497K 1 d497k.htm FORM 497K Form 497K

2010 SUMMARY PROSPECTUS TO SHAREHOLDERS

iSHARES® PHLX SOX SEMICONDUCTOR SECTOR INDEX FUND

December 1, 2010

Before you invest, you may want to review the Fund’s prospectus, which contains more information about the Fund and its risks. You can find the Fund’s prospectus (including amendments and supplements) and other information about the Fund, including the Fund’s statement of additional information and shareholder report, online at http://us.ishares.com/prospectus. You can also get this information at no cost by calling 1-800-iShares (1-800-474-2737) or by sending an e-mail request to iSharesETFs@blackrock.com, or from your financial professional. The Fund’s prospectus and statement of additional information, both dated December 1, 2010, as amended and supplemented from time to time, are incorporated by reference into (legally made a part of) this Summary Prospectus.

SOXX  |  NASDAQ

The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

iSHARES® PHLX SOX SEMICONDUCTOR SECTOR INDEX FUND

Ticker: SOXX Stock Exchange: NASDAQ

Investment Objective

The iShares PHLX SOX Semiconductor Sector Index Fund (the “Fund”) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the PHLX Semiconductor Sector Index (the “Underlying Index”).

Fees and Expenses

The following table describes the fees and expenses that you will incur if you own shares of the Fund. The investment advisory agreement between iShares Trust (the “Trust”) and BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BFA”) (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”) provides that BFA will pay all operating expenses of the Fund, except interest expenses, taxes, brokerage expenses, future distribution fees or expenses, and extraordinary expenses.

You will also incur usual and customary brokerage commissions when buying or selling shares of the Fund, which are not reflected in the example that follows:

Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(ongoing expenses that you pay each year as a
percentage of the value of your investments)
Management
Fees
Distribution and
Service (12b-1)
Fees
 Other
Expenses
 Total Annual
Fund
Operating
Expenses
0.48% None None    0.48%      

Example. This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of owning shares of the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:

1 Year
 3 Years
 5 Years
 10 Years
$49 $154 $269 $604



S-1

Portfolio Turnover. The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 9% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies

The Underlying Index measures the performance of U.S.-traded securities of companies engaged in the semiconductor business. The Underlying Index includes companies engaged in the design, distribution, manufacture and sales of semiconductors.

BFA 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.

Indexing may eliminate the chance that the Fund will substantially outperform the 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.

BFA 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 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.

The Fund generally invests at least 90% of its assets in securities of the Underlying Index and in depositary receipts representing securities of the Underlying Index. The Fund may invest the remainder of its assets in securities not included in the Underlying Index, but which BFA believes will help the Fund track the Underlying Index, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, options and swaps as well as cash and cash equivalents, including shares of money market funds advised by BFA or its affiliates.

The Underlying Index is sponsored by an organization (the “Index Provider”) that is independent of the Fund and BFA. 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 The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. (“NASDAQ OMX”).

Industry Concentration Policy. The Fund will concentrate its investments

S-2   

(i.e., hold 25% or more of its total assets) in a particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent that the Underlying Index is concentrated. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including its agencies and instrumentalities) and repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government securities are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.

Summary of Principal Risks

As with any investment, you could lose all or part of your investment in the Fund, and the Fund’s performance could trail that of other investments. The Fund is subject to the principal risks noted below, any of which may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and ability to meet its investment objective.

Asset Class Risk. Securities in the Underlying Index or in the Fund’s portfolio may underperform in comparison to the general securities markets or other asset classes.

Concentration Risk. To the extent that the Fund’s investments are concentrated in a particular country, market, industry or asset class, the Fund may be susceptible to loss due to adverse occurrences affecting that country, market, industry or asset class.

Equity Securities Risk. Equity securities are subject to changes in value and their values may be more volatile than other asset classes.

Issuer Risk. Fund performance depends on the performance of individual securities in which the Fund invests. Changes to the financial condition or credit rating of an issuer of those securities may cause the value of the securities to decline.

Management Risk. As the Fund does not fully replicate the Underlying Index, it is subject to the risk that BFA’s investment management strategy may not produce the intended results.

Market Risk. The Fund could lose money over short periods due to short-term market movements and over longer periods during market downturns.

Market Trading Risks. The Fund faces numerous market trading risks, including the potential lack of an active market for Fund shares, losses from trading in secondary markets, and disruption in the creation/redemption process of the Fund. ANY OF THESE FACTORS MAY LEAD TO THE FUND’S SHARES TRADING AT A PREMIUM OR DISCOUNT TO NAV.

Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund may invest a large percentage of its assets in securities issued by or representing a small number of issuers. As a result, the Fund’s performance may depend on the performance of a small number of issuers.

Non-U.S. Securities Risks. Investments in the securities of non-U.S. issuers are subject to the risks associated with investing in those non-U.S. markets, such as heightened risks of inflation or nationalization. The Fund may lose money due to political, economic and geographic events affecting a non-U.S. issuer or market.

Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is not actively managed and BFA does not attempt to take defensive positions in declining markets.

Securities Lending Risk. The Fund may engage in securities lending. Securities

S-3   

lending involves the risk that the Fund may lose money because the borrower fails to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. The Fund could also lose money in the event of a decline in the value of the collateral provided for loaned securities or of investments made with cash collateral. These events could also trigger adverse tax consequences for the Fund.

Technology Sector Risk. Technology companies may have limited product lines, markets, financial resources or personnel. Technology companies typically face intense competition and potentially rapid product obsolescence. They are also heavily dependent on intellectual property rights, and may be adversely affected by loss or impairment of those rights.

Tracking Error Risk. The performance of the Fund may diverge from that of the Underlying Index.

Performance Information

The bar chart and table that follow show how the Fund has performed on a calendar year basis and provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. Both assume that all dividends and distributions have been reinvested in the Fund. On October 15, 2010, the name of the Fund changed from the iShares S&P North American Technology-Semiconductors Index Fund to the iShares PHLX SOX Semiconductor Sector Index Fund to reflect a change in the Fund’s Index Provider from Standard & Poors Financial Services LLC to NASDAQ OMX and a change in the Fund’s Underlying Index from S&P North American Technology-Semiconductors Index to PHLX Semiconductor Sector Index. The performance of both the former Underlying Index and the current Underlying Index are shown. Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. Supplemental information about the Fund’s performance is shown under the heading Total Return Information in the Supplemental Information section of the Fund’s prospectus (the “Prospectus”).

Year by Year Returns1 (Years Ended December 31)

1 The Fund’s total return for the nine months ended September 30, 2010 was -3.37%.

The best calendar quarter return during the periods shown above was 25.25% in the 2nd quarter of 2003; the worst was -38.49% in the 3rd quarter of 2002.

Updated performance information is available at www.iShares.com or by calling 1-800-iShares (1-800-474-2737) (toll free).



S-4   

Average Annual Total Returns
(for the periods ended December 31, 2009)

One Year
Five Years
Since Fund
Inception
(Inception Date: 7/10/2001)         
Return Before Taxes 74.64% -1.25% -3.03%
Return After Taxes on Distributions1 74.43% -1.33% -3.08%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares1 48.74% -1.07% -2.54%
PHLX Semiconductor Sector IndexTM (Index returns do not reflect deductions for fees, expenses, or taxes) 72.60% -2.60% -4.03%
S&P North American Technology-Semiconductors IndexTM(Index returns do not reflect deductions for fees, expenses, or taxes) 75.59% -0.88% -2.65%
1 After-tax returns in the table above are calculated using the historical highest individual U.S. federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state or local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to tax-exempt investors or investors who hold shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts (“IRAs”). Fund returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares are calculated assuming that an investor has sufficient capital gains of the same character from other investments to offset any capital losses from the sale of Fund shares. As a result, Fund returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares may exceed Fund returns before taxes and/or returns after taxes on distributions.

Management

Investment Adviser. BlackRock Fund Advisors.

Portfolio Managers. Rene Casis, Diane Hsiung and Greg Savage (the “Portfolio Managers”) are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. Each Portfolio Manager supervises a portfolio management team. Mr. Casis, Ms. Hsiung and Mr. Savage have been Portfolio Managers of the Fund since 2010, 2008 and 2008, respectively.

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

The Fund is an exchange-traded fund (commonly referred to as an “ETF”). Individual Fund shares may only be purchased and sold on a national securities exchange through a broker-dealer. The price of Fund shares is based on market price, and because ETF shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (a premium) or less than NAV (a discount). The Fund will only issue or redeem shares that have been aggregated into blocks of 50,000 shares or multiples thereof (“Creation Units”) to authorized participants who have entered into agreements with the Fund’s distributor. The Fund will issue or redeem Creation Units in return for a basket of assets that the Fund specifies each day.

Tax Information

The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement such as a 401(k) plan or an IRA.

S-5   

Payments to Broker-dealers and other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), BFA or other related companies may pay the intermediary for marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.



S-6   

For more information:

WWW.iSHARES.COM

1-800-iShares (1-800-474-2737)

Investment Company Act File No.: 811-09729

IS-SP-SOXX-1210