BlackRock has launched two ETFs—the iShares Nasdaq 100 Top 30 Ucits ETF and the iShares Nasdaq 100 ex-Top 30 Ucits ETF—giving European investors greater flexibility to customise their US equity exposure through targeted segments of the Nasdaq-100 index.
The launch followed record inflows into US equity ETPs from European investors, who committed $107 billion in 2024, more than double the previous record from 2021, according to BlackRock. Seven of Europe’s ten largest asset-gathering ETFs in 2024 were focused on US equities, highlighting growing demand for more tailored investment strategies, according to the provider.
The iShares Nasdaq 100 Top 30 Ucits ETF provides exposure to the 30 largest companies in the Nasdaq-100 index, including some of the world’s leading technology firms. These top stocks have historically driven market performance, delivering an 8.8% excess return over the Nasdaq-100 index in the past year. This ETF allows investors to focus on “market leaders”, targeting companies that have consistently delivered strong returns.
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For investors looking to diversify beyond mega-cap stocks, BlackRock has launched the iShares Nasdaq 100 ex-Top 30 Ucits ETF, which focuses on the remaining 70 stocks in the index. These companies tend to have a “lower volatility profile, relatively higher value tilt and less mega-cap concentration compared to Nasdaq 100, allowing investors to diversify their broad technology-heavy exposures.”
These funds join the iShares S&P 500 Top 20 Ucits ETF, launched in late 2024, expanding BlackRock’s granular approach to US equities. Given the high concentration of US stocks in global equity indices, these ETFs offer greater flexibility for investors to fine-tune their exposure, shared the provider.
The ability to customise US market cap exposure through ETFs is relevant for “first-time investors, portfolio builders, institutional investors, and financial advisors”, it added.
According to the BlackRock Investment Institute, US equities remain in an overweight position, supported by “resilient economic growth helping companies and sectors beyond the Magnificent 7” and AI-driven innovation.
Manuela Sperandeo, head of Europe & Middle East iShares Product at BlackRock said, “European investors can now use iShares ETFs to access both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq-100 with precision, enabling them to
easily customise their portfolios and capitalise on growth potential whilst maintaining diversification.”
