iShares, the exchange-traded funds business of BlackRock, has launched two iShares Enhanced International ETFs within its factor lineup.

iShares, the exchange-traded funds business of BlackRock, has added two iShares Enhanced International ETFs to its “factor” lineup.

The iShares Enhanced International Large-Cap ETF and iShares Enhanced International Small-Cap ETF are managed using BlackRock research, rather than tracking an index.

iShares said the new ETFs will be of interest to those investors who prefer a “blending of factors” in a single ETF to maximize diversification and manage risk.

“Factor investing has become increasingly popular as investors look for opportunities to potentially outperform the market over the long-term,” said Patrick Dunne, head of iShares global markets and investments.

The iShares factor ETF roster currently has over $7.3 billion in assets under management, as at February 21, 2014.

The firm explained that factors are a set of investment characteristics which reflect the risk and return behavior of an asset or stock. Every asset has unique factor exposures such as quality, value, size and momentum, which influence the asset’s return.

“Factor investing is a well-documented, differentiated approach to traditional market-capitalization investing,” iShares said.

The firm currently offers four iShares MSCI USA Factor ETFs that focus on single factors; four iShares Minimum Volatility ETFs that concentrate on volatility reduction and; four iShares Enhanced ETFs that provide multi-factor strategies.