iShares Global Financials ETF

iShares Global Financials ETF (IXG) is a BlackRock index fund that tracks the S&P Global 1200 Financials (Sector) Capped Index: large banks, insurers, payment networks and other financial companies from the U.S., Canada, Japan, Europe and elsewhere. Unlike U.S.-focused funds such as IYF, about half its assets sat outside the U.S. as of June 30, 2026. That global reach costs more: 0.38% a year, against 0.08% for XLF and 0.09% for VFH.

• Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, IXG returned +14.3%, 2nd of 9 among similar funds.
• Its 5-year annualized return was +12.4% and its 10-year +12.2%.
• In the 2020 COVID crash it fell 41.2% and regained its old high 9.5 months after the low.
• Its worst full calendar year was 2008 (-54.1%); its best was 2009 (+31.8%).
• The deepest fall in its price history was 78.4% (Jun 4, 2007 to Mar 9, 2009), recovered by Jan 4, 2018.

As of Jun 30, 2026, the fund held 237 securities; the ten largest made up 30.47% of assets.

By sector

• Over the three months to Jun 30, 2026, investors added a net $19.1M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
• Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +6.62%, +0.27%, +3.66%.

IXG follows an index built by S&P Dow Jones Indices. The index provider takes the S&P Global 1200, which covers large-company stocks in major world markets, and keeps the companies it considers part of the financials sector. A cap limits how much the biggest companies can count for. Companies that each make up more than 5% of the index can't add up to more than 25% together. At each quarterly rebalance, the index trims companies above 4.5% so that together they hold no more than 22.5%. It also rebalances between reviews if the 25% limit is broken. As of June 30, 2026, only Berkshire Hathaway (6.1%) and JPMorgan Chase (5.9%) were above 5%.

BlackRock uses "representative sampling." That means the fund buys a selection of stocks chosen to behave like the index, so it may not own every stock in it. The fund held 237 issuers as of June 30, 2026, and must keep at least 80% of its assets in index stocks. It may also use futures, which are contracts that track a market, and as of June 30, 2026 it held tiny positions in Euro Stoxx 50 and FTSE 100 futures. It can lend up to one-third of its assets to other investors. Turnover was a low 6%. Because many holdings trade in foreign currencies, changes in exchange rates against the dollar also move the fund's value. The fund never shifts to a defensive position when markets fall.

• IXG charges 0.38% a year, versus an average of 0.25% for the similar funds below (5th of 9, cheapest first).
• Of that, 0.37% is the management fee; the rest covers other fund expenses.
• Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $39 in the first year and $480 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).

It is a single-sector stock fund that lost more than three-quarters of its value in the financial crisis, so it usually sits beside a broader core rather than replacing one.

IXG adds banks, insurers and payment networks from around the world, with about half its assets outside the U.S. Its downside history matters most. It fell 78.1% from October 9, 2007, to March 9, 2009, and did not get back to its old high until January 2018, about 106 months later. In 2008 alone it lost 54.1%. It fell 41.2% in the 2020 COVID crash but recovered in about 9.5 months. It dropped 27.2% in 2022 and took about 16 months to recover. Anyone who had to sell shares or draw income during those stretches would have locked in losses. The fund yielded 2.2% as of October 27, 2026, and pays twice a year. In the SEC's standard example, $10,000 invested costs $39 in fees over one year and $480 over 10 years. Past results don't predict the future, and a plan should look at the whole portfolio, not one fund.

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