ETF Evaluator:
iShares Flexible Equity Active ETF ()
Follow This ETF
(as of Aug 26)
Best Performing in Long-Short Equity Over the Last Year
| 42.4% | Convergence Long/Short Equity ETF (CLSE) |
| 29.1% | Militia Long/Short Equity ETF (ORR) |
| 28.5% | Unlimited HFEQ Equity Long/Short ETF (HFEQ) |
| 25.5% | Harbor Long-Short Equity ETF (LSEQ) |
| 16.2% | Efficient Market Portfolio Plus ETF (EMPB) |
Risk
Index
Risk
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ETF Details
iShares Flexible Equity Active ETF Overview
iShares Flexible Equity Active ETF (BFLX) is an actively managed Nontraditional Equity Long-Short Equity exchange-traded fund (ETF). BlackRock Asset Management Ireland - ETF launched the ETF in 2026.
The investment seeks to provide total return.
Under normal circumstances, the fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities and derivatives that provide investment exposure to such securities or to one or more market risk factors associated with such securities. It’s 80% policy, equity securities include common stock, preferred stock, depository receipts, and securities or other instruments whose price is linked to the value of common stock. The fund is non-diversified.
About iShares Flexible Equity Active ETF (BFLX)
There are 3 members of the management team with an average tenure of 0.20 years: Rick Rieder (2026), Russ Koesterich (2026) and Randy Berkowitz (2026). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
iShares Flexible Equity Active ETF has 689 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 30.7% of the ETF’s assets. The ETF meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a nondiversified fund. The ETF is not considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
iShares Flexible Equity Active ETF is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the Nontraditional Equity ETF group. iShares Flexible Equity Active ETF has 23.6% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 74.8% There is 23.6% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.0% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 0.0% (0.0% domestic bond, 0.0% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). iShares Flexible Equity Active ETF has 1.7% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $1 billion in total assets, which is above the $320 million average for the Long-Short Equity category. Normally, lower assets under management translates to higher average expense ratios, and greater total assets are desired. However, for some investment categories, such as small-cap investing, it may be difficult for the manager to fully employ the desired active strategy if assets grow too large or too quickly.
BFLX Performance and Fees
The expense ratio measures how much of a fund’s assets are used for administrative expenses and operating expenses, including adviser fees and fees for the transfer agent and custodial services. The iShares Flexible Equity Active ETF expense ratio is average compared to funds in the Long-Short Equity category. iShares Flexible Equity Active ETF has an expense ratio of 0.40%, which is 78% lower than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a A. While it is difficult to predict returns, it is known that high annual expense ratios reduce your rate of return, and excessive fees are difficult to overcome. Active management normally comes with higher expense ratios than passive index management. Certain investment categories such as small company and foreign also normally have higher expense ratios. It is best to compare fund expense ratios against the category averages for meaningful assessments.
High portfolio turnover can translate to higher expenses and lower aftertax returns. iShares Flexible Equity Active ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 0%, which indicates that it holds its assets around /years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 157% for the Long-Short Equity category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, iShares Flexible Equity Active ETF returned -0.5%, which earned it a grade of C, as the Long-Short Equity category had an average return of -0.0%. The letter grades of A, B, C, D and F are based upon relative rankings within the investment category. A grade of A, for example, would indicate that the return is in the highest 20% for that time period compared to all ETFs in that category.
iShares Flexible Equity Active ETF has a trailing yield of 0.00%, which is below the 1.17% category average.
The fund normally distributes its income annually and its capital gains annually.
It’s natural to seek the best-performing investments, but you must consider the relationship between risk and return and the impact of costs and taxes on your realized returns.
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BFLX Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 7/31/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| BFLX Return (NAV) | -0.5% | na | na | na | na | na |
| BFLX Return (Price) | -0.4% | na | na | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Return | -0.096% | na | na | na | na | na |
| Long-Short Equity Avg | -0.0% | 3.1% | 14.5% | 14.1% | 7.8% | 12.2% |
| BFLX Grade (NAV) | C | na | na | na | na | na |
| +/- Category (NAV) | -0.5% | na | na | na | na | na |
| BFLX Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | na | na | na | na |
BFLX Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| BFLX Return (NAV) | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| BFLX Return (Price) | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| Long-Short Equity Avg | 8.3% | 8.4% | 17.1% | 13.7% | -9.2% | 8.7% | 28.9% | 15.9% | 0.1% | 15.9% | 9.6% |
| BFLX Grade (NAV) | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| +/- Category | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | na |
| R-Squared: | na |
| Standard Deviation: | na |
| Category Risk Index: | na |
| Category Risk Rating: | |
| Total Risk Index: | na |
| Total Risk Rating: | |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | -- |
| Total Assets: | $ 1,607 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 1,607 Mil |
| Turnover: | na |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.40% |
| Index Fund: | No |
| Index Tracked: | N/A |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | No |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 3 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 0.2 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 0.2 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Rieder Rick (2026), Koesterich Russ (2026), Berkowitz Randy (2026) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 7/31/26)
| # of Holdings: | 689 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 30.7% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | Yes |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 23.6% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 74.8% |
| Foreign Stock: | 23.6% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 1.7% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | BlackRock Asset Management Ireland - ETF |
| Phone Number: | 800-474-2737 |
| Website: | www.blackrock.com |
| Inception Date: | May 19, 2026 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.40% (Rating: Avg) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 1.83% |