BlackRock to offer space ETF that will add new IPOs within days

BlackRock Inc. is launching a new space ETF for European investors that will add newly listed companies within 10 to 30 days.

The index of the iShares Space Technologies UCITS ETF — ticker STAR — includes an IPO fast-entry mechanism, according to a statement Tuesday. The feature will allow companies to be added shortly after listing via intra-rebalance reviews, rather than waiting for the next scheduled rebalance.

The launch comes just days after the makers of the S&P 500 index declined to tweak rules that would have enabled the rapid inclusion of mega initial public offerings, including SpaceX, though the timing is unrelated, according to a spokesperson.


Investor interest in space ETFs has surged in recent months ahead of the trading debut of Elon Musk’s rockets-to-Twitter conglomerate, according to Bloomberg Intelligence. The products have pulled in $8 billion since the beginning of the year, overtaking defense ETFs and ranking second among BI’s 39 ETF themes for net inflows.