Securities and Exchange Commission
- [Investment Company Act Release No. 34000; File No. 812-15133]
AGENCY:
Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission”).
ACTION:
Notice.
Notice of an application for an order under section 6(c) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“Act”) for an exemption from sections 2(a)(32), 5(a)(1), and 22(d) of the Act and rule 22c-1 under the Act, under sections 6(c) and 17(b) of the Act for an exemption from sections 17(a)(1) and 17(a)(2) of the Act, and under section 12(d)(1)(J) of the Act for an exemption from sections 12(d)(1)(A) and 12(d)(1)(B) of the Act.
Applicants:
BlackRock ETF Trust III (the “Trust”), BlackRock Fund Advisors (the “Adviser”) and BlackRock Investments, LLC (the “Distributor”).
Summary of Application:
Applicants request an order (“Order”) that permits: (a) ActiveShares ETFs (as described in the Reference Order (as defined below)) to issue shares (“Shares”) redeemable in large aggregations only (“creation units”); (b) secondary market transactions in Shares to occur at negotiated market prices rather than at net asset value; (c) certain affiliated persons of an ActiveShares ETF to deposit securities into, and receive securities from, the ActiveShares ETF in connection with the purchase and redemption of creation units; and (d) certain registered management investment companies and unit investment trusts outside of the same group of investment companies as the ActiveShares ETFs to acquire Shares of the ActiveShares ETFs. The Order would incorporate by reference terms and conditions of a previous order granting the same relief sought by applicants, as that order may be ( printed page 55340) amended from time to time (“Reference Order”).[1]
Filing Date:
The application was filed on June 3, 2020.
Hearing or Notification of Hearing:
An order granting the requested relief will be issued unless the Commission orders a hearing. Interested persons may request a hearing by emailing the Commission's Secretary at Secretarys-Office@sec.gov and serving applicants with a copy of the request, personally or by mail. Hearing requests should be received by the Commission by 5:30 p.m. on September 25, 2020, and should be accompanied by proof of service on applicants, in the form of an affidavit or, for lawyers, a certificate of service. Pursuant to rule 0-5 under the Act, hearing requests should state the nature of the writer's interest, any facts bearing upon the desirability of a hearing on the matter, the reason for the request, and the issues contested. Persons who wish to be notified of a hearing may request notification by emailing the Commission's Secretary at Secretarys-Office@sec.gov.
ADDRESSES:
The Commission: Secretarys-Office@sec.gov. Applicants: BlackRock ETF Trust III, BlackRock Fund Advisors and BlackRock Investments, LLC: c/o Benjamin J. Haskin, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, bhaskin@willkie.com.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Adam Bolter, Senior Counsel, at (202) 551-6011 or David Nicolardi, Branch Chief, at (202) 551-6825 (Division of Investment Management, Chief Counsel's Office).