BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager, has officially filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to launch a new exchange-traded fund (ETF) tracking the Nasdaq-100 index. The proposed fund, to be named the iShares Nasdaq-100 ETF with the ticker IQQ, is designed to mirror the performance of the 100 largest non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange, a group heavily dominated by major technology leaders.
The filing, dated April 6, 2026, positions BlackRock to directly challenge the long-standing dominance of Invesco's QQQ and QQQM ETFs, which collectively manage a staggering $446 billion in assets. Market analysts are predicting that BlackRock's entry could ignite a significant fee war within the ETF space. The firm is expected to leverage its scale to offer a highly competitive expense ratio, with costs potentially dropping to as low as 0.12 percent.
The strategic launch aims to enhance liquidity and reduce costs for investors in the massive $13.7 trillion U.S. ETF market. BlackRock's move is also seen as a play to capitalize on the Nasdaq-100 index's historical long-term outperformance compared to the broader S&P 500 index, offering investors a focused vehicle for tech and growth exposure.
