iShares Trust
A family of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) managed by BlackRock, one of the world's largest asset managers. iShares Trust packages baskets of stocks, bonds and other assets into funds that trade on exchanges like individual shares, so everyday investors can buy a slice of a whole market or sector. The brand grew out of "WEBS" funds launched with Barclays in 1996 and took the iShares name in 2000, before BlackRock bought the business in 2009. The "i" in iShares nods to the early-2000s dot-com era, echoing the iMac.
Exchange-Traded Fund