Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Board of Trustees of iShares Trust and Shareholders of iShares Asia 50 ETF, iShares Biotechnology ETF, iShares Blockchain and Tech ETF, iShares Copper and Metals Mining ETF, iShares Core S&P 500 ETF, iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF, iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF, iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF, iShares Core S&P U.S. Growth ETF, iShares Core S&P U.S. Value ETF, iShares Emerging Markets Infrastructure ETF, iShares Environmental Infrastructure and Industrials ETF, iShares ESG Screened S&P 500 ETF, iShares ESG Screened S&P Mid-Cap ETF, iShares ESG Screened S&P Small-Cap ETF, iShares Europe ETF, iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF, iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF, iShares Factors US Growth Style ETF, iShares Focused Value Factor ETF, iShares Future Metaverse Tech and Communications ETF, iShares Global 100 ETF, iShares Global Comm Services ETF, iShares Global Consumer Discretionary ETF, iShares Global Consumer Staples ETF, iShares Global Energy ETF, iShares Global Financials ETF, iShares Global Healthcare ETF, iShares Global Industrials ETF, iShares Global Infrastructure ETF, iShares Global Materials ETF, iShares Global Tech ETF, iShares Global Timber & Forestry ETF, iShares Global Utilities ETF, iShares India 50 ETF, iShares International Developed Property ETF, iShares International Developed Small Cap Value Factor ETF, iShares International Dividend Growth ETF, iShares JPX-Nikkei 400 ETF, iShares Latin America 40 ETF, iShares Lithium Miners and Producers ETF, iShares Micro-Cap ETF, iShares Mortgage Real Estate ETF, iShares North American Natural Resources ETF, iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF, iShares Residential and Multisector Real Estate ETF, iShares Russell 1000 ETF, iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF, iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF, iShares Russell 2000 ETF, iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF, iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF, iShares Russell 2500 ETF, iShares Russell 3000 ETF, iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF, iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF, iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF, iShares Russell Top 200 ETF, iShares Russell Top 200 Growth ETF, iShares Russell Top 200 Value ETF, iShares S&P 100 ETF, iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF, iShares S&P 500 Value ETF, iShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth ETF, iShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Value ETF, iShares S&P Small-Cap 600 Growth ETF, iShares S&P Small-Cap 600 Value ETF, iShares Semiconductor ETF, iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF, iShares U.S. Broker-Dealers & Securities Exchanges ETF, iShares U.S. Digital Infrastructure and Real Estate ETF, iShares U.S. Healthcare Providers ETF, iShares U.S. Home Construction ETF, iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF, iShares U.S. Insurance ETF, iShares U.S. Medical Devices ETF, iShares U.S. Oil & Gas Exploration & Production ETF, iShares U.S. Oil Equipment & Services ETF, iShares U.S. Pharmaceuticals ETF, iShares U.S. Real Estate ETF, iShares U.S. Regional Banks ETF, iShares U.S. Telecommunications ETF and iShares US Small Cap Value Factor ETF
In planning and performing our audits of the financial statements of the funds listed in Appendix A, (hereafter collectively referred to as the “Funds”) as of and for the periods ended March 31, 2024, 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 March 31, 2024.
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
May 23, 2024
Appendix A
iShares Trust
iShares Asia 50 ETF
iShares Biotechnology ETF
iShares Blockchain and Tech ETF
iShares Copper and Metals Mining ETF
iShares Core S&P 500 ETF
iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF
iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF
iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF
iShares Core S&P U.S. Growth ETF
iShares Core S&P U.S. Value ETF
iShares Emerging Markets Infrastructure ETF
iShares Environmental Infrastructure and Industrials ETF
iShares ESG Screened S&P 500 ETF
iShares ESG Screened S&P Mid-Cap ETF
iShares ESG Screened S&P Small-Cap ETF
iShares Europe ETF
iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF
iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF
iShares Factors US Growth Style ETF
iShares Focused Value Factor ETF
iShares Future Metaverse Tech and Communications ETF
iShares Global 100 ETF
iShares Global Comm Services ETF
iShares Global Consumer Discretionary ETF
iShares Global Consumer Staples ETF
iShares Global Energy ETF
iShares Global Financials ETF
iShares Global Healthcare ETF
iShares Global Industrials ETF
iShares Global Infrastructure ETF
iShares Global Materials ETF
iShares Global Tech ETF
iShares Global Timber & Forestry ETF
iShares Global Utilities ETF
iShares India 50 ETF
iShares International Developed Property ETF
iShares International Developed Small Cap Value Factor ETF
iShares International Dividend Growth ETF
iShares JPX-Nikkei 400 ETF
iShares Latin America 40 ETF
iShares Lithium Miners and Producers ETF
iShares Micro-Cap ETF
iShares Mortgage Real Estate ETF
iShares North American Natural Resources ETF
iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF
iShares Residential and Multisector Real Estate ETF
iShares Russell 1000 ETF
iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF
iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF
iShares Russell 2000 ETF
iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF
iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF
iShares Russell 2500 ETF
iShares Russell 3000 ETF
iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF
iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF
iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF
iShares Russell Top 200 ETF
iShares Russell Top 200 Growth ETF
iShares Russell Top 200 Value ETF
iShares S&P 100 ETF
iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF
iShares S&P 500 Value ETF
iShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth ETF
iShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Value ETF
iShares S&P Small-Cap 600 Growth ETF
iShares S&P Small-Cap 600 Value ETF
iShares Semiconductor ETF
iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF
iShares U.S. Broker-Dealers & Securities Exchanges ETF
iShares U.S. Digital Infrastructure and Real Estate ETF
iShares U.S. Healthcare Providers ETF
iShares U.S. Home Construction ETF
iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF
iShares U.S. Insurance ETF
iShares U.S. Medical Devices ETF
iShares U.S. Oil & Gas Exploration & Production ETF
iShares U.S. Oil Equipment & Services ETF
iShares U.S. Pharmaceuticals ETF
iShares U.S. Real Estate ETF
iShares U.S. Regional Banks ETF
iShares U.S. Telecommunications ETF
iShares US Small Cap Value Factor ETF