Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Board of Trustees of iShares Trust and Shareholders of iShares Breakthrough Environmental Solutions ETF, iShares China Large-Cap ETF, iShares Core Aggressive Allocation ETF, iShares Core Conservative Allocation ETF, iShares Core Growth Allocation ETF, iShares Core Moderate Allocation ETF, iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF, iShares Core MSCI Europe ETF, iShares Core MSCI International Developed Markets ETF, iShares Core MSCI Pacific ETF, iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF, iShares Currency Hedged MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF, iShares Currency Hedged MSCI EAFE ETF, iShares Currency Hedged MSCI EAFE Small-Cap ETF, iShares Cybersecurity and Tech ETF, iShares ESG Aware Aggressive Allocation ETF, iShares ESG Aware Conservative Allocation ETF, iShares ESG Aware Growth Allocation ETF, iShares ESG Aware Moderate Allocation ETF, iShares ESG MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF, iShares Exponential Technologies ETF, iShares Future Cloud 5G and Tech ETF, iShares Genomics Immunology and Healthcare ETF, iShares Global Equity Factor ETF, iShares International Equity Factor ETF, iShares International Small-Cap Equity Factor ETF, iShares Morningstar Multi-Asset Income ETF, iShares MSCI ACWI ETF, iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF, iShares MSCI ACWI Low Carbon Target ETF, iShares MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan ETF, iShares MSCI China A ETF, iShares MSCI EAFE ETF, iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF, iShares MSCI EAFE Min Vol Factor ETF, iShares MSCI EAFE Small-Cap ETF, iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF, iShares MSCI Europe Financials ETF, iShares MSCI Europe Small-Cap ETF, iShares MSCI Intl Momentum Factor ETF, iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF, iShares MSCI Intl Size Factor ETF, iShares MSCI Intl Value Factor ETF, iShares MSCI Kokusai ETF, iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF, iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF, iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF, iShares MSCI USA Size Factor ETF, iShares MSCI USA Small-Cap Min Vol Factor ETF, iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF, iShares Neuroscience and Healthcare ETF, iShares Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Multisector ETF, iShares Self-Driving EV and Tech ETF, iShares U.S. Equity Factor ETF, iShares U.S. Small-Cap Equity Factor ETF, iShares U.S. Tech Breakthrough Multisector ETF and iShares Virtual Work and Life Multisector ETF
In planning and performing our audits of the financial statements of the funds listed in Appendix A (hereafter referred to as the “Funds”) as of and for the periods ended July 31, 2023 (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”), in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), we considered the Funds’ internal control over financial reporting, including controls over safeguarding securities, as a basis for designing our auditing procedures for the purpose of expressing our opinion on the financial statements and to comply with the requirements of Form N-CEN, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Funds’ internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we do not express an opinion on the effectiveness of the Funds’ internal control over financial reporting.
The management of the Funds is responsible for establishing and maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting. In fulfilling this responsibility, estimates and judgments by management are required to assess the expected benefits and related costs of controls. A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of a company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
A deficiency in internal control over financial reporting exists when the design or operation of a control does not allow management or employees, in the normal course of performing their assigned functions, to prevent or detect misstatements on a timely basis. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
Our consideration of the Funds’ internal control over financial reporting was for the limited purpose described in the first paragraph and would not necessarily disclose all deficiencies in internal control over financial reporting that might be material weaknesses under standards established by the PCAOB. However, we noted no deficiencies in the Funds’ internal control over financial reporting and its operation, including controls over safeguarding securities, that we consider to be material weaknesses as defined above as of July 31, 2023.
This report is intended solely for the information and use of the Board of Trustees of iShares Trust and the Securities and Exchange Commission and is not intended to be and should not be used by anyone other than these specified parties.
/s/PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
September 22, 2023
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Appendix A
iShares Trust
iShares Breakthrough Environmental Solutions ETF
iShares China Large-Cap ETF
iShares Core Aggressive Allocation ETF
iShares Core Conservative Allocation ETF
iShares Core Growth Allocation ETF
iShares Core Moderate Allocation ETF
iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF
iShares Core MSCI Europe ETF
iShares Core MSCI International Developed Markets ETF
iShares Core MSCI Pacific ETF
iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF*
iShares Currency Hedged MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF
iShares Currency Hedged MSCI EAFE ETF
iShares Currency Hedged MSCI EAFE Small-Cap ETF
iShares Cybersecurity and Tech ETF
iShares ESG Aware Aggressive Allocation ETF
iShares ESG Aware Conservative Allocation ETF
iShares ESG Aware Growth Allocation ETF
iShares ESG Aware Moderate Allocation ETF
iShares ESG MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF
iShares Exponential Technologies ETF
iShares Future Cloud 5G and Tech ETF
iShares Genomics Immunology and Healthcare ETF
iShares Global Equity Factor ETF
iShares International Equity Factor ETF
iShares International Small-Cap Equity Factor ETF
iShares Morningstar Multi-Asset Income ETF
iShares MSCI ACWI ETF
iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF
iShares MSCI ACWI Low Carbon Target ETF
iShares MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan ETF
iShares MSCI China A ETF
iShares MSCI EAFE ETF
iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF
iShares MSCI EAFE Min Vol Factor ETF
iShares MSCI EAFE Small-Cap ETF
iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF
iShares MSCI Europe Financials ETF
iShares MSCI Europe Small-Cap ETF
iShares MSCI Intl Momentum Factor ETF
iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF
iShares MSCI Intl Size Factor ETF
iShares MSCI Intl Value Factor ETF
iShares MSCI Kokusai ETF
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iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF
iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF
iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF
iShares MSCI USA Size Factor ETF
iShares MSCI USA Small-Cap Min Vol Factor ETF
iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF
iShares Neuroscience and Healthcare ETF
iShares Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Multisector ETF
iShares Self-Driving EV and Tech ETF
iShares U.S. Equity Factor ETF
iShares U.S. Small-Cap Equity Factor ETF
iShares U.S. Tech Breakthrough Multisector ETF
iShares Virtual Work and Life Multisector ETF
*Statement of assets and liabilities, including the schedule of investments, and the related consolidated statements of operations and of changes in net assets and the consolidated financial highlights.
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