BlackRock Launches New iShares iBonds ETFs to Meet Rising Demand in Europe’s $2 Trillion Income Market
- Launches new 2036 and 2037 iShares iBonds UCITS ETFs as demand for more stable, high quality income solutions accelerates
- iBonds UCITS ETF range has grown to $13.5bn in AUM since its European launch in 2023[1]
BlackRock today highlighted that Europe’s income investing market[2] now exceeds $2 trillion, growing by around 10% in 2025[3], as investors increasingly turn to income strategies to generate more stable income, lock in yields and plan for future financial goals.
This momentum reflects what BlackRock sees as a broader shift in investor behaviour across Europe. As investors seek greater certainty in a world of shifting rate expectations, market volatility and elevated cash balances, fixed income is moving back to the core of portfolios, valued not only as a source of yield, but as a tool for planning and portfolio resilience.
Rising demand for income solutions
Against this backdrop, BlackRock has launched four new iShares iBonds UCITS ETFs, extending its fixed-maturity bond ETF range to include 2036 and 2037 maturities: iShares iBonds Dec 2036 Term € Corp UCITS ETF, iShares iBonds Dec 2036 Term $ Corp UCITS ETF, iShares iBonds Dec 2037 Term € Corp UCITS ETF and iShares iBonds Dec 2037 Term $ Corp UCITS ETF. The ETFs yield between 4.09 and 5.50%.
The new funds provide exposure to diversified portfolios of investment-grade corporate bonds that mature in the same calendar year, offering investors access to bond income with a known maturity date, and accessible through an ETF structure. Offering regular income distributions and returning a final pay out at maturity, iBonds ETFs can help investors align cash flows to specific time horizons, without the need to build and manage portfolios of individual bonds, which can be complex and opaque by nature.
Annemarie Stephenson, Head of Wealth for BlackRock Netherlands, highlighted that “iBonds are giving investors the ability to access diversified exposure to bond markets across specific points in time. This allows for clarity on maturity and cash flows, all within the convenience and flexibility of an ETF wrapper. In the Netherlands wealth market, we are already seeing iBonds used extensively across advisory, with emerging interest now also coming from the Digital segment.”
“Europe’s income opportunity is growing as investors rethink the role of fixed income in their portfolios,” said Vasiliki Pachatouridi, Head of iShares Fixed Income Product Strategy EMEA at BlackRock . “This shift is not only about reaching for yield. Investors are prioritising more stable income, while also reassessing the opportunity cost of holding unmanaged cash. Extending the iBonds range continues to offer investors greater flexibility and accuracy to align portfolios with their financial needs.”
This approach is gaining traction across retail, wealth and institutional investors. For retail clients, iBonds can complement traditional savings accounts, while wealth managers value their operational simplicity and scalability. Institutional investors are using the funds to align cash flows with liabilities. Across all segments, demand is growing for simple, scalable ways to put cash to work with greater visibility on income and capital return.
Since pioneering fixed-maturity bond ETFs in Europe in 2023, iBonds UCITS ETFs have captured approximately 90% of the category.[4] Adoption has been particularly strong through banks and digital platforms, with the latter unlocking a new generation of retail investors for fixed income. iBonds introduced a simplified and clean entry point for an otherwise murky and unapproachable asset class.
The addition of 2036 and 2037 maturities expands that toolkit further, enabling investors to extend bond ladders, and plan for longer-term goals, while supporting smoother reinvestment as earlier vintages mature.
BlackRock has launched 35 iBonds UCITS ETFs since their inception in 2023, with 32 currently active. iShares is a global leader in ETFs, managing over $1.3tn in bond ETF assets.[5]
