iShares Brings Financial Advisors and Industry Leaders Together for “The Way Forward” Conference on November 8th

BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE: BLK) announced today that its iShares Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) business, the world’s largest manager of ETFs1, will host its first virtual conference on Thursday, November 8, bringing approximately 1,000 financial advisors together with leading industry experts in a highly interactive environment. “The Way Forward” will include 14 conference sessions, an exhibitor hall, networking lounge and resource center – all in an online format.

“The old ways of investing are not working for many end investors and advisors today are challenged to help their clients navigate a world that is more volatile, more uncertain and more complex,” said Martin Beaulieu, Managing Director, Head of US iShares Wealth Advisory at BlackRock. “At ‘The Way Forward’ conference we’re bringing together some of the industry’s leading experts to provide advisors with the intellectual content and practical solutions that these times require.”

Featured sessions at The Way Forward conference include:

• Where Do We Go from Here?: Larry Fink, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, BlackRock and Mark Wiedman, Global Head of iShares Business, BlackRock
• Combining Active and Index Funds: The Best of Both Worlds: Russ Koesterich, Global Chief Investment Strategist for iShares, BlackRock and Michael Fredericks, Head of US Retail Asset Allocation - Multi-Asset Client Solutions Group, BlackRock
• Long Live the Fixed Income Revolution: Matthew Tucker, Head of iShares Fixed Income Strategy, BlackRock and Howard Present, Co-Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer, F-Squared Investments
• The ETF Landscape: Today and Tomorrow: Dodd Kittsley, Global Head of ETP Research, BlackRock and Scott Burns, Director of Fund Research, North America, Morningstar, Inc.
• Managing for Outcomes with Model Portfolios: Russ Koesterich, Global Chief Investment Strategist for iShares, BlackRock and David Kurapka, iShares Global Investment Strategy, BlackRock
• Strengthening Your Core: Martin Beaulieu, Head of US Wealth Advisory for iShares, BlackRock and Del Stafford, Global Head of iShares Product and Investment Consulting, BlackRock

Conference partners include Dorsey Wright & Associates, IndexUniverse, Morningstar, MSCI, Astor Asset Management, CLS Investments, F-Squared Investments, GLOBALT Investments, Good Harbor Financial and Horizon Investments.

For more information about the conference and to register for The Way Forward please go to: http://engage.vevent.com/rt/ishares~2012

About BlackRock

BlackRock is a leader in investment management, risk management and advisory services for institutional and retail clients worldwide. At September 30, 2012, BlackRock’s AUM was $3.673 trillion. BlackRock offers products that span the risk spectrum to meet clients’ needs, including active, enhanced and index strategies across markets and asset classes. Products are offered in a variety of structures including 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®. Headquartered in New York City, as of September 30, 2012, the firm has approximately 10,400 employees in 29 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.

About iShares

iShares is the global product leader in exchange traded funds with over 600 funds globally across equities, fixed income and commodities, which trade on 20 exchanges worldwide. The iShares Funds are bought and sold like common stocks on securities exchanges. The iShares Funds are attractive to many individual and institutional investors and financial intermediaries because of their relative low cost, tax efficiency and trading flexibility. Investors can purchase and sell shares through any brokerage firm, financial advisor, or online broker, and hold the funds in any type of brokerage account. The iShares customer base consists of the institutional segment of pension plans and fund managers, as well as the retail segment of financial advisors and high net worth individuals.

Carefully consider the iShares Funds’ investment objectives, risk factors, and charges and expenses before investing. This and other information can be found in the Funds’ prospectuses, which may be obtained by calling 1-800-iShares (1-800-474-2737) or by visiting www.iShares.com. Read the prospectus carefully before investing.

Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal.

The iShares Funds are distributed by BlackRock Investments, LLC (together with its affiliates, “BlackRock”). BlackRock is not affiliated with Dorsey Wright & Associates, IndexUniverse, Morningstar, MSCI, Astor Asset Management, CLS Investments, F-Squared Investments, GLOBALT Investments, Good Harbor Financial or Horizon Investments.

Transactions in shares of the iShares Funds will result in brokerage commissions and will generate tax consequences. iShares Funds are obliged to distribute portfolio gains to shareholders. Shares of the iShares Funds may be sold throughout the day on the exchange through any brokerage account. However, shares may only be redeemed directly from a Fund by Authorized Participants, in very large creation/redemption units.

1 BlackRock ETP Landscape Report – October 2012