While the group is usually associated with its UK and commodities funds, its global equity range has generated the best returns in recent years.
Europe is a particular strength; according to FE data, three of the five best performing Europe ex UK funds are under the management of BlackRock. Two of these – BlackRock European Dynamic and Continental European – are top-decile performers over three- and 10-year periods as well.
Performance of top-quartile BlackRock funds versus indices
| Name | 1 yr (%) | 3 yrs (%) | 5 yrs (%) | 10 yrs (%) |
| BlackRock European Dynamic | -4.8 | 94.9 | 42.2 | 163.2 |
| IMA Europe ex UK | -6.6 | 47.0 | -2.2 | 72.6 |
| BlackRock US Opportunities | -5.5 | 69.3 | 33.9 | 69.0 |
| IMA North America | 3.4 | 62.3 | 21.8 | 22.5 |
Source: FE Analytics
FE Alpha Manager Alister Hibbert’s BlackRock European Dynamic fund is the stand out performer overall, topping the sector over three-, five- and 10-year periods.
The £889m portfolio has returned 163.23 per cent in the last decade – more than twice as much as the average Europe ex UK fund, and 80.22 per cent more than its FTSE World Europe ex UK benchmark.
Performance of fund versus sector and benchmark over 10-yrs
Source: FE Analytics
North America is also an area of strength for the group, with BlackRock US Opportunities topping the sector over a ten year period with returns of 69 per cent. The £97.6m fund, which has been headed up by Tom Callan and Jean Rosenbaum since July 2008, is a top quartile performer over three- and five-year periods as well, delivering 69.31 and 33.89 per cent respectively.
BlackRock Global Equity is the group’s highest profile fund in the IMA Global sector. The fund has returned 25.15 per cent over five years, significantly outperforming its MSCI AC World benchmark by around 14 per cent. However, it has underperformed in the last three years, falling far more steeply during last summer’s market crash.
The group’s sole Japan-focused fund – a tracker – has also fared well compared with its peer group.
According to FE data, BlackRock CIF Japan Equity Tracker has matched its FTSE Japan benchmark better than the other passive funds in the IMA Japan sector, underperforming it by only 2 per cent over three- and five-year periods.
The £434m vehicle has a total expense ratio (TER) of 0.22 per cent.