TORONTO, Oct. 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, the RBC iShares alliance expands its exchange traded fund (ETF) lineup with the launch of the iShares A.I. Innovation and Tech ETF (the ‘iShares Fund’ or ‘XBAI’).

XBAI is expected to begin trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) today and is managed by BlackRock Asset Management Canada Limited (BlackRock Canada), an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of BlackRock, Inc.

iShares A.I. Innovation and Tech ETF (XBAI)

XBAI seeks to provide long-term capital growth by primarily investing in equity securities issued by U.S. and non-U.S. artificial intelligence (A.I.) and technology companies. The ETF takes an active approach to identifying opportunities across the A.I. value chain — from the infrastructure powering A.I. to the intelligence and models driving it, to the applications and services bringing A.I. into the real economy.

XBAI aims to identify both established A.I. leaders and emerging beneficiaries whose growth and earnings potential may increasingly be shaped by A.I. The investment team considers companies with meaningful current or expected exposure to A.I., as well as businesses it believes can become future leaders as the technology develops and adoption broadens. Under normal market conditions, XBAI will invest at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities of A.I. and technology companies. XBAI’s flexible mandate allows the team to invest across market capitalizations and geographies, including emerging markets, providing broad access to A.I. opportunities.

XBAI is the latest addition to iShares’ growing active ETF platform, giving Canadian investors an efficient way to broadly access global A.I. opportunities — from the companies building the foundations of A.I. to those translating the technology into real-world products, services and productivity gains.

“Artificial intelligence is one of the most defining technological shifts of our time. While the A.I. revolution is still in its early stages, we believe its long-term impact will be profound,” said Tony Kim, Head of the Fundamental Equities Technology Group at BlackRock. “This ETF aims to help investors capture opportunities across the full A.I. stack through an active approach that can adapt as technology and markets evolve.”

“Tony Kim and BlackRock’s Fundamental Equities Technology team have developed a compelling approach to identifying companies poised to benefit from A.I. adoption,” said Steven Leong, Managing Director, Head of Canada Product and iShares at BlackRock. “As BlackRock’s first fundamental active equity ETF in Canada, XBAI brings the firm's active management expertise to Canadians with a focus on opportunities across the global A.I. value chain.”

The RBC iShares alliance aims to help clients achieve their investment objectives by empowering them to build efficient portfolios and take control of their financial futures. The RBC iShares alliance is committed to delivering a truly differentiated ETF experience and positive outcomes for clients.

For more information about the RBC iShares alliance, please visit https://www.rbcishares.com.

About BlackRock

BlackRock’s purpose is to help more and more people experience financial well-being. As a fiduciary to investors and a leading provider of financial technology, we help millions of people build savings that serve them throughout their lives by making investing easier and more affordable. For additional information on BlackRock, please visit www.blackrock.com/corporate

About iShares

iShares unlocks opportunity across markets to meet the evolving needs of investors. With more than twenty years of experience, a global line-up of more than 1,700 exchange traded funds (ETFs) and approximately US$6.2 trillion in assets under management as of June 30, 2026, iShares continues to drive progress for the financial industry. iShares funds are powered by the expert portfolio and risk management of BlackRock.   
  
About RBC

Royal Bank of Canada is a global financial institution with a purpose-driven, principles-led approach to delivering leading performance. Our success comes from the 105,000+ employees who leverage their imaginations and insights to bring our vision, values and strategy to life so we can help our clients thrive and communities prosper. As Canada's biggest bank and one of the largest in the world, based on market capitalization, we have a diversified business model with a focus on innovation and providing exceptional experiences to our more than 19 million clients in Canada, the U.S. and 27 other countries. Learn more at rbc.com.‎

We are proud to support a broad range of community initiatives through donations, community investments and employee volunteer activities. See how at rbc.com/peopleandplanet.

About RBC Global Asset Management

RBC Global Asset Management (RBC GAM) is the asset management division of Royal Bank of Canada (RBC). RBC GAM is a provider of global investment management services and solutions to institutional, high-net-worth and individual investors through separate accounts, pooled funds, mutual funds, hedge funds, exchange-traded funds and specialty investment strategies. RBC Funds, BlueBay Funds, PH&N Funds and RBC ETFs are offered by RBC Global Asset Management Inc. (RBC GAM Inc.) and distributed through authorized dealers in Canada. The RBC GAM group of companies, which includes RBC GAM Inc. (including PH&N Institutional), manage approximately $834 billion in assets and have approximately 1,600 employees located across Canada, the United States, Europe and Asia.

Disclosure

The RBC iShares alliance includes RBC ETFs and ETF Series of RBC Funds managed by RBC GAM Inc. and iShares ETFs managed by BlackRock Canada. Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with investing in ETFs. Please read the relevant prospectus or ETF Facts document before investing. ETFs are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. Tax, investment and all other decisions should be made, as appropriate, only with guidance from a qualified professional.

^® / TM Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada. Used under license. iSHARES is a registered trademark of BlackRock, Inc., or its subsidiaries in the United States and elsewhere. Used under license. © 2026 BlackRock Asset Management Canada Limited and RBC Global Asset Management Inc. All rights reserved.

Contact for Media:
Sydney Punchard
Email: Sydney.Punchard@blackrock.com     

¹ As an annualized percentage of the iShares Fund’s daily net asset value. The management fee is exclusive of HST.