by June 26, 2025. Its beta was 1.54 for the year to October 27, 2026, which means it tended to move about 1.5 times as much as the broad market. Someone drawing money during a slump could lock in losses.

The fund paid no income in the year to October 27, 2026, so it offers growth potential, not cash flow. Its expense ratio (yearly fee) is 0.55%. In the SEC's standard example ($10,000 invested, 5% yearly return), that costs $56 in year one and $689 over 10 years. Past results don't predict the future, and a retirement plan needs to look at the whole portfolio, not one fund.

Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.