iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Value ETF (NYSEArca: JKL) is an exchange-traded fund that seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of small-capitalization U.S. equities exhibiting value characteristics, specifically the Morningstar US Small Cap Broad Value Extended Index; the fund generally invests at least 90% of its assets in securities of the underlying index and depositary receipts representing such securities; it provides exposure to small-cap value stocks selected from 90-99.5% of the U.S. market capitalization that demonstrate above-average value traits, such as forward earnings and book value metrics, as determined by Morningstar's proprietary methodology.
Launched in June 2004 and managed by BlackRock Fund Advisors, a subsidiary of BlackRock, Inc., the ETF is headquartered in San Francisco, California, and primarily targets institutional and retail investors seeking diversified access to the U.S. small-cap value equity segment.
The fund maintains a low expense ratio of 0.06%, with no acquired fund fees or other expenses; it trades on the NYSE Arca exchange under the ticker JKL and has historically delivered benchmark-aligned performance, including a 1-year total return of approximately 7.09% and inception-to-date annualized returns around 8.29% as of late 2025.
Recent activity includes ongoing portfolio rebalancing to reflect index composition changes and increased institutional holdings, such as World Investment Advisors acquiring 3,356 shares in Q2 2025 and adjustments by firms like D.A. Davidson & Co. and CWM LLC; no major acquisitions, partnerships, new product launches, or strategic shifts specific to JKL were reported in the last 1-2 years, though BlackRock continues expanding its broader iShares ETF lineup with active and alternatives-focused products.