BlackRock unveils European active credit ETFs

BlackRock has launched two actively managed fixed income UCITS ETFs in response to investor demand for EMEA strategies.

The launches see the group add euro investment grade and European high yield credit products to its active credit ETF range, combining expertise from BlackRock’s active management business with iShares.

iShares € Investment Grade Corp Bond Active UCITS ETF (EBCA) offers a core allocation to high-quality, euro-denominated corporate bonds combining reliable income, liquidity and resilience. The strategy aims to generate consistent excess returns through issuer selection and sector rotation, with a focus on diversification and downside protection.

iShares European High Yield Corp Bond Active UCITS ETF (EYBA) seeks to generate income and provide portfolio diversification by investing across European high yield issuers and sectors, using in-depth credit research and security selection help to identify attractive issuers and assess refinancing risks.

EBCA is supported by BlackRock’s European Credit platform while EYBA is managed by BlackRock’s EMEA Leveraged Finance team.

The group noted that 32% of net inflows into cross-border active UCITS funds went into active ETFs in the first eight months of 2026, while active fixed income ETFs now account for 11.5% of all fixed income UCITS ETF net inflows so far in 2026, more than triple their 3.7% share in 2024.

José Aguilar, head of European credit and lead portfolio manager for EYBA, said: “Today's yield environment has created some of the most attractive income opportunities across European credit in years, but a more uncertain market backdrop and growing differences between issuers demand selectivity.

“Fundamental bottom-up research and security selection allow us to identify attractive credits, build portfolios with a stronger risk-reward profile than the benchmark and manage risk dynamically as conditions change.”

Vasiliki Pachatouridi, head of iShares fixed income product strategy EMEA at BlackRock, added: “Investors increasingly want greater choice in how they access active fixed income. EBCA and EYBA extend that choice across European investment grade and high yield credit, two of the most popular active fixed income categories in Europe, allowing investors to select the format that best meets their needs. We expect to add further active fixed income ETFs to the range before the end of 2026.”