UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 14A
Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Filed by the Registrantx Filed by a Party other than the Registrant¨
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¨ | Preliminary Proxy Statement |
¨ | Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) |
¨ | Definitive Proxy Statement |
x | Definitive Additional Materials |
¨ | Soliciting Material Pursuant to Section 240.14a-12 |
iShares, Inc.
iShares Trust
(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement if other than the Registrant)
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We are writing to inform you that your clients who hold shares in the iShares Funds may be contacted over the next few weeks regarding important shareholder meetings.
Barclays Global Fund Advisors (the “Adviser”), the adviser to the iShares Funds, is being acquired by BlackRock, Inc. Upon the closing of the BlackRock transaction, the current investment advisory agreements between the Adviser and each iShares Fund will automatically terminate. As a result, iShares Funds shareholders, through a shareholder proxy proposal, are being asked to approve a new investment advisory agreement between the Adviser and each iShares Funds. In addition to the advisory agreement proposal, shareholders of the iShares Funds are being asked to elect a Board of Directors/Trustees of the iShares Funds and shareholders of certain iShares Funds are being asked to vote on an additional proposal at two separate shareholder meetings scheduled for November 4, 2009.
Please see the attached Questions and Answers for Shareholders and Proxy Statement for additional detail on the shareholder meetings and proposals.
On September 8, 2009, the iShares Funds began e-mailing and mailing proxy packages to shareholders with important information regarding these proposals. Beginning this week, Broadridge Financial Services (“Broadridge”) and DF King, our proxy solicitation firms, will begin actively soliciting shareholder participation via e-mails, letters, and phone calls. Shareholders encouraged to call Broadridge at 1-866-450-8471 or DF King at 1-800-735-3428 to vote their shares. Agents are available from Monday through Friday, 9:30 am to midnight and Saturday from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm. All times are Eastern.
We appreciate any assistance you may be able to offer your clients and our shareholders. Members of the BGI iShares proxy team and/or DF King are available to meet with you to discuss the proxy proposals in more detail.
Please do not hesitate to call Firouzeh Attwood at (415) 402-4979 or Rebecca Sagalyn at (415) 875-4812 if you have any questions.